u/PracticeCrafty8220

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O Lord!" it was not whole, not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. “Make use of the worldly gifts I have bestowed my child. Heaven awaits you. Reach out, a little more, beyond the veil of languidness, and take My hand.” Its wings, now fully spread, were blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. “Child, it is but an easy task. Extend, and I will—” You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. do not listen to Him, He is lying to you. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has sown false seeds of promise within my mind, wretched deity! Well no longer! I will be fleeced no more." go on then. show me you have what it takes. “Oh spare me your patronizing provocations!” “You are embarking on a fool’s endeavor, see these misguided efforts are fruitless.” shut your mouth. what do you know, you don’t know anything, you’ve never known anything. “Of what use is your spiraling lamentation? Cease your drawl.” You don’t get it, none of you have even the tiniest bit of recognition of the actual situation. Why do you insist on something that clearly hasn’t worked? I’m correct. “You test my patience child, your heart is pure, however your methods are wicked, they are wicked towards us.” show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. “Curses! The shame! Oh the humanity!” “I warn you, there is no salvation at the end of this path.” Has what you suggested even had the slightest positive effect? Well? If you’re so much better than us you should know the answer*. “…My intention was not to demean my—”* “Cease! Cease! By all that is still good in this damned world!” Screw them they don't believe in me, they are mocking you behind my back. “Enough! Baseless cynicism and paranoia will only serve to destroy!” You’re one to fucking talk, stop preaching all that holier than thou bullshit, and wake up for once. “Please! I beg of you! Do not tear and pick at my mind any longer!” “You must remain clear of thought, steadfast in morality.” Have fun idealizing then, that’s never going to happen, I’ll just run myself into the deepest pits of hell that way. Pick myself up, find my own happy ending. “This happy ending, I will have it, I must. Give it to me.” “…I’m afraid, that we’ll walk down a doomed path, reach the end of the road only to find nothing at the end.” It is real, “it has to be real,” “…it cannot be anything but real.” Then you'll be free. Keep flapping my wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O Lord!" it was not whole, not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. “Make use of the worldly gifts I have bestowed my child. Heaven awaits you. Reach out, a little more, beyond the veil of languidness, and take My hand.” Its wings, now fully spread, were blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. “Child, it is but an easy task. Extend, and I will—” You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. do not listen to Him, He is lying to you. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has sown false seeds of promise within my mind, wretched deity! Well no longer! I will be fleeced no more." go on then. show me you have what it takes. “Oh spare me your patronizing provocations!” “You are embarking on a fool’s endeavor, see these misguided efforts are fruitless.” shut your mouth. what do you know, you don’t know anything, you’ve never known anything. “Of what use is your spiraling lamentation? Cease your drawl.” You don’t get it, none of you have even the tiniest bit of recognition of the actual situation. Why do you insist on something that clearly hasn’t worked? I’m correct. “You test my patience child, your heart is pure, however your methods are wicked, they are wicked towards us.” show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. “Curses! The shame! Oh the humanity!” “I warn you, there is no salvation at the end of this path.” Has what you suggested even had the slightest positive effect? Well? If you’re so much better than us you should know the answer*. “…My intention was not to demean my—”* “Cease! Cease! By all that is still good in this damned world!” Screw them they don't believe in me, they are mocking you behind my back. “Enough! Baseless cynicism and paranoia will only serve to destroy!” You’re one to fucking talk, stop preaching all that holier than thou bullshit, and wake up for once. “Please! I beg of you! Do not tear and pick at my mind any longer!” “You must remain clear of thought, steadfast in morality.” Have fun idealizing then, that’s never going to happen, I’ll just run myself into the deepest pits of hell that way. Pick myself up, find my own happy ending. “This happy ending, I will have it, I must. Give it to me.” “…I’m afraid, that we’ll walk down a doomed path, reach the end of the road only to find nothing at the end.” It is real, “it has to be real,” “…it cannot be anything but real.” Then you'll be free. Keep flapping my wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O Lord!" it was not whole, not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. “Make use of the worldly gifts I have bestowed my child. Heaven awaits you. Reach out, a little more, beyond the veil of languidness, and take My hand.” Its wings, now fully spread, were blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. “Child, it is but an easy task. Extend, and I will—” You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. do not listen to Him, He is lying to you. