#zero analysis

[greypistacchio]

EPISODE 6.15 "The French Mistake" IS SO VERY DESTIEL CODED

LIKE

it's actually so revealing that Jensen and Jared are staying in-character despite how surreal everything is? this is Dean and Sam in our world, and from the get-go it's pretty obvious that they are confused beyond words. like, Dean's "oh crap, I'm a painted whore" is just?? iconic?? authentic Dean Winchester moment!??? LOOK AT HIS FACE, BABYGIRL IS SO CONFUSED

and this is relevant to my point bECAUSE it's irrefutable proof that this is 100% Dean and Sam from the show, that they are themselves.

sooooooo

can we please talk about Dean eye-fucking Castiel into oblivion (as you do!!) until Misha stops acting the part, and right the hell away Dean figures out that it's not Cas and is just. no longer interested!?? he's like, alright i'm done with whoever this is!??

his face just falls

and he doesn't even look at Misha as he leaves, just like when he met Jimmy Novak and his homoerotic vibe simply vanished - because that's not his autistic soulmate, it's just Some Dude??

mind you, it's quite interesting to notice that Sam doesn't see what Dean means, because "dude, look at him". which is shorthand for, wdym Dean like he's wearing the trenchcoat with the blue tie, he looks like he doesn't know how to spell the word "hairbrush", he's eye-fucked you right in front of my face as he does.

BUT DEAN!! dean is just like, fuck no that ain't cas

not MY cas anyway!!

the destiel of it all, the dESTIEL IS JUST EXQUISITE

also "Hola, Mishamigos" as he tweets with his tie loose has to be peak Misha Collins energy like. that man was being paid to be unhinged onscreen. what a day it must've been for him

[mellowdisko]

Many forget that Nipton was never about Vulpes acting for his own sake. At the Fort, when you ask Caesar what the Frumentarii do, he tells you: "Infiltration, assassination, dramatic atrocities to break the spirit of the enemy..." Thats exactly what Nipton was: a dramatic atrocity, a letter that reads: "We are here. We have arrived."

It was never meant to be a lesson. The NCR does not care about morality, neither does the Legion. Nipton was a town that was destined to be destroyed not because it was a wicked place (Vulpes was lying through his teeth about the whole thing -the dead legionnaires are evidence- like thats what he does, that is literally his job!) but because it was small enough to burn without consequence, close enough for the message to be heard. Nipton wasn't a lesson. It was a spectacle, meant to be seen by the eyes of the Republic. Thats why the Courier is tasked to spread the news, they're a mailman delivering a letter.

And Vulpes? Can't say he's explicitly sadistic. A bad person? Absolutely. But not playful with his cruelty. He is just as cruel as every other legionary. The only difference is he is smarter about it, more intense.

Nipton isn’t a part of him. Nothing is. Nothing but the Legion. He does not carry the weight of that town. He does not look back to the ruins he has left behind. Nipton is no pang of remorse, no pleasure, no sin. It is merely a step forward. Proof that the Legion has entered the Bear's den, proof that its will is being done.

And we never see Vupes as he truly is. He is not a person, at least not anymore.

He wears a mask, a new face with every new encounter. In Nipton he is wearing the mask of a vexillarius, in the strip the mask of a gambler. And at the fort, he is just another legionary: red-clad and quiet, a little fox curled at the foot of his emperor's throne. He has 0 indicators of individuality, he is not a person. He's only a name, a shadow streching across the Mojave.

I do believe the only time we get a glimpse of who Vulpes truly is, is when Caesar tells his backstory. His cunning, his wit—but also his insubordination, a hint of rebellious youth. That is who I think he really is: a rebel boy, not in opposition to the Legion, but in relentless devotion to it. Someone who is willing to tear down every pillar, disobey every order just to see the flag rise higher.

Vulpes will slaughter, torture, and betray and engage in "profligate scum" activities for the benefit of his side. He is ready to serve even if it angers the Son of Mars. He doesn't ask for permission. Doesn't beg for forgiveness. He does what he must, then kneels before the blade waiting for the punishment that has never managed to come since his first trial as a decanus. And there is passion in that, a desire. To paint the desert with his nation's red, to whisper his lord's name to every ear, to tame the untamable: the idea, the dream.

At the Fort, we see him as nothing more than a docile soldier but we know that he is different, remarkable; Caesar had said it himself. Rebel boy: always ready to mangle and burn the world and himself along with it just to serve what he believes is providence.

He is "a rather intense young man," whose entire existence is a disguise. A spy so devoted to his duty that he has stripped himself of everything else. A spy, in the fine suit of a gentleman or under the hide of a coyote, tearing down his own tower of humanity as the gods he belives in look down and smile.

He is not a person. He hasn't been a person for a long time.

He is a name, a shadow, a hollowed out man. He is an animal kept at arms length, dog on a leash who does not want to be set free, a weapon, a tool. Pale hand of the Legion reaching west.

With every step through the desert, Vulpes Inculta has left a piece of himself behind, until he is left with nothing but blind faith and bloodied palms. And when you lose everything you ever had in a big bad wasteland you tend to cling onto the first bright colour you see:

Crimson—so inviting, so cruel. Like home.

[ari-continues-to-exist]

Springtrap but I put him in a suit

(Click for better quality)

Alt under the cut

[bethanydelleman]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you bring credentials instead of evidence to an argument, you must be in want of a loss.

However well known the source of your education, your experience ought to make you better at citing evidence, not at demanding absolute acceptance of anything you happen to say, related or unrelated to your field of interest.

To be considered accomplished, a debtor must have a thorough knowledge of the source material.

