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Jan 15, 7:54 AM
#1

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Dec 2021
3807
Dialogue has always been this show's weakest point, so I was worried about how Gosso would handle it. But he really nailed it this time. Not everything was amazing, but things like finally giving "Geto" a real name, Kenjaku, worked really well. His ultimate goal seems to be some kind of instrumentality, and I usually don’t like stories where destiny is so set in stone. So it was great to see Toji mess everything up.

Kenjaku can basically do whatever he wants, which feels a bit much. Some more explanation on the rules would’ve helped. The new guy at the end also seems to have the same technique as Nanami, which is interesting. His whole segment at the end as well, that whole two minute cinemascope scene was absolutely amazing, felt like watching the CSM movie all over again. The OST was great, the SB was solid, and the dialogue direction was really strong. Good shit Gosso.
Jan 15, 7:54 AM
#2

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May 2020
12572
I don’t know, I always thought Tengen would have a deep husky male voice while reading this. Or maybe I just forgot if they ever showed or mentioned that wouldn’t be the fact lol, but anyway, this arc is so heavy on info dump that sometimes it feels like you’re watching two people talking on a podcast. I still feel the author made things overcomplicated.. just for the sake of it, and yeah, eventually had to write things full of inconsistencies. It wouldn’t show up now, but yeah, we’ll see in due time.

Anyway, the guys know what they’ve to do now. Protecting Tengen and participating in the game(pretty obvious but hey). For rules and stuff, I’m actually kinda assuming the narrator would definitely narrate going forward.. I mean no way, anyone who’s watching will remember every small detail, without going back to this episode and pausing at selected timestamps.

Angel and Takaba are here, and yeah, that ain’t going to be the end. Going to get a LOT of new characters from here. Am waiting for Maki stuff tho.
Jan 15, 7:54 AM
#3

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Jun 2019
7124
This would be what the simple-minded people would call the Yap episode. But the director storyboarded it so fucking well, it was really easy to understand. But I won't be surprised if many people get filtered out of it. All the explanations might be too much for the casual JJK audience who aren't too nerdy about all this stuff. LOL. So, it's understandable. I can tell this episode is gonna get a lot of hate. I hope I'm wrong tho. But, I think they did a great job at explaining stuff. I was personally pretty satisfied.

Shoko looked so fucking beautiful in that short part. Yuki and Maki were serving the entire episode. Hakari mentioned as well. And, first look at Takaba, my boy. But, Poor guy. Also, the character animation during the entire Takaba part was chef's kiss. So good. Choso and Yuji's goodbye was sweet as well. :') He was crying... Big Brother Choso.
Jan 15, 8:38 AM
#4
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Feb 2023
1643
Well we entering the bad story side. People defending this will age not well due to what happens to tengen and kenjaku in the future. The dialogue happens to be as boring as ever in JJK especially.

Note: To give more context, the dialogue is pointless and acts smart when it is very weak that is the point I am making. The rules are non existent and the only rule you care about is: They must participate for now. Also how they can release Gojo, but that's it. The rest of the dialogue drags on way too much to explain "How Kenjaku will use the merging". It is just useless dialogue. The presentation for it was good. Even other animes with dialogue were better written imo.

Also the screen being filled with objectives was not in the manga, why add that? That just made it harder for anime onlys to enjoy this.

Gotta say though, direction for the dialogue was good (not as good as people make it out to be but it is good). Next episode should go into the good parts. Animation may be carrying JJK so much this time around.
Confused_100Jan 15, 11:51 AM
Jan 15, 8:42 AM
#5
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Sep 2015
9359
The current trend for a big budget anime is to have a Hollywood-inspired cinematic look, and Jujutsu Kaisen is the leader of this trend. Usually, there's nothing wrong with it. But Culling Game is such a complex arc and we all know that Hollywood style can't handle a complex story.

And I don't feel the need to read all those rules. My decades of experience of watching anime tells me that they won't matter once the action start.

