#the fact that midori has lost most of his humanity and likely does not even bleed in areas

[shadowduel]

the red that flows underneath (bloody version under the... cut. lol)

[yesiamkai]

So I’ve been thinking about Midori (shocker) and decided to dump my thoughts and a bit of an analysis.

Fair warning: I am expressing some criticism of the game in this post, and there is some discussion of the Shin + Hiyori dynamic, so please avoid if you don’t want to see that.

My train of thought started with me thinking that GOD, what I wouldn’t give to see Midori absolutely lose it! Like, aside from his weird “BEWITCHING AND SUPREME” speech, he maintains his cool so well throughout 3a, and only loses it a little at the end of 3b with the whole “fear of dying” thing. (I have my gripes with this plot point — it’s a very unsatisfying weakness for his character to have, but I digress). And yet, even at that critical moment where we’d have the opportunity to see something deeper from him, he’s trapped in a box and he doesn’t have time to do much more than sweat and beg for his life before he dies.

This led to me thinking that honestly, the way his arc plays out is disappointing for me. He’s an incredibly compelling villain, partially because of the fact that he’s absolutely irredeemable, but we don’t get to see much of that depth that would make him feel like a character rooted in reality, or the horribly messed up individual that the game reflects.

Gameplay Midori is a cheerfully irreverent man who treats killing people like casual fun. He’s entertaining, charismatic, and makes a great addition to our wacky cast of characters. But when compared to almost everyone else, he unfortunately ends up feeling one-dimensional and cartoonish in his presentation. The plot fails to humanize him in any meaningful way, and his character suffers. This isn’t because humanizing him would “justify” his actions or make them redeemable, but simply because he would be more believable as a villain.

(Btw, this isn’t a Midori hate post. I love love love Midori. He’s actually my favorite character in the game — that’s why I feel so passionately about this hehe.)

The game attempts to humanize almost all of the other Floor Masters. We are told outright that Rio is evil because he was made that way — he is a doll who was created to lack humanity. Safalin’s depth stems from her presentation as the antagonist with the most sympathy for the participants. We don’t know exactly what her backstory is, or why she is with Asunaro, but she displays a pretty consistent internal conflict between her role as a Floor Master and any desire she might have to help the participants. (It’s not entirely that straightforward with Safalin, but this is turning into a novel and this isn’t meant to be about her lol.)

Even Gashu is a very “human” antagonist. His obsession with his work has overwhelmed him to the point where he no longer sees right and wrong, or the value of the lives being lost. He has been so absorbed in the making of the Death Game and feels so justified in his actions that he is unable to feel guilt, even for the death of his own son. He sees people as nothing more than pawns. Weirdly, it’s the loss of his humanity that makes Gashu so uniquely human.

Aside from Meister, whose true role in the plot is pretty clearly just getting started as of 3b, I think Sue Miley is the only character who falls victim to the “cartoon villain” issue that Midori has. We do have a hint of a backstory for her that somewhat explains her behavior — her fiancé being driven to insanity by Asunaro — but as of this point in the game, her motives go mostly unexplored. However, Miley is still alive, her arc is incomplete, and I have no doubts that she will reappear in the final parts (and hopefully clear up some questions when she does).

Midori, though, is supposedly dead. The game sets up the possibility for him to return using the forgotten doll head, but the plot also seems to be eager to wash its hands of him. For a game that sets Midori up to be so threatening and traumatic that his mere photograph causes almost everyone to freak out (before they even remember him!), his actual role in the story ends up being very short-lived. He undergoes no character arc, we learn almost nothing about him, and then he gets killed off.

But all of this could have been avoided if the game a) introduced him earlier than the final chapter and b) took better advantage of the single meaningful link Midori has to humanity. This link?

Shin!

The game criminally underutilizes Midori’s connection to Shin. We do get some insight from Shin directly via his memory, and their limited in-game interactions are some of the most fascinating in the entire game.

It’s pretty obvious that Midori, back when he was Hiyori, was the most important person in Shin’s entire life. Shin admired him, leaned heavily on him, and considered him his best friend (at least). It’s also heavily implied that whatever feelings Shin had were reciprocated, although Hiyori took his side of the relationship way too far and ended up damaging Shin emotionally.

