"I'm the Kind of Person Who Gets Told 'Never heard of 'em'" - The Human Appeal of Voice Actor Kazuya Nakai, Seen Through Kinji Hakari in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 "Culling Game Arc Part 1"

Jujutsu Kaisen, which garnered attention with its theatrical release of "Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident Special Edited Version × Culling Game Advance Screening" prior to the broadcast of Season 3, continues to captivate audiences. The currently airing Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 "Culling Game Arc Part 1" depicts Yuji Itadori and others throwing themselves into the "Culling Game," a deadly battle among those who possess jujutsu techniques, portrayed through rich visual expression.

While a wide variety of new jujutsu sorcerers appear, one notable point is the full-fledged introduction of Kinji Hakari, a third-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High who is currently suspended from school and was mentioned by Satoru Gojo in Episode 6 of Season 1.

In this article, we conducted an interview with voice actor Kazuya Nakai, who plays the role of Hakari. Through discussions about portraying Hakari, a character who loves fever pitch excitement and enjoys gambling, we bring you episodes that reveal glimpses of Nakai's personality as a voice actor.

——Jujutsu Kaisen has become an extremely major title in Japanese anime, but how did you feel about it before joining the cast, Mr. Nakai?

Nakai: It had the highest level of visual expression that made me think Japanese anime has truly reached this point, and I felt it was a work with a sharp sense in its presentation as well, so I found it interesting to watch.

——We understand that your role as Hakari was decided through an audition.

Nakai: That's right. I hadn't really imagined myself participating, but I did think it seemed like an interesting production to work on.

——By the way, you're playing Hakari, who loves fever pitch excitement and enjoys gambling, but is there anything you yourself are passionate about, Mr. Nakai...?

Nakai: I'm not particularly lucky and I'm not the type to get heated up about things, so I'm really sorry, but there isn't much that I'm passionate about right now... I have a dog and a cat that I love tremendously, but that's not the kind of story you want to hear, is it? (bitter laugh)