Junji Ito’s Contribution to the Creation of Jujutsu Kaisen is the Perfect Reason Why Gege Akutami Shouldn’t Give it a Sequel

SUMMARY

• With Jujutsu Kaisen ending, fans must be thinking about a potential sequel of the series.
• However, there's a genre more fitting for Gege Akutami for their next project, given their skillset.
• They should follow in Junji Ito's footsteps in the future, who they admire so much.

During its run, Jujutsu Kaisen became one of the most celebrated anime-manga series . The series has given us some of the most memorable characters of all time. With the manga closer to its end than ever before, fans must be itching for a sequel. The possibility of a sequel must have crossed Gege Akutami’s mind as well. However, we believe that there’s something more exciting than a Jujutsu Kaisen sequel that Akutami should work on next. 

Geto’s attack Maximum: Uzumaki was inspired by Junji Ito | Credits: Viz Media

Throughout Jujutsu Kaisen, Akutami has drawn creepy-looking curses and maintained an eerie atmosphere. A part of this is a result of the creator’s fondness for Junji Ito. This is also the reason why Akutami should move on to a different genre rather than a Jujutsu Kaisen sequel. 

Does Jujutsu Kaisen Even Need a Sequel? 

A still from Jujutsu Kaisen anime | Credits: Studio MAPPA

Before delving into what the creator’s next project should be, let’s try to answer this question: does JJK need a sequel? Many possibilities come to mind when one thinks of a sequel for the series. There could be a direct sequel, spin-offs, or a new story based in the same universe. While spin-offs are a great idea given how interesting the characters have been, a different story in the same universe sounds more exciting. 

Set in the same universe, we could get some appearances from JJK characters as well. It would be the best of both worlds, with a new story featuring older elements. As for a direct sequel, despite the questionable aspects, the manga ending has provided somewhat of a closure with most characters. A story can always be fleshed out more, but it might be time for the story Jujutsu Kaisen to be put to rest. 

Gege Akutami could move on to new projects which could give us a glimpse of everything they have to offer. There’s a more fitting genre for them that incorporates the key elements and sub-genres of Jujutsu Kaisen and its horror!

Gege Akutami Should Follow in Junji Ito’s Footsteps 

An instance of how Gege Akutami is skilled at creating creepy imagery | Credits: Viz Media

Over the years, Gege Akutami has mentioned their appreciation of Junji Ito’s works numerous times. They’ve even drawn references to Ito’s works in Jujutsu Kaisen. In Chapter 134 of the manga, they shared that they attempted to recreate the atmosphere from Ito’s works but it wasn’t an easy task to convey it. Referring to an exhibition, Akutami shared their experience reading Long Dream and said that Junji Ito broadens the reader’s mind. 

Akutami Gege for Junji Ito exhibition: “undying but not ageless. after reading Long Dream, I began thinking about how humans evolve across 100 years. a mangaka’s greatest wish and ideal is to give their audience a reading experience that broadens their minds, as Ito-sensei does.” https://t.co/yLKvoUwZux

All of this tells us how much the creator was influenced by Ito, and Jujutsu Kaisen reflects the inspiration in glimpses. Now, it might be time for Akutami to go all out. The mangaka has a knack for drawing terrifying imagery, a skill that was more apparent in the initial stages of the story. It would be extremely exciting if Akutami’s next project after Jujutsu Kaisen is a horror manga.

They can totally pull it off. Besides the art style, they are also pretty skilled at unnerving the readers through shock and other aspects. All of that can account for a great spooky experience. With horror, Akutami can retain the dark fantasy elements of Jujutsu Kaisen as well. So, it might be time for Gege Akutami to scare us after scarring us with the horrors of JJK and bidding sudden goodbyes to a new favorite character every week. 

Jujutsu Kaisen is available to read on the MangaPlus app and website. 

Written by Laveena Joshi

Articles Published: 97

Laveena holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism with a keen interest in entertainment journalism. Known to defend Naruto with her life, her love for anime has turned into great appreciation for the Japanese Culture. Besides considering herself a veteran weeb, she's also a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur. Better if the perfect brew is paired with a random video essay from YouTube. Blending her love for anime with the know-hows of content writing, she is now an anime content writer at FandomWire.