The Hiyori we see from Shin’s perspective is still disturbing, but startlingly more human. Instead of a one-dimensional villain, we see a version of Hiyori who complains when it’s hot, likes robot action figures, writes poetry, and takes countless pictures of his smiling friend to hang up in his room.

We see with the Shin AI that Midori is still quite possessive over his former friend, but the game gives us very few interactions between the two of them. In fact, Midori all but ignores Shin throughout many of his run-ins with the group.

Is this a fault of the way the branching paths of the game treat Shin/Kanna as merely a stand-in for the other in their respective routes? Probably. We don’t get a lot of insightful commentary from whichever one of them lives in Chapter 3, or Reko/Alice. It’s also rough because Chapter 3 introduces so many new characters, and it’s hard to develop them all in such a short time when none of them even make it past 3b. The Dummies deserved a lot more backstory and characterization, too.

I really just wish the game would have used Midori’s ties to Shin to develop him more. Even if he would have simply appealed to Shin directly to save him while he was in the coffin, that would have been really interesting to see.

The fandom does a really great job of bringing characterization to Midori that the game lacks, and despite all of my complaining, he’s still my favorite character, lol. I just know the game is capable of creating really complex characters (Keiji and Shin himself are great examples), so it’s saddening to see it fall so flat with Midori.

Anyway, sorry for my rambling! I just had a lot on my mind that I wanted to put down somewhere.

[salty-dracon]

More YTTD Theories Because I Forgot A Bunch

A continuation of this from a couple of days ago.

More theories, spoilers go up to 3-1A, and also include YTTS spoilers. Also I appreciate all of your thoughts on the matter.

In the previous post I said there were a few reasons to be suspicious of Gin. I forgot to mention one important point:

Remember the locker room and the Discussion there, where Hayasaka and Gin got magnetized to the ceiling and almost hung? According to vgperson, you can win the discussion by letting time pass three times after Hayasaka is magnetized. But after the second turn, Gin gets magnetized as well. And one turn after that, the mechanism is shut down by Midori. He makes sure “those two” are still alive via the intercom, and once confirming that they are, says “oh goodie, we can still play some more!“ and fucks off. Basically, you’ll win no matter what, because Midori doesn’t want them to die.

Midori says he observes all of the floors in the painting room, but he doesn’t really give “instructions” once they arrive or anything similar. Depending on what he’s using to monitor the room, he more or less uses his abilities to mess with the participants and the dolls. Think about how he spooks Sara and crew by saying “I’m not a painting!” if you look at the painting of him, or how he lets the crew get their hopes up about the transceiver until he speaks through it. However, he says he observes all of the floors, meaning he knows what goes on in each one. And though he’s not about losing well (he wants to kill people with the gun if he’s in a bad position, after all), he seemed to be concerned enough about Hayasaka and Gin to try and save them.

Considering he didn’t try to save Hayasaka the moment he could, and seems to have some form of disdain for the dolls, I wonder if it’s Gin he was trying to save. That brings up the question of why someone like him would want to save Gin in the first place. Maybe he’s allied with Gin somehow, whether Gin knows it or not. 

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(Danganronpa 1 and AI: The Somnium Files spoilers in the next paragraph)

One interesting prediction rule when it comes to murder mystery games is that the culprit is “someone who’s been mentioned several times, but who we’ve never actually met”. They almost pulled that twist in Danganronpa 1 with a certain missing student. They mentioned her by name, making us think she was the mastermind for a while, before revealing the truth. The other big example I can think of is AI: The Somnium Files, wherein the serial killer in question is mentioned by name more than once, but we don’t actually meet him, knowing it’s him, until near the end of the game and after we’ve unlocked most of the other routes.

