#more milgram to come from me TRUST!!!!!!!

[muffypollz]

some milgram sillies cause it is NOT leaving my brain

[ichigo-plasma]

Let Me Us Help You

Milgram ❤︎ Haruka Sakurai x Reader x Mikoto Kayano

Synopsis: Haruka has had a crush on you ever since he met you in Milgram but he never had an example of a healthy relationship growing up so he isn’t sure how to confess. He gets the help of one of the few adults he trusts, Mikoto. But after watching Haruka stumble over his words humiliating himself while he confessed to you, Orekoto/John decides the blue hair boy needs a push.~

On the menu: yandere, smut, multiple personalities (John referred to as Orekoto but I might change that), non-con~❤︎, one swear word (Orekoto is angyyy), kinda-poly if you squint (but Orekoto and Haruka don’t get each other off…), uhhhh manhandling, double penetration?, just yummy smut~~~, Orekoto is freaky af (but it’s hot so he is forgiven), Haruka lied about his age, he is actually an adult, uhh Orekoto is also toxic and rude, reader is referred to with fem pronouns

Guide: Smut only starts after the pink hearts ❤︎❤︎❤︎ you can stop there to skip smut.

A/N: I added a BONUS next day AFTERMATH! Where Mikoto comes back and doesn’t remember anything his other personality did!

Amongst the prisoners in Milgram, you were different. You were the first to notice Haruka. First to talk to him. Asked him simple things—Did you eat today? Do you need help with that?—things no one else bothered to ask.

The attention was addicting.

The way your voice softened when you spoke to him. The way you didn’t laugh when he fumbled with tying his shoes or struggled with writing his name. The way you always waited for him. The way you forgave his crimes, seeing his regret…

You weren’t just nice.

You were perfect.

Soon, Haruka found himself watching you more than he should. Memorizing your schedule around the prison. Finding excuses to be near you. Walking the same prison hallways you did, sitting at tables where he knew you’d pass by. Even when you weren’t looking, he was always there—lurking in the background, watching from the corner of his eye, his heart skipping a beat whenever you smiled.

You were perfect for him. Even if you thought your we’re doing nothing more than showing simple kindness due to the scary circumstances in Milgram, he saw it as way more.

He needed to make you his but he had no idea how to confess. He never saw his parents get along well in a loving relationship so he had no example of how it worked. So he went to one of the adults in Milgram he thought might know how to help.

“Just t-tell her…?” Haruka’s face burned as he fidgeted with the hem of his oversized prison uniform sleeves, avoiding Mikoto’s amused gaze.

The older guy leaned against the wall of the prison common area, arms crossed, watching Haruka with a smile. “Yeah, Haru-kun. You like her, don’t you? Then tell her.”

Haruka squirmed. “B-But what if she s-says no?”

Mikoto chuckled. “Then you have to accept that. I’m sure you two can still be friends!”

Haruka paled like the idea was unthinkable. “B-But I—”

Mikoto sighed, ruffling Haruka’s hair like an older brother. “Listen, Haru-kun. Confessing isn’t about making her say yes. It’s about being honest. If she doesn’t feel the same, then that’s how it is.”

Haruka bit his lip, eyes darting away. That’s NOT an option. You had to feel the same. You had to.

Still, he nodded, pretending to take Mikoto’s advice to heart. “O-Okay… I’ll try it.”

Mikoto grinned. “Atta boy.”

It was supposed to be romantic…

Haruka had practiced in front of his rabbit plush a hundred times in his cell—how he’d stand tall, how he’d look you in the eyes, how he’d say your name in a deep, confident voice.

None of that happened.

Instead, he was a stuttering, shaky mess.

“I-I—I w-wanted to s-say—”

You blinked at him, tilting your head in confusion. “Haruka? Are you okay?”

Oh god. You looked worried. Not flustered. Not excited. Worried.

Haruka’s breath hitched. This wasn’t going right. This wasn’t going right at all.

From around the corner, Mikoto crouched and watched, his expression twitching with secondhand embarrassment. “Oh, my—!” His fingers scratching through his scalp in stress. “Haru-kun, you’re killing me here…”

Suddenly a flicker of something dark passed over Mikoto’s face.

Then he stilled and closed his eyes.

When his eyes opened again, they weren’t the same, the previous gleam lower in his pupil.

A smirk curled at his lips, his posture shifting into something far more domineering. “Tch. You really can’t do anything right, huh, Haru-kun? That’s ok, I’ll help you out.”

This wasn’t going to be just Mikoto helping anymore.

Before you could process what was happening, a strong arm wrapped around your shoulder, pulling you flush against a broad chest. The scent of Mikoto’s usual cologne was still there—but something in his demeanor was off.

It was oddly aggressive compared to the Mikoto you’d known. And it was terrifyingly forceful.

Your breath hitched. “Mikoto—?”

“Tch-” Orekoto mouthed in annoyance. His arm around you tightened, his smirk widening as he turned to Haruka, who was staring in shock and embarrassment. “You were taking too long, so I decided to help out Haru-kun.”

Haruka’s lips trembled. “B-But—”

Orekoto rolled his eyes. ��What? You wanted her, didn’t you?” His fingers trailed along your shoulder, making you shiver. “Then take her.”

You tensed, trying to figure out if this was some prank the two men were playing on you. “W-Wait—”

Orekoto ignored you, his grip on your wrist tightening as he started walking. “Come on. We need somewhere private for you two, come one Haru-kun.”

Haruka hesitated for half a second before following, his heart hammering in his chest. His confession hadn’t gone the way he planned.

But maybe… maybe this was better. He couldn’t help the shy grin he had as he followed behind Orekoto and your smaller body being pulled along.

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

With a sudden, forceful motion, Orekoto grabbed your wrist and dragged you towards Haruka’s prison cell. He threw open the door and shoved you inside, causing you to stumble and fall backwards onto the narrow prison mattress.

"Mikoto, what are you- ah!" Your protest turned into a gasp as he crawled over you, pinning your wrists above your head. His eyes, dark and intense, bore into yours with a hunger that made your heart race.

"Be quiet!" he said, his voice a low, dominant growl. One of his hands released your wrist to grip your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. "Right now, I'm going to help Haruka claim what's his. I'm going to teach that fucking virgin exactly how to make a girl feel good."

Haruka stood nervously at the foot of the mattress, his cheeks flushed a deep, mortified red as he watched Orekoto manhandle you. His hands fidgeted and twisted on hem of his uniform, unsure of what to do with himself.

"M-Mikoto, is this okay?" Haruka asked, his voice small and hesitant. "Aren't you being a little too rough with Y/N?"

Orekoto shot Haruka an exasperated glare over his shoulder. "Rough?! Haruka! Do you want her or not?!?! Earlier you were a blabbering mess and she couldn’t take you seriously. You need to assert yourself, show her that she belongs to you."

Turning his attention back to you, Orekoto gripped the bottom of your top and yanked it up and off in one swift motion, exposing your bare skin to the cool air of the Milgram prison cell. His calloused hands skimmed over your flesh, leaving tingles in their wake.

"First things first," he purred, his thumbs brushing over your hardened nipples. "Get her worked up. Touch her like she's the only thing that matters. Like she's your whole world."

Haruka took a small step closer to the mattress, his eyes wide and uncertain as he reached out a shaking hand to cup your breast. He squeezed softly, marveling at the supple weight of it in his palm.

"L-Like this? Mikoto? Is this right?" Haruka asked, his voice pitching higher with nervousness. His thumb brushed over your nipple, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through you.

Orekoto smirked as he watched Haruka's hand explore you. "Not bad Haruka. Now, don't be shy. Really touch her," he growled, his voice a low, dominant rumble. "I want to see you slide your fingers inside her tight little cunt. Get her dripping wet and desperate for your cock."

Haruka's breath hitched at the crude words, his face flushing an even deeper shade of red. With a shakey nod, he trailed his hand down your stomach, his fingertips dipping teasingly beneath the waistband of your panties. He could feel the heat from your core showing how ready you were.

"I-I'm going to put my fingers inside now, Y/N... Okay?" Haruka said, his voice barely audible. He hooked his fingers into the side of your panties and tugged them down your legs, baring your glistening sex to his hungry gaze.

Orekoto grunted in annoyance. "Stop asking for permission, Haruka. Take what you want. Claim her."

With a deep breath, Haruka pressed a finger against your slick folds, feeling your wetness coat his digit. He slowly pushed forward, watching in awe as your tight walls stretched to accommodate him. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan at the incredible feeling of your silky heat enveloping his finger.

"Y-Y/N... you're so tight," Haruka gasped, slowly pumping his finger in and out of your clenching sex. He added a second finger, then a third, stretching you open as he curled them inside you, stroking along your inner walls.

Your back arched off the mattress, a loud moan escaping your lips as Haruka's fingers hit a particularly sensitive spot inside you. Your hips bucked against his hand, seeking more of that delicious friction.

"That's it, Y/N. Take his fingers like the needy little slut you are," Orekoto taunted, his voice a dark, dominant growl. He could see how close you were to the edge, could tell your body was tensing and quivering with impending release. "But don't you dare come. Not yet."

Haruka looked at you with wide, worried eyes, his fingers stilling inside you.

Orekoto's eyes flashed with dark intent as he watched you teetering on the brink of climax, your velvety walls clenching desperately around Haruka's buried fingers. He could see the needy, almost painful desire etched into every line of your body, and it only fueled his own growing arousal.

“Stop," he commanded, his voice a low, authoritative bark. Haruka froze, his fingers still knuckle-deep inside your fluttering sex. "Don't let her come, Haruka. Not yet. You need to mark her first, claim her as yours properly."

Haruka whimpered, he felt his dick twitching in his pants, holding back his own desperate need. With shaking hands, he withdrew his fingers from your dripping core, ignoring your whines. He fumbled with the fastenings of his pants, his cock already straining against the confines, eager for freedom.

"I-I need to...I need to put it in, Y/N?" Haruka asked, his voice high with nerves and anticipation. His cock sprang free as soon as he tugged down his pants and underwear, slapping against his stomach. It was flushed a deep, angry red, the tip super leaky with need.

Orekoto smirked at the virgin Haruka struggling to hold back his desperation. "Yes, Haruka. Claim her cunt. Bury yourself inside her and don't stop until she's overflowing with your seed. Until everyone knows she belongs to you."

Haruka nodded, positioning himself between your spread thighs. The head of his cock nudged against your entrance, slipping through your slick folds to catch on your opening. He looked down at you, his eyes wide and pleading. Though he kept hesitating… afraid to hurt you…

"I-I'm going to...AH!" Haruka gasped.

Growing impatient with Haruka's hesitant pace, Orekoto had moved over to behind Haruka and placed his hands on the small of Haruka's back, pushing the nervous boy forward so he smashed into you. The force of Orekoto's actions drove Haruka's cock deep into your tight channel, forcing you to stretch to take in his girth.

"A-Aah! W-Wait..." Haruka gasped, his eyes widening at the sudden tightness of your walls.

“Shut up and fuck her already," Orekoto growled, his hands gripping Haruka's hips tightly as he helped to drive the boy's movements.

Once he started to get a pace going for himself and Orekoto slowly backed away. Haruka could feel the way your velvety walls gripped and fluttered while his cock split you open.

"Don't hold back. Ravage her cunt until she can't walk straight. Until she's dripping with your cum and everyone knows she belongs to you." Orekoto instructed.

Orekoto's dominant words spurred Haruka on, and he began to move with more urgency, his hips slapping against yours as he drove his cock in and out of your dripping sex. The lewd sound of skin slapping against skin filled the small Milgram prison cell, mingling with your needy moans and Haruka's increasingly desperate panting. Thankfully everyone else was enjoying their food in the dining area and had no idea what was happening in prisoner 001’s cell.

To keep you from trying to get away, Orekoto reached out and grabbed your wrists, pinning them above your head with a grip that was just shy of painful. He leaned down, his lips curling into a smirk, his breath hot against your skin. "That's it, take Haruka’s cock like a good little slut. Don't you dare try to run away from Haruka's dick."

Haruka moved his hips slamming against yours with increasing force. The head of his cock kissing your cervix with every powerful thrust.

Watching the erotic scene unfold before him, Orekoto couldn't help but grow harder by the second. The sight of your restrained form writhing on the prison mattress, impaled on Haruka's desperate cock, was almost too much to bear. He could see the tears of pleasure streaking down your face, hear your needy moans and cries as Haruka pistoned in and out of your soaked cunt.

With a low, almost feral growl, Orekoto reached down and freed his own aching erection from the confines of his pants. It sprang out, long, hard, and already leaking with need. He grasped your chin with his free hand, turning your head to face him as he tapped the leaking crown of his cock against your tear-stained cheek.

"Open your mouth, slut," he commanded, his voice rough with desire. "Put that pretty little mouth to work."

As if in a trance from the undeniable pleasure, you parted your lips, allowing Orekoto to slip his thick length into the warm, wet cavern of your mouth. Your tongue swirled around the head, lapping up the salty essence leaking from the tip. Orekoto groaned at the sensation, his fingers tightening in your hair as he began to slowly thrust his hips, fucking your face with shallow pumps of his cock.

