Takahiro Sakurai, the Voice of Geto, Says “He’s the Character I Empathize with Most” in the ‘Jujutsu Kaisen: The Movie Compilation’ Interview

—What about working with Yūichi Nakamura, who plays Gojo?

Sometimes Nakamura-kun overlaps so much with Gojo that it’s uncanny. There’s a certain cynicism in Nakamura-kun that brings to mind Gojo during his high school days (laughs). In “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death,” there’s a scene where Gojo says, “Tenjo Tenge Yuiga Dokuson” (“Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am honored”). When reading the original manga, I wondered, “How is Nakamura-kun going to deliver this line?” He really tuned into Gojo’s facial expressions and emotions and opted for a performance that didn’t overplay it. If you try to deliver that line with a “Look at me!” attitude, it could come across as really cheesy, so I realized how effective Nakamura-kun’s restraint was.

—Do you feel you have anything in common with Geto?

Maybe not exactly a similarity, but among all the characters in this work, I definitely empathize with Geto the most. That’s why, even though he eventually strays from the path, I don’t want to paint that as simply “bad.” He’s probably a gentle person at heart, which is why his interpretation of “help the weak, crush the strong” changed. The transformation happens over what’s about two hours in the anime, but in reality, it took years for him, changing little by little, with much internal struggle. When he meets Gojo after defecting, Geto says not that he “made up his mind,” but that he “chose his way of life.” The bright expression on his face, so different from before, really struck me. I felt it was Geto’s answer in response to the words from Yuki Tsukumo, “It’s up to you which one you choose as your true feelings,” and from Yu Haibara, “Doing your best at what you can do feels good,” among many other things.

—Of all the characters in “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death,” which do you like best?

I share some similarities with him, and taking into account his characteristics as an anime character as well, it has to be Geto.

—Finally, do you have a message for fans looking forward to the release of the ‘Movie Compilation’?

I imagine many people already know how the story unfolds from watching the TV series, but seeing everything all at once allows you to discover details you may have missed and fosters new feelings or emotions. If, until now, the story had a certain “color” to you, it might become even deeper and richer. I hope you’ll enjoy experiencing these changes in the theater, with the big screen and great sound.

(C)Gege Akutami/Shueisha