#third of all MAHIRU

[liliumofthevalleysstuff]

For anyone who’s asking why I don’t get along with Shinoa.

-👑

[a-star-that-burns-brightly]

So uh. Maybe I'm just really stupid, but despite being in this fandom for a year now I for some reason was convinced that Killcheroy killing herself was like, canon, because of how widely accepted that theory is in the fandom and spoken of as if it's fact. But after looking through all of Fuuta's stuff again (voice dramas, music videos, the like,) I've come to realize that not only is Killcheroy's actual cause of death never actually confirmed, but I've also realized something else: Y'all I really do not think this girl killed herself lmao. In fact, I am very confident that she didn't kill herself, mainly due to the fact that, as we know, Milgram has a very specific motif when it comes to characters who have committed suicide or have themes of suicide in their character

Mahiru and Kazui's victims both have a shoe off, because both of them died via suicide

Muu is often presented with only one shoe, because she is implied to be suicidal

Fuuta's victim also has a shoe off, because as we know she died of-- ...Huh? Oh shit. Both shoes are intact. Now I've seen people, though often briefly, point that out before What I don't see pointed out however is that Backdraft has three perfect opportunities to follow up on the shoes motif, and just doesn't.

These are the first two I wanna talk about. Killcheroy's shoes are perfectly in view, yet both of them are still in tact. Since this whole scene is basically a creative reenactment of Killcheroy's death, wouldn't it make sense for one shoe to be off if suicide was what took her out? But at the same time, these scenes are still depicting her when she is 'alive,' so maybe it wouldn't make that much sense for a shoe to be off in this particular scene. But what about after she burns up? That's where the third scene comes in

Even after she dies, her shoes are not there. Milgram is a series that loves including small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it details. If Killcheroy really killed herself, there's no way her shoes wouldn't be visible in these shots as Fuuta's running away, right? And this shoe motif, coupled with the fact that when looking at what we have, there's no actual evidence that Killcheroy killed herself (to my knowledge) makes me doubt this theory a lot more than I had when I originally assumed it was canon. So what do I think took Killcheroy out? Well, though we have no evidence that she killed herself, we do have evidence that Fuuta doxxed her.

(x) Storm Pazuzu Should we destroy her?＾＾Just because you’re a middle school girl doesn’t mean you can act like this lmaooooo don’t go easy on her just because she’s cute  QRT Miss Magic I got permission from the store owner, it’s allowed as long as I’m only replicating it for personal use. Storm Pazuzu Yeah, yeah, thanks for the late excuses QRT Storm Pazuzu I think I’ve got all her details now. Based on her previous tweets I’ve worked out her school. The fact she lives so close is hilarious lol Judgement☨Onizuka You’re the worst offender of all

And the fact that this scene transitions

to this one, where Fuuta is reacting to the news of Killcheroy's death, leads me to believe that this doxxing was the final bridge that caused Killcheroy's death. Now, a lot of life-threatening events can result from doxxing, for a while I was even pondering the possibility that Killcheroy was swatted and killed that way. But I think someone in Fuuta's group killed her, because the text in the MV makes it a note to specify that Killcheroy "lives close" to Fuuta and presumably the rest of his friend group since they all go to the same university and live in the same area. I can see people arguing that that would remove a bit of Fuuta's agency and responsibility from his murder, but I don't think I would agree with that. Regardless of what truly happened to Killcheroy after the doxxing, whether she was killed by someone in the group, or swatted (which I think is less likely, but is still a possibility), this presumed culprit was only able to do the things they did because Fuuta gave them the tools to. He gave them a target, Killcheroy, who he demonized and dehumanized into the role of Petulant Witch, and enough details of her location for anyone in the area to find her and enact punishment in the most direct way they can. Fuuta's story, to me anyway, isn't just about the consequences of cyberbullying and cancel culture, but also the cult-mentality of it and how others are influenced into it.

(x) Storm Pazuzu The people in charge here are shit. I could do a much better job

Fuuta did not come out of the womb cancelling people, but due to the injustice he saw around him and his desire to Do Something About It, he was influenced into this cesspool of online toxicity and cancel culture.

Now, it's his turn to influence justice. And boy, did he.

[acediathemelancholy]

I know this bit is about how Lily and Mikuni were using him, but the rook piece really does suit Mahiru

First of all, the rook is typically portrayed as a castle or tower. One of the characters in Shirota means "castle/fortress". His father's surname includes the word for "tower" and The Tower is the tarot associated with Touma. But also...

Mahiru is a character that stubbornly charges straight ahead towards his goals. In chess, the rook isn't limited to moving a specific number of spaces, but it can only move in straight lines. Powering through a problem while looking straight ahead suits Mahiru. He isn't a pawn who can only move one space at a time. He's the rook, the second most powerful piece after the queen (and third most valuable after the king and queen). He can charge forward all the way to the other end of the board.

Largely, Lily is saying Mahiru far exceeded his expectations. He underestimated Mahiru because he had a bit of a rough start as an eve. A rook isn't the most useful piece at the beginning of a game when it's boxed in by other pieces after all. But Lily may also be complaining that Mahiru didn't move in the ways that he wanted. A pawn is much more limited overall, but it can move diagonally a space. Mahiru is a force that refuses any movement but forward

[satoshi-mochida]

Revue Starlight: El Dorado launches August 8

Gematsu Source

(Possible spoilers for Revue Starlight below)

Visual novel Revue Starlight: El Dorado will launch for Switch and PC via Steam on August 8, publisher Bushiroad Games and developer Frontwing announced. It will support English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese language options.

In Japan, it will be priced at 3,980 yen for the physical standard edition, 14,980 yen for the Starlight Edition, and 39,800 yen for the Super Starlight Edition. The digital standard edition will cost 3,300 yen on Switch, with the PC price still to be determined.

The contents of each edition are as follows:

Standard Edition

A copy of the game

Weiβ Schwarz PR card

Raffle ticket for the stage to be performed in November 2024

Starlight Edition

A copy of the game

Blu-ray disc of Revue Starlight Re LIVE Reading Theatre Part 4 El Dorado – Includes performances of the reading stage performed on December 16 and 17

Weiβ Schwarz PR card

Raffle ticket for the stage to be performed in November 2024

Super Starlight Edition (limited to 999 copies, sold via Bushiroad Online Store raffles)

A copy of the game

Copy of original drawings with serial numbers

Blu-ray disc of Revue Starlight Re LIVE Reading Theatre Part 4 El Dorado – Includes performances of the reading stage performed on December 16 and 17

Weiβ Schwarz PR card

Raffle ticket for the stage to be performed in November 2024

And here is an overview of the game, via its official website:

About

The vast ocean sings to me. I must go and conquer it! Our last summer at Seisho Music Academy… With the 101st Seisho Festival “Starlight” coming up, we the students of the 99th class take up the challenge to perform “El Dorado,” an oceanic epic that Japan is proud of, for our summer performance. The exiled admiral, Salvatore Guglie. The heir to a royal Spanish family, Alejandro Javier Cavallero Cruz. Who will “we” choose… between the “two protagonists” of this story?

Characters

Karen Aijo – “No matter what waters I have to cross, I will… definitely reach you!” A Stage Girl who traded fates with her childhood friend Hikari to “stand on that stage together someday,” after being entranced by the stage play “Starlight” she watched as a child. She gave her all in performing “Starlight” with Hikari, and now begins to walk towards the “next stage” by herself.

Hikari Kagura – “I don’t need destiny or oaths anymore!” A Stage Girl who has loved stage plays since she was a child, and was led into the world of stage plays after watching “Starlight” with Karen. After performing the “fated stage play” with Karen, she has currently returned to studying at London’s Royal Institute of Dramatic Arts. She is striving towards becoming a stage actress while dreaming of the day she reunites with Karen on the stage.

Maya Tendo – “May my revenge shine beautifully as my fuel.” She is the top student at Seisho Music Academy. A thoroughbred, with both parents being prominent figures in the world of theater. Despite overflowing talent in acting, singing, and dancing, she is a proudly independent Stage Girl who has never become conceited and continues to aim to be the best. Aiming to join the New National First Theater Troupe, she imposes strict lessons on herself even today. Maya-sama continues to be Maya-sama even in her third year.

Junna Hoshimi – “I myself emit glimmering lights… A lighthouse star on the Evening Star!” A Stage Girl who keeps taking on stage plays with her vast amount of reading and solid knowledge, she is the most talented girl since the inception of Seisho Music Academy. She was once desperate to catch up with the frontrunners of the scene, but now aims to be a “dazzling protagonist” and sets her eyes far ahead in her own future. She is the former 99th Student Council President of Seisho Music Academy.

Mahiru Tsuyuzaki – “I will decide my own drama… burning myself like the Sun!” Karen and Hikari’s roommate. She is a cheerful Stage Girl with a vast range of expressiveness, and is looked up to by her juniors, but can get extraordinarily scary when angered. She gave Hikari a push of motivation and sent her on her way to share the fated stage play with Karen. She aims to join the New National First Theater Troupe, in order to become a Star who brings smiles to everyone.

Nana Daiba – “I’ll… go slicing for a bit.” She is Junna’s roommate, and at the same time, a Stage Girl with extraordinary talent in both performing and stage creation. She often has the chance to bake together with Mahiru, and she is affectionately nicknamed “Banana.” She loves everyone who helps to create the stage together, and that is the reason why she sometimes shows a ruthless side.

Claudine Saijo – “Thanks to you and my unjustified resentment!” She is a former child actress who has starred in numerous stage plays and movies from a young age. A pure-hearted and highly experienced Stage Girl who knows the ropes of a stage play. Although she honed her skills against Maya as her greatest rival, she returned to her roots in France after graduation and is slated to join a revue in Paris.

Futaba Isurugi – “I don’t want to see a version of you who’s good-mannered and runs neatly!” Unmatched when it comes to sword fights and action. She is a Stage Girl with great expressive power hidden in her small frame. She and Kaoruko have been stuck together since young. They both enrolled in the same school, and she drives them both to and from school on her motorbike. However, she has decided to walk her own path by accepting the challenge of the New National First Theater Troupe, and has entrusted her beloved bike to Kaoruko.

