#jumpscaring this account with my other art style

[chisamayas]

INTERNET YAMERO!!!!!!!!!

[inkabelledesigns]

So knowing that I'm a huge Bendy fan and love some good angsty fanfic with body horror, it may surprise you to hear that I'm not actually a big horror fan. Yeah, I can't do horror movies, I don't engage in most horror games, this is literally my one thing, save for a little bit of FNAF in regards to Security Breach and Ruin.

If I think back, it's been that way for a while. When I was a kid, we went to Disney's Hollywood studios, and our family of five rode the Tower of Terror together. Now, I love yo-yo styled rides, up and downs are some of my favorites. But I hated this. The story scared me so badly, and on that day there was a thunderstorm in the forecast, it was stupid levels of scary. I refused to ever go on it again until this year. Yeah, when we went on our trip this summer, my brother in law really wanted to go on it, so all seven of us gave it a shot. I was a big wimp the whole time. X'''D I turned away from the screen during the preshow and let one of my sisters hide her face in my shirt while covering her ears. I learned something very valuable! If I can't see the horrors, it's not so scary! Audio alone doesn't get me. But I did need to cover my eyes multiple times to not see the ghosts. My brother in law was really amused when he was holding his wife's hand in a cute couples way on one side, and mine in fear on the other. Laughed the whole time. We had a great time. I also wasn't bad on the Haunted Mansion anymore. Yeah, I was so scared of sitting alone on that, but nope, I rode it twice all by myself, and it was fine, I'd dare to say I liked it.

I think back to my teenage years, and oh boy, my friends sure did like scary stuff. One of them had a birthday on Halloween, so we went on a trip to a haunted house together. I stayed in the back because I didn't like being scared. That was a weird day in general, I remember thinking one of the animatronics in it looked like one of our professors who was kind of a garbage teacher? And I pointed it out to my best friend, and she laughed. Oh, there was the birthday someone made us watch DHMIS. Yeah I cannot look at that, nope, we block out everything related to that, I can't do it. That friend didn't know me as well, so I don't blame her so much, but a heads up that it was scary would have been nice. More than I can say for how I got introduced to FNAF.

Gosh let me tell you THAT story, it's kind of a doozy. I had an ex-friend who was a big Markiplier fan, and one day he and my bestie came over, and he insisted we watch the new Markiplier episode together. He had already seen it and knew what was coming, but I sure didn't. It was the first episode of his Let's Play of Five Nights at Freddy's, the very first game. We were seniors in high school, and I was very sensitive to horror. This friend knew that and showed it to me anyway. After the first Foxy jumpscare, I was done. I couldn't walk in the dark without swearing I saw Freddy out of the corner of my eye for like two months. But the worst part was, this had been looked up on MY YouTube account, and back then, YouTube didn't have the option to say "don't show me this" or "don't recommend me this". So for months I was stuck with recommendations for FNAF, most of which had thumbnails featuring Bonnie's jumpscare. I was dead set against FNAF for YEARS, hated it with a passion because I couldn't reasonably block it out. Which is why I'm grateful for more self curating tools on YouTube and Tumblr nowadays, and why I'm so appreciative when people bother to tag things.

It's because of that bad experience with FNAF that I was very hesitant to get into Bendy. I knew it was horror from the start, and my friends who were into it were also big into FNAF. But with all their icons changed to the Bendy face, I was curious, I needed to know. The art style intrigued me, I liked cartoons a lot, I wanted to know what this was. What really solidified it was hearing Can't Be Erased for the first time over a Discord call and then looking up the music video for myself. That and Build Our Machine had me hooked, so I watched a friend play through the first two chapters, and I found myself on a journey to dig into it myself. Sammy and Alice would proceed to steal my heart, and let me tell you, the anxiety I felt when Chapter 5 first dropped, the wait to see what happened, oh gosh did I need someone to hold my hand. One of my friends stuck with me through a playthrough of the chapter over a call, and bless her, I was such a mess. X'''D I can say that Dark Revival did not have me shaking with anxiety the whole time thankfully. The Bendy books have given me a similar rush though, I was so haunted by DCTL and TLO on a first read through. Like I knew it would end badly, but the how and why of it kept me curious.