The lewd slurping sounds of the blowjob seemed to drive Haruka wild, spurring him to pick up the pace of his own thrusts. He pounded into you with renewed vigor, the force of his movements causing your body to slide up the mattress with every snap of his hips. The new angle allowed him to drive his cock even deeper, the thick length kissing your womb with every pass.

Haruka's breathing grew ragged and shallow, his rhythm faltering as he rapidly approached his peak. With a strangled cry, he slammed his hips forward one last time, burying himself to the hilt inside your spasming cunt as he found his release. Thick, hot ropes of his seed painted your insides, filling you with his essence as he shook and shuddered above you.

“Y/N! I love you so much! You always gave me attention and I haven’t been able to get out you out of my mind. I won’t let you leave me or deny me ever. I only need you and you only need me!” Haruka whined as he came.

The feeling of Haruka's cock pulsing and throbbing inside you, pumping you full of his cum, was enough to push you over the edge as well. Your inner muscles clamped down around him like a vice, milking every last drop of his release as your own intense orgasm crashed upon you and you passed out.

Orekoto groaned low in his throat, the erotic sight of you and Haruka lost in passion pushing him over the edge of his own release. He yanked his throbbing cock from your slack mouth, aiming it at your face as thick, hot ropes of his seed erupted from the tip. Pearly strands of cum painted your unconscious cheek, marking you as a possession, a toy of their shared use.

With a satisfied grunt, Orekoto wiped the last drops of his essence from his softening cock, smearing the excess over the swell of your breast. He tucked himself back into his pants with a smirk, the evidence of his debauchery written all over your peaceful, sleeping face.

Turning to Haruka, who was still buried to the hilt inside your limp form, Orekoto patted his shoulder. "You did well, Haru-kun. I'm happy you were able to confess your feelings to Y/N. If you ever need any more…’help’…with your relationship in the future, don't hesitate to come to me. I’m sure I will gladly be able to help you again."

Haruka looked up at Orekoto, his face flushed and glowing with happiness. He couldn't stop smiling, reveling in the knowledge that you were finally, truly his. "Thank you Mikoto" he said softly, gently brushing a strand of hair from your face.

With a satisfied nod, Orekoto turned and walked out of Haruka’s cell, leaving you and Haruka alone together in the aftermath of your shared arousal. As the door swung shut behind him, Haruka curled his body around yours protectively, holding you close as you both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

BONUS Next Day!:

The next day, Mikoto woke up in his own cell as he blinked awake with a soft yawn, his mind foggy and confused like he had forgotten something... He could feel a strange, unfamiliar dampness in his pants, and he wiggled uncomfortably on the mattress in his cell.

Rising from his mattress, Mikoto stretched and got himself out of bed. He went to brush his teeth and got on a fresh pair of pants and underwear deciding to discard the previous wet ones embarrassed that Es or Jackolope might comment if they saw the obvious wet patch during an interrogation.

Mikoto decided to head to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat. He made his way out of his cell and towards the communal dining area.

As Mikoto entered the dining area, he spotted Haruka sitting alone at a table, snacking on a fluffy mound of cotton candy.

"Hey there, Haru-kun! Mind if I join you?" Mikoto asked in his usual cheerful tone as he approached the table where Haruka sat, completely oblivious to what his other personality had done the previous night. He pulled out a chair setting down his tray and sat down across from Haruka.

Haruka's head shot up at the sound of Mikoto's voice, his eyes wide and anxious. He seemed to tremble slightly, a flicker of uncertainty and guilt in his expression. It was clear that he was wondering whether Mikoto remembered the details of their shared encounter with you the previous night.

"U-Um, h-hello Mikoto..." Haruka stammered nervously. "You... you want to sit with me?"

Mikoto tilted his head in confusion at his nervous voice. "Huh? Of course, Haruka. Why wouldn't I want to sit with you?" he asked with a soft chuckle. "We're friends, aren't we? By the way how did your confession with Y/N go yesterday?"

Haruka told him it went fine and you accepted thanks to his… advice. And Mikoto hummed satisfied with himself, having no clue of what Orekoto had forced upon you, or the role he had played in your defilement…

Now your sleeping body is hidden, tucked under the blankets of the mattress in Haruka’s cell hugging his rabbit plush, for him to now be able to enjoy all of your attention.

A/N: YANDERE HARUKA SAKURAI. KINDA POLY MIKOTO KAYANO. OREKOTO IS FREAKY. MORE MILGRAM SMUT SINCE NO ONE WANTS TO WRITE IT. Like serrrrrriously we have a series about criminalsssss and noooo one wants to write dark content? Fine. I will make it.

[doomed-silly]

So I primarily have posted milgram content but I NEED to talk about ochako and toga from my hero academia so bad

FULL MHA SPOILERS BELOW

LIKE EVEN STUFF THAT HASNT BEEN ANIMATED

With that out of the way im specifically wanting to talk about toga and ochako in terms of neurodivergency, privilege, and social norms.

Starting with Toga to me shes well first off canonically LGBT (pan specifically I believe), but to me she reads neurodivergent. Not so much in behavior but in her role in the story/how shes treated. She has a quirk that's at first glance not seen as "normal". She exhibits behaviors that are alarming and also not "normal". You can probably see where im going here, but Toga was born into a system that had 1. Decided before she was born that she was someone who needed to be changed to fit the mold and 2. Born into a system that prioritized the status quo over her as a person.

Moving onto ochako, I'd argue that ochako exhibits extreme levels of affection like Toga does. The key difference is Ochako does it in a socially acceptable way. Ochakos quirk does not predispose her to expressing love differently from the majority of people. Ochako is a very affectionate loving person, and she is empathetic at heart.

So after setting up some basic information where am I going with this? I wanted to talk about privlidge and ostracization. Since im relating toga specifically back to autism I'll be speaking in those terms. Toga shows affection and love based on the genetic makeup she was born with. Toga is simply doing what is natural to her. When someone who is autistic is born its the same way. We are autistic. The way we show love or socialize or anything that autism effects (which is mostly everything) is inherent to our autism. Once Toga starts deviating from what's considered normal shes sent to get professional help. In this case and what most cases are irl its not about helping the autistic individual acclimate to their surroundings and cope with them its about teaching them to act in a way that's deemed more acceptable. This can be seen with Toga when shes literally told to "quit smiling like that". Just our facial expressions are enough to upset people. I know plenty of autistic people who had to practice their facial expressions in the mirror. But anyways after this Toga quite literally starts masking the visual cue of this is a LITERAL mask she wears. For anyone who doesn't know irl with autism masking is the process of someone who's autistic presenting as neurotypical (not autistic). However this is an extremely draining process. And when you reach a point you can experience burn out which then effects everything in your life including your ability to mask. Toga broke she couldn't keep masking which led to her drinking the blood of her crush. So just some quick recaps Toga was born with a system that was built to force her to conform or face ridicule otherwise.

Next is ochako. In terms of privlidge ochako isn't rich (the poor jokes were plentiful), but compared to Toga it comes down to her quirk. Ochakos quirk doesn't effect her behavior or at least the way she presents to people. She's the type of girl people love. Translating that to irl ochako could be considered neurotypical. Ill speak more about ochako later but for now that's the info that's relevant.

We hear first hand from Toga she doesn't understand why how she expresses love is wrong. To her it is inherent. And irl id say majority of autistic people dont drink blood to show their love BUT we do typically approach love differently than neurotypical people. They literally made a whole show about dating while autistic. And this is where ochako comes in. She grew up in a system that benefited her. She never had to think about her expression of self because the system never faulted her for how she expressed herself. When she is first interacting with Toga shes still trusting the system because she doesn't have the life experience or personal connections to realize that some people are not only struggling under the system but are actively demonized under it. From there toga is able to find her chosen family and ochako attempts to connect with Toga. But now I want to go to their final confrontation. At this point Toga is beaten down. Ochako is fully embracing the fact she was wrong and she wants to understand and help Toga but at this point Toga doesn't have an interest in the system anymore. And I think where it starts getting heart breaking but also really interesting is that ochako is actively taking hit after hit from Toga but still choosing to connect vs fight. Toga has never had someone who was apart of the system willing to reach out to her like this but especially to that degree. And I think the final push Toga and ochako needed was ochako acknowledging that Toga suffered not because of the fact shes a villain and has a quirk that makes her act a certain way, but because this system was not designed to help her. And ochako completely opening up to Toga at her worst literally not shielding herself when Toga goes to stab her shows Toga a level of care and willingness to understand and love her that she till now didnt think could happen for her. Toga desires love and connection. In her own words she falls in love too easily with everyone and everything. She so desperately wants people to accept her and love her, but because she was born in a way that was deemed incorrect shes barred from the connection she wants. Seeing ochako not only accept her but actively fight to get through to her is that connection she longs for. Not just love but a signifier of validation and acceptance that she didn't deserve what happened to her in her past and that people can love her outside of the bounds of what's "normal"

And i think that culminates to Togas question "am I cute?". On the face of it its a bit of a juvenile question. To Toga though this isn't juvenile because to her its her finally being able to let go of the hatred people gave her.

I think what's so heart breaking about Toga is what she even says in her final monologue. Maybe if there were more people like ochako or someone had reached out earlier things could've been different. Toga didnt need to be fixed she just needed support.

And from there we can get more into ochako. During her confrontation with Toga she specifically mentions realizing there's more than just her family that needs help and to me I read that as her acknowledging what extends past her world view. So many neurotypical people or anyone not part of a marginalized group are very resistant to being open to learning past what they know. But ochako saw there's more to the world then just her and she then took action to educate herself and extend empathy. Her monologue to Toga is exhibiting this like when she talks about how she thought Toga smiling while doing awful things meant she liked hurting people and then proceeding to say Togas smile was perfect. Ochako is at this point fully accepting her position of privilege. She is able to see her own prejudices and shes also not only wanting to talk and get closer to toga but is willing to extend an offer that benefits toga and not the system. Ochako has been viewing toga through the lens of the system they grew up in, so once she realizes she was wrong she can't just expect toga to work within those constraints. Toga has been doing that her whole life which led her here. Ochako takes accountability and also makes the space comfortable for toga by saying she'll give her as much blood as she wants. Ochako is fully embracing toga as she is and not what shes "supposed" to be.

I think in the time skip ochako continuing to use her time to help kids like toga is also a testament to her character. I really do believe this whole arc is a beautiful way to encapsulate how autistic people are disregarded and mistreated by our society and also shows how far acceptance and understanding can go.

"This world might not be a comfortable place for you to live in" is the line that has me constantly thinking about these two. It's rare im so moved by a piece of dialogue that it makes me rethink my life. But for all of MHA's faults im glad we have toga and ochako

[purgemarchlockdown]

Let's Keep It Simple: Power Dynamics in Milgram

(CWs: Ableism, Abuse, Bullying, Unhealthy Power Dynamics)

(This is partially me putting this post and this post together and partially a more cleanly written version of the ideas discussed in this reblog chain and partially additional thoughts after both.)

(Big thanks to: Tsuwmya, Tired-and-unslimed, Archivalofsins and Clownsalot for contributing to the original chain and making this thing much bigger than it would of been otherwise)

(Also big thanks to: Roseofcards90, 1moremilgramenjoyer, Tsuwmya, Tokyogruel and milgram-side-blog for reading this!)

When talking about heroism and the ideas associated with them, it's easy to focus on the altruistic and selfless aspects of it. The ideal of a brave hero selflessly protecting the innocent is an appealing one.

And there's nothing Inherently wrong with wanting to help people! It's good to help people instead of giving up on them. However, being a hero is an ideal, one that no one could live up to without destroying themselves in the process. And the ideal of heroism practiced by the characters in Milgram isn't fully altruistic.

When you are defining your entire sense of self through heroism, you are incentivized to find (or Create) people who are Weaker than you to Validate that sense of self. It's self-serving in a way, this isn't coming from a genuine want to help but a want to feel in power.

Let's consider Yuno's reaction to her voting in T2.

(Yuno T2 VD)

Yuno: Ah, yes yes. Well, this is going to be purely—purely—personal opinion but…I find those kinds of assumptions preachy and unpleasant! They’re worthless! Arbitrarily deciding that I’m pitiable. Arbitrarily making up a backstory for me. Creating a personally idealized version of me. Creating an acceptable version of me. They really exist, you know, those kinds of people. And in particular, those kinds of people…won’t do anything for me.

When you pity someone you implicitly assume they are weaker than You, and are unable to help themselves in any meaningful way. Not only that but Yuno is upset at the creation of a version of her that is "idealized." A version of her that is the easiest to sympathize and pity.

It's dehumanizing in a way. Yuno is being projected onto like an Object, instead of being treated as a person. Her agency is being removed for the sake of an easier narrative. Something more convenient to the people around her.

