With long running manga that are heavy on the plot, you want the mangaka to take their time when telling the story. However, that can lead to some slow moments or, God forbid, filler content. (Naruto Shippuden and One Piece, I’m looking at you!) But that’s why I was so glad about the cutthroat pacing of Shounen nowadays. But could Gege Akutami be rushing Jujutsu Kaisen aka one of the most popular Shounen around?
I mean, it’s no secret that Gege did want to complete Jujutsu Kaisen within a two year time frame when he first started the series. However, that doesn’t mean Gege is rushing Jujutsu Kaisen at all. Rather, he has a story planned out that is naturally going to conclude by late 2024 or early 2022, at the earliest. There has been a delay in the manga release that Gege explained as wanting to deliver the best for his fans, but the fast pacing does not mean that the story is rushed.
Though, I do get some of the complaints by fans here. Jujutsu Kaisen is unlike any Shounen series we’ve seen so far, in the sense that it has had 0 filler content. Which, if you grew up in the era of the ‘Big 3’? It was a practical mainstay of the genre. Like, you could not have a Shounen anime without at least 10 different filler arcs to make up for the manga releases being stretched out. Nowadays, Shounen series actually end before the decade is up. Which is wild.
But is that a good thing? In hindsight, fillers did add more lore and substance to a manga series by giving us a more light hearted experience of the world it created. With Jujutsu Kaisen, it’s ‘all systems go’ at all times. And it’s this breakneck speed that leaves fans a little whiplashed. But in today’s F.Y.I., let’s discuss why Gege isn’t rushing Jujutsu Kaisen, but also why the pacing does leave something to be desired.
Table of Contents
Jujutsu Kaisen: Never Letting You Catch A Break?

So, what is up with Jujutsu Kaisen in the first place? Well, it’s one of those anime that took the world by storm when it aired, thanks to its juxtaposition of great comedic timing with an actually serious plot. Couple that up with some pretty memorable characters and truly decent world building, and it isn’t hard to see the appeal.
However, one of the bigger things that attract people to Jujutsu Kaisen is its lack of slowing down. I mean, the focus might shift from one character to the next, giving them time to shine on their own but overall? There is barely any filler content in the series. It holds no punches with how characters are introduced and also taken away. The running joke of the fandom is to never get attached to a character, because what Gege Akutami giveth, Gege Akutami can taketh away.
And I think that’s where the issue lies: Because of how frequently characters are, y’know, killed off in Jujutsu Kaisen like it’s a free-for-all? We don’t get a lot of chapters that focus on their characterization and how they interact with other key characters in the story. Personally, I would’ve loved to see more expansion on people like Toji Fushiguro and his connection with Megumi Fushiguro, but everything is happening so fast that there is no time for that.
So, it isn’t a matter of Gege Akutami rushing anything. It’s more like we aren’t used to his style of pacing compared to other Shounen we had experienced so far.
What Makes For A Balanced Shounen Series

Okay, but what about other Shounen series? I mean, if you take a look back in the past, Shounen series were much more drawn out before. Like, a glimpse at One Piece and its nearly 30 year run, makes a person wonder just how long can one series go on for. However, it’s not the same as it used to be anymore.
Opening Shounen Jump now reveals that major headlining manga of the publication are now ending. Attack On Titan ended after a decade long run, Demon Slayer concluded in a little over 200 chapters around 2020 and now Jujutsu Kaisen is rumored to be on its last leg. These were the manga that were slated as being the replacements for the Big 3, but they ran for half the time.
That doesn’t make them any less enjoyable though. If anything, Demon Slayer is the prime example of amazing writing combined with beautiful art. Its plot was well paced while simultaneously giving us amazing world building and a host of characters that we grew to love. And without any filler content, it made sure that its readers stayed interested until the very end. And really, that’s what makes for a well balanced Shounen series.
Dragging something out is just as bad as rushing something before it could get its point across, but there is a place in the middle which is the perfect sweet spot. And I think Gege is trying to do the story without adding any ‘nonsense’, as he likes to call it.
Which is a new way of doing Shounen, but no less engaging. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see how Jujutsu Kaisen ends, with or without Gege rushing it.
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