The thing is, the only horror I really engage in is a little bit of indie mascot horror, but not all of it. Some of it I don't find particularly engaging. I've got little interest if there isn't much of a story, and I'm rather particular about what kinds of stories and presentation I like. But I like this little slice of horror, it's enough. Like you would think Poppy Playtime would be up my alley, given my love of toys and dolls, but no, it's not. Haunted dolls don't really do it for me I've discovered, maybe I ought to write a story that does. I like My Friendly Neighborhood, which I know, isn't very scary, but it sure did spook me with opening lockers. I think, it's okay if I'm not into most horror things, I have a few small things I like, and that's more than fun enough. I just acknowledge that this probably surprises people given some of what I love. X'''D

[katy-133]

Demo Feedback - Chronique des Silencieux

Feedback for the demo of the game Chronique des Silencieux.

Archiving from June 23 2023.

Things like general thoughts, reactions, and suggestions for the full game.

Housekeeping/Context: I'm an industry animator who hobbys as a game developer. I have around 9+ years of game dev experience, having made (directed, written, drew, programmed) 10 games (mainly visual novels or other narrative-driven games) and been involved in an additional 17 games (either as a voice actor, additional writer, artist, playtester, or animator). I've also been a narrative/design consultant for additional games during pre-production. Please keep this in mind, as while I have developer experience, it is mainly in a different medium of games.

I've also read that Chronique des Silencieux's demo is a work-in-progress and is subject to change in the full version. I will be keeping this in mind while writing my notes. The game appears to be finishing up production (given the estimated release date), so any changes would need to take that into account (meaning, I will not make structural game mechanic suggestions nor any suggestions that would require a major overhaul).

With all that in mind, these are my notes. First impressions before playing: I love detective games. Any game that looks like it will make me feel like a detective and capture that "Eureka!" feeling I get from Agatha Christie novels instantly get my attention, and Chronique des Silencieux did just that.

The screenshots showing the game's various mechanics (particularly using red string to spot contradictions Papers Please-style) drew me in. I also found the ligne claire art style of the game very appealing (I am a fan of Tintin).

The trailer showing the player opening the drawer and moving the papers within looked like it had a good "game feel" to it. The resistance of the draw opening (requiring a click and drag instead of a simple click) helps to invoke the textile feel of what it may feel like to open the drawer in real life. I love games with good game feel. It's a sign of smart design.

Performance issues: The demo has considerable performance issues. The PC I used was a work and gaming laptop (I can use the heavy 3D animation program Autodesk Maya and 3D FPS/RPG game The Outer Worlds on it just fine), and I could not finish the demo (I reached talking to Solange a second time after first meeting Victor) due to the slowness of the game. From the main menu, the mouse moved with slowed input. Frames lagged so much I thought the player character was moving in slow motion as he walked. GUI like the stamp album book would crawl in instead of slide in through a smooth animation. The keyhole jumpscare I accidentally missed because the music sting played way before Solange's animation of her eye staring back at me could even start displaying through the keyhole.

The beginning conversation at the train tracks I ended up missing half of because the mouse input lagged: I would click once and the game would think I'd click twice, which would skip dialogue prematurely.

These dropped frames are a major performance issue and I would place that as the highest priority out of all my notes here. Players who have less speedy PCs than mine will only have greater difficulty playing it (as the Nancy Drew fandom has showcased, fans of detective games tend to favor laptops and non-gamer setups), and the lag is already leaving the demo in a near-unplayable state at points. Changing the game's Quality to the lowest setting did not lessen the effect.

Fortunately, the solution for this is fairly easy to solve. The game needs to have its optimization changed so that the game is not using so much power (CPU, Memory, GPU) at all times. This can range from where the game is pulling images from and when (example: The game does not need to load all images for the game, it just needs to load what the player sees and will immedietly see), to what the engine is searching for through the game's script (programming) when the game is left idle, to things like archiving files in the playable build (that currently aren't archived but can be). The game uses Unity as the engine, so I suggest using the engine's (as well as the Unity community's) pro-optimisation tools and features.

