Photo by Leah Huebner
Adam McArthur, an actor and Jujutsu star known for voicing fan-favorite Marco Diaz in Disney’s hit series Star vs. The Forces of Evil will be coming to Philadelphia this weekend as part of our city’s FAN EXPO stop. Recently, McArthur transitioned into the world of anime and quickly made a name for himself in the genre as the voice of Yuji Itadori in the award-winning hit series Jujutsu Kaisen, based on the popular Japanese manga series of the same name.
Below, McArthur talks about entering the world of anime, what he’s currently working on, where you can watch Jujutsu Kaisen and why he loves attending convetions. For more info and tickets to FAN EXPO, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, visit the website here.
Q: How did you end up transitioning into the world of anime? What do you love about it?
A: For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an actor. I started out in voiceover at 16 when I got my first job for a Macy’s radio commercial, and things took off from there. When my role as the voice of Marco Diaz on Disney’s Star vs The Forces of Evil was coming to an end in 2019, I asked myself what I wanted to do next. I was watching My Hero Academia at the time, and anime just seemed like a natural progression for me. I mentioned this to the assistant at my voiceover agency, who is now my agent, and he helped me get my foot in the door in the anime world. Soon after, I had my first audition for Jujutsu Kaisen and I landed the role of Yuji Itadori. I love anime because it is so fun to have the opportunity to voice so many different characters, and the fans are so dedicated!
Q: Tell us a bit about your character on Jujutsu Kaisen.
A: My character, Yuji, is great. He’s got depth, he always wants to lend a helping hand to people, and he has an unrelenting spirit. He’s a good boy who has experienced a lot of tragedy in his life. It’s a very unique story and I really love what it allows me to do as an actor. You can check out seasons 1 and 2 on Crunchyroll, and there’s even a movie in between the seasons.
Q: The show earned multiple awards, including Anime of the Year, at this year’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Why do you think anime fans resonate with the show and characters so much?
A: First of all, I want to say thank you for all the support that the fans have given show…it has been incredible! I think the show and characters resonate with fans so much because there are elements that all of the viewers can relate to.
Q: You’ve voice characters on a number of series- do you have any favorites? Any characters you identify with the most?
A: It’s so hard to pick a favorite because all of the characters have qualities that I love! I think Yuji’s best quality is his ability to connect with people, and I can definitely relate to that.
Q: What are you working on next?
A: As voiceover actor, I’m always in the studio. I’m currently voicing one of the leads in another popular anime called Kaiju No. 8, and my character is Reno Ichikawa. New episodes air weekly on Crunchyroll, and the unique thing about this series is that new episodes are dropping in English on Crunchyroll at the same time they are premiering in Japan. It’s so awesome that the show is being simulcast for so many fans to see!
Q: What do you enjoy most about attending conventions like FAN EXPO?
A: I love getting to connect with people in person and seeing how my work has affected them. I have so many stories about the amazing people that I have met and how kind they have been to me. I also enjoy seeing all of the talented cosplayers who attend. One memory that stands out is when I met a big group of college friends who came dressed up in Jujutsu Kaisen characters. They didn’t have enough people to be all of the characters, so they printed out the missing character and taped it to their dorm air fryer. They carried it around for the whole convention and I signed it.
Q: Do you have anything you’d like to say to the Philly crowd before the event?
A: Your support means the world to me, and I can’t wait to meet all of you. I’m also very excited to see all of the Jujutsu Kaisen cosplay. It’s going to be a great weekend!
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