#and that's about what's going to happen IN milgram. as for what will happen outside.... yeah

[linagram]

post-t3 stuff announcement post! (i guess)

HIIIIII so we're done with the main part of trial 3. yay yay. all verdicts are here and now we can move on to post-t3 voice dramas.

i just wanted to explain how exactly the trial will end and what post-t3 things to expect.

there's gonna be a lot of stuff so i hope it's not too confusing...

(no exact dates bc i'd rather not make promises that i can't keep ^^'' im finally done with all the vds tho!!)

so here's the post-t3 vds list! honestly there's so much i think this can be counted as linagram season 4 😭😭

[ Post-T3 Voice Drama #01 ] Came For The Reward, Stayed For The Punishment

a first voice drama about a conversation between a certain guard and a certain prisoner. pretty short compared to. the rest of the vds, but still kinda important.

2. [ Post-T3 Voice Drama #02 ] The Recollection of Everyone's Sins (Part 1)

discussing the first five prisoners' crimes (akio, aimi, shun, naomi, kei) and what is going to happen to them.

3. [ Post-T3 Voice Drama #02 ] The Recollection of Everyone's Sins (Part 2)

discussing the other five prisoners' crimes (eiko, asahi, yurika, riku, reina) and what is going to happen to them.

4. [ Post-T3 Voice Drama #03 ] The Judge Becomes The Judged (Part 1)

the guards' trial. yikes.

5. [ Post-T3 Voice Drama #03 ] The Judge Becomes The Judged (Part 2)

discussing the guards' crimes before coming to milgram. YIKES.

6. [ Post-T3 Voice Drama #04 ] No Justice In This Place

punishments. we're really doing this.

7. [ Post-T3 Voice Drama #05 ] Accept This Punishment Called Life

the very last vd. kind of a short one but it's. very emotional. at least to me.

andddd that's it! i really meant it when i've said there's going to be. a lot of stuff

tysm for your support guys and hopefully the ending will not be disappointing (or too dark haha) shjdjsksk!!

[blueepink07]

Since we will get Kotoko's album in one day, which includes her VD from which most probably we will find more information about her motivations and her plans in Milgram, I decided to look a bit into her attacks during prison and how I imagine things happened! (I'm fully aware that I will most probably be proved wrong when the album drops, but I'm really curious if I can actually figure out most of what happened!)

Starting off, Jackalope informs us that the order in which Kotoko attacked is: Mikoto, Mahiru, Fuuta.

Which makes sense, considering that she attacked, in order, who is closer to her cell.

(Also fun fact! The prisoners are distorted according to how many injuries they have!)

What I want to answer, however, is how she managed to attack two people without being stopped.

Mikoto vs Kotoko

From Mikoto's VD, we find out that Kotoko has attacked, while John was distracted, giving herself a slight advantage.

"Es: Like you didn’t get beaten by Kotoko…! John: Hah. That was just because she caught me off guard. We went at it again while you were asleep, and it’s not like I lost there."

Considering that they fought some time and where evenly matched, there must have been a lot of noise, which should have alerted the others. In this attack, Kotoko didn't care much about how much attention she would attract. Why? Because the prisoners were already used with John's restlessness and they wouldn't dare to go near him. Hearing those noises didn't alert them much, because they maybe were too scared and didn't want to approach or thought it was just the usual.

As seen in many timeline posts, Mikoto is avoided. The only one who wished him Happy birthday was Haruka, whom we know that is currently isolating himself and didn't wish Mikoto a happy birthday this year too...

"Mikoto: The others told me about it. How I got into a fistfight with Koto-chan and whatnot. "Es: Seems like it, yeah. Mikoto: I wonder if it’s like… some kind of sleepwalking…? After all, I’ve been losing sleep more and more often recently… Man… It’s really troublesome, isn’t it? Es: Mikoto… Mikoto: The others are all scared of me. I can tell by looking at the way they act. Because I read the room."

Mahiru and Kotoko

From Shidou's VD, it is given the information that Mahiru suffered head injuries, more exactly head lacerations.

"Shidou: Shiina-kun’s is even worse. Head lacerations. Bruising all over her body. Left anterior compression fracture. A sprained neck. Fractured ribs. Further fracturing to the left arm. And furthermore… this may be outside of my profession, but her mental health is deteriorating as well."

These injuries are the aftermath of being hit by Kotoko.

Mahiru says some interesting things in her VD:

"Mahiru: … Ah, but this is… I think Kotoko-chan is the one who did it, so… you know? It’s not like it’s your fault. Um, so…! I’m not holding a grudge towards Kotoko-chan either. I’m sure she just thought it couldn’t be helped…"

This "I think" was always interesting to me. It implies that she is uncertain of the events that happened, like she wasn't there... Like she just a heard rumour from someone else...

However, she also tells this:

"Mahiru: … Ah– I– I—I’m sorry…! If– If you touch me so suddenly, it makes me remember… how it hurt… and I get scared…"

She remembers the pain, but not the person who hurt her. Keeping in mind that she also suffered from head trauma, I have thought that Mahiru must have lost consciousness, shortly after being hit, but not fully.

There are actually some levels of impaired consciousness, that can explain my assumption!

Confusion

Confusion is marked by the absence of clear thinking and may result in poor decision-making.

Disorientation

Disorientation is the inability to understand how you relate to people, places, objects, and time. The first stage of disorientation is usually around awareness of your current surroundings

Loss of short-term memory follows disorientation with respect to place.

Delirium

If you’re delirious, your thoughts are confused and illogical. People who are delirious are often disoriented. Their emotional responses range from fear to anger. People who are delirious are often highly agitated as well.

Lethargy

Lethargy is a state of decreased consciousness that resembles drowsiness. If you’re lethargic, you may not respond to stimulants such as the sound of an alarm clock or the presence of fire.

Stupor

"Stupor is a deeper level of impaired consciousness in which it’s very difficult for you to respond to any stimuli, except for pain."

Coma

Coma is the deepest level of impaired consciousness. If you’re in a coma, you can’t respond to any stimulus, not even pain.

From all of these, stupor seems to be what Mahiru experienced after being hit.

Stupor -> caused by head injuries, such as concussion or bleeding in or around the brain

"Stupor is characterised by impaired reaction to external stimuli. Those in a stuporous state are rigid, mute and only appear to be conscious, as the eyes are open and follow surrounding objects. If not stimulated externally, a patient with stupor will appear to be in a sleepy state most of the time."

If Kotoko hit Mahiru and caused her to have a stupor, Mahiru wouldn't even have the chance to yell or cry for help. She couldn't respond to any stimulus (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch), the only thing that she could feel was the pain.

It would make sense, in this case, for the other prisoners to be unaware of what was happening to Mahiru. Kotoko most probably made a surprise attack (as in John's situation), left Mahiru is a state of stupor and did further damage to her body.

"Kazui: I wonder. Maybe it’s because I’m used to violence. Even so… I couldn’t make it for Shiina-chan. I feel responsible for [what happened to] her."

Fuuta and Kotoko

Fuuta seems to have been fully conscious when he was being beaten up by Kotoko. He remembers every detail, unfortunately to him: the way he had been stepped on with the safety boot-like shoes, the beatings which made him think that he'll die. He even remembers Kotoko's motivations and beliefs! It's pretty likely that he was still conscious when Kazui protected him.

"Fuuta: Hey. Look at me. My right eye. It looks awful, doesn’t it? This is what happens when you get stepped on with those safety boot-like shoes. – Don’t recoil like that, that’s hurtful. According to Shidou, it’s likely that I won’t ever be able to see [with this eye] again. Sucks, huh."

"Fuuta: It hurt… It hurt so bad, I thought I was going to die. I was scared!"

"Fuuta: I mean, you forgave Kotoko, right? You affirmed her, right? Her belief that “it’s fine to do whatever to people who have done something wrong”. Es: How do you know about that…? Fuuta: She told me while she was beating me up. How she thinks it’s okay for her to do anything she wants to people who have done wrong, no matter the severity of their crime. And she left the judgment of that up to you."

What are your thoughts about Kotoko's attacks?

If Fuuta was conscious the whole time, his cries of pain or help surely must have been what alerted the other prisoners, who stopped Kotoko from doing further damage...

And so this is me trying to explain why the other prisoners noticed too late Kotoko's attacks!

I'm prepared to be proved wrong, but it was fun to write anyway!

[milk-ly]

Kotoko and her connection to Dante’s Inferno’s Satan

Disclaimer: This is just about symbolism and I know how it sounds but I promise I’m not trying to imply anything or demonize her! I love Kotoko! Ive just been repeatedly noticing details about the parallel for several months now and I just really want to bring it up! This is just an analysis of the details MILGRAM has provided for it. I’m incredibly sorry if I make a mistake!

Kotoko has a lot of parallels to Dante’s Inferno Satan, especially in relation to Es.

To make sure we’re all on the same page, Dante’s Inferno is a Christian poem that outlines the 9 circles of hell. MILGRAM directly references Dante’s Inferno by quoting it in all the t2 door arts.

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter.” A quote derived from a sign at the gate of hell in the poem.

Each ring of Hell contains sinners with different levels of sins, and each ring’s sin was meant to be worse the further inside you go. Ive seen a couple theories that each prisoner correlates with a specific ring of hell. (Ex: Haruka is ring 1, Limbo; Yuno is ring 2, lust; etc)

But Dante’s Inferno only outlines 9 rings, what about our 10th prisoner, Kotoko?

While it could be that she’s again the “outsider” to the other prisoners, the last section of the 9th ring of Hell is significant because it is the center of Hell, containing Satan. So it could be reasonably argued that Kotoko correlates with it.