This is an idea Yuno is intimately familiar with, as she's been repeatedly selling different versions of herself to different people. She gives a version of herself those people Want from her. Yuno dislikes being pitied and infantilized like this. She chose to do this, whether if it was a bad decision or not is Different from if Yuno has agency. Which she does.

Milgram's saviors tend to fall into this trap. They don't believe the person on the other side has any agency, they don't trust in that person's ability to interact with the world, and they don't trust in that person's judgement. There is a Fundamental Lack of Respect here for the person being saved.

Which leads us to Shidou Kirasaki.

A Cozy Coffin

I have a lot of strong feelings about Shidou. There's a lot about him that remains mysterious and a lot of him I simply do not trust. However something I am sure about is Shidou's lack of care for the people he tries to save and his Unwillingness to change in the face of that.

Shidou Kirasaki's care is self-serving, it reflects in his medical career and it reflects in how he treats the people around him. He even says it himself, he's selfish.

(Aesculapius)

Shidou: 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…

And while Shidou is admittedly unreliable as he Wants to be voted unforgiven. T2 Shidou wants to stay innocent, because he's important, more important than anyone else.

That’s right, there’s justice that needs saving See, indispensable, I’m indispensable

Shidou believes in his own importance, he believes he contributes something useful to the prison.

T1Q1: Why did you choose your current workplace? Because I thought it'd let me contribute to society.

And while he Is a doctor and Is Important, he tends to dismiss people who he thinks are weaker than him or who contribute Less in his eyes.

If it’s not needed, I’m not interested

“Throw down”, someone’s value Cannot be the same as another “Throw down” should choose between superiority or inferiority

There are people who are Inferior and people who are Superior, and he has the ability to choose who is who. But when people who are Inferior do contribute something to him in some way, he diminishes and erases their agency they have because he believes himself to Know Better.

20/06/13

Shidou: I…… I just don’t understand. If everything about MILGRAM is true…… why did a child like you have to become a murderer? Just imagining what sort of circumstances must have led to that, it makes me so sad…… Amane: ……*sigh*. Is that right. I don’t think I’m going to get along with you, Shidou-san. I don’t agree with the fact you refuse to acknowledge that I have my own free will, and that I should be held accountable for my actions, just because I’m a child. I may have only been alive for 12 years, but all the choices I’ve made, even if they weren’t the best ones, were entirely my own. What point is there in you getting sad when I have no regrets myself? ……please give me back my test. It seems you don’t have the concentration levels required to be my teacher. I’m going to get Kotoko-san to teach me instead. Shidou: Amane…… I don’t think that’s true. However smart you may be…… you’re still just a child.

While we know for a fact that Amane's actions were influenced by her familial situation, that isn't what Amane is criticizing here. What she Is criticizing is what we did to Yuno in T1. He invented an idealized backstory for Amane without knowing Anything about her except that she's in Milgram with everyone else. And while that is a concern, the choices she made were her Own, independent of whether or not she had a tragic backstory.

But Shidou doesn't Acknowledge that, because acknowledging that there is a level of agency in her actions would complicate the narrative. It be much easier for him to help if it wasn't complicated.

Shidou was a father. He's projecting onto Amane here, and also does the same to Es. He misses his children, but he doesn't treat Amane and Es in a respectful manner. Something that damages his relationship with the both of them.

(Molech)

Shidou: I don’t know what circumstances you face while guarding this prison nor the reason as to why you’re doing it, but I’m sure that it must take a toll on you emotionally as well. So, please do your best. [pats head] Es: [is shook] I see. Oh, I see now. So, that’s how it is. So, that’s how it’s gonna be. [deep breaths] Shidou: Hm? Es? Es: Don’t you dare… pat my head like that! [kicks] Shidou: [grunts] Please hold on for a second.

Shidou knows Es very little, he's intruding on their personal space here all because their a child that he pities. He's projecting his parental feelings onto them when they Clearly don't want it because he gets something out of it.

However that isn't all, Shidou Kirasaki is a man trapped in the past, unable to move on in any way. He's trapped in this eternal cycle of grief and regret.

He's constantly searching for a past he can't return to, a future that will remain static and unchangeable.

T1Q16: What is the definition of happiness? A: To be promised an unchanging tomorrow.

You might wonder how this relates to Saviors and for that I need to talk about:

The Girl Prince

It's hard not to talk about saviors in Milgram without mentioning Kotoko. Her story centers around the concept of heroism and what that really means and involves.

Her story covers a lot of what we discussed with Shidou. Kotoko believes herself to be more powerful than the people she considers weaklings, someone who knows better than them and can make the "right" decisions.

Kotoko: From the beginning I’ve never asked for your understanding! My actions, one by one, are bringing earth closer to peace. Useless Weaklings should just shut up and let me protect them!

Kotoko also puts a lot of importance on power and usefulness. As seen above with "useless weaklings," and she also especially values physical power. How else are you supposed to protect people after all?

T1Q4: When did you start learning martial arts? A: In elementary school, perhaps. Without enough power, you can't enforce justice and do the right thing, can you?

Kotoko believes in a worldview with a hierarchical power structure, there are people who are Strong Useful People who protect the Weaker Useless People. Which reflects back into the ableism she exhibits with both Haruka and Mikoto.

Kotoko Birthday (12/15/2023)

Kotoko: Fufufu, fufufufufu. You’re thinking some outrageous things. To be frank, it’s abnormal.

Kotoko Birthday (12/15/2022)

Kotoko: Hm. The border between the two is getting a lot vaguer. Your entire existence is a crime. And I will see you’re punished for it.

While this attitude towards disability and mental disorders and illnesses come from how she views the world around her using the lens of strength and power. But that isn't the only thing.

Kotoko isn't as revolutionary as she portrays herself to be. While she believes that the world Needs to change, she still believes in the structures and hierarchies of it. Notably when she interacts with Es she doesn't criticize Milgram's practices, but instead joins up with them and uses Violent Force to keep people in line.

(I would mention something from her T2 VD here if it wasn't spoilers but there's a scene there that I find interesting, again I won't mention it but I do have it in my mind.)

Kotoko is someone who wants to put the Good People in charge and keep the Bad People away. She wants to anoint a "chosen hero," someone who's "good" in her eyes, someone who she can trust and believe in fully to make the "right" decisions. It's a worldview In Favor of keeping things the same, it's just that someone else should be running it.

Kotoko's worldview is notably immature, it's black and white and lacks a lot of nuance. But she's unwilling to change.

Once again, it's Easier to be a savior if the world is simple. There's no nasty complication getting in the way of the fantasy of being a hero. If you keep the world stuck in a static position then it's easier for it to aid in the Fantasy of being a savior.

And again, this behavior doesn't stem from a genuine want to help people, but a need to validate one's own identity, and to feel like they have power over something.

(Task)

Kotoko: Yes. I hate evil. Hurting innocent people with violence, taking away from others, killing people… I hate all this evil behaviour! The law being unable to judge some sins, there's too many of these cases in this world. Having clearly bullied and torturing the weak, but exploiting loopholes in laws, there's so many sinners who still live in such a carefree manner! Even though I want to change this world, I alone only have this much power.

It's important that things don't change, if they do then you'd have to acknowledge that the world is more complicated than they Want it to be. It's important that you will Always be the hero and that there are Always going to people who need saving.

Or, on the flipside, no matter what you do. You will stay the pitied and loved victim forever.

Good Boy Girl

Haruka Sakurai is a character who is Undeniably trapped in the past.

If with one click, and I can reset everything

He wants to become a good boy again, he wants to be given the same attention he was given in the past, and he projects his mother onto Es and Later Muu.

He's idealized the past so much that he's become submerged in it.

However while Haruka Wants to stay the victim, he wants to stay powerless and pitiful, he really isn't. A tension that often gets played with within his trial. Haruka is able to harm people and threatens Es in Trial 2. First with the idea that he can kill them and then with his life to Guilt Es into forgiving Muu.

I will keep on killing to be a good boy

Haruka Sakurai isn't Weak, but wants to be so he can be loved and adored by the people around him. Because if he isn't perceived as a threat but as someone that can be projected onto without any worry, then he could be loved.

I wanted to be a pitied and loved weakling

However, we do actually have an example of a character who Is Weak, and who is pitied and loved because of that. Who uses her failures and faults to gain power only for it to stumble out of her grasp time and time again because of it.

Muu Kusunoki Fails. A lot. I see a common interpretation of her after It's Not My Fault is Muu as the master manipulator, but if she was she wouldn't be here. She would still be the queen, eating honey like nothing was wrong.

But she isn't anymore, she fell from grace even before she attacked Rei.

Muu isn't Special, she isn't Powerful. But she is Pitiful, and she uses that pity to gain sympathy and affection from others. Muu Needs to stay the Victim if she wants to be cared for, so she always tries to position herself even when she hurts people.

(Crying B)

Muu: Hey… Prison guard, when you say “I”… Who are you talking about? Es: [breaking down]  Muu: Prison guard? Es: [stumbles]  Muu: Prison guard. What’s wrong? Prison guard! [shakes Es] Hey! Prison guard! Es: Shut up! Don’t touch me! Muu: [cries] You’re so cruel… I… Even though I was just worried about you… [cries again] I can’t take it anymore. I hate you, prison guard! 

If she stays the victim and keeps people's sympathy on her, then she doesn't have to worry at all about people turning on her or hurting her. It's a Service, she acts pitiful, and the people who help her can feel good about doing a Good Thing.

Even if they do eventually turn on her, she can just play victim and hope they stop. Maybe attack their self-esteem as well to really make sure they don't think harder about it.

(Queen B)

M: But if you were like, “I won’t forgive you, Muu! Revenge is bad!,” then wouldn’t that imply that it’s also bad for me to bully someone back after they bullied me? Since we’ve all done something bad anyway, doesn’t that mean that I’ve not done anything wrong in the end? E: …I think I’m kinda… starting to get your point… maybe… M: … Warden-san, are you maybe not that intelligent, after all…?

She's using Es' feelings of uncertainty and lack of knowledge to manipulate them into doing what she wants, but she isn't that Good at it. Muu could keep more ground if she continued to play more passive and timid. But instead she acts more aggressive and carefree.

The thing about Muu's strategy is that if She Stops Being Pitiful, it Stops Working. Muu can't let herself be Happy or Confident or otherwise because then she won't be pitiful enough to people. If she does, she gets knocked off her throne and sent back to square one.

Muu is a deeply cyclical character. She cycles from pitiful to queenly and back over and over again. Not only that but when everything is structured through the lens of who's stronger and who's weaker, then you are encouraged to push other people down for your own gain.

Her environment exists as a place where healthy relationships are Discouraged. Because if a relationship doesn't give you anything then you have no use for it.

Muu: Isn’t it exactly because he’s my friend? Isn’t friendship about letting your friends do the things they want? … Are you about to tell me “that’s not what friendship is”? Then what is friendship? You’re together because it’s beneficial for everyone involved, aren’t you?

Conclusion

There's a lot of ways to read these dynamics I think. Tsumi brings up the Karpman's Triangle over here and archivalofsins is working on a post based around TIV. And I can't really put every single facet of a character into this dynamic neatly.

But that's also kinda the point. As stated above, the lack of change and simplicity is important to this dynamic. Its resistant to change and resistant to growth. And any sort of attempt to function outside of it is a threat to it. These mindsets and hierarchies are dangerous because there strict and unchanging, and the deeper your in, the harder it is to get out.

The roles being played here turn people into one dimensional archetypes rather than People. Their motivations, circumstances and personality disappear to fit a convenient narrative of saviors and victims. 

It's also much easier to become powerless than to gain power. Muu tried and failed to gain power, while Fuuta was punished and left powerless. It's not a balanced dynamic at all, it lifts up a few people and leaves the rest to rot. But the people who are “stronger” now have to somehow fulfill a role with standards too high to reach. No one wins here, because it's so highly destructive and damaging, and I find the way Milgram interrogates it to be really intriguing.

[archivalofsins]

Honestly it can be difficult being a fan of any of the Milgram characters. Except Mikoto- I just accept he's like that and people leave or become haters so rapidly that eventually like it or not I'm gonna be the only one left in this room.

Everybody else though is on a whole nother level. The way it flips-flops between person who could never intentionally do any harm and wretched beast that needs to be caged/taken out for the sake of humanity is wild.

I can just be over here thinking about Mikoto like good thing you're only treated like that in canon as an example of how fickle the opinions of people are. Never touch whatever is going on with his case on a fandom level and live in relative peace. As his merch gets sold second hand and people start writing subjective think pieces about how he's bad rep and other characters are better.

It is so difficult to like phase me when it comes to the other prisoners at this point simply because the conversation around Mikoto has prepared me for any argument and just made me go,

"Who is this point helping and harming?"

So frequently that it literally impacts how I view the actual news now. Like chained this man up last trial. Despite that the main concern was proving one wasn't dangerous though- One of these people has to be a good person. No none of them has to be.

Sometimes being alive means accepting ourselves and others we believe in will be wrong instead of trusting things blindly. Mikoto is out here avoiding be indoctrinated in cults because he had the resolve and pettiness to go,

"If god was real then it would've helped by now. Show me results before you expect me to start blindly praising something."