Kaoruko Hanayagi – “A competitive performance between the top stars of the Senka-ryu School and New National… I’d like such a stage play, someday.” The granddaughter of the head of the family that runs the Senka-ryu School of Japanese Dance. After graduation, she returned to Kyoto. She is a Stage Girl who lives a life of history and traditions, and will succeed the name of the 12th Head of Family, “Suisen Hanayagi.” After a huge quarrel, she accepts Futaba’s chosen path and sends her on her way. She is currently considering what to do with the motorbike that Futaba left behind with her, while grumbling that it is “a bother.”

Kiriko Masai and Shion Amemiya – “We are from the Stage Play Creation Program, in 99th Class Group B!” “In order to create an even stronger, even better Position Zero, become even greedier!” From the 99th Class Group B Stage Play Creation Program. Amemiya writes scripts with all her body and soul, while Masai flutters around controlling the stage. The two are also roommates. They stand at the forefront of Group B, having worked on many of the 99th Class’s stage plays, taking on hardships even while clashing and arguing. Before their final summer in the exchange program, they challenge making a stage play with a certain resolve in their hearts.

Judy Knightley – “If you seek a new universe… tear apart your wailing, and overcome the sea of blood!” A Stage Girl who boasts having top grades at London’s Royal Institute of Dramatic Arts, a school that is renowned for being the hardest in the world to get into. With outstanding acting skills and expressiveness that has been lauded even in the British theater world, she is a professional stage actress with a promising future. She has arrived at Seisho Music Academy for an exchange program, and stands in the way of the students in the 99th Class with her overwhelming brilliance.

[Update: Added the opening movie.]

[doctorbunny]

(Part 3) MILGRAM x AVOIT bluetooth earphones collab: Fuuta and Muu voice lines

[Brief context: On 28th December 2023 a crossover was announced for bluetooth earphones featuring original voicelines from MILGRAM characters. [Website]

PRISON.003 Fuuta Kajiyama Vertical text = オレが囚人だからってナメんなよ！＝Don’t you look down on me just because I’m a prisoner! [from third intro voice line]

Voice Guidance: 電源オン = Power On 電源オフ＝Power Off 接続成功したぞ = Connected Successfully 接続解除すっぞ＝Connection Ended ペアリング中。焦んじゃねぇ＝Pairing. Don't get all worked up おい、ペアリング失敗したじゃねぇか＝Oi, the pairing's failed, right? おい、バッテリーねぇぞ = Oi, battery's flat ノイズキャンセリング、オン＝Noise cancelling, On アンビエントマイク、オン＝ Ambient Mic, On ノーマルモード＝Normal Mode

Random Voice: オレは悪くねぇ！＝It's not my fault! 人権侵害だ！＝It's a human rights violation! ははっ、その曲、オレは売れる前から知ってたけどな＝Haha, that song, I knew about it before it was even popular は？なにが？コトコのことなんて怖くねぇけど？＝Huh? What the? Aren't you scared of Kotoko? おい、アマネ。肉食わねぇからちいせねぇんじゃねぇの = Oi, Amane. Aren't you a shortie cause you don't eat meat カズイのおっさん、頼りになんねぇなぁ＝I can't really depend on old man Kazui [Fuuta calls Kazui 'ossan', which like 'ojisan' refers to a middle aged man, but that doesn't work in English, so 'old man' it is] ひっ….な、なんで、オマエかよ＝Hi-... wh-why, you? なんだよ....オレが何をしたっていうんだよ＝What the...what are you saying I did? [ty to @maristelina for saving me yet again 🙏]

PRISON.004 Muu Kusunoki Vertical text= 怖いこととか、痛いことはやめてね…＝Please don’t do anything scary or harmful to me, okay? [from first intro voice line]

Voice Guidance: 電源を入れるよ＝Powering on 電源を切るよ＝Powering off 接続成功したよ = The connection was successful 接続やーめた＝The connection sto~opped ペアリング中だって＝It's Pairing なんでペアリング失敗したの....？＝Why did the pairing fail...? ノイズキャンセリング、オン＝Noise cancelling, On アンビエントマイク、オン＝ Ambient Mic, On もう、ちゃんと充電しないとダメだよ＝Its not good that you've still not properly charged it up yet ノーマルモードだよ＝It's Normal Mode

Random Voice: 何も悪いことしてないのに....＝Even though I didn't do anything wrong.... 看守さん、変なの…＝ Guard-san, you're weird... その曲なに？ムウ、しらない＝What's that song? Its not one I know ユノってなんかムウのこと避けてない？＝Has Yuno been avoiding me somehow? ハルカくんってなんでも言う事きいてくれるね＝Haruka-kun will listen to anything I say ミコトくんって、なんかちょっとチャラい＝Mikoto-kun, he's a bit of a poser [the word Muu uses here is 'charai' and I struggled to pin down an equivalent here seems to be the best article I found explaining it, basically it has connotations of being overly-friendly, dressing gaudily and possibly being shallow, sleazy or a bit of a playboy] 看守さん、ムウのことわかってくれてるよね = Guard-san, you understand me, right? ....変な判断したら、赦さないからね＝...If you give me a weird judgement, I won't forgive you

This is PART THREE of 6 Jackalope and Es, Haruka and Yuno, Fuuta and Muu [You are here], Shidou and Mahiru, Kazui and Amane, Mikoto and Kotoko

[danganronpa-textposts]

More for ya!

(all of this is in a particular order) FIRST MEME: Whoever you see fits Chihiro??? Miu Whoever you see fits

SECOND MEME: Mahiru Teruteru

THIRD MEME: Tsumugi Miu Tsumugi again

[cheritya]

[ this post can contain milgram spoilers if you are not caught up with the results of the second trial. ALSO, TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of s*!c!de. ]

GUYS. READ THE "TIMELINES." PLEASE. i posted this on youtube at first, but i decided to post it here, too.

they have been getting translated on fandom wiki ever since 2020. they (timelines) highlight the characters' dynamics with each other, and we get to see them interact over time. i just finished reading all of them. i didn't even know they existed until today - and holy shit, there are some crucial details. here is the link if you want to read them yourself (i highly recommend it):

https://milgram.fandom.com/wiki/Timelines

things are not looking great - the third trial is going to be a big shitshow. here are some developments that i have noticed (feel free to add more if you read the timelines):

1. throughout the second trial, haruka started isolating himself more and more despite being "forgiven" by us. he now spends most of his time in his cell, and muu brings his food to him. some of the prisoners are concerned about this, such as fuuta and shidou, asking muu if haruka is doing okay. shidou is concerned for haruka's mental state, but he implies that he can't do much about it (because he is busy with mahiru's treatment). he apologizes to muu for burdening her with haruka's wellbeing, which muu says that it is okay, because she and haruka are friends. shidou even thanks muu for "being there" for haruka... (oh dear.)

i think haruka starts isolating himself even with his "forgiven" verdict, because now he constantly thinks and worries about what to do if muu gets to be deemed "unforgiven" at the end of the second trial. and well, he has a plan. we all know what his plan is.

and considering the fact that muu has indeed voten "unforgiven", i am pretty scared for haruka. many people in the fandom still think that haruka was bluffing when he told es that he would commit if we don't forgive muu. i think he is dead serious, y'all. we need to take his threat more seriously.

he talked about his s*!c!de plan with kotoko and asked her not to intervene when the time comes. she was PRETTY receptive of it, telling him "if only all sinners were like you." she promised that she will not intervene with haruka's plans, and then added, "even though i'd like to do it myself, i'll leave it to you. what happens after that... depends on es, doesn't it?" so, yes. she knows what haruka might do, and she doesn't seem to care.

on timelines 2023/02/29 and 2023/04/07, haruka frantically begs es (so he is technically begging us) to forgive muu.

2. amane becomes extremely standoffish after we did not forgive her. other prisoners reported how she seems to be in her own world all the time. shidou and mahiru are pretty concerned about her behavior - mahiru even asks once, "are you actually amane-chan?" after amane goes off on one of her religious rants.

we all know that fuuta has been in a pretty vulnerable state after being voted "unforgiven" and getting beaten up by kotoko, right? we see how present his anxiety is throughout the timeline conversations as well.

amane talks to fuuta on his birthday (2023/04/19 timeline). at first, fuuta thinks she is talking nonsense, and asks her how she can be still stand after hearing those awful voices in her head, just like he hears them, since they are both voted unforgiven. we know that some prisoners are hearing voices in their heads regarding to their verdict. fuuta has been hearing pretty awful stuff all the time about his crime.

to answer fuuta's question, this is what amane tells him: "it goes without saying. because we have something more important than the incomprehensible and irrational voices. humans can stand up if they have guidance. kajiyama fuuta, it's a coincidence, but today is your birthday, isn't it? it may be a good day to be reborn. if you can break free from the temptation of corruption around you and change your ways-"

after that conversation, fuuta's behavior seems to have shifted, first reported by muu. since haruka isn't coming out of his cell and muu is the only one actually interacting with him by bringing him food, on timeline 2023/07/05, which is muu's birthday, fuuta approaches muu and asks her if haruka is doing okay. she tells him that she has been bringing him food, which means he should be fine. to that, fuuta says that he understands a bit now, and that it is nice to have someone to rely on and have them accept you. he also says that while they (he and the other prisoners) might not fully understand from their perspective, if muu is the "salvation" for haruka, then he thinks that is something. muu seems taken aback by fuuta's salvation comment, and tells fuuta that he have started saying weird things.

on timeline 2024/01/17, which is mahiru's birthday, fuuta approaches mahiru and asks her if there is any way she can get better. mahiru tells him that shidou has been taking care of her, and that she is sure that if she keeps getting treatment like this, she will get better. to that, fuuta says: "i see. continue the treatment, huh... how can you truly be saved, i wonder?" remember the choice of words he is using. mahiru doesn't think badly about fuuta's comment, and thinks that it is sweet that he seems worried about her. "……that's nice of you, fuuta-kun. just thinking that way... mahiru feels saved already." she says.