MILGRAM already has a TON of religious references. One that I’ve seen pointed out is how it seems the cover art of each novel is a reference to a famous Christian art piece.

The Es in each novel seems to be where Jesus relatively is. Remember that Jesus is both the son of God AND God. God gives sinners their judgements which sounds very similar to Es and how they're giving the prisoners (the human sinners) their verdicts.

Plus, the quote Milgram quotes is on the doors the prisoners are entering, and in Dante’s inferno, it’s on the gate of hell so you can compare or theorize that MILGRAM is a parallel to (or straight up is) purgatory. And Es, being the one who decides the verdict, parallels God.

Also, her t2 VD is named “YONAH,” which is the masculine version of the name Jonah. Not only does this relate to her themes of masculinity again, Jonah is a name that originates from Hebrew origins which means “dove.”

It is also a reference to the book of Jonah. A main theme of this book is “Jonah wants God to operate on his timeline [...] He wanted God to dole out punishment on his clock instead of according to God's plan. Yet God showed Jonah that in his infinite wisdom, he can't and will not be rushed.” Which is pretty much exactly what happens in YONAH, and also once again compares Es to God.

Dante’s Inferno’s Satan was an angel, a splendid being, apparently the most perfect of God's creatures… an “Angel of light.” We/Es deemed Kotoko innocent in t1. She had the highest innocent percentage in t1 too because a lot of people thought her murder was justified. You know, the most perfect of God’s creatures. The most perfect out of the prisoners.

“We really can work together.”

But then Satan tried to usurp God.

“If you don’t have the strength on your own, let me take care of it. Es! I can do it in MILGRAM!”

Kotoko wants to be the prison guard because Es isn’t capable in her eyes.

Satan was ultimately sent to Hell and punished as "the ultimate sinner" for his betrayal of trying to usurp God.

We are now punishing Kotoko for her attempts to judge the prisoners herself and “usurp” Es. It works even better now that she has the highest guilty percentage in all of MILGRAM so far as the “ultimate sinner.”

As a lot know, Fuuta also has tons of religious references too. (Ex. His VD is titled Baptism by Fire) By him also passing judgements onto people, you could say that he was trying to play God.

What is that saying about us, the audience, then? And our parallel/foil to Fuuta/Kotoko?

Dante’s Inferno as a whole is very much based around the idea of “evil will be punished,” which not only encapsulates Kotoko’s ideals but MILGRAM’s as well. It makes sense that MILGRAM says that Kotoko is a perfect parallel to the facility.

(I also wanna mention that there's something that could be said about the holy trinity in relation to Es + the audience + jackalope. For example, how Jesus is God in the flesh and Es is the audience "in the flesh," by acting as a personified version of us to interact with the "human sinnners" but I feel like I might be going into tinfoil hat territory.)

[purgemarchlockdown]

How Magic Depicts Pain

(also known as: I told myself to hold back on Amaneposting but the new process shots have made me think)

So in-universe, Magic is a watered down and sanitized version of what actually happened in the cult that switches between from Milgram's usual anime artstyle to a papercut/felt-like storybook one. The general tone of Magic is very high energy and happy. It's a very colorful MV all around.

This doesn't stop the darkness from seeping in of course, most notably in the lyrics and at the end of the MV which involves a stylized depiction of abuse.

I'll get to that part, but before the ending of the song we get two showcases of pain.

The game show scene:

And the stage light scene:

We will get to the stage light in a bit but let's talk about the game show first! The metaphor isn't subtle. Amane messed up, she said the wrong thing, made a mistake, and so, she gets punished.

It's not treated as anything too serious though, Amane makes silly cartoonish facial expressions, her movements are over exaggerated and silly. It's comedic, it's nothing to be taken too seriously.

Even afterwards Amane gets helped up by (presumably) Yuri, you don't Have to worry. It's all fine and good and not that serious, and even if it, was the two of them help her up! It's a perfectly fine situation with nothing dark lurking under the surface that might suggest otherwise.

Now since the Milgram MVs are taken from the person's mind, most likely, Amane is downplaying the severity of the abuse done to her. Not only that but she's portraying her own pain as an exaggerated and comedic reaction to it. It's not that serious, she's just overreacting.

Amane does this a lot throughout the song and in outside material, she tends to downplay to abuse or explain why it's actually a good thing.

But it’s not scary at all, because it’s love I can really think it’s great. See isn’t it a great thing?

Amane Momose Does Not Consider Her Own Pain as Something Serious, or at least when it's pain caused by her abusers.

Moving out of the gameshow and into the stage light, the cat's pain is treated in a similar way at first. The scene even directly parallels the game show scene:

Like with the game show, the reaction to the pain is depicted as something childish, a tantrum over a small scrape, nothing that really needs to be fret over.

Until we switch over to Amane's View:

The camera is shaky, the cat isn't crying but hyperventilating. It's still a scrape but instead of the exaggerated criss cross, its a row of scratches on the cat's face, there's even a few on the cat's cheek. It's depicted seriously, there's actually weight to the injury here.

Now, what does Big Sister Amane do? Big Sister Amane who Yuri (after Gachata hurt her) helped just a few moments ago? Big Sister Amane who wants everyone to be happy? She helps.

She grabs a first aid kit, I don't know How she got it but she does and she does the best she can to to fix the cat up. She's hiding away as she does this, she knows she isn't supposed to but she does it anyway because it helps someone!

And it works! You can see how happy the cat looks in the image. It's not just a vague "we will support you" gesture like the hand Yuri gives Amane. It's an actual tactile action that Helps Someone.

And they can't have that. They can't have Amane help someone out like this.That's against their rules, that's against their beliefs, that's a threat to their control.

So they punish her.

Let's talk about the ending scenes, and the possible torture that Amane went through.

I'm not going to show all of them as that's a whole other post on it's on really, but it's notable that, the most egregious acts of violence and abuse in the entire MV, are sanitized. There turned into storybook images, Amane has exaggerated and cartoony expressions, the mentor figures are far away from Amane and are standing to the side as she's getting hurt.

We know from the process shots that a taser was involved and yet in Magic it's depicted as this:

It's...still bad, it's still depicting electrocution, however instead of a taser being used against her it's an abstract electrical burst. Even now there's a distance between what actually happened and what it shows.

And yet the pain still comes through, even with the storybook visuals, it's not the same as the Game Show where it was turned into a finger flick. It's still depicted as something Painful, just distanced from reality.

It transitions back to the regular art style after Amane prays, or more accurately, begs, that she can be better. She's given a wand (pipe) and wings and is told that yeah she Can be a better girl!

Not that she's already a good girl, only that she can be, eventually.

And, after all, aren't good girls supposed to have hope no matter what?

(End Notes: I hope people like the way I formatted the screenshots lol, I had a lot of fun with it so I hope it flows well!)

[onigiriico]

Shidou audio drama (t2) - English TL

[ links: Spotify / Youtube ]

Thank you Shidou for going on a deep dive into both medicine and law in one drama. I have not learned this much new vocabulary in a while lmao (Jokes aside though, I do hope that I managed to get through this without any major errors! As always, if you find any mistakes anyway or just have questions, feel free to bring them to my ask box or my Twitter ✨)

Also, there's a direct quote from the Japanese criminal law at one point in this vd - the translation of that line is based on this translation of Japanese law.

⬇️ full voice drama translation under the cut ⬇️

(door opens)

E: It’s been a while, Shidou.

S: Orbital floor fracture on the right. Traumatic retinal detachment. Bruising. Lacerations. Partial fracture of the thorax. This is Kajiyama-kun’s present condition.

E: I know that. I didn’t anticipate Kotoko’s behavior, either. For now, I’ll be taking the opportunity of this second trial to judge–

E: Fuuta’s…

S: Shiina-kun’s is even worse. Head lacerations. Bruising all over her body. Left anterior compression fracture. A sprained neck. Fractured ribs. Further fracturing to the left arm. And furthermore… this may be outside of my profession, but her mental health is deteriorating as well.

E: Mahiru…

S: Both their minds and bodies are at their limits. Let’s stop this already, Es-kun. A lot has happened while you were gone. At this rate, someone might end up dead.

S: That’s not what I mean! I think we should put an end to Milgram as a whole. Both for our sake and for yours.

E: …That’s impossible.

S: Why?

E: I can’t think of any method of stopping it… or any way to get out.

S: …!

E: Milgram won’t end just because I want it to. That’s all I know. It won’t end until your judgment is complete. That’s the core of it.

S: You’re… the same as us, aren’t you? You just got caught up in a bigger picture.

E: Don’t lump me in with you! You’re an inmate, I’m the Warden. Now that I’ve started this, I intend to see it through until the end.

S: Es-kun…

E: Anyways, your eyes sure have gained some life since we last saw each other. Back then, you always wore an expression that made it hard to tell whether you were alive or dead, but…

S: Is that so?

E: Is it because you’ve received the result of the first trial…?

S: About that… I’ve been thinking that I would like to hear your thoughts. Why did you forgive me? Even though I asked not to be forgiven.

E: Why would the Warden listen to what a prisoner tells them? I decide based on my own standards.

S: You saw my true self, didn’t you? There ought to be very few people who have killed more than I have. In comparison to me, the prisoners who weren’t forgiven have also hardly done anything wrong.

E: You’re a doctor. I’ve deduced that your murders happened in the context of medical procedures.

S: …

E: Organ transplants… in other words, the act of removing organs from braindead patients. That’s what your murder is. Am I wrong?

S: I see. So that’s what was shown in the footage?

E: Not that straight-forward, of course. But from the information given, we came to the conclusion that this is the most likely scenario.

S: Hm? ‘We’...?

E: …

S: You said ‘we’ just now...