Then waited for nothing just went fuck it-

"I’ve got you, leave it to me."/ "“I” will save “me”."

I'll get the results, hell I'll be the results- Praise me, this is a great job I'm doing what the fuck do you mean?!

"Hey now, I saved you, right? So why in the hell are you crying? Cling to me, hoist me up as your “savior”, stand up and sing out your gratitude, that’d be good."

This dude came in here went you can't expect someone else to get you out of your circumstances. Sitting around and just laughing things off doesn't make the issue disappear. I gotta start helping myself- The hell do you mean religion.

Now that same can apply to everyone else here. Everyone here has consistently doubled down. None of them have been receptive to their verdicts in ways that measured up to the desires of the audience. Ultimately it is fun to think about how subject to change the fanbases opinions can be but that's a natural occurrence.

The reason I enjoy looking at Mikoto's case is admittedly because he is petty as hell and I'm interested in seeing how he follows through on his threat from trial one-

"I will NEVER forgive you if this is happening to me even though I’m right."

"Please tell me it’s a mistake, that’s it’s a lie- That I’m right, I’ll forgive you if you tell me now."

In all of trial two Mikoto never walks this statement back. Unlike Amane he doesn't say I'll give you one more chance to make this right because I'm such a reasonable man. He is very much like,

Fuck around find out I guess you annoying piece of-

"All I did was dream, so you find me INNOCENT, it’s that simple right? Come to know me as an honest man, eat your words, gulp them down."

But Gunsli he said sorry and he seemed so genuine too-

Miss me with all that I want to see this guy retaliate sooo bad. No one asked but outside of Kazui I am really looking forward to the idea of Mikoto's third trial being It's Not My Fault two. Because this man was barely holding back a smile last we saw him.

Mu and Mikoto being over the top is the best third trial timeline. These two are gonna be fucking pissed. This is why they were near each other in the jailbreak. These two,

"I will not take accountability for this in fact you should take accountability for this- I didn't do a damn thing."

You're so right King, you're so right Queen this is all on us for not forgiving you- You are absolutely correct your actions or pattern of behavior did nothing to facilitate this response we are just meanies.

"So I wasn’t forgiven. How cruel, even though I said I didn’t do anything. It’s making me resentful."/ "What are you going to do about this? Haruka-kun died. Hey, guard. You knew this would happen, right?"

"I don’t know any more. I hate this, just let me go home. I don’t want to talk to you any more."/ "It’s like something’s disappeared from inside me, and I’m… I’m scared. I’m tired. I just want this to stop. All of it."

Personally I really love the "Remember you asked for this" duo. Like I know everyone in Milgram is petty to different extents even Jackalope but Mu and Mikoto make that mindset really fun. It's easier to like this with Mikoto because I don't see a lot of stuff defending him but this is because I'm not really deep in this space at this point.

I do the same with everyone else though. So, I can't really act like Mikoto is special in this regard he's just the one I find the most fun to do this with.

[demi-tri]

Intro/Looking for moots

Name: Demi or Demitri (nicknames also welcome !!)

Pronouns: Any

Age: Minor

I am a multifandom account but I mostly post about:

● Beyblade (all gens, but I haven't finished Metal Saga yet)

● Fangans (A LOT OF THEM, but my faves are Despair Time and Lapse so probably about those 2 the most)

● Yu-Gi-Oh (currently rewatching every anime, but keep in mind I never watched Vrains, Sevens or Go Rush but I plan to !!)

● Sonic.EXEverse (....okay maybe I won't post about it much but it's been occupying my mind for a while and I don't think I'm escaping the rabbit hole any time soon)

Other stuff that I'm into but will probably be in my reblogs 90% of the times

•Vocaloid

•Evillious Chronicles

•Project Sekai

•Bandori

•Sonic The Hedgehog

•Heathers The Musical

•The Amazing Digital Circus

•Six The Musical

•Nanbaka (still haven't finished it tho, I'm on like 200th chapter I think)

•Milgram

•Alien Stage

•FNAF

•Code Lyoko

•Brawl Stars

•Madoka Magica

•Everything But Your Life

•Yandere Simulator (I DON'T SUPPORT YANDERE DEV)

•Art of murder

*I have a LOT of things on my watchlist so there will DEFINETLY be more so beware of that lol

My favorite characters ever are Kyle Hakim and Kanon Ota (I love both of them very dearly and I'm insanely normal about them trust me guys)

I might make a post about rest of my favorite characters from Beyblade and fangans+ Yu-Gi-Oh ngl

Some other (I think) fun facts about me !!

I really like green as you can see

I'm aroace and gender apathetic :]]

I mostly listen to Vocaloid and my favorite producers are Akuno-P, GHOST and Pals and MARETU

My favorite Vocaloids are GUMI, Miku and KAITO

I don't have a favorite Beyblade gen (tho I might have a "soft spot" for Burst if that makes sense bc it's the first one I watched) but my favorite season ever is Turbo/Cho-Z

My favorite Yu-Gi-Oh series is GX and Zexal

I have a nutcracker collection :DD

I'm making a Beyblade Burst x Danganronpa AU series thing with Gacha, but I had a couple of issues while making it so I can't guarantee when is it coming out 😭😭

I LOVE MULTIFANDOM HEADCANONS RAH ‼️‼️

DNI LIST:

-Just anyone who is rude to others for any reason at all lol

My other socials/where else you can find me

TikTok:

YouTube:

I also have an AO3 account but I haven't posted anything there yet, I might leave a link here when I do

*This intro is definetly getting edited in the future lol

I don't know how to end this

[teardropvampire]

To give my thoughts on the fandom discussion of the handling of DID Mikoto/John's writing after the Double mv, I think my main frustration is just the somewhat black and white attitude many people have being viewing things with. In all honesty, I think the writing is complex situation that's a lot more then just 'good rep vs bad rep'. Instead, it almost could be better viewed through what the writing choices are attempting to explore/say about the character vs what ended up coming across to viewers? Its especially hard when we're only partially through the series, meaning a lot of your current opinion has to come from how strong your faith is in the series providing satisfying narrative conclusions to all the threads we've been presented with so far. But even then, I think its both fine to be uncomfortable with his portrayal or be satisfied with it - and that mixed reaction is generally what I've seen so far, particularly from viewers who are systems themselves. Its important for us singlets that we take into account the opinions of systems who are willing to comment on the character while also using our own critical thinking. Things seem to have been a lot better so far in that regard, which is great to see.

As for me personally? I have to say that I trust in the series to deliver nuanced and respectful writing. When you take a look at the series from a wider perspective, Mikoto and John's circumstances do tie into Milgram's exploration of societal issues in a way that I'd expect to be handled with care and empathy going forward. I feel the presentation of such flawed characters and the conflicts that can arise in our voting as a result of it can be applied to not just here but all the characters in at least some way. John isn't, and was never meant to be portrayed as purely antagonistic or monotonous, and I'm glad that idea has gotten more focus in this trial. This complex presentation of the cast's actions, as confronting as it often may be, have always been to help us understand and connect with the prisoners, rather than demonize them as foreign entities. This is particularly notable in Mikoto's case because of the divisive nature of mental health as a subject matter, but is definitely not the only occurrence of it in the series. However, Mikoto's case is definitely not perfect from a writing perspective and its important to be critiqued when necessary! Regardless of good intentions, trying to write a disability as complicated as DID will inevitably contain both steps forward and backwards. Although my opinion towards the handling of Mikoto's DID in this trial lean towards positive, It's completely justified to be uncomfortable with it and we should respect those who feel that way. But yeah, it's just slightly frustrating that I've seen people acting as if you need to decide between 'this is good rep, defend the series with your life' and 'this is bad rep, drop the series entirely'. Of course, learning to observe your own bias and look beyond restrained dichotomies of judgement has always been one of the series' main intent, so it's interesting in how it's shown itself again this time around. It'll be extremely interesting to see how both Mikoto and John are going to develop as characters going forward!

[maristelina]

"What I love about MILGRAM (& MILGRAM fans)."

The fact that it only provides the bare minimum of explanation. One of the interesting aspects of the work is how fans decipher and share the hidden structure and rules through visuals and drama.

Especially with the minimal explanation, I was even moved to see how fans have sensed (and screamed about) the essence and questions of the work from the changes in the second trial.

And the range of each fan's understanding and sensitivity adds spice to the challenging parts of the work.

This was a kind of gamble for me when designing MILGRAM, but it has come to fruition thanks to the excellent fans. Much appreciated.

In the current trend of entertainment content, where clear and easy-to-digest explanations are required, the fact that this difficult-to-understand work can be enjoyed by a wide age range is, as a creator, something I find very dreamy.

I've always thought that works should trust the audience more. (Something I thought while making Caligula. No matter how complex the intentions are, passionate audiences will reach it.)

Even if it's difficult, if you can make people feel "it's hard to understand, but I want to understand," you can elevate each other's literary sensitivity, which I think is a very wonderful thing.

It's a contemplation on the balance between complexity and accessibility in creative works, expressing gratitude for an engaged audience and the joy found in creating something that challenges conventional norms.

[tisorridalamor]

Milgram rambling about things I'm hoping for on this final arc :) I haven't been keeping up with it since Deep Cover came out so oops if I misremember any details!

First of all NO THIRD HARUKA / SHIDOU / MAHIRU SONGS?? Very tragic and I'm hoping we still get something from them in some manner. This could be done if they go the "multiple routes" thing or release non-canon songs or bonus tragic singing from beyond the grave songs or something. Tbh I'm not sure what Shidou's third song would be about, we have a very good idea of him and his situation + 2 innocent verdicts, but since Haruka and Mahiru both had swaps between innocent and guilty clearly there's more that could be told with their stories for a "final verdict" from the fans. Haruka's in particular was relatively close with close too so I think there's room for people to debate (not for me I think he's innocent but I'd like to see more). I'd be interested to see all of them but now Idk if we'll get it ;_;

Yuno and Futa both have the majority of their story told so I don't have any good predictions or hopes. Yuno's another 2 innocent verdicts character and I can't imagine them adding anything else to her story so I could see a song in reaction to Milgram as a whole being interesting? She might be our first released song too this time. Futa would also make a good response song since he went guilty->innocent and he's a very passionate guy, I hope his new song reflects that

For Mu I want to see her reaction to Haruka's presumed death. She cared for him in some way but didn't share his radical devotion, so I'm curious if she show's remorse and if that will make her appear more innocent to fans. Also, what's going to be her reaction and punishment to being guilty? I'm very excited to see!!

Hoping for gay Kazui to become more explicit, there's still enough ambiguity people that I've seen folks argue he's just an adulterer when imo it's more interesting if he's been faithful and then came out to his wife and then she committed suicide. There's also still the theory though that Kazui pushed her after she reacted negatively to what he told her... Another song from him is super warranted and I'm excited for more info. I think a lot of fans also expected him to try and help Mahiru or Shidou, so I'm curious if that will come up in his interview or the song.

Amane... Did she kill Shidou after all? What will she be like after being called innocent? I'm excited to see her reaction to everything. I hope there's hope for her though I'm an innocent Amane defender.

There's a really specific theory for Mikoto that I love for the drama of it all which is that the stress that created John was not his job, but that Mikoto really did kill someone and the stress fallout from that is what created him. I think it would be a cool twist, especially if John didn't know and thought Mikoto was innocent for real. Either way he's another more "ambiguous" case so I'm curious what else there is to reveal with him since his story hasn't intersected with the other prisoners that much.

Kotoko!!! She's so interesting because nothing really changed between Trial 1 and Trial 2 in my opinion, just that she was presented as way more aggressive. I'm still of the opinion that her murder wasn't the kid but was the abuser (I know some have theorized otherwise but idk if it's a commonly held theory or just adding options to the table), but it's true her story is just ambiguous enough to make people fight about it. Her reaction to being guilty now is gonna be sooooooo good I genuinely can't wait.

Overall I lean toward voting innocent for everyone because I don't believe we have the right to judge these characters, especially looking at it from such biased perspectives. It's hard though, because everyone has a different approach to voting - do you vote based just on the raw evidence? Can you trust everything you're seeing? What about voting to prevent or cause something to happen in the prison, like a lot of people tried last round? I really love Milgram's story and interactivity and it's been so fun to follow :D Hoping it can stick the landing!