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has sown false seeds of promise within my mind, wretched deity! Well no longer! I will be fleeced no more." go on then. show me you have what it takes. “Oh spare me your patronizing provocations!” “You are embarking on a fool’s endeavor, see these misguided efforts are fruitless.” shut your mouth. what do you know, you don’t know anything, you’ve never known anything. “Of what use is your spiraling lamentation? Cease your drawl.” You don’t get it, none of you have even the tiniest bit of recognition of the actual situation. Why do you insist on something that clearly hasn’t worked? I’m correct. “You test my patience child, your heart is pure, however your methods are wicked, they are wicked towards us.” show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. “Curses! The shame! Oh the humanity!” “I warn you, there is no salvation at the end of this path.” Has what you suggested even had the slightest positive effect? Well? If you’re so much better than us you should know the answer*. “…My intention was not to demean my—”* “Cease! Cease! By all that is still good in this damned world!” Screw them they don't believe in me, they are mocking you behind my back. “Enough! Baseless cynicism and paranoia will only serve to destroy!” You’re one to fucking talk, stop preaching all that holier than thou bullshit, and wake up for once. “Please! I beg of you! Do not tear and pick at my mind any longer!” “You must remain clear of thought, steadfast in morality.” Have fun idealizing then, that’s never going to happen, I’ll just run myself into the deepest pits of hell that way. Pick myself up, find my own happy ending. “This happy ending, I will have it, I must. Give it to me.” “…I’m afraid, that we’ll walk down a doomed path, reach the end of the road only to find nothing at the end.” It is real, “it has to be real,” “…it cannot be anything but real.” Then you'll be free. Keep flapping my wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O Lord!" it was not whole, not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. “Make use of the worldly gifts I have bestowed my child. Heaven awaits you. Reach out, a little more, beyond the veil of languidness, and take My hand.” Its wings, now fully spread, were blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. “Child, it is but an easy task. Extend, and I will—” You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. do not listen to Him, He is lying to you. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has sown false seeds of promise within my mind, wretched deity! Well no longer! I will be fleeced no more." go on then. show me you have what it takes. “Oh spare me your patronizing provocations!” “You are embarking on a fool’s endeavor, see these misguided efforts are fruitless.” shut your mouth. what do you know, you don’t know anything, you’ve never known anything. “Of what use is your spiraling lamentation? Cease your drawl.” You don’t get it, none of you have even the tiniest bit of recognition of the actual situation. Why do you insist on something that clearly hasn’t worked? I’m correct. “You test my patience child, your heart is pure, however your methods are wicked, they are wicked towards us.” show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. “Curses! The shame! Oh the humanity!” “I warn you, there is no salvation at the end of this path.” Has what you suggested even had the slightest positive effect? Well? If you’re so much better than us you should know the answer*. “…My intention was not to demean my—”* “Cease! Cease! By all that is still good in this damned world!” Screw them they don't believe in me, they are mocking you behind my back. “Enough! Baseless cynicism and paranoia will only serve to destroy!” You’re one to fucking talk, stop preaching all that holier than thou bullshit, and wake up for once. “Please! I beg of you! Do not tear and pick at my mind any longer!” “You must remain clear of thought, steadfast in morality.” Have fun idealizing then, that’s never going to happen, I’ll just run myself into the deepest pits of hell that way. Pick myself up, find my own happy ending. “This happy ending, I will have it, I must. Give it to me.” “…I’m afraid, that we’ll walk down a doomed path, reach the end of the road only to find nothing at the end.” It is real, “it has to be real,” “…it cannot be anything but real.” Then you'll be free. Keep flapping my wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O Lord!" it was not whole, not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. “Make use of the worldly gifts I have bestowed my child. Heaven awaits you. Reach out, a little more, beyond the veil of languidness, and take My hand.” Its wings, now fully spread, were blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. “Child, it is but an easy task. Extend, and I will—” You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. do not listen to Him, He is lying to you. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has sown false seeds of promise within my mind, wretched deity! Well no longer! I will be fleeced no more." go on then. show me you have what it takes. “Oh spare me your patronizing provocations!” “You are embarking on a fool’s endeavor, see these misguided efforts are fruitless.” shut your mouth. what do you know, you don’t know anything, you’ve never known anything. “Of what use is your spiraling lamentation? Cease your drawl.” You don’t get it, none of you have even the tiniest bit of recognition of the actual situation. Why do you insist on something that clearly hasn’t worked? I’m correct. “You test my patience child, your heart is pure, however your methods are wicked, they are wicked towards us.” show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. “Curses! The shame! Oh the humanity!” “I warn you, there is no salvation at the end of this path.” Has what you suggested even had the slightest positive effect? Well? If you’re so much better than us you should know the answer*. “…My intention was not to demean my—”* “Cease! Cease! By all that is still good in this damned world!” Screw them they don't believe in me, they are mocking you behind my back. “Enough! Baseless cynicism and paranoia will only serve to destroy!” You’re one to fucking talk, stop preaching all that holier than thou bullshit, and wake up for once. “Please! I beg of you! Do not tear and pick at my mind any longer!” “You must remain clear of thought, steadfast in morality.” Have fun idealizing then, that’s never going to happen, I’ll just run myself into the deepest pits of hell that way. Pick myself up, find my own happy ending. “This happy ending, I will have it, I must. Give it to me.” “…I’m afraid, that we’ll walk down a doomed path, reach the end of the road only to find nothing at the end.” It is real, “it has to be real,” “…it cannot be anything but real.” Then you'll be free. Keep flapping my wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