[no1onepiecefan]

zoro who runs eerily cold as a result of onigashima. after his heart stopped, after he met an uncanny rendition of the grim reaper and became the king of hell, zoro's body is cold to the touch. it's like he's not quite human; instead something undead and demonic. zoro doesn't generate body heat anymore.

and luffy who runs frighteningly hot as a result of onigashima. after gear 5 and sun god nika, with his heart pounding so boldly, luffy's temperature is searing at times. his touch is like the encompassing warmth of a summer's day, but prolonged exposure is like sun burn, like sitting in a sauna passed what's safe. luffy's body heat is dialed far past what's possible for humans.

zoro and luffy, hauntingly freezing and impossibly hot, perfectly intertwined. zoro feels warmth he no longer knows, and luffy feels coolness that only zoro can provide. they sit against each other for hours, simply leaning into one another, holding hands, whatever it may be; and they always feel each other's absence when they aren't together. zoro and luffy who feel most at peace, correct, in one another's arms, their own equilibrium. the only ones who can balance each other, hot and cold perfectly content.

[eversnark]

Being a multishipper in the 911 fandom can feel like walking through a minefield at times, but it is objectively funny that the behemoth ship of the fandom that's driven pretty much all of its online interest has had both characters look almost directly at the camera and say "we're not into each other because one of us is straight," meanwhile the unwanted unloved and nearly universally ignored ship that will you get you downvoted to hell on Reddit for mentioning made out like they were the last people left on earth not 10 episodes ago.

[7smiles]

The way Alex lacks emotional attachment to everything and only kissed Eric as a last hurrah + experimental thing is going to kill me. Because if he cared about Eric the way Eric cared about him, he wouldnt have gunned him down mid sentence. He wouldnt have dragged his friend into this.

Alex being a truly evil person is so fascinating to me because when you watch Zero Day, you get so much introspection to Andre and Cal's emotional capacity. Alex's emotional capacity is exempt from this film because he doesn't have any at all. He has flat affect up until he smiles when telling Eric his laid out plan for their destruction.

I see people complain about Alex not having enough substance as a character, but Gus Van Sant did such a wonderful job at showing us who exactly Alex is with SO little framing. Alex is privileged, we see this in his home, his freedom, his lax parents, his ability to afford weapons- You're told this through his piano, and the cost that comes with his piano lessons. You get all of this information in very little time and not a lot of it is explained to you, Alex's character simply doesn't require monologuing.

Despite Alex's privilege, he is still troubled at school. I do think Alex is pure evil because of how he killed Eric, but there are other things i think about when diving into Alex's character. Eric's death aside, I'd like to note that I read Alex as autistic. He's visibly easily targeted, naive, his speech patterns are not like any of the "normal" characters, he gets very upset when things dont go his way (Piano scene). He has that scene in the lunch room where he seems very overstimulated, and as i mentioned before, he has flat affect. Not only that, but Alex holds a childish naivety to him- He believes that the only way to move on from his highschool torment is to kill his peers. He does not realize that things will get better, he doesnt know that there is life beyond Highschool- We have already established that he is very well off and set up for the future. I dont think autism makes his behavior okay at all, but it explains so much and this is very applicable to real life shooters as well.

Alex doesn't care, he does things for himself. I dont think he's a narcissist, but I do think he is delusional or something similar. The only time he mentions unsettlement is when he quotes "So foul and fair a day I have not seen," but I dont think it counts- He most likely only quoted this as a jab at Macbeth being a required class text + found it ironically funny that he was causing carnage and yet it was a victory for him.

Anyway, if you got this far, thanks for reading. Alex's character is painfully human and his behaviors are so interesting to read into.

[kami-kun1003]

im just gonna come right out and say it:

pretty much everyone in this fandom portrays Silver as this perfect, flawless, polite, beautiful, princely, romantic gentleman who can do absolutely no wrong in his life ever. which is… not really accurate at all.

he’s odd. he struggles with showing emotions and doesn’t understand social cues very well. his dorm uniform vignette is literally about how people find him strange and unapproachable due to his lack of expressiveness. in his lab coat vignette, Jamil straight up calls him weird to his face and he fully agrees without hesitation.

and in one of his voice lines, he calls Yuu strange just for wanting to hang out with him. stop and think about that for a second. he considers himself boring and doesn’t expect anyone would want to spend time with him. maybe he used to try and make friends, but people kept avoiding him, saying that he wasn’t fun to be around.

he’s not the handsome guy that everybody in the school falls for, he’s the quiet kid who doesn’t say much or has any friends outside of his own personal circle. and i think that has a lot of potential for angst.

[gh0st-ratt]

The Case of Crystal's foreshadowed arc

In episode 6, I always took Iris' warning of "-It's bad for the tree." as foreshadowing for Crystal's arc in season 2. David isn't actually gone, he's just been buried deeper in Crystal's mind and she's the one in control now. But what does it mean for the tree? The one that represents Crystal herself?

Taking some inspiration from this post by edwin-paynes-bowtie. Go check it out, it's a really cool idea.

The fact of David being "bad for the tree" is of course a subtle way of leaving that door open story-wise. David isn't really gone, he's just tucked away somewhere. They can bring him back if they want to later in the story. But, as Iris says, "[She] can't leave this demon buried here forever."

He's bad for the tree, there's a demon in the roots, a demon poisoning the tree: poisoning Crystal, and poisoning the place where her ancestors reside.

The tree in her head represents where she comes from, where her powers come from, because it represents her. A demon being in the roots of it is probably a little worse than bad.

There are two ways (I think) this arc would come across:

1. Crystal slowly delves back into being the Crystal of before: a neglected child with too much freedom and too much money lashing out in response.

David poisons her in a much more literal way than he did in pre-season 1. He's destroying the tree and he's destroying her, enforcing the same toxic thoughts and actions that he encouraged Crystal to do in season 1. Except this time he isn't in the form of some fedora-wearing boyfriend, he's a demon, in her mind, deep in the roots of what - technically - is really her.

When Crystal sees her memories, she describes herself as being "toxic". And now, that toxicity is being set right in the source of Crystal; right into the tree's roots.

Crystal simultaneously trying to rectify her actions pre-season 1 while still finding herself acting the same way she used to would cause obvious mental conflict. And it would bring up the questions she was only beginning to ask: is she actually a bad person, deep down? Is her only method of survival to make others more miserable? Is she really as bad as David showed her to be?

