Mini-Interview: Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Director Sunghoo Park On Why The Film is a Must-Watch For Fans
by Kim Morrissy,
Hot on the heels of the release of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in the United States, director Sunghoo Park took some time to respond to a few questions about the film. How did the anime staff succeed in scaling up the story for the big screen? Read on to find out.
What kind of things did you focus on when adapting Jujutsu Kaisen to a film?
Tokyo Jujutsu High School is one of the most iconic settings in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. It has existed long before the TV series, so even though the characters have changed, there has been a perception since the production of the TV series that Tokyo Jujutsu High remains the same. We do not just see the Jujutsu High School as an educational institution to become a sorcerer or the place where everyone grew up, including Gojo and Geto, but we also consider it as the foundation of our worldview.
Therefore, we did not change anything in the film adaptation, but kept in mind that the worldview of Jujutsu Kaisen as depicted in the TV series must be preserved. I think the backgrounds that fit the cinema-sized frame have become much more realistic as a result.
What did you do to make this prequel story feel like a “must-watch” experience for the fans?
Since this was a theater version, we added original elements to the film, including parts between frames that were not depicted in the original work, in order to bring joy to the audience. We also depicted scenes that were mentioned in the TV animation series but not specifically depicted, so we hope fans will enjoy watching them.
For example, the four consecutive Black Flashes that Nanami mentioned in an interview in the TV series were not specifically depicted in the original work, but they are depicted in the The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons scene in Kyoto this time. Please look forward to seeing the members of Kyoto Jujutsu High. There are also other scenes that are not in the original work, such as the scenes of Okkotsu and Rika's childhood, so we hope you will look out for them.
Although the film tells Okkotsu's story, it also has a focus on Gojo and Geto. What inspired you to put the spotlight on those characters?
While the story of Okkotsu is the main focus, you will find that Gojo and Geto are also well represented in the story. However, we were also conscious of the fact that the story of Gojo and Geto should not take center stage and get in the way of the story of Okkotsu. In the latter half of the story, Geto and Okkotsu will directly confront each other because Geto planned the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons but in order to depict that scene, I first had to make sure that the audience understood Geto's background.
What I had kept strongly in mind from the time of creating the storyboards was to let Gojo come into the story naturally as I drew Geto, and to present the relationship between the two as naturally as possible in that context. Rather than forcing these two characters into the story and forcing them to be understood, I wanted Gojo to enter the story naturally as I tried to have the audience understand Geto in the story of Okkotsu. The relationship between the two characters is really special, not only in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 but also in the development of the original story, so I created this piece with the hope that the audience would understand the relationship between these two characters naturally without forcing it within the context of the story.
Do you have a message for your overseas fans?
I am really surprised that the Japanese original Jujutsu Kaisen is loved by so many people overseas. I believe that Jujutsu Kaisen has a worldview that can be enjoyed by all fans regardless of nationality, so I hope you will enjoy the film and continue to support us.