My PC specs are the following, which I'm providing to help out with recreating the lag issue:

Through Speccy:

After playing the demo, I tried to find out through YouTube videos if other players had similar performance issues. YakWaxLips appears to have had a similar issue with framerate and stopped playing at a similar point in the demo that I did: (x)

Camera behaviour: The camera window in this game often feels too tight and close. Giving the player the ability to zoom in/out would be a way to alter this, or the pull out the camera if you don't wish to give the player that option.

The camera also gives an uncomfortable and claustrophobic effect while exploring, as I can see ahead of the player character less than I would be able to see ahead of myself walking in real life. The camera smoothing's length (of time) is slow enough that it causes the player character to appear to be faster than the camera can keep up with. Meaning, when you walk/run someplace, the faster and further the player travels, the less distance you can see ahead of the player character, giving the feeling that the player is "running blind".

Suggestions to solve this would be to add a Mario-style "speedup-push-zone" (when a character starts walking/running, gradually push the camera to travel ahead of the character to show more of what's ahead of him and less of what's behind him, then centre the camera back on him when he stops). If you'd like to keep the camera close when talking to NPCs (to keep the feeling intimate), you can program a region lock on the camera that activates while talking to characters.

For more information on this, please consult Itay Keren's GDC talk, "How Cameras in Side-Scrollers Work": (x)

While this video seminar is about side-scrollers, game developers of isometric games can also apply these tricks.

Side-note: The issue may also be caused by the frame-skipping (slowing down the camera), so optimising the game may solve both issues at the same time.

Lack of text options: There's a surprisingly minimalist amount of options in the settings menu, and none for text. This is surprising for a narrative-driven game that relies on the player reading. These are some suggestions for text preferences:

Font Choices: The choice for players to switch all text to OpenDyslexic and other reader-friendly fonts.

-Plain text overlay: Some players may have trouble reading cursive fonts in clues/documents. An in-game button to add an overlay of the same text in a simple font would allow better leigibility.

-Text size: Even if you do not plan to port to the Switch (bigger text for smaller screens) or console (bigger text for screens further away), an option to make text bigger helps to make the text easier to read for some players.

-Text to speech toggle: For visually-impaired players. Unity has text-to-speech audio as a built in plugin for devs to add to their games.

-Text speed slider: A slider to speed up the time it takes for text to appear in the text box. Slider at 100% is instant.

-Kerning slider: Slider to change spacing between characters (letters).

-A rollback option: This would be in-game rather than in the settings screen. A hotkey (usually mousewheel) or button to see previous text. This is for the benefit of players with motor disabilities (ie. nerve damage, etc.) and often mis-click and accidentally skip text (so having a history/log screen to show previous text would not be useful in this situation). The drawback is that some players may try to use this to avoid mistakes, but "points of no return" can also be programmed in to block rollback at key moments.

-Language switch hotkey: A hotkey the player can press in-game to instantly switch between French/English. Bilingual players praised Disco Elysium for having this hotkey, voicing that they were surprised more games don't add it, despite the minimal amount of programming required to implement it.

Accessibility is an important role in game development as it allows players from various walks of life to enjoy games.

Animation inconsistencies: This is me nitpicking and is the lowest priority out of my notes. I noticed one continuity error in an animated cutscene. When Blanche comment's on the player character's black eye, the cutscene's various shots switched the black eye to his right eye instead of his left (a think it was two shots with a right-side black eye, the rest left-side). While this isn't plot-important in the demo, later visual continuity errors may become plot-relevant (for example, which side he got the black eye could be a clue to who punched him--a left-handed or a right-handed person). This is just a word of caution to look out for things like this in the full game, as I can only view the demo.

