‘How Do You Even Know Me?’ JJK Star Talks About the Global Appeal of Dark Shonen Masterpiece

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Since it first appeared in 2018, the series has quickly become popular all over the world. The manga, created by Gege Akutami, and the anime adaptation by MAPPA have gained a huge and dedicated fanbase. This success is clear when you consider the experiences of voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, who plays Kento Nanami in the anime.

Recently, voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda spoke with his Jujutsu Kaisen co-star, Takahiro Sakurai, about how working on the series has affected their careers. Tsuda, known for roles in popular anime like Ghost in the Shell: SAC and Golden Kamuy, shared that the fan reaction to him being cast as Nanami was bigger than anything he’d previously experienced. He noted that Jujutsu Kaisen was already very popular before he joined, and the announcement of his casting generated a huge amount of excitement from fans.

Kenjiro Tsuda on How Jujutsu Kaisen Changed His Career: ‘The Series Was Spreading Globally‘

In the anime and manga Jujutsu Kaisen, Kento Nanami is a powerful jujutsu sorcerer who works with Satoru Gojo. Though he often appears calm and distant, especially towards Yuji, he has a strong sense of what it means to be a sorcerer. Even before the anime came out, Nanami was a popular character, as noted by Tsuda, who observed a strong reaction from fans when Nanami died in the manga shortly after the voice actor was announced. This created a lot of emotion in a short period and showed the series already had a dedicated following. By 2020, when the anime premiered, the Jujutsu Kaisen manga had sold approximately 8.6 million copies globally.

From the moment Jujutsu Kaisen began airing, it was celebrated for its stunning animation, well-developed characters, and incredible action sequences. As new seasons were released, fan excitement only grew, even among those working on the show. According to one staff member, Tsuda, the close connection to the original manga helped the series reach new heights, and its popularity quickly became undeniable. Because episodes were released worldwide at the same time, he could see how rapidly the show was gaining a global following. Five years later, Tsuda is often recognized by fans – even while traveling internationally. He says people from many different countries have approached him, and when he asks how they know him, they almost always mention watching Jujutsu Kaisen.

I’ve been following the progress of Jujutsu Kaisen‘s third season, and it’s looking like it will cover the highly anticipated “Culling Game” arc. Studio MAPPA is currently working on it, with a planned release date of January 8, 2026. Interestingly, the first two episodes were actually released as part of a new movie! Following a previous film that covered earlier arcs, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution premiered in Japan on November 7th, 2025, and it’s coming to U.S. theaters on December 5th, 2025.

You can watch Jujutsu Kaisen on Hulu, Netflix, and Crunchyroll. If you prefer to read the original manga, VIZ Media offers an English translation.

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2025-11-25 04:07