All information on the casting and performance details of the stage "Jujutsu Kaisen" was revealed at a production announcement held in Tokyo on April 13. The main character, Yujin Toraje, will be played by Ryuji Sato of the "Touken Ranbu" musical series, Megumi Fusekuro by Kazuaki Yasue of the "New Prince of Tennis" musical series, and Erika Toyohara of the musical "Annie" will play the role of Rose Nogizaki. In addition, Masanari Wada will play the role of Tatehito Nanami, Motohiro Ota will play the role of Mahito, Rei Fujita will play the role of Suguru Natsuyui, and Ryosuke Miura will play the role of Satoru Gojo. Ayara Takatsuki, Kaema Sadamoto, Takeshi Terayama, Hoshi Tanaka, Mieko Ishii, Kisora Fukuzawa (WATWING), Kadonin Yamagishi, Takahiro Minami, and Takuto Igarashi will also appear. Solo visuals of each character and a key visual of Torajo, Fushikuro, Kugisaki, Gojo, and Nanami assembled against the backdrop of a bewildering and distorted cityscape have also been released. The Tokyo production will be held at the Tennozu Ginga Theater from July 15 to 31, and the Osaka production at Mielparque Hall Osaka from August 4 to 14. Tickets are priced at 10,000 yen for S seats and 8,000 yen for A seats for the Tokyo performance, and 10,000 yen for the Osaka performance, and will go on general sale on June 19. The first TV anime season of "Jyujutsu Kaisen" was broadcast from October 2020 to March 2009, and "Jyujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie," a prequel to the original story, was released in December 2009. The company has already decided to make a new production of the film. Full comments from the cast are as follows. Ryuji Sato (Yujin Toraje) I am truly honored to play the role of the main character, Toraje, in this wonderful and significant work called "Jutsu Kaisen. Since Eugene Toraje is very physically strong, my body is also being worked on diligently in preparation for the production, so please look forward to seeing me in the role. In this day and age, I am sure that you all feel the anxiety and negative emotions that you experience on a daily basis, so please bring them with you to the theater. I will blow you away! Thank you very much. Kazuaki Yasue (Megumi Fusekuro) I am honored and truly grateful to be able to play the role of Megumi Fushiguro in the "Jutsu Kaisen," which is loved by children and adults alike. I really wanted to play this role, so when I first met with the director, Mr. Kobayashi, I decided to do whatever I could do to make it happen, and as a result of all the acrobatics, dancing, and acting I have performed, I am now standing here and can only be grateful. I am really looking forward to seeing what kind of stage we will be able to create with everyone here, and I hope that the entire company will be able to make this a production that will be loved by everyone. Thank you very much for your support. Erika Toyohara (Kugisaki No Roses) I have been dreaming of playing the role of the cool, strong, and admired Kugisaki No-Rose in the hit production "Jujutsu Kaisen" ever since it was decided. I have some anxiety about whether I will be able to play this cool Novala, but in my own way, I will turn all that anxiety into strength and take on this role. I am also going to try my hand at action for the first time on this stage, so I am training for it now. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Masanari Wada (as Kento Nanami) I am very honored to be able to appear in this production. I will do my best. I look forward to working with you. Motohiro Ota (Shinjin) I personally already feel the depth of the character "true (makoto) man," which is ironically a cursed spirit born from negative human emotions. I would like to create a single role by fusing and resonating with my own soul while feeling the philosophy of the true man. I will do my best to add a wonderful spice to this work, and I look forward to working with you. Rei Fujita (playing the role of Jie Xiaoyu) I personally am a big fan of "Jutsu Kaisen" and have all the volumes of the manga, watched the anime, and went to the movie theater. If it were to be adapted for the stage, I thought I would only be able to play the role of Jie Natsuyuno, but when I heard about this opportunity, I asked myself, "Is it Natsuyuno? When I asked him about it, he said, "Natsuyui," which made me very happy. As a fan of the original work, I would like to create the stage together with everyone so that everyone who loves the original work can enjoy it when they come to see the play and be able to wait for you at the theater with Natsuyubi. I will do my best to be the spice. I look forward to working with you. Ryosuke Miura (Satoru Gojo) I am very happy and grateful to be here today. I will do my best to play the character of Satoru Gojo with all my heart and soul, and I look forward to working with all the fans of "Jutsu Kaisen". Kensaku Kobayashi (Director) My name is Kensaku Kobayashi, and I will be in charge of direction and music. I am honored to be involved in this very popular production of "Jutsu Kaisen," and at the same time, I wondered if I was the right person for the job, but Kohei Kiyasu, who wrote the script, is a very talented and wonderful person, and after seeing the lineup of performers, I think he thought I would be fine. So, I would like to get on top of it and enjoy the show with them, singing and dancing to the fullest extent of what I can do on the stage. I would like to create a production that will bring the enthusiasm and power of the performers to the forefront, so please look forward to it. Hiroyuki Nakano (Editor in Chief of Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump") When "Jutsu Kaisen" was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, the editorial department had such high expectations for the title that I held a press conference to promote its appeal. As expected, the manga gained a large number of readers, and the animation and theater versions of the manga continued to spread. Now, I am very happy to be able to expand the world of the manga to the stage under the best circumstances. I think one of the main attractions of "Jutsu Kaisen" is its many characters such as Torajo, Fushikuro, Wild Rose, and Panda, and its rich battle descriptions such as domain development and black flashes. I wonder how this will be expressed on stage, and I think it is really a perfect work for 2.5 dimensional adaptation. We are still working hard on the production, but we hope that everyone will look forward to it with great anticipation. (C) Akutomi Shimoji/Shueisha, "Jyutsu Kaisen" Production Committee
【Background】
・Graduated from Kyoto University with a major in Japanese Culture Studies, Faculty of Letters
・After graduation, worked 4 years as editor and proofreader for a print magazine specializing in traditional performing arts and culture
・Became a freelance journalist in 2021 and launched japanculturean.com in 2022
【Expertise】
・Pop-Culture Fusion Analysis
Analytical commentary on how modern pop-culture media (anime, film, fashion) incorporates and reinterprets traditional Japanese motifs.