However, as brought up in the linked post, we've already done this. That arc has already occurred. But there is another interesting version.

2. Her powers slowly start to fade as the tree is damaged.

Crystal places so much importance of herself and her worth on her powers, and rightly so. She was targeted by David because she's a psychic, half the reason Charles can convince Edwin to let Crystal stay is by emphasisng that she is a psychic. Her powers help find cases, fix cases, save Becky, save Niko. Figure out what Maren did. Call Lilith to get Esther. And so on and so on.

So much of what Crystal does is based off her powers, so she perceives herself as mostly her powers. In ep 6, she loses these powers. She doesn't really know what she is anymore. She doesn't tell the boys because they keep coming to her for the help her powers provide, and now those are gone so what is she to them? (she's their friend but they're all teenagers with low self-esteem so).

She doesn't want to elaborate on it - the same as she doesn't with anything related to David - she's ashamed; she even says to Iris "Now I'm nothing". Without her powers, Crystal really isn't sure who she is.

In episode 6, she makes peace that the powers have always been a part of her, but that was all in regards to having lost her powers for less than 24 hours. What if they were slowly fading? What if she couldn't get them at all? And for no reason she can recognise.

Furthermore, this season 2 Crystal would be the complete opposite of herself in season 1. Going from having no memories but having her powers, to having her memories and no powers. This would cause Crystal to have to address her sense of herself, and what truly makes her her.

What makes Crystal Palace? Is it her memories? Is it her powers? Is it her "collective past" from her ancestors? This got philosophical, but it is exactly what would make a prevalent season 2 arc for Crystal.

This touches on Crystal's avoidance of discussing David with any emotion other than anger. Now they think David is gone but he might not be. Would a season 2 Crystal be willing to expand on how David affected her and still affects her to the boys? Or would she be attempting it on her own? There's no Niko to sneak off to magic shops anymore. What could she do?

Either way Crystal's season 2 arc would've been incredible and I WANT IT NETFLIX WHERE IS IT

[penguwastaken]

About Brainwashing in Danganronpa

Hello to all 3 of the people who see this account. A few months ago, I made a thread on hit website Twitter dot com about brainwashing in the Danganronpa Series. I discussed where it came from, how it works, and how the brainwashing of class 77-B was never a retcon. The thread got a lot of attention there, even getting a "debunk" on other hit website Reddit dot com (lmao). Due to that, there's been a lot of responses and questions. Since I can't really update a Twitter thread, I decided that I'd make the Ultimate™ Brainwashing thread and hopefully dispel any information on the subject while making my original points more clear and covering things I failed to cover. So here it is: Brainwashing in Danganronpa, how it works, where it came from, and how it was intended from the start. (a 🧵 except not really) *Massive spoilers for Danganronpa Zero, Danganronpa 2, Danganronpa Another Episode, Danganronpa Togami, and Danganronpa 3, as well as the series as a whole*

Danganronpa Zero: First Sighting

Brainwashing has its roots all the way back in the second official entry produced in the series, Danganronpa Zero. During the story's events, Ryoko comes across a secret cult made up of students from the reserve course. They're seen staring at a strange video, seemingly turning them and turn them into mindless zombies.

The video depicts members of the student council killing each other. Ryoko is stunned while watching it. She can barely look away, but eventually through force of will she does. This same video is later used to convince the reserve course to rebel.

The way it's described to work is that it uses their “pent-up emotions,” implying that their emotions played a role in its effectiveness. It's also worth noting that the novel itself refers to what is happening as brainwashing, making this objectively the first depiction of brainwashing in the series right from the second entry.

Danganronpa 2: Now it Gets Dubious

Our next instance of brainwashing comes from Danganronpa 2. The concept is brought up multiple times, such as when Makoto states that the Ultimate Despairs were brainwashed or how the Neo World Program is good at treating brainwashing, though the details of what brainwashing actually means in this context are kept vague.

It's also worth noting that Danganronpa 2 was being written around the same time as Danganronpa Zero and Kodaka wanted concepts from the novel to appear in Danganronpa 2, likely so readers would feel validated. This is why things like Izuru Kamukura and the reserve course play huge roles in Danganronpa 2, it's not too much of a stretch to say that the same applies with brainwashing. One detail we’re given about the brainwashing is from Monokuma, who states the Ultimate Despairs were brainwashed by Junko taking advantage of their feelings. Specifically love, hate, grudges, and "anything really". If that sounds familiar, it’s because that’s exactly how the brainwashing video from Danganronpa Zero was described to function, using their pent-up emotions.

I should mention that Monokuma and Junko are known for being unreliable narrators who often stretch the truth, exaggerate things, and use hyperbole to manipulate people into believing their narrative. Monokuma describes the Ultimate Despairs as “nothing more than Junko’s limbs”, which contradicts the existence of characters like Nagito. Who, while in his despair state, did not work with Junko nor did he look up to her (at least in the normal sense like the other Ultimate Despairs). In fact, it would have been impossible for them to really obey any of Junko's orders as Ultimate Despairs because Junko was trapped inside of Hope's Peak with minimal connection to the outside world. This isn't a definitive "Monokuma is lying" statement, but just note that his word isn't 100% reliable. Meanwhile, someone like Makoto who outright mentions brainwashing, is a much more reliable source.

Danganronpa Another Episode: More Brainwashing! (kinda irrelevant tho...)

The next time brainwashing is used is in the next entry, Danganronpa Another Episode. Though its purpose in this discussion isn’t the most useful, as the brainwashing is caused by Monokuma helmets, which don’t have their functionality explained. I figured it was worth mentioning and describing at least, as its another example of brainwashing at least.

I did figure it was worth adding how the brainwashed children act. They obey the Warriors of Hope’s every command, as if they have zero control over their actions. This is different from how the Ultimate Despairs act, who still some free had free will after presumably being brainwashed judging by the actions of Nagito, who is also in this game.

