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

[muffypollz]

some milgram sillies cause it is NOT leaving my brain

[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]

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.

[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.

[good-beanswrites]

An 0309 drabble for an anon ask I got a bit ago :) Thank you for being patient, I really enjoyed writing this!! It's actually a little moment I've wanted to write since I started Milgram fic, but never got around to it. (I mention his injured eye, but don't actually describe anything)

“Stop moving around so much.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“I mean it. You’ll make things worse.”

Mikoto watched as the intensity in Fuuta’s gaze flickered between fire and fear.

He had a doctor’s kit laid out on his lap. Recently, Shidou had his hands full with Mahiru’s treatments and having intense conversations with Haruka, so Mikoto wanted to give him a break. With none of the injuries actually healing as they should, the prisoners were caught in an endless loop of changing bandages and checking for complications.

Shidou was grateful for the help. Many of the others tolerated Fuuta in the same way they spent only the necessary time around Mikoto. They smiled and placated him, acting like he’d gone mad all of the sudden. Whatever was making the others avoid the two of them, it drew the pair together. Mikoto was finding he enjoyed Fuuta’s company. Something about him was rather… charming. 

“Me? You’re the asshole that will make things worse. You’re no doctor! Fuck you.”

Eh, maybe he had gone mad.��

He took comfort, at least, in the knowledge that Fuuta was growing more comfortable with him. He sure had a special way of showing it, but Mikoto didn’t brag about being a people-person for nothing – he picked up on the way Fuuta sought him out during the day, pretending to be involved in his own activities. The way he struck up a conversation, then acted as if it had been Mikoto’s idea to come over and bother him. 

Therefore it was exciting, though not surprising, when Fuuta allowed Mikoto to help treat his injuries. They had only done it a few times, but today brought a whole new challenge. 

“I’m not performing surgery or anything. Shidou said it just needs some basic disinfecting.” He flashed his usual grin. “I have a steady hand – I’m a photographer, you know.”

Aside from Shidou, Fuuta hadn’t allowed a single person to look under his eyepatch. 

He remained unamused by Mikoto’s smile. For better or worse, he could always tell when it was forced. “It’s not like I have any proof of that. You could be awful at it, for all I know.”

“First chance I get, I’ll request a camera and prove it. Want me to take a picture of you first?”

“If you haven’t already messed up my face…” Fuuta’s focus was glued to the hand carefully reaching towards him. 

Mikoto pouted his lips. “Shidou trusted me enough with this. And you must have, because you agreed earlier. So If it’s not about me… You’re not scared, are you?”

There were some things that Fuuta didn’t stop to see through. He sputtered in surprise. “Hell no!” He lifted his chin, finally taking his attention off Mikoto’s hands. He stared defiantly. “I can take it.”

Mikoto felt a bit guilty for resorting to foul play. But not that guilty. “Good. Now hold still...”

He got right to it. One hand held ginger hair out of the way, while the other pinched the corner of the eyepatch. Fuuta’s good eye darted nervously around the room, avoiding the other's close-leaning face. Mikoto peeled it away swiftly, gently

As a horror movie buff, the injury didn’t faze him in the slightest. As someone who’d grown close to Fuuta recently, he felt a wave of anguish at the sight.

Fuuta squirmed. “It’s nasty, isn’t it…”

Mikoto reached down for some supplies. He considered mustering up a smile and saying there was no need to worry so much, but it would have been pointless. Times like these, it was kind of a relief when someone else could see right through him for a change. 

“It looks like it hurts.”

“Tch, I don’t need any pity from you.”

“I was going to say, you hide it well. You’re tougher than the warden gives you credit for.”

His cheeks flushed red. “I – I don’t need any flattery from you either!”

“Don’t need anything from anybody, huh?”

Before he could come up with a retort, he hissed through his teeth in pain.

“Ah, sorry.” Mikoto immediately retracted his hand from where it had been dabbing alcohol onto the injury.

Steeling his expression, he muttered, “it’s fine.”

Mikoto tried again. He made sure to move with even more steadiness, his face drawn up in concentration. He saw Fuuta’s features flinch when he touched him, but he stayed still. The two were silent, now, as Mikoto worked. Leaning his face so close made the short task feel much longer. The reddening in his cheeks didn't subside.

He expected Fuuta to snatch the fresh eyepatch away the moment he unwrapped it – he was shocked that Fuuta let him adjust it into place without a word.

“Alright. You’re all set.” He started packing up the kit.

“Listen, don’t tell the others. About my eye.”

Mikoto squinted. He gestured to the right side of his face. “I hate to break it to you, but the big patch kinda gives you away.”

“You idiot! I just mean, don’t tell them what it looks like.” He pulled his hood down over his hair. “I don’t need everyone trying to steal a look at it like I’m some sort of freakshow.”

