Talking Curses, Fandom, and Rice Ball Recipes With The English Voice Cast of Jujutsu Kaisen 0

It seems as if every year there’s a new breakout anime series that’s captured everyone under its spell, but the level of excitement that continues to surround Jujutsu Kaisen is on a whole other level. The action-heavy anime features unbelievable combat and terrifying Cursed Spirits that allows the animation to come alive in ways that are constantly impressive. Audiences love Jujutsu Kaisen for all of these reasons, but the series is also regularly praised for the eclectic characters that surround its central character, Yuji Itadori. 

Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the anime’s upcoming prequel film, also excels in this department. The movie’s reluctant hero, Yuta Okkotsu, and his unstable curse are welcomed by a trio of budding Jujutsu sorcerers and their inspirational leader, Satoru Gojo. All of these characters, not to mention the unconventional union between Yuta and Rika, become the beating heart of Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which contributes so much to the story’s entertaining flavor. Every character contributes in their own way and the movie connects because of what each of them bring to the table and through the intensity of their voice actors’ performances.

The cast of Jujutsu Kaisen 0–Kayleigh McKee (Yuta Okkotsu), Anairis Quinones (Rika Orimoto), Xander Mobus (Toge Inumaki), Allegra Clark (Maki Zenin), Matthew David Rudd (Panda), Kaji Tang (Satoru Gojo) and Lex Lang (Suguru Geto)–graciously took some time to break down their roles, what an honor it is to be a part of the Jujutsu Kaisen universe, the growing response of fandom, and if any of these prequel characters from the new movie might show up in the anime’s future.

Daniel Kurland: Jujutsu Kaisen has grown into such a popular anime series. Kayleigh, Anairis, was it exciting to get to join its world as such important characters in its prequel?

Anairis Quinones: It was really exciting, especially since I did have some existing knowledge of the series and had seen a few episodes before. I feel like it’s kind of a fan favorite anime of the moment that’s talked about a lot and has the potential to grow even more popular than it is now. So it was very exciting to be a part of something that’s so impactful to the anime community as well as something that’s just a little different. There are curses and these characters that have so much trauma going on with them. I’m all about that sort of thing, so I’m like, “Ah yes! This is good stuff!”

Kayleigh McKee: For me, I was a fan as well as having a professional interest in it. Internally I was like, “This is going to be really cool! I know people in the cast! I know this show! It’s going to be really fun!” But I’m also the type of person who tends to think that something isn’t real until it’s out in the world and announced. So I was keeping a damper on it within myself, having fun during the performance, but worrying about being excited over it later. So it wasn’t until they announced us that I was finally like, “Okay, I’m going to buy a figure now!”

Daniel Kurland: Similarly, the bond between your characters is really the heart of the film. Talk a little about their unique dynamic and their contrasting personalities. 

Kayleigh McKee: For Yuta, I think it’s so interesting because I believe that he—like any child that views a traumatic incident—blames himself on some level for it and wonders if he could have made a difference. That, ever since, has been influencing how he thinks, but also how he interacts with the world, as well as feeling like he’s a danger. At the same time, he loves Rika and it’s a solace to him on some level that she’s still around him in some shape or form. It’s a very complex, emotional battle within himself. While he doesn’t ignore her, he does sometimes—at least to me—it feels like he’s distantly calling to her from beyond the vale, even though he knows that she’s right there all the time. It’s so interesting because when she is there he’s very tender. 

Anairis Quinones: Kayleigh made a great point there. When it comes to how Rika views Yuta I think matters are left a little more mysterious, but I think one thing that’s key there in the relationship between them is that she does genuinely care for Yuta. She will do anything for him and during these moments of need she’ll go out there to protect him, almost acting as a defense mechanism for him in a way. As Yuta becomes afraid of what Rika and himself might do to others, Rika takes more of a backseat, but whenever Yuta needs her she will come out without fail. When she does, it’s such an explosive release every time, which is a testament to how much she cares about him. They have such an interesting dynamic that’s hard to place in its origins, but at the moment it’s blossomed into this weird, perverted love that’s come from a genuine place.

