Was the Curse Not Lifted After All? "Jujutsu Kaisen" Episode 48, "Rika-chan" from "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" Returns, Deepening the Mystery

The third season of the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen," titled "Culling Game: Part 1," began airing late night on January 8th. The unexpected development of "Rika-chan," who was supposedly exorcised by Special Grade Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu (CV: Megumi Ogata), making a reappearance shocked viewers with reactions like "Wasn't she laid to rest!?" and "Why is she still here when the curse was lifted?"

"Jujutsu Kaisen 0" (released in 2021), which depicted the prequel story to the main series, tells the tale of Yuta and his late childhood friend Rika Orimoto (CV: Kana Hanazawa), who had transformed into a vengeful spirit. At the climax of the film, Yuta succeeded in exorcising Rika... or so it seemed. However, in the final episode of Season 2, there was a scene where Yuta spoke to "Rika-chan," sparking various speculations among viewers.

And then, "Culling Game: Part 1" finally began airing. In Episode 48, the first episode, Rika was clearly depicted in her vengeful spirit form. Rika attacked Yuji Itadori (CV: Junya Enoki), who was in combat with Yuta, from behind, immobilizing him.

So does this mean "Rika-chan" was not laid to rest after all and is still supporting Yuta? Or is the Rika who reappeared in Season 3 a different entity from Rika Orimoto in "Jujutsu Kaisen 0"? As the mystery deepened with this development, voices of surprise flooded online with comments like "Wasn't she laid to rest!?," "Why is she still here when the curse was lifted?," and "Seriously, where did Rika-chan come from?"