I literally finished Jujutsu Kaisen about 5 minutes ago (well i guess a little longer after thinking and writing this now), and I don't really know how to describe what I'm feeling.
For some context, I'm 19 now, and I first became interested in JJK when I was around 14 or 15, so probably around 2021–2022. Back then, I never would have expected that this series would eventually become my first ever manga.
I've had pretty long breaks between reading it, sometimes having to reread chapters because I'd forgotten certain things, but I always came back to it. And now I'm finally done.
The weird thing is that my life has changed tremendously throughout those years. I'm not the same person I was when I first discovered JJK. So, in a way, this manga has been present in the background of a pretty significant period of my life, even during the times when I wasn't actively reading it.
I'm not necessarily disappointed with the ending. I think I actually liked how it ended, and I appreciate that the story reached a conclusion. But at the same time, I have this strange, quiet feeling that I can't quite put into words.
I don't necessarily want the main story to continue forever. I'm just curious about so many things beyond what we got to see. Sukuna's life, Gojo's life and his clan, Yuji's future, even Yuji's grandfather. I'd love to know more about these characters and the world they inhabit. At the same time, I don't feel like the story owes me all those answers.
Something else that makes this series special to me is that it actually got me into drawing. I'd never really gotten into drawing before, but I became interested enough to start drawing some manga panels myself. This is the first time I've ever really explored drawing like that, and I'm genuinely glad JJK inspired me to try it.
I think that's part of why I feel this way. This manga wasn't just something I read and enjoyed. It also got me interested in doing something I'd never really done before.
I even find myself wanting to meet Gege Akutami just to shake his hand and thank him. Not because I expect anything from him, and not because I need him to know who I am. I just wish I could tell him that his work reached a real person and that I genuinely appreciate what he created.
It's a strange mixture of gratitude and sadness. I'm glad I experienced JJK, but I don't really want to let go of the experience yet. And it's not even that I'm extremely sad or anything. I just keep thinking about it.
It's weird to think that something I discovered when I was 14 or 15 has now reached its conclusion while I'm 19, after so much has changed in my own life.
Does anyone else understand what I mean? Have you ever finished a manga or anime and felt something similar, especially when it accompanied you through a significant period of your life?
I'd genuinely like to hear how you experienced it.