“Hey, of course.” Mikoto gave him a smile, the kind they both knew was genuine. “I’ve got you.”

Fuuta nodded. He turned his face away, his fingers lingering over where Mikoto’s had just been. “... And… thanks.”

[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]

This may be a controversial opinion, but I feel like this fandoms habit of pathologizing the prisoners' behavior is rooted in ignorance.

To put it another way,

I feel like people's habit of associating mental health issues to the characters is a way of distancing them from their actions. I view this phenomenon as an extension of assigning a justification to their behavior, mannerisms, and past actions. That's grown to a point of being infantalizing and othering when it comes to discussions around mental health disgnoses as a whole.

Also, it's literally something Yamanaka learned not to do himself when it came to making Caligula Effect.

I'm not saying discussions around that can't be enjoyable. I'm stating that there's a difference between someone informed about these things discussing it and a bunch of armchair psychiatrists with Google pulling up a list of stereotypes and seeing which one matches. This goes for people who even have firsthand experience with the disorder themselves, creating a list of traits that they have and comparing that to the prisoners.

Because disorders are not a monolith.

They don't present in every single person the same way. I'm not saying people shouldn't theorize about these things or do that at all. Even though I'm being very forward about the things that turn me off from this behavior. I believe that whatever inspires people to educate themselves on these things further is great and deserves to be appreciated.

It's a great thing that Milgram has inspired so many people to look into psychology and mental health.

However, the fandom hits a snag at the same place Milgram as a series is trying to have viewers look at with more criticism. At our own egos. If thinking about mental health and diagnosis goes only as far as one's own personal agenda that will show clear as day. Regardless of how an individual tries to cover it up.

This is why I personally believe Yamanaka consistently points out that to be a good writer, one only needs a desire and interest in knowing other people.

Because to write different and unique characterizations, one has to look past their own ego and recognize what they write can't always be about them. Every story can't be the author trying to figure themselves out on a page. Yet just because it can't and shouldn't always be that- Does not diminish the value of those types of works. I just feel like people should take a moment to remember these things go far beyond one person's individual experiences or one concise article.

The way this fandom collectively has discussed some of these topics of interest (because at some point it's not even the diagnoses themselves anymore) has damaged how these things are viewed and spread egregious misinformation that further research would have ultimately disproven to the people presenting it as fact. No amount of a disclaimer can excuse spreading misinformation about already stigmatized mental health issues. A disclaimer helps, but no one is going to take that disclaimer at face value and then do their own research.

A lot of people have become increasingly comfortable with having others do the thinking and legwork for them. If one presents half-assed information, the audience will accept half-ass information. Milgram has an example of this phenomenon.

Given that a lot of people were quick to believe Es without fact checking when they said they were an adult in Haiti and Puerto Rico.

People took that at face value because it was presented to them in an easily consumable way by someone they trusted. That disclaimer isn't doing shit and probably everyone here knows it. Because when people become comfortable with others doing their thinking for them, they should become really comfortable with being lied to. Because they've already decided they're comfortable with playing the fool far before that lie will be told. If they fall for something while doing that well, that's the price of not pursuing knowledge for oneself.

Just because it's easier to reach doesn't make it better or correct.

If anyone was willing to educate themselves on these matters as much as my good faith is allowing me to believe instead of giving a cursory look at what they're discussing to cherrypick info to support the conclusion they already had that would be an amazing thing. That's what I hope is happening more times than not. I hope that individuals are just being hindered by the research process. Maybe they don't know where to start or don't have access to resources that could help them explore these concepts further.

I've had issues with that before, and at the end of the day, we're all just people. People who will get many things wrong over the course of our lives.

That shouldn't hinder anyone from seeking information past the point that knowledge can benefit them. It's fun to theorize about these things and relate the characters to ourselves more deeply. Media is meant to be a safe space for individuals to reflect on themselves and other difficult social issues through it. That is an important part of viewing media.

I'm not discouraging that.

Depending on how one goes about doing this, they can end up learning a lot. Something that is never a bad thing.

I really want to encourage and foster curiosity in psychiatry and mental issues. Because in the community that I grew up in, psychiatry was a highly undervalued and demonized field of study. However, when one is using something as tentative as a diagnosis to defend the things the prisoners have done, that's perpetuating harmful stereotypes around disorders in general.

Confirmation and recency bias both exist and are things professionals with years of experience and newbies alike fall victim to. Again, something that Yamanaka seemed to learn first hand through creating Caligula Effect. There isn't a solution to this outside of me stressing once again-

Do your own research.

Ask professionals if you can. Have discussion around these things with peers that you trust. Yet do yourself the service of investigating your own opinion.

Because if the the things the prisoners have done would be less excusable if many didn't think or know that they had these disorders- Then some people probably shouldn't have been voting them innocent and forgiving them in the first place. There are so many people in the world living with these things and traumas who don't murder people. It is ridiculous and infantalizing that it's been used as justification here. Please keep learning because the more a person knows about these things, the less excusable these characters' actions are going to be.

