‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’: Kaiji Tang and Lex Lang on the ‘Tragic’ Dynamic Between Gojo and Geto
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 takes place before the events of the main anime, but in many ways, the movie elaborates on characters and plot points introduced previously. That’s especially true when it comes to Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, both of whom play prominent roles in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and the series it serves as a prequel to.
The movie expands on the relationship between these characters, which goes deeper than season 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen suggests. In an interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, English dub voice actors Kaiji Tang (Gojo) and Lex Lang (Geto) spoke about what it was like to capture that “tragic” dynamic for the first time.
Capturing Gojo and Geto’s history in ‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’
Although newcomers Yuta Okkotsu (Kayleigh McKee) and Rika Orimoto (Anairis Quiñones) take center stage in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the movie gives further depth to the rest of its characters as well — including Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto. What’s interesting about the layers the film adds to these characters is that they don’t just shed light on them as individuals. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 also highlights their history, something Kaiji Tang and Lex Lang were excited to capture.
“There are several moments in the film that I think really solidify the relationship between Gojo and Suguru,” Tang said. “There’s a beautiful part in the ending, which I won’t talk about. But it’s like a sneak peek, almost. Because if you’ve only watched the anime, it’s the first time you’re going to be exposed to the past of these two.”
Tang later added, “I really think that their relationship is one of the most tragic things to happen in the story and the thing that sets off most of the events that happen throughout the entire series.”
Lang agreed, adding that the script does an impressive job of conveying their connection and their principles:
“I think it was nice to be able to see more clearly what their ideology was as characters. And you even get a chance to hear them have conversations about that ideology as well, in both the past and in the present. So, that’s a really great feature as far as the script writing goes. They were able to jump back a couple steps and lay out how they have this relationship together, which I thought was great.”
Of course, it’s not just the dynamic between Gojo and Geto that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 expands on. The movie also digs deeper into the characters individually, especially Geto.
Lex Lang strives to paint Suguru Geto as a ‘flawed human’
In addition to building on Geto’s connection to Gojo, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 gives fans a better idea of Geto’s motives. Season 1 of the anime sees the antagonist acting against Jujutsu High School on multiple occasions. However, it doesn’t always paint a clear picture of why Geto does what he does.
For Lex Lang, the opportunity to “see where [Geto] came from and how he became who he is” proved a highlight of the film.
“Any time we’re doing a feature film, it lends itself to more character development, generally,” the actor explained. “So, that was nice to do. And in Suguru Geto’s case, we get to see a lot of character development because where he was in the series, [he’s] a completely different person than he is in this movie.”
Lang also pointed to the flashbacks, which help humanize the Geto further. As for how the actor balances the many facets of Geto’s personality, the key is approaching the character as “a flawed human” rather than a “villain”:
“When I approach it from that level, it is much more authentic in the exchange between the characters. And I think that kind of works itself out in the dialogue and just by trying to approach it from an organic perspective. Remembering those characteristics of him being hurt and where his ideology was crushed and where his disappointments are and what makes him happy and what brings him joy — as long as I remember those things going into it, I feel like the performances line up accordingly.”
Interestingly, the insight into Geto’s backstory and belief system also sheds light on Gojo’s.
How Suguru Geto helps shape Satoru Gojo’s journey
Satoru Gojo isn’t as drastically different in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and the main anime as his old friend. However, the movie pushes viewers to understand Geto’s role in Gojo’s present-day circumstances. And Kaiji Tang doesn’t believe Gojo would have become the caring mentor who helped Yuta if it weren’t for his friendship with Geto:
“I don’t think Gojo would be the person he is today without being friends with Suguru. I think Suguru really left an impact on him. Because back when they were friends — back when they were classmates — it was Gojo who didn’t respect Suguru’s take on protecting innocent weak people. He thought that was useless. In a very callous, sort of heartless way, he was like, ‘Dude, that’s BS what you’re saying. Who actually believes that?’”
“So, it’s interesting to see the juxtaposition they end up in after whatever happens in their relationship (that we can’t talk about) happens,” Tang added, “wherein Gojo sort of takes up almost Suguru’s original mantle of trying to protect these kids and making sure they grow up into good, healthy sorcerers.”
That certainly raises questions about what happened to change Gojo and Geto so significantly. Those who have read Gege Akutami’s manga have an idea. However, it seems anime-only viewers have more to look forward to when it comes to this dynamic. Hopefully, the series will build on the groundwork laid out in this prequel in season 2.
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is currently playing in select theaters throughout the U.S.