Extrapolating this to Your Turn to Die, there is one character we haven’t met yet who’s been mentioned more than once- that being Sara’s mother. We see her at the beginning of the game, passed out presumably due to an attack by Sara’s kidnappers. She’s brought up again by Sara’s dad in a flashback before Chapter 2, and then again when Kai leaves a message for Sara on the laptop. The password to that file is her mother’s name. Furthermore, we know her rough appearance, as based on seeing her passed out in Chapter 1. And taking the events of YTTS as canon, we know that Sara, or someone that looks exactly like Sara, is somehow involved in Asunaro’s AI experiments. There’s also one interesting oddity about her. As far as I remember, she’s one of two characters to get a background sprite, but not a foreground sprite. Here I’m referring to “background sprites” as the sprites that appear inside environments without black outlines, and foreground sprites as the sprites with different expressions that usually appear when you talk to a character. Every other character, notably all of the Death Game participants, the Floor Masters, and now the Dummies thanks to Chapter 3, have both foreground sprites and background sprites. Some characters, like Sara’s father and the man that Keiji killed, have only foreground sprites. The only two exceptions, that is, the only two characters whose faces we haven’t seen in perfect detail, are Meister and Sara’s mother.

Furthermore, we don’t know what Sara’s mother’s name is. Granted, we don’t know what her father’s name is either, but her name is apparently important. What if her name was also Sara Chidouin? What if she was somehow also Sara- as in, the Sara we know is a clone of her created using a doll? It’s a mystery why she’d be raising a clone of herself, but people are weird like that, sometimes.

Another related theory people have had is that Sara’s mother is in fact a part of the game- she’s just disguised as someone else. That someone else could be Miley. Though in my opinion Miley looks nothing like the background sprite I’m using for reference, a good wig can change everything. This theory might have become even stronger with the release of Chapter 3. There are a couple of situations in which Midori can say something along the lines of “Miley said you were cute when you got angry” to Sara. Though we could just take it as Miley being an asshole (she’s totally an asshole), I think there’s only one situation in which Sara got mad in front of Miley, that being when Mishima was killed. Maybe this was lost in translation, but it’s a rather sweeping generalization and a somewhat weird thing to say about someone if you aren’t familiar with them. Meaning Miley’s really familiar with Sara. Or Miley was just being an asshole.

After looking up Sara’s mother on the wiki the manga only has a picture of her wearing a mask over her mouth. The plot thickens. 

Regarding the other character, Meister... people have made a couple of interesting observations about him. First, he shows up in collaboration artwork. Second, there is a person who looks very similar (albeit with grey hair) in the room above where the monitors were in Chapter 2. His clothing color scheme is exactly the same. Also it’s a big ass painting. Third, with the release of Chapter 3, there’s the entertaining feature of naming Midori whatever you damn well please, unless he makes some joke about it and tells you to pick another name. Most of his responses to you picking something like “Alice Yabusame” and “Tia Safalin” are either “here’s a fun anecdote about that character and/or what I think of them, but I don’t want that name“ and “that’s mean :( pick another name please“. Elect to name him Meister, and he only says “... Pick another name, please”. Considering his personality can be accurately described as “Kokichi if he were Monokuma”, it’s out of character. He fears Meister, or doesn’t want to be associated with him. So yeah, Meister’s probably important. Maybe he’s even the Meister-mind. (Feel free to boo me for that bad pun.)

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Regarding the game’s endings, most people seem to believe there’s two- a logic ending an an emotion ending. I agree with this viewpoint, as “choosing logic“ has been explored a few times throughout the game. With the release of Part 3, the choice of which ending’s which has become a little more clear.

If Alice lives and Reko dies, Q-taro says something along the lines of “The Dummies may be dolls, but they’re human just like us”. Implying that we, the humans, are also supposed to think of dolls as human as there’s no difference appearance or personality wise. Q-taro talks about Doll Reko being almost perfectly human, as a supporting argument, in reference to Alice who was unable to tell the difference between the Doll Reko and the real Reko. Remember also that the only reason we pushed Reko down the Impression Room was our logical conclusion that she was a fake. On the other hand, if we choose not to, Sara comments that despite the logic, she can’t see the Reko standing before her as anything other than real, even though there’s lots of evidence to the contrary. In that ending, the real Reko dies. Furthermore, there’s a little bonus snippet in the “afterlife” scene after Nao’s death, where Reko shows up, but Alice doesn’t appear if she lives.

