Jujutsu Kaisen has gained tremendous success since it debuted in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump 2018. Gege Akutami’s magnum opus has 24 published volumes as of October 2023, with the anime version by Studio MAPPA currently making waves with Season 2. However, fans may not know that the writer intended not to publish their work in the first place.
Akutami has always been a person who has been shrouded in mystery. Little is known about their personal life or the reason why they chose an absurd pen name. Nonetheless, the mangaka did disclose a certain phase in which they were experiencing a creativity block and even thought of canceling their now-renowned magnum opus.
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Gege Akutami Never Intended to Make Jujutsu Kaisen a Serialisation
When Gege Akutami created a prototype of Jujutsu Kaisen, they got positive responses from the editors. However, it soon became clear that the work was ‘too dark’ for shonen and needed multiple changes. Primary among them was the addition of a school setting and the creation of characters who were capable of overpowering the main characters, Yuji Itadori and Rika Orimoto.
Akutami had many quarrels with editors about his product. Adding to the pressure was that the mangaka wanted Yuta Okkotsu to be the protagonist but the character had already been made and the mangaka couldn’t provide any more backstory to him. Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 0 was primarily made as a short story for Yuta’s character arc.
Out of ideas for Yuta, there was a time when Gege Akutami thought of abandoning Jujutsu Kaisen. They later decided to make Yuji the hero and shift Yuta to the role of a side character, a decision that is still considered contentious by fans. There came a time when JJK was at risk of getting canceled so Akutami decided to add a plot twist and made Yuji die in Volume 1.
Even though Itadori has died twice in the series, he has always been able to be revived. Akutami’s need to eliminate characters continues to create fresh waves of suspense in the Jujutsu Kaisen franchise. However, the death of Gojo Satoru turned out to be a controversial decision.
Also Read: Amid Receiving Death Threats for Killing Gojo Satoru, Gege Akutami Opens Up About Latest Chapter
Gege Akutami Initially Thought Of Working Under A Different Pen Name
Fans have come up with all kinds of theories about the meaning of the pseudonym ‘Gege Akutami.’ Apparently a hilarious joke, ‘Akutami’ has connotations with the word ‘akuta’, which means garbage. The Jujutsu Kaisen writer also revealed that the word Gege is actually just a reversed form of his actual name Ageage – a revelation that is also not to be taken seriously.
During an interview with Mando Kobayashi, the mischievous mangaka disclosed that they initially thought of working under a different pen name – Dokudami Milk. Gege reconsidered their choice and instead of naming themself to a flower found in Japan, they thought it would be better if they stuck to a ‘trash’ pen name. Facts about the writer’s life and work can be found on Reddit.
Gage Akutami uses a one-eyed cat avatar to promote their works. Interestingly, even though they use the pronouns ‘he/him’ during interviews, his portrayal of female characters suggests that Gege could be a woman or even one belonging to the ‘they/them’ category. The speculations grew when in 2015, in the one-shot manga No.9, Akutami used an illustration of a woman taking off a cat costume to depict themselves.
Also Read: What Inspires Gege Akutami Into Making Some of the Most Thought out Characters in Jujutsu Kaisen?
