The
premiere of Cosmic Princess Kaguya on Netflix was supposed to
be a celebration, but it became a public trial. The controversial drawing
Gege Akutami has exploded this Thursday, January 22, overshadowing the
launch of the anime. While great legends of the industry delivered impressive
visual tributes, the contribution of the creator of Jujutsu Kaisen left
fans wondering: "What happened to his art?"
Gege
Akutami destroyed: Why does his controversial drawing look
"disintegrated"?
Netflix
commissioned commemorative illustrations from titans of manga. Masashi
Kishimoto (Naruto) and Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw
Man) presented polished and detailed works that delighted the community
However,
when Akutami's piece was revealed, the reaction was visceral.
Users on
social networks were quick to point out that the piece looks
"strange". Although one of the characters in the film is disguised as
a fox girl (which would explain certain animal traits), the criticism focused
on the facial morphology of the other character, which
literally seems to be disintegrating or misproportioning. Comments such as
"he doesn't know how to draw anymore" or "he lost his
touch" flooded X, cruelly comparing his dirty stroke with the cleanliness
of his colleagues.
Is this
the reason why you don't draw "Jujutsu Kaisen Module"?
The
incident reignited the debate over the current sequel, Jujutsu Kaisen
Modulo, whose art is by Yuji Iwasaki and not Gege. Many
detractors use this new illustration as "proof" that Akutami no longer
has the level to sustain a weekly serialization, praising the exceptional work
Iwasaki is currently doing.
The
reality: Health before aesthetics
However,
calling Akutami "talentless" ignores the real context. Towards the
end of the original work, the mangaka suffered devastating physical and mental
exhaustion. It was so serious that Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)
had to personally recommend a medical team so that he could finish his story
without collapsing.
Most
likely, Akutami has not lost his ability, but has decided to prioritize his
recovery, delegating the drawing of Modulo so as not to repeat
the hell he lived through in 2025. His current style, looser and
"stranger", could simply be the reflection of an artist who is still
healing.
