Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen was already a Weekly Shonen Jump hit before the anime adaptation by MAPPA took the series’ popularity to another level. The story centers around Yuji Itadori, an ordinary high school student with exceptional physical strength. He spends his time with the Occult Club, who discover a legendary Cursed Finger, which was too powerful to be handled by a bunch of ordinary students. Yuji’s life has never been the same since then as he met Megumi Fushiguro, a young Jujutsu sorcerer in pursuit of the finger. When a major threat came their way because of the Cursed Object, Yuji had no choice but to swallow the finger in order to save Megumi and the members of his Occult Club.
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Any ordinary human would’ve died, but there’s a one in a million chance that someone will become a vessel to history’s strongest sorcerer, and that’s what happened with Yuji. The series has a unique power system, which further intrigued the fans. By the time the first season stopped airing, Jujutsu Kaisen became a massive hit across the world, with many fans switching to manga before Season 2 dropped. However, now that the manga has long ended and the anime is taking a few years to release Season 3, we may be looking at another unfortunate case similar to Attack on Titan.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan’s Endings!
Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan Both Had Extremely Controversial Endings
Both Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen are incredibly popular shows with many fans following the manga up until the ending. The final stretch of both series sparked numerous controversies with nuanced scenes that not many appreciated, as well as the death of beloved characters. Not to mention that the endings were discussed all across social media, so much so that almost everyone in the fandom learned about the finale. In Jujutsu Kaisen’s case as well, the leaks were followed by millions of fans who started sharing the spoilers, expressing mixed reactions towards the ending.
A lot of the questions were unanswered in Jujutsu Kaisen, with many fans believing the ending just seemed anticlimactic. On the other hand, several dedicated fans believed the series avoided answering those questions, instead claiming we didn’t need to know about them. And thus, the fandom was split in two, with more people hating the ending than defending it. It even reached the point of particular fans attempting, in vain, to recreate the series’ ending with their misguided hopes attached, resulting in other, more maligned unofficial Jujutsu Kaisen projects.
In Attack on Titan’s case, the ending became less hated (but still had reasonable detractors) after the anime adaptation since a few years had passed by then and the original scenes soothed fans’ disappointment. Jujutsu Kaisen is being adapted by MAPPA, which also worked on Attack on Titan since Season 4. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 was announced in December 2023 and is currently under production. With so many years of gap between the manga and the anime endings, fans have plenty of reason to believe things could turn out the same way.
Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan Endings Share Certain Similarities
The thing with cynical or analytical endings is that not everyone will perceive them in the same way. Attack on Titan killed Eren Yeager, while Jujutsu Kaisen’s Satoru Gojo also met a horrific end. Both beloved characters’ deaths earned more criticism than praise, especially in the initial days. Since the deaths felt abrupt and unsatisfying, the fandom spiraled into denial, anger, and meme-fueled grief. There were several revival theories as a form of coping, but in the end, none of these characters came back.
Additionally, Mikasa kissing Eren’s severed head should’ve been an emotional moment, but many didn’t care for it because of its off-putting execution. The cycle never truly ended in either series. Several years after Eren’s death, Paradis is still destroyed. A young boy with a dog discovers the tree where Eren was buried, which now has the same appearance as the tree where Ymir gained the power of the Titans. The implication is that the boy may gain the abilities of a Titan, thereby bringing that power into the world again. Hence, there’s a strong possibility that the current world remains at risk of going through everything all over again.
In Jujutsu Kaisen, Sukuna’s 20th finger was used as a tool for Nobara to cast her Resonance as the final trump card. Even after Sukuna’s death, the final finger remained and was sealed away since it’s indestructible. The seal will weaken over time, just like it was already weakened when the members of Yuji’s Occult Club found it. The curses still exist in the world since the cycle was never ended. As long as that’s the case, there is always a possibility that someone else will show up who will serve as Sukuna’s vessel and bring tragedy to the world again.
After Season 3, Jujutsu Kaisen May Not Have the Same Reception As Before
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will adapt the Culling Game Arc after airing the Itadori Extermination and the Perfect Preparation Arcs, which highlight the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident. Right after the Culling Game Arc ends, Gojo returns from the Prison Realm, and soon, the historic battle of the strongest begins. The fight is incredibly enjoyable, with some of the best action scenes in modern shonen. However, the problem arises after Gojo’s death, since that’s what split the fandom into two.
The fight against Sukuna will continue, with almost every character jumping in to challenge the King of Curses. The final arc is purely action-driven, featuring some intense scenes. Watching the final arc play out in an anime version may soothe fans’ disappointment, but it may not be enough to satisfy a majority of the fandom. Both series are incredible in their own right, but unfortunately, it’s not possible to satisfy everyone in such a large fandom.
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