on timeline 2024/04/19, which is fuuta's birthday, fuuta approaches haruka this time. i will straight up copy-paste the whole conversation, word by word.

fuuta: "—hey, are you really okay with that? if you come with me, you might also be saved you know……haruka."

haruka: "yeah……since i already made a decision. i, have something that i must do." (he is most likely talking about his plan here.)

fuuta: "ahh, is that so…… hey, haruka, you truly are an idiot. if that’s the case, you won’t be able to be saved."

haruka: "yeah, thank you. fuuta, i’m happy that you called out to me. um, i’m happy that you were so kind to me. i mean it. but, this is the only way i can do this. i’m sorry......" (i am fucking terrified.)

so... yes. interpret it as how you will, but his fixation on "saving" might be the result of amane's influence on him. we voted both of them "forgiven" for the third trial, so i wonder how that will go.

i almost forgot. on her second trial voice drama, amane talks about how she already gave shidou a warning. and yes she did, indeed. shidou wasn't the only person she gave a warning too, though. she also gave a warning to mahiru.

this is from timeline 2023/01/17, mahiru's birthday:

amane: "happy birthday. mahiru-san. how has your condition been lately?"

mahiru: "...ah, amane-chan. thank you. yes, i'm fine. as long as i use a wheelchair, i can still move around properly... it's thanks to shidou-san's treatment..."

amane: "first, i have to give you a warning. you two are treading upon something that's forbidden. if you continue to go against the natural order, you'll just quicken your demise. think about it carefully."

mahiru: "amane-chan... are you actually, amane-chan....?" (this is heartbreaking. timelines that happened during the first trial were mostly lighthearted and happy. the tone changes A LOT with the verdicts. we need to be extremely mindful of our votes.)

i might add more to this later. also, i am sorry for my english, it is my second language.

[archivalofsins]

So, I was looking over I Love You and here are some cool shots from it-

(Warning the first one is rather bright and an eyestrain)

This is a frame at the end of Mahiru spinning before it fades to completely white. That's just cool and gives off an ominous sort of foreboding feeling to me.

This is a glitched frame where it looks as though Mahiru has blood on the back of her sweater on one part of it. I thought I was just seeing stuff at first. It could be lighting, but then @doctorbunny zoomed in on the shot and said it looked like blood as well.

Here's the image he sent,

Now here's a cropped version I made later,

Then there's this one,

Gunsli, why were you looking through I Love You? Well, that's a fair question. I was looking through it to document Mahiru's everchanging hair length that seems to denote the passage of time in some way.

Take for instance here

I am partial to this shorter cut and think Mahiru should be drawn with it more. If anyone doesn't recall this frame, it is of Mahiru's hair length when her victim is holding her wrist.

At a minute and fifteen seconds in.

This is her hair when she starts spinning at one minute and twenty-five seconds (Link starts at 1:22 before the spin starts) in,

The shorter cut can still be seen poking into the frame as Mahiru bends forward here before the spin,

Then there are these shots that happen side by side of each other (they are frames that appear during the 1:26 mark) during the same spin,

Where the length appears to vary as well. Looking through this part frame by frame is how I came across this image as well (Warning for thee bright image and possible eye strain),

After this we get an even better illustration of how often Mahiru's hair changes length and how discreetly,

For a more clear cut example of the miniscule differences here's a close up of the bottom images,

Here the keen eyed observer may realize Mahiru's bang is shorter along with the layer she has frame her face on the side in the second image where she is holding out a scoop of cake in comparison to her hair when she's just holding the plate of cake.

Sike, I'm just kidding I already talked about that before when I Love You came out.

I actually wound up looking through this again because I got sidetracked from making another post. In actuality I was trying to get an image of her from This Is How To Be In Love With You for that other post- One that needed to align with how she was dressed in her fourth anniversary art,

So, I wound up focusing heavily on a detail I hadn't before. Mahiru's earrings. This new focus led to me noticing that her earrings kept changing shape throughout the music video.

From Square to Circular,

Sometimes within moments of each other just as shown above.

They seem to change based on her facial expression,

It makes more sense here since she's moving her head. Like this makes sense she turned to face forward and is now holding her head up not looking down. That's a reasonable use of perspective.

However, in other instances it really is a case of this not being how earrings tend to work at all. Unless Mahiru can canonically move her ears.

Like they're clearly meant to be some sort of square to rectangular shape with rounded edges and depth. Not only from what we're shown here

But how they're depicted in her third anniversary art as well. But then they're shown to just be circular elsewhere,

Seemingly not accidentally considering that they're circular when viewed from the back here, too. So, even if it could be an animation error, it's a rather consistent one. This is what led to me examining I Love You again to see if there was something going on with Mahiru's earrings there as well.

Yet the only thing I can see is that in I Love You, she's sometimes wearing earrings and then other times not. Other than that, here are some cute images of Mahiru,

Yeah, that's it bye.

[milgramprojectfan]

Things I expect to see/want to see in the third trial MVs (lmk if we already know any of these)

Haruka- Literally everything. We need After Pain levels of concrete evidence. We don’t know who the victim even is!! Like both of his MVs are all just vibes and breadcrumbs!

Yuno- Ngl I think she’s good overall, like we know most of the stuff we need to. Maybe we could see why she decided to become a sugar baby, or I saw a theory she threw herself down some stairs as a DIY abortion, so smth like that.

Fuuta- I want to see what the girl did that Fuuta felt he needed to bring justice to. Not that it’d change my verdict, I’m just curious. I also saw a theory that someone was impersonating Fuuta and like doxxed the girl and stuff, so maybe we’ll see that.

Muu- I really want to see what Rei’s deal is. Like I feel like her and Muu’s relationship is a lot deeper than it first seems. Also I expect to see why Muu’s friends switched up on her, cuz I feel like that’s one of the main mysteries with her. (

Shidou- I kinda just want confirmation on whether or not he actually stole organs, cuz like people keep saying it’s confirmed but it’s not 100%. Also what happened to his kids? Why do we see them in Triage and not Throw Down? Are they dead? Also were his wife and kids in a car crash, and that’s what the call in Triage was? I feel like Shidou’s MV are like Haruka’s where they say a lot but also nothing at all

Mahiru- I feel like Mahiru’s story is pretty wrapped up nicely, like Yuno’s. I think maybe we’ll see her boyfriend be confirmed as codependent too, since I’m like 99% sure he was.

Kazui- I honestly just want to see him confirmed as gay. Like we all know he is, but I want to hear the words “I’m gay” come out of Kazui’s mouth. Other than that, I expect to see some more backstory with Hinako (the wife).

Amane- I expect to see more around Amane’s murder , because we assume it’s her mom but it could be someone else. Also we don’t know how she did it, like we see her in her marching get up with a bloody staff, but I doubt she was actually dressed like that irl.

Mikoto- Mikoto’s kinda boring imo, so i want to see how Mikoto was the one who killed that man and John is covering for him. I don’t expect this to happen, but it’d be a unique twist. I expect to see the circumstances surrounding the death, but idk what that’d be.

Kotoko- ok her new MV just came out so I’m kinda don’t know what to expect, but maybe like see what happened to that girl (Lucky I think?). Someone on here said smth like “What if Lucky died and that’s Kotoko’s crime for being in Milgram because she focused too much on punishing perpetrators and not protecting victims”. So yeah.

[metukika]

SDR2 cast talent swap!!! Inspired by @/pancakemolybdenum’s version of the first game’s cast.

This was all randomized!! Here are the titles assigned to the characters!

Mahiru: Ultimate Lucky Student

Kazuichi: Ultimate Musician

Ibuki: Ultimate Princess

Hiyoko: Ultimate ???

Gundham: Ultimate Impostor

Fuyuhiko: Ultimate Breeder

Akane: Ultimate Traditional Dancer

Chiaki: Ultimate Gymnast

Hajime: Ultimate Gamer

Teruteru: Ultimate Mechanic

Sonia: Ultimate Swordswoman

(Impostor): Ultimate Team Manager

Peko: Ultimate Cook

Nekomaru: Ultimate Yakuza

Nagito: Ultimate Nurse

Mikan: Ultimate Photographer

More notes about my hcs for their backstories and stuff about each of their designs under the cut!!

I did not expect to write so much, I’m so sorry. If there are grammar mistakes or misspells there are not anymore because I’m not rereading this thing lol. Feel free to just skip to your favorite character but thank you if you read all of it anyway! Would love to hear your own takes!

Koizumi- lucky: I feel that she is more like Naegi rather than Komaeda when it comes to her luck-- as in, she’s not really aware of it, or believes in it. It’s less straight forward with her. She insists that the only reason she gets the good things she gets is because of hard work and dedication, but behind the scenes in a convoluted way-- her luck works. 

For example, she’ll work hard to study on a test but forget to study one of the subjects. Her luck causes the teacher to accidentally forget to print the pages of the test about that sub-subject because of something that without the whole context doesn’t seem like a coincidence, and then Koizumi will have time to study the subject she forgot, and get a good grade. 

Not a lot for me to say about her design. I gave her a kind of rich-looking school uniform. She says she’s wealthy because of her parents working hard, but the truth is that her father is a slob and had gotten a great promotion following events caused indirectly by her birth. Her birth also inspired her mother in her photography career which helped her with her publicity and gaining more money.

Koizumi doesn’t like the fact that people call her lucky, as she believes people need to work hard and she does really try her best. She came to Hope’s Peak to prove that it is not luck, but dedication that boosts one’s career.

Souda- musician: I think his upbringing would be similar to his canon one, specifically about not being respected in school and his parents’ shop not doing well, leading to money problems. His father is the owner of a shop that sells old electronics, and there Souda finds a cassette tape and records his first songs, fueled by his frustration from school, with a beautiful voice (I know I’m sorry it doesn’t sound right to give him a nice voice but it had to be done).

