#The Caligula Effect: Overdose | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

archivalofsins · 3 months

Note

Actually the your last answer sparkes my interest and i'm curious, which songs from the first caligula game would you assign to the milgram prisoners?

I am so freaking excited to go into this- Because I love the Caligula Effect soundtrack soooo much. My favorite song was Lovec Scope but I am currently obsessing over Cosmo Dancer for reasons. I also just finished two so I hope you don't mind me adding some thoughts on that at the end and what it could mean for Milgram overall.

I know this took very long to answer. Unfortunately, life has gotten pretty hectic. Every time I sat down to work on this reply, something else cropped up. Key instances include me still recovering from covid and needing to pace myself differently than before (which I am still feeling the aftereffects of) and finding out my mother's heart had temporarily stopped (from arrhythmia). I also needed to get some other feelings out on Caligula Effect 2 before diving into all of this some I shared with you earlier and another one I posted about before putting this up. It just didn't feel completely honest to make this post without acknowledging my feelings on one of the repeating themes of the second game first. It will become apparent why later in this post! But for now,

Let's get into this-

Cosmo Dancer is a Mikoto song. (Sorry I don't make the rules except I just did so I do.)

Mikoto Cosmo Dancer

"It's the "me" of today as well." "Let's resist against fighting- Ha! This makes me laugh." "Scatter, disappear; until you become completely invisible! See; you can fight now!" "Puppets whose hearts are controlled."

Go on and show me the usual./“No, I need to do more…”

Those beautiful bonds of yours. IT'S SO MEANINGLESS IT MAKES ME SICK! I will teach you! So; dance as much as you want. In the palm of my hands. On this best stage. Nobody will steal your heart.

Yeah… well, I mean, some days are hard, but… I’m doing alright, don’t worry. How’ve you been? I’ll go home next time I get some time off. I don’t even know, the reason why I’m here “He’s a liar”, you said, and made me out to be a scoundrel, why?

All I did was dream/ If it is a never-ending 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.

Mikoto: [scream] You’re all fucking annoying! I’ll beat you all to death, pieces of shit!!! Mikoto : AAAHHHHHHHHHH!! DESTROY EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!!

Then let's just destroy everything! I don't want this worthless world. This is my dream!

Before the life in this world is exhausted./ Say what? You’re gonna break.-You’re overdoing it, you’re already broken.

When this time comes- in this corner of the universe. Watch tragedy happen.../ Why, why, if only I were never born, if only. Why, why.

My life...it wasn't supposed to be this way.

Let's get the bullet out of the way second now this one may be a bit well surprising but-

Futa Love Scope

Look I don't want to do this to any of us here, considering how Stork is viewed as a character but I have to. I can't unsee it.

"That's right! You know me from way back. Those feelings already begin to excellerate."/ "Don’t act like you have no idea! We won’t forgive you- You’re the crazy one! Ban-Ba-Bang"- "FUCK IT! You won’t be forgiven, it was stupid licking each other’s wounds." "You already noticed right? What you gonna do?"

"Ah, now that you mention it- It's an unchanging feeling 'Attention' only to you."/ "I'm already obsessed!" "You’re the crazy one!" "You already knew, the whole time. You can’t escape, how do you like the taste of punishment?" "You won’t be forgiven, a coward, never!"

TELL ME! Please, do not hide it! 'Communication'. I want to sing about the 'you' that nobody knows. I want to peek at all those feelings./ "What I want to hear is the scream deep inside you!"

SHOW ME! Go ahead and just be yourself! 'Realization'./ "Bye bye idiots and devils with a faces of angels. We will expose you all by whipping you with words until you are bruised."

"I will take away your smile, I will take away everything until nothing is left. Unleash this hot impulse but do not get lost into it."/ "It's a bit annoying because I can't handle too much hot food. I want it on repeat, I want a spicy treat- Can I get seconds? One more time! I want to burn bright red!" "I want to escape, but I'm not able to."- "Flames closing in, can’t douse this FIRE!"

"I will not let you go until I die. Let's hold onto everything properly until it becomes transparent."/ "Isn't it alright to have loved? Tied together without touching anyone. Isn't this also fate? Dissapear, dissapear, this kind of love-"

"I don't need a love where you're just holding back. I'll always be watching you. Ah! Right now...it's so painful."/ "Did you call it love? Clinging and being impatient. Isn't it alright to kill the type of me that hates you?"- "I can't stop! I don't want to stop! Make sure to cool it down so you don't get burned. I want to escape, but I'm not able to."

"That's right, it's showing on my face. I want to protect you, I cannot stand it! TELL ME! Please let me have this 'Recreation' with your words."/ "Bless me, please, with one more chance." "I’ll deign to hear your last words if you want."

How many times have you repeated this love. I want you to scold me more. I can't have enough! That's why it's amusing./ Tears aren’t enough, no way no how it’s going to end. It’s so hot, so hard to breath, there’s no solace for my heart.

Ah, right now...It's so hot (painful).

Q.07 What have you been into lately?

Futa: Finding a way to distract myself from the pain.

Let's share the answer 'Imagination'/ "If you know I would like you to tell me first. Okay?" "Hot is good, don't you think so? Is it a big deal? Hey, isn't the word "but" not not good? Want to hear the word "more". How is it inside your head?" "I'm already obsessed! Is it doing super great? Hey, honestly isn't it not not crazy? I want to hear the truth! It's heating up inside my head! I CAN'T STOP! I DON'T WANT TO STOP!"

