It’s been some time since Hajime Isayama concluded Attack on Titan, and not a single day goes by when fans don’t miss the legendary action shonen series. However, Gege Akutami filled that void by taking Jujutsu Kaisen to a whole new level in terms of popularity. The recent events in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga are so mindblowing and unpredictable that I can’t help but compare Gege Akutami’s storytelling with Hajime Isayama. So, let’s discuss why I think Gege Akutami might be the next big Shonen superstar.
How Jujutsu Kaisen Will Take Akutami to Isayama’s Level
Of course, Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen tell two completely different stories, and they are in no way similar to each other. That said, Gege Akutami’s style of writing and foreshadowing makes him second to, if not equal to, Attack on Titan’s creator, Hajime Isayama.
JJK Chapter 261 made me firmly believe in this statement, so allow me to explain why I think Gege Akutami is on the same level as Isayama in terms of storytelling.
Mindblowing Twists and Turns
Attack on Titan made the world realize that anime is not just a mere cartoon series. In fact, AoT has contributed significantly to the popularity of anime as a whole. It even changed the image of Shonen anime forever, which usually focus on companionship, great action sequences, colorful visuals, and power-ups unlike we can imagine.
However, Hajime Isayama’s manga opened up the fans to gut-wrenching gore, violence, and a dark fantasy world with characters you could empathize with. He was the one who gave us many reasons to fall in love with the show. The story of AoT starts with a child named Eren Yeager, who goes on a path of revenge after witnessing his mother getting eaten by a Titan.
However, we soon realize that it was never a straightforward story. With each passing chapter (or episode), the series shook us with unexpected twists and turns. For example — no one in their wildest dreams would have imagined that Eren was never the hero of the series but was the main villain who was stuck in a loop.
Also, the revelation of the Female, Colossal, and Armored Titan shook the entire community. The community had several theories and speculations about Titans’ real identities, but all of that was thrown out the window by the author.
Similarly, Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen initially seemed like an animanga series that would only feature clashes between sorcerers and the curses. Even the debut season of the anime set up fans to believe that JJK would be a simple fighting anime. However, as we inch toward the end of the series, the genius mangaka is not giving us a single moment of relief.
After Gojo’s death, which was confirmed recently, fans started coming up with theories and wild speculations about the character’s comeback. Fans even thought that Gojo would return using the Binding Vow and sacrifice his Six Eyes in the process.
JJK Chapter 260 finally teased the character’s revival, but now, Chapter 261 finally disclosed that Gojo will never return instead, Yuta will use his body as his vessel to confront Sukuna. Similarly, the community had several theories about Yuji’s real identity but Gege again shocked everyone by revealing the connection between Sukuna and Yuji.
In short, the twists and turns that Akutami brings to the story are breaking the internet on the same level as Isayama’s Attack on Titan.
Letting the Side Characters Shine
It’s rare for animanga series to make fans adore the side characters by giving them a prominent role in the narrative. However, Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen are surely among those series that let the side characters shine in their own right.
It wouldn’t be unfair to mention that Levi, Mikasa, and Armin, being the side characters in Attack on Titan, are admired more than Eren, the protagonist. However, these characters did not get that much love from fans for no reason. Levi was a well-designed and appealing male character whose determination to kill the Titans made him even more likable among the fans. On the other hand, Mikasa was a true example of how a girl should be in the face of adversity, and Armin grabbed the attention of fans with his intellect and loyalty towards his friends.
Isayama made a protagonist who was taken to heights with the support of these side characters. So, it’s no wonder fans cared for Levi, Mikasa, and Armin as much as they did for Eren. In the final phase of Attack on Titan, Isayama shifted the major focus of the story towards the side characters, which worked so well for the story.
Now, if we talk about Jujutsu Kaisen, there’s no denying that side characters like Gojo Satoru and Yuta Okkotsu often overshadow Yuji Itadori’s presence in the story. Even before Gojo’s death, Yuji couldn’t get a chance to prove his worth to the global audience.
In the recent chapters, just when Yuji has struck Sukuna with numerous Black Flash attacks and is about to kill the King of Curses, Yuta returns in Gojo’s skin, snatching the limelight from our main protagonist. Moreover, if Nanami were alive at this point in the story, fans would have cared more for him than Itadori. So, we can say that Gege Akutami’s ideology about side characters makes him resemble the legendary mangaka Hajime Isayama.
The Final Phases of Both JJK and AoT Broke the Internet
There wasn’t a single Attack on Titan episode or a manga chapter that wasn’t taking the Internet by storm. I still remember how the series was in the talks when the biggest revelation about Eren came out. Fans couldn’t control their tears after learning that the enemy whom Eren had wanted to fight since childhood was no one else but his adult self.
Eren was basically an idiot who was given too much power and that got to his head. Mikasa killing her childhood sweetheart with her own hands was even more heartbreaking for every fan. We hadn’t seen any other series grabbing this much attention before, well, not until Jujutsu Kaisen reached its final phase.
Jujutsu Kaisen is now on the same level as Attack on Titan in terms of popularity. With each passing chapter, Gege Akutami’s series is grabbing the attention of not only old fans but several new fans as well. Fans who have never read any manga are getting into JJK due to its popularity.
We don’t yet know how things will end for the Jujutsu High sorcerers in Jujutsu Kaisen, but we can surely say that it will create history as AoT did with its final arc. What is your opinion on this? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Aparna Ukil