Luckily, from the preview of the next episode, look like the action will start very soon.
Jan 15, 8:54 AM
#6

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Mar 2016
3265
I'm not at all fond of the JJK arcs after Hidden Inventory and Shibuya Incident, but man Culling Games Arc was such a slow excruciating pain to get through in the manga and when it's not involving action scenes, it really isn't handled that much better in the anime imho, especially with the dialogue, which....holy fuck...it's such a god damn drag to sit through that yappathon, almost as bad as that in Tensura S3. I understand the basic need for explaining the schematics of the game itself but it's needlessly far more complicated than it has to be.
Jan 15, 9:07 AM
#7
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Jul 2023
1522
Holy(or should I say Cursed) Infographic! some much data, information and charts I have to pause the video every few minutes. Just on the surface level, it built hype and tension quite well.

Jan 15, 9:13 AM
#8

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Apr 2019
718
I knew this episode would be hated because it has a lot of dialogue and information and people are allergic to it XD
Jan 15, 9:14 AM
#9

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Jun 2014
8188
Yap session episode explaining the rules of the Culling Game, and while it may be a chore to sit through all that info (most of which a lot of us won't remember 💀), I like the way it was presented. Props to whoever directed/storyboarded this episode.
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Jan 15, 9:16 AM
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Dec 2024
1815
let the game begin
Jan 15, 9:18 AM

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Nov 2016
33347
Opening already growing on me.

Holy exposition. Luckily it's not as overwhelming if you have already read the manga. But this is only the beginning. Particularly looking forward to the explanation of a certain cursed technique xD

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


Jan 15, 9:19 AM

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Jul 2017
6983
I respect the efforts with storyboarding an episode like this to make it at least a little more interesting. Sure it isn't Monogatari-levels of great with handling heavy exposition scenes but at least there was some level of trying. It was really exhausting to sit through and fairly boring since the exposition even in the manga felt so heavy, dragged and forced out of nowhere for a series like this, but it could have been worse like sitting through some of the Slime meeting episodes from the latest season.
Jan 15, 9:22 AM

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Apr 2016
342
This felt like watching one of those corporate training videos they show you on the first day of the job to keep you from cutting your hands off with heavy machinery
Jan 15, 9:26 AM

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Jul 2011
2553
People last episode: How I will get Culling Games rules without pausing?
People in this episode: Too much info.

Tengen would be in a big company if had work. Great presentation, point by point, very didactic. Want to learn how to present like that. 360 , giving dramatic lightning when others are talking.
Jan 15, 9:28 AM

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Jun 2022
3
This episode got me like:

"I drop kicked that child in self-defence"
- Technoblade
Jan 15, 9:28 AM

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Jun 2021
358
Damn, I almost forgot that dialogue heavy chapters were always the weakest part of the manga because Gege always write them in complicated and long way. Anime tried really hard to make it look nice with good animation and direction but still doesn't make it that better. Most of the anime onlies will not understand it and even if they somehow did, they won't be able to remember it for too long, as manga and anime as a medium is not the same. Although some fanboys will still try to convince people that there is nothing wrong with the episode even if things are crystal clear that this episode is definitely not normal .
Jan 15, 9:30 AM
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Apr 2014
1278
To summarize
Kenjaku bad
We need Angel to open the Gojo box
Maki is gonna go aura farm
Yuta is gonna go aura farm
Yuji and Megumi are gonna go see Hakari aura farm
Yuki and Choso are on the bench for later
There, didn't need all that exposition.
Jan 15, 9:32 AM

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Dec 2023
1195
This was an ABSOLUTE DUMP of lore. It's basically just the complicated part of the last episode of 2nd season but for a whole episode. I'm probably gonna have to further research this to get an idea of what's going on. Thought the red lining was pretty cool though.
"Like rowing a boat, we enter the future backwards. All we see are scenes of the past, and no one can control the views of tomorrow" - Wit Studio
Jan 15, 9:36 AM

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May 2023
389
Reply to Ryuseishun
I'm not at all fond of the JJK arcs after Hidden Inventory and Shibuya Incident, but man Culling Games Arc was such a slow excruciating pain to get through in the manga and when it's not involving action scenes, it really isn't handled that much better in the anime imho, especially with the dialogue, which....holy fuck...it's such a god damn drag to sit through that yappathon, almost as bad as that in Tensura S3. I understand the basic need for explaining the schematics of the game itself but it's needlessly far more complicated than it has to be.
Ryuseishun said:
t's needlessly far more complicated than it has to be
It's not complicated at all if your able to read lmao
Jan 15, 9:38 AM