E: …Did I… say that…?

S: Yes.

E: …Fine. Don’t worry about it. Let’s get back to the topic. The topic of what I deduced, that is.

S: It’s impressive, isn’t it… Milgram… After all this time, I won’t try to deny it being a top class prison, but it really is the real thing.

E: Is that your way of saying I was right?

S: Well… About halfway, I would say.

E: Hmph. Either way, I judged that murders as the result of medical practices could be forgiven. Without regard to what you were hoping for.

S: …

E: I intend to investigate in my own way. Whether or not it’s okay to regard braindead patients entirely as dead… it seems that this has become an increasingly controversial topic in recent years.

S: You’ve done your research.

E: I don’t care about the discussions of your world, though. I decided that you could be forgiven. That’s enough.

S: … Why is that?

E: In the first place, getting involved with organ transplants is part of your job as a doctor. I doubt it’s something that you did out of your own free will.

S: I… I took a lot of pride in my work. I considered it a good deed. I wouldn’t say I didn’t do it out of my own will.

E: Well, you did it to save people, didn’t you? In truth, there must have been a fair amount of people whom you did save with it.

S: I thought so, too. Doing it for a good cause without a single doubt.

E: In exchange for the life of a person who has no option left but to await death, you can save a person who has the chance to live on, right? In that case, you shouldn’t even have to think twice.

S: I thought so, too… arrogant as I was.

E: Is that to say that you don’t think that way anymore?

S: Yes, that’s right. You know, I… continuously tried to persuade the relatives of a braindead patient who were against organ transplants. Giving them reasons like the ones you just mentioned, Es-kun. “In order to save the life of someone you don’t know, please let me kill your family,” I told them. It doesn’t even take much thinking to realize how cruel that is, but… I didn’t realize it until the very end.

E: … Isn’t that just a placebo? I would think that family ties play no role in that context.

S: Do you still feel that way if it’s your own family?

E: …

S: Es-kun, is your family alive and well?

E: I don’t know… I don’t remember.

S: Is that so? I’m sorry about that.

E: It’s fine. It’s not like I feel any particular way about something I don’t even remember. Besides, I don’t think my judgment would change even if it involved my own family.

S: There’s no way.

E: Even if my family happened to end up imprisoned in Milgram, I would see my job through to the end.

S: Family is… special.

E: Huh?

S: Let’s digress for a moment. Have you studied criminal law?

E: Well, the most important parts at least. I’ve been learning about it since I started working as the Warden.

S: Excellent. So, for example, if someone harbors a criminal or tampers with evidence in order to protect that criminal, that is a crime in itself, right?

E: That’s articles 103 and 104.

S: You remembered well. Can you recall article 105 as well?

E: No… Are you familiar with it?

S: It’s not my area of expertise, but I remember it because it left a big impression on me. Article 105 states that, “when a crime prescribed under the preceding two Articles is committed for the benefit of the criminal or fugitive by a relative of such person, the relative may be exempted.”

E: So essentially, even if someone covered for a criminal or helped them out, they won’t be held legally responsible for it if the criminal is part of their family?

S: That’s right. For me, no matter whether it’s according to the law or in any other context, it’s only normal to help each other in a family.

E: That’s a very fascinating story. But even with all this, I still don’t get what you’re trying to say.

S: (chuckles) I wonder. Maybe I just wanted you to listen to it.

E: … As always, I can’t entirely wrap my head around you.

S: I’m talking about how, unlike you, I can no longer claim that I’m doing my work for a good cause. I’ve lost the right to.

E: And something happened that changed your mind?

S: That’s… right. Although you’ll probably be finding out about that once you watch the extracted footage.

E: Yeah. Let’s have a look.

S: Es-kun. I’ve killed a lot of people. Like I previously told you in the interrogation, I’ve killed for selfish reasons as well. So…

E: Are you about to beg me not to forgive you again? Even though I’ve already told you it’s no use?

S: That’s right. Please don’t forgive me… is what I would like to ask.

E: …

S: I… “I don’t want to be forgiven”. That feeling of mine remains the same. I need to be punished. I need to atone for my sins. I don’t think Milgram is in the right, but…! There is no better place than this to atone for my crimes. But… as long as Milgram continues like this… we won’t be able to save those who get injured if I don’t get forgiven!

E: …!

S: Even now, Shiina-kun is still in a condition where any digression could be fatal. She can’t live without my treatment. If I’m not forgiven, she will end up dying!

E: That’s… true, I suppose.

S: From now on, conflicts between the prisoners will probably become more frequent. If I’m not there… they will be in even more danger.

E: Shidou…

(machinery whirrs, bell rings)

S: I need to be punished… but I need to stay alive, or young lives will be lost. I… I don’t know what to wish for anymore. I’m starting to think… that I want to live. That I want to be forgiven. Despite being so riddled with sins…!

E: … Shidou. Do you remember what I told you?

S: …

E: Back when you were still fine with dying at any moment, I told you to desperately want to live. “Because we have an attachment to life, punishments for sins exist in the first place. Your existence in itself is a sacrilege to Milgram and myself,” I said.

S: Yes… I remember.

E: And now, finally, you’ve gotten attached to life and become a real prisoner of Milgram. That’s what I believe. You wanting to be forgiven, and your wish… those are the steps that now represent you.

S: … That won’t do… I mustn’t be forgiven. Otherwise… the countless lives I’ve taken will never be paid back. 

E: Heh. If you’re really trying to give your life as compensation for the people you’ve killed, then there’s no reason to stay alive that will hold up, anyway.

S: …

E: Don’t face them with a life that you’re easily willing to throw away.

S: Es-kun, you’re a… strict… person, aren’t you?

E: I told you before, didn’t I? Because you’re the type of person I dislike the most.

S: (chuckles) It’s a pity. Since coming to Milgram, I’m being hated by children left and right. Even though I do like them.

E: Hmph. Like I care. But… but, you know…

S: Hm?

E: Thank you for saving Fuuta and Mahiru. I’m glad you’re here in Milgram, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

S: Es…kun…

E: That’s all. Prisoner no.5, Shidou – sing your sins.

[archivalofsins]

I'm glad I don't look in the tag like the shit that passes my dash is like stuff I know, and then Mikoto being hypersexualized on a bimonthly basis with the implied impression that it's fine as long as it's a male being sexualized. I have no stake in it one way or the other. If that's fun to some, it's just fun, and I'm certain other characters are sexualized just as much in different circles. Maybe I'm just lucky enough not to have seen that.

Yet that again would be due to people recognizing subconsciously or not that hypersexualizing certain characters of the cast is problematic on some level. I don't see this sort of discussion as often around Yuno despite the content within her music videos. I don't see it around Mahiru or Kotoko as much either. This is excluding every other character that was a child when Milgram started all together.

This may sound like a complaint or a dig at this fandoms ethics, but it isn't because literally most fandoms treat male characters like this. This isn't something the Milgram fanbase created or anything it's quite common.

It's why Persona 5 wrote those story beats around Ryuji how they did- Because when sexual harrassment happens to a man in fiction it's comedy when it happens to a woman in fiction it's either horror or very notably a moral failing on the one doing it. Or maybe again I've just gotten lucky and haven't read a lot of egregious shit in that regard.

The way all fandom tends to hypersexualize men in general is a byproduct of how the sexual issues of men are discussed in media and ignorance. The same as it is when it comes to hypersexualization and caricaturing of female characters past and present as well. I don't want this to come off as me saying being overly sexualized is a male issue alone. Because it's not. This is a very reductionist explanation of sexualization in media, something that affects all genders differently.

There's much more to it than what I'm saying here. Plus, not everyone does this with the intent of demeaning a character or reducing them to their sexual appeal alone. Some people just find a design sexy or aesthetically appealing that's pretty reasonable. Displaying why that is- is reasonable as well.

However, when that is put alongside comments like "I'd never judge a female character like this, of course, I have some class." It starts to make me raise an eyebrow just a bit. Like, I end up wondering like um why not though?

Hate to be openly pansexual (no i don't this is hyperbole) but um, women are hot, lol. What does no one else think so? Is it bad to point out the features of the Milgram women too. I'm sorry but Mahiru is hot she dresses well and homely she has a decent figure and she is not lacking in the chest department.

It really comes down to preference at the end of the day. Am i going to sit here and say Mikoto looks average? No, like Mikoto, Kazui, Mahiru, and Shidou are all genuinely attractive and can be somewhat charismatic people. Ya know something that a good few murderers are. That's kind of the point of them being the adults of the group.

They are the end result of everyone here younger than them and are more than likely the best at what they do.

Outside of that, it would be weird of me to hold anybody to a certain standard when it comes to what they're attracted to in fiction. Unless they are romanticizing a criminal act or a child. Gotta make that really clear. Since that isn't really occurring here, it is kind of free game. Go nuts, really.

I just find it interesting that everything a person would ethically have an issue with someone doing to a character that's a woman has been done to Mikoto with reckless abandon.

From hyperfocusing on the measurements of his body, overtly sexualizing him regardless of how covered up he is, making assumptions about his romantic or sexual preferences. It's like everything that would make anyone rightfully a creep if they did it to a woman whether that be in real life or in fiction has been done to this one fictional dude to the point it technically happens in cycles. I can tell when a month has ended based on if this man's body is being talked about sometimes, and I shouldn't be able to do that at any time.

It's impressive. I need to note again that I'm not saying this because I'm a prude or to protect Mikoto's very nonexistent innocence. It's just a funny and interesting double standard to look into within any fandom, not just this one. I know it's all in good fun, and this isn't meant to call it out or anybody in any way.