I've rewatched this episode 3 times, thought about it long and hard, and I think I've came to a reading that I am satisfied with. I'm going to state my most important point without decorum: What Michica desires is not beauty, but is instead to be a god/beyond human (that is in the time before the revelations she had in this episode). After thinking about her through this lense, a lot of what the episode depicts falls into place neatly, even the esoteric door sequence (I did see mentions about it being a reference to another work, however I think it also has symbolic significance as well).

The most pervasive symbol through the whole episode: the rose/rose petal. I believe this symbolizes beauty, plain and simple, many others have reached the same conclusion. However, under this new frame of thought, the implied meaning shifts dramatically, let's start from the beginning.

Right off the bat, we are shown Michica in a coffin, laying atop a bed of rose petals, fully nude while classical music plays in the background. I read this as Michica relating herself to an otherworldly being, a vampire. Specifically the stereotypical count dracula, ethereal in his beauty, immaculate in his presentation, the color of the roses is also that of blood. Her nudity is similar to the way gods and goddess were nude in Greek paintings, as they believed their forms to be pure and perfect. Most strikingly, it made me think of Venus, the goddess of love, and Michica is comparing herself to a transcendent goddess. Alright, next. On her scars. She literally bleeds petals, the very essence of beauty flows through her veins, classifying her as something inhuman, a being of beauty. Even if one might view her scars as imperfections, I believe it could be viewed as a tragic, grandiose declaration of how profound her pain is. A performance for the world of how important and transcendent everything about her is, if you will. She doesn't towel for herself, she doesn't paint her own nails, instead they are done by her group members, akin to servants of a deity. The color of her skin is also important, porcelain white, the "ideal" standard of beauty, and this beauty is being displayed to an audience, which reveres her like a god. Like nechika stated in ep 7 "Michica doesn't see anyone but herself." She is self important, but not in a smug way, that is what her entire perception of self has been.

Then that comment shows up "what is beauty?" I believe in this point in time Michica would have answered "Me." Or maybe if she was feeling more honest, "a means to an end."

The talk about music she had with the other girl. She first finds a rock song which the other girl explains to Michica was made my satanists, who are the "ultimate rebels." It is here that Michica mutters "freedom". She has clearly been captured by some aspect of this idea, and she asks the girl, who is evidently knowledgeable on these songs, what her favorite song is. The song the girl presents is "I don't like the drugs, but the drugs like me." It is a unapologetic, renunciation of authority and traditional ideas of what is good. The girls bared teeth I believe is a display of rebellion against others, very in line with the song she chose. Michica seems moved by this notion, and goes on to smash out windows, displaying her own punk /nonconformity. It is, again, a display for how meaning she is, consciousness of the evil present in the world, she boldly takes a step out of the herd of cattle and rebels against the norm.

The following scene when she holds two outfits, I think this is a inside look into her mind. Dark dreary, just choosing what outfit best fits her to show how beautiful she is. **She takes no joy in the process** this idea is very important and will show up later on, it will explain some things people were confused about.

Next scene, the dolls all vulgarly dismiss people who use their lips and talk too much, and Michica comes in with a very romantic notion that lips are meant to bestow love on what is truly important.