[nomeniko]

hi :D for the ask game What do you wish more people understood about kazui? Which trial 2 MV do you enjoy the most, and why?

thank you for the ask i would grovel at ur feet in gratitude i hope the sun shines down and makes the light dance for u and you only today

1. if anything ive seen a few theories of kazui possibly revealing himself to be a two faced manipulator of sorts due to his self proclaimed liarness…. like ‘ohh u cant trust what he says he cld be trying to make himself look pitiable to the audience to get voted inno’ sort of theories which is. no he wont do that???

is he a liar? to a degree yes—liar not in the sense that what he says are direct falsities, but more like hes built much of his character to constantly disguise his true intentions/feelings as a defense mechanism. the lies he says are less of words from a schemer and more of redirections from someone who is, all in all, an insecure adult scared of what will happen if he isnt able to meet peoples expectations of him

as much as he calls himself a liar hes mad honest about where he thinks his capabilities lie, which is to say he doesnt believe in his capabilities at all lol. when amane asks him for help with her studies, he turns her down after some consideration bc he doesnt believe himself to be smart enough to help (despite having graduated from a university; sports degree or not credit shld be given where credit is due). when he talks to shidou post ktk attack, he refuses to admit doing any of the work in taking care of the situation and instead puts all the praise onto shidou. even his physical strength and skill (which is arguably the one part of him he does acknowledge and take some sort of belief in) is something he treats as less of something that he has achieved himself and more of an obligation of his—like, hes strong bc to him he HAS to be, bc it is expected of him to protect those who need protecting. he does want to protect others, sure, but much of that wanting comes frm how ingrained it is in him that thats what hes good for, thats what his strength is for (his timeline w/ yuno on her bday says as much nyway)

the way i see it, that self deprication of his plays back into his obsession with meeting the expectations placed onto him, or at least lessening the disappointment of others by lessening those expectations in the first place. if u tell someone that u didnt go to the right university, that u didnt do much to help anyway, that u were born so fundamentally wrong as a person that everything is bound to go to shit as long as ur there (he basically said this to es in his t1 vd im not even kidding), wouldnt that ensure the safety that youre less likely to ruin someone elses confidence in you? less likely to ruin bc in the small chance that u still fuck up, theres not much left to ruin at that point

in the end ig what i wish more ppl understood abt kazui is that hes a liar yes, but not a manipulator. he lies to stay safe, not to be a sadist or whatever. you cant take what he says at face value (in much the same way u cant do the same for any other prisoner tbh), but that does not mean u shldnt take anything he says srsly at all!!!

2. ok this one i have to give a bit of thought, mostly bc i cant pick just one

if the standards were which t2 mv do i enjoy for its direction music n visual wise, purge march takes the cake so quickly. the music itself is so bomb (which like, i cant even find a logical explanation as to why… its just so good to listen to) n the mv itself does such a great job at creating the right atmosphere, both in its flashy theatrics and the subtle uncanniness under it. mayb i have a slight bias bc tpm was the whole reason i got into milgram in the first place, but i stand by it idccc

aesthetic wise, def all knowing and all agony. the horror elements r genuinely disturbing, but not so overbearing that it overwrites the pop style that milgram has going on. i luove the use of amber for blood, plus the filters that remind me of found footage u usually see show up in asian horror movies. i think i was actually terrified the first time i watched the mv

symbolic wise, its cat always and forever god bless. it takes advantage of its aesthetics to hint at subtle secrets so well that it makes me giddy as hell. the use of colors as a part of the set, the transitions frm scene to scene having its own part in making the story, n honestly making the bg more blank than usual readjusts the focus of the mv on what matters p well. i cant mention every detail rn or else id be here all day

[linagram]

[ 𝚈𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚘𝚔𝚊 𝙴𝚒𝚔𝚘'𝚜 𝚃𝟹 𝚅𝙳 ] 𝙵𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎

oh eiko... i'm really curious to see how her trial goes..

Warnings for Eiko's VD: toxic relationship dynamics, a brief mention of Eiko's murder method.

Warnings for Eiko's MV: none, other than the aforementioned toxic relationship themes and general themes of death.

(sounds of footsteps)

Miki: .. I'm sorry for having to use your memory machine.

Hinode: It's okay, don't even worry about it. I trust you with it.

Hinode: Considering how slow I am, I wouldn't be able to use it properly anyway, haha..

Miki: .. Why did Kei-san break it anyway? What was he trying to achieve?

Hinode: To be honest.. I don't know him that well, obviously, but I have this feeling, like..

Hinode: Miki-san, do you think Kei-san is the type of person to come up with something like that himself?

Miki: .. Maybe for his own amusement? I'm not sure..

Hinode: I see.. Maybe my theory really is correct then.

Miki: What do you mean?

Hinode: Remember how Eiji-san mentioned the prisoner who he's particularly close with?

Hinode: .. I'm starting to think he meant Reina-san.

Miki: ...

Hinode: Miki-san, do you think Reina-san could've-

Miki: Yes. Absolutely.

Hinode: Well that was quick..

Miki: She had already tried to break the music video machine, I can definitely see her trying to do something similar to the memory machine.

Miki: And since we can already expect something like that from her.. I can imagine her asking someone else to do it instead.

Miki: "I can also imagine Kei-san being really excited about it.."

Hinode: But why is she even trying to break those machines? What will she get from it?

Miki: I'm.. not sure. I don't think she's afraid of us finding out something about her..

Miki: .. Maybe..

Miki: She actually wants to put an end to this trial.

Miki: No, no, it's more like..

Miki: .. She wants to put an end to Milgram itself.

Hinode:  ...

Hinode: *laughs*

Hinode: She's insane. That's just not possible.

Hinode: I'm sure there have been other prisoners before her who had also tried to escape from here or just put an end to the whole system.

Hinode: What makes her think she's the special case?

Miki: ...

Miki: ".. The way Hinode-san is acting annoys me a little, but I can't deny that I also think her idea is stupid."

Miki: "It's like.. I can't help but think Milgram is the greatest thing that was ever created. Like Milgram is justice itself."

Miki: "It's like.. The longer I stay in Milgram.."

Miki:"The more I begin to worship it."

(the door opens)

Eiko: Ah, it's you two..

Eiko: Hehe, nice to see your pretty face again, Guard 003-kun~ 

Eiko: Or.. Uh.. I'm sorry, could you remind me your name, please?

Eiko: The whole memory machine thing has really messed up my memory, haha..

Hinode: It's Hinode. I'm also glad to see you again, Eiko-san.

Eiko: Oh my, you're so polite~ Haha, you're not like Eiji-kun at all..

Eiko: Speaking of him..  Where is he exactly?

Miki: He joined us during Kei-san's interrogation, so he probably should join us this time as well-

Eiko: *sighs* He always has Kei on his mind, huh.. I wish he could think more about me instead..

Hinode: Well, Kei-san is his brother, and you are.. 

Hinode: You know, just another prisoner.

Eiko: *laughs* Now, Hinode-kun, you couldn't be more wrong. 

Eiko: Me and Eiji-kun have this special connection, I'm sure he can feel it too.

Miki: .. I'm sorry, but can I ask you something, Yoshioka-san? This is not related to your crime, but..

Eiko: Of course, go ahead!

Miki: .. Why do you like Eiji-san so much?

Eiko: Oh, are you jealous?

Miki: I'm not. I have no feelings for him at all. 

Eiko: Oh, come on, Miki-chan, I know a jealous woman when I see one~

Miki: .. Maybe I like him, but not in a romantic way.

Miki: .. It's like you've never had a friend, Yoshioka-san.

Eiko: ...

Eiko: Maybe I haven't. I haven't dated anyone either before my victim, so..

Eiko: As you can see, I'm actually kinda lonely, haha..

Eiko: Anyway, about me liking Eiji-kun. You see..

Eiko: He's just special. Sure, he kinda has a case of really bad anger issues and he can be really violent for no reason at all, but that just makes him more cute.

Miki: "Cute?!"

Eiko: He is very hardworking, diligent, he wants to make this world a better place, he wants to punish everyone who's not perfect.. What else could you want from a man?

Eiko: Though I still think he has to find a hobby.. Maybe martial arts or something?

Miki: By "everyone who's not perfect" you mean.. Criminals, right?

Eiko: Yeah, I guess. Like, how could I not fall in love with him after how I was treated by my victim?

Miki: .. It's like you want him to fix you?

Eiko: Yeah, sort of.

Miki: .. You're really.. weird.

Eiko: Oh, come on, Miki-chan, we both know you want a man to do the same thing to you. 

Eiko: It's a shame you and that.. What was his name again? Anyway, that band guy and you could be such a cute couple if it weren't for, well, Milgram.

Eiko: Also, Eiji-kun, I know you can see or hear me from the cameras, so could you please show up already? Come on, don't be shy~

Miki: "There's no way he's showing up now."

(sound of a screen turning on)

Eiji: Just so you know, thanks to my older brother who I love very much, I can't actually see anything from most cameras anymore. 

Miki: "DID SHE JUST SUMMON HIM?!"

Eiko: Ah, about that..  Yeah, I've actually heard him leave his cell when the first interrogation started.

All guards: Huh?!

Eiji: Wait, but why didn't you-

Eiji: Why didn't you tell anyone?!

Eiko: I've stayed in my cell like a good girl.

Eiji: Why was his cell open anyway?! Why did you two just let him walk around like that?

Miki: H-he asked me to leave it open so that he can get medicine if he needs it..

Miki: W-wait-

Hinode: Him still trying to recover seems like an excuse he can use over and over.

Hinode: He pretended to feel sick so that he could break the memory machine too..

Eiji: .. You just can't do anything without me, can you?

Eiko: Then come back! We're all waiting for you~

(sounds of Eiji and Eiko talking)

Miki: "She.. really has a thing for guys behind the screen, doesn't she?"

Miki: "I really want to talk to Eiji-san about Kei-san's second trial verdict, but I don't know if I'll be able to.."

Hinode: Miki-san, Eiji-san, we don't have much time left, so how about we start the interrogation?

Miki: Right, right, sorry..

Eiko: So, have you guys managed to solve my murder yet?

Miki: It feels like we know everything about your murder, but also.. We still know so little.

Hinode: Your victim's name.. It was Takeru, right?

Eiko: ...

Eiko: .. Ah. I think I know what happened. It's because of the memory machine, isn't it? Did I accidentally say something I wasn't supposed to?

Miki:  .. Yes. Yes, we found out his name from you right after we used the memory machine.

Eiko: I see. Well.. I don't even want to know what I said. I was.. kinda obsessed with him, to be honest.

Eiko:  So, what is the last puzzle piece you need to solve this mystery?

Miki: We know your victim's name, we know about your relationship and what he did to you, but..

Miki: Still.. I just can't imagine you killing someone just because they were offline for so long.

Eiko: Haha.. Well, do you remember the question I asked you the last time you interrogated me?

Eiko: Do you remember your answer, Eiji-kun?

Eiji: .. "I would hope that they will die soon".

Eiko: Exactly.

Miki: D-did he try to kill you?!

Eiko: *laughs* No, no, he'd be too weak to do something like that.

Eiko: He.. He actually did the opposite.

Miki: Did the.. opposite?

Hinode:  So.. Takeru-san stopped showing up online and replying to your messages and it's been four months since his last message?

Eiko: Yep.

Hinode: .. You know what that reminds me of?

Hinode: When someone, usually teenagers, kinda pretend that something bad happened to them. They stop replying to messages, they stop showing up online, they stop being active, all because they want people to worry about them.

Hinode: They want people to go "Oh no, what could've happened to them? Are they still alive?", they want people to send them messages like "Hey, I just want to make sure you're okay", basically, they just want the attention.

Eiko: .. That's.. actually very accurate, Hinode-kun.

Eiko: Eiji-kun, looks like you got a rival just now~

Eiji: What is that supposed to mean?..

Hinode: Well, as someone who has a younger brother who, um.. is kinda addicted to attention..

Hinode: I know what I'm talking about. *laughs*

Miki: So, does that mean..

Miki: Takeru-san pretended to be dead?

Eiko: Yes.

Eiko: And he took his job seriously.

Eiko: He literally asked his friends to tell me I'm dead. And almost all of them agreed to it.

Eiko: I don't know, if you hate me so damn much, then just tell me?

Miki: But.. Why couldn't he do exactly that? Was he scared or something?

Hinode: Perhaps he thought Eiko-san wouldn't take it well.

Eiko: I hate to say it, but you're right. Takeru wasn't just a liar and a manipulator, he was a huge coward.

Eiko: When I visited him to take my revenge, I thought he was going to cry. He literally begged me not to kill him.

Eiko: And still, do you know what his last words were?

Eiko: .. He told me it wasn't even a big deal.

Eiko: Ironic, isn't it? He was okay with doing anything so that I don't kill him, but right when he realized it's too late, he just had to say what he was really thinking this whole time. 

Miki: ...

Miki:"This guy sucks."

Hinode: Now that I think about it, how exactly did you kill him?

Eiko: Oh, I dismembered him.

Miki: WHAT?!

Miki: Y-you-  H-how did you-

Eiko: I just had everything I needed in my cute bag. A lady must always be prepared~

Eiko: I know, I know, sounds scary, but like, he deserved it.

Eiko: I can see it, Miki-chan. I can see that you want to agree with me.

Miki: ...

Eiko: And what do you think, Eiji-kun? Do you still see me as a dirty criminal who deserves to be locked up?

Eiji: .. Obviously. 

Eiji: You didn't have to go and kill him. Especially like that.

Eiko: And he didn't have to fake his own death. 

Eiko: Come on, Eiji-kun, I'm sure you know the feeling of being betrayed by someone and not being exactly rational when it comes to revenge.