It's just meant to be me going,

"Hey, this is a funny thing that hasn't really been questioned that much that actually ties into other writing tropes in media that are pretty bad. Let's talk about it."

Even if it is not that deep.

Personally, I've always found it interesting as daughter of a guy that suffered interpersonal partner violence and being raised in a community where the sexual assault of both men and women is prominently discussed to see how men and women are sexualized not only in media but by fanbases. Of course, I'm way more interested in this when it comes to black people. However, when a good example of the differences is sitting right in front of me, it's hard to overlook it.

Better excuse, though- Mahiru is hot, too! Maybe stop talking about how she's delusional and instead discuss how she had low confidence and rejection sensitivity. Causing her to not understand what she was doing was too much for the situation as well as made it difficult for her to let the fact that she was not accepted by someone she liked go. Similarly to Mu.

Like maybe this line from This Is How To Be In Love With You deserves a bit more focus,

"What do you think? I know it's not the type of question you want to be asked."

A common question for one to ask their partner about the outfits they put on.

Or this one in I Love You,

"Sigh... No appetite, I can’t sleep, my hair’s a mess. What am I supposed to do now? If you won’t tell me, I can’t be me."

I'm not hungry, I can't sleep, and worst of all- I'm not even looking good right now. Yeah fuck it actually this is a Mahiru appreciation post now that woman served this community several different outfits and this bastard only gave two fuck Mikoto stop complimenting this man for his cycling body.

Yeah, he's fit. We know! The man bikes to work to stay in shape and practices swinging a bat when angry.

But guess what-

Mahiru jogs, and she even has a cute jogging outfit. We've never even seen this man on a bike. Let alone in a cycling outfit.

Q.04 Are you picky when it comes to fashion?

Mikoto: Of course I am. Nobody would want to ask for anything from an unfashionable designer, right?

Oh, you're picky huh. People wouldn't ask for anything from an unfashionable designer, yeah... So, why does Mahiru Shiina's first music video look like a fashion catalogue-

While all we see from you is you putting your clothes where they belong,

Sorry, I got heated there. It's not a fashion competition because we clearly know who would win that. Long story short, Mahiru has a cute design too.

[sonobeunitsarecool]

Why Sakurai Haruka makes So Much Sense, really.

Right, sorry it took so long, but I think this is it? Anyways. Here I'm just putting much of Haruka's behaviour in the context of "past of admissions to a psych ward", linking it all together in a way that may not be so immediately obvious to some. Interrogation answers: T1 Q.12 - Tell us your hobby - "Talking with the other prisoners" What else is there to do? Yuno answers with something about shopping, and drama club, something she can do outside of Milgram, but Haruka wants to talk, and he's getting better at it. It's something he's wanted to do for a while, talk to others, so he probably gets a good deal of enjoyment or satisfaction doing so. You could say it's a bit odd, to be a hobby, but it's an activity he knows he has consistent access to, unlike something like drawing which would require a request. Q.14 - What's an event that stuck in your memory? - "Fireworks" Fireworks, or some kind of crayon rendering of them, seem to feature prominently in Weakness. Something bright, colourful, loud, and pretty full sensory immersion, plus it seems to have been a fond memory of sorts. Besides, what else could stand out, as a childhood memory? Anything in recent years would just be... the dull droning on of the days. Q.20 - What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought? - "Candy floss" Okay. Candy floss isn't very expensive. What likely happened, is that he didn't handle money except for when he was once given some at a fair of sorts, and allowed to buy something for himself. As a teen, he's had no need to buy anything, and if there was something he wanted or needed to buy, then it'd be provided by whomever was looking after him at the time. (Not necessarily something about not trusting Haruka, but he wouldn't have had any way of getting a job, being in-and-out of mental health care) Now, something a little interesting would be that this, alongside some other small things, loosely implies that Haruka was a spoiled or otherwise coddled child from his birth, growing more distant from his family as he got older. Japanese children are given quite a lot of autonomy, just go watch "Hajimete no otsukai", or "Old enough", an entire television programme where kids go out and do errands. Most Japanese kids would have bought things like groceries, or train tickets, or whatever, even before leaving primary school. Sending them on the train alone at age 8 is common. It's unusual for the most expensive thing that Haruka ever bought to be candy floss, surely he'd have been asked to go out and buy something, at some point? If not, why not? Q.22 - What do you think of the prison outfits? - "They're kind of relaxing" Kind of already went over this. Haruka is accustomed to wearing the same kind of thing every day, and everyone else is also wearing something similar, so he's part of the group. Not distinct in clothes. It's probably a small comfort. Q.23 - Is there anything you want (item requests)? - "Not really" He's got everything, for the most part. In a psych ward, you're unlikely to get anything just by asking, and whatever you can bring onto the ward is restricted. Of course Haruka's got lots of crayon drawing in Weakness. Crayons are pretty much the safe art medium. Cheap, easily replaced, logistically an obvious choice to use. What else could he have used? Pencils? Those would require a pencil sharpener, and that's a weapon. Q.24 - What's your dream for the future? - "I want to live normally" ...It's not normal to spend so much time on a psych ward. It's a restrictive lifestyle, even if it's his comfort zone. This is pretty much the obvious thing to wish for, to live a "normal" life where he's not just a patient, someone who's "broken". Besides, Haruka can't afford high standards like Yuno's "It'd be nice if I can find a job I can really lose myself in", because he doesn't have many avaliable job prospects at the moment. He's set back in education by at least 3 years. Q.25 - When you get out of here, where do you want to go? - "I can't think of anywhere"

Based on what can be guessed about Haruka's story, home is an unlikely prospect. And he's not had much opportunity to think about or find a place to go, unlike Yuno's answer of "Karaoke, maybe", something she's done in the past and enjoys. There are either no places that stand out to him, or too many places he's not had the chance to go to. ...auto-save isn't working anymore. I'm just going to say that this is long enough and continue another day. Moving onto T2 int. questions, then onto his voice lines, his profile, his VDs, probably even more of the MVs as a part of all that... is this even a theory? The next time I say I'm going to post something "small", I'm probably lying to myself.

[waivyjellyfish]

How do the prisoners react to meeting the Dokuro family and finding out that Es isn’t human?

Sorry it took so long, real world catched me. And thank you for your question.

Well. Like a lot of normal people, I think. They was shocked. And it was difficult to understand it.

It’s kind of hard to react any other way, when right in front of your eyes a little girl(no) appears through a breach in the wall and easily blowing your 15-year-old warden's head. And then the warden recovers from that as if nothing had happened and drags you out of prison as if it were meant to, brushing questions aside like annoying flies with short "later".

I mean, yes, the Milgram prison is frankly strange, no windows, no doors, no calendar, and some strange thing in the form of a giant machine to extract memories, or strange, unpleasantly shrill mental walls that forbid physical aggression against the warden at first, and later against the other prisoners too. A strange warden with a mind of their own, who's always talking with a terribly clever horned rabbit. (Are these real horns or are they attached to the hat?) And with meaningful dialogue. But the only one side of the conversation can be heard, so who knows if they really hears the rabbit voice or they're got nuts long time ago. And the claim that this rabbit is the one who cooks all dish. Honestly, it sounds more like an excuse for not respecting kitchen hygiene than the truth.

All this is, undoubtedly, strange and resembles some sci-fi movie with elements of psychological horror. But not a fantasy.

And yeah. The warden themself is strange, but not so to suspect a monster in them. Everything can be explained, right?

Yeah, they're talking to the rabbit. It’s weird, but some people with pets do it too. The warden is obviously lonely. Don't you think?

Blood craving? Well, there are people who have a craving for blood, aren’t there?

Sharp teeth? Fuuta has that too.

Gender is unknown? Androgynes exist, dears.

Their bruises and wounds heals in an hour or two? Well the warden is 15, children are healing at a fairly rapid rate, and also there is a fairly balanced diet. So everything kind of fits together… (exept the fact that the swollen eye after Mikoto’s interrogation disappeared the next day. this is strange of course)

Sometimes they says with certainty something that people can’t do, like that it’s actually possible to cut something off for better regeneration or talking to the dead, or that metal is edible. Well, the kid has no memory of what happened with them before Milgram, only the prisoners, the talking rabbit and the books in their private room can connect them with outside world in some ways. They're very impressionable, poor child. And they seems to lack iron.

(As my friend jocked: -I thought you were neurodivergent. -Nah, I just isn't human)

So, of course, the prisoners were not prepared for it. Not for a very radical way of warden's regeneration, nor for a one-eyed(no) giant-girl with a tail, nor for a guy in his 30+ who looks like a 14-15-year-old girl. Not for the fact that a very small group who came after their child is going to smash the prison building brick by brick and catch everyone who was involved in it in less than two hours after they broke into the panopticon.

----

Talking about the future. Later, some of the prisoners even managed to integrate into the family, albeit a little voluntarily forced. But there is one thing. To join Dokuro, you have to take their crazy rhythm of life, which means a partial loss of human common sense. In addition, few people with a long connection with Dokuro remain ordinary people. Wanting to keep up with monsters is fraught with the fact that you can become a monster yourself, relative to your past self. And given their longevity and their work, it’s easier to change to not to die too quickly.

This family is stupid in everything, absolutely mad and at first glance has no brakes. The sense in their actions is very difficult to catch. The constant replenishment of the family by children picked up on worlds during work, the frequent reckless actions that would have led them to death, but not, hard training to go beyond. It’s exhausting. But it’s probably the most fascinating.