[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.

⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

[good-beanswrites]

I was looking at your headcanon post again.

#very personal hc but i think yuno stayed outside fuutas cell the first time to talk him down from panic

Would you mind writing a drabble on that?

Okay so uuuuhhhh this one got really long because as I said it was a personal idea I'd toyed around with a lot 😅 It's an outdated headcanon since I was thinking about the restraints in the pv shots being put into place post-T1, but I still wrote everything out as I originally pictured. (I'll never add it to Thermoregulation because it's not accurate, but this is the exact dynamic I was going for between them ;-;)

Fuuta had a lot of nightmares since coming to Milgram. It was bad enough when he was ripped away from his life after a traumatic (but accidental) incident, and had only gotten worse after verdicts were announced and he was plagued by cruel voices in his head. To no one’s surprise, the night that the first trial officially concluded, he was dreaming about death. 

He was at the funeral of a young girl. He tried everything in his power to leave without disrupting the service. He cut through the crowd, ducked his head and shuffled out of the way, but everywhere he turned, he would end up in front of the coffin once more. It was about to be lowered into the ground. The lid suddenly lifted. The girl herself leaned out, grabbing Fuuta by his throat. 

“It should have been you.” 

No one said it, but the sound rang in his ears as he was pulled into the coffin. The girl disappeared, and suddenly it was just him in the darkness, flat on his back, being lowered into the ground. He could still feel her hands around his neck. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. The walls were closing in on him. He cried out, startling himself awake. 

But he was still flat on his back. He was still in darkness. He still couldn’t move. He could still feel the girl’s squeezing around his throat.

His stomach flipped. He tried to sit up with no success. He didn’t know where he was or if anyone would even hear him, but that did nothing to dissuade him from raising his voice as loud as possible to cry for help. For every shout he got out, another was choked by the hands trying to kill him.

His voice was soon met with another.

“Hey, hey! I’m here! I’m right here!”

Its familiarity brought Fuuta back to reality. It didn’t lessen his panic, but he was relieved to know he wasn’t currently six feet under. 

“Yuno! You gotta get me outta here! I’m – I –”

“You’re okay, Fuuta. It’s alright.” There was a gentle rattle on the bars from where she was locked outside. The sound, too, managed to ground him to his position within the cell. He still couldn’t see a thing, but it helped knowing where he was.

He stuttered a few more words through shallow breaths. As much as he jerked his body around, it was held firmly in place. With reality settling in around him, he was able to recognize prison restraints (heavier than the ones he’d grown accustomed to on his uniform) and a blindfold as the root of his situation. It hadn’t been the girl’s fingers around his throat – just another one of the restraints. 

Images from his nightmare were quickly replaced by unsavory movie tropes. He pictured the poor saps that were strapped down to the mad scientist’s table or locked into a military’s torture seat. He was dizzy with panic.

“Breathe, Fuuta! I mean it, you’re okay. I’m right here. You’re not in any danger. Breathe.”

He didn’t. His chest was going to explode with the rate of his heartbeat. 

There came the sound of others murmuring. Fuuta craned his head in their direction, but it did him no good. 

Yuno went on, “it sounds like it happened to the others who were unforgiven, too. Everyone’s safe. This must be the punishment they talked about… But Es did say that there’d be no physical punishment, right? So I think you’ll be safe.”

“L-like I’m gonna trust them!” He let out a rant threatening Es, the prison, and that stupid rabbit. Yuno stayed quiet as he tugged on the belts, cursing his friends for getting him here. He cursed society for letting this happen. It was only when he started cursing himself that Yuno stopped him.

“Take a breath, Fuuta. You’re gonna be okay.” 

“Yuno!” It sounded like Shidou calling her. “She’s asking for you.” 

“Listen, I’m going to check on Mahiru, and I’ll be right back, alright?”

“W-what?”

“I’m coming right back, I promise.”

He felt a wave of nausea at the thought of being left alone. But he also hated the way she’d reassured him, like he was some little kid that needed babying. 

“Whatever. I’m not scared,” he said, even though they could both tell what a lie it was. “Just pissed. This is fucked up.”

“I’ll be back…”

Darkness closed in on him as soon as she left. The distant sounds of the others wasn’t reassuring. He hated not knowing what was going on around him. What if Milgram did have more dangerous plans in store? He’d never see it coming. He gave a few more tugs at the restraints, his adrenaline convincing him he stood a chance against them. 

He was sure Mahiru had a ton of prisoners fawning over her safety – why didn’t he have anyone? 

