Within the modern Shonen anime and manga genre, Jujutsu Kaisen is considered a huge hit, drawing in viewers with its dark themes, complex storylines, and deeply human characters. What many fans might not know, though, is that there may have been significant changes to the Jujutsu Kaisen they are familiar with and love.
The genesis of Jujutsu Kaisen was not as simple as it might appear. The initial draft of Jujutsu Kaisen, known as Jujutsu Sousen, designed Megumi Fushiguro as the main protagonist of the series. Quite different from the current version, this early draft would have placed greater emphasis on the dark and mysterious Megumi Fushiguro and given Yuji Itadori a supporting role in the domain of Jujutsu sorcery.
Gege Akutami’s Initial Vision for Jujutsu Kaisen
Before Jujutsu Kaisen became the phenomenon it is today, Gege Akutami had intended a different storyline under the prototype titled, Jujutsu Sousen. Megumi Fushiguro was more prominently featured in this early concept.
Akutami elaborated on their initial ideation for the characters in the Jujutsu Kaisen exhibition, where they revealed the chronological order in which the Characters were created,
It was Fushiguro →Itadori →Kugisaki, Originally, Jujutsu Sousen had a character that became the prototype for Fushiguro.
This initial trio arrangement was relatively straightforward and didn’t go too far from the standard Shonen formula, making it similar to the team dynamics in Naruto.
The plot of the original draft revolved around a young boy named Megumi Fushiguro who would eventually become the vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses. This version of the story had a similar setting to what fans now recognize as the Culling Game, a major arc in Jujutsu Kaisen. However, in this version, Yuji Itadori was envisioned as a supporting character rather than the protagonist we know today.
Gege Akutami ultimately thought that the plot needed to change in order to suit the template of a popular Shonen series, even though the plot had a strong basis with Megumi as the main character. They needed to reconsider the character relationships when the idea of Jujutsu Sousen was rejected during serialization meetings. At that moment, he made the decision to center the story around Yuji Itadori. In his own words,
When Sousen was dropped during our serialization meetings, I decided to try one more time and draw a story that was more suitable for a shonen magazine. Fushiguro’s character was already quite set in stone in my mind, and I thought Itadori would be more adaptable so I changed the character configuration.
This choice had an essential impact on the development of the beloved Jujutsu Kaisen. Akutami was able to create a character that was more adaptable and simpler to develop inside the Shonen framework by making Yuji Itadori the protagonist.
Yuji Itadori as the Protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen
The shift in character focus from Megumi to Yuji not only altered the narrative direction but also allowed for a more balanced exploration of the series’ themes. With Yuji as the protagonist, Gege Akutami were able to fit Jujutsu Kaisen in a conventional Shonen framework. As Yuji is portrayed as a simple or rather straightforward guy, he can be portrayed as a “Universal protagonist” as fans can relate to him more.
What defines Itadori’s character and self haven’t changed. I think having such a straightforward guy like Itadori as the main character was a big change for the story. My idea was to use other characters to pave a defined path and portray a universal protagonist. I wanted Itadori to be flexible character.
Yuji Itadori is a character who embodies the heart and soul of the series. He is devoted to doing what is right and is motivated by a strong feeling of compassion rather than a desire for glory or power. This may have made the story a bit bland, but the audiences of the Shonen genre can relate to him more than a complex and mysterious main character.
The fascinating path from Jujutsu Sousen to Jujutsu Kaisen emphasizes the value of adaptability in the creative process. Gege Akutami was able to create a story that both fits and stretches the boundaries of the Shonen genre by switching the spotlight from Megumi Fushiguro to Yuji Itadori. Despite being difficult, this choice has surely helped the series succeed and leave a lasting impression on fans worldwide.
You can watch Jujutsu Kaisen on Crunchyroll.