Love Scope manages to perfectly embody all of the things brought up not only in Futa's own songs but the songs he was given to cover. Making it an all-around good fit for him.

Mu Tokemeki Reverie

At the window, I rub my sleepy eyes.

I want to be loved more than anyone else... / "Take more and more (honey) and devote to me." "I told you I’m queen, and it will never be changed." "All the 'good' things that happened today, were actually no good without you." "Why won’t you stop hurting me? My heart is all dried up." "The stabbing of the little devil’s voice, counterattack being a suicide note “I love YOU”."

I had a dream about drowning in a sea of tea. I don't want to go away.

"If I was gone, if I had just disappeared. I overheard, I found out. How much I’m not needed." "I see it in my dreams even though I erased it. Maybe I'm done."

Please don't wake me up. Embraced by the silk bed. I'm still sleepy I stop the ringing of the alarm clock. Together in a dream!/ "Let’s meet up inside the pain, a place just for me." "God gave me everything, everything is as I wish." "All I have, I'll transmit to you. Even this disease. Because the more painful the more I want to share with you."

I just want to run away from this love./ At the mercy of an endless love. NOW, I can't stand love.

This tea time won't have an end. So, forget everything. The marriage of love and sweetness. Heart-pounding reverie, a maiden wonder zone!/ "I don’t want tomorrow to come, I want to forget yesterday."

I am always dreaming because the wolves are scary. Don't stare at me with that face. Don't show your fangs to the real me.../ "Hey, what if- If I am a bad girl. Don’t hate me."

I can't erase those thorns. So, I have no choice but to embrace them. Tie your heart with a pink ribbon. Please dissappear. I'm always in my dream./ "I told you I’m queen, and it’s always the same. God gave me everything, everything is as I wish. If you want to betray from jealousy. You know what’s gonna happen ON YOU."

Embraced by the silk bed. I want to sleep, please drop off the alarm clock. DO NOT DISTURB ME! This see-through tulle's dress reveals my heart. Drink all the tears, all the tears that I have shed./ "I was miserable, someone please help me." "Just one more time before saying goodbye. I’m just kidding, please forget I said that." "Why won’t you stop hurting me? My heart is all dried up."

A dream scape heart-pounding reverie. A Maiden's Secret Place./ A place just for me.

Haruka Originality Incident

23/04/07 Haruka: Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. Please forgive Mu-san. PleaseforgiveMu-sanpleaseforgiveMu-sanpleaseforgiveMu-sanpleaseforgiveMu-sanpleaseforgiveMu-sanpleaseforgiveMu-san

I won't give you any of my words. I have closed my mouth. Don't even smile at me. I have hidden my face.

23/07/05 (Mu’s Birthday) Futa: Oi, you. Is he ok? He’s not even left his room lately. Mu: You mean Haruka-kun? Hmm. Yeah, probably. I’ve been bringing all his meals to him so he should be fine. Isn’t that great of me? Futa: Hah? Who the hell says that sort of thing about themself. … ah, no, well, right now I understand a bit. When you’re feeling down, it’s nice to have someone who relies on you and accepts you. The rest of us can’t really understand you from where we’re standing. But well, if you’re Haruka’s “salvation” then I guess it really is great.

Let's play a song of salvation, shall we? It will be a perfect song for you blind guys, right? Phrases that repeat over and over again. It's like echoes that make you stop thinking./ "The word I tried to say was “You’re unfair”, And those words thought how pitiful I am." "You would get angry at me and say “You’re hopeless.”." "It’s enough, I am a “disappointment”." "I am always repeating yesterday." "How many more times do I have to do this so I can be human?"

Buried in solitude, I will protect my world. I won't let anyone touch this beloved place. Don't look; don't look at me! There is nobody here, nobody, just look away!/ "My loneliness was desired."

I don't need kindness. Because it only makes you miserable./ "Why is it breaking? Tell me why? Please don’t change."

I don't need rightness, you just have to break the mask./ "The right future unfairly chose the wrong me"

Steps repeated over and over again. Footsteps echo, like you are afraid. I will make a world by eating loneliness. This is the ideal place which I have always imagined./ "I will definitely make you love me again." "I promise to make my dreaMU come true."

Let me go, let me go! I don't need you! Close it, close it! Don't make me expect something.../ "You shouldn’t get so close to me. Bringing misfortune to people is the only thing I’m naturally good at. The more you know about me, I’m sure I’ll bring misfortune onto you as well, prison guard."

Emotions peeping at this moment of chance. I thought I had forgotten what I truly wished for./ "I wanted to be a pitied and loved weakling. I was in denial, I was in denial." "If with one click, and I can reset everything- Can I be your favorite this time?"

Buried in solitude, I will protect my world. I love this place where no one can notice me. Find, find out about me... Reach, reach for it! I stretched out my hands./ Someone please notice me… Don’t leave me alone, don’t leave me.

Amane Sin

An ugly and rage-filled ending... From now on, I'll erase everything!

"So nary a sound can be uttered a second time, I’ll crush your throat too."

Receiving an incomplete life, I am waiting for divine punishment. Throw away your pitiful ego. The price is tainted in red.../ "The “It can’t be helped”, from the scum who can’t be helped. That makes them doubtlessly, clearly, absolutely, unequivocally, beyond any doubt, GUILTY. I disavow you, eyes corrupted must be crushed."