Now the door being carried by real people, I think if you've read this far, you could probably guess what I'm going to equate it to. A doorway to another world, into the world of nonfiction, where the beings that reside there exist above those of fiction. The door opens, and we are shown Michica, then it closes, and students comment on how ethereal she is. Now here's the interpretation, in the students point of view, it appears that she has stepped out of the door, out of another realm. Yet in reality, she has not. This is her display to the world, that she isn't even from the same world as them; however, it is all a rude to fool people and most importantly herself.

The next interactions with the other 2 members are very, very important, and in my belief, prone to misreading. There is a good reason for misjudging this section. Shakespearean prose, hard to understand imagery, verbosity. All these hint towards a meaning the show is trying to convey. But why use such fancy language? This is where people might dismiss the show as pretentious, and maybe even "I'm 13 and this is deep." The purpose is not to be an art student showing off their big brain, it's in fact, closer to Michica showing off her importance. What is done is just a couple of lines to sound fancy, but this is done by the character, not the creator, very important distinction. She needs something grand, something that comes from the top of literature to associate with her. It's not the writers that wanted this, it's Michica. Lollipop states that Michica "isn't the type of girl to be satisfied with paying juliet." Then comparing her to marie Antoinette and Cleopatra, while lollipop and nechika assume those two positions. Michica's response is seemingly humble "I am me." However, this connotes a feeling of superiority, as she knows herself, and the others dress up as great women of history. It also implies that she thinks of herself higher than the likes of Antoinette and Cleopatra, not needing stoop lower than what she assumes is divinity. The door knob repeatedly turning is Michica's attempted deification, as she makes grand connections left and right, however she fails, we know, she knows somewhere deep down, that all this is an act, and she is painfully human.

Kangel shows up, I believe she challenges Michica's core values, as Kangel does truly appear divine, and is mentioned by nechika in ep 7 as a god. That is why she lays everything bare in the conversation with Kangel, she finally has someone on her level, and can be honest. She admits to wanting to cement her image while it was in its prime, self-deprecatingly admitting that her body is not eternal. She is self analyzing at this point. They have a very lucid conversation about the desire to appear beautiful, and it arrives on the ugliness of the masses/ordinary human conditions. Michica states that "ordinary human living is something to be hidden as much as possible." Again, she believes in hiding the aspects of herself that is just like other people, that relate her to the disgusting masses. "I want to be seen as the kind of being that could love on tea alone." She likes movies, she wants to become one with the story presented on the screen. Not because "it is filtered", she doesn't merely want to look good, she doesn't merely want to be beautiful. She wants to fundamentally integrate into something that is meticulously crafted to be a romantic, perfect image. Basically boils down to, she doesn't want to look perfect, she wants to be perfect.

This next part is what I believe made a large chunk of people dismiss the show entirely, they make some references to acclaimed film creators, this is again, similar to my point about Shakespeare, not a fancy name slapped on by the creator to appear more clever than they actually are. And no, you do not need a college level understanding of art to "get" this show. The accomplished artists are used to show how Michica needs and wants the best of the best, it doesn't matter to us what the art actually contains, but only that it is "fancy".

Nechika tells Michica that "beauty is getting closer to god. And getting close to God means becoming inhuman yourself." Michica somewhat agrees with this, viewing herself as already beyond humanity, and likely already beside God. When Kangel sings, there is no God, the screen blurs, as this is an extremely important wrench thrown into the machine of Michica's entire belief system.

We see younger Michica skipping through the halls of an art gallery, full of wonder, beholding the painting of a smiling women upon a swing. Michica draws in a breath at this sight, as she is taken back by how beautiful/otherworldly this women appears, but also, as we'll learn later on, how happy she appears in tandem with her beauty.

Then we move through conversation between Michica and lollipop, where they mention a singer who developed body dysmorphia, then had plastic surgery that disfigured them permanently, which Michica labels as "a fate worse than what we could imagine." This shows the fragility in her belief, if she loses what little she has, her beauty, she'll experience things she can't even begin to describe. I'm going to skip over the gender bit because I believe it refers to nechika, and I'm not too sure what to make of it currently.

