My Hero Academia: Why Jujutsu Kaisen needed an extended epilogue like My Hero Academia, explored

Why Jujutsu Kaisen needed an extended epilogue like My Hero Academia, explored

Modified Sep 22, 2024 03:30 GMT

An epilogue like My Hero Academia would have benefitted Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via Sportskeeda)

After a lengthy 260+ chapters, Jujutsu Kaisen is finally drawing to a close thanks to a sudden announcement by creator Gege Akutami not long ago. Considering how the Shinjuku Showdown progressed and now has ended, one cannot help but feel that the series finale has come too soon.

Speaking of mangas ending, even My Hero Academia very recently released its final chapter. While there will always be a mixed response to events like this, one of the things Kohei Horikoshi did right was provide an epilogue to the story, which showcased the fates of different characters.

Given the present scenario, about 2 chapters remain for the curtains to be drawn on Jujutsu Kaisen. Some questions haven't been appropriately answered and an epilogue would have been the cherry on top.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

An epilogue like My Hero Academia would have benefitted Jujutsu Kaisen

Ryomen Sukuna (Image via Gege Akutami, Viz Media)

To begin with, the Shinjuku Arc was progressing in a seesaw manner - at one time, Ryomen Sukuna held the advantage thanks to his vast Jujutsu and Battle IQ and at the other, Team Jujutsu High stole the spotlight credit to the carefully planned contingency measures they had in place.

But then, all of a sudden, Akutami announced that he would be ending the manga in about a month and a half's time. This sent a gasp of surprise through the fandom as many were confused about the author's plans. Moreover, with the way the story progressed, several questions still needed answering to bring forth a well-rounded and complete story.

On the flip side, My Hero Academia ended on August 05, 2024, after 430 chapters. The Final War Arc made up a significant bit of the story and once concluded, Horikoshi gradually brought the manga to a close with an epilogue. In it, he put forward the fates of different characters and shone the limelight on the supporting cast, something that has been hugely appreciated.

Izuku Midoriya aka Deku (Image via Bones)

For instance, the story of Dabi was given a suitable conclusion - suffering heavy damage during the war meant he needed long, extensive and continued surgery to save him while inside a life-support machine resembling a pod; Ochaco Uraraka became a Pro Hero and in honor of Toga Himiko's death, she collaborated with Tsuyu, Tenya and Momo to grow the Hero role in touring elementary schools.

Moving back to Jujutsu Kaisen, it took another 2 chapters for Team Jujutsu High to finally best the King of Curses. Nobara Kugisaki's return, Megumi Fushiguro's reawakening, and Yuji Itadori's explosiveness made for a fitting ending. But that left Akutami with just 3 chapters remaining. In the fourth last chapter, Sukuna was finally defeated, the trio reunited and a talk due with the team.

In the following chapter, Akutami revealed intriguing information on Simple Domains and how many other ways the battle could have turned out. Again, as per spoilers for the next bit, Akutami is about to bring in other supporting characters for cameos. This leaves just one final bit to tie up loose ends. But, with how many twists and curveballs were added to the story, another 10-12 chapters would have been appropriate.

Final Thoughts

Gojo Satoru (Image via Gege Akutami, Viz Media)

Possibly another 10-12 or even 5-7 to showcase the status of the story's major players might have been fitting We still don't know the true power of Heian Era Sukuna; Uraume's origins or anything about them is a mystery; Gojo's status is yet unknown and fans are pining for a return; Kenjaku has been teased which likely has a deeper meaning; such need addressing.

By briefly showing each character one by one in this final segement, Akutami is possibly hinting at the fact each Jujutsu Kaisen seems to have made it out of that hellish battle. While there have been casualties, many have survived or emerged with scars. But even so, diving deeper into the characters' fates a bit more might just the perfect ending Jujutsu Kaisen needs.