September 17, 2025

Two week’s ago, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, an official sequel series written by the original author, Gege Akutami, released. I’ve had thoughts brewing about it ever since. Light spoilers ahead!

For those out of the loop, a few weeks ago it was announced that Akutami was working on a new series with artist Yuji Iwasaki. Not many details were known other than a tentative title and an illustration of who was presumed to be the main character. A few days before the first chapter released, though, leaks started to pile up that the series was to be an official JJK spinoff. Then, more details hit the internet, revealing that it wasn’t just a spinoff, but a full-fledged sequel series set decades after the main series ended.

This got my thoughts racing. JJK’s ending is notoriously… divisive, to say the least. Though, despite my qualms with it (of which I do have a few), I was fairly happy to leave the world of JJK behind and let Akutami’s insane imagination move on to the next thing. Which he is kind of doing, because there is another big twist to this series: aliens.

Yes, this series revolves around alien Jujutsu sorcerers who have begun to kidnap and interact with sorcerers of Earth. And, of course, with Japan being the epicenter to Jujutsu sorcery, the aliens have sent a representative to converse with the Japanese sorcerers. For fans of the original series, these Japanese sorcerers carry a lot of weight, as they are revealed to be the grandchildren of Yuta Okkotsu and Maki Zenin, two of the main cast members of the original series.

So, originally I was going to break this post down like how I have covered comic reviews in the past, with a quick section about each issue or chapter specifically. However, here I just want to offer some more general overall thoughts about the two chapters that have been released up to this point and my feelings on them.

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, these first two chapters are already dealing with a lot. Aliens, important legacy, and global politics are quickly thrown at readers with little to no breaks. If that wasn’t enough, though, we are also introduced to the idea that now Japanese sorcerers are being human trafficked because of their cursed energy.

Something that I have picked up on being especially divisive in JJK is the world building. Personally, I enjoy it quite a bit and think that’s where a lot of the charm comes from. Some abilities or lore tidbits are explained with pages of text and illustrations, while other critical pieces of information is given in a throwaway line of picture volumes before it ever comes up again. I find this kind of world building to really click in my brain, though. However, for fans that didn’t appreciate this aspect of the original, you are most likely not going to have a good time here.

These first two chapters feature some of the most obtuse and densest world building in this franchise so far. We are introduced to so many new ideas and concepts in such a condensed time period that I can completely understand why people have been turned off by it so far. Personally, I don’t necessarily hate it, but there are certainly other elements I dislike.

Firstly, just on a personal taste level, I really preferred when Akutami was also handling the art. There’s a certain roughness and raw quality to his illustrations that really fit the tone and themes of the story. And speaking of those tones and themes, we don’t get a lot to chew on from that perspective. One idea that immediately jumped out to me that connects to some elements from the original series is legacy. Both Tsurugi and Yuka have to live up to the legacy of their grandparents and the powers they possessed. I appreciate this and hope it’s fleshed out more, but there hasn’t been a lot more to chew on yet.

I think something that stands out to me is how the vibe feels a lot different. Granted, it could very well change as the series progresses, but as of right now it feels like the sense of melancholy and the overwhelming unfairness of life that was in every corner of JJK is not present here. An example of this is how we are presented the deaths of Yuta and Maki. We see glimpses of the services for both of them and the grandkids spending time with them, but the way it’s all presented is so… sterile. JJK didn’t always have the greatest flashbacks, but Akutami really knew when and how to show off character deaths and tragic backstories.

To wrap this all up: ultimately, I am very excited for this continuation. We’ve already had some lingering questions from JJK’s ending cleared up and have been introduced to bizarre elements of the world that really fascinate me. I am slightly disappointed with the direction it’s going, though. However, I have faith in Akutami and I’m very interested to see where this limited series goes.