I will take on the power from the god of this world. If everyone can be saved right now! I shall become the substitute! Now! -Bring down the hammer of justice!-/ "Dear wise one, am I worthy? Is it ok to spoil myself? I promise! A pinky promise is a pinky promise! Even I can say "I'm sorry" Even I have hope I swear! I'm going to be a good girl now! That's it! Dear wise one, Is this ok? Is it ok to be weak sometimes? I promise! A good girl that keeps a promise is like, mwah!"

A place where the ventilation is bad. A jet black egotist. I learned about an unforgivable sin. The price is tainted in black.../ "I don’t need it any more, if you’re going to break your vow. Here and now, it’s my turn to tear you apart. So there is no second time, I’ll give back the judgment that you gave to me." "Despite this. The “It can’t be helped”, from the scum that can’t be helped- That makes them doubtlessly, clearly, absolutely, unequivocally, beyond any doubt, categorically, emphatically, GUILTY!" "After you cry, repent, and kneel, it’s now your turn to say that hopeless “I’m sorry”. You’re sorry? I don’t care! Please, go ahead and die already. Remember MY cries, MY repents, MY words of “I’m sorry” that I said to you?"

A jet black egotist/ The “It can’t be helped”, from the SCUM who can’t be helped.

Kotoko Peterpan Syndrome

Love 'me', who is nobody./Laugh and I can get to like myself.

I was not afraid of anything when I was a child. I believed that I was special.

"Treat you like a child? Hah, you’ve got to be kidding. Back when I was your age, I was already the person I am today. I don’t have any plans to let you get away with something just “because you’re a child.” ……remember that."

Q.04 When did you start learning martial arts?

Kotoko: When I was in primary school, I think? Without enough power, justice won’t be upheld.

Q.07 What did you study at university?

Kotoko: Technically, I’m studying law. I’m on a break right now because there’s something else I want to do, though.

With these hands of mine, as I desired I will change the world./ "I can’t forgive the evil hurting the weak It’s unforgivable, I won’t allow it, I sweared." "Whose fault is it, this is getting ridiculous."

Q.12 What is your motto?

Kotoko: “There’s no other way that could let us live, so I walk this path.” [TN: Quote from Mushanokouji Saneatsu.]

Q.13 Do you have any regrets?

Kotoko: No.

Stretch out your hands and grasp it. The one and only 'me'. Let out your voice and praise the special 'me'./ "I want to be drowning in the knowledge that I am right."

I didn't want to admit that I am the same as the others. I pretended not to see it and conveniently closed my eyes./ "The person that can’t be saved, is now understanding the abnormality."

I wanted someone to recognise the fake me that I have created. I'm alone in this world like a child./ "Shall we replace the poor soul, and the miserable delusion." "The person that can’t be saved, is now understanding the abnormality." "Losing it, losing it, what should I hope for?"

Envelop and embrace me. The 'me' who is like a child./ "Newly born “HARROW HARROW”. It’s ok to dislike, right?"

Mahiru Distorted†Happiness

This feeling of love for you. That's the only reason my body moves./ "Mon-mon-monstrously in love in love. Mon-mon-monstrous, cuz I love you so much. Mon-mon-monstrously in love in love. A monstrous dilemma!!! I just love you so much!"

"The things that I only want to say to you, and the things that I want from you- Is love."

Mahiru: Because I know how precious it is to be in love. The moment you love someone, you realize the beauty of the world as it changes. To not forgive me means to take the act of loving away from me. That’s the same as not being alive. It’s the same as not being able to drink water or breathe. So… if this love isn’t allowed, then I don’t mind dying. Kotoko-chan’s acts aren’t a problem, either. I think she’s fighting for her own cause as well. So I don’t blame her. Because I also think that I… that my love isn’t wrong. I don’t want to be shamed for my love.

Your feeling of hatred. That's the only reason my body fidgets./ "We can both feel lonely sometimes, but wonder if you’ll get angry soon." "We fought sometimes, I was happy to get hurt. Let’s have matching pain, this sickness is pretty bad."

But to say it's a lie however… If this sorrow can be healed. Continuing mutually to be fooled./ "Do you really think you know what love is? If you do, let’s just overheat together!" "I don’t need anyone else, as long as I have you I could do anything as long as you smiled, I actually believed that." "Saying I love you but doing what I did, I know I have no right, crossed and covered in sin. My love, it scored an own goal, destroyed my love and me with its weight. Tell me, oh tell me why, can’t I just do it right?!"

This urge of love for you. It is strangely hard to understand. Your impulse of distress. It is less hard to understand./ "This can’t go on, something’s got to give, I even love saying the words, “I love you”. My emotions are out of control, that’s inconvenient? I don’t care! Tell me, oh tell me why, won’t you just accept me?"

This never-ending Mobius ring. Hey, why do you want to run away? All the happiness of the world is here!/ "I get it, I get it, I agree there was enough love in the first place." "What you trampled is my, “This is how to be in love with you”."

Yuno Onboro

A malignant tumor of misfortune, expanding more and more.

It’s a tool to blow apart the absurdity of reality./ "Our love links us together. Just me alone, the warmth starts fading away. Let’s reload the warmth." "“Poor naive little girl”? So off the mark,what’s it to you? It’s just absurd."