Danganronpa Togami: I Hate My Life

Okay. As mixed as my opinions are on this novel trilogy, it does feature brainwashing. In fact, it might feature one of the most detailed and important descriptions of brainwashing in the series, and even outright CONFIRMS that class 77-B were brainwashed (sorta).

"Hey um... Tumblr/Twitter user Pengu... what do you mean by 'sorta'?" Well my uninformed reader who I guarantee has probably never read this book, there's a twist. I regret to inform you that the canonicity of Danganronpa Togami is rather questionable, as it depicts an extremely unreliable narrator’s warped viewing of events due to this thing called the K2K system, which means not everything in the novel is meant to be taken literally or at face value.

This doesn't mean that everything should be discarded or immediately dismissed however. This just means that we have to use our brains a little and decipher what the hell Yuya Sato was cooking when he wrote this novel trilogy. In the novel, we discover the existence of the elusive despair novel. When read, the novel will turn the reader to despair and inflict them with the despair disease. This novel is what's used to plummet the world into despair, as well as being what caused the class 77-B to become the Ultimate Despairs. There's no known ways to avoid it, once you read it, it's joever. 😔

As I said earlier, the events of Danganronpa Togami can’t be taken literally. Due to this and prior context, we can safely assume that the despair novel is most likely the K2K's warped idea of the despair video from Danganronpa Zero. Instead of being a book being read that brainwashed people, it was a video being watched. What makes me so sure? Well let's look over the similarities. The way the despair novel works is that it uses cruel words to overload the reader with negative emotions, causing them to snap and turn to despair. That sounds almost exactly like the despair video, overloading the viewer by manipulating their emotions until they turn to despair.

However, a major difference comes from the fact that Danganronpa Togami confirms towards the end that the despair novel doesn't literally brainwash people, acting as a placebo and an excuse for people with despair to use.

However I don't believe this suddenly breaks the connection to the despair video in Danganronpa Zero. All it shows is that the novel doesn't create despair, which is something we already established with the brainwashing video. It doesn't make despair, it makes it stronger. Whether it be via the disturbing imagery on the screen or the words on a page giving you an excuse, all it does is amplify despair. Basically it doesn't make despair come out of nowhere, it incites it. This connection's a little bit of a stretch but I'll bring it up anyways. The technology used in the despair novels was originally to bring hope. (Take notes, it will probably be important assuming you buy this connection.)

Essentially, the despair novel works in a similar same way as the despair video, but instead it’s a book and you read it instead of watching it. This means that class 77-B and the rest of the world were most likely brainwashed via the despair video, and that is what caused the class to become Ultimate Despairs.

Danganronpa 3: The One People Really Don't Like

And all of this brings us to the most detailed yet controversial usage of brainwashing: Danganronpa 3. Many assume that the anime’s usage of brainwashing is a retcon, contradicting the words of our holy savior Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair High School. However, I’d like to debate that. In fact, I'd like to finally put a nail in the coffin of this really stupid debate and finally show you that Danganronpa 3's depiction of brainwashing is exactly how it has always been described.

In Danganronpa 3, we are introduced to Ryota Mitarai and his anime. Using the power of subliminal messaging, it heightens the viewer's emotions and makes them more powerful. What was once a slightly emotional scene is now a complete tearjerker fully capable of tearing at the viewers heart strings! While he acknowledges that there are unethical things that can be done with this technology and it's technically brainwashing, his goal is to use this technology to make the world a better place, even if it can be dangerous. If that sounds familiar, that's because it's what Hope's Peak tried doing with the despair novel in Danganronpa Togami. Though I'll admit, this single point is a little bit of a stretch as there are differences. I just figured it was worth at least a mention.

Using her analytical prowess, Junko gets a rough understanding of how the technology works, so she develops the despair video, featuring the student council killing each other overlayed with subliminal messaging technology to make the despair felt while viewing the video stronger.

The video works on Mikan, however Junko fears that the video may not be powerful enough to fully go through with her plans due to not understanding the technology nearly as well as Ryota does. Because of this, she forces Ryota to create a better, more powerful despair video. A despair video v2 if you will. Junko’s fears weren’t unfounded, as we discover that Chisa had the mental fortitude to resist the despair video, similarly to how Ryoko was able to resist the same video in Danganronpa Zero. This is exactly why Junko needs a more powerful video, one that she knows can’t be resisted.

"Ermmmm, Tumblr/Twitter user Pengu, how come Ryoko and Chisa are able to resist the despair video but Mikan and nobody in the reserve course could?" Good question, the answer is pretty simple. As mentioned before, the video takes advantage of the emotions of the viewer. Mikan is already pretty weak minded, so there wasn't much issue in controlling her. The reserve course already hated Hope's Peak and would take any reason to hate them more, so a video that shows them the sins of Hope's Peak would affect them as well. Ryoko and Chisa have no connection to the reserve course however, and neither are particularly very weak emotionally. Ryoko has the analytical prowess of Junko and Chisa is just a very strong willed person in general, and paired with Junko's lack of knowledge about subliminal messaging when creating the video, it's pretty obvious it wouldn't be that effective on them. All the more reason for Junko to force Ryota to make a better despair video.

The despair video v2 that Ryota is forced to make comes in the form of Chiaki’s execution video, where the stronger subliminal messages paired with witnessing the representation of the happiest moments in their miserable lives and their closest friend suffer makes class 77-B unable to resist. Ultimately this causes them to finally snap, being overloaded with despair, and now they turn into the Ultimate Despairs. (side note this is so freaking cool idc what anyone else says)

This resembles Monokuma’s explanation from Danganronpa 2. Junko used class 77-B’s emotions and years of getting closer against them to turn them to them to despair. Now featuring the added context of her using the video designed to manipulate people’s emotions. Also as @jelimore pointed out, Junko leading the class to Chiaki's execution itself was manipulating them. This depiction of brainwashing fits perfectly with the information provided throughout the series, even down to the little details. It’s so close in fact that I can say without a doubt that Danganronpa 3 did not retcon anything. “But Tumblr/Twitter user Pengu, that isn’t how the video is shown to work during Hope Arc. Therefore it actually contradicts previous entries and is inconsistent!" To that I say, you’re correct! ...at least about the hope video functioning differently, but that doesn’t make it inconsistent. The hope video behaves pretty differently. Instead of overloading the viewer with negative feelings, it simply just shows them a repeating video loop that turns them into a mindless zombie, likely caused by even stronger subliminal messaging. The people affected can also snap out of this state with some time, as seen with Aoi.

