Voice actor Junya Enoki, who portrays protagonist Yuji Itadori in the hit anime 'Jujutsu Kaisen,' discussed the third season 'The Culling Game Part 1,' which began airing this month, in an interview. He addressed the story's progression after the Shibuya Incident and the rapid action scenes, while revealing his approach to acting.
The anime 'Jujutsu Kaisen,' based on the popular manga by Gege Akutami serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2010, first aired in 2020 and has over 100 million copies in circulation, including digital editions. Protagonist Yuji Itadori, after consuming a finger of the curse king Ryomen Sukuna and becoming his vessel, transfers to Tokyo Jujutsu High School to train as a jujutsu sorcerer while battling cursed spirits and curse users.
Junya Enoki landed the role of Itadori through an audition. He described the series as a turning point in his career: "This series was a turning point and is massively significant for me. It provided more opportunities for the public to know my work."
Itadori starts as a classic Shonen Jump protagonist—energetic and positive—but evolves to show darker sides, slightly deviating from the traditional hero's journey, Enoki noted. He fights powerful cursed spirits alongside classmates Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki, and homeroom teacher Satoru Gojo.
In the 2023 Shibuya Incident arc, Gojo, the strongest modern jujutsu sorcerer, was sealed, sparking an all-out war in Shibuya against curse users and spirits. Sukuna seized control of Itadori's body, devastating the area and killing countless innocents. Upon regaining consciousness, Itadori confronted the horror, screaming, "Die. Only me… only me… Die! Right now!"
Enoki approached the scene levelheadedly: "I try to get as close to the character’s heart as possible, but rather than losing myself in the role, I find myself calculating the most effective way to convey those emotions. It’s as if I’m observing the character from a detached, objective perspective."
Post-Shibuya, Tokyo lies in ruins overrun by curses. Season 3, 'Jujutsu Kaisen: The Culling Game Part 1,' focuses on the Culling Game, where jujutsu sorcerers kill each other in 10 colonies across Japan. Itadori, haunted by guilt—"if only I had been executed [before the Shibuya slaughter], none of this would have happened"—hunts curses alone, without returning to school.
Yuta Okkotsu appears as his executioner, joined by new character Naoya Zen’in. Enoki praised the action: "The action scenes were so fast, they were almost difficult to keep up with visually, and I was even more stunned when I saw the final version." He added confidently: "While some aspects of the Culling Game may be complex to grasp initially, the season is crafted so the audience can fully immerse themselves in the visuals."
Born October 19, 1988, in Tokyo, Enoki's other credits include Pannacotta Fugo in 'JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind' and Seishu Inui in 'Tokyo Revengers.' Theaters hosted special screenings titled 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution / Shibuya Incident x The Culling Game Begins' before the season premiere.