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May 2023
389
Great build up episode, LET THE CULLING GAMES BEGIIIINNNN 🗣️🗣️
Jan 15, 9:38 AM

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Jul 2012
1966
So, basically this is all Toji's fault.
Jan 15, 9:39 AM

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Dec 2019
664
This be a glorified yap session that couldve been an email of an episode. No subtlety, no creative dialogue. Staff tried hard to make it look more interesting but damn this was a slog of materal they had to deal with. Couldnt be saved much.
Jan 15, 9:40 AM

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Nov 2011
756
Kept watching for a loong time to pause and read the rules. xp
Oh so Fushiguro had his coming out as head of Zenin clan. Cool.
Chosoooo! (⁠ᗒ⁠ᗩ⁠ᗕ⁠)
Jan 15, 9:41 AM
lagom
Online
Jan 2009
110069
there is hope to bring back gojo

the culling games infodump is so boring in the manga but they made it better in the anime this time
Jan 15, 9:41 AM
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Jul 2016
21
THEY GAVE US AN OUTLINE OF THE CULLING GAME HAHAHAHA

Jokes aside though the rules are very cool. You HAVE to kill people in order to stop Kenjaku now.
:)
Jan 15, 9:42 AM

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Nov 2011
756
@Nerdason Yeeees that was so corpo xD Even with meeting minutes - what are the current ARs for everyone xD
Jan 15, 9:46 AM

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Jul 2023
42
Love the lore and more worldbuilding we got this episode

Jan 15, 9:46 AM

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Dec 2019
664
Reply to Jollyne7
I knew this episode would be hated because it has a lot of dialogue and information and people are allergic to it XD
@Jollyne7 If its like a Monogatari, sure. can definitely take an hour of non-stop yapping and have fun with it fun due to NISIOISIN's writing to go with the directing. idk if that's the same situation here.
Jan 15, 9:48 AM
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Jul 2022
4
best info dump ep ever
Jan 15, 9:48 AM

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Mar 2016
3265
Reply to SoulReaper01_
Ryuseishun said:
t's needlessly far more complicated than it has to be
It's not complicated at all if your able to read lmao
@SoulReaper01_

I'm not sure why you immediately take offense but sure, "I cAnT rEaD" LMAO
It's not so much a case of "ability to read" as it is just simply being needlessly more inflated and complicated than it should've been. If you personally liked the dialogue dumping, all the power to you, yapping scenes CAN be handled well in anime. I just think it wasn't done so here, simple as that lmfao
RyuseishunJan 15, 9:52 AM
Jan 15, 9:59 AM
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Oct 2022
72
just a prep episode really
Jan 15, 9:59 AM
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May 2018
162
Why did Maki call Gojo by his first name
Jan 15, 10:04 AM
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Nov 2020
2
visual novel episode
Jan 15, 10:08 AM
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Feb 2020
32
I completely agree with the people saying it's overly complicated. Like I'm also a manga reader and I still have so many questions lol

From what I understood:
- Somehow, Kenjaku started the Culling Games (I still don't understand when or how he did that)

- It has a set of rules that all players in Japan need to follow
- If they try to leave, they die
- The Culling Games inherently activate the inner potential of some people, granting them cursed techniques
- You can add a new rule by spending 100 points, which you'll get after killing enough people

- At the end of the Culling Games... Something will happen with Tengen and the players? I didn't really understand
- Kenjaku is doing all this for... Evolving the human race? Another part I didn't get

The goal of the protagonists are
- Find the Angel to unseal Gojo
- Get more cursed items
- Get in touch with Hakari
- Join the Culling Games before the time to join runs out
- ...Survive?

If someone can explain some of the points, I'll be glad, but yeah, I feel Gege really missed the mark by making all of this very confusing to follow.
Jan 15, 10:11 AM
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Aug 2023
3
An exposition episode, much needed I think for anime only's since the Culling Games can be a bit convoluted. However, since I already read the manga this was a pretty boring episode for me and one I would probably skip on rewatches
Jan 15, 10:15 AM

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Jan 2024
4481
Damn whole episode of lore yapping but just through wall of texts.
Atleast decent animation and flow chart made it bearable. Now I know why the manga had bad rep.

