'Jujutsu Kaisen' Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, References & Everything You Need to Know
Although the episode lacks the tension and drama of the already iconic fourth episode, it confidently maintains a high level.
The new episode of Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen brilliantly demonstrated how the title continues to balance deep drama and dynamic action while fearlessly experimenting with form.
The episode was divided into two parts that contributed to plot and character development while showcasing bold directorial and animation choices.
What Was 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Season 3 Episode 5 About?
The episode's plot is divided into two acts. The first act focuses on the emotional drama at Jujutsu High. Here, viewers are introduced to a technique for creating cursed corpses that can store energy. This technique sheds light on the past of a key character, Panda.
Principal Masamichi Yaga is the central figure of this part. His mental anguish and regret lead to his death at the hands of Gakuganji.
The long-awaited second part shifts the action to an underground fight club where Yuji and Megumi go to recruit the suspended third-year student, Kinji Hakari.
This charismatic rule-breaker organizes forbidden sorcerer fights in front of the general public, and the main characters desperately need his support. The episode ends with a cliffhanger: the beginning of the fight between Yuji and Kinji.
Episode 5 Mixes Animation Styles and Throws in Several Movie References
Episode 5 once again showcased markedly improved animation quality and artistic boldness. The most striking of the techniques was rotoscoping, which involves redrawing the movements of live actors frame by frame.
This is particularly noticeable in the dialogue scene between Yuji and Kinji, in which the long shot remains constant for nearly four minutes and the characters perform incredibly fluid and realistic movements.
Furthermore, the episode contains numerous pop culture references. The most obvious reference is the direct quote, "The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club," referencing David Fincher's iconic movie.
Visually, the characters, especially Megumi, have become more developed and mature with sharper facial features.
Despite Superb Animation, Episode 5 Still Has Its Flaws
Despite its many strengths, the episode has some of the same problems that have plagued the entire third season – information overload.
While the abundance of text and infographics in the third episode could be justified by the need to explain the complex rules of the Culling Game, a new, large block of text suddenly appears in Episode 5, detailing the rules of the sorcerer community.
This frame flashes on the screen for only a couple of seconds, leaving no time to read it and disrupting the narrative flow. While such insertions are appropriate in manga, they feel like drawn-out pauses in a fast-paced anime, forcing the viewer to pause.
What Did Viewers Think of 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Season 3 Episode 5?
One of the Reddit users wrote:
“The production quality of this show is nuts. The angle of the Hakari/Yuji conversation alongside the ringing phone really amped the tension.
Hakari exposing course-selling grifters came out of left field, and I loved every second of that.”
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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 5 has 8.5/10.
Where to Watch 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Season 3?
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