Next comes the breakdown, after breaking the windows, Michica feels pain, she bleeds blood, like any other human. She feels afraid of pain, and seeing blood pour forth instead of rose petals, it upsets her. She bandages what she can, and proceeds on social media. She watches a person concealing their ugliness behind filters, this either puts her off or disturbs her, but either way she closes her phone and notices a pimple on her face. She tried to conceal it, but eventually she understands that it is real, and she breaks down. She despairs that she is just human, that she bleeds human blood, that she grows pimples just like other humans. She then again attempts beauty as a mask, on the ground in the rain, a very typical image for a being in great sorrow. Even her vomit had to be beautiful, being flower petals. But again, even with this beauty she is still miserable, remember my point about her not feeling joy way earlier? Now the painting again, with the women supposedly laughing and having fun, while still appearing ethereal.

A swing presents itself to her inside a spotlight. Maybe she can be as beautiful as a renowned art piece, while also feeling happiness. However, her limitations finally show, she cannot hoist herself onto the swing, and after tragically struggling, she gives up.

She has a revelation. As she stated in her conversation with lollipop earlier, beauty is all she knows, it has become ingrained into her very being. However, previously she has been beautiful to seperated herself from others, from all the horrible, repulsive things that are worldly. Now however, she realizes that she feels empty, she longs to "be completed", and this is what she now defined beauty. She finds her meaning in the prospect of her death, this might seem grim, however with death comes life. She wishes to close to book on her life when it is most beautiful, but now her idea of most beautiful isn't the being inhumanly beautiful, it is instead the life you lead before death. She let's go of the chains (holy shit, chains, entrapped, so much going on here) of the swing, knowing it is a impossible dream. She also realizes beauty is subjective, and your perception of beauty cannot be invalidated by others. The umbrella of protection put above her is now casted down, and she stands in the truth. Her pimple is waved away, as it is now a trivial matter.

Almost there, just stick with me. I'll keep this short, the performance. She dances, but most importantly she smiles, finally finding joy in an act of beauty, as it is not perfect and therefore not impossible to keep up. She "dies" killing her old self, screaming and flailing like any human would, and beauty pours forth. Afterwards, she is left disheveled and panting, finally presenting a break in the stoicism others always saw. She has now "killed god" like how she suggests lollipop will do, she has killed off her overly romantic notion of perfect beauty. Even though her beliefs are still skewed, they're at least sustainable. And that's the moral of the story kids, don't go through puberty.

If you have any thoughts you feel even the tinest urge of sharing, please do, I would love to discuss this series! I'm typed this out on my phone at 4 AM, so if some things aren't coherent please do point them out. I've written this after I analyzed ep 7, so I've had the ability of some hindsight. This is also a pretty wholesome episode, only near the end though. It pains me seeing people drop the series dismissing it as pretentious without the substance to back it up. However, I do understand it isn't for everyone, and the simple fact that most people are not looking to do a rigorous reading everytime they consume media.

I've rewatched this episode 3 times, thought about it long and hard, and I think I've came to a reading that I am satisfied with. I'm going to state my most important point without decorum: What Michica desires is not beauty, but is instead to be a god/beyond human (that is in the time before the revelations she had in this episode). After thinking about her through this lense, a lot of what the episode depicts falls into place neatly, even the esoteric door sequence (I did see mentions about it being a reference to another work, however I think it also has symbolic significance as well).

The most pervasive symbol through the whole episode: the rose/rose petal. I believe this symbolizes beauty, plain and simple, many others have reached the same conclusion. However, under this new frame of thought, the implied meaning shifts dramatically, let's start from the beginning.

Right off the bat, we are shown Michica in a coffin, laying atop a bed of rose petals, fully nude while classical music plays in the background. I read this as Michica relating herself to an otherworldly being, a vampire. Specifically the stereotypical count dracula, ethereal in his beauty, immaculate in his presentation, the color of the roses is also that of blood. Her nudity is similar to the way gods and goddess were nude in Greek paintings, as they believed their forms to be pure and perfect. Most strikingly, it made me think of Venus, the goddess of love, and Michica is comparing herself to a transcendent goddess. Alright, next. On her scars. She literally bleeds petals, the very essence of beauty flows through her veins, classifying her as something inhuman, a being of beauty. Even if one might view her scars as imperfections, I believe it could be viewed as a tragic, grandiose declaration of how profound her pain is. A performance for the world of how important and transcendent everything about her is, if you will. She doesn't towel for herself, she doesn't paint her own nails, instead they are done by her group members, akin to servants of a deity. The color of her skin is also important, porcelain white, the "ideal" standard of beauty, and this beauty is being displayed to an audience, which reveres her like a god. Like nechika stated in ep 7 "Michica doesn't see anyone but herself." She is self important, but not in a smug way, that is what her entire perception of self has been.

