What Does the End of Jujutsu Kaisen Mean for Manga?

What does Jujutsu Kaisen's grand finale mean for Weekly Shonen Jump and beyond?

By Evan Valentine

It's almost time to say goodbye to Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, and Megumi Fushiguro as Jujutsu Kaisen only has one chapter left before the supernatural shonen series ends. Following the devastating fight against Sukuna, the surviving Jujutsu Tech students are looking to pick up the pieces as manga readers cross their fingers for resurrections. While creator Gege Akutami has hinted that something else is on the way, a sequel series has yet to be confirmed. With Jujutsu Kaisen ending its reign as one of the top-selling shonen series in Weekly Shonen Jump, the implications on the anime world in general are sure to be widespread.

In recent years, we've seen some major shonen series end, including the likes of Demon Slayer, The Promised Neverland, and My Hero Academia, with even the Straw Hat Pirates in the throes of their final saga. Amongst these shonen manga, Jujutsu Kaisen has been one of the highest-selling since it first debuted in 2020. While the manga might be ending, this doesn't mean that the anime adaptation's end is nigh. A third season has already been confirmed by Studio MAPPA and most likely, Yuji Itadori's story will take at least four full seasons to wrap.

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(Photo:

Yuji and Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen

- Shueisha)

A Jujutsu Kaisen Sized Hole in Shonen Jump

Losing Jujutsu Kaisen, let alone Jujutsu Kaisen and so many other beloved manga series, makes for a major absence in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. While the publication will still have One Piece to rely on, the twenty-plus-year series that has outsold many of its cohorts, Shueisha will need some new powerhouses to fill the gap. Luckily for manga readers, there is already a steady stable of stories that are looking to be the "next big thing".

Sakamoto Days, Spy x Family, Chainsaw Man, DandaDan, and Kagurabachi are only a few examples of series that have already claimed widespread acclaim in terms of series that gained serious popularity in a relatively short amount of time. Considering only two of these series have received anime adaptations, the other three gaining small-screen notoriety is sure to amplify their sales if history is one of them. 

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(Photo: MAPPA)

There's No Replacing Jujutsu Kaisen

Some manga series like Dragon Ball and One Piece ran for decades so for some anime fans, it can be sad when a story ends only after a handful of years. Jujutsu Kaisen's time has come to an end but there was an unpredictability in the series that was almost impossible to replicate. Creator Gege Akutami was more than willing to take major characters off the board when the story required it, adding a sense of danger that grabbed fans' attention. 

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While many of these characters have become household names for anime fans, there was no character quite like Satoru Gojo. Gojo was consistently rated the number one character by fans time and time again in popularity polls and not even his demise was enough to get fans to stop talking about him. One of the most desired things that manga fans want to see is Gojo resurrected before the grand finale but even if he comes back to life, the fact that manga readers will no longer be able to see the character on an almost weekly basis is a tough loss for many. In the anime world, there are so many characters and stories that someone or something is sure to take Gojo's place in fans' hearts and minds. 

Want to see how Weekly Shonen Jump operates once Jujutsu Kaisen releases its final chapter? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Jujutsu Tech and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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