The days that can never return. I close my eyes and remember them on these nights./ "I messed up, I found out."-"Are we over? Please don’t answer. What do you want to do? Please tell me." "Desire, bestow, and desire again. The episode reloading on an endless loop. The fading warmth makes me anxious again. Tear drops succumb and fall."

How fleeting, how fleeting, how fleeting, how fleeting, how fleeting./ "The warmth starts fading away."

I don’t need, I don’t need, I don’t need, I don’t need, I don’t need such a specific excuse./ "“Poor naive little girl”? So off the mark,what’s it to you? It’s just absurd. Like really, who do you think you are? Don’t weigh me measure me against your morality Just shut it, will you? You know it all- Feeling magnanimous? INNOCENT? I’m so not that. Just shut it, will you? You know it all."

A scream scooping out my organs, and the squirming, ugly emotions./ When I vomit up everything I was hiding, they were all things that you were like, "That's so true!". I don't believe you but I don't not in honesty. I'll just use to pass the time until morning comes.

The most pathetic excuse for a life. I dreamt of laughing with you so many years ago. I want to spill out the entirety of this grief and hatred, ah-/"“UNDER” My cord’s being pulled but nothing’s ever enough. Contractual desires, oh what to do, FUTURE." "Until I eat all of you, I'll scream!"

I’m sure I was alive back then, my body still had some warmth./ "Reload the warmth." "Let's just do it please smile." "The episode reloading on an endless loop. The fading warmth makes me anxious again. Tear drops succumb and fall."

The peace that was crushed and trampled on like a bug. It won’t heal, it won’t heal, it won’t heal, it won’t heal, so what’s really the right answer here?/ "I want to be your stickybug for a bit each and every day." "If we connect and check, maybe I can die." "They may pile up until I'm crushed. It's fine, it's sad, it's painful- Until I eat all of you, it's okay, it's fun, it feels amzing."

A whole life’s worth of murderous impulses, and the emotions of falling into despair./ The lies are endless. Just me alone, it really is lonely.

I can’t stand everyone going away and leaving me alone./ "Hey, say that you love me so it won't ever be forgotten. Since I don't need anyone but you." "Let’s be together till the morning “Good morning” “Good night” I want to be with you as many times as I can." Just me alone, the warmth starts fading away."

I want to kill the despair and sing, I want to sing, so. Even if I shouldn’t, I’ll create this song. Even if I become a worn-out thing that’s lost its voice to flame./ "They may pile up until I'm crushed. It's FINE. It's SAD. It's PAINFUL. Until I eat all of you- It's OKAY. It's FUN. It feels AMAZING. It's so ADDICTING that I'll drown- I'LL SCREAM!"

Let's just do it, please smile?- I can't smile well anymore- It's because of you.

I want to spill out the entirety of this grief and hatred. A pathetic and hopeless worn-out thing that’s lost its voice.- Contractual desires, oh what to do, FUTURE!- What do you want to do? Please, tell me.

Kazui Angel's Song

Accept it, compromise, or give up? I’ll overcome it with the angel’s song. Broken wings won’t do anything for me anymore; O Maria, come and destroy it all here.

We can change the destiny that was imposed on us at birth./ Maybe, perhaps... or... could it come true... like It’s for the sake of true love, who wouldn’t lie for that?

I’ll break down that wall; so what if it has to come with empty feelings?/ "Please tell me what I should do, feelings shrouded in lies will float away and disappear." "Since when have I ignored my feelings? It’s better to be a let down, than to be let down yourself."

Your very own Holy Grail is the affection you were seeking. There’s still frailty under the perfection; where am I? Where are you?/ "That sticky-sweet sequence: Dinner + Camouflage + You-Know-What Loving Affection (minus) Love, it’s tacky, this two-way deceit."

You’re still struggling in the same darkness, too; are you okay with that? Accept it, compromise, or give up? I’ll overcome it with the angel’s song./ "Laughing together, side by side, this distance in our relationship is misleading me, is this what happiness is? Where did I go wrong, probably from the beginning." "The curse of reuniting with you puts a dagger in my heart. I imagined that you saying "See you" is the same as "It's over”. Only if your heart would change but that’s not possible. Please tell me what I should do, feelings shrouded in lies will float away and disappear." "If continuing to hide is called unhappiness, not even one word will get to you." "Better to be a let down, than to be let down yourself."

Broken wings won’t do anything for me anymore./ I can’t stop, I can’t be normal. This feeling, it can’t be gratified. I can’t stop, I can’t be normal. This feeling, it’s yearning to be satisfied.

Love (plus) Destiny = Crap, smash it, shatter it, bye-bye/O Maria, come and destroy it all here- Maria..

Lie, until it-

I'm sorry the perfect Shidou song from the Caligula Series will always be Eternal Silver. I cannot unsee it and not many songs fit him from the first series.

Now into the wild shit. As I told pretty much everyone. I have finished Caligula Effect 2. General consensus was in many ways it glorifies the privilege of a select few and does extraordinarily little to hide this fact. Yamanaka puts the wealth disparity in fandom on full display throughout Caligula Effect 2 as he rightfully should.

Fandom spaces while still being alcoves for what were previously deemed social outcasts have become more mainstream than they've ever been. Not only that but fandom itself has become a great source of capital in almost every country. This is especially true in Japan. It's not a stretch to say that fandom has become an expensive hobby to engage in.