The reasoning for this is actually pretty simple, it’s just different technology entirely. It’s stated that the hope video was developed later on after the despair video. If anything, it behaves very similar to the Monokuma masks from Danganronpa Another Episode, which we also already established uses different technology. The hope video doesn’t contradict the despair video at all because they both use completely different tech. This can also be seen with how the despair video uses subliminal messaging, meanwhile the messaging in the hope video couldn’t be further from subliminal. There is no inconsistency, just two different things.

The reason the hope video needed to be broadcasted everywhere was so that since it would be airing everywhere, nobody would have time for the effects to wear off or resist it. This would turn the world into mindless zombies who obey every command, similarly to the Monokuma kids. It's just that now they don't have to force bulky helmets onto everyone.

Debunking Common Arguments

With the hope video out of the way, I think it’s very safe to assume that not only is the despair video’s functionality very accurate to previous descriptions, it’s also always been the reason for the brainwashing of Class 77-B, long before Danganronpa 3. Even if you disagree and think the cause of brainwashing was never explicitly mentioned in Danganronpa 2, there's still the fact that Danganronpa 2 outright says it was brainwashing. So even if a video wasn't the direct cause of it, them being brainwashed was still always intended (though given the context and the fact the video was introduced in a tie in novel for the game, I'm certain that it was always the culprit). Many point to this line where Kazuichi asks why they became the Ultimate Despairs and Makoto says he never got an answer to debunk this. But... this doesn't change anything. He asks why they became Ultimate Despairs, not how. And this is completely ignoring the fact that Makoto clearly has done his own digging into the situation, he discovered the Remnants of Despair were hiding among Future Foundation after all. The Future Foundation had access to brainwashing videos, they found them, so of course Makoto is going to know about the brainwashing. What Makoto is saying here is that he doesn't know every little detail, all he knows is that they were brainwashed. I wrote a bit more about it here, but there's nothing contradictory in this scene.

Many also point to Mikan stating that it was her many human relationships that led her to being the way she is. Once again, this changes literally nothing. Mikan was the only one of the remnants who actually knew Junko, she was the only one who spent time with her because she was the first subject. This is why she gets more attached to her, and even why she'd believe what Junko would tell her when they spent time together. Monokuma also says that Junko used "hopeless methods overflowing with charisma and humor" to control the masses. I don't even know why I have to address this, but this statement is so vague you can interpret it as a million things. Like for example, this is how she got Ryota to work for her. While pretending to be Makoto to manipulate the people in the trial, Junko tells them that they all became Ultimate Despairs while coming into contact with her at Hope's Peak and they were subjected by her terrifying influence. Again, ignoring how vague "terrifying influence" is, this is literally Junko trying to LIE AND MANIPULATE them. This is quite possibly the worst example you could have used because we know for a fact that she is lying to them while pretending to be Makoto. There's other examples of Junko trying to manipulate them, like mentioning how everyone hated them and their all Ultimate Despairs at the end of the day. But that's just what this is, manipulation. You would think that the "Junko manipulated class 77-B" crowd would understand that saying "everyone hates you but I saw your potential" is literally manipulation 101. She even states that Izuru killed the entirety of a student council, which we know for certain is a lie because Danganronpa Zero (which came out before) says otherwise. Some say that the brainwashing turned them into mindless zombies and eliminates all blame from their actions. While I would agree that it does make them less at fault, they still have the ability to make choices and still have free will. Their original personalities haven't been overwritten, their brains were just rewired to crave despair. They're still each their individual person with their own ways of feeling despair, and characters like Chisa and Nagito show that they regain their free will to an extent. I also wrote more about that here, LOL.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This whole debate stems from people misunderstanding Monokuma’s words and going along with the popular interpretation, which turned out to be wrong. Whether you like the use of brainwashing or not, it objectively isn’t a retcon as it's been developed ever since Danganronpa Zero. Personally, I love the use of brainwashing. I think the way it's developed throughout the series and its usage in Danganronpa 3 is super interesting. If you disagree, that's fine! Heck, if you choose to headcanon that Junko manipulated 15 individual teenagers into all becoming despair hungry terrorists capable but ending the world and fighting off every military in the world in less than a year, that's cool too! But the truth is, Danganronpa 3's brainwashing is canon and it's also not a retcon nor does it contradict anything. Contrary to popular belief, Kodaka was involved with the writing of the anime. He provided a large draft and outline of the plot and oversaw its development. He produced the anime, he did his homework, the team even played the games to prepare for writing the anime. He knew what he was doing. I'm sure if Kodaka intended for them to all be manipulated one by one, that's what he would have went with. All information implying that it was manipulation is very few and far between and questionable at best, not to mention outweighed by everything implying it was brainwashing. Mind manipulation stuff is not new in this series, its been around since the first game and brainwashing was established in literally the second entry ever produced. Whether you love it or hate it, think it's the best thing since sliced bread or the death of the series, brainwashing was the answer the whole time. Some people just never noticed it, and instead of acknowledging that they were wrong, they stuck with a headcanon that they believed so much and jumped to the conclusion of "retcon". I hope this mega post managed to inform some people, maybe change some minds too. If you still don't buy it, then I guess there's nothing I can do. Thanks for reading all of this though, I tend to yap a lot about this franchise lmao.

[stargiirl27]

Zero Day, 2003 (dir. Ben Coccio)

[ Transcript:

911 OPERATOR: Hello? Hello? Can you pick up? Hello?

ANDRE: Hello?

