Akutami may have scrapped Merger to finish Jujutsu Kaisen in time, and Kenjaku's "Cursed Realm" line proves it

Modified Sep 18, 2024 08:54 GMT

Jujutsu Kaisen: Kenjaku's dialogue reveals how the stories' ending is rushed (Image via MAPPA)

The theory that the story of Jujutsu Kaisen is being rushed to reach its ending has circulated within the fandom ever since it was revealed that the manga will conclude in late September 2024. Although many fans have expressed that the "rushed ending" might not be rushed, they cite Gege's statement that he had the entire story and its direction planned from the beginning.

However, others have pointed out that the numerous teases regarding the Heian Era, which ultimately had no payoff, and the lack of closure to Kenjaku's actual plan, signify that many plot points were simply scrapped by Gege.

Although this has not been proven, many fans have revisited older chapters of the manga and noted that Kenjaku's previous mention of a "Cursed Realm" stands as an example of a scrapped plot point, as it was neither explored nor mentioned in the later stages of the manga.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Jujutsu Kaisen series.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Akutami must've scrapped numerous plot points to end the story

Kenjaku as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Jujutsu Kaisen's story and the decision to end it in Chapter 271 have been under a lot of scrutiny ever since the ending's announcement. Although the overall reaction of the fandom to the news has been one of dejection, many fans have mentioned that there are numerous plot points left unexplored and numerous phenomena demanding an explanation.

Many fans have also pointed out that these numerous unexplored plot points, which remained as "teases," are indications that the ending of the series is being rushed and that Gege might have scrapped many of his plans for the series.

In Chapter 160 of the manga, Kenjaku meets with Setsuko Sasaki, one of Yuji's classmates from high school, in a dream and eventually leads her out of the barriers within which the Culling Game was supposed to take place.

Yuji as shown in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Although this was simply a setup for the beginning of the Culling Games arc, many fans have noticed how Kenjaku appeared within a dream and conversed with Setsuko while addressing the dreamlike space as the rift between dreams and reality named the "cursed realm."

While many fans took this to be the setup for a future reveal, it was simply forgotten and never mentioned in the manga again. Many fans have also noted that the "cursed realm" might be a product of mistranslation, and the actual official translation addresses it as "the space between dreams and reality is a curse," without mentioning the existence of a separate realm.

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However, the existence of a space between dreams and reality and Kenjaku's ability to somehow enter these spaces have already been teased and left unexplored. Given its similarities with Sukuna's domain, due to it manifesting a separate open space within itself, many fans believe that it was a major plot point that was scrapped by Gege.

Final Thoughts

Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 269 will be released on September 15, 2024, and will reveal Yuta's fate after having possessed Gojo's body via Kenjaku's cursed technique. While Yuta's survival was confirmed through the main cast's dialogue in Chapter 268, many fans have speculated that Yuta might be facing some issues with Rika currently.

Gege has left many plot points that were introduced in the story and were left ambiguous or not revisited after being mentioned just once. With only a few chapters left, it is unlikely that Gege will touch those events again. What fans can expect now is that Gege at least gives a proper conclusion to the remaining characters in the story.

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