Warning! Massive spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen‘s manga! Jujutsu Kaisen’s creator has gone viral for one particularly heartbreaking Kento Nanami nod. The Shibuya Incident was the biggest arc in Gege Akutami’s original manga series thus far, and not only did it feature some of the most intense battles in the series to date but it was such a massive part of the series that it has changed the status quo forever. This includes the lives of many of the series’ fan favorite characters, and one that fans particularly were hit hard by was Kento Nanami.
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Many characters’ lives still hang in the balance following the arc, but Nanami wasn’t so lucky. After fighting his way through several transfigured humans and cursed spirits, Nanami was killed at the hands of Mahito. When asked about Nanami’s death during the arc in Jujutsu Kaisen’s fanbook, series creator Gege Akutami’s response had gone viral with fans due to his admittance that he liked Nanami just as much as we do.
As Akutami explained about why he killed Nanami during The Shibuya Incident, he noted, “When I decided to start the Shibuya Incident, to be honest, as a character, I like Nanami. It’s easy for me to use him in any plot.” But the real twist of the knife comes fast as Akutami had delivered a cold truth about the fan favorite’s death, “However, when I consider the roles of the story and the movement of the characters, I had no other choices.”
From his explanation, it seems that while Akutami liked the character and his use in the plot he ultimately had to die because he most likely did not have a crucial role in the future of the series. In a special interview with Fuji TV, Akutami revealed that he already had an ending in mind for some of the characters, so that’s likely the case for Nanami. Also with a death like Nanami’s, it truly gives the Shibuya Incident the weight it deserves.
The series is beginning to explore the fallout of the incident in the newest chapters, so it’s still unclear where Jujutsu Kaisen is planning to go next. But what do you think? How did you feel about Nanami’s death? Did you expect to see such a fan favorite character die during the fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or you can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!