At the start he sings about heartache and romance and that stuff, but doesn’t tell anyone about it. One day his cassette is stolen and he gets laughed at his corny lyrics by his schoolmates. The embarrassment and even more bullying causes him to change his look to fit in and he stops writing songs, instead he makes mindless mediocre dubstep music. He still hides his earlier songs from his friends at Hope’s Peak and claims it’s the later songs that are the reason he was invited as an ultimate, even though it was his original written on a guitar songs that got him there. Most of his new classmates aren’t really fans of his later works, although they sill act polite. He’s not really a fan either though.

The mp3 device clipped to his belt is a mirror of that screw he has canonically... Not sure why I gave him half green hair. It just felt right.

Mioda- princess: If I need to go into geography my head will explode, unfortunately. Would it have been smarter to think of that before designing? Yes. But I’m not smart, so.

Most of the time she’s a slightly milder version of her canon self-- maybe without the talking of herself in the third person thing, though-- but when she needs to get professional she knows how to put on a calm smile and how to be quiet and obedient (reference to how she acts with the effects of the Despair Disease).

Out of everyone in her family, Mioda is the kindest one. Unlike her parents, she is beloved by all, as she tends to sneak out of the castle and go to the poorer parts of the kingdom to help her people. She likes to be entertained and is known for paying well to street entertainers and musicians, sometimes joining the fun. Her singing’s horrible but everyone has fun when she is around. She might not be the expected image of a princess, but her kindness is what got her to Hope’s Peak.

I kinda fused Sonia’s braids with Mioda’s cone things, and got rid of the colored stripes in her hair (rip), maybe that’s why I gave Souda extra.

Saionji- reserve course student: Since her grandmother had used to attend Hope’s Peak, and Saionji’s family from her mother’s side had all turned out successful, she had a lot of pressure put on her to become talented or at least highly outstanding like them. Her father is the only one who didn’t care how she turned out, and loved her regardless.

Because her family made her work extra hard, Saionji didn’t have time for friends and was bullied heavily. Because she failed to get a talent, she only had her dad to rely on. Her sour life effected her mood and the way she treated others. Because her family is wealthy, they had gotten her into the reserve course department at Hope’s Peak. 

I don’t really know about the whole Kamukura thing. That’s up to you if she agrees to go with the Hope Cultivation Project. Maybe Saionji!Kamukura would be pleasant.

I lowered her pigtails to make her look tamer, and implemented the bows of her kimono onto her new design as well. I thought having an orange school uniform would be fun, especially with the green. I also gave her an ahoge of course.

Tanaka- impostor: As a kid, he liked to people-watch, but not to interact. He’s mostly ignored by his peers, which made him feel less human. The only times kids would interact with him would be to be mean, and the odd attention would encourage Tanaka to angrily stalk them for a little while, learning their traits and how they act. He would notice little things about people and liked to pay close attention to them (since it would make sense that he would be less of an animal guy than canon, and being an impostor would be a very human-heavy job, I think he would have some odd connection to human individuality, although not his self’s).

I think it would make most sense that his mother’s death would be what caused him to start to impersonate others, as she’s the only one by his side, even if it makes me sad... All alone, Tanaka decides to stop being himself so he can get close to the humans he finds so interesting.

He would probably be a slightly less friendly/more awkward version of whoever he is acting as. I know I could have had him impersonate anyone but I’m too lazy to think of anyone else and I thought that making him dress as Togami would be funny. Like every version of the impostor has to be Togami at some point.

As Togami, he fits into the arrogant personality well, although he’s more obnoxious and focuses more about the “I’m better than you” than the “you are worse than me” parts of him but is still more pleasant that the real one. He is not obsessed with the occult or at least doesn’t outwardly show interest in it, but he still has delusions about ruling the world-- probably with the power of blind confidence and money, this time around.

Loud, but very mysterious. If he was in the game the player would be like “Where did Byakuya get that scar from? Did he lose his mind?” But, nope. It’s just Tanaka. I think he’d still refer to himself as a boy, but he has no trouble acting as a girl, when need-be.

Kuzuryuu- breeder and Pekoyama- cook: Kuzuryuu’s family lived pretty out of the way, near a forest in a large mansion. While his parents were either too busy fighting or were focusing on his little sister and her promising grades, Kuzuryuu would venture out into the forest and befriend the animals. Even with his small physique, he wasn't ever scared of the bears or any dangerous animals. He didn’t want to seem threatening to the animals so he would wear soft clothing, even though it didn’t really change anything, and just made his crass personality all the more of a surprise to strangers. Though it’s not as bad as early canon Kuzuryuu.

One day he met an abandoned girl in the forest and his parents took her in and let her be the family’s cook. She was more of a servant than a third child, and was never legally adopted, but Kuzuryuu and his sister had tried to treat her like a friend to their best of their usually-rude abilities, although it was hard for her to accept. By working for the family, Pekoyama became the ultimate cook.

When Kuzuryuu became slightly older and was allowed to leave the house, he would dedicate his time to breeding animals and saving species in the brink of extinction. He often brought Pekoyama with him, as he liked her, but she thought she was only brought to make him food while he was busy. She can make all kinds of food but focuses more on vegetarian options as the first time Kuzuryuu had walked into the kitchen while she was there with raw meat on the counter he couldn’t stop crying. She still cooked meat from time to time for his parents, but she wants to show the world you don’t need any to make a great meal.

I could have made Pekoyama a more specific kind of cook, but again-- I’m too lazy to think about that. I wanted to giver her a different type of outfit, and found this one with like a half overall-thing clipped onto it? Probably should have searched Japanese outfits but oh well. Her braids are now braided against her head, referencing Hanamura’s braided side. I made sure to give her like a little bow thing around her neck. That’s a chef thing, right?

The cow on Kuzuryuu’s sweater is referencing the animal skull he has on his tie in the game. He has a scarf, like how Tanaka has, since I thought it wouldn’t make sense to give it to the Ultimate Impostor. But instead of mysterious, Kuzuryuu’s scarf is soft looking and has stripes like his original suit. I HAD to give him an animal sidekick so I gave him a skunk. I thought it would fit his original color scheme and the cute looking but potentially dangerous vibe would fit him. Also I made the little shaved parts on the sides of his head in the shape of claw marks.

Owari- traditional dancer: It was too late when I though of the idea of making her not Japanese (well it wasn’t really, but-- AGAIN: I’m lazy). I feel that her backstory would be similar to the original. A customer at a workplace she worked at offered her the job, and although Owari is not into feminine things, she decided to accept because the pay was good and she wanted to provide for her siblings. 

She had gotten good reflexes and flexibility by evading harm in the dangerous area she had lived in, which helped her become a great dancer.

I made sure to give her her ahoge but tried making her hair more... in order? She doesn’t bother wearing her kimono tightly.

Nanami- gymnast: Since she’s like an AI and all she canonically doesn’t have a human backstory, but I guess I’ll do my best. She probably got into gymnastics from finding interest in it, maybe she liked the aesthetic. She’s flexible and prefers doing more of the exercises that use objects, like ribbons and balls. She enjoys the art of it more than the physical labor, but she’s still good at it. Even then, I think that for herself, Nanami prefers comfort over looks, so outside of shows, she wears more causal clothing. 

I’m not sure if she would be the “traitor” in this au, since it would make most sense it’s the Ultimate Gamer.

Hinata- gamer: He’s sloppier than most people, and is physically unhealthy and less hygienic. But his kind nature and devotion to common sense is enough to stop others from looking down upon him. Because he looks at screens too often, his eyes are eternally tired and red rimmed, making him look very uncaring and cold (reference to Kamukura) but it’s only when he’s deep into gaming that he acts like that to the outside world as well. It’s best to not bother him while he’s in the middle of a game.

He often forgets about his own health and the need to actually interact with other people, so when he does hang out with the others in big social events, he gets a little overwhelmed and just awkwardly stands to the side.

What happens when you take one of the tamest designs in the games and gives him an ultimate that is usually assigned to people who have no fashion sense? Nothing! Nothing happens! The best I could do was put the logo of his previous school on his sweatshirt.

Is he the “traitor” in this universe? I kind of like that idea actually, because I really like the idea of gamer!Hinata and isn’t putting a character you really like as the traitor just what everyone needs in their life? I’m attached to him, now. And so I must suffer.

Hanamura- mechanic: He helps at his mother’s auto repair shop, as the constant smell of cars and strange angles she needs to work in is not very good for her already fragile health. In his free time, Hanamura used to make little gadgets that would make her day to day life easier. Despite all this, to others, he claims he works to help big companies design new cars and fixes rich people’s limousines (are there like a mechanic hierarchy? I don’t fucking know).

I have no idea how to give a mechanic a well groomed look, so I didn’t do that. Maybe it all transports into his personality, and he’s a gentleman in this one, instead of a pervert. We can only hope.

I kept his three stars to his design, and gave him a black shirt to wear under his button up kind of like his canon pants (I’m a genius).

Sonia- swordswoman: I don’t really know what to say about her... is she a foreigner? Maybe. Is she working as a bodyguard to the Ultimate Yakuza? I personally don’t think she does. She’s a well mannered girl but has more of a personality than early Pekoyama. She expresses interest in dark themes in this au as well, but maybe something different than the occult. Like torture methods or gruesome fighting styles. Maybe ninjas, because they’re Japanese and use swords? that would make sense.

I wanted to put the sword in a different part of her body, rather than her back. I gave her a braid, like Pekoyama, but put it on the side because Sonia’s hair prefers her right side for some reason.

(Impostor)- team manager: What I got from Nidai’s... being, is that team manager translates to coach? (I’m just going to call them Impostor, here, but they would probably have an actual name.) 

Impostor lived with mostly absent parents and no friends. They unashamedly took comfort in food for their loneliness. Because they were very public with their poor eating habits, people had starting accusing them of encouraging others to live an unhealthy lifestyle. While this didn’t bother them at the start, it got to the point of being irritating eventually, and because of Impostor’s natural instinct to be forward, they wanted to prove them wrong.

So they signed up to work as a coach at a children’s football practice, to promote sportive activity, and found that they enjoy being a supporting leader that people looked up to. So much so that they decided to become a coach. Eventually, Impostor started coaching important teams and people stopped bothering them about their weight.

