that's... disappointing

all that work analyzing dialogue to figure out how they might have been manipulated and it's just brainwashing

okay

I'm reserving judgement until we see the next episode...

Well, I'll be happy if somehow this gets turned around

But it seems we have too few episodes for it to be anything else now

also I think the brainwashing is just a first step. unfortunately, with the way this series was set up, there was no way they were going to have the screentime to dedicate to an elaborate manipulation

At the very least we know it's what got Mikan...

so my theory (narrative-wise) is that that's why they showed more with Tsumiki. maybe the rest might be glossed over, but we can assume there was more than "showed a video, instant despair" in every case.

especially with how the video keeps failing

I guess Tsumiki had the most despair out of them all already to begin with (thanks Hiyoko), so... yeah. I'm not holding out much hope there'll be much more to it tho

probably not shown on screen, yeah. I just hope they leave room for it to be implied that Junko is more hands-on with her despairs once the initial step is done.

(IIRC, there was brainwashing stuff in Zero too, so this wasn't even unprecedented)

I'm amused about Izuru's "how dull" comment though, because if it turns out to be just "lol brainwashing"... yeah

the best moment of the episode is still Chisa hurling a gd fire extinguisher at Junko's face

lol yeah

(leave Chisa alone, DR3, she didn't deserve this ;~; )

I have a feeling that Chisa's going to be hte 'traitor' somehow in future arc

my first guess was actually the animator but now it's shifted

I had a feeling she was alive because the last Future arc episode revealed her forbidden action

yeah

which would explain a lot about Munakata's actions

like why would he flip out that hard at Tengan's reply

but I really hope they don't pull the "she faked her own death and is the mastermind" thing again... I'd rather she be a pawn somehow if she is legit despaired at this point...

there's something different in how she's acting compared to everyone else that's fallen into despair, though, plus Mukuro having to intervene when the video didn't work, so... idk.

I'm waiting to see what the answers are.

... oh wait

or some reason I thought Tengan's code was never lie, I got it mixed whops lol

his was something like refusing to answer a question honestly, wasn't it?

he had to answer questions with a lie it seemed

well. he couldn't answer questions with a lie

... also I just realized Mitarai and Munakata are the only ones whose forbidden actions we don't know.

oh

wiki failed me

wait I just read it wrong

okay

xD;

slaps self

/joins Floogy in the disappointed corner...

maybe it's more like

The corner of despair.

FUCK

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT

the corner of dis bear?

upupupupu

I'm also disappointed we didn't get a decent Peko vs Mukuro fight scene and just "lol peko was roflstomped" suddenly.

the whole katana hidden in shinai thing was cool but then that was it. it's just over...

I think part of the problem with the despair arc is that it's being more as a tool used to explain things in the future arc rather than fleshing out DR2 characters like we thought it was going to do.

So junko goes from Master planner and manipulator to LOL I steal an brainwashing anime and do lobotimize people

I liked it better where Junko went after peoples weakspots, and slowly turned them to her side

Also, Junko's sister Murokro... no longer redemible

she is not how we have all thought she was with DR IF.

She's just as into this as Junko is

I don't think she would have turned at all in IF, she would have gotten turned on like she does here

My main interesting right now... why did Mikan remove Chiaki like that?

Why wouldn't junko corrupt her like the rest?

Either Junko doesn;t want the possibility of Chiaki preventing people from turning, since she is the linchpin of the class

or some part of Mikan was trying to save her

with the whole secret door thing and Chisa being there all brainwashed, pretty sure Mikan was doing that for teh despairs

all for the despairs

now the main mystery left is how does chiaki die

how does he become an AI

and is the teacher the traitor

there's a theory that Chiaki's not gonna die, and becomes a branch leader for the future foundation

maybe, but then why the AI?

why not put in actual chiaki in there?

and why fake that Chiaki was ever in the class in 2?

safety?

that assumes ff knew of the whole virus thing, though.

indeed

i just feel like there may be retcons thanks to this series