Summary
Jujutsu Kaisenis ending this month and that means it’s time for a lot of people to say it’s the worst manga ending of all time until half a year passes and everyone agrees that it was pretty good. In the meantime, as the series comes to a halt, it’s a good opportunity to look at how different this modern fantasy might have been had author Gege Akutami stuck to his original ideas for the story.
Originally published in Jump Giga on Aug 02, 2025, as the prototypeTokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical School(later renamedJujutsu Kaisen 0),Jujutsu Kaisenbegan in earnest on July 10, 2025. As of the time of writing, there have been 268 chapters released and 28 volumes, and the series is scheduled to end in four more chapters,the next of which has been delayed.
The Original Plot(s) for Jujutsu Kaisen
What’s fascinating about the early drafts is the degree to whichJujutsu KaisenandJujutsu Kaisen 0differ from the final versions fans have come to know and love. Looking at the concept for0reveals the broad strokes of what Akutami might have envisioned for the series as a whole, but even the draft of the main series - referred to asJujutsu Sousen(orSousen) - differs from that.
The Proto-Prologue
According to Akutami’s commentary onJujutsu Kaisen 0, the characters of Yuta Okkotsu and Rika remained mostly the same, but the plot and the world-building elements around them were different. The underlying objective was still to eventually exorcise Rika, but the incentive was slightly more dire, with Okkotsu trying to prevent Rika’s curse from killing his relatives. Traces of this idea can still be found in the published version, albeit within supplementary content.
As we’ve covered previously,Rika’s character profile from Volume 0 reveals even darkeraspects of her character than what is covered within the text. After she became a curse, she became violent towards Okkotsu’s family members - and specifically Okkotsu’s sister, according to Akutami - which prompted him to distance himself from loved ones.
Regarding world-building. Akutami states that the story would have forgone the school setting and framed the sorcerers as members of a secret government organization.Okkotsu would have been recruited byMaki, which makes sense given their bond in the finished product, but already a lot of the context shaping the story has changed with a few minor adjustments. Within this commentary, Akutami stated he “still” preferred this version of the story.
Jujutsu Kaisen Almost Started with the Culling Game
During an exhibition in Shibuya in July this year, Akutami’s original drafts for the main series were shown off, and during a Q&A, he elaborated on how the story became what it was.Initially, Megumi Fushiguro was envisioned as the protagonist, with Yuji Itadori in a supporting role, rather than the lead himself. Many of the supporting characters existed in a similar capacity as before, and by this point, the setting had already changed from a government agency to a school.
Most surprisingly, though, the plot would have been something akin to the Culling Game arc that exists in the final story, albeit from the very beginning. Similarly, Fushiguro would be the one whose body plays host to Ryomen Sukuna. It’s fascinating to find just how early in the creative process Akutami envisioned something as grand as the Culling Game arc, even if the battle royale concept already was and remains rather ubiquitous.
Why the Story Was Changed
Whether it was0’s original plotorJujutsu Sousen, the biggest reasons for the changes boiled down to feedback from editors who didn’t think the premises lined up with shōnen standards. Akutami’s commentary on0reveals some bad blood between him and his first editor, Yamanaka, who had suggested such changes as the school setting. The result was a more conventional framing for a shōnen battle manga, but fans privy to this story often despair, thinking of what might have been.
As forSousen, similar factors pushed Gege to rework the narrative, turning it intoJujutsu Kaisen, and building the surrounding story around Itadori, who Gege believed could be a versatile lead. During the aforementioned Q&A, he stressed that very little had changed about Itadori betweenSousenandKaisen, but simply making him the protagonist impacted the series in a big way.
Would the Original Ideas Have Been Successful?
It’s natural for many topoint the finger at Weekly Shōnen Jump here, and that instinct is rooted in a dichotomy as old as popular art itself. The vision of an artist versus the standards of a publisher, the latter of which is defined not only by what has proven successful in the past but what fits a brand’s identity. In Shōnen Jump’s case, that identity is wrapped up in the tropes of the very genre named after them, which are difficult to shake, even as the genre has steadily evolved.
While it’s tempting to fantasize about a hypothetically better version of an already beloved series, though, it’s worth considering thatJujutsu Kaisenmight not have been as successful were it not for those concessions. Some may rightfully criticizethe tastes of Shōnen Jump’s editors, but simultaneously, those standards regarding content exist - at least in part - because of the way the audience has engaged with the medium historically.
Jujutsu Kaisen Turned Out Alright
A school setting may be clichéd, butJujutsu Kaisen’s story rarely feels limited by this framing, and Akutami’s greatest influences come through potently in the themes and character writing. Furthermore, it’s often the ways it issimilar to other classics in the genrethat help its overall message and tone connect with audiences. Tatsuhiko Katayama, the current editor, described the appeal of the series as such:
What I usually say is, it’s a shōnen manga for adults or a more mature manga for kids. Meaning, adults will be reminded of how they felt when they were younger, and kids can read it and feel like they’re growing up. They get to see a glimpse of a cool, adult world.
Sure, Fushiguro might have made for a more compelling protagonist depending on one’s taste, but Akutami was correct in stating that Itadori is a more “versatile” and “universal” lead. He is a straightforward hero, through whose fresh eyes the reader can more easily learn about the setting and its rules. Above all that,he’s a charismatic, relatable, and all-around solid characterwithout whom a significant part of the story’s heart would be absent.
What Can We Learn From The Scrapped Ideas?
There’s a larger discussion to be had about Shōnen Jump, its stories and how they’ve changed, and how the necessity to grab audiences as quickly as possible has killed stories in their infancy. We’ve dabbled in this discourse before; the changing tastes, tones, and attention spans. For this manga, however, its success is hardly a tragic tale.
Jujutsu Kaisenis nearly over. There will be plenty of discussion about what was good and what was bad, but aside from posterity, there’s not much to be gained from “what might have been.” If there’s a lesson to be learned from how cool Gege Akutami’s unused ideas are, it’s that whatever he writes next ought to be given that much more creative freedom. After creating such a generational smash hit, he’s earned it.
Source:Viz Blog
Jujutsu Kaisen
Based on Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Mappa’s battle shonen anime envisions a world where Jujutsu Sorcerers battle against entities born out of Cursed Energy. One day, a teenager named Yuji Itadori is dragged into this conflict when he eats a possessed finger.