Eiji: ...

(bell rings, machinery sounds)

Eiko: Looks like it's time. I've told you everything, so I wonder what my last video will reveal.

Eiko: Also, Eiji-kun, please don't worry about anything, okay? You can come and talk to the prisoners in person.

Eiko: I will take good care of Shun, Kei and Yurika for you. Don't even worry about it, okay?

Miki: Ugh, could you shut up already?!

Eiko: Huh?..

Miki: This is like a.. What, like a third murder threat? Or a fourth one?.. I-I'm not keeping track, but this is literally the last trial!

Miki: After this trial, you all are going back to your cells and not leaving until we're done with your verdicts. 

Miki: I won't let any prisoners here die before the trial ends.

Eiko: .. Of course, Guard 002-san.

Eiko: "Before the trial ends", huh.. So you're okay with us dying after that-

Miki: Prisoner 006, Eiko, sing your sins!

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

[ Eiko's Trial 3 MV: Miss Grave Robber ]

The video starts with younger Eiko standing next to her house. A boy her age runs up to her and she gives him a smile. 

"Mommy, tell me, is this what love is?

My heart is beating faster, I feel so warm

Oh no, my face is all red 

That's probably what he's thinking"

He talks to her about something and starts to blush and she gets more interested in what he has to say, but before he can reveal why he came here, his eyes suddenly go empty. He looks up and then he drops dead. Eiko's expression quickly changes to a more emotionless one and we see her mother walking out of the house, holding a gun and laughing. We can see the boy's body lying on the ground and Eiko looking at it.

"Oh well, looks like my love story's over

There's no "they lived happily ever after" for me

I won't get one as long as you're alive

Mommy, tell me, is this what hatred is?"

The setting changes and it looks like a graveyard. It's raining. We see Eiko, wearing the same outfit she wore in her second MV (and the one that looks so much like something her mother wears) and holding an umbrella. She's standing next to a grave and looking at it, her face still doesn't show any emotions at all. We can see her turn around, drop her umbrella and pick up a shovel. She walks back to the grave and starts digging. 

"Everyone, we're having a funeral for the love that never was supposed to be born

For the love that was so stupid and so wrong

Maybe I can bring my other "love" back to life

Just so that I don't feel so cold and alone"

It turns out that Shun was buried there. 

Shun's condition doesn't look that good, his body was already in the process of rotting, he's missing an eye and he's clearly supposed to look like a zombie. He has a creepy smile on his face when he sees Eiko and he tries to reach out to her and she grabs him by the arm, not even looking him in the eyes. Now that Shun is "free", he follows Eiko around as she continues to walk and look at the graves.

"Here you are, I was looking for you

You've changed, but it's okay, I love you, half-decomposed isn't bad

We have one more lover to resurrect

And then we can all die happily"

She walks to another grave and notices a familiar name written on it. She starts digging again as Shun simply stands behind her, but if you look closer, you can see that he isn't exactly a fan of whatever Eiko is doing. 

We can finally see who was buried there. It was Kei.

"Here's the second one! Oh my, you look perfect

I will give you lots of love, you can definitely go more

Why do you look so scared? Come on, isn't this what you dreamed of?

Don't tell me you can't handle this pain, you're not a weakling, right?"

Kei's body looks much better than Shun's, Kei looks much more pale than usual, it's true, but he doesn't look that much like a corpse compared to Shun and while Shun is completely missing an eye, Kei's eye is simply closed. When Kei opens his mouth, we can also notice that he has rather sharp fangs. If Shun was happy that Eiko found him, when Kei sees her, he looks scared and he doesn't want to leave his grave, but both Eiko and Shun force him to do so. 

They continue to walk together and it's starting to look more and more like Eiko is looking for something. Or someone. Shun is clinging to her while holding Kei's hand. Kei looks tired and he doesn't want to be here at all.

"Our love is dead, oh no, let us sing our prayers

Your lies were the only thing that kept me alive

Except I don't see your name on our grave, oh no, don't just leave me like this

Let's get buried next to each other, rotting together doesn't sound so bad"

Rain gets more and more heavy. Eiko gets angry and she drops her shovel and pulls out a gun that looks exactly like the one her mother had in the beginning of the video and simply starts shooting everything that she sees, destroying the graves in the process. Shun gets scared and hides behind Kei.

"It's no good, no good at all

I will find you, dead or alive

Where are you, my love? You were supposed to be here

Are you already in Heaven? Or maybe, just maybe, you went to Hell?"

When there's nothing left of the graves and the whole graveyard looks like a mess, Eiko falls on the ground, looking tired and breathing heavily. We can't see what Shun and Kei are doing though. Eiko closes her eyes and when she opens them, she looks shocked and she quickly tries to get up. 

It's not Shun or Kei who are standing next to her.

It's Takeru. 

Takeru looks alive, he looks completely fine. But if you look at his face expression, you can see that he wants to get out of here and he doesn't want to do anything with Eiko.

Eiko doesn't care about it though and she starts to walk closer to him, looking like she's about to pull him in a hug. Takeru just keeps walking away, looking scared and not seeing what's behind him. 

"Come on, you still love me, right?

No, wait, you've always loved me, right?

You loved me, right? You loved me, right?

I WASN'T A NUISANCE TO YOU, RIGHT?"

Because of that, Takeru ends up falling right where either Shun or Kei was buried. He starts to panic and he tries to get out. He sees Eiko and tries to reach out to her in the same way Shun did. His face expression changes to a terrified one as he sees Shun and Kei standing next to Eiko. Shun is even smiling and waving at him. But Shun also has a shovel in his other hand. 

"Our love is dead, oh no, let us sing our prayers

Your lies were the only thing that kept me alive

You get your own special grave now, bye-bye!

You were rotten from the start, so what are you so afraid of?"

We can see Takeru getting buried alive from his POV. 

When Shun is done, he looks up at Eiko and smiles widely, but then his eyes become empty and he drops dead (but this time he's dead for sure) in the exact same way the boy in the beginning did. We can see that he was shot in the head.

"Rotten boys like you don't deserve a second chance

There is no afterlife for you

So please get out, I can't handle your imperfections

Please get out, actually, no, why don't you just die?"

Eiko turns around and looks directly at the viewer as the rain gets more and more heavy. We can't see Kei anywhere. The video ends.

[good-beans]

hiii ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ i've always loved your milgram posts and was hoping to hear you talk about them more. it's a bit of a vague question but i was hoping to hear your thoughts about the characters or songs? or really anything that's been on your mind! apart from that i hope you've been having a good day (or night!)

!!!!! Omg thank you so much?? This made me so happy ;----; I’m sorry if this is more than you bargained for LMAO, I planned on jotting down a few ideas and then I just kept on writing..... I hope you’re having a lovely day/night as well!✨

So, I’m actually not that great with coming up with crime-logistic theories (timelines, cause of death, etc), but I’ve been really interested in the insights we get on characterization from the visuals – specifically looking at the image of the self each prisoner creates. The videos come directly from inside their minds, so these self-portrayals aren’t biased with any manipulation, or how they want Es to view them. I’ve been bouncing these around in my head for a while, so thank you for the reason to actually put them down somewhere! So here are details I’ve gathered on each of them: (And as with everything in Milgram, this is just how I understood the symbolism – if people have other interpretations, I’d love to hear them!)

I've been adding edits as the videos come out, it's through Double now 👍

Haruka: In T1 he definitely views himself as guilty and dangerous. Though it’s dulled with crayon/mixed media, he conjurs a version of himself that’s committing acts of violence even in his suffering. The fact that his younger self takes place as the victim is huge to me. I know it could mean a lot of different things, but my personal interpretation is that Haruka sees his younger self in his little sister. He’s been in her shoes, at a time his mother loved him best. He believes he is the reason she stopped loving him, so he hates this younger version of himself. And this leads him to hate her now that he’s seeing the similarities. I believe the crimes happened extremely recently, so it’s interesting that he portrays himself as a child in much of AKAA. He’s not trying to gain any sympathy with it, he still genuinely feels like a child because of how much he struggles with everything. I don’t know what it means yet, but I’m really interested that despite all the water imagery he creates, he visualizes himself sinking, but never actually drowning/short of breath.

Yuno: Between both her videos, we only ever see her, her, her. This is because her motivations start and end with herself. I know her situation relies heavily on her clients, but in her mind, the one who was in control the whole time was only her. She’s the only one she can trust to take care of her and show her real love. She got into her line of work to benefit herself, and she went through with the abortion to benefit herself. She's taking the ultimate responsibility for everything that happened to her and everything that she did. Though it makes me happy to see it framed as all self love, it’s also clear that she’s unhappy with her decision. And, when everything revolves around versions of herself, there’s only one person she has to hate... 

Fuuta: His self-imagery makes it really clear how his mindset changed between trials. In T1 he genuinely saw himself as the hero, the perfect knight-in-shining-armor. Once doubt started to creep into his mind, though, he suddenly portrays himself as a criminal hiding/running in dark areas. It also emphasizes what he was saying about he and Es being the same: the girl that he accused of being guilty turned to ash after being sprayed with his paint, and he starts turning to ash along with Es’ accusation and paint spray. I know people took that as his suicidal intent, (and while that’s still a thing he does express in Backdraft,) I actually think his burning is just his fear that he’ll die at the end of Milgram. Another little detail, but someone mentioned Fuuta only lowered his mask in BIO while he’s looking at his phone, showing that he was comfortable being his true self online. Meaning, he had to hide some part of him in the rest of his life. The original post said it was his sexuality, but I feel as though it’s just his general paranoia of living around warriors for justice who are constantly evaluating everyone’s behavior. 

Muu: Like I said, the mvs are unaffected by how the prisoners want Es to see them, soI was confused when people accused Muu of lying in T1 – that’s really how she took the situation! In her mind, that pain and mistreatment made up everything in her. Her being a bully didn’t matter then, because it was her being a victim that led to the murder. In T2, it becomes obvious that she does harbor guilt. No innocent person would imagine themselves as a monstrous, destructive creature like that. If she really saw herself as ‘queen bee,’ her self-image would be flawless and lovable. INMF also showed she wasn’t exaggerating when she said the murder was to free her: we see her self-image undergo a full metamorphosis and sprout beautiful wings to fly away after she committed her crime. Though she feels guilty, she still believes it was necessary to free her and is grateful for it. 

Shidou: I’m still working on something more solid for him, but it’s neat that T1 he’s expressing so much guilt, yet his self-image is engaged in very abstract activities (like gardening and eating). In T2 he’s chilled out a bit, but that’s the video that death is literally following everywhere he goes (flowers dying behind him, ghosts surrounding him). It’s also worth noting he has his doctor’s coat on for most of Throw Down, and then the only time he has it in Triage is at the very end when he’s vowing to help the other prisoners. I’ll get back with a more solid conclusion on his soon…

Mahiru: Like Yuno (and semi-Haruka), the fact that she’s the only one to appear in her T1 mv means all her turmoil at that point was focused inward. She saw herself as the center of her story, which isn’t necessarily a selfish thing. It means she didn’t blame her boyfriend for anything that happened, even though we know it was likely both of their behaviors that led to the crime. Still, she’s taking all the focus on herself, showing off all the things she did and failed to do for him. The fact that everything is styled like magazine pages hints that she genuinely sees their relationship as the picture perfect example of love. After all, she was just “being herself” when she got him killed. Even that deep in her heart, she’s convinced love makes everything glossy and perfect. T2 is an exaggeration on both if these concepts -- she still places all the blame/responsibility on herself, but with the doubt creeping into her mind, she now paints herself as a villain who's actively causing harm. She still believes love can make things seem perfect, but you get the sense she's become more aware that love wasn't transforming her, it was blinding her.

Kazui: So this is an interesting one. I know that the performance aspect in Half is obviously taken as him acting that he loves his wife when he’s fallen in love with someone else. However, the fact that he’s singing the song about how he doesn’t love her, while still on stage/in costume, gives me a different idea. His emotions are so incredibly repressed and fucked up that even in the privacy of his own heart, he feels like he has to act sad about her death when he actually has more complex emotions than that. Not that he’s happy about it per se, but the feelings are too complex for him to show even himself. (We’ve all been there, where even in our private thoughts it’s embarrassing to be excited about something terrible and we pretend we aren’t.) That’s why I think he sounds so different in Cat – he’s able to start processing that he may be relieved, or freed that she’s gone. Or maybe he’s just realizing the murder was indirect, and he’s allowed to mourn her without feeling personally guilty for her death. So I agree the costumes represent hiding his emotions, but I think it symbolizes him lying to himself rather than just lying to his wife. Now with Cat out, he also shows a shift of seeing himself more guilty. Rather than a passive character, his self appears as someone known for manipulation/deception/trickery -- someone in charge of the situation. He's coming to terms with his active role in Hinako's death. There's also a lot of his vices shown explicitly, like his smoking and drinking. He's painting himself in a much worse light as his guilt gets to him. (There's also something to be said about the whole thing appearing under a filter of advertisement/magazine style, but I have yet to form a conclusion I'm happy with on that)

Amane: The major thing I took away from Magic was the idea that Amane really felt isolated in her cult. She saw herself as a normal girl, but no one else is like her. The other children are all animals, and the adults in charge are animalistic or robotic. There’s such a divide between her and everyone else. She’s not living up to their religious standards the way that everyone else seems to be. With the adults, it could be the general feeling that they never listen to or understand her because of her age. In T2, she presents a new idea: she's struggling with how complex and contradictory the self is. The human psyche has so many parts and motivations, all represented by the marching band members. She wants to be good. She's flawed. She wants to help. She's hurting. She knows she's made mistakes. She thinks she deserves punishment. That punishment is killing her. The adults around her make behaving look/sound so easy, but at her age it's so difficult to be a good girl! She wants to show this to Es, since she believes her own misbehavior + following the rules is what led to her murder.