I also want to add that the animation in this game looks attractive. There is a lot of artistry on display here in the demo and trailers alone. The cutscenes being fully animated were a pleasant surprise and the idle animations as the characters talk adds life and personality to them.

Thank you for reading. I look forward to seeing the full release of Chronique des Silencieux.

[monochrome-in-madness]

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

My Top 10 Favourite Horrors

Within this top 10 list, some will include the prequels, sequels and any other follow ups as 1 ranking number. Some may be considered thriller, sci-fi, suspence etc, however, I do regard these as horrors myself.

I have take many aspects into account, such as videography, actor quality, SFX makeup quality, soundtrack, directors, CGI etc.

Note : this is my personal opinion. You do not have to agree with it, though if you haven't seen these, I highly reccomend them.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

1. The Conjuring

(1 & 2)

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

The Conjuring 1 :

The Perron family moves into a farmhouse where they experience paranormal phenomena. They consult demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to help them get rid of the evil entity haunting them.

The Conjuring Trailer :

The Conjuring 2 :

Peggy, a single mother of four children, seeks the help of occult investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren when she and her children witness strange, paranormal events in their house

The Conjuring 2 Trailer :

My Opinion :

The Conjuring was the start of an incredible series of horrors that beat any other horror to the ground. It is absolutely fantastic and I basically worship these films. James Wan is my favourite director and he never ceases to amaze me.

Paranormal horror is my favourite and as someone who actually believes in the paranormal and who has had paranormal experiences, I can confirm that The Conjuring is much more realistic than any other paranormal films, which just makes it extra spooky.

The actors, camera angles, music, sfx makeup and storyline is just - chefs kiss -. I've been waiting for the 3rd one for so long, but they keep extending the release date. (R. I. P)

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

2. Annabelle

(all of them)

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

Annabelle :

John and Mia Form are attacked by a Satan worshipping couple, who uses their doll as a conduit to make their life miserable. This unleashes a string of paranormal events in the Forms' residence.

Annabelle Trailer :

Annabelle Creation :

Samuel and Elle embed their daughter's spirit into a doll, only to realise it is a demon. Years later, they open their home to a nun and six orphan girls, one of whom finds the doll.

Annabelle Creation Trailer :

Annabelle Comes Home :

Judy and her babysitter are left alone in her house after her parents leave to investigate a case. However, an unexpected guest sets Annabelle free, unleashing demonic activity in the house.

Annabelle Comes Home Trailer :

My Opinion :

Another great film series that was birthed form The Conjuring. Definitely less realistic, with many more jumpscares and spooky characters, which is appreciated in the horror world. Many people find dolls far more creepy than ghosts, myself included, so that's another perfect aspect that adds to the suspense.

I prefer Annabelle 3 over the others, mainly because I found that one to be more scary overall, even though Daniela is an idiot and she makes me so frustrated 😂

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

3. Saw

(all of them)

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

For the totally unindoctrinated, the Saw movie franchise revolves around the Jigsaw Killer (a.k.a. John Kramer), who tortures victims he believes are complacent or guilty, in order to make them appreciate their time on Earth.

All Saw Trailers :

Obviously I'm not going to list every Saw movie, because there are 7 (Jigsaw aka number 8, does NOT count. It is a disgrace).

My Opinion :

A classic for horror and gore lovers of all kinds. Of course I need to list this as number 3. I simply adore these movies. I even have the DVD set, so I am definitely a long term fan haha.

The obstacles and creativity regarding Saw as a whole needed a lot of thought put into it, plus it has a happy little side note of "make sure you don't cause harm to others in life and don't take anything for granted" which some may have not even noticed while being overwhelmed by the amount of fake blood.

Yes, a lot of characters are annoying, but that just makes us enjoy seeing them tortured even more (shh it's not real). Some of the blood doesn't look very realistic, the sfx can lack attention, BUT... It's still great and I can overlook these few flaws to appreciate the movies to the max.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

4. Blair Witch

(2016)

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀 ⦁ ════════╗

A young man and his friends venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mystery surrounding his missing sister. Many believe her disappearance 17 years earlier is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch.