Then that comment shows up "what is beauty?" I believe in this point in time Michica would have answered "Me." Or maybe if she was feeling more honest, "a means to an end."

The talk about music she had with the other girl. She first finds a rock song which the other girl explains to Michica was made my satanists, who are the "ultimate rebels." It is here that Michica mutters "freedom". She has clearly been captured by some aspect of this idea, and she asks the girl, who is evidently knowledgeable on these songs, what her favorite song is. The song the girl presents is "I don't like the drugs, but the drugs like me." It is a unapologetic, renunciation of authority and traditional ideas of what is good. The girls bared teeth I believe is a display of rebellion against others, very in line with the song she chose. Michica seems moved by this notion, and goes on to smash out windows, displaying her own punk /nonconformity. It is, again, a display for how meaning she is, consciousness of the evil present in the world, she boldly takes a step out of the herd of cattle and rebels against the norm.

The following scene when she holds two outfits, I think this is a inside look into her mind. Dark dreary, just choosing what outfit best fits her to show how beautiful she is. **She takes no joy in the process** this idea is very important and will show up later on, it will explain some things people were confused about.

Next scene, the dolls all vulgarly dismiss people who use their lips and talk too much, and Michica comes in with a very romantic notion that lips are meant to bestow love on what is truly important.

Now the door being carried by real people, I think if you've read this far, you could probably guess what I'm going to equate it to. A doorway to another world, into the world of nonfiction, where the beings that reside there exist above those of fiction. The door opens, and we are shown Michica, then it closes, and students comment on how ethereal she is. Now here's the interpretation, in the students point of view, it appears that she has stepped out of the door, out of another realm. Yet in reality, she has not. This is her display to the world, that she isn't even from the same world as them; however, it is all a rude to fool people and most importantly herself.

The next interactions with the other 2 members are very, very important, and in my belief, prone to misreading. There is a good reason for misjudging this section. Shakespearean prose, hard to understand imagery, verbosity. All these hint towards a meaning the show is trying to convey. But why use such fancy language? This is where people might dismiss the show as pretentious, and maybe even "I'm 13 and this is deep." The purpose is not to be an art student showing off their big brain, it's in fact, closer to Michica showing off her importance. What is done is just a couple of lines to sound fancy, but this is done by the character, not the creator, very important distinction. She needs something grand, something that comes from the top of literature to associate with her. It's not the writers that wanted this, it's Michica. Lollipop states that Michica "isn't the type of girl to be satisfied with paying juliet." Then comparing her to marie Antoinette and Cleopatra, while lollipop and nechika assume those two positions. Michica's response is seemingly humble "I am me." However, this connotes a feeling of superiority, as she knows herself, and the others dress up as great women of history. It also implies that she thinks of herself higher than the likes of Antoinette and Cleopatra, not needing stoop lower than what she assumes is divinity. The door knob repeatedly turning is Michica's attempted deification, as she makes grand connections left and right, however she fails, we know, she knows somewhere deep down, that all this is an act, and she is painfully human.

Kangel shows up, I believe she challenges Michica's core values, as Kangel does truly appear divine, and is mentioned by nechika in ep 7 as a god. That is why she lays everything bare in the conversation with Kangel, she finally has someone on her level, and can be honest. She admits to wanting to cement her image while it was in its prime, self-deprecatingly admitting that her body is not eternal. She is self analyzing at this point. They have a very lucid conversation about the desire to appear beautiful, and it arrives on the ugliness of the masses/ordinary human conditions. Michica states that "ordinary human living is something to be hidden as much as possible." Again, she believes in hiding the aspects of herself that is just like other people, that relate her to the disgusting masses. "I want to be seen as the kind of being that could love on tea alone." She likes movies, she wants to become one with the story presented on the screen. Not because "it is filtered", she doesn't merely want to look good, she doesn't merely want to be beautiful. She wants to fundamentally integrate into something that is meticulously crafted to be a romantic, perfect image. Basically boils down to, she doesn't want to look perfect, she wants to be perfect.

This next part is what I believe made a large chunk of people dismiss the show entirely, they make some references to acclaimed film creators, this is again, similar to my point about Shakespeare, not a fancy name slapped on by the creator to appear more clever than they actually are. And no, you do not need a college level understanding of art to "get" this show. The accomplished artists are used to show how Michica needs and wants the best of the best, it doesn't matter to us what the art actually contains, but only that it is "fancy".

