The movie " Jujutsu Kaisen : Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu ", a compilation of the second season of the TV anime "Jujutsu Kaisen", based on the popular manga by Gege Akutami serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jujutsu Kaisen " (Shueisha), will be released on May 30th. " Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu : Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu and Suguru Geto , back when they were at Jujutsu Technical College. Takahiro Sakurai , who plays Suguru Geto , said, "I've always wanted to play" Geto from his days at technical college, as depicted in " Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu". We asked him about what went on behind the scenes of the recording and his thoughts on the "two strongest men".
◇You can't become Geto unless you do "Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu"
The first season of the Jujutsu Kaisen TV anime, starring Yuji Itadori , aired from October 2020 to March 2021, and the prequel to the first season, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, starring Yuta Okkotsu , was released in December 2021. The second season, which aired from July to December 2023, was made up of episodes from Gojo, Geto, and others' time at Jujutsu Technical College, " Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu," and "Shibuya Incident," which takes place in the bustling streets of Shibuya on Halloween, October 31st.
After breaking away from Gojo in "Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu", Geto becomes the worst curse user, causing a large-scale sorcery terrorist attack, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, in "Jujutsu Kaisen 0", and is killed by Gojo. Then, in the "Shibuya Incident" in season 2, the true identity of "someone inside Suguru Geto ", who was supposed to be dead, is revealed. Sakurai plays various versions of "Geto Suguru Geto " in season 1, " Jujutsu Kaisen 0 ", and season 2. How did he approach this difficult role?
"The first season was tough... The dubbing direction was difficult as well, and his introduction was a bit ambiguous, and it was quite difficult because it didn't give away his true identity. Then came '0', which was made as a movie, so it had the tension, scale and power that only a movie can have, and that was fun in its own way. Then came ' Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu', and this is what I wanted to do the most. If I don't do this, I won't be able to become Geto. It was ' Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu ' that made me feel like I was finally able to put my heels down after standing on my tiptoes until then."
When playing the role of Geto in his technical college days, he paid particular attention to the aspects that are "unique to being a teenager."
"I approached them in a simple, unadulterated way as students, and it was like I was subtracting from the first season, '0'. But I also added something extra, so that they didn't feel like they were standing on their own, and I wanted to create the nuance of a group drama of their school days. So, although there are parts that focus on Geto alone, I also wanted to express the interesting structure of the pairing with Gojo, and having (Ieiri) Shouko and the teacher there."
He also said that he "quoted a lot" from Satoru Gojo , played by Yuichi Nakamura .
"I resonated with Gojo, and stole a bit of his tone. Their youth is completely different from ours, so I don't think I can fully understand them, but I still wanted to create a human, student-like image of them searching for their teenage selves and interacting with all kinds of people. Among them, Satoru Gojo is Suguru Geto best friend. So, even in the dubbing, I rode on Gojo's expressions. I approached it with the hope that the audience would see that we were resonating with each other."
◇ Gojo and Geto's Blue Spring: A painful and painful, yet precious time
Among the episodes of "Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu," Sakurai said that the first episode was "the most sparkling and fun." The first episode depicts Gojo, Geto, and Shoko with a youthful, student-like attitude.
"The awkwardness and immaturity of a student, like forgetting the 'curtain', is shown beautifully at the beginning, so it was fun to do. Up until then, I had been feeling a bit frustrated. Geto is a very complex and interesting character, so it was naturally rewarding, and I think I was given a great role, but I really wanted to get my hands on ' Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu', so I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed their everyday conversations, like when Gojo and Geto were playing basketball and arguing, and when Geto told Gojo that he should stop using 'ore' as a first person pronoun. I think the cons and cons of the dangerous Gojo and the relatively sensible Geto meshed well together."
He said that by acting, he was able to realize something new about the relationship between the two characters.
"If you look at it from Geto's perspective, I think he is influenced by Gojo in some ways. And vice versa. It's about matching the tone of the conversation, and the words, 'We are the strongest' originally came from something I thought was Gojo-like, or something I realised internally. It is my own interpretation, though. It's not that he decided on something and expressed it, but rather Gojo said something and Geto replied. I think he was also dazzled by Gojo's unrestrained comments and way of thinking. Gojo's words and actions are extreme, but he has truth and conviction. Geto, who values meaning and significance, and Gojo, who is more instinctual, are different inside, which is why they fit together so well, and yet it is also because they are so different that they ultimately drift apart. That was another fascinating thing to experience while recording."
The movie compilation depicts the sparkling daily lives of Gojo, Geto and the others, all the way through to their separation.
"Because they are all grouped together, there are certain things you notice, and you can grasp them more accurately. This episode is very sad and painful, and you can't help but feel sad when you see them, but it is still an important time. I was most conscious of the details of "Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu" out of all the scenes I have recorded so far, so I hope that many people will be able to watch it on the big screen and in the acoustic environment of the theater."
