In a Q&A session shown at the Jujutsu Kaisen Exhibition, series creator Gege Akutami noted that Yuji Itadori was the kind of protagonist who made the story dull.

While acknowledging Itadori's adaptability as a strength, Akutami also revealed potential drawbacks associated with the character's straightforward nature.

“Itadori's versatility lies in the sense that he is easy to fit into shounen-type stories.”, Akutami said. However, the author warned that this same quality could lead to a bland narrative.

Akutami explained that Itadori's straightforward nature, such as saving people even without any motivation, eliminates the need for complex reasons behind his actions.

While this allows the story to progress smoothly, it can leave readers feeling disinterested or without a deeper understanding of Itadori's choices.

“But this can also make the stories a bit dull. When Itadori does something straightforward, like saving someone, there’s no real need for a reason behind it, so the story is easy to follow along with, but it can also lead the reader to not feel much or not have a good taste for his actions.“

Akutami further elaborated on Itadori's role as a bridge between the reader and the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.

According to Akutami, when Itadori encounters something new, his reaction reflects the reader's perspective. For example, if Itadori expresses confusion about a complex plot point like the Culling Game, this allows readers to feel comfortable with not fully understanding the concept at that moment.

It was also revealed that in the original draft of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, Megumi was supposed to be the main character, while Itadori played a supporting role.

It was only when the original draft was rejected that Akutami decided to use Itadori, who was more adaptable, as the series' main character.

According to Akutami, having a straightforward guy like Itadori as the main character was a big change for the story. However, his core personality remained the same as in the original draft.

“My idea was to use other characters to pave a defined path and portray a universal protagonist. I wanted Itadori to be a flexible character.“

The expo's Q&A proved to be a treasure trove of information for fans, as Akutami revealed many behind-the-scenes details about his manga.

Important information revealed at the expo includes – confirmation of Shinjuku Showdown as the final arc of the series JJK manga.

Jujutsu Kaisen manga, which began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018.

As of July 2024, the manga chapters have been collected into 27 tankobon volumes, with over 90 million copies in circulation.

Source: Jujutsu Kaisen Exhibition via Sokatsu