911 OPERATOR: Can you tell me where you are?

ANDRE: Hello?

911 OPERATOR: Can you tell me where you are?

Andre: Oh! Oh! Oh! They’re shooting in the school!

911 OPERATOR: Where are you at?

ANDRE: Help me! Help me! I’m the fucking shooter, tell the fucking cops! ]

[sun-citadel]

Headcanon time, hooray

Harpuia is a ✨️ narcissist ✨️

No, I don't mean the stereotypical portrayal of an individual with narcissism, but rather the concept of a person [ reploid ? ] with NPD [ pwNPD ] . I'm not saying this because he was a villain, but because it suits him.

Edit ;; this is a game based observation, I didn't account for the audio dramas as it's been a while

[ flag cred ]

Why specifically NPD ? It's typically viewed as the " evil abusive person disorder " , when in reality it's a maladaptive coping strategy to handle a sense of inferiority and an internal struggle with deep seated self - hatred from early on abuse, by portraying one's self as high and mighty — and in many instances, better than other people to cope. But that's barely scratching the surface.

Anyways. I did reference the DSM - V / an unofficial revised version by a pwNPD, as well as testimonies from others. But this is more an internal character breakdown, rather than how a person may view a pwNPD on an external level.

But to my points :

- 1. Grandiose sense of self :

That's very blatant with how Harpuia portrays himself, to where upon his first meetings with Zero, he states that he will repent for his sins, only to then be bested. While he'd admittedly impressed by it, he does tell Zero to stay healthy so that he may exact his revenge in the end — still believing himself to be superior, despite Zero's legendary status and capabilities. Upon years of going unopposed and retiring reploids to the point of almost boredom it feels like, I've always felt he'd garner a rather haughty attitude up until a challenge comes forth and bests him. Though, his disgust and anger is best apparent upon the repairs forced upon him. To be stripped of his position, to be torn apart, only to then be repaired by those he views as lesser is a clear strike to his ego. He's pushing himself to the point of fully avoiding repairs if it meant he could have a shred of pride left, which, self punishment and harm is common when a pwNPD struggles against a crash and feels at a low point. Harpuia has gone from mighty, basically second in command to X, to someone who was brutally beaten time and time again, to outright admitting to enjoy the pain / letting the pain distract him from his existence [ depending on translation ] to just cope with a fragile sense of self as someone split of X.

- 2. Preoccupied with feelings / fantasies of success, power, etc.

It does tie what I said previously, his countless attempts to try and surpass the legendary reploid, so I won't be redundant and repeat points. But he is in a place of power, of success, yet feels dissatisfied at times. His Japanese dialogue states that :

フフ‥あいかわらず‥やるな‥

それでいい‥それでいいんだ‥

オレは‥

オマエとたたかっているときだけ‥

なにもかもわすれることが‥できるんだ

しばらくは、これでいい

Only when fighting Zero can he forget everything for a little while, an act of self - harm that allows him to cope with the fact the world he knows is starting to crumble. He's forced to face his ego, when he never did prior to the awakening of Zero. It's a ruse. His feelings are complex, switching from the enjoyment of a challenge, only to go mask off during the repairs and admit to feeling highly inferior, especially after his banishment.

By this point, as to not repeat myself, I'll lump categories together.

- 3. Believe that they are “ special ” and can only be understood by other special or high-status people.

The Four Guardians position, being created of X's DNA — dare I elaborate ? He's essentially the top 1% of Neo Arcadia, just below Copy X essentially, with an entire battalion beneath him.

- 4. Require excessive admiration.

Harpuia recieves it, he receives admiration, respect, yet at the same time, fear. He is entitled, because he's so used to his role as someone so above everyone, yet below only Copy X — which he does seem mostly satisfied with, up until his questioning of things with Weil. Being betrayed by his Master like so, especially to someone like Weil, is bound to make anyone feel low : and with Harpuia, he results to harming himself by leaving early from the Resistance Base.

- 5. Sense of boredom, due to a lack of connection with others.

Points to the Japanese translation yet again. That, paired with the fact he seems relatively lonely. The other guardians don't even follow him in his banishment, and show up only after to aid in defeating Omega. They were a team, he worked closely with Leviathan — yet, ultimately he was left by himself.

- 6. Lack of empathy.

He's killed others for what he assumed the greater good, contemplated killing Zero while he was downed, attempted to kill Elpizo for knowing too much, there are various times where he takes a more selfish approach when he tries to play hero. Though, in his lack of compassion and empathy, he does choose to do good — especially when following the rules of robotics to help aid and protect Neo Arcadia. Though to other reploids, he comes across as callous, harsh, and even evil, yet, he is simply following orders that he learns to eventually question upon realizing he's doing more harm than good.

So he enters an arc of remission at the end, where he isn't cured [ NPD is incurable ] , but ultimately makes a selfless sacrifice to better humanity.

Does he like Zero after this ? Debatable. Does he respect him ? Absolutely, possibly to the point of being viewed as an equal in the NPD hierarchy in my eyes, despite initially starting out as a devalued person / bottom of the tier.

There are other points, but I really don't want to be repeating myself. He just comes across as an individual with NPD, judging from a fluctuating sense of self as his ego is repeatedly shot down by Zero. He's self loathing despite a mighty mask he wears, and ultimately, still attempts to do good despite the horrible actions commited from a lack of awareness that his goal caused harm.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[agentc0rn]

He dared to fly high and beyond

With a will that burned hotter than the sun itself

Outstretched his hand

Just to feel a modicum of its light

Longing to possess its brilliance, power, legacy

Enveloped and overwhelmed

His wings of crystals cracked and he fell

Down into the heart of the sea

Just before the tides claimed him

From the skies, came down them

and reached a hand for his.

[zeivira]

kudos to erik because he is the one who said “shit this makes the pride if q&a completely different”

whose Erik and please explain

The newest chapter kinda explains why Heinkel and Reinhard’s relationship gets fixed in Pride If when Wilhelm is erased. 