For this reason I strongly believe that the emotion ending is Alice/Kanna living. Therefore the logic ending is Reko/Sou living. I have yet to test out to see if there’s any changes in dialogue with those two combinations specifically, as most people online seem to be playing Alice/Sou and Reko/Kanna. I’m streaming this game for a couple of friends on Discord, and also all my midterms are over the next couple of weeks, so it’s hard to find the time to play this right now.

I also believe that we’ll soon be facing another path split- maybe at the very beginning of 3-1B- that has to do with logic and emotion. Whatever that consent form is, it scared the other participants- it’s definitely a bad thing. However, Sara now faces the choice between saving Keiji and consenting to Whatever Evil Thing’s Going On, and sacrificing Keiji to avoid it. Logic would be sacrificing Keiji, while emotion would be saving him, in this case. Perhaps that’s not true, as Midori is the kind of person who can and would pull a fast one on Sara for funsies. Perhaps there’s something in his language implying that Keiji’s going to end up dead no matter what. He does seem to want to antagonize Keiji, after all. That, or someone else is going to die instead- probably Q-taro, having just been stabbed by Mai and being in bad shape. Even so, I wonder which will be which- whose death would be considered “logical” and whose is based on “emotion”. 

TL:DR So many mysteries with so many possible answers. I just want to see someone vibe check Midori like he vibe checked us already.

[javierfilmreviews]

Families, Film, and Everything in Between

I was always family-oriented.

Being the eldest daughter in a Filipino family, I had no choice but to put my family first in everything. I had expectations and responsibilities thrown at me and will be thrown for the rest of my life. You might think I’m complaining but I’m not. It shaped who I am today and I wouldn’t change anything. I became independent, responsible, and resourceful. Sure, it made me more mature compared to people my age but there’s nothing wrong about it. People always talk more when they feel intimidated and I guess I already turned a blind eye from the years of gossip I had.

But why am I talking about my family? Because recently, I watched a certain set of films that made me ponder my current relationship with my family. I didn’t follow the films I was supposed to watch since there are certain films I wanted to watch instead.

Bleached Bones Avenue by Akio Fujimoto was about a team from the local Zomi people venture to former battlefields of World War II, their mission being to dig for the bones of Japanese soldiers who died in the mountains near the border between India and Myanmar. The sites they visit are connected to the notorious "Battle of Imphal", a reckless fight that lost more than 30,000 Japanese soldiers and involved many local people. Talking About Love by Asoka Handagama where love is explored in this drama from one of Sri Lanka's most prolific directors, Asoka Handagama. Tenebrae by Nicole Midori Woodford where it showed residents of a high-rise apartment in Singapore vacating the premises for the last time before its demolition and a young girl questions its demise. Autumn (L'Automne) by Jean-Marie Villeneuve was a short film where a little girl thinks about her dad. Go Back 3 Spaces (Ate Tre Passi Indietro) by Stefano Schiavone where it showed a story with the typical coldness of board game rules and instructions, a Merchant tells the regret of a man isolated from the world. With the Man, only a family photo - replacing the affections - and a roll of film that keep his life rewinding, in an attempt to give it, and him, a meaning. Despite everything, this also is a love story. Basurero by Eileen Cabiling' is about Bong, a Filipino fisherman, working in an urban fishing village on the outskirts of Manila. Desperate for cash, Bong dumps bodies into the ocean for the drug war's faceless vigilantes. The story follows Bong after he disposes of the "trash." He wrestles with guilt and tension rises when the killings' hit close to home after he discovers his neighbor has been murdered for selling shabu (crystal meth).

Now how does these films even relate to one single factor, family?

