Who is Gege Akutami, the Creator of "Jujutsu Kaisen"? Explanation of Gender and Influential Works

"Jujutsu Kaisen," illustrated by Gege Akutami and serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump," is a highly popular battle manga depicting the battles of sorcerers. The comic series has been released up to volume 28 and has surpassed a total circulation of 100 million copies, marking it as a massive hit.

The first season of the TV anime aired from October 2020 to March 2021, spanning 24 episodes, and the movie "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" was released on December 24, 2021. The second season of the anime began airing in July 2023.

In this article, we introduce other works by Akutami, the manga artist behind "Jujutsu Kaisen," as well as works that have influenced him and those he considers favorites.

What is Gege Akutami's masterpiece "Jujutsu Kaisen"?

▲Itadori, who has become a peculiar being by hosting Sukuna.

High school student Yuji Itadori, possessing extraordinary physical abilities, eats a special-grade cursed object, "Ryomen Sukuna's Finger," to save a friend from a curse, thus harboring a curse within his soul. Recognizing Yuji's talent, the most powerful sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, leads him to enroll at the "Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical School" and join the battle as a sorcerer with his comrades.

What is the Profile and Debut Work of Gege Akutami, the Author of "Jujutsu Kaisen"?

Gege Akutami, the original creator of "Jujutsu Kaisen," was born on February 26, 1992, in Iwate Prefecture, with hobbies including radio and walking.

He debuted in "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 2014 with a one-shot manga titled "Kamishiro Chosa." The serialization of "Jujutsu Kaisen" began in the same magazine in 2018, concluding with its final chapter (Chapter 271) in the magazine's 44th issue for 2024, released on September 30, 2024, marking the end of a six-and-a-half-year serialization.

What Other Works Has Gege Akutami Created Besides "Jujutsu Kaisen"?

Before serializing "Jujutsu Kaisen," Akutami released one-shot works such as his debut piece "Kamishiro Chosa," "No.9" (published in the 46th issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 2015), and "Nikai Bongai Barabarujura" (2016 issue 44).

In the "Weekly Shonen Jump" extra edition "Jump GIGA," Akutami serialized a prototype and prequel to "Jujutsu Kaisen" called "Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical School" across four episodes in 2017. This was later compiled into a comic book titled "Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical School" and served as the original source for the movie "Jujutsu Kaisen 0," which was released on December 24, 2021.

Since no other comic books (comics) aside from "Jujutsu Kaisen" have been published, this series marks Akutami's first major success.

What Works Has the Author of "Jujutsu Kaisen," Gege Akutami, Been Influenced By?

▲Aoi Todo enjoying table tennis

In a dialogue article included in the official fanbook for "Jujutsu Kaisen" with Tite Kubo, the author of "BLEACH," Akutami acknowledged being influenced by "BLEACH."

However, he also mentioned, "I think it's dangerous to logically analyze and mimic works with a strong authorial presence like Kubo-sensei's. Although I've loved and continued to read them, I've avoided imitation. The influence might seep out unconsciously, but it's something unique that can't be replicated."

Akutami revealed that his first awareness of the profession of manga artist was sparked by reading the first episode of "BLEACH" during his fourth year of elementary school. He was greatly influenced by Tite Kubo both as a work and as a manga artist. He said, "Then 'HUNTER×HUNTER' and 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' were piled on, and the result is me."

Particularly regarding "HUNTER×HUNTER," fans on social media have repeatedly mentioned, "It's clear 'Jujutsu Kaisen' is heavily influenced by 'HUNTER×HUNTER,'" and "It's easy to see the influence from 'HUNTER×HUNTER' and other works on 'Jujutsu Kaisen.'"

What are Gege Akutami's Favorite Non-Manga Works?

▲Exciting talk about movies between Itadori and Junpei Yoshino

Akutami revealed in an online interview that he likes the horror genre apart from manga. He encountered the horror genre through reading "Others" (authored by Yumeaki Hirayama), with commentary by Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of "HUNTER×HUNTER." He cites "Abnormal Pleasure Murder" by the same author and "Off Season" by Jack Ketchum as his favorite horror books.