“I don’t deserve this!” He said to no one in particular. He’d never admit it was meant to convince himself. “Who do they think they are? Who…” do they think I am? The answer was very clear. They thought he was a killer. Him! The guy who couldn’t speak up in lecture hall and had never raised a hand to anyone in his life. Somehow, they saw him as someone to be held down like a wild animal. Someone violent. Deadly. Someone to lock up and throw away the key.

Which brought his thoughts to a new fear. How long would this be? What if the door never unlocked? What if he was trapped in perpetual darkness forever? Didn’t solitary confinement make people lose their minds? What if he went crazy here, deprived of senses and movement?

His breathing had just started to grow uncontrollable again when footsteps approached.

“It’s me.” He exhaled at Yuno’s reappearance. “The others are as okay as they can be.”

“What the fuck. I mean what the fuck.” He didn’t realize how loud he’d been yelling, but his voice was hoarse from it now. His mind was still spinning, his blood still pounding in his ears. “This is inhumane! It’s a violation of…” He sucked in a few more breaths. He could feel the blindfold dampen, and prayed Yuno didn’t notice the tears. “It’s…”

“I know, Fuuta. I know. You don’t need to worry.” Yuno was calm. Not a single tremble to her words. Fuuta didn’t know how she did it. He wanted to continue hating the coaxing sound of her voice. “Just try to relax. I’ll stay with you the whole time.” 

If you don’t go running off to Mahiru again. The thought was bitter and selfish, he knew. But he couldn’t bear one more moment of that suffocating isolation.

To make up for it, he muttered, “how are the others?”

“Hah…” It sounded like Yuno was settling down against the door. “Mikoto was really upset at first, but he’s quieted down now. He seems… different. Amane says she doesn’t mind praying to pass the time. Shidou is staying to keep Mahiru company.”

He grunted, but had nothing more to say. What does someone even say in this position? Even as the panic started to subside, he found only shame in its place. What kind of hero of justice was he? What kind of hero had to be restrained like this for what they’d done? What kind was seen in such a mortifying state in the first place? What kind actually did appreciate the gentle reassurance from someone younger and likely just as scared as him?

“Yuno…” His own voice shook terribly. 

“Hey –” And all the sudden, she was doing that thing where she sounded effortlessly shallow. “Did I ever tell you about the time I accidentally stole some lady’s dog?”

“Eh?” He reeled at the sudden switch.

“Oh, it was so awful,” she giggled. 

Fuuta was in no giggling mood. He tried to get control over his teary voice to ask, “how on earth do you do that by accident…?”

Yuno began her story. It was something ridiculous and likely embellished, but she was a good storyteller. Before he knew it, Fuuta’s heart rate had returned to something somewhat normal. 

She asked him some questions in between more wild tales. He thought they’d already shared everything there was to talk about during the first trial, but Yuno kept coming up with new stories to tell. He almost accused her of making shit up just to keep the conversation going. Almost. He scoffed at her latest comment about a bizarre encounter on the subway.

They talked for hours. His pulse would pick up any time he started dozing off, imagining the possibilities of what could happen if he were to sleep, or if Yuno would leave. He was glad she was taking over the conversation – his fear and exhaustion would have made him the absolute worst company. 

Yuno still stayed. 

Unlike him, she never once let on how tired she was. When asked, she simply replied, “you’re not the first man to doubt if I’ll keep it up all night.” He was too busy fumbling with a response, and she continued her story.

If he laid back and didn’t struggle, it could have felt like they were just normal friends, chatting in the dark before bed. He wouldn’t go so far to say it was nice by any means. It did distract him from his gut-wrenching panic, so he’d take it.

The two were going at it in a debate about music tastes when the morning bell blared. He heard the latch of the door unlock a split second before Yuno was throwing it open. 

“Hang on a sec, I’ve got you…!”

He blinked in the sudden light as she removed the blindfold. Yuno worked quickly to undo the other restraints. She pulled him to his feet. 

Fuuta stumbled a bit – shaky after a night of futile fighting. He shook out his muscles, careful not to fall. His hand rubbed around his neck now that he could finally breathe easy. 

“I bet you’re pretty sore, huh? We’ll have to hold a stretching session this morning! I used to do that all the time. Hm, I think Mahiru said she knew a bit of yoga~” Yuno was in the middle of mimicking a pose when Fuuta crashed into her with a hug. “... ah.”

 “Thank you.”

