Jujutsu Kaisen is popular for its blend of Japanese folk elements and modern storytelling. The manga written by Gege Akutami bagged the Crunchyroll Award for Anime of the Year in 2024. Moreover, it is considered to be the most popular animated series by Guinness World Records.
With its power-packed visuals and storytelling, the manga also had its fair share of deaths. Additionally, one of the most devastating deaths for several viewers and fans was that of Satoru Gojo. Kaiji Tang, the voice actor of Gojo, revealed in an interview how he almost gave up on the role.
Kaiji Tang’s initial response for Gojo’s role in Jujutsu Kaisen
Kaiji Tang voiced the role of Satoru Gojo in the anime Jujutsu Kaisen which was originally written by Gege Akutami. Tang is a seasoned voice artist who is known for voicing iconic roles such as Guts from Berserk, Osamu Dazai from Bungo Stray Dogs, and many more.
While Tang managed to bag Gojo’s role, his initial response to it was quite the opposite. As a veteran voice artist, he is known for his iconic roles and he revealed how this audition was the 4th audition of the day. In an interview with The Mary Sue, he revealed how he contemplated this role during the audition. He quoted:
Do I really want to do this audition? I really want to take a nap.I was this close to just not doing the audition, but I powered through and I did it anyways.I almost passed Gojo up just because I was tired.
What eventually prompted the voice actor to take up Gojo’s role was the manga’s potential. He researched the series after the English voice actors recorded the dub of the first episode.
To add to that, the manga’s potential and its reception made him rethink his decision regarding Gojo’s role. Besides, the voice actor felt certain commonalities between himself and the character.
Satoru Gojo and Kaiji Tang mirror each other
Satoru Gojo is one of the most popular characters in the series along with Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro. He’s also one of the most powerful characters in the series who can stand up to and match Ryomen Sukuna’s power. While he is the most loved character, his death left fans shocked, devasted, and in disbelief.
Apart from being the strongest character in the series, his silliness and demeanor resonated with his voice actor. Tang noted how he and Gojo shared common traits and how the character changed his life. He was able to delve deep into the character and could relate to his loneliness.
Tang’s empathy toward Gojo stemmed from his experiences as an immigrant. He could also connect deeply with the aspect of loneliness. He also believed that he was voicing the loneliest person in the series. He noted how similar he and Gojo are. He quoted:
I have core memories of years of my life that I didn’t have anyone to hang out with, and Gojo, when says that Geto was his best friend, his ‘one and only,’ I believe that.
While portraying Satoru’s character in the series, Tang’s empathy and absorption of the character made him understand the deeper aspects and persona of his character.
To say the least, he managed to portray Gojo perfectly and did complete justice to his character. After realizing the character’s potential, Tang stated that he made the right decision.
Jujutsu Kaisen is available for streaming on Crunchyroll
