Akutami is hellbent on replicating Shibuya in the current Jujutsu Kaisen arc, and Todo's appearance proves it

Modified May 10, 2024 12:00 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen arc at the moment is looking very similar to Shibuya (Image via MAPPA). — Jujutsu Kaisen arc at the moment is looking very similar to Shibuya (Image via MAPPA)

The Jujutsu Kaisen arc that is taking place at the moment in the manga has been focusing on the battle with Ryomen Sukuna for almost a year in terms of publication, and it seems that author Gege Akutamis is trying to replicate his Shibuya Incident arc. It is something that was heavily implied by the events of the recently leaked chapter 259 and the confirmed return of Aoi Todo.

There is no denying that Shibuya is the most popular Jujutsu Kaisen arc and was a watershed moment for the series, but now it begs the question of whether this is the right way to go for the manga and if Akutami is making the correct decision. Furthermore, there is also the perspective of this feeling repetitive and trying to repeat the formula of Todo saving protagonist Yuji Itadori at his darkest moment.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Explaining why author Gege Akutami is potentially repeating the Shibuya Incident with the current Jujutsu Kaisen arc

Todo's return in the current Jujutsu Kaisen arc feels a bit repetitive (Image via MAPPA).

The current Jujutsu Kaisen arc focuses heavily on the battle with Ryomen Sukuna, but it is fair to say that it is taking some pages from the Shibuya Incident storyline, with the first major example being the removal of Satoru Gojo from the picture.

While Gojo was sealed by Kenjaku in Shibuya, Sukuna outright killed him in this arc, which serves as a way to take the proverbial security blanket from the sorcerers and have them rely on their own strength and not Satoru's.

Furthermore, author Gege Akutami has built a reputation as a mangaka who is not afraid of killing characters, and while the previous arc, like the Culling Games, had some deaths, they were mostly inconsequential characters to the story.

However, Shibuya and this current arc share the similarity of how fan favorites and more relevant characters are being killed, such as Gojo, Kashimo, Higuruma, and now Choso, with the fate of Yuta Okkotsu still up in the air.

The recent death of Choso was also very interesting because it broke Yuji Itadori emotionally in the same way that Nobara Kugisaki's did in Shibuya, to the point that he needed the support of Aoi Todo on both occasions. Therefore, it is safe to say that Akutami is taking a few pages out of his own series.

What could happen in the coming chapters?

The current Jujutsu Kaisen arc seems to be reaching its climax (Image via MAPPA).

There is a strong argument to be made that Aoi Todo's arrival in chapter 259 means that the current Jujutsu Kaisen arc is reaching its climax, especially considering how the sorcerers have been Sukuna for over forty chapters, including the fight with Satoru Gojo.

Therefore, much like it happened in Shibuya against Mahito, Todo's return could mean that Yuji is about to have his final round with the King of Curses.

Todo also pointed out that the rest of the sorcerers who were in Sukuna's range were rescued, so that means that the coming chapters could focus on this battle. Also, considering how Todo has managed to return to the story, there is a very good chance he is going to be pivotal, even if he dies in the process.

Final thoughts

There are some strong similarities between the current Jujutsu Kaisen arc and the Shibuya Incident one, which can be a bit divisive to some people. However, this is a formula that has proven to be very useful for Akutami throughout the series, so perhaps that is why he is using it again.

Related articles