Yay Mai Zenin arc, more pain incoming kill me already🥲😭😭
Jan 15, 10:22 AM
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Mar 2024
385
Worst episode of jjk HOLY YAPPING
Jan 15, 10:26 AM
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Dec 2023
92
Yeah yeah were done with WRITING and WORLDBUILDING, now let the AURA and HYPE begin.
(This was actually a good episode even if i am not smart enough to understand some of it, also im hyped takeba is here i heard he was cool)
Jan 15, 10:28 AM
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Apr 2016
23
Considering JJK is a very text heavy manga, the way they condensed and presented the rules of the culling games so effectively is just brilliant. MAPPA really didn't cut any corners as expected. Upcoming episodes are gonna be quite chaotic - excited to see how they'll adapt it.
Jan 15, 10:29 AM

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Apr 2020
199
PERFECT PREPARATION NEXT WEEK OHMYFUCKINGGOD IM SO GODDAMN EXCITED
Jan 15, 10:30 AM
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Aug 2021
66
Can someone explain from where the rules of the game come from. Like what exactly did kenjaku do that it started a whole death game. All I remember is dude activated the souls of random japanese people, how did that start a game.

The whole tengen thing is so bs, bro evolved in such a way that he can be cursed manipulated. and also he just happens to have the back side of the prison realm lol.
Jan 15, 10:31 AM

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Feb 2019
12645
Holy fucking yap, Gege can not write dialogue lmao
Jan 15, 10:37 AM

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Dec 2024
637
Meh episode. Next gonna be peak though, I can’t wait for it. I already want to see Kirara.
Jan 15, 10:37 AM

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Nov 2016
709
Clearly inspired by hunter x hunter, clearly a bad choice.
Is the culling game considered jjk worst arc? it must be.

The game itself is stupid, but trying to explain it with a highschool concept map is even worse.

Props to the studio for salvaging the idea and trying to add some visual effects to prevent us from falling asleep
Jan 15, 10:42 AM

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Oct 2024
280
It was kind of boring tbh I didn't think they needed to yap for THAT long. Just skip the episode if ya know what the culling game is and what they plan to do from thee
Jan 15, 10:48 AM

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Dec 2015
2405
the Tengen discussion...overly long, overly complicated, needlessly intricate... and frankly i barely understood half of it. even after binging S1/2 and Movie 0 within days of Eps1&2 dropping... so less than 2 weeks ago when i finished that binge. too many on-screen kanji linked to subtitles for those as well as the dialogue subs... i was reading so much i barely caught the fun glimpses of the animation and character designs and acting skills.

so basically... the worst infodump exposition episode i've encountered in my personal anime history of 30+ years.

plus, i didn't get explanations of what i wanted.
1 why is the dead womb whatchamacallit older brother thingybob's older brother too? the MC, orange hair guy. did the brain parasite guy BIRTH the guy him/herself by possessing his MOM!?! flashback to his infancy with granpa bitching about a dead lady to his 'dad' but a moving living talking lady comes into the room?

2 why is Rikka back from 'heaven' and with her 'husband' again? movie 0 showed her... going to the other side? after he released her from the curse he put his elementary school love thing under when she died from that car crashing into her.

3 who that eff is the blond hot chick other than what's his face's mentor in "What kind of girl is your type?" technique? i member her from the flashback arc of S2 and i think she was in movie 0? but thaaat's all i got outta her.

i DID learn that the flashback arc in S2 actually MEANT something effing happened! INSTEAD of 'oh gee nice girl got new hole n her head n ded for no reason... because a new replacement for Tengen's bangin bod swap showed up like POOF!' nahhh that was the preface of the end of the world as we know it and i don't feel fine...

eps1&2 told me nice hammer n nails girl i thought was fun is ded. which I REALLY DON'T LIKE. she was fun, shoulda saved her. maybe stick her in a special room and timeslow her till 1 second takes 60 minutes to happen... while the soul morph curse slowly kills her off... till somebody can figure out how to fix soul morphy curse.

i did learn animation frames old drunkard and the twin girls' daddy is ded. and his sons are all wankers who need to poof from existence. and the twin i like is about 100 plastic surgeries away from looking cute in her glasses again. but at least she isn't ded. and funny thing... Megumin shadow edgelord is HER BOSS NOW!? funnnnyyyy! heh! her kohai is the head of her family now... i chuckled hard over THAT lil bit of sophistry with their daddy's will.