I thought giving them a track-suit would be cute, especially since in the game they wear Togami’s very fancy outfit all the time. 

Nidai- yakuza: Heir to the Nidai clan, he is well respected from the members all around. The ones who aren’t close to him admire his scary stature and his great ability to give out orders and be assertive, and the ones close to him like him for his understanding personality and loyalty. 

Then he should be the perfect heir, right? Problem is that he has a heart defect and will most likely pass very young. For the early part of his life, Nidai had to stay indoors being treated, and was pitied by many. Since then he decided to not let that get him down, and by acting brash he managed to get the support of others, which is what mattered most to him.

Of course I’d get the big intimidating dude to be the Ultimate Yakuza... kind of reminds me of Kuzuryuu’s earlier beta designs. And no I didn’t make him Jewish, that necklace pendant is a reference to the design he has on his canon jacket. I gave him a small handkerchief poking out of his suit’s pocket to symbolize canon Nidai’s... thing that’s sticking out of his pants. 

Komaeda- nurse: Since it was probably because of canon Komaeda’s luck that he was born to a rich family, I’m gonna decide that this version of him was born to a more average family. Because of his poor health, he decided to get into nursing so his family wouldn’t need to pay too much bills if he could do some of the work himself. He mostly only treated himself at home, but with his dwindling health he had to teach himself more and more.

The more time passed, the worse he got, and the more he knew for certain that there would be a chance that he passed young. This is what fueled him into working hard as a nurse and eventually getting him the title of an ultimate. This also what caused him to latch so desperately onto the concept of hope. Hope is what kept him going even when he got worse. For the sake of not killing off Komaeda from this universe, let’s say his abilities as Ultimate Nurse is what helped him eventually achieve redemption on his health and let him live comfortably. 

Mixing canon Komaeda’s crappy luck at times and canon Tsumiki’s clumsiness, we can probably expect this Komaeda to also be a klutz. That is why a part of his doctor coat is ripped. It’s also a reference to his canon weirdly fucking cut jacket. I gave him hair clips since hygiene is probably more important to this Komaeda than canon-- one of them shaped as a medical plus sign. I also turned his shirt’s design into more of a plus sign. I gave him a blood pressure pump and mask as well.

Tsumiki- photographer: As a result of her abusive living space, Tsumiki would escape from home and hide in the nearby nature often. She lived in a small town on a hill with a wonderful view. She would escape and watch the sunset/sunrise and the animals in the distance and that helped her relax. Eventually, she decided she wanted to capture that beauty and managed to get herself a camera. 

After showing her parents some of the pictures, they used her to get money and that is how she started her career as photographer. She was requested to photograph many places due to her natural talent, but her favorite would be in great fields, focusing on wild animals. She decided to focus on capturing wildlife, since she found comfort in staying as still as can be and blending into the background, away from other humans. Since her parents only cared about the money, Tsumiki would photograph often and the great amount of experience is what helped her achieve title of Ultimate Photographer.

It feels a little wrong to not dress her up in pink, but it’s not a color that appears a lot in nature. She’s not as clumsy as canon Tsumiki, but hiding in bushes and such induces the amount of scratches she has. She’s also usually dirty from laying hours on the ground, which does not help her get along with her peers. I thought giving her shorter hair would be more practical. 

[good-beans]

My two cents on lying in Milgram, from a writer’s perspective – I actually don’t think the characters are lying to us at all.

I’m going to preface this by saying I love hearing everyone’s theories and I am still very open to the idea!! I mention a few specific theories here but I’m not trying to come after people who believe them, I’m just giving examples ;--; I won’t be crushed if it’s revealed the characters have been giving us false information, and I’m not trying to push this theory on others. Looking at the project for what it is, I just want to point out that it’s not beneficial to the project as a whole if that’s what’s going on. 

Now, I’m definitely not claiming we are given everything as perfect truths. The Milgram team has certainly had a lot of fun with unreliable narrators, misdirection, and omission of important information. Muu never lied about her role in bullying Rei, it just didn’t come up in t1. Mahiru never lied about the reality of her crime, she was just unreliable because she genuinely saw things in the best light. Characters can keep information and personality traits hidden, or point us to distracting details, or frame things in a very particular tone to maximize upcoming twists.

But why? It all comes down to the fact that Milgram is not a murder mystery story. It doesn’t have the same goals as a mystery, thriller, or even as a story itself. It’s an experiment, or an interactive project at least. There are fun surprises that shift our perceptions of the characters, but no grand twists like you’d find in a normal story. (See this post where I expand on that.) Normal narratives focus on exciting twists and secrets. Milgram, however, is about our decisions. The team doesn’t want to mislead us entirely, because that would make the whole project useless. I’ve seen some posts about Yuno having actually killed someone and the abortion was just a red herring, or similar cases about prisoners hiding their “true” victim – but if that were the case, two-thirds of their whole story becomes absolutely pointless to the overall project. 

Yamanaka has said he wants his audience to reflect on their biases and judgements. Why provide us with completely wrong information to work with? That wouldn’t be beneficial to our process of humanizing the characters, which in turn wouldn’t be beneficial to the themes of the whole project. Also, it would lose credibility if lies are exposed. The minute they reveal a piece of information was a lie, every single interrogation, question, and timeline can be thrown out as unreliable. You can't run a project like this if the audience loses faith in what they can believe.

And, if the nature of the project isn't convincing enough, I think a major point of proof is Kazui. His whole theme is being a liar, but nothing he said in the first trial has been contradicted – if Milgram truly wanted to write characters who lied, he would have been the one to show signs of misinformation by now. And yet, all of Half and his vd hold up strong. The fact that he of all people has always given us the truth (even if it’s extremely limited and hazy) is very telling that they’re avoiding characters actually lying to us.

[stuffedsand]

T3 cover thoughts,,, and psuedo guesses

Haruka : considering both of his songs were from the android girl album I feel like he's gonna get a third. Of which the only other song I know the lyrics to is relationship scramble.

I think it could work ("right now I want instant love", could be the whole any attention is good, negative inclusive, so long as it's attention) (bro idk)

Yuno : honestly not a clue haha, tho I think Rabbit Hole would work (+it's a popular prediction for her, I haven't listened to it but it could be a good choice?)

Fuuta : .....he got Salamander this trial I don't know what they're gonna give him anymore....I don't even know what the deal is with mosaik role,,,,,

Maybe Chimera? I've only listened to it once but it has the Vibes tm. I think it fits? I'm not very good at lyrical analysis but it'd be fun idk

(or volt tackle haha)

Muu : Theory of Negativity because idk it vibes. Similar to otome dissection kinda idk

Alternatively, Cinderella just cuz it....vibes like her I don't have a better explanation sorry

Shidou : I reeeally want to say cosmic rendezvous,,,, but it doesnt fit with his other covers. I hope dearly for cosmic rendezvous but let be realistic haha

My prediction. Ghost Rule or 118. Ghost Rule would be fun !!!! 118 would be, to me, if someone died in t3, cuz the lyrics can be twisted abit. It'd be so fun. Also "no law to pardon my crime" and "ethics are a delusion, but I'm still guilty when the morning comes" vibe the same. Also his va can do it I believe in him

The cover would also SLAP cuz from what I can tell shidous covers have a more...frantic? Energy to them and that works for a lot of the GHOST album songs. Anyways Ghost Rule milgram cover?? Please??

Mahiru : I had more but I forgot so here's the ones I remembered

U (unlikely, it's a English song... But hey it'd be fun) / Poison Apple (I'd say poison apple works for kazui but... There are funnier picks for him so)

I think her voice fits for these songs idk they just...vibe. really well. I believe in her va

Most fitting from what Ive seen is Zombies or Psuedo-Hope Syndrome which would work vocally and thematically I think! Idk tho haha mahirus is really vibe based

Kazui : ok wishful thinking : Ghost Rule. Fits with the liar theme. But I already gave it to shidou and it doesn't fit his other two covers (sad melancholy) so he gets the song I initially chose for shidou! Cosmic Rendezvous. A win for old man yaoi truthers (JOKE)

No seriously. The lyrics could be read as non romantic, and it continues his cover theme of Regret. It'd be fun, thematically relevant, fir the other covers, AND it'd hurt me. Perfect. If he does get cosmic rendezvous I will cry

Alternatively; we the hostages (?) Idk this pick was also solely vibes. I really want cosmic rendezvous though but that's cuz I want someone to say fuck

Amane : Angel Hair. I don't have a particular reason? Also this would be more in line with Positive Parade which was the trial one song.... And she got animal which I never would've expected so? Who knows. This is a fun list for vibes. Oh I think then all her songs would be Mannequin songs too

Mikoto : uhhhh (Not) a Devil. Cuz I'm not creative and it'd be funny. Uhh otherwise I'm not too sure.

Honourable mention that I think both Mikoto and Kotoko could get Addiction? By vibes alone lol cuz I can't read the captions...

Kotoko : imma be real I forgot. To kin assign her a song. But after having a short look at Anti - Beat I think she could get Dilemma? I think it works for kotoko. Idk

Tell me what songs you guys predict for any given character next trial I like seeing people's readings on what fits the character or the covers!!! Particularly kotoko, yuno and mikoto as much as I like their characters I don't have much of a read on them...

