Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Reveals His Biggest Regret With Culling Game Arc

As a longtime fan of Jujutsu Kaisen, I must say that the Culling Game Arc was a rollercoaster ride filled with exhilarating highs and disappointing lows. Being someone who has followed the series since its inception, I had built up quite an expectation for this arc, hoping to see it reach new heights of excellence.

This article contains spoilers from Jujutsu Kaisen’s Culling Game Arc.

Summary

The Culling Game Arc in Jujutsu Kaisen had stunning fights involving ancient sorcerers.
Gege admits to regretting not making the Culling Game a tournament-style battle.
The arc’s potential was not fully realized, with neglected characters and complex rules.

One engaging way to rephrase that sentence could be: The Culling Game Arc is undeniably one of the most thrilling segments in the “Jujutsu Kaisen” series. Not only did it introduce a vast number of ancient sorcerers, but it also pitted them against modern ones, making it potentially the most significant arc due to its scope. Furthermore, the suspense surrounding Gojo’s retrieval was skillfully intertwined within this battle, and fans found themselves captivated by the intense action that unfolded.

Indeed, it’s worth noting that while the Culling Game Arc in JJK had its flaws, the creator himself openly acknowledges this. In fact, he has expressed several regrets about how the Culling Game Arc unfolded in the story.

Gege Wrote Stunning Fights In The Culling Game Arc

The Culling Game Kicked Off Massive Battles in JJK
Kenjaku Was The Mastermind Behind It All

In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, the Culling Game Arc was eagerly awaited by fans, and it was skillfully introduced at the conclusion of the Shibuya Incident Arc. With Gege’s clever hints, fans knew that this Arc promised excitement equal to or greater than what they had experienced in Shibuya. What made the anticipation even more intense was the revelation that ancient sorcerers were being reborn into unique bodies. This knowledge fueled the belief among fans that this arc could reach unprecedented heights within Jujutsu Kaisen. Already captivated by the Shibuya Incident Arc, they were convinced that the Culling Game would surpass it and potentially become the best arc in the entire series. The survival-style battle royale concept only served to heighten their expectations.

Without a doubt, the Culling Game provided spectators with some truly remarkable battles. Characters like Ryu Ishigori and Takako Uro, ancient sorcerers, and Dhruv and others, offered an exceptional lineup in this specific story arc. The conflicts involving them were nothing short of astounding, to put it mildly. Moreover, this storyline allowed Gege to introduce a plethora of exceptionally potent cursed techniques, offering fans a glimpse into new abilities that significantly escalated the quality of the arc.

In this setting, Yuji Itadori, Megumi, and other characters engaged in fierce battles, showcasing their impressive development as sorcerers. Each confronted formidable adversaries, making it a spectacle for viewers. Additionally, much-anticipated figures like Yuta Okkotsu made their appearance, contributing to the unique charm of this storyline. Moreover, Hakari, another potent sorcerer, demonstrated his full potential, further enhancing the appeal of this arc to fans.

Although the battles and this piece were fantastic, the storyline they supported fell short of fans’ expectations. To be honest, characters like Tsumiki who readers should have cared deeply about were handled poorly and met an unexpected end. Additionally, numerous other plotlines from the Culling Game were either overlooked or overshadowed, preventing it from achieving the same level of success as the Shibuya Incident did overall. Even Gege Akutami, the series’ author, has acknowledged that his handling of the Culling Game wasn’t ideal and that he wishes he had approached it differently.

Gege’s Big Culling Game Arc Regret

Gege Believes Culling Game Should’ve Been A Tournament-Style Arc

The Culling Game Arc was most definitely not easy to write for Gege. It has to be said that this arc saw many powerful sorcerers get involved, which meant that JJK had to juggle multiple characters with new abilities, and intriguing plotlines surrounding those characters. It certainly was a difficult job and, for what it’s worth, the arc served up a decent story.

Gege Akutami acknowledges that the Culling Game arc didn’t meet his expectations and he regrets not adopting a tournament-style approach. In his view, such an approach would have significantly improved the storyline. Here’s what Gege Akutami expressed about the Culling Game arc.

Suppose that the Culling Game arc had taken on a tournament format instead; in your opinion, what differences might we have seen?

Instead of structuring the Culling Game as a single event, I wish I had transformed it into a series of tournament-style battles. By doing so, I aimed to generate anticipation by revealing each character’s backstory and their potential encounters, such as “When will they show up? What will happen if they clash?” or “Look, this character enters the scene at just the right moment!”. If the Culling Game had been structured as a tournament, I believe the narrative would have been more coherent, giving characters like Tsumiki and Kurusu more significant roles. Furthermore, it might have allowed for the inclusion of the Gojo retrieval arc within the storyline…

Could The Culling Game Arc Have Ended Better?

The Culling Game Couldn’t Live Up To Fans’ Expectations

Without a doubt, the Culling Game Arc had immense promise that wasn’t fully realized, and the narrative could have been significantly improved. As Gege acknowledged, characters like Tsumiki and Kurusu didn’t receive as much attention as they deserved. They played crucial roles in the plot, but unfortunately, they were often overlooked, which was a common complaint among fans about this specific story arc. On the other hand, a tournament-style format would have been more effective here and would have kept fan excitement at its highest throughout. This format would also have made the story easier to follow, and many of the intricate rules that Gege wrote for this arc would have become far less convoluted, which would undoubtedly have been beneficial.

Observing closely, I can’t help but feel that if the author had delved deeper into crafting complex character arcs for Tsumiki, Kurusu, and the primary characters, it would have undoubtedly taken this narrative to greater heights. Incidentally, this is a sentiment shared by Gege himself.

To put it another way, the Culling Game Arc wasn’t a disaster at all. It was a fairly good arc overall, though perhaps not the best within JJK. However, it did provide some truly unforgettable moments and high points that JJK fans will remember fondly for years to come. In fact, the fights in this part of the story are among the finest in the entire series, and fans will always appreciate Gege for delivering such exceptional quality.

In conclusion, despite its imperfections, the Culling Game remains an engaging series worth revisiting. With the anime adaptation nearing release, fans are eagerly anticipating witnessing this story unfold in vivid detail, as a talented team brings it to life and raises the bar to unprecedented heights.

At long last, I found myself eagerly diving into the latest chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen, that being chapter 271, which graced our screens on September 29, 2024. If you’re a fan like me, you can immerse yourself in this captivating series through the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps!

2024-12-18 04:34