At first the group is hopeful, especially when two locals act as guides through the dark and winding woods. As the night wears on, a visit from a menacing presence soon makes them realize that the legend is all too real, and more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Blair Witch Trailer :

My Opinion :

I love the camerawork. Not because it's perfect, because it's the opposite. It's a documentary style and this makes it feel more realistic, as if you are within the film yourself. I enjoy how they skip to the action at just the right time after a mild buildup.

The visuals are great as well and there were definitely some parts where I was disgusted and claustrophobic, which is good to experience while enjoying these types of films.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

5. Under The Skin

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

Disguising itself as a human female, an extraterrestrial drives around Scotland attempting to lure unsuspecting men into her van. Once there, she seduces and sends them into another dimension where they are nothing more than meat.

Under The Skin Trailer :

My Opinion :

I would classify this as horror, but many won't. Either way, this is an amazingly artistic film with beautiful imagery and silent awe. It definitely makes you feel the suspense in a calming manner and it has some really dark moments. Without reading the description, one might be confused as to what is going on, but how art is supposed to be interpretated is by the imagination of individuals.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

6. Veronica

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

During a solar eclipse, young Verónica and her friends want to summon the spirit of Verónica's father using an Ouija board. However, during the session she loses consciousness and soon it becomes clear that evil demons have arrived.

Veronica Trailer :

My Opinion :

A Spanish masterpiece, to put it simply. It's hard to find proper horrors like this in English. I really enjoyed this one and I watched it subbed not dubbed, because I feel like voiceovers tend to ruin the art of the original film. The buildup is perfect and unlike many horrors, it barely shows you the face of the "monster". That leaves it to the imagination, which in general makes it far more scary.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

7. Underwater

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

Disaster strikes more than six miles below the ocean surface when water crashes through the walls of a drilling station. Led by their captain, the survivors realize that their only hope is to walk across the sea floor to reach the main part of the facility. But they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they come under attack from mysterious and deadly creatures that no one has ever seen.

Underwater Trailer :

My Opinion :

This movie was released quite recently and I didn't know what to expect. I was definitely blown away by how good it was. Being trapped underwater gives most people a sense of anxiety. Add being trapped underwater and being hunted by creepy sea monsters and you've got yourself a good horror. Kristen Stewarts general anxious personality definitely suits this film well.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

8. Split

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

Kevin, who is suffering from dissociative identity disorder and has 23 alter egos, kidnaps three teenagers. They must figure out his friendly personas before he unleashes his 24th personality.

Split Trailer :

https://youtu.be/84TouqfIsiI

My Opinion :

An incredible film with phenomenal acting on the part of James McAvoy. You can get lost within his character and almost feel as if you are the character itself. Suspense is built up slowly and the climax of the film is released rapidly. People I know who do not enjoy horror, love this film themselves, which is saying something. It's definitely one of the best modern films that draws you in from the start. 

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

9. A Quiet Place

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

A family struggles for survival in a world where most humans have been killed by blind but noise-sensitive creatures. They are forced to communicate in sign language to keep the creatures at bay.

A Quiet Place Trailer :

https://youtu.be/WR7cc5t7tv8

My Opinion :

As you can tell by now, I love anything alien related. This film has some of the most amazing looking aliens I've seen, I was honestly in awe by how great they looked. Another silent film, but in a different sense to the previous one. Instead of being the hunter, this family is being hunted and this adds more to the fear factor.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

10. Unfriended - Dark Web

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

When a teen finds a laptop with a cache of hidden files, he and his friend discover that the previous owner has access to the dark web and is watching over them.

Unfriended - Dark Web Trailer :

https://youtu.be/XenTM_C9fxM

My Opinion :

A modern take on horror. Involving the actual dangers of the dark web and the use of technology and turning it into a horror was a magnificent idea. It definitely had me at the edge of my seat.

Due to another film type that is not often explored (thus being that most of the movie is equal to what it would be like to look at your computer and video chat), it makes it different and therefore more compelling than the usual videography styles.

