Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Akutami's obsession with Sukuna is a missed opportunity for a major storyline

With each passing chapter of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, things keep getting worse for the Jujutsu sorcerers, as their desperate battle for survival against Sukuna keeps resulting in unfathomable losses. Things have been especially looking bleak for the protagonists ever since The King of Curses emerged victorious in his fight against Satoru Gojo, who was arguably the strongest hope of the Jujutsu society.

As Sukuna continues his rampage against the Jujutsu sorcerers, who at this moment seemingly stand no chance at stopping him, a lot of fans have been voicing their concerns regarding the current storyline.

It seems fans have gotten tired of the mangaka, Gege Akutami's 'obsession' with Sukuna, which they claim has taken priority over several meaningful storylines for other characters, including a potential romantic interest for Yuji Itadori.

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Jujutsu Kaisen fans criticize Akutami for prioritizing Sukuna over Itadori's potential love interest

Yuji Itadori has undoubtedly gone through a great deal of suffering throughout the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. Ever since he took up the responsibility of being a Jujutsu sorcerer, things went from bad to worse for him. In a mere few months, he watched his friends and mentors get brutally killed right in front of his very eyes, all while being unable to save them. Furthermore, he carries the guilt of the deaths of the thousands of people who met their unfortunate end in the Shibuya massacre on October 31, 2018.

Since the Shibuya arc only makes things worse for Itadori, fans have been pleading with mangaka Gege Akutami for a long time to allow Itadori to discover happiness, like falling in love, through romantic relationships. Looking back now, however, it seems like that ship has sailed for the beloved protagonist.

Yuji Itadori and Yuko Ozawa back when they were in Junior High (image via MAPPA)

Right before the Shibuya arc took place in the Jujutsu Kaisen series, one of Itadori's friends from Junior High, Yuko Ozawa, tried to meet up with him so that she could confess her feelings. At first, she reached out to Nobara Kugisaki, who agreed to help her once she learned about their past. Back in Junior High, Ozawa wasn't thought of highly by her peers due to her weight.

However, Itadori was the only one who noticed admirable qualities within her that even she was unaware of. As a result, she developed romantic feelings for Itadori and desired to express her sentiments to him.

However, she ended up not revealing her feelings, as she realized that she didn't want to get him to like her based on her current appearance. Before leaving, she left her contact information with Kugisaki, which gave fans hope that maybe it wouldn't be the last time that they see her in the series.

Unfortunately, it ended up being her last appearance in Jujutsu Kaisen as of now. The reason why fans are outraged at the situation is not only because it would have been a fresh change of pace to finally see Itadori be happy with a potential love interest, but it made perfect sense for the two of them to eventually get together.

Yuji Itadori as seen in Jujutsu Kaisen (image via MAPPA)

Furthermore, the fact that Itadori was able to recognize Ozawa several years after Junior High, in addition to her drastic change in appearance, was enough to convince fans that it was a huge missed opportunity for them.

Itadori certainly isn't someone who judges a person based on their physical appearance. His pure-hearted nature and endearing personality are the reasons for his popularity among the fanbase, who believe that he deserves to find happiness with a significant other.

However, that ship seems to have sailed by now, considering that Itadori is currently locked in a deadly battle for survival against Ryomen Sukuna, who seems to be making light work of the remaining Jujutsu sorcerers in the recent chapters of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.

That said, several fans believe that Akutami should certainly have spent more time developing his characters' personal lives a bit more, especially Itadori's love life.

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Final Thoughts

Throughout the story, Itadori has lost a lot of people who were important to him, which undoubtedly took a massive toll on his psyche. Although things are looking bleak for him currently in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, fans are hopeful that he will someday get to experience every bit of happiness that he deserves.