Kayleigh McKee: And “perverted” in the sense of like “a ghost and a human.”

Anairis Quinones: Exactly

Kayleigh McKee: I was very glad that there wasn’t any sort of allusion to it being a child-like love in nature. I was very glad for that in the performance.

Daniel Kurland: Kayleigh and Anairis, after getting a chance to explore these characters, would you be interested in returning to a more mature version of them and their relationship in the anime series if they were to return down the road?

Anairis Quinones: Absolutely.

Kayleigh McKee: If they came back then yeah, I would love that. Just exploring more of that character would be a treat. He’s one of my favorite characters that I’ve played in terms of emotional complexity and so any chance to explore that further through different circumstances and more experience would be a treat. 

Daniel Kurland: This is a prequel film to the original series with mostly new characters, but some of you play individuals that are present in Jujutsu Kaisen. Was it exciting to visit these earlier versions of your characters and see new sides of them?

Lex Lang: Yes, yes it was. It was very cool to get to witness the relationships that have acted as the backbone for some of their story arcs and to see how everyone connected with each other. That was the main benefit for me: to see where everyone came from and then to be able to translate that into a vocal performance. It was pretty cool.

Kaiji Tang: I’m always really psyched whenever the show, or in this case the series as a whole, touches upon Satoru and Geto’s history because it’s a very complicated, involved, grey one. It was really great to see that get touched upon in the film. The series later will surely get into it to a greater degree, but this is sort of the first time that we’re exposed to the relationship between these two in this light. So if you’ve never read the manga and only watched the show then this may be your first time really getting to understand how Satoru and Geto used to be classmates and had this rich friendship, which the show doesn’t usually have the chance to get into. I’m really appreciative that it’s touched on in the film.

Matthew David Rudd: When you’re doing a series you kind of land on what your character sounds like and who they are about half-way through recording. So for me, it was so cool to go back and get to play that full version of that character in a movie and learn, “Oh, that’s why they’re all so jaded.” It was super cool.

Allegra Clark: Maki has such an interesting arc overall that it was satisfying to meet her at an earlier point in the series where she’s even more surly and guarded. It’s the events of the movie that teach her to be slightly more open and more willing to make friends. It was definitely interesting to get to visit that before point for her. 

Xander Mobus: I say rice ball ingredients…But it’s honestly so interesting because you do still reflect a character arc, but like it’s only a one-word ingredient! So it’s like, “Okay, let’s see what meaning we can imbue into this.” 

Matthew David Rudd: I like that Panda is your official translator, by the way. It’s fun to have that role. 

Xander Mobus: I just love how goofy he and Panda get to be together.

Daniel Kurland: This movie has set new box office records in Japan. What has it been like to see the show’s popularity increase since its start and kind of culminate in this movie?

Lex Lang: It’s been so exciting and amazing. With any project you have no idea if it’s going to gain any traction or what the fans will think about it. Knowing how it does in Japan is course a gauge to anticipate how it might do in the US, but you never truly know. It’s all about going along for the ride and not anticipating that or performing into it. We just do our job and if we’re blessed enough that it becomes popular then we’re lucky. I’m so grateful, not only for this job, but for being a voice actor in general. I wake up grateful that I get to take people on these incredible journeys.

Kaiji Tang: I’ll admit that one thing has changed for me. Pictures have been giving me pictures of Gojo for years now, so my house is just filled with this dude’s face. I need to keep looking at his face whenever I step out of my booth, so that’s one stark change in my life and I’ll somehow have to learn to live with it.

Allegra Clark: It’s been crazy! We all started recording around episode four of the show, and we knew that it was doing well, but then as we continued to record it was like, Oh people really, really like this.” It seemed like everything really exploded around the time of the Cursed Training Arc when the rest of the students came into the picture and the dynamics changed. It’s always really cool when that appreciation happens, but you never know! You can think that a show is so cool and then it just doesn’t connect with people and it’s a bummer. Then you get stuff like Jujutsu Kaisen where it’s not just really good, but people are also really into it. I’m so happy that we’re all sharing this right now!

