On June 6th, Weekly Shonen Jump officially announced that Jujustu Kaisen’s mangaka, Gege Akutami, had fallen into a sudden illness on their official X (previously Twitter). While this is not the first hiatus Akutami has taken, his condition came during the return of Jujutsu Kaisen’s strongest teacher, Satoru Gojo.
Soon, disrespectful fans took out their frustrations with Chapter 262 during his two-week hiatus. Akutami’s condition shows the mangaka industry’s latest concern about their creators’ health. Here’s what you should know about Akutami’s latest break.
Akutami’s Growing Illness
Gege Akutami has a history of endangering his health to complete each chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen for Weekly Shonen Jump since June 2021. Jump’s editorial department suspended him for a month hiatus after seeing his critical condition, then demanded a second one in March 2022. Despite being told to look after his physical being, Akutami responds to his fanbase during his needed break. “I don’t want to slow down the weekly serialization of Jujutsu Kaisen since I’d like to draw the end of the series as soon as possible.”
Akutami’s health worsens during the development of the Shinjuku Showdown Arc (Chapters 222-262). After the release of Chapter 226 in Weekly Shonen Jump 2023 Issue #29, Akutami took a week off on June 19th. Jujutsu Kaisen fans speculated that Akutami was preparing a special cover for Season 2 which was later revealed on June 25th for Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31.
This past week, on June 6th, the beloved mangaka met another hiatus near Jujutsu Kaisen’s finale arc’s end due to possible overexertion. Over the past three years, fans have noticed a change in chapter quality whenever Akutami goes on hiatus.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shifting Quality
In the latest installment, Chapter 262, Jujutsu Kaisen fans were met with something unexpected. Aside from the arc’s plot twist, the chapter was mildly short. Published on June 9th for Weekly Shonen Jump 2024 #28, the page number became the telltale signs of Akutami’s health degrading.
After the first hiatus, Akutami published Jujutsu Kaisen’s action-packed masterpiece in Chapter 178 of Yuta Okkotsu and his curse, Rita showing their ability to mimic other sorcerer curses. He achieved the same praise in Chapter 226 to show how strong Gojo truly is while facing Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine Domain.
The difference in Akutami’s chapter quality is based on his resting time. Chapter 178 captivated fans with the story thanks to Jump’s editors offering a two-month vacation, allowing Akutami to recover in full health. Compared to 226, he took a week-long break after its release. From 226 up to 262, Akutami made a continuous effort to meet publishing deadlines without a break, It’s understandable to see why Chapter 262 was seen as decent, yet it reinstates a growing problem for Shonen Jump.
Shonen Jump’s Creator Health Awareness
While it’s not news that mangakas are on a contract for weekly chapter publishing for their manga magazines, Shonen Jump has been caught in the crossfire of overworking their creators. Over the past year, Black Clover’s creator, Yuki Tabata, has struggled with adapting to weekly editorial demands.
This led Tabata to move Black Clover to Jump’s sister magazine, Jump GIGA. Unlike Weekly Shonen Jump, GIGA offers a more flexible publishing schedule, allowing creators to work at their own pace. In return, Tabata recovered to be healthy while balancing his family life. Surprisingly, Akutami has not considered or suggested moving Jujutsu Kaisen to this branch.
Currently, Jump GIGA is on a seasonal release schedule, and its format is meant to advertise manga premiere chapters and new titles. With a popular title like Jujutsu Kaisen, Jump’s editorial department may have chosen not to allow the series to stay relevant.
JJK Disrespectful Fan Reception
Since Jump’s public announcement on June 6th, most of Akutami’s fanbase have sent him get-well posts on X hoping for his recovery. However, when Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 262 was released on the 9th, some felt betrayed by the chapter’s focus on the fight rather than the story’s progression.
One rude fan said, “It would have been better if he didn’t release these 7 pages of dung.” Many of the members of the community grew upset as the disrespect continued during Akutami’s needed break. It didn’t stop loyal fans from sending their love and support. They kindly await Jujutsu Kaisen’s return when he’s in better health.
For More Great Content
Total Apex is an all-around media informer passionate about entertainment, gaming, sports, and anything your curiosity wants to seek. Follow our Sports, Entertainment, Gaming, Betting, and Fantasy Sports homepage for more articles. Find us on X @TotalApexE&G and @TotalApexSports!