[ocgram-central]

Mainly asking this to gain perspective, what was your personal process when it came to making your own Milgram characters (the tsumigram guys), if there was much of a process at all

looks into the sky (← world is a blur, twenty million forgotten memories)

going to put under cut

well let's see.. I don't really have a process when coming up with designs and personalities, they just get generated in my head on their own. the belts' designs are based on the theory that they resemble kanjis from characters' names, so I partially designed them with this in mind, but other than that idk I was placing them randomly and praying

I had some early work notes when I was coming up with the rough concepts of the characters but I deleted them and don't remember what they were about, I was trying to balance out the concepts and make them complement each other is all that I remember... I was also thinking of the possible verdicts at that stage since my verdict system can describe the character's personality in a simplified way

the first ever milgram oc of mine was a milgramsona, I just trapped myself in the prison. the second was gathered from some ideas that I've seen and wanted to elaborate on, one of which was my theory on one of the canon mlgr characters very early in the project when barely anything was known. it has nothing to do with current mlgr story so I don't want to say what it was, but elaborating on the ideas that weren't elaborated on or could exist but don't actually exist in canon works for me as well

I don't have a lot of imagination for the murders themselves but I remember that picking a uniting theme for the duo and going from it helped me coming up with hotaru-remi and toa-miku murders at the time when tsumigram didn't exist yet and they were duos in my drafts. I don't remember how I came up with others' murders I kind of rushed the backstories overnight...

ego was created based on that I think our current es is extremely uncooperative and in the first novel a cooperative es wasn't given a chance to cooperate. it's frustrating me that milgram can't understand that in case to get information more easily you can gain the prisoners' trust first so I'm going to do it myself

when it comes to the prison's structure I mentioned somewhere that my verdict system was inspired by the 4D chess happening in the fandom during T2, and I think the overall atmosphere is closer to the first novel rather than the current milgram, because a lot of things about the first novel frustrate me and I need to see them the way I want to see them

well if it's anything, I like to listen to interviews/documentaries etc that focus on people's personal experiences and I'm always paying attention to what could possibly be used for the characters, even if it's things that don't seem to be connected to central themes of their stories. the writing format of mlgr allows me to not have the full backstories right here and now, since they're revealed bit by bit, I have time to adjust them and add new details to them. so the process of shaping the characters never really stops

I think that's all I can say... I'm sorry I can't give a lot of information... I forgor...

[linagram]

[ 𝙺𝚞𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚒 𝚁𝚒𝚔𝚞'𝚜 𝚃𝟹 𝚅𝙳 ] 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝙸𝚝 𝚊 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚠

RIKU. OH RIKU. enjoyed writing both his mv and his vd a lot! hope y'all like it too :) (his mv and vd destroyed me)

Warnings for Riku's VD: descriptions of toxic relationships, suicide, bullying and self-harm.

Warnings for Riku's MV: same as his VD, not counting the bullying part, Riku also gets to be really violent in this one and there are a lot of mentions of blood.

(sounds of footsteps)

Miki: .. So..

Miki: It's time for us to interrogate your brother.

Hinode: .. Yes.

Miki: .. Hinode-san, how can you be so calm even though your own brother is one of the prisoners here?

Miki: How can you just.. be so calm even though your brother has murdered someone?

Miki: And not just that, you voted him guilty too. Again, I understand Eiji-san's situation, but-

Hinode: Because I always knew it will end up like this.

Miki: Huh?..

Hinode: I knew that their friendship will end with someone's death. I knew that it will either be Riku or it will be Yue. 

Hinode: I.. I always knew it.

Miki: .. Why didn't you help him? 

Miki: Why didn't you stop them? Why didn't you tell your own brother that this friendship will only hurt him? 

Miki: Do you even love-

Hinode: NOT ALL OF US ARE AS OBSESSED WITH SAVING OTHERS AS YOU ARE! 

Miki: ...

Hinode: .. I'm so sorry, Miki-san. 

Hinode: It's just.. Haha..

Hinode: Who knows. Maybe I really don't care about Riku that much.

Hinode: .. I was too focused on my own pain to think about his pain too.

Miki: .. Sorry.

(the door opens)

Miki: .. Hello, Riku-san.

Riku: I heard you two arguing. Did something happen?

Riku: And, um.. Hello.

Miki: I-it's nothing. Please don't worry about it.

Miki: .. How are you feeling, Riku-san?

Riku: .. A little better, haha.

Hinode: ...

Riku: (to Hinode) .. Are you not going to say anything?

Hinode: .. I'm sorry about.. that.

Riku: *laughs* You're this scared to talk about your brother's suicide attempt?

Riku: .. No. No, that's not the right way to say it.

Riku: You're so used to my suicide attempts that you don't feel anything at all anymore. 

Hinode: ...

Miki: .. Hinode-san..

Miki: .. You really are a terrible brother.

Hinode: .. I know.

Riku: Hey, hey, come on, let's talk about my crime instead.

Miki: B-but don't you want to talk more about how your life in Milgram has been? 

Miki: I just want to know how you are-

Riku: I'm fine.

Riku: T-thanks to Akio-kun.. I'm fine.

Miki: But what about-

Riku: Guard 002.

Riku: Don't you think you should stop asking prisoners about things other than their crimes? Especially things that trigger them and make them uncomfortable?

Riku: If you care so much about us, why don't you respect our privacy?

Miki: ...

