While working on missions involving Curses, Maki mentors the newcomer Yuta Okkotsu who is trying to control the undead Rika which is attacking innocent people.

The manga mentions Maki's origins as a reject from the Zen'in clan which is further explored in the sequel Jujutsu Kaisen where she is one year older and deals with several enemies.

Akutami created Maki as a character whose origins would be further explored in the series future with her fighting style being a mix of several ones envisioned in one.

Critical response to Maki's character has been positive in both Jujutsu Kaisen and the prequel for her striking personality and fighting skills, with the latter often noted to be strange to see in series aimed towards a male demography.

Akutami also enjoys writing how Maki is shown to particularly strong physically in early in the series due to how she destroys a weapon using brute force.

[2] Both the original mini-series and the main Jujutsu Kaisen manga early explore issues Maki has with other members from Zen'in clan to the point her weaponry is surprising but is related to the mentor Satoru Gojo.

Akutami claimed in the series' fanbook that a major theme in the manga is Maki becoming a stronger Jujutsu sorcerer which is meant to be the focus on future installments.

Komatsu also liked working in the movie for her action scenes and her meeting with Megumi Ogata, Yuta's actor, due to her performance.

Satisfied with her role in the movie, Clark made research into the manga and wanted to keep playing Maki due to her further screentime that the anime has yet to explore.

When one of Satoru Gojo's friends, Suguru Geto, appears in Jujutsu High, it is revealed that Maki is a rejected member from the Zen'in clan and is mocked which angers Yuta.

When the character was about to show her skills for the first time, Anime News Network was tired of the several fights the arc had and hoped Maki would stand out in the narrative.

The Fandom Post called Maki "the star of the show" due to how she overshadows her enemies and keeps a cocky personality, surpassing Nobara's character.

[14] Anime UK News felt that Maki's role in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was better executed than in the main series based on her explored background.

[17] The Mary Sue enjoyed Maki, calling her "an absolute QUEEN" and felt her backstory also standing out despite being similar to the main series.

[19] With the epilogue's release in the final volume, GameRant noted fans were satisified as it appeared that Yuta ended forming a family Maki, something people were looking forward for a long time.

The handling of her fights was also noted as she comes across as equally powerful as the protagonist Yuji Itadori despite having poor energy in comparison which heavily connects to her backstory which she takes seriously.

[25] Comic Book Resources noted that Maki took a somber personality following the Shibuya arc while her body was so damaged in the process that it would surprise anime-only viewers.