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Pomni: An Intro to Coping

Pomni is the first character out of the TADC cast I am doing a deep dive on; for two main reasons. The first, being that she is the main lead character we as viewers vicariously live through in the show. And second, because her character is - as I see it - a lead-in to how the other characters behave. (Added note: I won't be touching on everything regarding the character. Only the details I feel are coherent for the rant I want to write.)

I would like to put emphasis on the note that all of this is drawn together from my own interpretations and speculations. At the end of the day, if you disagree with any of my thoughts, that is perfectly fine. This post is written out of sole enjoyment and passion for the character, with a twinge (read; a lot) of spite.

With that being said, here is a multi-faceted rant focusing on Pomni.

CHAPTER I: A NEW HOME

➣ Pomni is the newest human who has transmigrated into the digital circus world. As such, her first-hand experience in the cartoonish, limitless, yet restrictive space is also the viewers' vicarious shared experience through her eyes.

➣ Obviously, being dragged to the VR space and told there's no escape isn't great to hear. As such, Pomni's first reaction is denial. {"Ohhh, okay, now I get it! This, is a dream! And I should just play along until I wake up! Right??"} It's a standard reaction most people will default to in order to soothe themselves. A way to say "I can exit this situation, I am still in control" while providing a safety-net explanation for any illogical events.

➣ So, why is this important? The 5 stages of grief aren't a new concept nor is it a hard one to grasp, so how does it connect to Pomni? It's important because Pomni's character as a whole is a set-up template for how an individual can cope with unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or traumatizing events.

➣ I don't mean this to flatten Pomni's character down to a base statement of "she's a caricature". Quite the opposite actually; approaching Pomni's behaviors and her motivations with the perspective of "how a person will cope" gives a more layered view of her as a character.

➣ Being trapped in a new space with seemingly no escape can only lead to two outcomes in human behavior. Adaptation, or deterioration.

CHAPTER II: DEALING WITH IT

➣ Almost like how a child navigates their new life, Pomni is experimenting with how to adapt to the circumstances, whether she is consciously aware of that or not.

➣ In the pilot episode, Pomni protects herself under the fragile lie of denial (as previously mentioned) up to the point when Ragatha breaks down a bit in the dorm hallway after Pomni asks why they don't try to leave. Hearing the process of going insane in the digital circus makes the whole situation much more real.

➣ When facing the abstracted Kaufmo, Pomni displays guilt in initially abandoning Ragatha to fend for herself, then promises Ragatha that she'll go find Caine to fix both of them up.

➣ I find it noteworthy to touch on this interaction. As Pomni goes to leave, Ragatha comments "I'm sorry your first day here had to be so... terrible?" to which Pomni awkwardly replies with "Uh... yeah, well don't- worry about it. I'm just gonna go find Caine now". It's meant to be a comforting statement of compensation from Ragatha, but it doesn't land that way for Pomni because- although friendly and empathetic, highlighting that it is her "first day" of who knows how many only cements her fate more.

➣ Despite promising to help Ragatha, Pomni almost immediately goes through the elusive exit door once it appears before her, only sparing a couple glances back at the circus before going inside. This action is inherently selfish, but also accurately aligns with the drive for escape. If there is any hope to leave an unpleasant situation, people will generally take it, especially if they don't have any personal attachments to their surroundings.

➣ In regards to the 5 stages of grief, the whole sequence of Pomni running through the labyrinth office space undoubtedly represents bargaining. The mounting desperation of "Just one more door. This door will be the one. I'm sure the next one will let me leave." keeps piling onto the jester, until she mentally snaps and eventually ends up in the digital void.

➣ For the rest of the pilot after that, Pomni is left to finally come to terms with the fact that there really is no real exit. The others around her act nonchalant and unbothered by everything, leaving her feeling isolated and lost. Despite other trapped humans sitting beside her at a dining table, none of them seem to share her drive to leave.

➣ As far as she knows, she is completely alone, and she must fend for herself to either adapt, or abstract in this bizarre world.

CHAPTER III: ADJUSTMENTS

➣ In episode 2 of TADC, these anxieties of losing her own mind and being completely alone are pushed to the forefront. Alongside those concerns, Pomni goes through the remaining 3 of the 5 stages of grief.

➣ She shows clear anger towards Jax and his recklessness when he puts her safety at risk without any visible remorse (subconsciously solidifying Pomni's then assumption that she is not valued or considered as a part of the group, would not be missed, etc.). She also has a bout of mild frustration towards Ragatha in the beginning of the adventure {"I'm not a child. You don't have to hype me up."}.

➣ This morphs into a state of apathy/depression, as she questions the structure of the adventures {"So... our entire existence here is just... LARPing?"}{"What time period is this supposed to be again?"}. During the drive up to the chase scene with the gummy gator bandits, she can also be seen looking mildly upset in the back of the truck, eyeing the others with subtle discomfort or blankly staring off ahead.

➣ Finally, this all comes to a head with acceptance (albeit a tentative one) after Pomni befriends Gummigoo, one of the AI gummy gator bandits. She finally finds someone she can connect to, someone who has had their reality shattered and is forced to come to terms with it all. So, while she does her best to provide some comfort and reassurance for the gator, she also extends a metaphorical hand out to invite Gummigoo back to the circus, in the hopes that she won't have to continue alone.

➣ Although Caine deleting Gummigoo moments after his arrival nearly brings Pomni into a spiral then and there, Ragatha and Kinger step in to explain to Pomni about Kaufmo's funeral. A service they hold to honor the abstracted people for their shared time in the circus. That catches Pomni's attention. (I have a strong belief that if Pomni was left alone after Caine deleted Gummigoo, she would have completely broken down/abstracted shortly after. Not immediately, but she would inevitably.)

➣ Listening to the others (minus Jax) tell their stories of who Kaufmo was as a person and the good memories they had with him, the acceptance settles back in Pomni. Only, more assured now. She now has proof that they are all in this situation together, one way or another. She knows at the very least that she isn't considered as nothing by the others (minus Jax, we'll get there).

CHAPTER IV: CLOSING NOTES

➣ Pomni is an anxious, introverted, 25-year-old. Judging by her age (as provided by Gooseworx), Pomni very much fits with the idea of a young adult office worker. She's logical in her thinking, yet also unsure and wary of those around her.

➣ Gooseworx has also mentioned that Pomni is "good at accounting" (in a tumblr post on December 18th, 2023), which makes me think Pomni either was an accounting major or was an accountant in the real world.

➣ As of this post, there are only 2 of the 9 planned episodes that have been uploaded. In the episodes to come, I feel like we'll probably see Pomni grow more sure of herself in the circus. She'll still be wary about whatever new adventures Caine has planned, but from what has already been hinted at, I think Pomni may grow to be more bold and much more confident in testing the limits of the digital world. (Staging a coup against Caine sounds wild but would be hilarious)

➣ Overall, Pomni is a character who demonstrates the process of how someone tends to react to unpredictable circumstances. She is someone who people can generally empathize with and say "yeah, I can understand why she would react like that". A base foundation of human behavior who demonstrates how a person can either settle or crumble under stress.

TLDR; What a well-written isekai protagonist.