‘Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo’ Is Better Than OG Manga Series

When Jujutsu KaisenThe manga finally wrapped in 2024, the feeling was more bitter than just relief. Gege Akutami’s megapopular shonen juggernaut brought spectacle with its battles, but its story was small. The worst, its battles can be very difficult to explain, either due to poor health trying to keep up with the strict weekly schedule of shonen or its labyrinthine power system that had to be fully explained mid-bout until we competed. A brush.
So when Jujutsu Kaisen Moduleits sequel, released soon after, I prepared the Boruto-style continuity that will double down on those mistakes. However, after catching up—curiosity finally got the better of me—I would agree Module not only is it incredibly powerful but, dare I say it, it’s better than its predecessor because it removes the original weight gripes.
From the jump, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo—written by Akutami and drawn by Yuji Iwasaki—takes a bold step few shonen sequels have taken: it places itself years removed from its predecessor and accepts the fact that the era of the old heroes is over, paving the way for a new generation. Of course, the nostalgia continues with nods, cameos, and winks to the past. But these actions never overshadow the young actors with a blank “what if they were adults now?” fanfare most sequel shonen series pigeonhole themselves in.
Although Jujutsu Kaisen proper, until its end, it always felt like it was building its power system as it went along, never taking off the training wheels and explainers and the shocking deaths (seriously leaked/maligned online by fans) that never went deeper than their classic forms in cool fighting manga, Module it actually sets up the series’ focus early on and lets its story take center stage. Then there’s a paradigm shift in its place, complete with Giorgio A. Tsoukalos adding extraterrestrials to the cursed gumbo spirit fight series.
According to your comments and responses, we have come a long way.
(via Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo) pic.twitter.com/psypZUNji2
– Shonen Jump (@shonenjump) September 8, 2025
Set 68 years after shooting game, in 2086, Module sees Japan at a dangerous crossroads when a race of humanoid aliens called the Simurians have arrived on Earth as refugees from a distant land, using a power system that is remarkably similar to jujutsu magic. The tension of the manga so far is whether the coexistence or conflict between the witches and the Simurias will define the future of Earth.
The early chapters trace a fragile tightrope as Japan—acting as Earth’s de facto extraterrestrial proxies, thanks to its supernatural witches—seeks to understand the vagabond aliens and decides that fostering prosperity is in the cards without causing hostility. Meanwhile, the Simurias themselves struggle to build new lives after years of humiliation under a brutal colonial rule.
At the heart of this narrative are the Yuka brothers Tsuguri Okkotsu, joined by their Simurian counterpart, Maru. Because JJK fans, Yuka channels the gentle essence of Yuta with a very playful edge; Tsuguri combines the remnants of Maki Zen’in (the best character; against the wall) with Megumi’s composure; and Maru puts an alien spin on Yuji Itadori’s golden retriever fun. They form an inspiring trio as they enter the battle of last week’s battle that took place early. JJK it’s so much fun to read week after week before the series goes back to the intergalactic elephant in the room that feels set instead of advanced week after week. And layered on top of the complexity is the combination of the extraordinary genius of Akutami and Iwasaki, whose previous works would have made such a story feel impossible to come together without highlighting the pitfalls of both creators.
Cipher Academy is so loaded with Japanese word games that it just breaks the official translation, I’m surprised pic.twitter.com/qAo9ZHGPp9
— Rukasu (@RukasuMHA) February 12, 2023
As mentioned before, when Module was first announced, I was very afraid of whether the series would come together given the list of its creators. When I wrote a poem about the late stage Jujutsu Kaisen enough, Yuji Iwasaki’s previous work—The Cipher AcademyThe death game series that was once considered irreversible—raised the power of an even greater light. On paper, their pairing seemed destined to become even more inseparable. However the collaboration proved the opposite, including that The Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto often wishes for himself: the freedom to focus on writing while another artist handles the visuals, allowing each creator to rely entirely on his own strengths.
The result is a very good group and very good to read. Iwasaki’s panels are clean, easy to read, and full of personality, not drowning the reader in infodumps, while Akutami’s world-building and character dynamics happen without the threat of overwhelming. Together, their return to the sandbox of JJKEarth is shrinking back to its fundamental elements as the core expands into outer space—and in doing so, they coalesce into something unexpectedly profound. With a series with a narrative skeleton that supports the emotional catharsis and hype of its fight, Module does Akutami and Iwasaki cook at the height of their powers in a way that doesn’t feel canned or forced as the fake series chases the hype of their predecessors often.
Unable to see each other, the people and the Simurians reached a dangerous point of no return.
Read Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, Ch. 13 in Shonen Jump for free! pic.twitter.com/PlxXCR4O1p
– Shonen Jump (@shonenjump) November 30, 2025
Through the first 20 chapters of the manga so far, its characters have been written in depth, my favorite being Yuka and her impossible bond with Maru. The Trigun-esque meaner brother, Cross; any callbacks to the original series is less of a show off for cheap fan pops and more of a session of writing a deeper narrative that is a coming-of-age tale with all the anxiety that comes with it wrapped up in a shonen package. There is real tension and conflict between Module that is not limited to its wars, where there are none at all—a decision that adds to their splendor and circumstances. The story feels carefully crafted rather than an afterthought to take you to the next hardest fight. Like in wrestling, it’s always cool to see a guy get trashed by doing gymnastic flips, but unless there’s a story reason why they’re about to break their necks for people’s entertainment, it’s pointless. Module It can be anything, and I’m glad to have my ideas about the series proven wrong.
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