[harukapologist]

sometimes, I think about the fact that Haruka has NOTHING in his real life. His father is clearly out of the picture, his mother is... you know, his classmates probably ignore (or bully) him IF he is in school currently which is a big if, and if Mirai is a real person (I'm one of the "Mirai is Haruka/a symbolism of a part of himself" truthers... I have more than one theory about his murder ok), she appeared to be the only person in Haruka's life whom he had a good relationship with... but she's dead. At his own hands' doing. And that makes me think about how that probably makes Haruka feel 10x more remorseful for his murder; he didn't kill someone of the many people in his life who treated him like trash, he killed the only person who cared about him, the only person he really had. To make matters worse in AKAA Haruka is shown to be having kinda a whole mental breakdown, I believe that the murder was an impulse decision when he wasn't in his right mind, at that time. So I can't help but imagine, when he comes back to his senses and calms down, and sees Mirai's dead body, realizing that not only is she gone but his hands will also forever be stained with her blood... sorry, I'm having a lot of thoughts about their relationship in the case that Mirai is a real person....

Mirai aside, this also makes me wonder what will happen at the end of milgram. Will Haruka just, go back to his shitty mom and awful life? It made me reconsider whether I want him to be inno in T3 or not (currently I still do plan on voting him inno) because if the outcome of being inno is returning to the outside world with absolutely zero changes made I absolutely don't want that... You could think about this for other prisoners too. If Mikoto went back to his regular life, he'll start killing himself working again. If Amane went back to her regular life, she'll probably get punished and we know how inhumanely cruel her cult is when it comes to punishments (a fucking taser... on a child...) I'm just going to keep thinking about my half-joke AU where the prisoners live together as a found family after kidnapping Haruka and Amane from their households

[mayimkjs]

A List of General MILGRAM Theories

Taken from the FOOL's MATE research doc

Everyone is Going to Break Out at the End

Something happens to Es, whether they die or not, it doesn't matter. At the end of the series, they find out a way to escape or an uprising starts. 

MILGRAM is some sort of pocket dimension. 

MILGRAM has many magical things in it; talking animals, force fields, crosses that come out of the sky to impale prisoners and the whole concept. There is no way in or out and time doesn't pass normally. Prisoners seem to just appear in the prison than wake up when the first trial is about to start. 

The prison is stuck in time or time moves independently

This is something that feeds into the last theory. 

Some characters there are some visible changes like hair growth, they celebrate their birthdays and sometimes make references to how long they’ve been there. They don't age and the girls don’t have a menstrual cycle. As well as Fuuta and Mahiru seeming to not recover from their injuries. It also doesn't seem that people on the outside are looking for them or have found MILGRAM. If time passes normally, them all of the prisoners would be considered missing. 

Jackalope has also mentioned that “I guess that’s how it is in your era” when talking Yuno’s murder and “it was quite brilliant to choose our era”.

MILGRAM is actually a TV show

Mikoto was right all along and that the 10 prisoners and Es where all brought there against their will to be on a TV show. So think of something like The Truman Show.

MILGRAM is an Experiment 

This is similar to the last one. The only difference is that MILGRAM was meant to see what someone would do if they were thrown into this type of situation. The experiment ended up going haywire or the admins don't want to call it off even though it’s getting dangerous. 

Shidou is a Mole

This ties into the last 2 theories. Shidou is a paid actor who just so happens to have a medical background. He was hired in case anyone got hurt and has the ability to call the whole thing off. 

Everyone is Dead…

No, just no. Fuck off.

[wardenes-official]

pinned, click for info byi !! * rpgram’s masterlist!

“ — good day, prisoners. my name is es. i’m the prison guard. this place is milgram prison. it exists to judge your sins, the ten of you. ”

* mun / mod does semi-lit rp , crack sometimes. they might also apply their own hcs onto their muse.

muse can be in either t1 or t2 timelines, depends on the question/rp. mod is very neutral on rp plots, can follow!

��� RP REQS — open, go ahead and do tag me !

INBOX IS OPEN — go on and ask anything ! ꒱

៹ ៸៸ ABOUT MUSE __

﹒es, they / them pronouns

﹒warden of milgram

﹒15 years old ꒱

៹ ៸៸ ABOUT MUN / MOD __

﹒ALSO es or esmod/mun ! hello there :D

﹒he / they pronouns + trans demi-boy

﹒16 years old , suspected adhd

﹒modded by @eslover ꒱

៹ ៸៸ SHIPS __

﹒es x oc [within age range] , okay!

﹒es x haruka / muu , okay!

﹒platonic ships , okay!

﹒es x anyone else not mentioned [romantic] , no.

៹ ៸៸ DNIS __

﹒smut / nsfw, this is a sfw blog.

﹒basic dni + israel / any other neg supporters

﹒ irls unless i permit you to interact

﹒ inappropriate mlgrm ships

﹒ pro/comship etc

selective block, doubt itll happen here…

៹ ៸៸ TAGS __ [WILL UPDATE OCCASIONALLY]

# ​꒰ mlgrm breakout! ꒱ — OOC TAG HEHEHE

# ꒰ prison tour ꒱ — guide around my blog (generally)

# ​꒰ ahem— an announcement ! ꒱ — important posts

# ꒰ request l. ꒱ — asks from inbox

# ꒰ crack ꒱ — crack roleplays/interactions

# ꒰ semi-lit ꒱ — semi lit roleplays/interactions

# ꒰ (un/)forgiven. ꒱ — heavy / light genres tags !

# ꒰ i won’t acknowledge it. ꒱ — trigger warnings, you have been warned.

# ꒰ working as per usual. ꒱ — random es talking posts to allow others to trigger short roleplays/interactions.

# ꒰ oh ? you want to talk ? ꒱ — first interaction posts/rbs coming from other ocs/prisoners!

# ꒰ report has been scrapped. ꒱ — ooc rbs!

# ꒰ a report has been made ! ꒱ — rbs abt rps/rpers

# ​꒰ short interrogations ꒱ — short post/rb rps longer than the length of 3 reblogs! below that isn’t tagged.

# ꒰ long interrogations ꒱ — long post/rb rps, for those who wish to do long roleplays with es instead of just 1 time interactions! only used when longer than short interrogations, assuming 6/7 reblogs. [ tag to rp <3 ]

# ꒰ ??? ꒱ — interactions w/ anonies

# ꒰ !!! ꒱ — interactions w/ ooc blogs

# ꒰ 00? ꒱ — interactions w/ ocs

# ꒰ 011 ꒱ — es interacts outside of asks

# ꒰ 000 ꒱ — interactions / rps w/ (other) es

# ꒰ jklp ꒱ — interactions / rps w/ jackalope

# ꒰ 001 ꒱ - ꒰ 010 ꒱— interactions or roleplays w/ prisoners + 09system!

៹ ៸៸ SPECIAL TAGS __ ?

# ꒰ extraction failed ?! 💫 ꒱ — magic anon!

# ꒰ smart… fridge ? ꒱ — milgram smart fridge.

# ꒰ interrogating… the warden ? ꒱ — ask games

“ — i don’t know much about you lot. what i do know is that all of you are killers—that’s it. from now on, i’ll have you all enlighten me about yourselves.

once again, welcome to milgram. have a nice life in prison. ”

[good-beanswrites]

sorryf im being mentally ill about hallucination event right now SO in the LCSyS au, would there be something like it :o? Like after all of it's over or something, how crazy would it be if Jackalope tried to get them all together just to do one last concert?

Never apologize for being mentally ill about Milgram content 😌👍 We are all in it together 😔👍I'm combining this answer with a reply to @kikithedeceiver (and spiraling out of control from both)

I've had a lot of ideas about the project being public in LCSyS, but was holding off including it for few reasons – the audience’s voices would conflict with Es as their own character. Knowing the public was watching would change the way the prisoners acted (even if they thought they were acting natural). It’s a long time that the families would have to deal with the public knowing about their loved one’s almost-crime. I also like the idea of this au ending with the prisoners returning to very normal lives. 

Buuuuut it is such a fun idea, and popularity seems an essential part of an actors au. So, I’m not naming this as canon, but here’s a pitch if you liked that idea and wanted to run with it :3

The team doesn’t tell the participants that they’ve been recording/collecting certain material to release. If a translation is left out by accident, the prisoners just assume it’s for a foreign team member – they have no idea how close/far Milgram reaches. 

The third trial begins. The prisoners are inside the prison, and on the final stretch of the trials. On the outside, Jackalope contacts families for signatures to release the material publicly. The team thought about censoring names and things, but seeing current fans’ investigation skills, they knew it was a matter of time before they put pieces together anyway. This may be super illegal but for the sake of the story I’ll say that family consent is enough lmao.

Some of them are easy to convince to sign off on everything, since it can raise awareness for their loved one’s struggles. Muu’s family takes the longest, as it would risk ruining their reputation. (They’re only swayed because it truly is a great opportunity to show off Muu’s talents for those modeling scouts, and she didn’t actually kill anyone in the end.) Kazui’s family refuses to release his info, but Hinako uses sway with her marital status to sign off instead (I pictured things happening fast enough where she hasn’t gotten an official divorce yet). Hinako still struggles with what he did, but she thinks he’s doing something incredibly brave now. I’m not 100% sure what’s going through Amane’s father’s mind, but if the murder really was in line with the cult’s beliefs, maybe he believes that Amane will be be a shining representation of their religion. He wants to show her off as their little golden child.

The experiment is published in its current form: music videos, voice dramas, timeline conversations, interrogation questions, etc. It’s brought to more than just science/psychology circles, though. Jackalope has no shame in marketing it as entertainment, hence the stockholders mentioned. He assures the sociologists that this will be a major breakthrough for them. He tells music labels he's got the new hit thing for them. He leans into the excitement of releases and merchandise in the hopes of gaining attention for the experiment. Needless to say, it works. Even though the audience has no sway over Es’ decisions, they are encouraged to make decisions for themselves on what they would judge each prisoner. There’s the same types of theory/analysis/discourse posts passed around. 

