The creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, Gege Akutami, went on a one-month hiatus following the release of Jujutsu Kaisen manga chapter 262. The reason for this break was the creator’s deteriorating health, but the mangaka didn’t sit idle throughout their lull.
Apart from working on Part 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 262, Akutami developed a fascination for football. It’s unknown if Akutami was a football fan beforehand, however, they did name their favorite player in the comment section about the new chapters. Akutami acknowledged that they viewed Lionel Messi’s compilations exclusively when they were in bed.
Gege Akutami Found Comfort In Lionel Messi
The well-known Jujutsu Kaisen fan account on X, @Go_Jover, claims that Gege Akutami posted a fascinating message discussing their health and coping mechanisms for the problems they were having while on break. In addition to all of that, the developer of Jujutsu Kaisen disclosed that they had a lot of help from the renowned football player Lionel Messi while they were ill.
Gege is a Messi fan? #JujutsuKaisen
Akutami Gege's this week's comment:
“When I wasn’t feeling well, I couldn’t watch movies or read because all I was watching was compilations of the Messi's plays.” pic.twitter.com/8Sl8mbNNiO— Myamura (@Go_Jover) July 12, 2024
Akutami disclosed:
When I wasn’t feeling well, I couldn’t watch movies or read because all I was watching was compilations of the Messi’s plays.
The mangaka said that they were so engrossed in viewing Messi’s play compilation videos that they could not concentrate on any movies or novels.
They also discussed how, when they weren’t feeling well, they watched nothing else. This does demonstrate that the mangaka may be an avid football fan who has watched the sport for a very long time. As Akutami has never truly discussed their health concerns, their remark is really unexpected.
Kohei Horikoshi Found Inspiration In The Same Soccer Player As Gege Akutami
Kohei Horikoshi is accustomed to the wide variety of entertainment available worldwide. The Soccer World Cup was one of them as well. In a 2019 interview for the Fifth Anniversary Project, editor Honyasan of My Hero Academia discussed his intense interest in soccer (via Comicbook).
Honyasan explained how Horokoshi was slowly sucked into the world of soccer and found a major inspiration in the form of Lionel Messi:
During the World Cup, I told that story to Mr. Horikoshi. I love soccer and when Mr. Horiksohi found out he started putting on the World Cup whenever I was there waiting for the manuscript and such.
While watching it, Mr. Horikoshi himself slowly started getting interested in soccer too, and when I told him about Messi, he told me he thought it was an interesting story. The next week, or maybe the week after that, Hawks’ story was born.
Horikoshi being a very kind friend, would put on the World Cup for the editor to watch each time Honyasan arrived to pick up the manuscripts. He became increasingly engrossed in the sport the more he put it on. Keigo Takami was born soon after, thanks to Lionel Messi and the soccer world.
Frequently asked questions
Which soccer player inspired both Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gege Akutami and My Hero Academia’s Kohei Horikoshi?
Argentine football legend Lionel Messi. Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami said that during a health-related hiatus he watched compilations of Messi’s plays, while My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi was inspired by Messi’s story when developing one of his Pro Heroes.
Which My Hero Academia character did Messi reportedly help inspire?
Hawks, the Pro Hero whose real name is Keigo Takami. The article cites Horikoshi’s editor Honyasan, who recalled in a 2019 fifth-anniversary interview that after he told Horikoshi about Messi, Horikoshi found the story interesting and Hawks’ backstory took shape the following week.
Why did Gege Akutami start watching Lionel Messi clips during the Jujutsu Kaisen hiatus?
Akutami took a roughly one-month break following Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 262 due to declining health. Akutami said that while unwell they couldn’t watch movies or read, and instead spent the time watching compilations of Messi’s plays, becoming a fan in the process.