Mikoto: He’s got So much going on with identity and sense of self, but I don’t have a ton on him that hasn’t already been said lol. I’ve joked that the reason Meme got the most views is because it’s the mv that shows the most skin, but on a serious note I think it’s really telling that there are so many bathing/showering/teeth brushing shots. Those are the stereotypical times we’re completely alone with ourselves – cleaning off everything external so that it’s just us in our purest form left when we’re done. An interesting switch I've noticed in Double is that the two major alters never appear beside each other -- there's the reflection in the mirror at one point (and I think they're face to face in the last shot?) but we never see both onscreen at the same time. This is because each one wants to distance themselves from the other: Bokukoto wants to show he's far from a killer, and Orekoto wants to make it clear he's the one who was violent. Neither wants to be mistaken for the other, but it's much easier to do so since they look exactly the same in this video (no color-coded clothes or eyes or lighting.) A minor detail, but the fact that his own mind conjured up quotes around the word "savior" makes it clear that Orekoto is slowly realizing his actions may have gotten Bokukoto into more trouble than they saved him from...

Kotoko: I don’t have too much on her at the moment since a lot of her scenes seem to be memories of her actual life and are already in line with what she’s admitted about herself. Still, I think the running-alongside-wolves scenes reveal a lot. She very clearly works alone, but wolves are known for hunting in a pack. Does she have a pack we haven’t seen yet? Is there a reason she’s no longer with them? Does she just dream of running with one because she craves that belonging so deeply? @tokyogruel pointed out that wolves are known for caring for weaker pack members, and that there have been analyses of the Harrow wolves being Kotoko's family members. This is revealing a more prominent focus on family than she's made known so far. She doesn't see herself as an elevated hero -- she always views herself as part of a team, which can be seen in her 'deal' with Es and all her T2 commentary of their partnership (despite being their prisoner). She's always been working with and for others.

[inferablossom]

2, 18, 25 for Kyoko from PMMM and 1, 7, 23 for Mikoto from Milgram!!!

Kyoko

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Hm, I think I'd have to say it's the way she contrasts with Sayaka, tests her ideals, and calls out the dangers in the self-destructive edge to Sayaka's selflessness.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Hm, I don't know if admire is the right word, but again, her relationship with Sayaka is probably the most interesting to me in how they contrast each other, seeming to represent extremes of selfishness and selflessness that, under more peaceful circumstances, could balance each other out, and how it's revealed that a lot of her anger at Sayaka comes from recognizing in her the same ideals of heroism and kindness she used to have which come more towards the surface of Kyoko again as she interacts with Sayaka.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

Hm, I think Madoka Magica probably wasn't the first thing I saw to be more than it appeared, but even if it was, but the time Kyoko showed up I probably knew better than to trust appearances, so her having some element of kindness deep down wasn't a shock. At least I don't think so, it was a while back.

Her being more or less ex-Catholic was a surprise though. That element definitely made me connect to and feel for her more, with her shitty dad (even if she doesn't seem to realize how bad he was).

Mikoto

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Ok, to start off, I know that some people use the tag Mikoto for the whole system, but I only use that for the first alter we as the audience met, the only member of the system to directly refers to himself that way.

With that said, my feelings on this character are complicated. I was at first excited at the theories of him being part of a system, and then when MeMe came out was disappointed and afraid they were going with a harmful and negative stereotype for the system (albeit more from who we now know as John than him), and then tentatively hopeful in trial 2 and relieved upon the release of Double that they seemed to be on to something or had potential to be after all.

Even so, I still feel somewhat conflicted on him. I do like a lot about him and find him relatable, in how adaptable he is and how he's learned to play the social games a bit as a form of self-preservation, and his anxieties and fears of being hated or rejected. Though the way his behavior effects John frustrates me a lot... Mainly because I see a lot of my own flaws in him when I was first learning about being a system. His denial, hesitation, and fear that lead him to demonizing and pushing away John even when he's trying to help due to how society makes people feel like those with multiple personalities are somehow "crazy" or "dangerous", and how he keeps on overworking himself and pushing down his emotions without actually solving the problem causing them, leaving John to deal with all the stress and making John only more worried over him... It feels familiar in a bad way. I don't like remembering times where I didn't handle being a system well or treat others in my system the way I should, even if I know it's realistic and probably a pretty common experience in this world that so negatively stigmatizes DID to the point a lot of people either fear that someone with a system might have a "dangerous alter" or just think the condition as a whole doesn't exist. Ultimately I probably like Mikoto more than I dislike him, but those aspects definitely do make me feel frustrated.

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Well, while seeing the fandom react to this character and his representation as part of a system was definitely... A process, for sure, but I do appreciate that overall the majority of the fandom does seem to be making an earnest effort to respect real-life systems and hear them out, even if how they went about that has changed over time and it looks different ways depending on different perspectives.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

I didn't really have something already in mind so I had to go looking around a bit. I'm also not sure if you meant canon art or fan art, but I decided to go with the former for this. I think the art for Milgram got a lot better overall in trial 2, but due to how things happened I'd consider a lot the more elaborate art to be focusing more on John (as is only fair for his turn in the sun), but I think this frame of Double speaks to me and pulls at the heartstrings.

He just looks so tired, and like, I get it.

[1moremilgram-enjoyer]

Continuing on "Haru's quest to annoy FF about every character in Milgram because they had the bad luck of getting interested in it basically at the same time he did" (/lh) Next on the list of prisoners is Fuuta. I remember you once said that he's one of your favorites along with Amane, Mikoto, and Muu, so I'm interested to hear you cover him !

Ah, so that’s why you’re doing this, your character motivation. The lore thickens. /lh

Yeah, I like Fuuta quite a bit. I’m always a sucker for protag foils, and since we can consider Es and even ourselves as the protag(s), then obviously I was going to love Fuuta. His views on justice are really interesting when considering we kinda do the same thing he ended up in Milgram for, deciding on people’s fates with horribly incomplete information and trying to justify to ourselves why we’re in the right for causing these people psychological pain. Not like it’s gonna stop me from voting people guilty when I think it’s deserved though lol.

CW: Cyberbullying, mention of suicide and murder.

(T2) Q9: How do you feel about the first trials results?

F: You’re the same as me.

Oh yeah that’s the good shit right there.

That is certainly a huge factor, Fuuta is great as a reflection to some of Milgram’s main themes and I love him for that. Even if his personality is maybe reminiscent of some other characters I’ve seen (when did Xander Matthews and Ace Markey have a secret love-child and why does he have a Bakugo complex), he’s still unique enough that I don’t see it as much of a problem.

And let’s not kid ourselves. Part of me enjoying a character sometimes comes from loving their song, and not only is Bring it On a banger like no other, Backdraft is probably my favorite Milgram song.

There’s also just a certain amount of hilarity that comes with the fact that people in Trial 1 managed to inno someone they believed to be a damn organ harvester then turn around and guilty my guy for having a Twitter account. Truly the most unforgivable of crimes.

It’s especially interesting now with Backdraft the theories around his “murder”, because I actually think it may be one of the more unclear ones in terms of what happened. You might have seen there’s a theory he wasn’t the one to start the witch hunt on the girl that ended up dying, which I find is quite believable even if we still have to explain what was going on with that photo he took of someone’s home in his Undercover silhouette thing. But what’s even crazier to me is the goddamn Undercover kill shot where his victim has both shoes on, unlike Mahiru’s and Kazui’s. Does this imply it wasn’t a suicide? Is it because whoever has the orange spray paint that shoots really straight at the one graffiti’s forehead actually murdered the girl themselves? But Fuuta still got blamed for it?

Hey remember when I said the more headache inducing a character the more I’m going to love them?

Anyways, I also think it’s cool how much Backdraft references the events during Milgram themselves. I love Es appearing in a prisoner’s song, too, especially with the whole “the one shadow from Purge March kinda looks like Es thing”-

Oh yeah Amane! I love her dynamic with Fuuta so, so much. They’re so cool and awesome and great and I hope Fuuta doesn’t get too indoctrinated but also I think it’d be kinda funny. I don’t think it would happen though, I trust big bro Fuuta will help Amane reject her cult’s teachings please I need them to have a wholesome ending where they just eat cake and play video games together you know Amane would beat his ass in any game even though she’s probably never touched a videogame in her life-

I am immensely normal about them, as you can clearly tell.

Anyways, some other things which I find really interesting.

(T1) Q1: What is a friend?

F: Folks you can get hyped over the same thing with

(T2) Q16: Do you have a lot of online friends?

F: I don't know if we were friends or not. There were times when we had fun together. But I don't know if I can call it that.

Am I reading this wrong or did my guy change his definition of what a friend is specifically to exclude his old friends? Because that’s some crazy character development right there.

(T1) Q9: Do you have apologetic feelings for who you killed?

F: I never killed anyone. Didn't you hear me? I thought you were a guard!

(T2) Q6: Do you remember the name of the person you killed?

F: I'm pretty sure I do. I saw it often after all.

So he’s admitting he did kill someone in a way. More character development.

(T1) Q10: Which prisoner do you get along with the most?

F: I'm not anyone's happy friend. Well Haruka's younger, so I take care of him.

(T2) Q2: How do you feel about Haruka?

F: This isn't the time to worry about other people. Plus it's not like he's a kid either.

More changes, my guy really is very different from trial 1 himself and I think that makes him extremely compelling.

Okay I need to stop or I’m gonna be here forever, this guy is just all kinds of silly. Anyways, love him. Please don’t get indoctrinated into Amane’s cult.

(T2) Q14: What are you thinking about now?

F: Maybe because I'm anxious, but I want something to rely on.

Please. Fuuta you’re like the only one there who might be able to reach her Fuuta please.

Anyways, I gotta go before those two rot my brain further. Hope you enjoyed! Take care!

[archivalofsins]

Oh, Yuno's birthday is coming up September 2- Let's worry together.

(Edited: 08/16/2024 10:25 pm Fixed some spelling errors and added some more details that I missed.)

From the start of trial two Milgram has been telling us every way it can that if something happens around Mahiru this trial she won't be able to handle it. Simultaneously Milgram has gone out of it's way to display to the audience that the person nearest to Mahiru is Yuno. As she is the one to engage with her the most in the timelines during trial two.

Even though Shidou is implied to be taking care of her consistently as well.

We actually see Yuno engaging with Mahiru more over the course of this trial and during the intermission of the first. So, I feel it's important to note the individuals frequently near Mahiru since the story has gone out of it's way to highlight how if something goes wrong near her that's it.

This has been done with Shidou a good deal despite him only talking to her once this trial. That's the same amount of times we've seen Futa and Amane talk to her,

23/01/17 (Mahiru’s Birthday)

Amane: Happy birthday. Mahiru-san. How is your body feeling?

Mahiru: ……ah, Amane-chan. Thank you. Yeah, I’m fine. Now I can move around if I use a wheelchair…… It’s all thanks to Shidou-san looking after me……

Amane: I’ll give you one warning. The two of you are dabbling in something tabooed. If you continue to go against the way of nature like this, you’ll just bring an early death upon yourself. Think hard about this.

Mahiru: Amane-chan……? Are you really Amane-chan……?

24/01/17 (Mahiru’s Birthday)

Futa: ……hey. Oi, Mahiru. You’re in pretty bad shape, right……? Isn’t there anything that can be done?

Mahiru: What’s up, Futa-kun? Yeah, I’m not great…… But Shidou-san’s been looking after me…… And he says if we keep going like this, I’ll get much better……

Futa: ……right. As long as treatment continues, huh. …… I wonder how you’re going to be saved.

Mahiru: Saved……? Are you worried about me? …… You’ve been a lot kinder lately, Futa-kun. …… I feel like I’ve been saved just hearing those words from you.

Then despite being alluded to helping her a great deal the only time we see Shidou speak to Mahiru this whole trial is,

23/10/24 (Shidou’s Birthday)

Mahiru: You have a family right, Shidou-san……? How does it feel, being married, having kids……?

Shidou: ……yeah, it’s a wonderful thing. Children…… yeah. They really are hope for the future. When you have your own, suddenly it becomes fun growing old. Since as you grow older, you get to see them grow up.