Miki: "His attitude towards me has.. completely changed."

Miki: "It's like he's not trying to make me trust him anymore."

(the sound of a screen turning on)

Eiji: That's what I like to hear. If you want to talk about your crime so much, let's start with your murder method.

Eiji: Guard 002 asked you about it the last time, but you didn't give a proper answer. 

Eiji: So, how did you do it?

Riku: .. I thought you would have seen something like that in my video.

Miki: "Hinode-san told me everything about it, but I can't just tell Riku that I've heard it from his brother."

Miki: .. Did you.. use your reputation to make everyone hate Shiozaki-san?

Riku: ...

Riku: Yep. That's what the popular guys do.

Eiji: Popular guys don't just drive someone to suicide.

Riku: Hmm, I disagree. Our whole existence makes others wish they were either just like us or simply dead.

Riku: I'm sure at least one person was close to committing suicide just because of how great I am.

Miki: .. And you're proud of it?

Riku: Sure. I had the same thoughts every single day, why wouldn't I be happy that someone feels the exact same way because of me?

Riku: It's like.. a compliment, really. Like wow, I'm so cool that someone would rather die than continue living their boring and pointless life that has me in it!

Eiji: .. We should've voted you guilty twice.

Riku: But anyway, yeah, I just used my popularity to spread gossip about him and told everyone how bad Yue is and that it would be better if the guy just killed himself already..

Riku: And it worked! Yay~

Hinode:  .. You're not actually that happy about his death, are you?

Riku: .. What do you mean?

Hinode: Sure, you still have your band, your friends, your classmates, but..

Hinode: Yue understood you like no one could. He gave you as much attention as you needed. 

Hinode: It could've been overwhelming, but it was the exact amount you needed. That's why you couldn't have just ended your friendship like a normal person would.

Riku: .. Why don't you just continue to sit here and not say anything?

Riku: You never understood me, Hinode-

Hinode: Your whole family doesn't understand you. That's one of the many reasons why Yue's death will only make your life more miserable.

Hinode: Your main source of attention and affection is gone. 

Hinode: Who will you start feeding off this time? Akio-san?

Hinode: You don't see people as people, you just see them as pairs of eyes that are supposed to only look at you.

Riku: .. Says the guy who stole all of our parents' affection.

Eiji: Shut up, you two.

Eiji: First of all, I don't want to know anything about what was going on between Riku and Yue. I'm only interested in the murder.

Eiji: And also..

Eiji: If your parents pay more attention to only one of their children, it's their fault. The other child is not the one to blame. 

Eiji: And.. maybe the child that gets more attention is not the one to blame either.

Riku and Hinode: ...

Riku: .. Yue was planning to jump off the school rooftop.

Riku: And not just that. I was the one who suggested it.

Riku: I left a note for him that said I'm tired of everything and that I want to end it all, but I'm not doing it without him.

Riku: Of course, he agreed and came to the rooftop, but..

Riku: This wasn't supposed to be double suicide. It was basically supposed to be.. murder that would look like suicide.

Riku: Me and my friends came to look at it and.. taunt him a little, I guess.

Riku: Like, we were just going "Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Miki: Were your friends really.. okay with all of this?

Riku: Eh, I don't know and I also don't care.

Riku: Maybe they really are this cruel, maybe they just didn't want to lose their status. Who knows.

Riku: But then.. I walked up closer to Yue. 

Riku: I just wanted to continue making fun of him, nothing more. Maybe, also, um.. Push him a little.

Eiji: Making fun of him and pushing him are two different things. You weren't trying to get him to commit suicide anymore, you were trying to kill him yourself.

Riku: Come on, I was just.. bullying him a bit. Like all friends do.

Miki: ".. Sometimes I forget how insane Riku-san is."

Riku: B-but.. Um..

Riku: Then, Yue hugged me. I thought that maybe he wanted to hug me for the last time before he jumped, but..

Riku: .. H-he wanted to fall with me.

Riku: H-he wanted us to jump together.

Riku: Y-you don't understand, he even pulled out a boxcutter that we used to-

Riku: A-and he said that he was going to stab me if I didn't jump with him.

Riku: He was that insane. I was the victim. Please trust me.

Eiji: So he was so obsessed with you that he was okay with dying, but only if that meant you kept your promise and you two committed double suicide..

Eiji: .. Heh. Things are getting interesting.

Miki: T-there's nothing interesting about it! It's just.. it's just..

Riku: So anyway, I tried to fight back, but he hugged me again and..

Riku: W-we almost fell off the roof. 

Riku: And then my friends tried to save me and..

Riku: T-they did. A-as you can see, I'm still alive.

Riku: My shoe fell off, but it's.. fine.

Miki: .. So Shiozaki-san ended up falling, but you survived?

Riku: .. Y-yeah.

Riku: Stop looking at me like that! Do you think it would be better if I died with him?

