Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 Review: A New Rule Added

Last night’s Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 episode 6 follows the same pacing as the previous weekly release, ‘Fever’, but now leaves us with something to look forward to in the upcoming episode. ‘Cog’ essentially explores how Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and Panda plan to recruit JJK high school dropout Hakari Kinji to join the Culling Games with them. But what drives this episode's meaning is the title and Yuji’s mindset.

What Happened in JjkS3 Ep 6 

The episode begins right after ‘Fever’ ends, as Fushiguro and Panda devise a plan to invade the control room while Yuji is trying to recruit Hakari. After taking out a few security personnel, both manage to find their way to the control room but are caught by Hakari’s non-binary partner Kirara Hoshi. Kirara is also a former student with their own curse technique that keeps Hakari out of reach for everyone else. The episode, like every other in this season, also drops a lot of information about how the curses are expected to evolve in the coming weeks. 

Fushiguro and Panda’s fight with Kirara is not the usual spread of action sequences that we are used to, but more of a game that puts us into a pattern for the Culling Games. Kiara’s powers are still something the higher-ups at the Jujutsu world would accept, but as a loyal ally of Hakari, they aren’t happy about talking with Fushiguro and Panda. They go on to explain that as the world evolved, curses and techniques also evolved. But the conservative higher-ups at the Jujutsu High aren’t ready to accept Hakari and his cursed techniques, so neither of them is obliged to help anyone. 

Even the news of Gojo being sealed doesn’t seem to change their mind (they don’t actually believe it’s true or possible), but what changed their minds is Yuji’s cogwheel mentality.

Was Yuji vs Hakari Fight Good?

There was barely a fight! The last time we saw Hakari, he was not in the ‘mood’ to talk to Yuji after finding out he is from Jujutsu High. His exact words, ‘I have cooled down now,’ but after a few minutes of fighting—essentially just bashing Yuji with his bare fists, Hakari understands something new: a kind of passion/heat he didn’t think existed. 

Episode 6, titled ‘Cog’, explores the difference in mindset between Yuji and Hakari; it is the complete opposite of the last episode titled ‘Fever’. 

‘Fever’ was about the ‘heat’—Hakari’s philosophy of being passionate to be alive and experience life. Meanwhile, Yuji admits he is just a pawn in the world of sorcerers to kill curses. He calls himself the cogwheel in the gear that is the Jujutsu world, which is an endless cycle of killing curses that keep coming back. Yuji’s commitment to do right by the world fuels Hakari’s passion. The fight sequences between Hakari and Yuji are more about the slow movements and animation than the anticipation of Hakari’s powers. The red lighting and Yuji's willingness to walk towards the fire are in line with so many other creative choices in the last few episodes. 

Junya Enoki, Yuji’s voice actor’s performance stands out the most in the ‘I am a cog’ speech. It reflects on Yuji’s feelings and his experience from the Shibuya Arc to Gojo's ensealed. Enoki’s chemistry in the scene with Hakari’s voice actor, Kazuya Nakai, also helps bring out the difference between their mindsets. 

Unfortunately, before we can actually see any of the powers or explanation for Hakari’s cursed technique, a new rule is added by another player in the game — all the info about the players (name, points, number of rules added, colony/location) has been made public. Any player can access it and find their next kill or use it to dodge other players. This new player, like many others in Culling Games, is a willing participant, fighting for entertainment, power, or to face Sukuna. 

What to expect in JJK season 3 ep 7?

The anime studio MAPPA has made some changes from the Manga, especially at the end, introducing a new character, emphasizing the depth and seriousness of the culling games to move the plot forward. The next episode will likely show Hakari's reaction to learning that Gojo has been sealed, and answer some questions about how and why the shikigami, aka Kogane, appeared to warn them about the new rule.

There is still time for Hakari to show off his powers, but more exposition about the game will be expected in next week’s episode titled ‘Tokyo No. 1 Colony Part 1’. It could also mark the on-screen debut of another anticipated character, Higuruma.