Also tell me what your favourite covers are!!!! I personally like both of shidous, kazui's, mahirus and fuuta's, and I really liked the monopoisoner one! (Haven't listened to reversible campaign enough to form opinion), as well as Harukas two breaths walking cover (haven't listened enough to the android girl one whoops)

[sipping-ambrosia-wine]

okay so yorukura definitely didnt stick the landing... honestly episode nine mightve felt like more of a season finale if it had been leading into a season two. i dont think its bad necessarily, splitting kanoyoru toward the end of the story but i dont think they got enough one on one time together before it ended. kimura and kiui really got time to shine, which i do appreciate, but kanoyoru has been set up from episode one. theyre really the heart of the show, and giving them so little time together- even with a relationship left unconfirmed, like in lycoris recoil- kind of kills it. they were going FULL THROTTLE on kanoyoru endgame. they didnt include an aquarium date in episode three a cheek kiss in episode five the motorcycle beach date in episode seven, all of mahiru's teasing and her remarks about a special someone who inspired her and she's interested in for it to be unintentional. their breakup had me on the edge of my seat, but their make up just left me wanting.

kimura and kiui's endgame developments are generally pretty well liked and with good reason. mei got to confess her feelings and she made it clear that in contrast to her reasoning as a fan it was because of her real, less marketable traits that she loved kano. that its because theyre such different people and because she doesnt always understand her or want to emulate her that she loves kano now. and she expressed that through her own real, unmarketable trait, showing a little bit more of her own growth and self acceptance. that said its got a little less punch to it given the use of "nonotan" was nearly back to back with kano's flashbacks of her idol days and her confessing to her father that she can barely remember the last time she was called by her real name. kiui stood up to their explicitly transphobic old friends and regained a bit of that childhood confidence. maybe im a bit dumb bc the trans coding didnt quite fully click for me until then but that really blew me out of the water. like yeah oh loss of self confidence due to social isolation- and onset of puberty. when they clicked with the driving school friend who is also trans, even under the baggy dysphoria fits kano noticed that their chest was slightly bigger than the woman who had work done. kinda masc vtuber rig. pink hair and pronouns. its really cool that they confirmed it!

independent of the yuribait i do think kano and mahiru were decently done like... in all aspects aside from one another. mahiru previously worried about comments criticizing her technical art and it drove her to improve. the JELEE gang's support is why she had the courage to start drawing again in the first place but kano's mom gave constructive criticism, and then praise for the initiative and self improvement when she saw the arm edit. but that focus on technical skills and approval from others becomes a double edged blade and she doesnt deliver her best work until she draws authentically to herself and her tastes as an artist. i feel like they couldve delivered on the jellyfish metaphor, about how jellyfish can only filter and reflect the light around them, but that the light reflected is made more beautiful for it as well or... something. the point of splitting a dynamic duo in the third act is generally to let them breathe and develop apart from one another and prove they can stand on their own before bringing them together stronger for it, but though the theme is still there i feel like they kind of dropped the light and jellyfish dynamic after the fight. that said mahiru's show of devotion to kano being a timeslot at the show, the jellyfish art all over the city, and all of that being done via the show light projectors, mahiru's art made to literally shine for kano was a great touch.

now kano... this might be controversial but i dont see her ending as a "forgiving an abusive parent", or at least i dont think thats the point of it. last we see of her mom is at her graduation ceremony. kano leaves campus and sees her mom and her sister came to see her. she says she made her moms dream come true and she's clearly happy about it- but then she walks away. its not full severance but she's not living on her mom's agenda anymore. her sister was in the car- her mom mightve meant for a family meal after the graduation ceremony. from kano's words this might be the first time theyve seen one another since the concert. but kano has plans with her friends and doesnt even hesitate. her mom discarded her but it was kano who made her dream come true anyway. and now she's moving on to what she built for herself. before, she was singing to prove her mom wrong- but she was still singing because of her. when the set her 100k follower goal she was going off her mom's success model of numbered audience. she was with the sundolls as a nepobaby because her mom was their producer and wanted her in. but JELEE is hers and its what she's pursuing. all that said im dead curious about what's up with her family situation- her dad seems to be a shut in maybe? he's deliberately a gaping abscence in comparison to kano's hypercontrolling mom, and theyre definitely split. and through his viewpoint in kano's flashbacks as well as the fact that he was the reason she was in shibuya to see mahiru's mural, and also the fact that he's the last shot of the ed really makes me wonder.

overall disregarding the finale i'd say the show was still about a 8/10 but even with all that going for it they chickened out on kanoyoru and the whole episode was cheapened by it. maybe the full finalized concert lyrics of shinkai yuei had a more uplifting love song vibe to it, maybe if they had made it clear that she was singing a love song for mahiru. maybe if mahiru had been the one to encourage her instead of melo. i dont dislike these decisions independently, pursuing passions for yourself and the connection it offers with other people rather than one person in particular, forgiving yourself and laying the past to rest are good. but the last episode feels incredibly empty and it feels like overall they actively dodged every opportunity to fulfill the conclusion theyve been dangling since the start. it burns to say since i was rooting so hard for this show but theres really no other word for it but baiting. its yuribait.

[givemeanaccountalready]

Points of Origin & Paths to Take (Part 1)

1

Milgram sure does love its pairs, and boy do I have some thoughts on the matter. Namely, what I think connects each pair of prisoners and predictions for their third trial videos (and Kotoko’s second trial song since Mikoto’s second video just dropped).

I am not the first person to say this and I won’t be the last, but I think I figured out how the prisoners are paired: it’s under the broadest definition of their underlying motives. And unsurprisingly, their motives seem to guide the path they take at Milgram. I was worried that Mikoto’s “Double” would throw me for a loop, but it’s confirming my feelings instead.

All of the motives seem to be driven by the absence of something in the prisoners’ lives that led up to them committing their respective murders. This is how I think the motives are paired:

Haruka and Yuno: the absence of love

Fuuta and Muu: the absence of connection

Shidou and Mahiru: the absence of knowledge

Kazui and Amane: the absence of authenticity

Mikoto and Kotoko: the absence of accountability

These definitions are a bit broad but I will explain in each section. For each pair, the motives start out along a central idea, and then branch out in different directions that foil each other in some way.

Haruka & Yuno: the Absence of Love

"If you forgive this sin, you're as good as an accomplice / I'm alone and lonely, please give me love"

"I feel emptiness inside me, we agreed to seek each other out / I wish I could do something about it, FUTURE!"

-"Undercover"

(I feel like I said a lot about Haruka already when I did my 'Haruka is Peter Pan but not the Disney one' comparison a while back.)

Haruka is the easier of the two to pin down for this motive. The line played over Haruka's introduction in "Undercover" says it outright. It is also clear during the first trial that he wants to someone to love and take care of him even though he sees himself as bad or useless. Haruka craves affection, and in turn, validation. Despite Es striking him, Haruka can’t stop smiling because Es has focused their attention on him and swore that they wouldn’t be scared off by what Haruka did. That they are going to focus on him until the very end. I think this is probably when Haruka decided that Es would serve as his new mother figure. Es has promised not to leave him; unlike his mother, who did leave him behind when Haruka became undesirable.

During the second interrogation, Haruka admits that he killed his victim to get his mother’s attention back to him, thinking that she’d love him again like she used to. Before this, Es had pointed out that there still are two trials left to go and asked why Haruka is acting like he has been fully absolved. Haruka is rather volatile during this part of the interrogation, and accuses Es of bullying him. He then goes on to revoke Es’s status as his mother and gives the title to Muu. Es, like most people in their shoes would be, is confused and asks what the fuck is Haruka going on about. Unbeknownst to Es, his promise to Haruka and his forgiveness from the first trial solidified them as Haruka’s new mother figure, and Haruka is now taking condemnation for what he did as Es behaving as his mother did. He is not doing this betrayal shit a second time. Muu and him became close during the inter-trial period, and since she still likes him even though he still perceives himself as a useless, good-for-nothing, she now gets the mother title. Now, I don't like Muu but for her sake, I really hope this doesn’t come back to bite her in the ass. Prisoners cannot fight while Es is awake, but Muu loses that protection once the second trial is finished and Es falls asleep again. I doubt she'd cut ties with him if he doesn't succeed in killing himself to avenge her Guilty verdict, but I could see her accidentally making a throwaway comment that could trigger his volatile side.

Yuno is a tad harder to pin down because heaven forbid our girlboss say it outright like Haruka, but I do think the absence of love in her life led to her choices both before and during Milgram. I don’t think she was abused or intentionally neglected like Haruka was (he is at least the latter), but I do think she was trying to find herself by becoming a sex worker. Let me explain, I don’t think Yuno loathes herself and did sex work to fill a void of some sort. I think she wanted to explore different facets of herself, enjoys sex and dating, and decided to make a little money off her unorthodox journey of self discovery. Yuno does not care what other people think, and she seems to be trying to find the version of herself that she likes best.

“Teardrop” emphasizes her not caring about external validation. Yuno does not shy away from what she did before coming away to Milgram and is angry when the audience tries to take her autonomy from her by saying she had no choice or was manipulated into it. Her actions were her choices that she made because she wanted to. She chose to put on a mask and be the girl each of her clients wanted, and she’ll spit in the faces of those who say her sense of self was so weak she was easily manipulated into. She's stated in both of her interrogations that she does not care if she is condemned for what she did, but she does care about losing her agency.

Yuno is perceptive and socially intelligent. While she may find wearing a mask for too long to be bothersome (like when she talks to Mikoto about letting his guard down and being less self-conscious or breaks the happy-go-lucky act in her first interrogation), she understands the reasoning behind them (she know why Kazui lies so much and that there are people like Kotoko who take their first impression of someone as infallibly right which could spell harm for her). She knows sex work, adultery, and the like are looked down on and that society tends to come down harder on those scandalous things compared to other acts, so her sex work is hidden. (I’m not sure if Yuuko Kashigawa is the alias she gave to just the doctor who performed her abortion or the name she used for when she was with clients).

So, what does this mean for Trial 3? We know that the prisoners’ next song depends on the previous trial’s verdict. Haruka went from Innocent to Guilty while Yuno received her second Innocent verdict. Neither are going to be pleased. Haruka will be angry because he’ll see it as another betrayal by Es, while Yuno, might still see the Innocent verdict as Es continuing to not take her seriously/not respecting that she is a person capable of making her own decisions.

If you compare their Trial 1 songs to their Trial 2 songs, both Haruka and Yuno become more explicit about what they’ve done. And the explicitness seems to be in response to how they interpreted their Innocent verdicts.