For starters—Wilhelm never actually yelled at Reinhard that he was the reason Theresia died

Arc 9, chapter 28 spoilers:

because:

—Heinkel didn’t let Wilhelm apologize and talk to Reinhard ever again until arc 5. Heinkel is the reason Wilhelm dedicates himself to revenge. 

And it’s only when Wilhelm gets erased, that Reinhard can forgive Heinkel for everything and get a relationship with him. Which implies, he can’t forgive Heinkel for what Heinkel did to Wilhelm.

That's the one thing he can't forgive.

Their broken relationship wasn't because of Wilhelm’s actions, Heinkel was behind everything all along. 

Heinkel and Reinhard getting along when Wilhelm gets erased goes from “awww, family bonding,” to “ewwww, he doesn’t have all the information, that’s kinda yikes.”  An undeserved redemption of sorts.

(and about who is Erik: Erik is my oldest friend in fandom, has been my friend since long before I started posting my fics. He is the guy who beta read several of them, did the side story chronological order compilation and can be found on tumblr here as @daemonerik) 

[lapisalatus]

Asaba Harumasa and Abandonment

Totally not doing this because of the mischaracterization posts I have seen about him.

Alright lets talk about Asaba Harumasa, our favorite archer from Hollow Special Operations Section 6. To be honest, he is my favorite character in ZZZ. His agent story really sold him for me.

What we had learned was that Harumasa was abandoned in a hospital by his parents after his diagnosis of Ether Aptitude Regression Syndrome. We don't know why his parents did that or if they are still alive, but the event had an impact on him. He may not have remembered them very well, but the fact that they abandoned him stuck with him.

Then he met his master. For Harumasa, his master became a father figure who taught him many things. Thanks to his master, he learned how to wield a bow, use a sword, and how to survive. However, Harumasa also notes that he realized his master was one of the people behind the development of the ether aptitude booster drug. Despite that, he still loved his master.

When his master had told him he was leaving, Harumasa's first instinct was to ask "Master… Are you leaving? Just like mom and dad… Did I do something wrong?" The first thought he has is that this is somehow his fault. I think having someone he loves leave him had caused abandonment issues for him, and this was a factor in how he started to present himself to others as he grew up.

Putting on the act of the joking slacker could result in people choosing to keep a distance because they are annoyed with that kind of behavior from him. But his act was also to hide his illness from the people around him. After all, Harumasa doesn't want to be pitied for his illness. He wants people to treat him like a normal person.

But he may have trouble seeing himself as a person. In his character demo, he sees his reflection as the Thanatos ethereal. He also images the people around him calling him a monster. It is likely Harumasa sees himself as a monster because of his illness, and he fears that the people around him will see the same.

I think he is the kind of person who tries to keep people at a distance to avoid the pain of being abandoned again. But at the same time, he yearns for companionship because he doesn't want to be alone either. This is actually something people can experience, and it does make it difficult for people to establish long standing relationships.

Harumasa experienced abandonment and is afraid of it happening again, but he is making some efforts to know other people. If you forget to show up to hangouts with him, he says things like:

He quickly says he forgives the proxy because he doesn't want to come across as clingy. He is also afraid the clinginess will just push the proxy away. So he tries to sound like he is fine with them not showing up to see him.

The two experiences he had with abandonment greatly impacted his life. Harumasa is afraid of growing close to people, but he is also afraid of being left alone. It is partly why he doesn't want people to know about his illness too. He thinks that once people find out, they would leave him to. And much to his relief, Section 6 accepts him despite it all.

Asaba Harumasa is someone who has experienced abandonment, but he is learning to heal from it. I think he is a strong person, and he will be able to open up to more people overtime. He will find more people who are willing to accept him for who he is.

[m-inntii]

hugo vlad analysis!

Spoilers for 1.7. + Hugo story leaks [TW: mentions/depiction of abuse, violence]

(Sorta evolved into less of an analysis and more a look into how Hugo’s mindset can be)

Oh Hugo Vlad...

Hugo has been beaten down again and again by the Mihoyo gods, honestly it's a miracle he hasn't become batshit insane

Hugo had grown to believe everything about him was wrong, to hate everything about him, by everyone, including his mother, father and even his own mentor (though only one rly meant well…)

His mother

Hugo's mother only gave birth to him because she thought she could get into the Ravenlocke family easily, which already sets in stone since the start for Hugo that his only purpose was to help his mom to get into the family and that ye meant nothing to her

And when he "failed" at his "purpose", he was regularly shamed for his looks and told his entire life was a mistake. He then gets sold off, which reemphasises the fact that to his mother he is just a “thing” to help her become rich. She made him hate his looks, and especially his heterochromia.

2. The family

The family also hated him, and literally tried to kill him multiple times. Only one person treated him nicely, and Serena ended up being killed because she treated him so nicely, which ended up with him blaming himself for her death, which continues the idea that his existence was a mistake.

They made him hate the fact he was an illegitimate child and that he accepted Serena’s kindness.

3. His father

His father then turns this into a opportunity to manipulate the others into thinking that they must be willing to kill their loved ones to reach the top, to survive.

This gives Hugo and the other kids the mindset that loving others is weak. As Lycaon says, Hugo desperately wants to care for people and have people care for him, but he pushes everyone away. With how he was raised, he believed that loving others is “weak”, that you can’t love others and need to be willing to throw away any relationship you have to make it to the top.

It creates an endless cycle of constant want to have someone care about him and to care for others, but refusing to give himself that, because that’s a “luxury” he can’t afford.

4. His mentor (Jack)

His mentor had accepted him. He didn’t see Hugo’s life as something wrong, or view him as jsut an object for his use. He actively taught Lycaon and Hugo how to live, and it seems great going

Then he overhears Jack and Lycaon’s conversation. Jack believes that Hugo will go down the wrong path, and that when that happens Lycaon needs to be the one to end him.

Even his own mentor believed that there was something wrong with Hugo.