Eiji: Yes, actually.

Riku: What-

Eiji: You deserve it, like a murderer that you are.

Riku: How- H-hey, Hinode! Don't you want to protect your little brother?!

Hinode: .. I knew that you were the one responsible for his death, but..

Hinode: .. How can I care about my little brother, when he's.. 

Hinode: When he's even more cruel than me?

Riku: .. Come on. Come on, at least someone in this room has to care about me.

Riku: Miki-chan.. Miki-chan, please..

Miki: .. Please, shut your mouth, Riku-san.

Miki: I'm so tired of you.

(the bell rings, machinery sounds)

Riku: .. You will forgive me, right?

Riku: You understand that I'm the victim, right?

Miki: I thought you changed, Riku-san. 

Miki: You could've died, but you were saved by the person you hated. I thought this would change you.

Miki: Even Miyagawa-san has changed. 

Riku: .. But I'm innocent.

Riku: I was just trying to survive. It was either me or him. It was basically self-defense.

Riku: You will just vote me guilty again? You want me to die this badly?

Riku: MY WHOLE EXISTENCE IS ALREADY THIS PATHETIC SO YOU JUST WANT TO KILL ME OFF?!

Riku: IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF SAVING ME?!

Miki: I-it doesn't mean that you will die-

Riku: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO TO YOU!

Eiji: You don't have the same power here that you used to have back in school.

Riku: WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? DO YOU WANT ME TO FALL ON THE GROUND AND SAY HOW SORRY I AM AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS? DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST STAB MYSELF OVER AND OVER?!

Miki: "I should use the memory machine-"

Riku: DON'T MOVE!

Miki: ...

Riku: I know what you're trying to do.

Riku: If you use that memory thing on me, I will still find ways to hurt myself. And you don't want that, right? Because you're our savior, right?

Miki: You won't-

Riku: What, do you think my brother will stop me? Do you think.. uh.. I forgot his name, anyway, you think Guard 001 will stop me?

Riku: Nobody in this prison cares about me. I had to learn this the hard way.

Miki: .. But Miyagawa-san does.

Riku: ...

Miki: And I don't think he just sees you as a replacement for someone anymore.

Riku: .. He's just another source of attention to me.

Riku: .. Fine. Do whatever you want.

Riku: It doesn't matter if I live or die, I will still continue to suffer. It's like I was born to do exactly that.

Miki: .. Thank you for trusting us.

Hinode: Wait a minute, Miki-san.

Hinode: Riku.

Riku: *sighs* What do you want?

Hinode: .. I know that our relationship is impossible to fix. We'll never be as close as we should be. 

Hinode: You're mad at me and I'm mad at you. But..

Hinode: Sorry. I wish I could've been a better brother.

Riku: ...

Eiji: ...

Riku: .. I wish you could've been better too.

Miki: .. A-are you ready now?

Riku: Yeah. Guess it's time to sing my final song, haha.

Miki: .. How can you still make jokes in this situation?

Riku: 'Cause I'm too used to suffering. No matter what you choose, it will bring me nothing but pain.

Riku: I want to live, sure, but I want to live a better life.

Riku: .. I don't want to go home.

Miki: .. Prisoner 009, Riku, put all your heart into this song and sing your sins.

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

[ Riku's Trial 3 MV: Sun Sets, Games End ]

The video starts with showing us many different scenes, all of them appear for a second or two. We see an orange sky with some clouds and then we see a seesaw, a swing, a bench, a merry go round and a tree.

We see little Riku sitting in his room and trying to do his homework, but it looks like it's hard for him to stay focused. He gets distracted again, sighs and walks to his window. He can see a playground next to his house from it. As he's looking at it, he gets scared when he sees a familiar figure playing there. 

"Press "START GAME" to begin

But I want this to end

Please go away, I don't wanna see you

Please go away, playing as your friend is getting tiring"

It's little Yue who notices him too, turns to him, smiles and waves at him. We see Riku still standing in his room and it looks like he's not sure if he should go outside. He looks at his homework again.

"But I am still lonely, my heart's about to break

This desire for attention is getting too strong for me to handle

I guess I'll play another round today"

Riku and Yue are playing on a seesaw now and Yue is having a lot of fun and Riku is smiling too, but his smile looks forced. 

"We're going up, look at us, we're still friends

We're going down, we're arguing again

No balance, this relationship is too unstable

Friends? Enemies? What role am I supposed to play?"

Yue is laughing and suddenly, he falls off of it. Riku is already standing not so far away from him and we can see that Yue is definitely injured. But for some reason, Riku isn't in a hurry to help him and it actually looks like he's hesitating to do so. 