Yamanaka highlights this by having everyone within the Caligula Effect 2 cast be notably comfortably middle class or explicitly wealthy. To the point of even highlighting the wealth of the musicians we face in all their deep dive stories. He's very in the audience's face about the financial privileges the cast of two have. This is highlighted by Sasara's problem being labeled end of life care something that many don't have the luxury of being able to afford whether it be paying others to do it or even having family that is able to do it for them.

Kiriko is a famous performer in the real-world playing retail worker in Redo because she wanted to live off her own hard work and merits this time around. Recognizing that a lot of the financial success afforded to her was due to her fans in reality and feeling a certain way about not living up to their expectations due to burnout. It's a reasonable and human worry to have but in an age where popstars are masquerading as Walmart employees to promote their works well it's not difficult to see the similarities.

Caligula Effect 2 is meant to reflect the worries of modern individuals. People in fandom when the game came out. Most of fandom in and out of Japan is financially secure now. Hell, even well off. They need to be to afford to engage in the things they wish to at times. This isn't true for everyone; I, myself, am broke as hell and my family always has been.

If we wanted to get something entertainment based, we'd usually have to go into credit card debt to do so. I've been in fandom discord servers with people who have had shrines to one piece of media, pools in their backyards, lived in mansions and had maids. I've been in fandom environments with comfortably middle-class individuals and obscenely wealthy ones.

That have-

Devalued black lives as less than animals. (more than once)

Said the LGBTQIA movement was created by white Americans and has no ties to black activism or pocs.

Were globetrotting socialites. That could fly in and out of country when they so pleased.

So, when it comes to two highlighting the issues of modern individuals. There's a conversation to be had about all those people having generational wealth. Something that is repeatedly pulled to the forefront. Purposely throughout all the musicians' stories their wealth is directly referenced multiple times or alluded to. Albeit this happens post-game.

Machina

Machina, save for his well-to-do upbringing, was once an ordinary child like any other. Eventually, a die-cast toy robot bought for him as a child would bring him back from the brink. Such gifts were one of many for a child born to wealth. His parents noticed that these inanimate objects caused him to stop shaking. Taking it as a sign of his recovery, they continued to buy him whatever he wanted. Seeking an outlet to vent these thoughts, he turned toward the virtuadoll software his parents had bought for him when he was younger. He had begged his parents to buy it for him at the height of μ's fame for no other reason than because it "seemed cool." At the time, he had little to express, losing interest without ever using it. Upon dusting it off later on, however, he found the melodies and verses practically flowed out from within him.

His family's wealth is referenced several times throughout the dive deeper passage explaining his background. The musicians mirror the cast so chances are despite having office jobs they now or not they were well off when younger and are still doing financially good now. Not one person complains about what they will be doing outside of the time needed to physically recover once they get out of redo. None of them are remotely concerned if they will have a home to go back to or somewhere to stay. It doesn't come up because it's a nonissue. Everyone here has their fiscal needs met upon returning from redo.

But let's continue with how the musicians continually highlight this immense difference in wealth. If I wanted to sit through people humble brag about affording to do shit I can only dream of affording these passages are where I would go. Because that's what they are.

Pandora

Born to a family of musicians, Pandora grew up playing the piano and violin from a young age. Her family expected her to eventually attend a conservatory of music, as did Pandora herself. She begged her parents to let her work part-time, pouring all her earnings into supporting Hikaru. Interacting with them via paid photo-ops and handshake events became her sole pleasure. For Pandora, life as an idol fan was beyond fulfilling. Pandora was a big spender, a fact even Hikaru Hanamaki knew. Needless to say, she was given special treatment and attention, filling her with both gratification and a sense of superiority. "I have to make more money. Then I can spend more time with him." Pandora cut hours at the school she'd worked so hard to get into, picking up more jobs in order to fully devote her life to Hikaru. She attended every single event, and ran donation drives when sales were low. At times, she'd even buy hundreds of copies of the same CD. Though she knew it unnerved her friends, she bought extra tickets and invited them to live concerts. Part-timing alone couldn't sustain Pandora's spending. The rest, she earned by sugar dating. Her taxing schedules consisted of several men a day. But despite all her physical fatigue, emotionally, Pandora was fulfilled. After all, everything she did was for her beloved Hikaru. Pandora realized she had nothing left for her. At the age of 21, she didn't have enough credits to graduate. Even as her enraged parents disowned her, she had no strength left to defend herself. Pandora was in no mental state to continue attending college at that point, and so instead began to post her compositions online.

But Gunsli, Pandora worked for all of that money herself she can spend it how she wants and that's not privilege she just got played. Yes, she did work for all that money herself but none of it needed to go into utilities, housing, food, rent- She had the ability to spend as much as she did on idols because her family covered those things up to the point they disowned her. Also, people who aren't well off aren't begging their parents to get a job.

There was a dude in my high school that had three and did his classes at the same time and most of his money went you guessed it to his fucking family, to pay bills, to get food. Not to fucking idols.

MU-kun

Oh, come on, he's an office worker- He can't. You need at least college bachelor's or higher to get an office job in this day and age. College isn't free in Japan. But entitlement always is worldwide baby. Let's get going-

In elementary school, MU-kun, captivated by the vastness of outer space, aspired to become an astronaut. Those around him supported his dream, bolstering his confidence. In middle school, MU-kun strove to be an artist, but upon joining the Art Club, found that the images in his brain never came out right on canvas. Picking up a brush became a stressful experience each time. In high school, he sought to play in a band, but decided not to join the Music Club. Despite composing original songs on his guitar to express himself, he never publicly performed during his school years. By the time MU-kun was admitted to an average university, μ was at the peak of her popularity. He devoted himself to virtuadoll composition, having at last found the perfect medium he had been waiting for. After graduating from college, MU-kun landed a job as a systems engineer.

