Jujutsu Kaisen fans have seen a lot of notable deaths in the series, and it doesn’t get easier. Gege Akutami, the manga’s author, has shown no mercy towards their characters. Even Nanami Kento, whom Akutami was notably fond of, became a victim of the author’s bloody writing.
Manga readers who have read Chapter 120 of Jujutsu Kaisen‘s manga have been through this before, and the animation of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 managed to scratch at old wounds. Anime watchers lamented the death of Nanami Kento so much that even Malaysia Airlines had to tweet about his dream destination. But to top the fandom’s gaping wound with salt is Nanami Kento’s Japanese voice actor, who recently bid farewell to the character he voiced for two seasons.
A clip featuring Kenjiro Tsuda tearfully delivering Nanami Kento’s last words is sending the Jujutsu Kaisen fandom back into the seven stages of grief. Many fans couldn’t help but feel even more devastated to see the recording clip of Tsuda and noticed how it paralleled the grief of losing Nanami. Tsuda himself looked as if he was in pain when he delivered the gut-wrenching line, “You’ve got it from here.” He was seen walking out of the room shortly after, and fans could see how defeated Tsuda appeared after the recording.
It’s no secret that Tsuda has done his best to understand the character he lent his voice to. In an interview with Animate Times, Tsuda spoke about Kento’s final words to Yuji and how they reflect a sense of regret. Kento had faith in his student, but Tsuda thought that his character still felt conflicted about entrusting the rest of the battle to Yuji.
Earlier this year, a clip of Yuji’s Japanese voice actor, Junya Enoki, went viral on Twitter. The video earned him praise among fans for embodying Yuji’s emotions, even if it meant having to break down in tears himself. Enoki was seen collapsing on the floor while recording for the Shibuya Incident Arc, similar to Yuji, who had to face death and destruction right before his eyes after being possessed by Ryomen Sukuna. It goes without saying that if the fans are suffering from the events of Jujutsu Kaisen, the voice actors had to go through it all firsthand.
(featured image: MAPPA)
