Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Episode 3: “About the culling game”

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Episode 3: “About the culling game” is an interesting episode. I don’t think a single characters moves for the majority of the episode. Jujutsu Kaisen is a series that can get complex. The rules of the culling game being an important example. Personally, when reading the manga I had to re-read parts or whole chapters just to get some concepts. Even then I still needed TikTok’s and Youtube channels to grasp the series.

This episode is mostly Tengen being asked questions and Tengen giving answers. The animators make great use of titles, graphics, and symbols to illustrate what Tengen is explaining. It’s unusual for an animated series to require so much reading but I think it works here. Tengen and the others go through what Tengen is, What Kenjaku wants, each of the rules of the Culling Game, and the specific roles of Yuji and the other sorcerers will take.

The episode ends with the intro to one new combatants in the Culling Games, Fumihiko Takaba.

What is Master Tengen?

Tengen is immortal not anti-aging
Tengen has become one with the world itself
Tengen maintains the barriers of Jujutsu High
Tengen is over 500 years old
Tengen has “evolved” past their humanity
Tengen is now more cursed spirit than human

What is Kenjaku’s plan

Kenjaku wants to force the evolution of all the people of Japan.
To evolve humanity he needs to merge humans with Tengen
Kenjaku was defeated by two Six Eyes users is in the past.
This made him switch to the method of sealing the Six Eyes instead of attempting to eradicate it.
Kenjaku took over Suguru Geto, who could manipulate cursed spirits.
Kenjaku secured Prison Realm six years ago.
Kenjaku is using the Culling Game as a ritual to prepare the people of Japan for the merger.

The Culling Game rules

Players must declare their participation at any given barrier within 19 days after awakening a cursed technique.
Players who break the first rule could have their cursed technique removed.
Non-players who enter the barrier become players and are considered to have declared their participation.
Points are scored by killing other players.
Points are determined by the game master, with sorcerers worth five points and non-sorcerers one point.
Players may spend 100 points (excluding the value of their own life) with the game master to add one new rule.
The game master must accept any new rule except those that have a considerable and prolonged effect on the game.
Players could have their cursed technique removed if their score stays the same for 19 days.