When the trials end, the prisoners are released into the world to find they’re famous. Instead of trudging back to their lives feeling that society hates them, they find tons of adoring fans telling them how much they understand and forgive them. Even if their final verdict was guilty, they have hundreds of voices assuring them that they are loved. That they are not alone. This attention really helps Haruka, Amane, (and maybe Es) who don’t have a good home to go back to. Not only can they reenter society, they are welcomed with open arms. They are looked after and showered in love. Some of the adults realize they want to use this popularity to lead the charge of social change. They create/support projects meant to help people who are facing their struggles.

And of course, there’s the other type of fame as well. Yuno loves answering fanmail and turning her karaoke hobby into a music career. Kazui goes from a life of feeling rejected and disgusting to scrolling through comments upon comments of men oogling him. Mahiru gets offers from fashion magazines and blogs to write up sections about self-love. Amane gets to live out her dream of being a performer, hinted at in her first two mvs. Fuuta is flustered by all the positive attention his appearance/voice is getting. Mikoto… well, I just wish him luck when he opens tiktok…

Which brings us to the live event! The prisoners have tried to keep in touch while adjusting to their new lives as almost-murderers-turned-idols. They’re amazed at how well-recieved the trial songs were. Those were some of their most personal, shameful secrets, and people relate to them? People love singing them?? People want a concert featuring them??? Jackalope encourages them to get together for one last encore. Some are thrilled with the opportunity, others are still nervous about the whole thing. Some think it’s in poor taste, that Jackalope is milking them for entertainment. But with a bit of conversing amongst themselves, they realize they all want a chance to sing like that again, and see each other in one place again. (It’s ironic because in my head Mahiru is the one to convince everyone to come ;--;) 

It’s strange putting on the uniforms again. Es is unsure about putting on their guard’s cloak. But the minute they stop onstage, they’re met with wild applause. They can sing their fears and dreams to a huge crowd and see in real time how it’s reaching others. They hear the cheers after each song. They hear that it’s streamed all over the world. All of them have an absolute blast, and pour their heart and soul into their performances.

[blueepink07]

I really like how Yuno and Mahiru get along despite having opposing beliefs and traits.

Yuno is a realistic person, while Mahiru is more like the "romantic type", as Yuno names it.

"Yuno: Eh? Not really. I mean, Mahiru-san, you’re really the romantic type, right? Not that I have anything against that." ~ Mahiru's birthday 22/01/17

"What is the difference between you and someone else?"

Mahiru believes in fate, finding a meaning in every single aspect of life, while for Yuno things like this are just a mere coincidence!

"Yuno: "But isn’t it a bit much to think that everything in life has a meaning? If it makes you happy to think like that then go ahead, but if it doesn’t, then isn’t that in itself meaningless?

Mahiru:…you might be right. I’ve always just lived my life like this, so I don’t really know.

Yuno: We’ve all just gone through a bunch of things in life that happened to lead us here. It’s nothing more than a coincidence. Definitely not fate or anything. Probably. Even if there isn’t a meaning, you can still be happy that it’s your birthday. That sort of thing’s all you need in life really. So happy birthday, Mahiru-san." ~Mahiru's birthday 22/01/17

Mahiru seems to believe in the existence of God (which again, is a good way to represent her strong affiliations with fate), but, in contrast, Yuno is an atheist.

"What do you think happens after people die?"

"Do you think God exists?"

Also, what they want to achieve or is the main priority in the future is really different!

Yuno wants a job the she likes and, for Mahiru, her main priority is to find love and have a family. Yuno even calls her old-fashioned for these dreams for the future!

"Do you have any dreams for the future?"

"Do you like children?"

"Yuno: …mmm, the food here is actually pretty nice. I wonder if the guard made it…Oh yeah, Mahiru-san, do you cook?

Mahiru: Hm? I do~ Cooking, washing, cleaning, I love doing all those sorts of things~ Fufufu, I passed all my self-imposed training to become the perfect wife with flying colours!

Yuno: Wow, incredible…I don’t know whether to call that old-fashioned or what…isn’t it a pain?

Mahiru: Eh~? I don’t think it’s a pain at all~It’s fun~"

And as it seems, before second trial and during this one, they currently spend time with eachother more than ever!

"Are there any fellow prisoners you are on good terms with?"

So it's natural that they will end up influencing eachother, right?

Mahiru, especially, seems to have taken a possible advice from Yuno to heart!

In the frist trial, Mahiru was waiting for Es's judgement in order to find the answer for her question if she should still be allowed to love somebody.

She is uncertain of what she should do, considering the circumstances. She knows that she can't live without love, but, at the same time, thinks that her actions are a sin and doesn't want to repeat her crime.

However, in the second VD, she states that Es's judgement doesn't hold much importance anymore. She is willing to die for love, wanting to experience it all over again. She respects Es, but stops seeking approval from them.

"Mahiru: So I don’t blame her. Because I also think that I... that my love isn’t wrong. I don't want to be shamed for my love.

Es: ...

Mahiru: No matter what you think, it won't change things for me. That's what I've decided."

Who do we know that doesn't care about Es's judgement? Yuno, of course!

"Yuno: I said so at the start, didn’t I? That punishing people outside of the law is boundless. And so I had no interest in Milgram.

Es: Yes, I remember. You said that you would pay my judgement no mind and remain as you were."

It wouldn't be a surprise if Mahiru consulted herself with Yuno! Yuno might have told her about her views of Milgram and the votes, which might have influenced Mahiru in deciding that she will die for her love, no matter if she will be guilty or not!

Yuno, despite that you don't socialize as much anymore, you still managed to make some changes...!

[1moreff-creator]

(02) Arturo Giles - First Trial (DRDT - Milgram AU)

Hey there! Back again with the AU, sorry this one took a bit, I’ve been busy. Anyways, today we have Arturo, with his VD Varicose Veins and his MV Wilting. It is pretty hard to write Arturo btw, I just hope he’s not too ooc. Anyways, attempt at a thumbnail!

I struggle a bit with what to do with the CWs, since I feel they can be a bit spoilery. What I'm doing for the moment is just putting warnings for stuff that explicitly happens in the MV and the VD, not things which are implied. If you think I should do something else, do tell me!

CW Hospitals and plastic surgery, angry confrontation, Arturo Giles (so intense prejudice based on appearance)

VD: Varicose Veins

*Footsteps*

Es: Hey the-!

Arturo: Ugh. Do I really have to be judged by someone this ugly?

E: … Excuse me?

A: Are you deaf? If you’re going to baselessly accuse me of being a murderer, and trap me inside a ridiculous prison filled with people so ugly I’d rather not breathe the same air as them, the least I was expecting is that you would be beautiful enough to justify it. 

E: …

A: And stupid. You really don’t have anything going for you, do you?

E: Okay, you know what? Let’s start over. *Shuffling* My name is Es! What’s yours?

A: Arturo Giles. Get your hand away from me, I wouldn’t shake it even if we were wearing three pairs of gloves each. 

E: *Deep breath* Alright. *Shuffling*Alright! Alright… It’s nice to meet you, Arturo! If you don’t mind, could you tell me a bit about why you seem so averse to… uh, what you call “ugly” people? It’s not nice to judge people on appearance, you know. 

A: Tch. *Whispering* As if I care about being “nice” to you. *Full volume* Anyone who interacts with as many ugly people as I have would understand why I cannot stand them.

E: What do you mean? How have you interacted with so many so-called ugly people if you despise them so much?

A: I’m a plastic surgeon. Do you know how many truly hideous people come to me regularly, asking me to fix their unsalvageable appearance? It’s only natural I would eventually start seeing every one of the masses’ imperfections. 

E: Uh, right. But that doesn’t answer the question. Why be so judgmental about something so superficial?

A: If given the option, would you rather spend your time with an ugly person, or a beautiful one?

E: That depends on who the people are. Appearance doesn’t have any weight on people’s worth.

A: Wow. You are either stupid, blind or delusional, maybe all three. Have you ever stepped outside? Ever tune in on the news? Looked at social media at all?

E: Not that I remember. 

A: Beca- Wait, what?

E: All I can remember is being the Warden of this prison.

A: ...

E: There’s books here, though!

A: …Alright, so maybe you’re just ignorant. Let me enlighten you. *Dreamy sigh* There’s a special type of people, the most successful, the most important people in the world, who are a marvel to look at. These are truly beautiful people! The ones who would only need me to enhance their splendor! The ones I actually want to operate on!

E: … *Sounds of someone struggling to form words* Okay, okay, so. Before, addressing… any of that. You do realize plenty of people have been successful without being conventionally attractive, yes?

A: And? Plenty of people have been struck by lightning, but you don’t see me staying inside just because of some rain.

E: *Pause, their voice grows frustrated* Even then, you do realize success doesn’t necessarily make someone a better person, right?

A: Ugh. It’s the same thing as before. Would you rather spend time with successful or unsuccessful people? With someone important or a complete nobody?

E: … Don’t- Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you know what a friend is, Arturo?

A: Tch. This is a waste of time. At this rate, I don’t think you’ll ever come to your senses. 

E: *Sigh* Right, sure. We just think way too differently.

A: Good. Are we done here now? 

E: Huh? No way! We still haven’t talked about the thing this interrogation is supposed to be about! 

A: *Groan* Are you serious? What is this even supposed to be about, then? 

E: The thing all of you are here for. The murder you committed. 

A: Hmph. Right, that nonsense. I'll have you know, I've never murdered anyone. I don’t know why you seem to think otherwise. 

E: Are you certain? Milgram considers you a murderer, and there is no doubt in my mind that is correct. 