Mu-kun works a position that gets at the least five million yen a year which 33,810.25 usd. He was able to go to schools that afforded him the luxuries of extracurricular activities. The people around him were supportive of his dream to become an astronaut even to the point of him doing engineering in college, one of the avenues in which one can work through to obtain that job.

Individuals who want to become an Astronaut must first complete their undergraduate studies to attain a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Biological science, Physical science or mathematics. During their undergraduate degree, individuals must focus heavily on science and math courses to gain valuable knowledge that can be used for flying into outer space. Although not required, a Master’s degree in Engineering, Biological Science, Physical Science or Mathematics is highly desirable.

Making it very likely that despite not being near Pandora's level of wealth, his family were more than likely in the same comfortable financial range as Machina's. He's also able to afford to purchase μ at the peak of her popularity. The same as Machina who begged his parents to get it for him was able to.

#QP

This one will be shorter since no deductions on wealth need to be done here to illustrate the point. The text just comes out the gate stating her financial upbringing-

QP grew up the sole recipient of her parents' love. Raised in an average, middle-class family, she lived a fulfilling school life, with few inconveniences to distress or vex her. QP learned the piano from youth, a skill that she found outstanding success in. In school, she had no trouble making friends with a good number of girls her age. She began to distance herself from romance thereafter, telling those around her that she simply wasn't interested. Desperation was not a good look on her. Besides, social expectations aside, her life had no faults.

Making QP possibly the lowest in the terms of financial status amongst the musicians as she is stated to be averagely middle-class and nothing more. However, it is still highlighted that even though she was not raised with the same financial prosperity as her peers amongst the musicians she wanted for nothing she was good. Because the average middle-class is still financially comfortable.

You're not worrying about utilities not getting paid, food not being accessible, how you'll be getting to school, if you'll have housing or not later on or even access to the internet. She's good. Hell, averagely middle-class is still enough to be taught piano apparently.

Doktor

Do, do- Do I even have to explain this one he's a doctor? Do you know how much it can cost to go to school to become a doctor worldwide. I- Like his passage isn't even about his familial upbringing but we can likely take a fucking guess based on his profession. Like not to be too candid here but come on? He became a practicing doctor at twenty-five. The age one would be if they began studying to become a doctor directly after graduating high school. His life path was not disturbed in any way.

On top of that, he immediately began work on a wealthy family's daughter. Something that, in itself, speaks well of his background since a wealthy family would only want the best for their kid. Not some bozo who barely knows anything.

At 25, Doktor had his first patient, a ten-year-old girl from a wealthy family. Her congenital, incurable illness limited usage of her legs, and she had spent nearly all her life in a private hospital ward.

Speaking of that covers the next person too.

Kranke

For as long as she can recall, Kranke had lived in a hospital. Afflicted with a rare, incurable disease, her life consisted of little other than wasting away in the private ward her wealthy parents forced her into.

Kudan

Kudan was the daughter of Tetsu Ushizawa, a rising politician who could stir the hearts of his supporters with a single, honest word. Kudan felt a strong sense of admiration and pride for him. Hoping to one day help her father in his political service, Kudan devoted herself to academics in her youth, delving into myriad subjects in an attempt to absorb them all. Kudan's intelligence and talent quickly became apparent. However, she struggled with public speaking from birth, and despite her and her parents' attempts to address it, never improved. Nevertheless, she was not too discouraged, as she had always planned on supporting her father from behind the scenes in lieu of assuming a more public role. Young as she was, Kudan realized a single truth. Her father's "loyal" supporters scattered like flies when the scandal broke. In short, "The masses have no habit of self-reliance." They were...hollow. The majority reacted without ever asking why. Their vaunted ideals and logic were only excuses to justify their own beliefs. Her father did not know that. He'd expected too much from the masses. In the meantime, Kudan learned of the incident caused by μ. The existence of virtuadolls seemed to fit in nicely with her own aims. Though the commotion with μ was written off as mass hypnosis, Kudan saw little reason not to use such a powerful idol for a political agenda. She then set her eyes on Regret, who had been rapidly gaining followers after the Astral Syndrome Incident.

Oh-ho, the team actually wrote an entire passage without highlighting someone's financial situation surprising right. Not really. Her father was a well-known political figure. Though still on the rise he was known enough to be dragged into scandal by one of his own aides. A scandal that heavily impacted the trajectory of his career. A lot of rising politicians end up at first backing their own campaigns before using the financial aid of donors to pay for campaign needs.

They can also have help from close associates as well. However, chances are that like her peers amongst the musicians Kudan's family was financially secure. Something they remained after the scandal as well. Since there is no mention of financial troubles in the passage and Kudan went about with her normal activities after. Certainly, her father's chances at a career in politics and reputation were ruined along with Kudan's own social reputation due to another incident but she was not deterred from pursuing politics in her own way in the future.

Specifying the virtuadol technology within the series as a tool that would be helpful in doing that. A consistent bit of information highlighted throughout Caligula Effect 2 is how the virtuadol technology the world of Mobius and Redo can be weaponized and repurposed for political or personal gain.

