It’s over. After nearly seven years, Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen has reached its conclusion. As someone who has been covering this series since 2019, I can honestly say that this Shonen Jump series had plenty of ups and downs. Yes, it was action-packed, and the characters were memorable as heck. But when it came to storytelling and reaching proper conclusions to certain arcs, Jujutsu Kaisen had a really hard time knowing when to stop and to move on to the next narrative.

However, this finale arc, “Inhuman Makyo Shinjuku Showdown”, where we finally witnessed the Jujutsu sorcerers face off against Sukuna, ended things on a solid note. Not rock solid, mind you, but solid enough to tread on with one’s normal body weight and walking pace. It throws in a couple of surprises, ranging from Okkotsu taking over Gojo’s body to the grand return of a thought-dead bestie. But watching Yuji face off against Sukuna with all he’s got feels like something that Akutami has been building up ever since he penned the first chapter.

Mind you, it’s not just fighting with fists and supernatural powers, which this finale has plenty of. Jujutsu Kaisen also throws in some philosophy via Yuji’s way of looking at life and how to live it. Although it falls on the deaf ears of Sukuna, these words and thoughts are things Yuji’s been wanting to bellow out for a long time. Considering everything he’s been through — death, destruction, flesh-maiming, the list goes on — it feels justified that Yuji should spout his beliefs on how someone should experience life.

So when the final fight occurs, and Yuji gets a little help from a long-lost comrade, Akutami makes every moment worth it. When Sukuna is properly put down, there’s a look in his eyes that says that even he can’t believe what has happened. A cursed object, long thought to be the thing that would end all humanity, becoming a mere shell of itself. No doubt longtime readers will feel pure satisfaction when they see this occur.

Even after the final battle’s end, there are roughly 90 pages left of the last volume. Basically, it’s a long epilogue, where Yuji, Megumi, Okkotsu, and the others take a deep breath and see what’s on the horizon. Some loose strings are tied, and we even get a glimpse of what happens to some folks’ lives in the distant future. In a few spots, these parts can drag. However, there are a couple of wrap-ups that will crack up anyone reading along.

So with that, Jujutsu Kaisen ends. It had a pretty strong finish, with its “Culling Game” arc and finale showing just how brutal and adrenaline-pumping this series can get. However, we also had to trudge through “The Shibuya Incident”, one of the worst and dreadful arcs to ever be printed in the pages of Shonen Jump. It’s because of this that I don’t think I’ll ever reread this series.

It had its fun moments, but I am glad to finally put Jujutsu Kaisen to rest. A Top 100 Shonen Jump series of all time? Heck no! But for every moment that made me smirk, wince, and fist pump, I’m happy that I went through the Hell that Gege Akutami sometimes put us readers through to reach the final destination of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.