Matthew David Rudd: It’s been really interesting for me going to conventions, which are becoming more of a possibility again, and for a while there were a few months where nobody was asking me about Jujutsu Kaisen. It’s a cool show, I hope people get into it! But it’s really been over the course of the past few months where it’s really just exploded and there are now lines of people asking me things about what’s coming next in the show. So it’s been fun to see that happen over the course of going to conventions and meeting fans.

Allegra Clark: I did a convention in January and they were like, “So, are you doing the movie?” And I was all, “I can’t talk about that yet…” I had already recorded by then, but it was like, “I can’t say anything! Who knows”

Xander Mobus: Salmon roe. Kelp. But no, like Matt said, without fail at every convention there are people who adore Toge. When we’re recording we’re just doing a job in isolation, so obviously it’s really nice to get that feedback and appreciation for what we do. It’s been really, really lovely.

Matthew David Rudd: If you leave this movie and aren’t in love with Maki then you’re insane!

Allegra Clark: It’s a really good story for her!

Daniel Kurland: Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is an action anime movie, but there’s also a lot of horror that’s baked into it. Is it fun to get to play around in both of those genres?

Kaiji Tang: For me, absolutely. I love the horror genre. I frequently run out of horror films to watch with my wife, so I’m deeply immersed in that genre. At the same time, I love battle shonen shows, so when I first found out about Jujutsu Kaisen it was truly the perfect mix! The Cursed Spirit that follows Yuta around is almost like the girl from The Ring, which just tickles me in so many ways. I just love the design of the power system and the look of this world. The way that it incorporates the whole Japanese Yokai element into it all is just so beautiful. I love it. 

Lex Lang: It’s really awesome. I think we need to give credit where credit is due when it comes to the feeling of the film, which is the animation. All of the curses just give you this visceral feeling, whether it’s horror or tension. You can feel those curses and the evil that’s behind them. It puts you on the edge of your seat. 

Daniel Kurland: It’s still a bit of a rarity that anime films get wide feature film releases in North America, but Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is getting a really nice push. Are you excited to be able to watch the movie play out on the big screen?

Allegra Clark: I think it’s just a good way to show support for the franchise and make sure that there’s more of it. Sometimes something will do really well in Japan, but it won’t do as well in the US, which doesn’t motivate companies to always want to work with us and localize these types of productions. They just as easily could have only done the Japanese release of this movie. So obviously we’re grateful to be a part of this, but supporting the film in general means that we get to continue to do our work, which we love to do. And it’s also just a good story! Everyone should go watch it!

Matthew David Rudd: One of the things that I love about Jujutsu Kaisen is that it’s dripping style. You can see it and the hand-drawn effects with the curses are always so cool, but then you go see this movie and it’s super widescreen, they upped the frame rate, and it’s just beautiful.

Allegra Clark: It has very sexy animation.

Matthew David Rudd: There’s a huge difference between watching My Little Pony on Disney and then watching the My Little Pony movie…For some reason that’s my reference point. It’s the same sort of jump here where there was already gorgeous animation, but this pushes it to a whole other level. It’s all so fluid and Maki’s sequences are so cinematic and gorgeous. That’s why you need to see it in a theater because all of that is amazing to see on a big screen and they’ve even got it in IMAX!

Xander Mobus: Toge’s just got some awesome moments in this movie, but he’s also a really sweet boy, so I would appreciate it if you saw the movie in theaters. What’s a better reason than that? 

Lex Lang: You will not be disappointed if you see it in a theater. You owe it to yourself to experience the sights, sounds, spectacle, and beauty of this story on a screen that’s as big as possible. I can’t wait to see it in a theater. It’s going to be fantastic.

Kaiji Tang: Yeah, some of those fight scenes with that soundtrack will make you feel things. Having all of that combined in a surround-sound space is going to be magic. It’s going to be magic in the forest, my friends. 

 

‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’ will be in select theaters across North America on March 18th