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

⦁

⦁

⦁

╔════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╗

Thank you for reading, if you've made it this far! Feel free to share your top 10 in the comment section, I am definitely interested in your opinions and finding new movies to watch myself. Any questions are also welcome.

Until next time, take care and stay spooky!

╚════════ ⦁💀⦁ ════════╝

[vanilla-blessing]

Ownership of Pure Illusions in Flip Flappers

In a recently translated interview, Kiyotaka Oshiyama, the director of Studio 3Hz’s Flip Flappers, confirmed that all of the distinct worlds within the show’s dreamlike alternate reality called Pure Illusion were based on the subconscious of different characters, but kept secret which places matched which people. 

“It’s not mentioned in the story who’s world each of the different episodes’ Pure Illusions are, but if people watching were thinking “I wonder if this world is that character’s?” then that’s just what we were aiming for. Of course, as the creators we have some sense of which is which, but we’d prefer to not say it outright. There are various hints mixed into the visuals, so hopefully people will try to puzzle it out themselves.” Oshiyama (tl by @HugBdrill)

I’ve posted my scattered thoughts on this topic before, because exploring characters through symbolism and metaphor in the environment is Flip Flappers’ entire deal, and the show makes it challenging but not difficult to interpret the meaning of Cocona and Papika’s adventures. For the sake of mahou shoujo science, I’ve collected my best guesses as to who’s Pure Illusions were who’s during Flip Flappers’ run. Spoilers for Flip Flappers below if you haven’t seen it yet.

Ep 1  - Cocona

The first journey into Pure Illusion dumps Cocona and Papika into an abandoned version of Cocona’s hometown, buried under an enormous amount of ice and snow. Despite appearing cold and barren on the surface, they discovers that the snow tastes sweet on the inside. It’s an almost embarrassingly direct look into Cocona’s self-imposed isolation, but once Papika inserts herself into her world, the ice starts to break.

Ep 2 - Uexküll

After following Cocona’s flubber-bunny Uexküll into a vacuum cleaner, Cocona and Papika (wearing an Alice In Wonderland dress) grow rabbit ears and tails and develop a fixation with biting hard objects. They venture through a giant vacuum cleaner and are later saved by a very masculine Uexküll. They’re dust bunnies under the influence of Uexküll’s outlook on the world, where a vacuum cleaner is a dangerous threat and Uexküll’s self-image projects himself as some kind of bearded Martian Manhunter.

Ep 3 - Sayuri

The first two Pure Illusions were easy to connect, but the third one is where clues stopped showing up immediately. After getting desynced during the impedance process, Papika is separated from Cocona and thrown into a Mad Max-inspired desert. The girls battle each other with Bruce Lee’s martial arts style before undergoing an incredibly extended and gratuitous magical girl transformation, complete with embarrassing one-liners and dramatic posing. They fight with flashy, bright attacks while random bystanders meaninglessly commentate in the style of action shonen. Although most western viewers notice the Dragonball Z and Mad Max nods, there’s nobody immediately obvious to connect these inspirations to. We learn in the last episode that (a version of) FlipFlap’s scientist Sayuri has collected what can be identified as Mad Max and Sailor Moon posters in her room, which matches her love of anime and cinema that was only vaguely hinted at before.

Ep 4 - None They get sucked into a hole in the sun but we never see the Pure Illusion inside.

Ep 5 - Yayaka

Called the “horror episode” by some people, the Pure Illusion that shows up in this episode borrows well known atmospheric horror elements of movies like The Shining, lightning and rain, jumpscares, clock towers at midnight, and unnaturally moving girls with shapeless faces. However, these leads go nowhere because there’s nobody we know for sure that has any interest in horror. Thankfully, there are even more influences - it also represents a clearly repressed, rule-based society, with extremely overt yuri overtones. The all-girls school (with the exact same layout as their school) also proves to be the most dangerous adventure they have yet. This matches Yayaka pretty well, since she was raised by a literal cult and forced to do missions for them her entire life, but still has not been able to connect meaningfully with her only friend, Cocona. While inside the Pure Illusion she shows obvious embarrassment and brags about her tougher mindset, which would account for the more dangerous and gloomy tone. At the end of the episode when Cocona breaks the loop by ringing the bell at midnight, it coincides with Yayaka starting to break her routine mission parameters with Asclepius, and beginning to open up to her only real friend.

