Quick Links
Summary
Jujutsu Kaisen’s creator Gege Akutami has finally confirmed thatNarutodid in fact inspire one key aspect ofJujutsu Kaisenbut not in the way fans think. As a matter of fact,Jujutsu Kaisenwas intended to be the opposite ofNarutofrom the very beginning.
When it comes to manga, as with any other creative medium, it isn’t uncommon for writers to draw inspiration from other contemporary works andJujutsu Kaisen’s creator Gege Akutami is no exception. In a recent interview at theJujutsu KaisenExhibition at Shibuya, Gege Akutami explains how hedrew inspiration for the relationship between Sukuna and Yuji as well as Rika and Yuta from Naruto and Kurama.
Akutami explains that since Rika and Yuta were more like Naruto and Kurama, hefeltJujutsu Kaisenneeded a different approach. Thus, Yuji and Sukuna were not given the chance to reconcile like the other two pairs and were instead made completely incompatible with each other, destined to be the very opposite ofNarutofrom the very start.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Creator Reveals Which Legendary Manga Inspired One of the Series’s Most Shocking Moments
Author Gege Akutami reveals in a recent Jujutsu Kaisen exposition the inspiration behind one of the most shocking moments in the series.
Gege Akutami Confirms Yuji & Sukuna Were Meant To Be the Antithesis of Naruto & Kurama
While fans have long since compared Yuji and Sukuna to Naruto and Kurama, Akutami’s recent comment finally confirms these comparisons. As the interview question states, Gege Akutami too has previously stated being inspired byNarutoon multiple occasions, but his latest comment reveals that the series inspired him in a completely different way, pushing him toexplore a dynamic the complete opposite of that inNaruto.
While Naruto and Kurama did not have the best relationship for a good chunk of the series at first, the two do eventually come to terms with each other, forming one of the strongest bonds in the series. Despite their rocky beginning, Naruto eventually not only befriends Kurama to better harness his power but also sympathizes with him, forming a lifelong bond that left fans devastated whenKurama died inBoruto.
In contrast, Yuji never had a chance to do so because Sukuna’s characterwas inherently never written to compromise with Yujior to have any sort of relationship with him. Even though the two did make a contract at the beginning of the series, even that deal was part of a greater scheme by Sukuna as seen in the Shibuya Arc. In fact, to this day,Sukuna has yet to acknowledge Yujias a sorcerer and continues to belittle and underestimate him, which might just be the cause of his defeat.
Yuji and Naruto Are Different Yet Similar At the Same Time
Both Protagonists Share A Strong, Unbreakable Resolve
Interestingly, in the same interview at theJujutsu KaisenExhibition, Gege Akutami also mentions drawing inspiration for the framework of the story fromBleach,specifically the part where Ichigo makes the decision on his own to become a shinigami. Like Ichigo, Yuji also gets swept up into a dangerous situation at the start of the series butmakes the decision to eat Sukuna’s fingerof his own volition, thus becoming a part of the hidden world of jujutsu sorcery and Cursed Spirits.
In this sense, Yuji again could not be more different fromNaruto, who was not given such a choicebut had his fate decided for him as a child, a decision he even holds against his father, Minato, at first. However, there is one thing that Yuji and Naruto do share in common, which is their indomitable spirit.
Sure, the idealistic protagonist who never gives up on his dreams is quite commonplace in the shōnen genre, almost to the point of being cliché. Still,Jujutsu Kaisenmanages to take this idea and flesh it out through Yuji in a refreshing way, adding much more complexity to his character while still keeping him just as optimistic and resolute as Naruto.
Overall,Jujutsu Kaisen’s popularityand success certainly begin to make sense when one considers that Gege Akutami was inspired by some of the best shōnen series in the genre. WhileNarutoreigns supreme as one of the most iconic shōnen anime of the early 2000s,Jujutsu Kaisenis undoubtedly shaping up to be the best modern shōnen anime, and perhaps in time, it may be considered a cult-classic just likeNaruto.
Jujutsu Kaisenis available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Cast
Jujutsu Kaisen follows Yuji Itadori, a high school student with extraordinary strength, who becomes intertwined with curses after ingesting a cursed object. Under the guidance of sorcerer Satoru Gojo, Yuji joins Tokyo Jujutsu High School to combat malevolent forces and navigate his new, perilous existence.
