「Thunderbolted」

Narihisago’s ID Well

Having been deemed the only suitable candidate, Hondomachi finally dives into an ID well. And it’s Narihisago’s no less. In most shows, the killer (or wannabe killer) goes on a speech, rambling about their thought process before pulling the trigger. Narihisago? Straight up stormed into the compound and decisively fired a couple of shots to kill off Challenger. And his killing intent was so intense that it still resonates at the crime scene three years later. Others might treat him like a monster. However, I feel nothing but sympathy towards him. Who wouldn’t exhibit such an extreme emotional reaction when unspeakably horrible things happen to them?

As such, I could immediately come up with a charitable interpretation for Narihisago’s well. Narihisago appears to be dead in his well, because he’s already died on the inside. He lost everything and has nearly nothing left to live for, except revenge. Narihisago didn’t expect lightning to strike the same place twice within his ID well – which is to say that while Muku was dead, he believed his wife to be safe from the serial killer and tried to protect her – maybe by leaving her at the crime scene. She was safe from the serial killer, who almost certainly wouldn’t return to the scene of a crime he just committed. However, she ended up taking her own life. Also, the lightning seemed random. Just as Muku’s death seems random. However, it’s exposed by Hondomachi as being artificial. Which is to say an element of intent can be derived from the killing.

Speculations about John Walker

Though John Walker didn’t manifest within Narihisago’s ID well, an equally chilling discovery was made – the appearance of a cockpit inscribed with the name of Challenger’s final victim, 2 years before the first cockpit was even created. I don’t think this anomaly can be explained with our limited knowledge at present, so we’ll have to wait for the inevitable exposition to explain how it can exist in his subconscious. First things first, I am extremely certain that John Walker is involved with sending Narihisago down a dark path. Not that we can see it, but my gut tells me he’s the driving force behind Muku’s death. Secondly, Momoki’s probably been framed – with extremely suspect timing where the arrest took place just as Hondomachi was about to dive into the well within the well. His activities likely posed a significant threat to the true John Walker’s interests, and the director’s behaviour feels very shifty. At this point, I reckon he’s John Walker or related in some way.

But let’s take an alternative viewpoint. Assuming that Momoki really was John Walker – why would he do such terrible things? To my mind, there are certainly plausible motives. Jealousy, revenge, a deep-seated psychopathic urge, etc. However, his fondness of Muku came across as genuine to me. That said, when Narihisago requests to dive into his ID well, that also indicates that cognition particles exist – suggesting that Momoki possesses killing intent. But for what reason? So if Narihisago really gets the chance to dive into Momoki’s well, it will be interesting to see how many questions will be answered. Nevertheless, I highly doubt John Walker’s been caught when we’re only halfway through the show. To which I’d ask – what is his motive? What is his master plan? ID Invaded has come out of nowhere and proved to be unbelievably fascinating. I look forwards to seeing how it chooses to continue tackling intriguing mysteries, commentaries upon the state of society, as well as how all the puzzle pieces will fall into place.

3 Comments

  1. The presence of the cockpit in Narihisago’s ID well was a big “oh sh*t” moment this episode. The investigation team wondered aloud if the 3-year old ID well was somehow connected to his current mind. Would it be possible that Narihisago himself is John Walker?

    The sudden arrest of Momoki stinks of a frame up, but for who or what?

    Magnus Tancred
  2. Good episode. But come on, really? You couldn’t have written RED HERRING and SET UP across the screen in bright red marker and not have been more obvious than this episode was.
    Momoki is soooo not the killer/John Walker it hurts.

    Handomachi as a detective is okay, but honestly, she’s the least interesting of all of them so far. Her outfit is horrible and her attitude is way too cold. Similar to what we saw when she killed Kazuta. Sakaido at least has a compassion about him when he goes into the well. And why is she the only one with a full name? Is it because she’s more compatible? Because she’s a girl? What?

    It was cool that we got to fill in the blanks with Sakaido’s past and his well. His wife killed herself and he just up and rang the doorbell and filled his daughter’s killer full of holes. Don’t blame him honestly.
    I’m a little confused about this particle business. So, the wells stay around even after death? And yet in episode 1, we see that the id wells change based on real-time. How can that be? Wouldn’t the id well die if the person it’s connected to does in that case?

    Anyway, other than that, it was kind of sad to see Sakaido’s well and that it began the moment of his daughter’s death and just keeps going. Also how he tried his best to save people by sacrificing himself.

    I don’t think Sakaido believes Momoki is John Walker, but he needs to be sure. Because if he is, he’ll probably kill him himself after pretending to be his friend all this time. But I’m 98% sure that he’s not so we’ll have to find who the real killer is (and I have a pretty good idea who at this point.)

    Also, do these killers get a trial at all? Because they seem to just stick them in this facility and call it a day. And they’re stuck in there like, a day after they’re caught. It’s just interesting that they would do that.
    And why do they keep sticking them right next to Sakaido? Do they really have that little room in this weird future prison?

    So now things are heating up but how are they going to get Handomachi out of a well within a well? This isn’t Inception so I’m not sure how she would be able to release herself. How do you even do that? How do you upload someone’s cognition particles into a “machine” in someone else’s id?

    Irenesharda
    1. During a criminal trial, at least in Japan, the proceedings are held in a public forum and the evidence goes on public record as a way of incorporating transparency into the justice system. Assuming they want to keep the cockpit and the Wakamusubi a secret, they can’t actually do these things, so are limited to private incarceration.

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