Chapter 271 of Jujutsu Kaisen, released in French on MangaPlus last Sunday, marked the conclusion of Gege Akutami's shonen. But in many ways, the ending is extremely questionable. Especially considering this detail.
Jujutsu Kaisen: a wasted antagonist ?
With Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotōge and Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama, Jujutsu Kaisenby Gege Akutami is one of the most popular manga of the 2010s/2020s. Both dark and violent, the adventures of Yuji Itadori and his exorcist friends have brilliantly corrupted the codes of shonen nekketsu, as Chef Otaku demonstrated in a dedicated video. Its adaptation into an animated series by the MAPPA studio has reinforced the aura of Jujutsu Kaisen, by sublimating certain fight scenes that have become iconic.
But all good things must come to an end, and Jujutsu Kaisen ended with its chapter 271 last week. However, the conclusion of the manga leaves an aftertaste of unfinished business in the mouth. The ending seems rushed, as if Gege Akutami was in a hurry to finish his manga.Don't blame him, unfortunately the manga production system relies heavily on the exploitation of artists, and many of them develop serious health problems, like Kentaro Miura (Berserk), Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter x Hunter), Eiichiro Oda (One Piece). In spring 2021, Gege Akutami had been forced to take a break of several weeks due to back problems caused by his activity professional.
This clarification being made, one of our biggest disappointments concerning the last arc of Jujutsu Kaisenremains the treatment of the character of Kenjaku. As a reminder, during the Shibuya arc – adapted in the second part of season 2 of the anime -, we learn that the one we took for Suguru Geto was in fact a thousand-year-old exorcist whose spell allows him to transplant his brain into other bodies. Not content with being the great architect of the great tragedies that struck Japan and the world of exorcists, notably the Shibuya Drama and the Deadly Hunt, Kenjaku is also the real father of the hero, Yuji Itadori. He therefore had everything to be the main antagonist of the manga.
Unfortunately, his treatment is undeniably disappointing. If we understand that Gege Akutami wanted to end with the dantesque confrontation between Ryumen Sukuna and the exorcists, Kenjaku has de facto become one of the secondary characters in his own machination. Worse, his death was completely rushed: Takaba's comical spectacle serves as a diversion for Yuta Okkotsu to decapitate him. In his last words, Kenjaku explains that his will will be transmitted. But to whom? We don't know. Especially since the penultimate chapter (#270) shows us a person with Geto's silhouette accompanying Takaba. We also regret that Yuji Itadori was never released. truly confronted with in a personal way Kenjaku.
That being said, Jujutsu Kaisen will remain a manga that will be remembered for a long time, notably thanks to its gallery of endearing and charismatic characters, and its often breathtaking fights. It therefore joins the club of these beloved manga whose ending is considered disappointing, among which we find Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto and Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama. The latter also felt the need to apologize for it. What do you think? Tell us in the comments section.