In “Weakness” we get to see teenage Haruka kill something offscreen with a rock. Young Haruka is horrified by the blood on his hands, but the blood is censored by crayon scribbles. The most violent thing we see is Haruka strangle his younger self, but we don’t see him finish the act. No bodies, human or animal, are in his first music video. He seems ashamed of what he’s done. The Innocent verdict seems to validate him (which he seems to take as love), and so jn “All-Knowing All Agony” he doesn’t hide what he’s done. We see him launch a chair through the fish tank and watch them flop on the ground. We see animals that he has presumably killed, ranging from butterflies to dogs. We see him stand up and beam while the things he’s killed litter the ground, and for a split second at the end, we see him strangle somebody. Our “love” gave him a kind of strength he didn’t have before and now he’s excitedly showing off what he’s done. He’s like a little kid showing off his new skill for the adults. I think in Trial 3, Haruka is going to take his Guilty verdict personally and I think he’s going to try and win back our “love” (pity) by showing how he got so screwed up he ended up killing someone. He equates pity with love and validation with acceptance and encouragement, so I don't think he'll close himself off from Es, and by extension, us, entirely. He killed to win back his mother’s love, you think he won’t show worse to win back ours?

As for Yuno, “Teardrop” is her middle finger to the “poor girl” assumptions people made. It’s as if she’s saying, “Oh, you love the ideal me so much, right? How about now? Do you still love me, or just your overrated, ideal me?” We see her accept money in return for her services and dressed in lingerie, we see her in several scenarios where it is implied that she either had or is about to have sex with a client, we see her show off those different facets of herself and stand proudly beside them. Unfortunately, at least with the Western audience, she’s been met with a resounding “Girlboss, slay queen” rather than the condemnation she wanted/expected for showing off her true self. She’s going to be even more pissed with us and she is more likely going to be even more direct so the other shoe can finally drop (get the rejection she expects to receive).

These are just my thoughts on these two and what I think is going to happen next. That’s a lot of spinning my wheels for just these two, so I’m going to be breaking this thing up into segments. Next up is Fuuta and Muu.

2 / 3 / 4 / 5

[doctorbunny]

(Part 4) MILGRAM x AVOIT bluetooth earphones collab: Shidou and Mahiru voice lines

[Brief context: On 28th December 2023 a crossover was announced for bluetooth earphones featuring original voicelines from MILGRAM characters. [Website]

PRISON.005 Shidou Kirisaki Vertical text = 俺を、ちゃんと赦さないでくださいね = Please don't forgive me at all [from his last line of the Molech voice drama]

Voice Guidance: 電源を入れますね = Powering on 電源を切ります= Powering off 接続成功しました = Connection was successful 接続解除 = Connection Terminated ペアリングしています= Pairing [on-going] ペアリング成功 = Pairing Successful ペアリングを解除します = Cancelling Pairing そろそろ充電したほうがいいですよ = It'd be for the best if you charged up [these earbuds] soon ノイズキャンセリング、オン = Noise Cancelling, On アンビエントマイク、オン＝ Ambient Mic, On ノーマルモード＝Normal Mode

Random Voice: 俺は死刑を希望しています。よろしく = I have hope in a death sentence. A pleasure to be of acquaintance. [from his third intro voice line] 君みたいな子に、赦さないと言われたかったんです= I wanted a child like you to tell me I'm unforgivable エスくん、子供なのに頑張っていますね = Es-kun, even though you're a child I want you to try your best 音楽、好きなんですか? いいですね。= Is this really the kind of music you like? It's nice, isn't it. 椋原さん、休憩ですか? 付き合います = Mukuhara-san, are you taking a break? I'll join you [not specified but likely a smoking break] 杠くん、暴力では何も解決しません = Yuzuriha-kun, Violence doesn't solve anything 櫻井くん、少しだけ明るくなりましたね。良かった = Sakurai-kun, you've been a little more cheerful. What a relief 俺が生きていないと、守れない = If I'm not alive, I won't be able to protect [anyone]

PRISON.006 Mahiru Shiina Vertical text = ふつつかものですが、よろしくおねがいしますっ = I may be incompetent, but it’s a pleasure meeting you! [from her first intro voice line]

Voice Guidance: 電源を入れるよ＝Powering on 電源を切るよ＝Powering off 接続成功、嬉しい = Connection successful, that makes me happy 接続解除~ = Connection Terminated~ ペアリングしてるよ~ = Pairing [on-going] ペアリング成功~ = Pairing Successful~ ペアリング失敗しちゃった... = The Pairing totally failed... あっ、バッテリー切れちゃう。充電充電 = ah- the battery's run out. Charge it, Charge it ノイズキャンセリング、オン＝Noise cancelling, On アンビエントマイク、オン＝ Ambient Mic, On ノーマルモード＝Normal Mode

Random Voice: あんまり優しくしちゃうと、死んじゃうかもよ? = If you treat us too nicely, you might die, y'know? [from her second intro voice line, Mahiru doesn't use a subject here so it could either be 'if you treat us prisoners too nicely' Or 'If you treat me too nicely'] エスくんって、呼んでいい? = Es-kun, is calling you that alright? マヒルにもその曲聞かせて? = Can I also listen to that song? ユノちゃん、恋、してる? = Yuno-chan, are you in, love? シドウさん、ご家庭ではどんな感じなんだろう = Shidou-san, I wonder what his family is like アマネちゃん、笑って笑って = Amane-chan, smile! smile! [smile, could also mean laugh here] マヒル、仕事に熱心な人、好き = I like someone who's passionate about their work 痛くないよ。赦されなかった心に比べたら、全然 = It doesn't hurt at all, y'know. If you compare it to my unforgiven heart, it's [the physical injuries] not painful at all

This is PART FOUR of 6 Jackalope and Es, Haruka and Yuno, Fuuta and Muu, Shidou and Mahiru [You are here], Kazui and Amane, Mikoto and Kotoko

Bonus thank you to @apatchworkstar for using google lens to get the Japanese text into a format I could copy paste so I didn't have to manually type all the Japanese out like I had been doing until now...

[mayimkjs]

Mikoto's Notable T1 Timeline Convos (EN Ver)

Taken from the FOOL's MATE research doc

小 means that there is a MINIGRAM based on the convo

T1 EN

T1 JP

T2 EN

T2 JP

1) 2020/04/28

Jackalope Hey, have you been behaving yourselves while you waited? I’ll explain what it is you need to do. ……come back on May 1st at 7pm. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about MILGRAM then. In the meantime, you should bring in as many other people into MILGRAM as you can. You’ll be considering the prisoners’ “sins”…… it’s important to have a lot of different ways of thinking and feeling. You understand, right? Jackalope ……also, all of you who’ve been calling me a rabbit on Twitter. Just know I remember all your icons……

Introduction to Jackalope.

Jackalope is always watching us.

2) 2020/05/01

Jackalope Prisoner 09, Mikoto. ……he just seems kinda normal. I don’t really have anything to say.

Jackalope's initial opinion of Mikoto.

3) 2020/05/25

Jackalope Starting from today, recordings from within MILGRAM are going to be transmitted to your terminals…… Ah, to put it in simple terms, conversations between the prisoners are going to start being posted on the timeline. Also, just to make it clear…… Whatever comments you make, they can’t see or hear them. Just think of it as a one-way surveillance. ……well, that also means you can say whatever you want and it won’t matter. The only way you can do anything here is through Es. That’s the rule of MILGRAM. You’ll work it out eventually. It’s not like it’s lonely for you or anything…… after all, I’m always gonna be watching you. Kayano Mikoto ……I’ve really got caught up in some trouble, huh. What even is this place? It’s probably a TV reality show or something. ……but to think someone in this day and age would try to do a project that could land them in so much trouble. Uh…… Shiina Mahiru Ah…… I’m Shiina Mahiru! You can just call me Mahiru. And you are……? Kayano Mikoto Kayano Mikoto. I’m fine with just Mikoto too. Ahh, I’m glad there’s someone here who’s easy to talk to…… It’s nice to meet you, Mappy. Shiina Mahiru ………… ……Mappy???

Explanation of the Timeline.

Introduction to Mikoto.

Introduction to Mahiru.

Introduction to Mikoto and Mahiru’s relationship.

Start of his nicknaming habit.

Introduction to the "Mappi" nickname.

4) 2020/05/27 小

Sakurai Haruka Haa…… haa…… Haa…… Ah…… Um…… Ko-Koto-Kotokotoko-san…… Yuzuriha Kotoko ……what? Sakurai Haruka Eek…… eh, um……! I-I! I’m sorry! ……I-I’ll see you later……! Yuzuriha Kotoko ……what was that about? This is the third time. Kayano Mikoto Oh~ Koto-chan, you’re here. The guard was complaining earlier that you never answered their call. Yuzuriha Kotoko Huh? ……I never heard about anything like…… Haruka……!?

Introduction to Haruka.

Introduction to Kotoko.

Introduction to the "Koto-chan" nickname.

5) 2020/05/31

Kusunoki Muu Hey, Mikoto-kun, aren’t you scared of this place……? You can’t think of any reason you ended up here, right……? Kayano Mikoto Ahh, yeah. Of course, it’s not like I’m not scared at all. But just between you and me…… I still haven’t dropped the thought that this could all just be a TV show. I mean, I really haven’t ever murdered anyone. ……and if that is the case, we’re definitely being monitored. For like a prank setup or something. Wouldn’t it be super uncool and embarrassing to get angry or lash and have it shown on prime time? Kusunoki Muu Is that what you think……? A prank, huh…… I hope that’s all it is…… Kayano Mikoto Ah! If that is the case, then you’ll probably be super popular since you’re so cute, Mucchan! There’s a lot of girls out there who make their big break coming off reality shows like that!

Introduction to Muu.

Introduction to Mikoto and Muu’s relationship.

Introduction to the "Mucchan" nickname.

6) 2020/06/05

Sakurai Haruka Ah…… ah, u-um, Mikoto-san. The c-communication……? thing, that you were saying was important. I-I thought, I’d give it my best…… Um, so, Mikoto-san, what’s your favourite food……? Kayano Mikoto Ooh? Nice going, Haru-kun~ Yeah, we still have no idea how long this lifestyle will go on for, so it’s best if we all get along together here. My favourite food…… I like pasta and horse-meat sashimi. Also bubble tea, and recently I’ve been big on custard puddings. What about you? Sakurai Haruka ……ah, I, I wonder…… H-hamburg steak, and omurice, a-and also…… what else? Ah. Cotton candy…… Kayano Mikoto C-cotton candy!? That’s the first time I’ve met someone who has that in their top three favourites!? Kayano Mikoto/John ……man, Haru-kun, you really are hilarious.