In addition, in the fanbook, he named Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," and Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" as his favorite directors and movies. He also did an homage of Juzo Itami's "A Taxing Woman" in an illustration for the original work's cover.

Also in the fanbook, Akutami cited Indonesian movies "The Raid" and its sequel "The Raid: GOKUDO" as works that influenced the action scenes he depicted. He mentioned that the movements of Southeast Asian martial arts are consciously reflected in his battle scenes.

In terms of anime, he expressed his respect for Hideaki Anno, who directed "Neon Genesis Evangelion," and listed "Neon Genesis Evangelion," the "Code Geass" series, and the "Eureka Seven" series as his favorite robot anime.

Does Gege Akutami Show His Face? Explaining the Gender

▲Gojo, Geto, and Ieiri, who forgot to pull down the account, get lectured by Professor Yaga.

Akutami does not show his face, and in his official author photos for "Jujutsu Kaisen" comics, a one-eyed cat is depicted as his self-portrait, often affectionately referred to by fans as "Single Eye Cat" online.

Regarding why he chose this self-portrait, Akutami stated in the booklet "Jujutsu Kaisen 0.5 Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical School" that "It's easier with one eye" and explained the choice of a cat as "trying to minimize stress on everyone through appearance."

Since his face is not shown, his gender is also unknown; however, when "Kamishiro Chosa" was published, a man wearing sunglasses was used as his self-portrait.

In an extra manga at the end of Volume 2, when introducing himself to his brother's bride while drawing a welcome board for his brother's wedding, he says, "Nice to meet you. I'm the younger brother—" (though, in this extra manga, Yuji Itadori is portrayed as Akutami's proxy, so it's possible he said younger brother to match Yuji). Additionally, in the closing remark of "Weekly Shonen Jump" 2024 issue 45, released on October 7, 2024, Eiichiro Oda, the author of "ONE PIECE," commented, "Akutami-kun, great job on six and a half years of serialization!"

When he appeared at the event "Jump Festa" with his face concealed, a fan who attended posted on social media that his voice was male, and during his appearance on the TV program "Mando Kobayashi," his voice was also male, suggesting that Akutami is likely male.

Is "Jujutsu Kaisen" on Hiatus Due to Author Gege Akutami's Illness?

"Jujutsu Kaisen" was on hiatus in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from issue 29 to 35 in 2021. This was due to health issues, as announced by the editorial department. Although fans expressed concern about his illness on social media, Akutami himself denied having any disease in a handwritten message.

However, he explained that he was unable to get up for two and a half days and couldn't finish the name and had to publish it in draft form. This, along with the relocation of his chiropractor, led to the decision to take a break, leading to an approximately one-month hiatus.

Hiatus due to sudden illness

Because of a sudden illness, a two-issue hiatus was announced for issues 29 and 30 of 2024, along with the sale information for issue 28 on June 10, 2024, and a planned resumption in issue 31.

Hiatus Due to Poor Health

On March 10, 2022, the official "Jujutsu Kaisen" Twitter account announced that due to Akutami's health condition, the serialization of "Jujutsu Kaisen" planned for issue 15 of "Weekly Shonen Jump" (on sale March 14th) would be on hiatus. It was confirmed that Akutami's health had recovered and serialization would resume from the following issue.

Summary of Gege Akutami, the Creator of "Jujutsu Kaisen"

Gege Akutami, the manga artist who created the smash hit "Jujutsu Kaisen," was influenced by manga works like "BLEACH" and "HUNTER×HUNTER," serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" and expressed a deep connection with horror and movies.

Though he hasn't publicly shown his face, his voice at events and on TV programs suggests he is likely male.

(C)Gege Akutami/Shueisha
(C)2021 JUJUTSU KAISEN ZERO The Movie Project (C)Gege Akutami/Shueisha

List of images for this article