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Jujutsu Kaisencertainly does not shy away from character death, with major characters dying left and right during some of the series' most violent, battle-heavy arcs.
Many of the anime’s most shocking, sudden deaths sparked outrage in the fandom,breaking viewers' hearts by removing some of the story’s most beloved heroes.
In particular,the Shibuya Incident arcwas one ofJujutsu Kaisen’sfirst arcs that included multiple major character deaths, catching fans by surprise.
Lovers of the series will be astounded to learn that one of theShibuya Incident’s most controversial deathswas almost not a part ofJujutsu Kaisen’sstory at all,it was added at a later time.
Nanami Kentos Death Was Originally Not Planned to Happen
Nanami’s Shibuya Incident Death Was Written Into the Story Later On, Not Included From the Beginning
Readers may assume that Nanami’s death was impending from the start ofJujutsu Kaisen,but, according toa Wionews article, that is not the case at all.
In the interview,Akutami explained that he “didn’t want to Nanami to die,“when he was first laying out the events ofthe Shibuya Incident arc.
As he continued to write though, he felt “there was no way around it,” and because Nanami dying seemed like a natural progression in the story in his eyes, the mangaka made the difficult decision to have the villain Mahito kill one ofJujutsu Kaisen’smost fan-favorite heroes.
Jujutsu Kaisen just proved that Nanami still has a major impact on the series despite his death occurring a long time ago in the Shibuya Incident.
Nanami’s last moments are a pivotal part ofJujutsu Kaisen’sstory,and although his death is indeed heartbreaking, it did serve a purpose.
Akutami spoke further about how Nanami’s death intentionally shaped the story and why he felt it was unfortunately a necessary event to move the narrative forward.
At this point, Yuji Itadori, the protagonist, was early on in his career as a jujutsu sorcerer.
He was motivated, of course, but an event as dramatic and life-altering as a cherished mentor, Nanami, dying was what Yuji needed to push him to the next level as a sorcerer.
Nanamis Death Propelled Yujis Character Growth Forward
Losing a Cherished Mentor Gave Yuji the Push He Needed to Defeat Mahito and Eventually Sukuna
After Nanami’s death, Yuji became a new version of himself.
He was no longer the slightly nervous, apprehensive high school student without a clue about jujutsu sorcery; he embraced his new role as a protector of humanity.
Watching Nanami and then Nobara die broke Yuji’s heart, but alsogave him the motivation needed to defeat Mahito himself a few chapters later.It was surprising to see the typically calm, joyful Yuji overtaken by rage and hatred, but he needed to move forward in this way to become strong enough in both body and mind to eventually defeat Sukuna.
Akutami summarized this aspect of the story, stating that"Nanami was the motivation and Itadori was the one who overcame the script.
“Without Nanami’s sacrifice, it is likely that Itadori would have perished earlier on in the story, or if he had survived, he would not have had such intense motivation or personal hatred towards villains.
Since he was shown firsthand the horrors villains like Mahito are capable of, as he murdered two of his best friends, Itadori was left with no choice but to dedicate his life to taking down those same villains who stole everything from him.
Although It Is Devastating, Nanamis Death Was Written With Deep Meaning
Akutami Ensured a Character as Beloved as Nanami Had the Send-off He Deserved
Nanami’s death is one ofJujutsu Kaisen’smost heart-wrenching, but thankfully,Akutami did see to it the sorcerer’s final moments were imbued with meaning.As Nanami died, although he was suffering from serious burns and injuries, he was at peace.
In his mind, he envisioned a stunningly picturesque beach in Malaysia, the destination he had always dreamed of visiting after his eventual retirement.
Although his goal of retiring to a calm beach never came to fruition in life, during his last few moments, Nanami was able to experience this blissful scene and take solace in its beauty.
Nanami Kento from Jujutsu Kaisen would have weilded one of the most powerful domain expansions ever if he had learned to master the skill.
His final words to Yuji, “you’ve got it from here,“effectively passed the torch on to the younger sorcerer,motivating Yuji to step up and finish the job Nanami started.
Itadori certainly accepted Nanami’s request, going on to defeat a series of the world’s deadliest curses, including the King of Curses, Sukuna himself.
Although Nanami’s death may not have been pre-planned by Akutami from the start, it is a crucial component of the story.Nanami’sdeath is saddening indeed, but it also helpedJujutsu Kaisen’sstory progress in a meaningful way and gave the sorcerer the thoughtful send-off a character as incredible as Nanami needed.
Source:Wionews
