"I Never Aimed for Anything in Particular" - What Points Did Satoshi Tsuruoka, Voice of Fumihiko Takaba in TV Anime "Jujutsu Kaisen," Focus on in His Performance?

"Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: The Culling Game Part 1" is currently airing. The story depicts protagonist Yūji Itadori and others throwing themselves into "The Culling Game," a deadly battle between those who possess jujutsu sorcery, portrayed with profound visual expression. The introduction of numerous new sorcerers is also a highlight. Among these sorcerers, one stands out with exceptional uniqueness: Fumihiko Takaba, who newly awakened as a sorcerer in "The Culling Game."

Before his awakening, Takaba was a struggling 35-year-old comedian, and he made quite an impactful entrance in "The Culling Game." In this article, we conducted an interview with Satoshi Tsuruoka, who plays Fumihiko Takaba. What he was conscious of when portraying Takaba, a character who is essentially a bundle of individuality, turned out to be something very simple.

——Was the role of Takaba decided through an audition?

Tsuruoka: Yes, it was. I received a nomination asking me to audition for this role.

——What was your first impression of Takaba as a struggling 35-year-old comedian?

Tsuruoka: This might get deep right away, but I think that situation where you're on stage and nobody pays attention to you—where you're bombing—is a total loss for a comedian. I used to be a stage actor myself, and after performances ended, I couldn't stand out, and I'd go home thinking, "What was I even able to do?" So when I saw him looking dejected, I could only relate to him.

However, in my case, there was no senior who would talk to me after the stage, so I had no choice but to figure things out myself. My seniors might have been in similar situations and didn't have the capacity to reach out, but that's exactly why I envied Takaba, wishing I had someone like Ken-san who would speak words of encouragement to me (lol).

——Did Ken-san's words to Takaba resonate with you personally as well?

Tsuruoka: Yes, they really hit home. I think Takaba also started from a desire to make people laugh, but doing something in front of people requires tremendous courage, doesn't it? I had a certain level of resolve myself, but it's not a world where things go smoothly. That's exactly why I found Takaba's dejected figure endearing—it was exactly like my early twenties self.

——That said, when Takaba appears on the battlefield of "The Culling Game," he's an incredibly impactful character. What aspects did you focus on when portraying Takaba?

Tsuruoka: I never particularly aimed for anything; what's written in the script and depicted in the original work is everything—I just went full of energy!

Everyone: (lol)

——That's so like Takaba (lol). By the way, Takaba is influenced by a skit character from a certain comedy show, isn't he? Did you incorporate that essence into your performance?

Tsuruoka: No, not at all. To begin with, the audition script was an excerpt of an extremely high-tension scene. So I thought they probably wanted to know how far I could push it (lol). That's why I had the concept of performing with full energy.

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