"Does Panda even have a brain?" ohh that made me smirk thinking how PO he would be to hear that... but also laugh a little over it since he's not really human.

oh i also learned Megumin shadow edgelord's older sister woke up from her coma... which i thought was cool... but now she's gotta be a sorcerer in this game thing? that sucks.

ah well, i guess i'll just chalk it up to 'yet another day in JJK World' and wait for ep 4 to pop up next week. :)
just an ol school American otaku enjoyin the life. don't sass me kiddies, i've been otaku probably since before you were born. leave me in peace and i won't bother you either.
Jan 15, 10:51 AM
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Jul 2025
4
I know it was just like an information recap episode, but I needed that so bad...
Jan 15, 10:53 AM
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Jan 2025
20
Great dialogue. The rating clearly shows JJK fans can't read, lol. The story is sick, the pacing was a bit iffy but it makes sense because of the dialogue, and the director was amazing with how much atmosphere he added that was not in the manga.
Jan 15, 10:55 AM
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Jan 2025
20
Reply to KiliianSleipnir
the Tengen discussion...overly long, overly complicated, needlessly intricate... and frankly i barely understood half of it. even after binging S1/2 and Movie 0 within days of Eps1&2 dropping... so less than 2 weeks ago when i finished that binge. too many on-screen kanji linked to subtitles for those as well as the dialogue subs... i was reading so much i barely caught the fun glimpses of the animation and character designs and acting skills.

so basically... the worst infodump exposition episode i've encountered in my personal anime history of 30+ years.

plus, i didn't get explanations of what i wanted.
1 why is the dead womb whatchamacallit older brother thingybob's older brother too? the MC, orange hair guy. did the brain parasite guy BIRTH the guy him/herself by possessing his MOM!?! flashback to his infancy with granpa bitching about a dead lady to his 'dad' but a moving living talking lady comes into the room?

2 why is Rikka back from 'heaven' and with her 'husband' again? movie 0 showed her... going to the other side? after he released her from the curse he put his elementary school love thing under when she died from that car crashing into her.

3 who that eff is the blond hot chick other than what's his face's mentor in "What kind of girl is your type?" technique? i member her from the flashback arc of S2 and i think she was in movie 0? but thaaat's all i got outta her.

i DID learn that the flashback arc in S2 actually MEANT something effing happened! INSTEAD of 'oh gee nice girl got new hole n her head n ded for no reason... because a new replacement for Tengen's bangin bod swap showed up like POOF!' nahhh that was the preface of the end of the world as we know it and i don't feel fine...

eps1&2 told me nice hammer n nails girl i thought was fun is ded. which I REALLY DON'T LIKE. she was fun, shoulda saved her. maybe stick her in a special room and timeslow her till 1 second takes 60 minutes to happen... while the soul morph curse slowly kills her off... till somebody can figure out how to fix soul morphy curse.

i did learn animation frames old drunkard and the twin girls' daddy is ded. and his sons are all wankers who need to poof from existence. and the twin i like is about 100 plastic surgeries away from looking cute in her glasses again. but at least she isn't ded. and funny thing... Megumin shadow edgelord is HER BOSS NOW!? funnnnyyyy! heh! her kohai is the head of her family now... i chuckled hard over THAT lil bit of sophistry with their daddy's will.

"Does Panda even have a brain?" ohh that made me smirk thinking how PO he would be to hear that... but also laugh a little over it since he's not really human.

oh i also learned Megumin shadow edgelord's older sister woke up from her coma... which i thought was cool... but now she's gotta be a sorcerer in this game thing? that sucks.

ah well, i guess i'll just chalk it up to 'yet another day in JJK World' and wait for ep 4 to pop up next week. :)
@KiliianSleipnir Stop right there... You said "i barely understood half of it." That's all. You didn't like it because you didn't understand it, and obviously the info is detailed specifically to stuff related to the culling games, not about Rika or Chosso's brothers. I understood it relatively easily and I haven't even watched JJK 0 yet nor did I watch the Hidden Inventory recap...

Mod Edit: Removed baiting.
SushiRoeJan 17, 8:42 AM
Jan 15, 10:57 AM

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Oct 2023
2482
no comment, folks.

no comment x

Oh nvm, Ieiri's here stealing the show lol
dazedcowcow62Jan 15, 11:06 AM
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