Few creative industries are as unforgiving as manga, so whenJujutsu Kaisencreator Gege Akutami came down with health issues toward the end of his acclaimed series' run, he relied onOne Piecemastermind Eiichiro Oda for support.
Akutami made headlines recently when it was announced that he would be contributing artwork for the belovedOne Piecetrading card game. When asked about his participation in the unreasonably popular game, Akutami was quick to praise Oda.
My health broke down towards the end of Jujutsu Kaisen serialization, and I had no idea where to turn, so Oda-sensei kindly introduced me to a hospital. After recovering and completing the serialization, I couldn’t come up with a suitable gift to express my gratitude so, after a lot of dithering, I decided to repay him with my work.
Gege Akutami’s One Piece Trading Card Game Artwork Is Absolutely Gorgeous
Akutami’s artwork for the card game is focused on the series' Five Elders, a powerful group working to enforce the World Government’s tyrannical rule. Though each character is unmistakable, Akutami plays to his strengths, making each of the five look horrifically grotesque, meaning they would be right at home inJujutsu Kaisen’sworld of cursed spirits and sorcerers.
Akutami’s cards will be parallel rares in the upcoming Inherited Will set that releases in Japan on August 23rd. Given Akutami’s prestige and the gorgeous foiling present on the cards, there’s little doubt these will become highly sought-after collectibles once they release.
As gorgeous as the cards are, though, Akutami’s story about their creation highlights a major issue in the manga industry that many Western fans are only just recently understanding and grappling with.
Health Problems Like the One Jujutsu Kaisen’s Creator Faced Are Unfortunately Common in the Manga Industry
It’s no secret that making manga is brutal, especially when it comes to big magazines like Shonen Jump. The scheduling is so intense thatNarutocreator Masashi Kishimoto had to delay his honeymoonfor years until his hit manga went on break, for example.
The pressure to put out weekly chapters of a manga is not only psychologically taxing, but it takes its toll physically as well.
Hunter x Hunter’sinfamous delaysare due to the physical pain drawing causes for the series creator Yoshihiro Togashi. Health troubles also cropped up for fellow Shonen Jump all-starTite Kubo as he ended work onBleach. Even EiichiroOda himself had to take a break fromOne Piecedue to health issues.
Though it is heartwarming that Oda was able to help Akutami get help by recommending a good hospital, it is still a stark reminder of the demanding nature of working on a massive manga hit likeJujutsu KaisenandOne Piece.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