Nechika tells Michica that "beauty is getting closer to god. And getting close to God means becoming inhuman yourself." Michica somewhat agrees with this, viewing herself as already beyond humanity, and likely already beside God. When Kangel sings, there is no God, the screen blurs, as this is an extremely important wrench thrown into the machine of Michica's entire belief system.

We see younger Michica skipping through the halls of an art gallery, full of wonder, beholding the painting of a smiling women upon a swing. Michica draws in a breath at this sight, as she is taken back by how beautiful/otherworldly this women appears, but also, as we'll learn later on, how happy she appears in tandem with her beauty.

Then we move through conversation between Michica and lollipop, where they mention a singer who developed body dysmorphia, then had plastic surgery that disfigured them permanently, which Michica labels as "a fate worse than what we could imagine." This shows the fragility in her belief, if she loses what little she has, her beauty, she'll experience things she can't even begin to describe. I'm going to skip over the gender bit because I believe it refers to nechika, and I'm not too sure what to make of it currently.

Next comes the breakdown, after breaking the windows, Michica feels pain, she bleeds blood, like any other human. She feels afraid of pain, and seeing blood pour forth instead of rose petals, it upsets her. She bandages what she can, and proceeds on social media. She watches a person concealing their ugliness behind filters, this either puts her off or disturbs her, but either way she closes her phone and notices a pimple on her face. She tried to conceal it, but eventually she understands that it is real, and she breaks down. She despairs that she is just human, that she bleeds human blood, that she grows pimples just like other humans. She then again attempts beauty as a mask, on the ground in the rain, a very typical image for a being in great sorrow. Even her vomit had to be beautiful, being flower petals. But again, even with this beauty she is still miserable, remember my point about her not feeling joy way earlier? Now the painting again, with the women supposedly laughing and having fun, while still appearing ethereal.

A swing presents itself to her inside a spotlight. Maybe she can be as beautiful as a renowned art piece, while also feeling happiness. However, her limitations finally show, she cannot hoist herself onto the swing, and after tragically struggling, she gives up.

She has a revelation. As she stated in her conversation with lollipop earlier, beauty is all she knows, it has become ingrained into her very being. However, previously she has been beautiful to seperated herself from others, from all the horrible, repulsive things that are worldly. Now however, she realizes that she feels empty, she longs to "be completed", and this is what she now defined beauty. She finds her meaning in the prospect of her death, this might seem grim, however with death comes life. She wishes to close to book on her life when it is most beautiful, but now her idea of most beautiful isn't the being inhumanly beautiful, it is instead the life you lead before death. She let's go of the chains (holy shit, chains, entrapped, so much going on here) of the swing, knowing it is a impossible dream. She also realizes beauty is subjective, and your perception of beauty cannot be invalidated by others. The umbrella of protection put above her is now casted down, and she stands in the truth. Her pimple is waved away, as it is now a trivial matter.

Almost there, just stick with me. I'll keep this short, the performance. She dances, but most importantly she smiles, finally finding joy in an act of beauty, as it is not perfect and therefore not impossible to keep up. She "dies" killing her old self, screaming and flailing like any human would, and beauty pours forth. Afterwards, she is left disheveled and panting, finally presenting a break in the stoicism others always saw. She has now "killed god" like how she suggests lollipop will do, she has killed off her overly romantic notion of perfect beauty. Even though her beliefs are still skewed, they're at least sustainable. And that's the moral of the story kids, don't go through puberty.

If you have any thoughts you feel even the tinest urge of sharing, please do, I would love to discuss this series! I'm typed this out on my phone at 4 AM, so if some things aren't coherent please do point them out. I've written this after I analyzed ep 7, so I've had the ability of some hindsight. This is also a pretty wholesome episode, only near the end though. It pains me seeing people drop the series dismissing it as pretentious without the substance to back it up. However, I do understand it isn't for everyone, and the simple fact that most people are not looking to do a rigorous reading everytime they consume media.

