The kind of fame Jujutsu Kaisen has garnered in a few years makes it be in the leagues of legendary anime like One Piece, Naruto, Attack on Titan, and more. It’s all thanks to Gege Akutami’s superb writing and a deep cast that’s well-fleshed out. But there’s one downside to such excellent character writing.
People are now confused about the protagonist of the series. Previously, any viewer of the anime or reader of the manga would have confidently answered that Yuji Itadori is the main lead of the series. But now, fans think much focus has been taken away from him. As a result, many believe that Akutami is deliberately sidelining Itadori.
Jujutsu Kaisen readers think that Gege Akutami is sidelining Yuji Itadori, the character considered to be the protagonist of the series. Yuji’s screen time has been reduced to give attention to other fan-favorite characters. Also, in the Culling Game arc, his only major fight was with Hiromi Higuruma. To make matters worse, even Sukuna chose Megumi Fushiguro as the next vessel.
Did Gege Akutami Sideline Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Yuji Itadori is the protagonist of Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen. He’s a high-school student who swallows a cursed object with the soul of a demon and then becomes a Jujutsu sorcerer. When the series begins, it’s abundantly clear that Itadori is the lead.
Akutami focuses on Yuji throughout the Shibuya Incident arc for sure. Trouble begins during the Perfect Preparation arc because this is where many are unsure of Yuji’s status as the protagonist.
Fans have complained that Yuji has been sidelined from this point onwards to give fan-favorite characters more attention. Now, it doesn’t look like Yuji has been blatantly sidelined to the point that he doesn’t even appear on some pages.
However, it’s clear that he isn’t getting the same attention from the author as he did before. The Culling Game arc drives home this point because the only significant fight he got into was with Hiromi Higuruma.
Also, that fight was more of a test of brains as the battle was against his rival’s Domain Expansion rather than a traditional fight of power. Also, in the same arc, Yuji wasn’t given the kind of screen time and prominence that a lead deserves. In fact, he got screen time quite similar to that the other supporting characters were bestowed.
What made fans sure that something was wrong was the move by Akutami, where he made Sukuna go to Megumi Fushiguro’s body from Yuji Itadori. The biggest reason Itadori is regarded as the protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen is that he was Sukuna’s vessel and could control it.
Losing this narrative advantage makes him second to Megumi Fushiguro, who now has Sukuna. In the current event, which is arguably the biggest one of the series, it is Satoru Gojo who is fighting Sukuna. Yuji is pretty much benched now and is just watching what’s going on.
But not everyone agrees that Akutami is sidelining Yuji. Some fans think this is just being done to ensure that Itadori gets more character development, which can only be done by pushing him to his lowest point.
Also, as per them, Yuji’s screen time has stayed the same. Out of all the other characters, he still gets the most attention. As such, fans of the series are waiting to see what Akutami’s next move is regarding Yuji before they decide if he’s really sidelining him or not.
What are your thoughts about Yuji Itadori being benched in Jujutsu Kaisen?
Is Gege Akutami actually sidelining Yuji Itadori to favor other characters? Or are fans reading too much into it? Is he just being put through these situations for character development? Does he really have less screen time?
Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments below.
