#how can the titular character be so perfect and yet the narrative be so flawed | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

archivalofsins · 13 days

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During the break in Milgram content I've mostly been relaxing and using the time to creatively work out my feelings on Milgram as a series. Admittedly writing that oc milgram with Star has actually been really helpful with doing that. It made me really think about what it would be like for people to be in this sort of situation and had me looking at the characters and the audiences behavior in brand new ways.

Given the theme of what we're writing heavily being rooted in self-forgiveness I've been thinking of the many ways people forgive and I've come to some interesting conclusion.

Firstly to the surprise of no one I still don't like the way the fandom uses forgiveness when it comes to the series. I never really did. People highlighting that this isn't about Guilt or Innocence it's about forgiving or not forgiving is really fucking dumb.

Like not to be blunt as hell but anyone really viewing this solely from a point of forgiving or not forgiving others is missing a lot of the point. Viewing Milgram through that lense alone or even just through the framing of guilt or innocence is only really touching the surface.

Milgram showcases the issue with only viewing things through these framings alone over the course of trial one.

Mainly through the lyrics sprinkled throughout the first trial songs that call to attention these ways of looking at the situations presented to us.

The songs actually hit on judging someone as being guilty or justified first,

"Am I a bad girl? Please don’t answer."

This line later serves to contrast both Haruka and Mu's trial two lyrics,

"I just want to be your good boy. I will keep on killing to be a good boy."

Haruka's line can be used to highlight the juxtaposition of his mindset and Yuno's. Both characters continuing to contrast and highlight each others strengths and flaws through how close in proximity their songs are.

So when Yuno gets upset over being caressed with the words good girl it actively highlights a titular part of Milgram,

What will work with one person won't always work with another. This is what Haruka wants and the type of dotting attention he enjoys but Yuno is not the same way.

Meanwhile Mu's line in It's not my fault is more of a direct parallel to what Yuno said,

"Hey, what if- If I am a bad girl? Don’t hate me."

This line servers to show the difference in Yuno and Mu's mentalities. Yuno doesn't want an answer. She doesn't want the label of good or bad. Continuing to state as much in her second trial song.

In contrast Mu despite singing about how it's not her fault recognizes that she is in fact the bad.

She's not asking am I a bad girl. No she's going,

"So, hey what if i am this thing? What if I presented myself as not being x but I really am? Will you still like me?"

Which makes perfect sense for her narrative because she just spent her entire first two voice dramas framing herself as a victim of bullying and someone who'd never bully others. Despite knowing full and well what she's done.

Mu like Kazui, Mahiru, Amane, and Kotoko all want their wrongs to be recognized and forgiven. They know what they did was wrong and have made it apparent that they do. Yet they still want to be forgiven all the same.

This is something Amane and Kotoko do blatantly. Displaying very little shame or hesitance around discussing their wrong doings over the course of the trials.

Kazui and Mu on the other hand are more ashamed of what they did. Along with being terrified by the idea of possibly getting hurt again if they open up. So they try to present themselves in more human and palatable ways.

They both do this by selfishly highlighting their own feelings and using the other parties around them as nothing more than props-

Yuno and Mikoto are very much mind your business or believe what I'm saying. If you can't do that then shut up and go away-

Mikoto

"All I did was dream, so you find me INNOCENT, it’s that simple right? Come to know me as an honest man, eat your words, gulp them down." "Please tell me it’s a mistake, that’s it’s a lie. That I’m right, I’ll forgive you if you tell me now."

Yuno

"Just shut it, will you? You know it all. Caressing me with your “Good girl” Who needs your self-righteous pardon?" "Please don’t answer."

Yuno goes to great lengths to explain how people treating her certain ways has never done anything for her. In both her first and second voice dramas.

Yuno First Voice Drama 5:29,

"That's right. You know those people who just want to convince themselves. So, they intrude on other people's affairs even though it's not their place? I despise them. That's what I was saying."

"So, nauseating...so, creepy...will you please disappear." - "Please don't answer." - "Just shut it, will you? You know it all."

"I don’t need to be lectured to like that. Do you just want to make yourself feel even better?" - "Who needs your self-righteous pardon?"

