by Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the most popular franchises of 2021. It is no secret that the author of Jujutsu Kaisen, Gege Akutami, has openly admitted that Bleach was one of his favorite manga growing up.
In a popular Japanese comment forum, a topic was brought up in the discussion “Is Jujutsu Kaisen a copy of Bleach? Reviews of similarities and accusations!”. In the comments section, Japanese fans gave their opinion on “Has Jujutsu Kaisen abused the references from popular Bleach franchise?”.
In the forum, fans pointed out how Jujutsu Kaisen is taking too much from Naruto, Bleach, and Ushio to Tora. Here are some comments presented from the source:
1: “I’m sorry to be the one to tell them, but Jujutsu Kaisen is taking too much of Naruto and Bleach. Still, it’s still fun to read, so that’s okay for now”.
2: “Rurouni Kenshin, BLEACH, HUNTER x HUNTER, D.Gray-man and many others are being copied, but if you think about it, all these works were popular since surely the author of Jujutsu Kaisen was a child. I don’t think it’s a good idea to put all that content in your work and shield yourself by saying that they are referenced or tributes.”
3: “I have been watching Jujutsu Kaisen because it seems to be very popular with foreigners. But isn’t this a copy of Naruto, Bleach, and Ushio to Tora? I’ve watched six episodes of the anime adaptation and personally can’t help but notice all of those things.”
Many fans defended Jujutsu Kaisen, giving some valid arguments that these allegations are wrong. One person wrote:
“We talked about the similarities between Jujutsu Kaisen and Bleach, but what has made a copy? First of all, the vision of the world, there are many other mangas with the subject of “death,” the “curses,” and the special department that faces them, so it is not a sufficient argument to point out plagiarism.”
He further said, “Akutami Gege spoke frankly about the scenes that inspired him. In the Jujutsu Kaisen fanbook, Akutami said that the inspiration behind his work is Bleach.”
“In a comment included in chapter 53 of the original manga, Akutami said: “I have been told that the recent battles have been very similar to those of BLEACH. Indeed! I feel ashamed, and I am very sorry for the unintentional tribute ”.
“With a joint interview with Bleach author, Gege Akutami said: “The first time I realized that I wanted to be a manga artist was from the first chapter of BLEACH,” and Bleach author said: “I read Jujutsu Kaisen every week definitely with a sense of familiarity”.
In the comments section, another fan wrote that :
“The words “plagiarism” or “copy” are commonly misused, especially when it is claimed that the influences were directly incorporated into the influenced work. Nowadays, few things are original. There will always be a work that has already been done the same previously, just as Tite Kubo indicated that part of his inspiration comes from Gegege no Kitarou. So is Jujutsu Kaisen a copy of BLEACH? It may be a tribute (that is, making your version of a work you admire), but it is not a copy, at least not as exact as claimed. I mean, both are published in the Weekly Shonen Jump. Will Shueisha allow the publication of an imitation? In the end, each reader has the last word.
What do you think of these allegations coming from some fans? Please write your opinion in the comment section.