Introduction to Mikoto and Haruka’s relationship.

Introduction to the "Haru-kun" nickname.

The last line seems out of character for Mikoto but the speech pattern is closer to Mikoto's then John's. This could be seen as 3 things; conscious masking, unconscious masking or some type of co-fronting.

7) 2020/06/11

Kayano Mikoto Kazu-san, do you have any hobbies? I kinda want to get into something that’s a bit more mature. The sort of thing I could still be doing 10 years from now. Mukuhara Kazui Ahh, hobbies, huh. I wonder…… Hm, I guess trawling? I have a friend with a boat, so we went out on it a lot. Other than that, I guess when I go out drinking sometimes I play darts…… On that note, do you drink? Kayano Mikoto Ahh, I’ve tried darts before too. Drinking, huh. I guess I can probably hold my alcohol a bit better than the average person. Back when I was a uni student, I drank a lot. But…… you look like you drink a lot too, Kazu-san. Mukuhara Kazui ……can you tell? That’s probably my biggest hobby of all of them. I like drinking anything. Beer, wine, shochu, the lot.

Introduction to Kazui.

Mikoto trying to appear more adult like.

Introduction to Mikoto and Kazui’s relationship.

8) 2020/06/14 小

Kayano John Hey, it’s kinda a bother having you be so angry and tense all the time. You should stop trying get everyone to pay attention to you. Kayano Mikoto You’re a uni student, right? You can’t act like that once you start working properly. Kajiyama Fuuta Huh!? Shut up. Not like I care what you say. Even though we’re in this shitty situation, you’re just chatting away, it’s stupid. Aren’t you the one who’s acting out of place here? ……also the fact you give everyone nicknames is just gross. Kayano Mikoto *sigh* It’s more stupid to be taking this all so seriously. I mean, it’s definitely just a reality TV program. There’s no way a real prison exists that’s this lax. Also, I don’t give nicknames to everyone. I don’t give them to young kids like Amane, or to the hard-to-approach types like Shidou-san. I mean, I’m not giving you one, right? Kajiyama Fuuta ……hey, which group are you trying to say I am?

Base on the information we have, Mikoto wouldn’t tell someone to stop doing something that’s bothering him. That’s how he got into this mess.

Introduction to Fuuta.

Introduction to Mikoto and Fuuta’s relationship.

Explanation of his naming habits.

9) 2020/06/20

Kayano Mikoto ……oh, so you are here after all. Shidou-san, are you free? Let’s chat~ Kirisaki Shidou Ah, just give me a moment…… Um…… I don’t mind talking, but you didn’t need to come over while I was smoking. Are you sure it isn’t too smokey for you? You’re not a smoker, right, Kayano-kun? Kayano Mikoto Ah, you don’t need to put it out! That’d be such a waste! I smoke too occasionally. Though just vape. Like, the smoking room is a really good spot for communication, right? So I thought now might be a good opportunity to talk with you. Not like I have anything else to do. By the way, I’ve been wondering for a while, but do you always wear those gloves? Kirisaki Shidou I don’t…… How to put it…… I suppose…… since I have my hands covered all the time, then when I take them off, it feels as though the feeling in my fingertips is even greater…… I know it’s probably all in my head…… but that’s how it feels.

Introduction to Shidou.

Introduction to Mikoto and Shidou’s relationship.

Introduction to Mikoto’s smoking habits.

10) 2020/07/01 小

Kayano Mikoto Hey, hey, Koto-chan. I’ve been thinking this ever since I first heard your name, but... Don’t you think the names “Mikoto” and “Kotoko” kinda sound like siblings? Yuzuriha Kotoko No. Kayano Mikoto Don’t say that! Let’s get along well from here on as the Koto-Koto combo! Yuzuriha Kotoko I’m not doing that.

Introduction to Mikoto and Kotoko’s relationship.

11) 2020/07/08

Kashiki Yuno Hey, Mikoto-san. Don’t you get tired being so conscious of others all the time? I mean, you’re free to do what you want though. Kayano Mikoto Eh…… Aha, what are you talking about? I’m not being conscious or anything. It’s normal to make sure to get along with everyone, right? I mean, when you put it like that, aren’t you the same, Yun-chan? You’re always smiling and getting on with everyone too. Kashiki Yuno I don’t smile unless I actually want to. But with you, when you’re talking with other people it’s more like you only smile deliberately. So I kept thinking, don’t your cheeks get tired? Ah, is this just what happens when you become a working adult? ……you see people like that sometimes. Kayano Mikoto Haha, you don’t mince your words do you. …….that was never my intention, but now that you mention it, yeah, I guess I do. This might’ve been since I started my job too…… But like, if I was rude to everyone I met, all my efforts would come to nothing, right?

Introduction to Yuno.

Introduction to her observant nature.

Introduction to Mikoto and Yuno’s relationship

Introduction to Mikoto’s need to get along with everyone.

Mikoto points out that he started to force a smile when he started his job.

Introduction of the "Yun-chan" nickname.

12) 2020/07/15 小

Momose Amane Eh, my studies? I enjoy it. To me, studying is something I do for fun. Do you not think the same, Mikoto-san? Kayano Mikoto Not at all! It’s just a means to an end…… I just did the bare minimum needed to get into a good company. I actually went to an arts uni that had a pretty low subject requirement to enroll, and from there I studied curation and…… Uhh, you don’t really know what that is huh. Hmm. Since your way of speaking is so mature, I keep forgetting I need to explain myself properly…… Momose Amane It’s fine. If there are any words I don’t understand I can look them up later. An arts university, though…… Does that mean you’re good at drawing, then? It may be a bit rude to say, but that’s rather unexpected. Kayano Mikoto No, not really…? I mean, I could do the bare minimum needed to pass the entrance exam though. Even though it’s called an arts uni, there’s still subjects where you don’t need to draw at all. I’m the sort of person who tries to be efficient, so I worked backwards from the job I wanted to get into and chose to study subjects like direction and management~ ……ah, I’ve done it again……

Introduction to Amane.

Introduction to Mikoto and Amane’s relationship.

Mikoto’s obsession with his job is starting to really show.

13) 2020/08/04

Kayano Mikoto By the way, why did you two start smoking? For me it was just a means for communication with people at work Mukuhara Kazui Hm? I don’t really remember…… It’s maybe changed nowadays, but in the past it was just natural for everyone to smoke. What about you, Shidou-kun? Do you remember? Kirisaki Shidou ……I wonder. I suppose…… I just wanted to do something that was bad for me. Kayano Mikoto Ahh, I kinda get that. It’s like eating instant ramen in the middle of the night.

Explanation for why Mikoto smokes.

14) 2020/10/06, Mikoto's Birthday

Kayano Mikoto gh…… Gah…… aaa…… nh Yuzuriha Kotoko …………hm. Have you finally calmed down? Kayano Mikoto. ………… So you want me to wish you a happy birthday? I don’t really mind, but is that really something for you to be saying to me? Kayano Mikoto You’re the last person I need to have the whole group. If there was just one person left it’d be bugging me all night and I’d never get to sleep, right? At times like this you have to abandon your pride and just say something, right~? Yuzuriha Kotoko Ok, here you go. Happy birthday. ……if this is what will help you sleep soundly. Kayano Mikoto Oh, thanks! Now I don’t need to worry~

Mikoto’s need to get along with everyone is becoming more apparent.

15) 2021/04/17, Release Date of “Magic”

Momose Amane ………… Kayano Mikoto Oh, welcome back Amane! ……what’s with the grim face? Ah, right, the guard summoned you! Kayano John How was it? Did you cry? I bet you were so scared you cried, right!? Momose Amane ……alright then. If it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get. Kayano John Huh? Oooi! Hey, are you listening?? Ooooi!

The switch is caused by Mikoto’s stress is growing from not knowing what his interrogation will be like, causing John to front more.

Mikoto doesn't day “Oi”, John does.

16) 2021/08/13, Release Date of “MeMe”

Kayano Mikoto Ugh… ow, ow…… Ahh, first I get stepped on, then I get kicked, what even is this…… Yuzuriha Kotoko ……welcome back. Kayano Mikoto Ah, Koto-chan, I’m back. Honestly, where do I even start!? Just look at this lump on my head! It’s huge! I don’t even remember what happened, but this is violence! Yuzuriha Kotoko Hm… How unfortunate.

Mikoto doesn't know what happened during his interrogation.

Kotoko is giving him sas about it.

17) 2021/10/06, Mikoto's Birthday

Kayano Mikoto ……ah, Fuuta? What’s up? Did you come to celebrate my birthday? Kajiyama Fuuta Hah!? Like I care about your birthday. ……what’s up with you, though, you’re usually a lot more excited. I thought you were the sort of idiot who’d make a big deal over your birthday. Kayano Mikoto Yeah, usually that’d be the case. ……I think I must be getting tired. It’s like I’m anxious over something but I can’t really explain what it is…… Like, the feeling that I’ve been totally wrong about something. Haha, but it’s not like talking to you about it is gonna do anything. Kajiyama Fuuta Yeah, yeah, just like you say. Talking to me about it isn’t gonna help. ……but, it’s not like I don’t get what you’re saying. Or rather, I understand exactly what you mean. And if it’s the same thing as I’ve been feeling, then it will just get stronger as time goes on…… probably. But anyway, rather than talking to someone like me you should go and bother the others. Go and get showered with their stupid birthday wishes.

Mikoto has become more closed off as he’s not going around digging for happy birthdays.

He can feel that he’s getting voted guilty but doesn't actually know it yet. Him and Fuuta bond over this. He feels like he’s been wrong about something, likely “his” crimes.

Fuuta tells him to cheer up.