Yuno's songs highlight how being judged by another persons standards ultimately does nothing to change how someone feels internally. Not only that but it can actual cause more damage even if the person only has positives or sympathetic things to say to the other party. So, it's best to just do what the audience showed Futa to do through the first trial verdict-

Mind your own business. Instead of intruding on other people's affairs when it's not one's place to. Yuno even states in the same voice drama that there's no limit to how others will judge the people around them outside of the law.

Futa follows after her introducing the sort of tactics the first trial will end on. Highlighting that there are people who do wrong that go unchecked and at times socially rewarded for the things they've done. Just getting a slap on the wrist and spoken poorly about as a result. At times never even apologizing for the way their selfish actions have inconvenienced the rest of society.

Very similar to the mindset Kotoko showcases at the end of Milgram except she highlights the most extreme example of wrongdoing. Yet she also highlights a bunch of petty crimes just like Futa one literally being bike theft.

Both songs show that Futa and Kotoko both believe strongly in the guilty or innocent framework. That if someone does something wrong they should pay for it. Especially if it's a repeated pattern of behavior.

Yet with Mu and Shidou is where things get interesting. Mu's story highlights the seemingly never ending grief that comes from not being able to apologize to a person you've wronged. Because they're not their to apologize to anymore.

Orihime's first arc in Bleach highlights this feeling well so I'll just link the scene

Look I'm gonna need to to follow like these instructions exactly because there is no clip of this scene go here and then skip to 18:30 you can do dub or sub just watch the scene in it's entirety to 19:33 to get my point. Then come back here so this hurts more.

Hey, did you see the closure Mu will never have? Let's continue now under that emotional understanding for context. Experiencing Bleach when I was like fucking ten really did some shit.

Because when I saw After Pain and saw these lyrics,

"“I’m sorry” won’t reach anyone."

Coupled with this imagery-

I was like damn whatever we do this person is fucked. Because you can apologize to corpses all day but they're not going to get back up and start walking.

"Oh, shit you're sorry for stabbing me that changes everything!" Mu's victim's heart restarts, and they hug it out.

Sorry Mu even though you talk like a Pokémon doesn't mean your tears have the same effect. I was watching another video recently that discussed an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer called the body and like you just gotta see the discussion.

Spider-Man Lotus - A Film Born From Spite The Cosmonaut Variety hour 28:12 to 34:24.

Then when you have even more emotional information follow me on this. Really think about this with me-

Does being forgiven by strangers who have nothing to do with the situation really give someone in Mu's position closure? No, and that's why even though she was forgiven, her second song is her very rapidly spiraling into self-doubt and hate.

Because no amount of outward validation will be enough for Mu. She'll only need more because the one person whose words would matter in this situation isn't alive to speak anymore. No amount of apologizing or people going I understand what you're going through will help.

Because no, they don't. No one really understands what it's like for someone to die when you are not on speaking terms with them or you feel you've done them wrong other than people who have lived through that. Which is already traumatic enough without adding into the mix, "Oh wait, you're the reason they're dead too."

Which is the point of her and Futa being paired together.

Because there two people who took very mundane situations way too far.

"It’s going great, we’re gonna punish you until you cry. If you get off now, you're a traitor."/"Don’t you think it’s wonderful to control them with my gentle sting? If you want to betray from jealousy- You know what’s gonna happen ON YOU!"

After Mu, Shidou comes in to basically say the quiet part aloud when it comes to viewing this under a forgive or not forgive framework,

“Throw down” ethics is a delusion I’m still guilty even if the morning comes. - "Please, don’t forgive me. That’s why I want this to end."

Regardless of if Shidou is forgiven by the audience or anyone else around him. Even if the sun comes up again that guilt doesn't just disappear. He can't stay away- He'll always be stuck trying to atone for his past mistakes trying to do it again this time but better.

Because all of that couldn't have been for nothing. He's indispensable even if it's unpleasant it's up to him you know- There are lives that need saving. So, he'll do the same thing again and again because there will always be lives that need safeguarding.

Gif provided and made by @apatchworkstar

How far can forgiveness or pursuing another persons innocence go- If those people aren't willing to forgive or view themselves as innocent? If they can't move passed it. If they've made their permanent home address turmoil.

Whose opinion of ourselves really matters more than our own?

Just like Mu second voice drama said to Es,

"Guard-san, we call you "Guard" because that's what you are, right?

I was assigned to be a prisoner, but that doesn't mean my heart will become just that of a "prisoner" too. After all, I'm still me."

even though she's here she's still Mu.

#milgram

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