A: I know my life far better than this mockery of a prison ever could. I haven’t done anything that could be considered murder, not a single thing. 

E: Are you certain? Do you mean to tell me you aren’t responsible for anyone’s death? I find that hard to believe from the mouth of one of Milgram’s prisoners.

A: No, I- I, well… *Whispering* I mean, there is... no, no, that wasn't my fault. That isn’t murder. 

E: Oh? Is something coming to mind?

A: I- Look. If- Let’s say something I did… led in some way to someone’s death. But I didn’t do anything, I never wanted them to die. That doesn’t count as murder. Right?

E: In the eyes of Milgram, perhaps it could. 

A: Hk- Are you serious?! This is ridiculous! I never laid a hand on her, you have no right to call me a killer!

E: Her? This doesn’t sound like a hypothetical anymore, Arturo. 

A: Agh! Ugh, you little-!

*Chair sliding, a thump, mystical noises*

A: Huh?!

E: Oh… wow. I didn’t know that was a thing! I guess prisoners can’t attack the Warden. 

A: Really? I guess you feel confident behind this stupid… barrier thing! But that still doesn’t make you right! Her death is not my fault! If you were in my place, you would have done the same!

E: Can I ask who you’re talking about? 

A: That’s… irrelevant, you nosy parasite!

E: *Sigh* Look, Arturo. I’m sorry if it upsets you, but we need to talk about this in more detail. It’s for your own good! If whatever happened really isn’t your fault, then I’m sure I’ll… I’ll…

A: You’ll Forgive me, right? That’s-

E: ... You really are presumptuous, Zero Two. Milgram has deigned you a killer, and thus there is no doubt in my mind you hold some responsibility for your murder. 

A: Are you serious?! I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything wrong!

E: You make me laugh. Do you really think I will Forgive any prisoner who asks for it? You’re delusional. 

A: !

E: As the Warden, my verdict is mine to make. Your opinion makes no difference. Withholding information will not help you either; I will learn the full extent of your sin, whether you want it or not. 

A: What’s with this sudden change in attitude?

E: As if you have any right to complain about that, Zero Two. 

*Machinery whirs*

A: Huh?!

E: The time has come. Any other comments, sinner?

A: Yeah. Whoever you are, you’re ugly, too. 

E: I will take your words into consideration. 

A: …

E: I have considered them and determined I don’t give a shit. 

A: Gah!-

E: Prisoner 02, Arturo Giles, sing your sins!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trial 1 Cover: Paradise by QueenPB

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Music Video: Wilting

(By the way, I hope I'm not horrendously misusing all these medical terms. I literally got them out of glossaries for plastic surgery lol)

[The song starts slow, with sparse instrumentals, then gets more energetic. The instrumental throughout is a pretty standard synth pop song, it sounds sorta wistful]

A solemn duty to fulfill my dream. A life of beauty hanging just out of reach. (I)  Attempts are filed yet I can’t succeed. (II) And all the while my patience wilts (III) It’s wilting (IV)

(I) The video opens on a shot of a bouquet of flowers on a yellow background with a pattern of orange circles. The bouquet has red roses, purple orchids, and pink tulips. 

The camera slowly pans out, revealing the image is being displayed on a TV screen. It switches to another bouquet, this one on a dark blue and green striped background, with purple zinnias, gloxinias and pink camellias. Behind the TV, thorn bushes fill the background.

For reference, this is sorta what I'm talking about, except imagine it brown instead of green.

(II) The shot turns around to show Arturo, sitting cross-legged on a couch and watching the TV with half-lidded eyes. He’s wearing a dark blue long sleeve shirt, which has black stripes around the chest area. He’s also wearing the canon surgical gloves, grey pants and a black face mask covering his mouth. He’s slightly hunched over, and on his left hand, he’s holding an orange amaryllis flower. The background is again filled by thorn bushes.

(III) The shot changes to look at Arturo from the side, but he’s out of focus at first. Instead, the camera is focused on a flower pot on the couch beside him. It has these flowers:

(Flower names in alt text)

The sunflower is facing Arturo. After a moment, the camera focuses on Arturo as he leans down and puts his right hand on his face, appearing exhausted. 

(IV) We zoom in on the orange amaryllis Arturo is holding, and after the line is said, a single petal falls off. 

[Instrumental. Somewhat slow, synth sound. Very artificial]

The petal flutters down, as the background brightens and turns into the hospital corridor from the thumbnail, except upside down. The camera flips, so now the corridor is upright and it looks like the petal is going up, until it leaves the view of the camera. That’s when we see the thumbnail image. 

Through the day and night, through life’s ugly swamp, (I) the beauty I deserve, (II) no one can satisfy… (III)

(I) We get a side view of Arturo as he walks forward. The corridor is still filled with weeds and vines, which grow thicker as he walks. We see him move past a grey set of double doors, then a sign showing fire escape routes, until he finally arrives at another set of double doors. He turns to it. 

(II) We get a close up of Arturo grabbing the doorknob. 

(III) The door is now open, we get a side shot of Arturo standing in the doorway, staring down at a hospital bed with a big pile of grass and algae resting on it. The room is very dark aside from the light from the corridor, shining on Arturo’s back. There are multiple weeds and vines hanging around the walls, which partly cover a mirror on the wall.

Hideous, face the facts, I won’t change my mind, (I) No matter what I try,  It’s ugly all throughout… (II)

(I) A few close-ups of Arturo cutting up the grass with a scalpel, and removing the algae from the bed. 

(II) Taking a step back, we see the pile of grass has turned into a vaguely human shaped bush, with a dandelion flower crown. 

[Pre-chorus, the music speeds up a bit]

Abid to my discretion (I) And appeal to my “obssession” (II) Will not settle for corrections  When I only seek perfection, no! (III)

(I) We cut to Arturo frowning while still looking down at the bed.

(II) He throws his arm out, basically slapping the air, and the greenery goes flying off the bed. 

(III) A side profile of Arturo’s angry face, and the shot focuses on the mirror to his side, still covered in vines. The reflection is upside down, and shows the same thorn bushes background at the start, as well as Arturo staring at the Arturo in the hospital room, wearing the same clothes he was wearing in the beginning, and still holding the orange amaryllis. The camera flips upside down as “no!” is sung. 

A solemn duty to fulfill my dream. (I) A life of beauty hanging just out of reach. (II) Attempts are filed yet I can’t succeed.  And all the while my patience wilts (III) It’s wilting (IV)

(I) Back at the room with the thorn bushes, Arturo is still staring at "us". The screen “blinks”.

(II) We see this, except it's behind a bunch of thorn bushes.

(Flower names in alt text)

(III) Arturo grabs one of the thorny branches and moves it a bit to see the flowers better. We see his face, and he’s frowning.

(IV) He startles and looks down.

For obsolescence, bring forth novel things. (I) Break down the essence like a chemical peel. (II) Macular stains which ought to be fixed. (III) Replace epidermis ‘til the hideousness wilts (IV) It’s wilting (V)

(I) We zoom in on the flower pot from the beginning, the one with the sunflower. It’s now on the floor, the forget-me-nots wrapped around Arturo's ankle. The sunflower is facing up at Arturo. He’s wearing simple black dress shoes. 

(II) Back at Arturo’s face. He’s looking down with narrowed eyes. 

(III) Arturo kicks the pot, a few of the petals of the flowers scatter around. The sunflower still faces Arturo.

(IV) A forget-me-not petal flutters down, falling into a puddle of water. The reflection shows the hospital corridor. The petal lingers on the surface.

(V) The screen glitches for a moment. Right after the words, the camera flips and brightens, and now we’re staring at the floor of the hospital corridor. The petal is still resting on top of a puddle of water, but now the reflection shows the room with the thorn bushes. 

[A bit of instrumental]

The shot lingers on the petal on the water, before Arturo’s foot steps on it as he walks. 

An ugly truth indeed, the life I’m forced to live. (I) A simple wish to flee,  now is it wrong to dream? (II)

(I) Now in his canon clothes again, Arturo walks through the hospital. We see his feet as he trudges through a large amount of weeds. He stops.

(II) A close up of the fire escape sign from before. There is a bouquet of red roses under the section marked ‘EXIT’.

Boiling varicose,  a neoplasmic growth. (I) Yearning in my soul, will I ever know control? (II)

(I) We see the back of Arturo’s head, and his gloved hand touches the bouquet on the sign. 

(II) We get a side shot of him, still with his hand on the sign. The background is pure white. Arturo pulls his hand away, turns to the white background, and startles. 

[Pre-chorus]

A full manifestation of intradermal intentions (I) Will not settle for corrections When I only seek perfection, no! (II)

(I) We see the end of the hallway, an open double door with ‘EXIT’ written on top of it. On top of a blinding white background, we see a table, on top of which rests a bouquet of pink camellias and red roses. 

(II) Back to Arturo’s feet (I hate myself for writing that sentence), he’s still for a moment, before he starts slowly making steps forward. The steps soon turn into a full sprint. Right on the last word, Arturo steps on a puddle of water, the reflection of which shows thorn bushes, and the camera flips with a flash. 

A solemn duty to fulfill my dream. (I) A life of beauty hanging just out of reach. (II) Attempts are filed yet I can’t succeed. (III) And all the while my patience wilts (IV) It’s wilting (V)

(I) Back at the thorn bushes room, you know which clothes Arturo is wearing. He’s on his knees, leaning down to look at a puddle of water, the reflection of which shows the hospital. The orange amaryllis is off to the side, and he’s crushing it with his palm. His eyes are wide and they almost seem to sparkle, fascinated by what he sees. 

(II) He leans down further, putting his face closer to the water.

