In preparation for the revival screening of the film version of " Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie" (directed by Sunghoo Park -hoo, to be released in 2021), based on the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" manga by Gege Akutami that was serialized in " Jujutsu Kaisen 0 " (Shueisha), Ogata Megumi, who plays Yuta Okkotsu, and Kana Hanazawa, who plays Inorimoto Rika, have provided comments.
Looking back on the recording, Ogata said, "Okkotsu's growth is so rapid that I was constantly thinking about what kind of feeling he should have and what emotions he should have at each stage to make it work. If I didn't pick up on it delicately, I would make a mistake and it would feel like I couldn't move on to the next scene, so I tried to do my best to stay on track and not get lost."
Hanazawa said, "When I read the original work, I got the sense that her family environment wasn't very good, and that she must have really cherished the time she spent with Okkotsu-kun. In the manga, her facial expressions weren't shown much, but in the anime she smiled like this, and I realized that even though she's quite mature, she can show a childlike smile when she's with Okkotsu-kun. Some of the things I had prepared were things I picked up on the spot while interacting with Ogata-san. Anyway, Yuta (as a child) is so cute...and the konnyaku...it's such an adorable scene."
Regarding the memorable scenes, Ogata said, "I hope that those who watch it will think of the parts that were fun as their favorite scenes," and added, "The difficult scenes were always difficult, but as Okkotsu grows so quickly, any sudden changes would have been strange, so I did my best to think about what would be the hook to use to show his growth." In response, Hanazawa said, "His method was very delicate, and I wasn't always at the recording studio, so when I saw the finished product, I was impressed by how well it came together! I felt how deeply Ogata put into it."
Ogata said, "The animation staff, including the sound director, carefully considered the direction of the performance, so I remember it was difficult not knowing which of the various voice-over patterns was being used, and even when the same scene appeared in the game, I didn't know what feeling I had when I acted it out."
Hanazawa recalled, "It was difficult to portray Rika's way of speaking when she became a vengeful spirit. I couldn't really imagine it, so when I actually went to the recording studio, I was conscious of the fact that my appearance was different from my original body and that it would be difficult and creepy to speak, and all of the lines had voiced consonants. I had to speak in a husky voice, but inside I was still Rika and I was acting for Okkotsu-kun, so I think it was difficult to act while keeping all of that in mind."
"Jujutsu Kaisen 0" is a prequel to the first season of the TV anime, and is based on "Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School" from volume 0 of the original manga. It features a generation one year older than Yuji Itadori and his friends, and Satoru Gojo transfers Yuta Okkotsu, a high school student who wishes for his own death, to Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College. The story centers on Okkotsu and Inorimoto Rika, Okkotsu's childhood friend who was involved in an accident and turned into a vengeful spirit, and tells the story of love and curses. Chronologically, it is a sequel to "Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu."
It was released on December 24, 2021, and was a huge hit, grossing approximately 13.75 billion yen in domestic box office revenue and approximately 26.5 billion yen worldwide, and was also a hot topic when it was selected for the Outstanding Animation Film Award at the 45th Japan Academy Awards.
"Jujutsu Kaisen" is a manga that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from March 2018 to September 2024. The story follows high school student Yuji Itadori, who is thrown into a world of battles over curses after a powerful "cursed object" is unsealed. The comic series has sold over 100 million copies in total. The first season of the TV anime aired from October 2020 to March 2021, and the second season, "Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu/ Shibuya Incident," aired from July to December 2023. The third season, "Culling Game Part 1," will air in January 2026.