"We're supposed to be friends, so I'm supposed to help you

But I don't feel anything at all

My head is empty, I don't wanna do anything

Maybe this game will end if I just ignore you"

Now, they're on a swing. Yue's head is bleeding, but he doesn't care and even though Riku looks worried, he doesn't say anything. Yue is still laughing and enjoying this, but then, he falls again. And this time the fall is more serious. 

Riku runs up to him and sees that Yue is lying in a pool of blood coming from his head injury. He's visibly panicking and doesn't know what to do, but if you look closer, you can see that it looks like he's trying really hard not to smile. Suddenly, he sees that Yue is still able to move and Yue gets some of his own blood on his finger and starts drawing a heart on Riku's cheek. When he's finished, Riku is shocked, but Yue is still smiling.

"Let's play until the sun goes down, let's play until we see the sky turn purple

That's what they want us to do anyway

Hey, are you having fun? Aren't you tired? Don't you wanna go home already?

"Nope, I'm just getting started!" Well, let me end everything here"

We see the sky slowly turn pink. We see older versions of Riku and Yue now (17 and 18 years old) sitting on a bench. Riku is helping Yue bandage his arm. Yue also has some bandaids on his face and bandages on his other arm, but he looks like he's even enjoying the process and watches Riku do so with a smile. We can see their school bags on the bench as well and there's a box cutter and scissors sticking out of one of them.

"More years, more pain, more fighting

More attention, more joy, more love

Will this game ever end? Will it be as long as my life?

If that's the case, I know how to quit"

It starts raining and Riku is trying to get back home as quickly as possible, but Yue seems to be taking his time. Riku turns to him and tries to call him, but then we see a lightning flash. Yue gets excited and runs off somewhere and Riku tries to follow him and another lightning almost strikes Yue. 

"Why are you like this? Why are you doing this?

Do you want to end this game already, just like me?

Then let's press "QUIT GAME", please, this can't go on

With tears in your eyes, with blood on your hands, you smile again"

Riku and Yue are in Riku's room now and Riku is drying Yue's hair with a towel. The scene looks surprisingly peaceful. We can even hear rain sounds in the background. Yue still has the same happy expression on his face while Riku is really stressed. The door opens and we see a woman that seems to be Riku's mother and she smiles after seeing Riku and Yue together like this. Yue smiles too and holds Riku's hand. His grip looks really tight and we also can see that Riku's fingers have some bandaids on them too. 

The sky is purple now. We see the playground again. Riku and Yue are playing on a merry go round. Yue is having fun as always, even though he has even more bandages on his body now, while Riku's eyes look completely empty, his hair is more messy and he's not trying to hide his scars anymore. 

"It keeps going and going and going and going

I don't think I will ever be able to escape this hell

We keep playing and playing and playing and playing

Let me turn it all off, let me close my eyes and wait for the end"

The merry go round stops as Yue points at a tree we saw in the beginning of the video. 

Yue tries to climb it as Riku watches him. It looks like Riku doesn't want to join him, but he still follows him. They're climbing together now and Yue gets on the highest branch. He looks even happier than before as he watches the sky become a darker shade of purple, but when he turns to look at Riku, Riku quickly makes him fall off the branch.

"Let's play until the sun goes down, let's play until we see the sky turn purple

That's what you want me to do anyway

Hey, are you having fun? Aren't you tired? Don't you wanna go home already?

"Nope, I'm just getting started-" SHUT UP ALREADY AND LET ME END THIS!"

Riku gets down. There's even more blood than in the beginning of the video. Yue's eyes and face expression make it look like he really is dead. Finally, Riku shows a genuine smile for once, even though this smile makes him look more insane rather than happy. He starts laughing and he sees one of the branches on the ground and starts hitting Yue's body with it. 

"Beating you with my words, my power, my reputation

If I say "Kill him", they will follow me

Please, just die, just die already 

That's the only thing you have to do to make me happy"

But then, it's revealed that Yue is still alive and just like in the beginning, he gets some blood on his finger, but this time he puts his finger in Riku's mouth. Riku is shocked and disgusted, but Yue is still smiling. 

"No, no, what are you doing

We weren't supposed to end up like this

I'm not gonna follow you, you're going there alone

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, WHY WON'T YOU JUST END IT?!"

Riku continues to hit him with the branch, until he eventually gets tired and his body is just lying on top of Yue's now. Both boys are covered in blood and there's so much blood that it's getting harder to recognize them.

"And we're still repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating

This cycle of pain and abuse and torture all over again

INNOCENT? GUILTY? Both options are too painful

Even though you're gone, my heart is still broken"

We see someone watching this scene from what appears to be a classroom. There's not just one person, there's a lot of students watching and we can't see their face expressions. One of the students turns to the camera. It's Riku, who is still covered in blood. He looks happy.

"I can't see the sun anymore, the game's finally over

Congrats, you're the winner, you got your prize

Haha, don't worry, I'm not mad at you

You got there first, but I'm okay with the second place"

The video ends.