Ep 6 - Iroha

This is the first time Flip Flappers openly states that the Pure Illusion they entered was in fact someone’s mind, but you can sort of tell right from the start. Even though their upperclassman Iroha’s name was never said until this episode, the first location they fight in is obviously painted and resembles the paintings we just saw her making. A literal portal to Iroha’s traumatic memories of her auntie cements this as Iroha’s Pure Illusion. Also, Iro means color, which is another theme of this episode - switches, fades in and out, and violent clashes of color are everywhere. Flip Flappers in general does these effects all the time, but this is the episode where subtle color shifts are most important.

Ep 7 - Cocona again

Same empty hometown as the first episode, but instead being of filled with snow, it’s lush, bright, and filled with different versions of Papika. As Cocona wanders around trying to find the right Papika, they ask her outright: What is Papika to you? Does it have to be her? Is Papika just a friend? This episode even sneaks in the famous train shot from Evangelion to further drive home its self-reflective nature. In the end, Papika rescues Cocona and reveals that she had been searching for her all along, and Cocona was the one who was lost.

Ep 8 - Bu-chan A futuristic city created by a tiny scientist that is constantly being destroyed and rebuilt. The world exudes an obvious obsession with robots and butts. Tiny scientist bemoans the destruction of his life’s work, and describes the futility of rebuilding when everything will just get razed to the ground next week. Maybe Bu-chan is a bit more bitter towards the girls constantly damaging his brain than he lets on?

Ep 9 - Toto/Yuyu

This one is probably the most of a stretch, since there’s not much to really go on. It’s a featureless world with no walls, just a white floor and white ceiling that strongly resemble what we see of Asclepius’ labs. The only thing inside it beyond empty space is the excessive defense mechanisms around the fragment itself. The only real theme is that it’s confined, and the only unique aspect of it is an ever-present echo, which is especially odd given the lack of walls. Confined and dangerous draw similarities with what’s probably Yayaka’s Pure Illusion, which put together with the echo would fit the naming convention of her coworkers, the Amorphous Children (Yuyu, Toto, Nyunyu). As artificial humans they lack defining characteristics which would explain the lack of, well, anything. At the very least it establishes that they have minds like steel traps.

Ep 10 - None Nobody goes into Pure Illusion in this episode.

Ep 11 - Mimi

We’ve already seen this Pure Illusion in Cocona’s dreams, but it’s a very safe bet that she’s been visiting what remained of Mimi -  a reflective pool showing her dual nature, and a boat that sails through every other Pure Illusion. In this episode she breaks holes in the real world to show her omnipotent power and lack of respect for barriers. Later on, Cocona and Papika fight Mimi on bits of land covered by her favorite white clovers, which are extremely relevant because flower language is rad as hell and they paid special attention to it.

Ep 12 - Remix Mimi makes it clear that she was responsible for the recurring themes of the witch claw and red hands that made every Pure Illusion dangerous. She revives every defeated enemy and teleports everyone throughout the previous Pure Illusions at will.

Ep 13 - Salt We see glimpses of it in episode 12, but Salt’s Pure Illusion is the monotone gray, realistic world grounded in modernity that Cocona wakes up in. He’s a dour guy, so it contains none of the fantastical elements of any Pure Illusion and it’s filled with pessimistic versions of everyone else. What a fun guy.

Ep 13 - Cocona and Papika In the last scene, we see Papika take Cocona into a cloud of rainbow butterflies that fly freely between Pure Illusions and lead them to the real world.

I have absolutely no idea what the PI’s in the ED are supposed to mean, or who they refer to. Don’t @ me about them.

-qb magical girl reporter @queuebae