Gege Akutami Offers Apology for the Design of Nobara in Jujutsu Kaisen

Nobara Kugisaki, a popular character in Jujutsu Kaisen, had her design issue lead to an apology from Gege Akutami. Here’s the latest on the aftermath.

Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen were left reeling from Nobara’s devastating loss to Mahito in Season 2. While there is a glimmer of hope for her survival, no confirmation has been made. Many in the fandom fear she may never make a return after such a long absence.

Nobara's death is incredibly hard to come to terms with. She is the sole female among the first-year students, and her connection with Yuji is a bright spot in the dark and brutal world of Jujutsu Kaisen. Mahito's sadistic nature drives him to try to break Yuji's spirit by targeting those he cares about - even killing them right in front of him.

After recognizing Nobara as a potential threat, Mahito strikes her face, ultimately destroying it with his technique. Since then, Nobara has been absent from the storyline. Nevertheless, as her popularity continues to soar, an apology from Gege Akutami regarding her character design re-emerges.

Why Gege Akutami apologized for Nobara’s character design

A user on Instagram has revealed that Akutami has issued a formal apology to Go! Hiromi! Go author, Mikoto Asou. This comes after similarities were noted between Nobara and Hiromi's character traits and their shared reason for moving to Tokyo. Akutami confessed to being a fan of Mikoto's manga since elementary school and acknowledged unintentionally drawing inspiration from Hiromi when creating Nobara. He expressed a desire to personally make amends with Mikoto Asou in the future.

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The official character guide of Jujutsu Kaisen provides the following information. Gege Akutami finds inspiration from his favorite mangas and cleverly pays tribute to them. Go! Hiromi! Go! manga, which was serialized from 1999 to 2000, revolves around the story of Hiromi Hashiba, who aims to make a fresh start after enrolling in T University.

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Nobara Kugisaki hails from a small village that holds prejudices against outsiders. Saori, a young girl from Tokyo, was ostracized by the villagers, but Nobara admired her and enjoyed her company. This led her to despise the village for driving Saori away simply for being different. Determined to start anew and reunite with Saori, Nobara left her village and headed to Tokyo.

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Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan of Jujutsu Kaisen, I was deeply affected by Nobara's devastating loss in Season 2. Her absence has left a void in the story, and I eagerly await any news of her potential return. Nobara's connection with Yuji brought a sense of hope and light to the dark and brutal world of Jujutsu Kaisen, and her death has left a profound impact on fans.

The recent apology from Gege Akutami regarding Nobara's design has sparked mixed reactions within the fandom. While some appreciate the acknowledgment of similarities between Nobara and Hiromi from Go! Hiromi! Go!, others feel that the apology comes too late and doesn't fully address the concerns about Nobara's treatment in the story. As a fan, I believe that Akutami's apology is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to ensure that female characters in Jujutsu Kaisen receive the development and respect they deserve.