Bleached Bones Avenue was a story about Japan claiming back their fallen soldiers. The whole nation considers every one of them as family and I think that’s beautiful. What’s more beautiful is how it was captured. The film does have a lot of visual charm, thanks to both minor experiments and the landscape itself. Nevertheless, it's difficult not to credit the stunning cinematography to the lonely and scenic setting of the mountains. The final product is stunning in its exploration of the land, which is enhanced with stylised black and white portions. The labor and the people 's emotions provide a fascinating portrayal of these employees and their society, which is an understudied subject. As a result, even learning about the scenario in such a brief and frank manner delivers a wealth of information. However, because the film focuses on the goal rather than communicating historical facts, the factual substance is restricted. The film's duration also limits its capacity to provide further insight into the operation, limiting its appeal. The time constraints, on the other hand, result in a documentary that is quick and easy to watch, making it a worthwhile experience despite its flaws in production.

Talking about Love was lighter compared to Bleached Bones Avenue. From a documentary to war then suddenly thrusted to a vibrant conversation about relationships in everyday life, I was shocked by how far we, humanity, came from the dark times. As family was mentioned in passing as one couple was expecting a baby, I think you can see how my family came into my mind as well. What is really interesting about this is how they showed the transition to the couples. It wasn’t the average transition and I was honestly amazed a thow smooth characters interchanged and even made the story more beautiful and clearer. This kind of set-up had me wondering, it was unexpected and even made it more great. The certain flow they did with the story was what made this film above the rest.

Tenebrae was in the very essence of it about a family leaving their home since it was getting demolished. In a glance, you would see that this was a black and white film but the quality of its unsaturatedness was something to note of. It was crisp clear and if you look close, you might even see the blue hue of the clouds in this black and white film. I think that certain effect on me and perhaps many others as well was one this film’s edges to others. They played with the lighting despite it being unsaturated and it paid off. It was geometrical in the way, with how the shadows cutted off in the architecture of the apartment. In certain scenes, they made it symmetrical and with how it was colored or rather uncolored, gave a different vibe. Melancholy, regret, and maybe even the very feeling of saying goodbye that you know won’t see again. The play of light again at the end when they were in the truck was the highlight of the film, you can’t really explain it with your words so I guess you just have to see for yourself.

Autumn struck me. Within a minute, it had me crying. I am very close with my dad and watching the film made me realize how I take life for granted. It was short and simple, yet the most emotional film out of the bunch. I never wanted to imagine the what-ifs but this made me think about the past, present, and the future. That was the scariest part though, not knowing the answers to those what-ifs. Looking at the film technically was a bit of a problem to me since it made me emotional. The color grading really made me feel that it was autumn, it was warm and had hues of vibrant oranges and the likes. The duration of the film couldn’t be more perfect. For me, some might say that it was too short, since it’s just one minute, but I think it’s perfect. Just like life, film can be short as well.

Go Back 3 Spaces is a metaphor for life shown in a board game. Rules were even mentioned and every action has its consequences in the game of life. I think the best thing about this film like Tenebrae was how it was shot in black and white. Tenebrae made the film cleaner and sharper, Go Back 3 Spaces made the film more dramatic and emotional. That’s due to the lighting, the music, and of course the very concept itself. The film follows a man’s life and is related to a board game by saying you have certain choices you can make when the man has been in a very bad place in his life. It was a fresh and different take on how to perceive life. The man as well has choices that show what he can do going forward with his life and how his family was affected as well. This was fast-paced and made me feel like I was being rushed into doing something when in reality, life really feels like it’s going too fast but I guess once in a while we have to take a deep breath and realign ourselves to our focus.

Basurero is another film I would like to commend. The story follows Bong that with such a big family to sustain, Bong runs out of money and resorts to dumping a body in Manila Bay to make ends meet. The production portrays poverty and murder in the Philippines in a disturbing manner. The aesthetics in the production are rather outstanding. The opening night picture, which includes a vision of a body sinking under the sea, establishes a powerful mood that is maintained throughout the film. This one is at the top of my short film list since it is sure to create a lasting impression on any spectator and encourage deeper discussion. It was incredible how the story of human tragedies was told while focusing on the sufferings of a single person. Although the movie may have succeeded only for some people on the strength of its message, it also features a keen sense for visual storytelling and a powerful performance from Jericho Rosales, one of the best Filipina actors.

I think it’s also amazing that different genres of stories from different countries could have a single point of similarity which is family. In films, you have to read between the lines as well.

I was always family-oriented.

So it’s not a surprise that I fell in love with these films.