And yet, Hugo believed him. He thought he was right. He really did believe that he was going to end up on the wrong path. But that didn’t matter. He couldn’t do anything about it, so forget it.

5. Mockingbird

Before 1.7, Hugo thought Mocking Bird was…pointless. Mockingbird never helped anyone. It could even be said all it did was bring more harm.

Hugo believed it was just Mocking Bird against the world. No one else was going to step up, so they needed to be the ones to face the injustice against the world

He eventually realised though- Mocking Bird was never going to find a way to help anyone. It was just a stupid dream of his.

6. Lycaon (Lycahugo fans you shall now receive your dinner)

Lycaon had also accepted Hugo. Although he never truly agree ded with his morals, he did see Hugo as a person, not a thing, much like Jack.

Hugo even formed mocking bird with him- he wanted to be able to help more people with him. He was the only one who Hugo could trust. No one else but him was going to help him defeat the injustice in this world.

(Slight deviation) Hugo wanted to kill his father, but his hesitance and failure to do so allowed his siblings to be killed by his uncle. To Hugo, he was at fault for his siblings death. He was the one to kill his siblings.

Lycaon lost his legs and eye in this incident. The incident that Hugo believes was his fault for happening. Lycaon losing his leg and eyes is his fault.

Lycaon misconceptions Hugo’s morals, and believed that Hugo was the one to kill all those in the room. And while he technically didn’t, Hugo never fought back, because he believed Lycaon was right.

Lycaon didn’t agree with his morals, and tried to get Hugo to change his, but he still refused. He believed Lycaon didn’t truly understand what the world was like, and believed that there will come a day where he needs to take the life of someone for the better.

Even Lycaon didn’t truly understand Hugo. Just like everyone else, Lycaon too thought that there was something wrong with him.

(i’m sorry if Lycaon’s section feels clunky i really struggle to write abt them.)

7. Vivian

Like Hugo said, Vivian is like a sister to him. But it probably is more then just her reminding him of Serena.

Both of them have been actively discriminated against for things out of their control, and believed that they were the bringers of misfortune. They can both relate to each other and understand each other’s struggle, and thus be the only ones willing to accept the other

NOW. The events of 1.7

I’m not gonna talk about his plan and stuff since I am 1. way too small brained. 2. I don’t remember ZZZ lore LMAO. anyway continuing on

So before I talk about the drug trip imma say some stuff rq-

The events of 1.7 really show us that Hugo is in actually, a really great guy. He helps save a ton of people from the schemes of the family, stops/destorys the family and their reputation, tries to fulfill Vivian’s wishes, and chooses to drug himself to find an antidote to help those affected. He purposely fakes his death jsut so those he cares about doesn’t get affected

1.7 also show Hugo is honestly incredibly strong mentally. Despite being beaten down again and again by life, he still wants to fight against injustice and actively helps people despite so many having harmed him. And in general, he learns to overcome quite a few of his internal struggles (including how he and mockingbrid have in actuality, helped a ton of people.) There’s also another point i’ll get to later.

OKAY TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE DRUG TRIP

During the drug trip, Hugo ends up facing… a LOT of things.

Including facing his inner thoguht- That deep down, he is mad, he is angry, and he wants revenge against those who hurt him. Hugo desperately wants to reject and deny that fact, and tries time and time again to convince himself that “it’s no point worrying about” or “i’ve moved passed it already”. By the end though, he realises that he can’t deny it anymore, otherwise it’ll just continue to eat at him and he has to try harder to pretend otherwise.

Which is another show of his mental strength- he learns to accept that angry upset and mad part of him, but also learns to move past trying to get revenge. He’ll stick to his morals and the path he’s chosen (even if it’ll hurt him), but he’s given on revenge because he doesn’t want to be consumed by it. He doesn’t want to become like his father, his mother, or any of those who harmed him because they were upset at him.

He also comes to face few other things, but I don’t think he’s yet to overcome these- which includes his self blame issues. He doesn’t seem to learn to move past his “mistakes” in a way. He still blames himself for Serena’s death, for his mother’s

And for my Lycahugo shippers- Noticably, Lycaon is the only one Hugo realises is just an illusion. Even with Serena, someone who always treated him nicely and death wasn’t even his fault, he still couldn’t distinguish the fact she was an illusion because he truly believed he was the blame for her death and that she would hate him for it.

but Lycaon? He could tell he was just an illusion. He knows that Lycaon would never speak to him like that. Lycaon would never compare Hugo to someone like his father.

He comes out of the drug trip, completes his plan, effectively ends the Ravenlocke family, and reconciles with Lycaon, in which he decided he wants to stick to his path and choices even if it’ll hurt him, and lets Lycaon do the same.

OOH boy, this was a LONG one lol… I believe Hugo’s story was done really well. I love the fact he learns to move past his hatred, but he’s probably still yet to fully recover from the effects of his past. It’ll most likely take a long while before Hugo learns to let himself care for others and let others care for him, considering he followed the mindset for a very long time. My apologies if a lot of this was jsut retelling of events lol, analysis psor always end up very messy -v-

Turning off analysis mode, i’d like to mention this line

Hugo has blamed himself for hurting those around him for so long (even when it wasn’t his fault). He clearly blamed himself for the loss of Lycaon’s eye and legs cause otherwise Lycaon wouldn’t have responded like this.

To have even ONE person who he believed he had hurt, tell him IN PERSON, that “It wasn’t your fault”, that it “was just an accident” probably means a LOT to him. Lycaon telling him he wasn’t to blame and tells him he’s doing okay- to know that there’s even one person who doesn’t blame him, and in fact isn’t affected by his actions anymore, is probably a lot to him.

anyway can’t get over how much Lycaon was checking on Hugo during the quest. most likely a lycahugo analysis post if i feel like it lol :P. I’m still going insane over that “don’t die you stupid bastard..” like. who else is gonna somehow get a man who is known for how sophisticated he is and how calm he always remains to swear (sorta. is bastard a swear lol?) but Hugo and his self-harming tendencies