Voice actors Megumi Ogata and Kana Hanazawa attended the stage greeting for the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 revival screening, titled “Rika-chan Support Screening,” held in Tokyo on the 17th. During the event, they looked back on memorable moments from the film’s original 2021 release.

The stage greeting followed a lively “support screening” held in celebration of the film’s return to theaters. As soon as Ogata, who voices Yuta Okkotsu, and Hanazawa, who voices Rika Orimoto, appeared on stage, the audience—already energized from cheering during the screening—welcomed them with thunderous applause and enthusiastic shouts. Smiling, Ogata remarked, “Maybe it’s because it’s after a support screening, but it’s rare to have a stage event with this much energy from the crowd.” When a fan called out, “Hanazawa-san!” she playfully responded, “What is it, Isono-kun?” earning laughter from the audience.

(Note: Hanazawa’s playful exchange referencing “Isono-kun” is a nod to characters from Sazae-san, a beloved and long-running Japanese national anime series.)

Ogata then reminisced about the night of the film’s release in 2021, saying, “There was a world-premiere screening that day, and I’d had a few drinks. Then the producer asked, ‘Can you come by?’ so I ended up secretly watching from the stairs near the theater entrance to see everyone’s reactions in person.”

She also shared a memorable mishap from the Christmas Eve stage greeting that year. “None of us realized how bad the traffic would be on Christmas Eve, and the bus carrying us just wouldn’t move. We were panicking, thinking, ‘We’re not going to make it!’” she recalled with a laugh. With only minutes before the tightly scheduled event, Ogata (an experienced motorcyclist) guided the driver through a series of backstreets. “We arrived just two minutes before going on stage,” she said with a bright smile. “We rushed out, took a deep breath, and greeted everyone right away.”

Hanazawa expressed her gratitude, adding, “It was completely seamless—from arrival to the stage. Thanks to Ogata-san, we made it in time.” She also fondly recalled that a “Rika-chan cake” had been prepared for that event, cheerfully commenting, “Rika-chan looks cute no matter what she does.” When a fan shouted, “You’re cute too, Hanazawa-san!” she blushed and replied, “Oh, stop it!” prompting laughter and warm cheers from the crowd.

Jujutsu Kaisen, created by Gege Akutami, is a dark fantasy manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from March 2018 to September 2024. The story follows Yuji Itadori, a high school student drawn into battles involving cursed spirits after a powerful cursed object is unsealed. The series has surpassed 100 million copies in circulation. The first TV season aired from October 2020 to March 2021, followed by Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie in December 2021, which grossed 26.5 billion yen worldwide. Season 2 aired from July to December 2023, and the next season, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3: Culling Game - Part 1, will begin airing in January 2026.

Source : ORICON NEWS