Jujutsu Kaisen’s enormous popularity was mostly due to Gege Akutami’s own inventiveness, originality, and indisputable brilliance, but the author was also clearly influenced by other people’s work, particularly Tite Kubo and his best-known piece, Bleach.
Talented successors who cleared the path and contributed to the development of the anime and manga community into the flourishing fandom it is today served as inspiration for many of the best artists of these media.
One of the most popular anime series of the modern era is Jujutsu Kaisen, which was produced by Gege Akutami. In a relatively short period of time, this anime has become a household brand and is now considered to be on par with anime classics such as Dragon Ball and Naruto.
Kubo and Akutami expressed their admiration for one another’s works in an interview that was published on the Edomonogatari website. Akutami even went so far as to say that “Bleach was actually what introduced [him] to the concept of mangaka.” Who knows if Akutami would have ever found this career path without Bleach and Kubo.
Gege Akutami, the Creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, Was A Bleach superfan As A Kid
To show how much he loved Bleach, Akutami went so far as to write an anthology of poetry inspired by the series when he was younger. Both mangakas genuinely enjoyed and valued each other’s series, and they even shared ideas and inspiration.
More than any other series, Bleach served as Akutami’s initial introduction to the manga world and was crucial to the development of Jujutsu Kaisen.
When the stories, genres, and minor features of the two shows are closely compared, this becomes more and more obvious. Despite their differences, Bleach and Jujutsu Kaisen have unquestionable parallels.
Both are wildly successful action shonens that, when they first aired, revolutionized the anime industry. Jujutsu Kaisen wasn’t released until 2020, sixteen years after the Bleach anime, which debuted in 2004.
Ichigo Kurosaki, the main character of Bleach, is a high school student who transforms into a formidable Soul Reaper and swears to use his abilities to defend the defenseless from bad spirits.
The plot of Jujutsu Kaisen, which likewise has a high school student protagonist named Yuji Itadori who battles to protect his loved ones from terrible curses and gains amazing powers, is quite similar to this.
Jujutsu Kaisen and Bleach Have Comparable Plots and Protagonists
The deftly woven pop culture allusions and trends within the episodes are another similarity between the two animes. A tribute to the Star Wars movies, which were incredibly popular in the early 2000s when the anime was airing, is one of Bleach’s many notable allusions.
In addition, Kubo included references to important areas of Japanese society, such as landmarks, hints to popular music of the era, and even details about other manga series, such as Zombiepowder, which he produced. In this regard, Akutami followed Kubo’s lead; Jujutsu Kaisen is replete with allusions to popular culture trends.
There are nearly too many contemporary allusions in Jujutsu Kaisen to list them all. Todo’s love of idols, especially Takada, whom he almost worships, is one example. The phenomenon of celebrities attracting devoted fan bases that develop a severe obsession with them is very comparable to this.
Most members of contemporary society may identify Yuji’s infatuation with the well-known actress Jennifer Lawrence, Nobara’s passion for shopping, and the characters’ usage of smartphones and selfies.
Although these ingenious allusions are visible enough to be entertaining, they are not so extravagant that, after a few years, the series would seem out of date.
Jujutsu Kaisen Has Demonstrated Its Status as Bleach’s Contemporary Successor
Modern dress, cultural allusions, and wonderfully current gags abound in both Bleach and Jujutsu Kaisen. They manage to achieve the difficult balancing act of being both culturally relevant and timeless enough to be appreciated for years to come.
The plot of both popular and critically renowned action shonen series, which have enormous fan bases, centers on a high school student who unexpectedly gains extraordinary abilities that he must use to battle evil spirits.
One of the most exciting anime shows in recent years is Jujutsu Kaisen, and its Bleach-inspired plot makes it the ideal action shonen to follow in its footsteps.
If you enjoy Jujutsu Kaisen and would like to learn more about its intriguing ties to Bleach, check out Investrecords for more interesting articles. Understand how the anime industry is shaped by these classic shows and honor the inventiveness of its gifted creators. Become a part of the discussion now!
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