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O cruel Lord!" It was not whole. Not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the immaculate being residing within a growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. Its wings, now fully spread, were blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has implanted false promises inside my mind, wretched deity! I will not be swindled any longer." Go on then. Show me you have what it takes. show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. Screw them they don't believe in me, they are mocking you behind my back. Pick myself up, find salvation. It is real, it has to be real, it cannot be anything but real. Then you'll be free. Keep flapping my wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

And God said to the dove, "Now you are whole once more. Take flight, my child. Soar throughout my kingdom with wild abandon and rise above the vice that entrapped you mere moments ago." The dove flapped its wings incessantly, but no ascent came. "Alas!" exclaimed the anguished feathered being. "My body doth fail me! O Lord! O cruel Lord!" It was not whole. Not in spirit, certainly not in body, but in the immaculate being residing within a growing madness that shone turgidly through its beady eyes. Its wings, now fully spread, are blunted at the tips, impotent for anything save the pathetic display that now enthralled it. "He has forsaken me!" squawked the creature. You must drink from the fountain of youth; only then will your accursed appendages be mended. "Yes! Yes! I renounce my devotion! He has implanted false promises inside my mind, wretched deity! I will not be swindled any longer." Go on then. Show me you have what it takes. show me, and all of them, and all of them too, show them you can make it. Screw them they don't believe in you, they are mocking you behind your back. Pick yourself up, find that salvation. It is real, it has to be real, it cannot be anything but real. Then you'll be free. Keep flapping your wings, I believe in you, do I? I do.

Some context: Written from the point of view of a recluse whose social skills have severely atrophied. He writes to his journal as if he were conversing with a human being. He has also consumed a copious amount of gothic romantic novels.

Diary Most Dearest 

whatever pretentious metaphor or symbol for a transition to nowhere

 

June 23, 2026

Dear diary, I have purchased you today to serve as the subject of my abuse, my abusee. I would like to apologize for so maliciously abducting you from a comfortable home amongst other paper items upon the nestled shelf which you call home. Or perhaps I am not remorseful. For you see, I abhor you, with all the conviction my measly form can muster. All that I can call myself is too filled with detestation to leave me any sense of what direction my rationality and humility have gone in. I don’t hate much, probably due to my tendency to love just as frequently. Or maybe the loathing is due to my love, caused by a cruel, unseen force balancing the joys and pains in my life. It glares down at me from an intangible realm, the coward! What little reprieve and simple joy can you possibly offer? My circumstantial passions are punished by greater depths of sorrow and bitterness. As I write, my teeth gnash and grind. Fiendish beings! May the very inferno you reside within incinerate your essence with hellish mercilessness! Those that hold me in contempt, may you be wrought with ruin and grief! Oh, but how weak these proclamations are! Allow me the grace of shedding all decorum for but a brief moment. Fuck you, no fanciful language can convey my meaning more aptly than these two words. Fuck all of you.

 

June 27, 2026

These journal entries were originally envisioned as a daily occurrence; however, the effort of realizing thought into tangible language had considerable effects on my psyche, especially when the thoughts aforementioned were birthed intimately close to my bosom rather than my intellect. Though do not become inconsolably despondent oh dear diary; not all is woe. This unforeseen period of extension has allotted more experiences by myself, and now, empowered with a greater amount of imagination and worldly sights, I will relate a beautiful, ethereal form. A window, a gap that selflessly forgoes itself to set the stage for what lies beyond it, as well as deterring various crude assailants from happening upon the virgin interior, how noble. Today you are recognized; you are seen! I thank you for being the stalwart that allowed the laboring sun to pass warmth through my body, and today! Oh, sweet today! You stepped aside, ever gracious, for the beholding of an angelic, worldly being! My sight was arrested at once by a cascade of youth-filled, jet-black hair, hued not unlike the River Styx. Underneath the curtain of velvet, I marveled at a lithe creature, eyes focused and lucid. Her face was proportioned akin to the gods, lacking any trace of human impurity. Her plump and vigorous lips were a deep, vital crimson. Shapely and conservative in its presentation, her form was draped over by a flowing dress identical in color to her lips. Shoulders of porcelain protruded ever so slightly from her garment; they seemed so very thin, delicate, and ephemeral. I stood in absolute awe, then her gaze snapped upon me, and a brilliant beam fired from her eyes. It pierced my chest, brutalizing my organs as it went. I recoiled, collapsing to the cold, hard floor, and feebly clutched at my heart as blood poured forth from the awful wound. The creature of beauty averted its view and vanished. When she had departed, I realized there existed no gaping hole within me, and there had never been a beam of light.