(III) He startles, sits with his legs away from the puddle, and looks behind him. The flower pot with the sunflower is there again, though a few of the flowers’ petals are noticeably gone. Once again the forget-me-nots are holding onto Arturo’s ankle. The sunflower still faces Arturo. 

(IV) Back to Arturo’s face, and he frowns. 

(V) With his free leg, he kicks the pot again. Petals go flying again. Even as it flies back, the sunflower still faces Arturo. 

For obsolescence, bring forth novel things. (I) Break down the essence like a chemical peel. (II) Macular stains which ought to be fixed. (III) Replace epidermis ‘til the hideousness wilts (IV) It’s wilting (V)

(I) Arturo stands up and grabs onto the thorn bushes. 

(II) He begins to push past them, moving the branches out of the way and crouching down to pass. 

(III) Back at the floor, the fallen over sunflower is still staring up at Arturo.The other flowers are out of frame, but the forget-me-nots are still tied around Arturo’s ankle. Arturo lifts his foot to walk away, ripping it free from the forget-me-nots with ease. 

(IV) We focus on Arturo’s chest as he gets out of the thorn bushes on the other side.

(V) We see the bird of paradise (flower) from before. Arturo is staring at it, with gleeful eyes.

[Y’all motherfuckers want a key change?! (/reference)]

May my future justify the past (I) Lest the stretch marks spread way too far! (II) Where once was darkness, now hope for the bright (III) Since old spotlights always wilt too fast (IV) They’ve wilted (V)

(I) Screen glitches, and now we’re in the hospital EXIT from before. Arturo grabs for the flower bouquet, but it turns to smoke when his hand reaches it. We see Arturo look surprised at this development.

(II) Screen glitches again, and we’re back at the thorn bushes outfit., although the thorn bushes are still behind Arturo. He still has his hand out as if trying to grab the bouquet which has disappeared. He looks up.

(III) We see Arturo reach out as the bird of paradise and milkweeds begin moving away from him. 

(IV) The camera positioned in between the thorn bushes, we see the back of Arturo’s head. He turns around, and his expression turns from surprised to horrified. 

(V) We see the sunflower set of flowers again, but they’re all completely withered and shriveled up. 

[End]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MonoTV: Fun fact! Red carnations are an official symbol of Doctor’s Day!

Es: Oh? That’s kinda cool. 

M: So why the hell isn’t this guy represented by red carnations?! I say you should vote him Unforgiven just because of idiotic symbolism!

E: I mean, do you really think a flower representing love and devotion really fits that guy? 

M: … Shut up! You’re not allowed to make sense!

E: ???

M: Anyways, forget all that! It’s… 

VOTING TIME!!!

[purgemarchlockdown]

I told myself not to interact too much with the voting discussion because of how much it bothers me, but due to how her votes are going I will talk about it. I know the idea is that to protect the other prisoners we need her to be voted guilty. That's the theory, I'd argue that not only would that not work out the way people expect it to and I'd also argue that voting innocent is the better option overall.

But let's talk a bit about a dichotomy first.

Something I've noticed in fandom when it comes to victims of abuse and trauma is that there's a want for easily digestible abuse victims. There's a want for victims of abuse that are easily infantilized and woobified. In other words, there's a want for a very sanitized depiction of abuse. One where the characters who are being abused did nothing wrong and are morally pure completely righteous characters.

On the flipside, once an abuse victim steps out of those bounds of sanitized digestibility the audience reactions shifts. You tend to find these characters demonized and portrayed in ways that showcase how horrible, toxic or...dangerous they are. If you are an abuse victim in fiction you have to be an incredibly idealized version of the perfect abuse victim who does nothing wrong because if you aren't people will find ways to demonize you and erase any sense of nuance from the story.

You can either be a good abuse victim, or a bad one.

Now of course not everyone voting Amane guilty is doing it because of this...like I've seen a lot of posts from people who just don't know what to do or people who just feel that the consequences of Guilty Vote Amane is worth it in the end or people who just vote her guilty cause they don't like her much. I'm biased in this regard because I love Amane Momose! I'm very much biased towards her.

However it is troubling to me that I see this sort of bias, a lot of people have talked about how this also happens with Mikoto and I'd argue there was a bit of this also involved in Haruka and his voting.

It's something In this fandom and it's something that troubles me personally because I care a lot about this stuff, stories like Amane's are important to me, and I don't like seeing people react like this to abuse victims in fiction just because they aren't palatable.

I doubt most people in real life would act the same way if Amane was real, but also I'm unfortunately very familiar with people ignore someone who is suffering just because they feel uncomfortable. So I do think it's important to mention.

And I think Amane doomed by Milgram! I think Milgram is exactly the kind of place that would trigger her trauma! But even so I don't think Amane is doomed completely. I think viewing her as someone who can never change, who's stuck forever as a devoted cult follower is frankly a disservice to her character.

The power of cults come a lot of factors, manipulation, isolation, perpetuation of abuse and abusive cycles and way more things that I can't even mention. It Does Not come from magic unbreakable brainwashing! We have accounts from former cult victims! They exist! You can google them! There are people with stories like this out there!

I'd argue that Milgram's guilty system emulates Amane's previous abusive situation. It emulates that system of rules and punishment and torture. I don't think voting guilty would help, because voting guilty means Amane has to deal with something that closely emulates her horrible abusive situation, it would drive her further into isolation and trauma. She'd be reliving the situation she just escaped.

"But the other prisoners are at risk-" They're still at risk even if Amane is voted guilty! I'd argue their more at risk because Amane would be driven further into her isolation! Cults tell people that the outside world is dangerous and out to get them! It's one of there methods of control!

If we prove that to Amane, if we prove that yes, the outside world is out to get her and there's no one out there that can actually help her, then we give her The most righteous reason to attack.

Amane from what I can tell usually attacks if she feels like she's justified, if she feels like she's in danger. It's a defense mechanism born out of the torture she experienced. It's not wild swinging at anyone and anything she hates as it seems like people think it is.

I think voting Amane Innocent actually has the better chance of really helping people out. I think Amane being innocent would help crack this image she has of the outside world which would be fantastic actually! Would she be fully deprogrammed? No, you can't deprogram someone with one choice, especially if you validated their beliefs beforehand but it certainly changes things.

I don't like the idea that Amane is completely hopeless, I Feel like it treats cults and the Real Harm they do to people as something that no one can come back from and makes it feel weirdly mystical. Like the cult gets their hands in ya and now their brainwashing is just unbreakable. There's Real Ex-Cult Survivors in the world! They Exist! They aren't an impossibility and I don't think we should treat Amane's growth as a person as an impossibility!

[some-name-in-progress]

Alright, it's been a week since I started trying to catch up with Project Sekai, and I've read 7 stories already since I've read one every day. This pace is okay, but I wanna catch up by 4th anni since it seems like everything is gonna be wrapped up then, so I'm probably gonna bump it up to 2 stories per day.

Anyways I wanted to put down my thoughts, starting with Connected Through SEKAI's Cherry Blossoms and ending with Wishing to the Blue Sky for Your Happiness.

Connected Through SEKAI's Cherry Blossoms:

Imma be real, this event was a slog to get through just because of how repetitive and slow it was. That being said, I liked how it gave us more insight about the Sekais, but that's about it.

On the Stage of Dazzling Light:

I remember that Tsukasa himself seemed to take somewhat of a backseat to the Phoenix Wonderland plot in his first focus, so I'm glad his backstory was fleshed out more here. I'm surprised Toya had that little screen time because I thought he was more important to Tsukasa’s backstory, but that's just fandom influence, I guess.

Live with Memories:

I'll be honest, I didn't have the fondest opinion of Ichika before this event, but this event really solidified why I dislike her character. In my opinion, she just doesn't feel like as fleshed out of a character compared to the rest Leo/need. For example, every other member has something that makes them unique and shines through their focus events, but Ichika feels like she's just characterized enough to not be a blank slate. Yes, I know that she's going to be like that because she's the "MC," but it just serves as a detriment to her character. Maybe she gets better, or maybe I don't get it, but I just don't like her for now. Also, that Miku V4 ad was WAY too obvious. I know the whole game is an ad, but at least it's subtle.

Tied By Painful Hope:

Hasegawa seems like a nice character, so I'm excited to see how she develops. I like that this event went also went more in-depth about Haruka's backstory. Overall, this event feels like a good stepping point for the future.

The Climax! Kamiyama Cheer Squad!:

I don't really have much to say about this event, but I'm glad that we get to see a lot of good interactions between the Kamiyama students. Also, Rui's characterization here feels really nice.

THE POWER OF UNITY:

I like that VBS' story is putting more emphasis on the NPCs and their interactions with the main cast because it definitely makes everything seem a lot more full. The foreshadowing here is foul, though. "Take a look at this town" is absolutely evil knowing what happens in rotation 4. Anyways, the event felt like a nice way to way to end their first arc.

Wishing to the Blue Sky for Your Happiness!:

It's nice to see An struggle outside of her relationship with Kohane, and it really shows just how much Vivid Street and the people around her mean to her. Also:

(Is this appropriate to say now that I'm an adult? Oh well, lol.)

Other thoughts:

I'm sorry, I'm looking at the PRSK cast, and I can't stop thinking of this video:

Like, do these guys eat sunscreen??? (This is a bit hypocritical for me to say as a Milgram fan, lol.)

Closing thoughts:

I've honestly been having a good time with this. Yes, it takes a while to get through (I'm dreading getting to the 2+ hour ones), and I didn't like Ichika's focus, but I'm love seeing why I fell in love with this game again. Anyways, I'll probably do this again next week, until then. Also, HOLY HELL THERE’S A MOVIE.