REVIEW: ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Season 3 Episode 6 – “Cog”

There will never be a moment when Yuji Itadori (Junya Enoki) isn’t a walking tragedy. From the moment his heart was torn out by his own hands, to watching countless friends die in his wake, and the torment endured during the Shibuya Arc, here is a protagonist burdened with such undue trauma and suffering due to one act of selfless impulsivity. And yet, somehow, it’s the crucial, titular moment in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 that really drives it all home. His life has been siphoned into a mission for others – and he’s accepted the fact that he is a mere piece in an unruly machine. 

Before getting to this moment, however, that, in and of itself, is the thesis statement for Yuji’s character: “Cog” does a whole lot of talking. Again. Following the spatial distance and refined minimalism of the standout sequence of the season thus far in Episode 5, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 focuses on even more explanations and rules. So much so that it took dipping into the manga to try and get it all straight. Gege Akutami’s verbosity is, forever and always, the single greatest threat to the perfection Jujutsu Kaisen strives for. 

Having infiltrated the compound, the story splits, first following Megumi (Yuma Uchida) and Panda (Tomokazu Seki)  as they stand off against Kirara (Yuki Sakakihara). There’s a lot of playfulness in Megumi and Kirara’s exchanges, especially due to the latter’s sheer disbelief that anyone was able to seal Gojo. Regardless, Megumi spends the fight trying to convince Kirara to join them during the Culling Game. 

The series, once again, overexplains everything.

The fun is in how the two dance around one another, especially when Kirara starts using their Cursed Technique. Both of their reactions of disbelief when Megumi figures out how it works are genuinely hilarious, thanks to the physical acting and the actors’ voice work.

Their power works, essentially, like a magnet, able to repel and throw Panda and Megumi where they please as long as their signature is marked on them. But it’s the fact that it’s based on the Southern Cross constellation – and that it’s this that Megumi picks up on so quickly – that both makes it an interesting technique while also needlessly overexplaining. 

At a certain point, it’s okay to throw away the rules of power systems in battle anime. And in some instances, mangakas seem to reach this point as well and use it as plot armor. The writing of the series would not diminish if it were simply: this person has this power because that’s the rules of the world. In fact, it might even improve it. 

One of the more enlightening parts of the entire fight is realizing why Kirara and Hakari (Kazuya Nakai) refuse to be affiliated with Jujutsu High. They condemn the conservative board that only likes “traditional” techniques. It’s essentially a clash of the old and the new, something evident even back in Season 1, when Gojo went up against other higher-ups, his attitude at odds with how things are meant to be conducted. Jujustu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 reminds us that those internal battles linger, muddying the desire to work together. 

“Cog” bursts with unlikely bouts of color that highlight the dynamic fight scenes.

And it certainly is made more thematically deliberate to have Kirara, who is nonbinary, be the one to run up against it now. While they and Hakari obviously get won over in the end, it makes sense that they wouldn’t be racing back to an establishment rooted in old-school, conformist ideologies. 

Despite getting caught up in the dialogue, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 features plenty of fun visuals that elevate the more stagnant scenes. For instance, there’s a genius and wickedly funny moment where, while Megumi and Kirara are talking on the roof, a flying Yuji goes roaring past, thrown by one of Hakari’s blows.

The restraint in the decision not to show either a. the punch or b. Yuji himself, only the gust of wind that follows him, is a superb use of space within the frame. It tells the same story in a way that highlights an ongoing sequence of events without laying them out. 

Hakari is already a fascinating character, and he makes for a steady match against Yuji. Their fight sequence in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 is dynamic and brutal, effectively demonstrating Hakari’s immense strength. The exaggerated line work gives what otherwise might be a darker sequence (literally) necessary pops of color and a sense of movement. It’s similar to how it was in Episode 3. Still, instead of those fine cyberspace ridges that gave the characters a sense of weightlessness, here the reds are thick, overlaying the musculature of Hakari’s punches and the light in Yuji’s eye. 

MAPPA infuses even the smallest steps with grace and weight.

It’s a well-executed detail that aligns with Hakari’s passionate disposition as he looks to see what kind of fire Yuji has in him. And, not for nothing, reminds us that the visual tricks don’t have to contain themselves simply to how a character moves or the blurring, warped screens of displays of power. These clever bouts of artistry are just as evident in how the character is drawn too.

Directed by Seimei Kidokoro and storyboarded by Shōta Goshozono, the MAPPA team is working overtime to create visual fluidity even in what would otherwise be flat sequences. Even the scene of a beaten and battered Yuji, after fielding three unguarded hits, walking up to Hakari and startling him, is brimming with this thrum of staticky energy. 

It’s helped by how Hakari moves, jumping around into an immediate fighter’s stance. The camera moves from behind Yuji’s shoulder to the ground beneath Hakari, moving as if in tandem with the latter’s heel turn. It’s dynamic and engaging, anchored by the direction and the weight of Hakari’s movements and the character acting that comes through. These seemingly blink-and-you-miss-it beats are significant in how crisp and coherent the final product is. It’s not just about the flashy moments but all the steps that string a single sequence together. 

But it all comes down, as always, to Yuji. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 sees Hakari searching for feverish passion, but instead, he gets a kid seeking atonement by accepting his role as a mercenary. In his words, he’s merely a “cog” in the jujutsu society whose sole purpose is to exorcise curses and won’t be stopped until those demands are met.

Yuji Itadori and his pursuit of atonement cut a tragic central figure. 

It aligns with everything we’ve learned about this character. From his grandfather telling him to use his strength to help others, to refusing death for the purpose of helping others, instead of himself, it makes sense that he’d see himself not as a hero, but a tool. 

It’s this tragic declaration that helps recover some of the dialogue-heavy interactions. And it’s made more poignant by the straightforward direction, Enoki’s performance, and a gorgeous, unusual theme from composer Yoshimasa Terui that adds a layer of whimsical dread.

Now that their mission is complete, the next step into the Culling Game is here, made clearer still by the unlikely announcement that Hajime Kashimo, a reincarnated sorcerer, has added a rule (fantastic) to the game where everyone can view the opponent’s status, in search of a strong player. 

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 falls victim at times to the series’ greatest overarching flaws. But the animation stands out for the detailed, grounded work that incorporates the entire stage the characters fight on. Add to that the sheer, inherent tragedy of Yuji’s existence, as he wins over yet another unlikely ally, and “Cog” strikes hot yet again, even if it doesn’t hit with as much accuracy as other Season 3 highlights. 

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 6 is available now on Crunchyroll. 

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