Jujutsu Kaisen’s Culling Game Episode Leaves Fans Divided

Jujutsu Kaisen’s third series has taken an unexpected turn, opening its Culling Game arc not with a flurry of action, but with a meticulous breakdown of the game’s labyrinthine regulations. The 50th episode, aptly named ‘About the Culling Game’, sees Tengen gather a group of sorcerers for what can only be described as a marathon session of rule-explaining. Flowcharts abound, and the pace is anything but brisk.

What might have been a quick briefing soon morphs into a dense web of diagrams, persistent queries from Yuji and company, and a deluge of translated text. Many viewers found themselves pausing repeatedly, just to keep up with the barrage of information. For a significant portion of the audience, the episode’s approach felt more like a lengthy email than a piece of entertainment, a sentiment reflected in its near-record low 7.7 score on IMDb.

Mixed Reactions from the Fandom

Not everyone was impressed by the episode’s commitment to exposition. One viewer summed up the mood on Twitter:

“Top 3 most boring yap session anime episode I have ever seen,”

while another remarked,

“They put fancy animation around their lore dump episode and people think it's revolutionary.”

The sheer volume of visual aids did not go unnoticed either, with a fan quipping,

“In my entire academic life the most flowcharts I've ever seen is in today's jjk ep.”

Despite the grumbling, the series still enjoys a reservoir of goodwill among its followers. The shonen’s reputation for inventive storytelling and striking visuals has bought it some leeway, even when the narrative slows to a crawl.

Some Find Value in the Details

Yet, not all responses were tinged with disappointment. There were those who found the episode’s approach refreshing, even compelling. As one fan put it,

“That JJK episode proved to me how special this anime is These characters could just stand around, explaining the rules of a game for 20+ mins, and still have me on the edge of my seat This is how you deliver an episode with no action, but in a creative, interesting way.”

For these viewers, the lack of combat or spectacle was more than compensated by the depth of world-building and the interplay between characters. The episode’s willingness to slow down and lay out the stakes in painstaking detail was, for some, a mark of confidence rather than a misstep.

Looking Ahead

The next instalment promises a change of pace, especially for those familiar with the manga. This week’s talk-heavy outing stands in stark contrast to what’s coming, and anticipation remains high. For those keen to keep up, the release schedule for the current series and guides on viewing order are readily available.