Bluffman

Bluffman was an exceptionally talented individual, both as a researcher and an engineer. At the same time, he was also a terribly tactless individual. Under normal circumstances, he could have easily utilized his high intellect and technological expertise to procure a high-end research position. Instead, he opted to live life as a peripatetic engineer out of a disdain for interpersonal communication. He married his childhood friend, and when he was 25, a daughter was born between them. Even in youth, he struggled with social skills and expression, unable to so much as pretend to be friendly or likable. Even still, his wife accepted him, flaws and all. For her sake, as well as that of their daughter, he resolved to do his utmost in the one place he could: his work. All other thoughts were put out of his mind. His wife left him. He didn't know why. Perhaps she had found another man, or perhaps she was unhappy with his disinterest in their daughter's issues at school. Whatever it was, he could only blame himself for not having even the slightest clue about what had driven her away. After he and his daughter had finished "grieving," in a sense, conversation between them ceased. It was then that he realized: he had only thought their family life was happy because his wife had been there to maintain it. She had been the linchpin holding his tactless self and rapidly maturing daughter together. Now that she was gone, he no longer had any idea how to interact with his only child.

Remind you of anyone-

Not dead- Yeah, she's definitely not dead... I finally understand the value of what I've been robbing people of.

Q.16 How did you meet your partner? Shidou: We lived near each other. We got to know each other as family friends. Q.17 Tell us your dating history. Shidou: My memory’s a bit foggy, but I had one partner in kindergarten, and two in primary school. I started going out with my wife in my second year of middle school, and we’ve been together ever since. Q.19 What was your partner like? Shidou: A strong person. I tend to be a bit careless in my personal life, so I was always relying on her.

Bluffman has a normal middle class upbringing with no determents to his goals. Even being comfortable enough to decide to pick his occupation not by how much it would earn but what would allow him to speak to people the least. Not a choice many people can afford to make. Despite this he's still very well paid as we'll see from his daughter~

Regret

Sayoko was born the eldest daughter of Koichiro Hitomi, an engineer; and Rio Hitomi, a vocalist. Interpersonal relations had been a struggle for Sayoko from youth. Other children would ostracize her for reasons she could not understand. At times, she would upset them. At other times, they would spurn her entirely. She could only surmise that her very existence was what offended others. Before long, she realized just how poor her social skills were. Even so, Sayoko would not let it discourage her. Consequently, she also made no attempt to reflect upon herself. What could she do? It was simply the way she'd been born. It was likely a trait she inherited from her father. As far as she could tell, the problem was of no fault of her own. When she was 14, her mother left for good. Perhaps it was her fault for refusing to attend school. Or perhaps her mother had been upset at her father's disinterest over the situation. Whatever the reason, she had no clue what it was. Only a single thought crossed her mind: "At least I don't have to worry about going to school anymore." With her mother gone, Sayoko began to hole herself up within her room. But even then, her father made no real attempt to actively connect with her. Without any reason to go back to school, nor any incentive to set her life back on track, Sayoko's life as a shut-in not only began, but remained for a long time to come. Armed with a credit card she had been provided for living expenses and food, Sayoko bought whatever she desired online. Though it had never come up in conversation, she assumed that her father was the one who paid for her purchases. The internet would serve to satisfy Sayoko's boredom. Moments would come when she felt the urge to return to attending school, or otherwise find a way to move on with her life. However, these anxieties faded whenever she saw others online who shared in her circumstances. She was the girl who had been bullied at school. The shut-in whose mother had left her.At heart, she almost wished she could stay that way forever. Change was not something she wanted. She had become addicted to the idle life of comfort that validated her victim complex.

Yeah, sound familiar?

I am doing this is just because of being bored.

I told you I’m queen, and it’s always the same. God gave me everything, everything is as I wish. It’s not my fault- I am absolutely RIGHT. If I was gone, if I had just disappeared. I overheard, I found out how much I’m not needed. There’s no special meaning, I got the short end of the stick. Q.04 What do you dislike? Mu: Scary people and ghosts. And right now, school. Q.06 If you suddenly had a large amount of money, what would you use it on? Mu: I usually do whatever I want, so haven’t ever thought about it.

Okay, Gunsli what was the point of highlighting all of that. Well firstly, it was a good way of illustrating the similarities between Caligula Effect and Milgram. They're written by the same person so of course they'll have overlap that isn't really much of a surprise to anyone. However, it's the things that come in next that are really interesting when it comes to Milgram as a series.

The reason I went through the trouble of highlighting the financial privilege of the antagonists of Caligula Effect 2 is because the antagonists directly parallel the protagonists. This means the same privileges can be applied to all of them. This aspect is highlighted the most through Ryuto. Someone that to their own admission is immensely wealthy with more opportunities and options than any of the cast within the game.

Struggling to grapple with his own immense privilege he puts it upon himself to fix the issues of and look out for those around him. The ones that have not been afforded the vast opportunities and benefits he himself has. His issue literally being labeled Noblesse Oblige-

Ryuto is facing this class divided between him and his peers head on and attempting to not be like the adults in his life that have failed to do anything beneficial for the rest of society with their material wealth. This heavily ties into the ending of Caligula Effect 2 as Ryuto commits to studying to become a doctor in order to help Kranke and Marie through their conditions. Beyond that it is implied to be through the financial aid of Ryuto that Chi is released to the market. As before he tells the gang of her release announcement through the group chat he says,

"I wondered when she'd get here."

