In 2014, the manga fandom kept a close eye on Shonen Jump as the manga anthology brought My Hero Academia to life. The superhero series went on to become a hit, and before long, the team at Shueisha drummed up another hit run. Gege Akutami kept tabs on the competition before he brought Jujutsu Kaisen to life in 2018. Both series have now come to an end, and in a recent chat, Akutami revealed which scene in My Hero Academia left the biggest impression on him.
The revelation comes from Shonen Jump‘s latest issue as the magazine posted an interview for Jump Next Generation. It was there Akutami was interviewed given his status atop the manga industry. When asked about the magazine’s best fights, Akutami pointed out My Hero Academia, and he said Mirko’s battle with the High-End Nomu left him speechless.
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GEGE AKUTAMI HAS A CRUSH ON MIRKO
“At this time in the manga, Mirko was a character we had only seen once before in a lineup of other heroes. But the way she used her quirk tenaciously and aggressively to fight the Nomu who was throwing out strong quirks caught the attention of readers,” Akutami explained.
Continuing, the Jujutsu Kaisen creator went on to detail why Mirko’s battle left such an impression. The heroine’s rough attitude made Akutami do a double take, and the intense battle set up how the manga’s Final War arc would look.
“This battle was fierce compared to the calm Endeavor Agency arc that came before, and it expanded on things mentioned before like the High-End Nomu that Endeavor fought and even the country’s top heroes. This [fight] exploded Mirko’s popularity, and at the same time, the brutal plus-ultra battle showed readers how things were going to intensify from then on.”
Of course, Akutami is spot on with his prediction. The creator of Jujutsu Kaisen know a thing or three about telegraphing, and My Hero Academia foreshadowed the future with Mirko’s fight. The battle with brutal as both the hero and the villains went back and forth. From lost limbs to blood loss and brutal injuries, Mirko’s fight was one of the most intense of the entire series. So for Akutami, the tonal shift caught his eye ASAP.
DID MY HERO ACADEMIA INFLUENCE JUJUTSU KAISEN?
You may be curious as to why the manga fandom is putting such a focus on Akutami’s latest My Hero Academia push, but the answer is very simple. In the past, the Jujutsu Kaisen creator has said his hit manga would not exist without My Hero Academia. When the superhero manga ended, Akutami posted a thank-you note to Kohei Horikoshi, and he told the My Hero Academia creator this: “Jujutsu Kaisen would not exist without My Hero Academia. Congratulations.”
My Hero Academia made its debut four years before Jujutsu Kaisen hit the scene, and Akutami spent that time reading Horikoshi’s work. Everything from the manga’s pacing to its fight choreography inspired Akutami to make his own manga. And thus, Jujutsu Kaisen was born. The supernatural series went on to become a best-seller at Shonen Jump, and its tenure came to a close earlier this year after a six-year run.
Now, our question is how would Mirko fair in a fight against Akutami’s top fighters. Just imagine how a battle between Mirko and Todo would go. The two fighters would destroy themselves in the pursuit of victory, so honestly? We won’t say no to this match made in heaven.
What do you think about Akutami’s confession? Did Mirko’s fight against the High-End Nomu take you by surprise? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
