From the creator of one of the most popular modern manga series comes a sequel series that builds upon the story’s rich history. Diehard fans will love revisiting this world from a new perspective. Newcomers will be instantly charmed by the new cast of characters. Here are some first impressions about Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
SPOILER WARNING for Chapter 1
Synopsis
It’s been 68 years since the Culling Game was dismantled and the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna, was defeated. Now, a new potential threat arrives from beyond the stars. What’s more, these “Simurians” claim to possess powers similar to Japan’s jujutsu sorcerers. A diplomatic mission is in order.
Meanwhile, on Earth, siblings Yuka and Tsurugi Okkotsu are embroiled in their own family drama. After their grandparents passed, a cursed ring gifted to Yuka was forced upon Tsurugi. This sparked a bitter rivalry between the two, both pushing themselves to become stronger than the other. On top of that, they’re boss saddles them with Maru, an alien envoy and inspector. What does fate have in store for this new trio?
About the Author and Artist
Gege Akutami began his manga career as an assistant on Kiss x Death by Yasuhiro Kano. He would go on to release several one-shots before authoring his magnum opus, Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School. This series, retroactively titled Jujutsu Kaisen 0, served as a prologue for his hit series Jujutsu Kaisen that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2018 to 2024. Akutami is now working on just the story for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
The art for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo falls to Yuji Iwasaki. Iwasaki is primarily an illustrator, leaving the writing in more capable hands. One such writer just so happens to be the legendary novelist NISIOISIN (Monogatari series). Together, they’ve published several manga one-shots. Their most recent collaboration was Cipher Academy, which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2022 to 2024. Now, Iwasaki is lending their talents as the artist for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
First Impressions
From the first few pages, it’s clear Akutami and Iwasaki are thriving in their respective roles. Akutami’s dialogue has improved from the bouts of exposition and debate that plagued Jujutsu Kaisen. The new characters embody their own personalities that inform how and when they speak. Sharp-eyed readers will quickly spot allusions to the original series, but chapter 1 of Modulo never felt constricted by the original. Akutami struck an outstanding balance between old key details and a new, engaging story.
Iwasaki’s art has been very impressive and complements the setting extremely well. Their art style feels tailor-made to highlight both the exaggerated emotions and intense action of shonen manga. It’s almost like a modern reinvention of classic manga style. The shading, panel layout and composition, along with character motion, made even the most dialogue-bloated scenes engaging. Some may lament the absence of Akutami’s art style, but it’s clear Iwasaki was the right choice for the job.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is currently running in Weekly Shonen Jump. An English version is being released simultaneously through Viz Media’s Shonen Jump+ online platform.
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