Mahiru: Ah…… how lovely. It was always my dream to become a bride. Though maybe that seems a bit outdated. I wish it could’ve come true……

Shidou: It isn’t too late. I’m going to make sure you live. So let’s get out of here, and you make your wish come true. ……you still have so much to live for.

Which is pretty much to just trigger a death flag given his track record when it comes to saving people-

"Not dead... Yeah, she's definitely not dead... I finally understand the value of what I've been robbing people of." - "To keep you alive, you are still living."

Shidou, "Trust me Mahiru I can save you. This time will be different."

"“Throw down” it’s ok, that’s enough! Can’t stay away. Please don’t forgive me. That’s why I want this to end “Throw down”."

Those who don't learn are doomed to repeat.

Meanwhile Yuno's proximity to Mahiru has been more than implied. It's been repeatedly shown. Yuno has been engaging with Mahiru since the series began and they've only been implied to have gotten closer. Considering all this emphasis being put on not having anything else happen around Mahiru I think it's reasonable to consider what could happen to those closest to her as well.

This in my opinion includes Yuno since it's been highlighted that she's taken on a pretty understated role when it comes to taking care of Mahiru with Shidou repeatedly.

Hell even before the second trial was even teased actually-

Since before the attacks were even teased,

22/06/22 (Haruka’s Birthday)

Mu: What’s wrong, Haruka-kun? Did something happen? You shouldn’t look away like that when you’re together with me.

Haruka: Ah, s-sorry, Mu-san. Um…… No, it’s nothing. I just, suddenly got a feeling. That something is about to happen.

Mu: Isn’t that because it’s your birthday? Or perhaps it’s a sign the guard is about to wake up again soon? Fufufu, I bet they’ll be really surprised at a lot of things.

Haruka: That, might be true. But, I want the the guard to see. ……the new, me…….

Yuno was there by Mahiru's side. The timeline made this as evident as it could,

22/01/17 (Mahiru’s Birthday)

Mahiru: My birthday…… the day I was born…… But was there really any reason for me being born? Lately I’ve started to wonder that. Do you ever think about stuff like that, Yuno-chan?

Yuno: Eh? Not really. I mean, Mahiru-san, you’re really the romantic type, right? Not that I have anything against that. 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.

This is far before the attacks even happened,

22/06/27 (Amane’s Birthday)

Kazui: What’s up, Shidou-kun? You’re looking pretty down. I guess you must be tired, I’ve been relying on you a lot lately.

Shidou: Yeah, I just remembered…… today is Amane’s birthday.

I’m just getting a bit sentimental.

Kazui: Hmm, it’s unfortunate, but at the moment we can’t worry about that. ……you understand, right? There’s something that you need to do right now. And if you tried talking to her your words definitely won’t reach her. Don’t look at me like that. We’ll just wait until the situation changes. Let’s do our best.

Shidou: Yeah. I’ll do what I can. I can’t have a child making a face like that. Even though we’re “murderers”…… we’re also the adults here.

Then they only get closer after,

22/09/02 (Yuno’s Birthday)

Mahiru: ……no, I’m fine. As long as I don’t move too much I don’t even feel any pain. Sorry for making you worry.

Yuno: Oh, really? That’s good then. Mahiru-san, if there’s anything you want then just ask. It’s not like it’s a huge burden, I can just ask for it along with my own stuff.

Mahiru: Ok…… I’m fine for now. Sorry, for making you worry.

Ah, Yuno-chan…… Today’s your birthday, right? Happy birthday.

Yuno: ………… Haha, thanks. Thank you, but y’know. Is it really ok for you to be saying that to me when you’re in that situation? ……you really aren’t suited for Milgram, huh, Mahiru-san.

The timeline continued to display that their closeness was consistent as well. In fact, it's implied to be just as consistent as Shidou's care of Mahiru is if not more,

23/06/27 (Amane’s Birthday)

Amane: What is it…… Kashiki Yuno. Don’t sit so close to me. Go away.

Yuno: Sorry for barging in when you’re getting into your worldview thing. But Mahiru-san’s finally managed to get to sleep. Humour me with some small talk while I take a break. By the way, Amane. Have you ever wished you were never born? I’ve thankfully lived a pretty fun life so far, so haven’t really. But you seem to be struggling with something. So I kinda wondered if you thought like that.

Amane: ……I don’t think that. Being born into this world is the first miracle any person experiences, and is something to celebrate. Even if after birth I was put through trial after trial, the value of that will never disappear.

Yuno: Hmm. Ok. ……happy birthday, then. It’s good that you were brought into the world, I guess.

23/09/02 (Yuno’s Birthday)

Kazui: I heard you’ve been helping Shidou-kun out. ……er, sorry if this comes across as rude, but it’s kind of unexpected. It always seemed like you didn’t care that much about other people.

Yuno: Hmm? What’s with that all of a sudden. I mean, you’re right, I don’t care much. But if there’s someone dying in front of you anyone would do what they could to help, right? And anyway, aren’t you the same? You usually don’t care much either, right?

Kazui: ……I wonder. This old man isn’t as much of a thinker as you are. I mean, until now I’ve been in an environment where it’s all about having physical strength. So I’ve never really thought about stuff like that.

Yuno: Haha, we’re the same in that we’re both liars too. I guess the difference is the reasons we lie. You care about yourself, so lie to protect yourself. I don’t care about anyone at all, including myself.

So Milgram has repeatedly stated if anything happens around Mahiru that will be the end of her when it comes to Milgram,

Jackalope’s “Second Trial Commencement Notice”

"Your judgment was “guilty”, and as such, her ideas were affirmed."

Huh, hold up... I was doing a reread and I kind of copied this from the transcript without questioning it. But um why the hell does it say affirmed? Is this a translation error? Huh, but it doesn't say that for the rest of the guilty prisoners,

Prisoner No. 3: Futa Kajiyama. Your judgment was “guilty”, and as such, his ideas were rejected.

Prisoner No. 8: Amane Momose. Your judgment was “guilty”, and as such, her ideas were rejected.

Prisoner No. 9: Mikoto Kayano. Your judgment was “guilty”, and as such, his ideas were rejected.

This is directly from the transcript.

If it's not an error which it seems rather intentional given everyone else is fine then Mahiru just has this idea that she'll always be rejected that was affirmed by the verdict. Or she doesn't think what she did was wrong and we're the problem. Something that could tie into this line in I Love You,

"It’s ok for everyone else but not for me." - "Tell me, oh tell me why, won’t you just accept me?"

Sorry back on track- Milgram has made it clear that if anything happens near Mahiru that will be the end of her,

"Because she was found “guilty”, she’s lost the raison d’etre of her own existence. Her dejection is something, to be sure! Dear oh dear. Also, as you can see, she’s just battered from Kotoko’s attack. If it weren’t for Shidou’s treatments, she’d be dead for sure. Lost. If anything else happens, she’ll die, that’s a fact. What to do, is all up to you, of course."

MILGRAM / Jackalope’s “Report on the end of Second Trial”

"Prisoner No. 06: Mahiru. “Innocent”, huh? Alright, alright. Ok, so you changed your mind? Or, was it sympathy votes? When you see someone hurting a little more than expected, does it make you want to go with “innocent”? Honestly though, you’d better worry about whether she’s going to last till the Third Trial. Let’s hope nothing happens around her. I guess it’s already too late for changes. Sorry. I’m like the guy on the couch watching the sports highlights and complaining, don’t mind me."

"Let's hope nothing happens around her-"

"……don’t tell me, did this murder seem smaller to you than the murders of the other prisoners? Thought-provoking!"

Milgram has ultimately put Yuno in a very precarious position.

Where she could very well get attacked or attack someone else. To either up the ante for her third trial or omit her character entirely because her reception has been too positive. As well as find a good source of conflict that would cause stress to Mahiru and exacerbate her existing issues.

Since in the the commencement even though they highlight Mahiru's physical injuries Yuno and Jackalope both highlight her mental health as well. Saying that her dejection is really something and Yuno even commenting that she wasn't suited for Milgram.

Jackalope said she'd be lost not die.

So if she's too mentally gone due to the death or possible betrayal but it seems more leaning towards death of the prisoner closest to her there's really no telling how that will impact the song extraction next trial.

Or if they'll even be able to extract anything in regards to her crime. Especially given we've seen first hand what the mental stress did to her song extraction this round-

Plus they highlight that this trial is all about prisoner relationships near the end of the trial commencement,

"And now, as we come to the second trial, I’m guessing a new basis for judgment has introduced itself in your mind. You are also human. You can’t help but develop attachments to the individual prisoners. If you find one “innocent”, another one might be in danger. If you decide to judge one as “guilty”, it may prompt the other to go in a wholly unexpected direction. In this environment of swirling interests, profits, and losses, will you all be able to follow the metrics of your own values, and decide correctly: “innocent” or “guilty”?"

So, yeah there's all that.

[waiting-on-a-dream]

𝙵𝚒𝚕𝚎: 𝙴𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝟸 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝

Haruto: [Runs a hand across his face tiredly.] The second trial has ended. I've announced the verdicts to every prisoner. Thanks to this trial's batch of guilty prisoners, nothing bad happened. I've got to commend them for keeping their cool.

Then again... It seems they all wanted to be voted guilty anyway.

Every prisoner previously voted guilty was voted innocent this time around, so they all reacted well enough to the news.

I gave Ichi-kun his soft toy back. He hugged it with a squeal when I brought it to him. It wasn't a cute noise, but I couldn't help smiling anyway. [Haruto chuckles.] He gets to draw with his crayons too, so he's looking forward to that. Best of all, he's stopped slamming his head into things, which is a great relief.

Aka-chan gets to keep her innocent streak, so she's happy as a peach. I should be more careful since she doesn't feel guilty about her murder at all, but honestly... I believe her claim about only wanting her dad dead. She told me she wants to celebrate by dyeing her hair. So, that will be interesting. She's become even less anxious and aggressive, which is great. Happy prisoners, functional prison, yes. [Haruto rubs at his eyes, as if he's sleepy.]

Due to his request, Daisuke-kun was voted guilty for the second trial. He just smiled and looked down when I told him. At this point, I don't think anything in Milgram will make him happy. He hasn't stopped fidgeting with his choker since. I think I'll take it away tomorrow.

Uh. Suzume-san. She was sitting by her bed when I visited her cell, just staring at the wall ahead. I informed her of her guilty verdict, but her eyes were so blank I don't think she heard me. I turned to leave eventually, which is when she said: "When will Taro-kun come to see me?" She still looked out of it, so I replied: "Soon." Then I left. [Haruto shrugs.] Aka-chan reported to me that she heard Suzume crying in her cell some time later.

Haku-chan...was voted innocent again. His music video and interrogation questions are more suspicious this time around, but I still don't know if he deserves to be voted guilty. For now, his demeanor hasn't changed at all. He's still well-behaved and on good terms with everyone. His reaction to his verdict was underwhelming too. All he did was nod. [Haruto pouts, resting his chin on one hand.] Then again, how was he supposed to react to the same innocent verdict anyway? I wonder how he acts around his brother.

Yui-san was voted innocent, so she didn't throw a chair at me this time. She gave me a weird look when I announced her verdict, so I guess she thinks its too good to be true or something. She blow-dried and combed her hair after her shower today though, so her mental state must be improving. It won't be long before she starts her skincare routine again. I've already requested for her products.

Rin-chan didn't know how to react to being voted innocent. He just blinked at me and went: "Oh." Considering his guilty verdict for the first trial changed his own opinion on his crime from innocent to guilty, he must be really confused right now. He's still a child, so its natural for him to be so easily influenced I guess. He sat quietly like a doll after that, so I left like I did with Suzume-san. I think I saw his eyes shift to the corner of the room before I closed the door. I wonder what he was looking at. There was nothing there.

Noa-san didn't seem surprised to be voted innocent again. She smiled sadly. "I still think it would have been better for me to die, but I suppose you can't blame me for my husband's death," she said. She's right. Whatever she wants to do with her life is her business. As far as my duties as warden go, she's keeping her innocent streak. Its a smart move to keep the Milgram cook free too. I'm not sure if I can trust Mayumi to prepare our meals anymore.

Kiyoshi-san doesn't go around socializing anymore. The guilty verdict must have sent him into a contemplative state. Interesting enough, he didn't give me a reaction to his verdict. He just stared at me with this sort of...heavy gaze until I left. Since then he's been staring into the distance and clenching his jaw really tightly. Based on what I've seen anyway. Real productive of him, I know.

[Haruto rubs at his eye again, frowning in confusion. He yawns and lays his head on the table. Half a minute passes. He doesn't move.]

[The door opens. A prisoner steps in.]

Mayumi: Hello. I'll be sending this video to the higher ups as Haruto intended to, so, nice to meet you.

That is, if you're not the person I met in the weird dream I had last night. If every prisoner can hear voices and the warden is an amnesiac, I wouldn't be surprised if Milgram could induce dreams as well. Do be assured that I will taking this opportunity to learn as much as I can about Milgram. Have fun watching over me.

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