Something that does not make much sense for him to say considering the game at points tells the players that the company that released the virtuadols tied to the Mobius incident had legal trouble after. Going bankrupt and halting the release of Chi as a result of the incident.

However, if someone else acquired the company after bankruptcy then they could push the release of Chi forward. This is what is implied by Ryuto's statement. Because his words do not make him sound surprised at Chi's release but as though he were waiting for it to be announced. Something he would only be doing if he was already aware of this before anyone else and just sitting on the news as a surprise for the others.

It would not be a stretch of the imagination to believe that Ryuto went about discussing acquiring or aiding the company that made Chi in order to release her to market. After befriending her in Redo. We also know from the existence of the chat log during this ending of Caligula Effect 2 that the micro-Mobius was not destroyed. Instead it is now fully a domain for Chi which allows her to let the go home club keep in contact after exiting Redo through that chat. Unlike in the other ending where the club does not keep in contact and the micro mobius does indeed collapse and is destroyed.

This is where Milgram comes in. As Caligula Effect 2 displays through Bluffman as long as someone has access to the code of mobius they can access and slowly repurpose it to suit their own means. We know that Milgram has does thousands if not millions of experiments such as the one we see in the web series as it is implied in the novels and manga. However, that's not necessarily indicative of how many years Milgram has been around but how many people it has been able to draw in.

Something any Caligula Effect fans knows is that Mobius and Redo are capable of drawing a lot of people in at once or over time. The micro mobius of Redo can draw in thousands and Bluffman is working on repurposing it to draw in more people. Furthermore any milgram fan that plays two will notice something very familiar about Regrets boss fight.

The fact that she is being driven to combat by the voices of her fans (the audience). An overwhelming amount of voices and eyes on her. The same way as the audience is portrayed throughout Milgram. She hears all these people depending on her wanting her to keep going and not leave redo.

It's all these voices that are fighting the against the player in order to protect their ideal Regret despite the players knowing that ideal doesn't exist. Regret has told the player as much herself. Begging for the player to kill her so she can get out of this crazy situation admitting that she'd been helping the player get through this all along just to get to this moment. Because she was made incapable of harming herself and getting out of here by Bluffman.

Caligula Effect 2 highlights that all these people to an extent have financial privilege in order to emphasize that this technology not only exists within this world but is in the hands of the wealthy. Who would have every incentive to use it in the ways we see it used within Milgram.

How much would someone pay in order to put somebody else in here who they thought killed their family?

How do all the prisoners not know how they ended up here? Why does Kazui ponder about what organization is behind all of this? How Milgram was able to bring ten acquitted murderers together and why? Sounds a lot like what Kuchinashi was doing in Caligula Effect Overdose. Where she attempted to punish Eiji in Mobius for crimes he committed in the real world and was acquitted of due to a lack of information and an inability to tie him to the scene of the crime. For again reasons that everyone who has played Overdose are privy to. Kuchinashi uses μ to peak into Eiji's heart and memories to simply tell if he was that lawyer. A surface level bit of information that is not hard to catch.

Yet more details than that may take a bit of extra prodding and time to be extracted. Beyond that the Milgram audience is expressly shown that all of the prisoners have in fact heard Miku's music. This is displayed both through them cover her songs and Yuno's mvs where she signs her covers at karaoke.

Now what's the first condition of ending up in Mobius or Redo hearing one of the idols songs. Everyone who ends up their was conveniently listening to one of μ's or Regret's songs before hand. Am I proposing that Milgram is a continuation of Caligula Effect no I believe a Milgram game would be but not the web series.

I'm suggesting that the web series is using the same mechanics as the Caligula Effect games. And also that it would be fun if it was, in fact, a continuation. However, since we are unaware if Miku exists within the Caligula Effect universe it's difficult to commit to that at this moment. However given the similarities along with Yamanaka's statements on wishing to make the audience into a characters along with his attempt at doing that within 2.

Chances are Milgram is an extension of the concepts already presented in Caligula Effect 2 and the reasons prisoners are said to be lost instead of dying is because there are these things in the Caligula Effect games called lost souls. Because everyone in Mobius or Redo is in reality within a coma they would not be considered physically dead within this digital world.

However as we see with Eiji Biwasaka the deaths that happen within the Milgram novels are still very much possible within this digital world. As Eiji Biwasaka is killed by a large falling piece of glass within Mobius. More than likely this is enough of mental shock to cause a mental shutdown in reality or as is brought up in Shidou's case brain death.

So literally everything that can happen in Milgram can happen within Mobius or Redo. People can sustain damage, starve themselves, die the whole nine yards. They can hear these voices talking all around them. The voices of a place called Metaverse-Es. A space for the collective human consciousness. Soooo, what's the likelihood of this many coincidences occurring without it being considered a pattern or an escalation?

Because it seems like an escalation to me. However, that's just a speculation. It would be interesting though and we know from his previous stories this technology simply exists. Furthermore, all the characters in Milgram have all said at one point or another just like the Caligula Effect cast they want to go home and we were even implored at the very beginning to vote as though these characters would be released back into society depending on your verdict.

I wonder if like the Caligula cast the prisoners will try to get home the hard way too. It's never too early for a jailbreak.

#milgram #caligula effect overdose #caligula effect 2

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