When It Comes to Unanswered Questions, Jujutsu Kaisen Is One of Anime's Worst Offenders
Warning: Spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen's Manga Finale!!Jujutsu Kaisenis a fan-favorite anime for its thrilling battles, intricate power system, and lovable characters. However, despite its undeniable success, the series leaves behind a trail of unanswered questions and wasted potential that frustrates many fans. Gege Akutami, the mangaka, introduced numerous interesting ideas but failed to fully explore them, leaving viewers with more questions than satisfying answers. While some of this can be attributed to the pressures of weekly serialization and editorial demands, the end result is a series that falls short of its potential in critical areas.
From underdeveloped clans and historical eras to neglected character arcs and abandoned plot points, Jujutsu Kaisen struggles with execution. While the manga delivers incredible action and emotional highs, it lacks the necessary breathing room to develop its world and characters fully. There are three main areas where Jujutsu Kaisen’s storytelling stumbles, and those are the wasted potential of the series' historical and clan-based world-building, the neglect of key characters, and the mishandling of important narrative concepts.
The Wasted Potential of Clans and Historical Eras
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Worldbuilding Falls Flat Despite Big Promises
One of the most intriguing aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen is its deep lore surrounding jujutsu sorcerers, the power structures that govern them, and the historical eras filled with legendary figures. Unfortunately, these aspects remain largely underdeveloped. The series frequently references past sorcerers and powerful figures, creating hype around them, only to offer minimal payoff. The Heian era, for instance, is built up as a golden age of jujutsu sorcery, yet the audience learns very little about it beyond brief flashbacks and vague statements.
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The major clans, like Zenin, Gojo, and Kamo, are another example of missed potential. While the Zenin clan receives some attention due to Maki’s storyline, the others remain frustratingly unexplored. The Gojo clan, despite being importnt to Satoru Gojo’s power and legacy, is barely detailed beyond his birth and immense strength. The Kamo clan’s importance is hinted at through Noritoshi Kamo’s backstory, yet it remains underdeveloped. Gege Akutami sets up these fascinating aspects of the world, only to abandon them, leaving fans with a sense of emptiness.
The series also introduces the idea of past jujutsu sorcerers and reincarnation, particularly through Kenjaku’s manipulations. However, the details of their lives, battles, and contributions to jujutsu society remain vague. By failing to explore these elements, Jujutsu Kaisen misses an opportunity to create a truly rich and immersive world, instead relying on hype without substantial follow-through.
Jujutsu Kaisen Has a Lot of Neglected and Underdeveloped Characters
The Characters That Never Reached Their Full Potential
Character development is one of Jujutsu Kaisen's weakest points. While a handful of characters get interesting arcs, many others are neglected or abruptly written out of the story. Nobara Kugisaki, one of the main trio, exemplifies this issue. Her role is drastically reduced after the Shibuya Incident, due to her untimely passing, only to resurface in the final moments of the manga with little explanation or meaningful development. Nobara's disappearance robs the series of a strong female protagonist and weakens the emotional stakes for Yuji Itadori.
Megumi Fushiguro, another main character, is similarly mishandled. The manga establishes some big plot threads surrounding his connection to the Zenin clan, his inheritance of the Ten Shadows Technique, and his relationship with Sukuna. However, his character arc is cut short, and many of these promising elements are left unresolved. Rather than capitalizing on Megumi’s potential as a protagonist with deep ties to the story’s core conflicts, the narrative sidelines him, making his journey feel incomplete.
Additionally, many side characters feel like afterthoughts. Tsumiki Fushiguro, a character with significant emotional weight for Megumi, is reduced to a plot device. Yuki Tsukumo, a special grade sorcerer, is introduced with much fanfare, only to be swiftly removed with minimal impact on the story. Jujutsu Kaisen introduces fascinating characters but frequently fails to give them the development and narrative weight they deserve, making their fates feel unsatisfying.
Jujutsu Kaisen Had Many Great Ideas That It Executed Poorly
The Series Struggles to Follow Through
Beyond character development and world-building issues, Jujutsu Kaisen struggles with narrative execution. The series presents a ton of interesting ideas, such as Kenjaku’s centuries-long scheme, the nature of cursed energy, and the potential consequences of merging with Tengen, but often struggles when it comes to resolution. The revelation that Kenjaku orchestrated major events for over a thousand years should have had monumental consequences, yet his defeat feels abrupt and unsatisfying.
Similarly, Yuji’s origins and his connection to Kenjaku are introduced as a major mystery but remain largely unexplored. The series hints at the deeper significance surrounding Yuji’s birth and purpose but never fully unpacks these ideas. By the end of the manga, Yuji’s role in the grand scheme of things is disappointingly vague, making his journey feel incomplete.
Gojo Satoru’s demise, for example, was one of the most shocking moments in the series, yet its execution left many fans frustrated.
Another misstep is the handling of major character deaths. Gojo Satoru’s demise, for example, was one of the most shocking moments in the series, yet its execution left many fans frustrated. While killing off a major character can serve as a bold narrative choice, Gojo’s death lacked emotional weight due to its sudden and somewhat anticlimactic presentation. The same issue applies to Tsumiki’s fate—rather than being a deeply emotional turning point for Megumi, it comes across as a rushed plot device.
Even the series' ending showed these unresolved issues. When the manga ended, major conflics and storylines were still extremely underdeveloped or hastily concluded. Instead of a satisfying resolution, the finale leaves many lingering questions, making it feel more like an abrupt stop rather than a well-crafted conclusion. Gege Akutami’s tendency to introduce interesting ideas without fully executing them ultimately weakens the story’s impact.
A Series That Could Have Been More
Jujutsu Kaisen Could Have Been Perfect If It Had Answered Its Own Questions
Jujutsu Kaisen is an anime and manga phenomenon, praised for its intense battles, creative power system, and emotional story. However, it also stands as a prime example of wasted potential. The series presents an intricate world filled with interesting historical eras, powerful clans, and intriguing characters, yet fails to develop them adequately. While Gege Akutami’s storytelling skills shine in certain arcs, such as the Shibuya Incident, his reluctance to slow down and explore his own world-building and character arcs leaves many plot points feeling hollow.
Jujutsu Kaisen had all the ingredients to be a masterpiece, but its lack of follow-through makes it one of anime’s biggest offenders when it comes to unanswered questions.
The underdevelopment of clans and historical contexts, the mishandling of key characters, and the failure to deliver satisfying resolutions to major story threads all contribute to the series’ shortcomings. While the pressures of weekly serialization and editorial influence likely played a role in these issues, the end result is a story that feels incomplete despite its high points.Jujutsu Kaisen had all the ingredients to be a masterpiece, but its lack of follow-through makes it one of anime’s biggest offenders when it comes to unanswered questions.
For all its strengths, Jujutsu Kaisen will be remembered not just for its successes, but for its missed opportunities. If Akutami ever starts another project, hopefully, he will be given the time and editorial guidance needed to fully realize his vision without cutting corners. Until then, fans are left with a series that, while undeniably exciting, leaves much to be desired in terms of world-building, character development, and narrative cohesion.
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