Caligula – 03

“Why do we live? The further we pursue the meaning of life, the more confused we become.”

「何故、生きているのか？人生について突き詰めて行けば行くほど、混乱してしまう。」 (Naze, ikite iru no ka? jinsei ni tsuite tsukitsumete ike ba iku hodo, konran shite shimau.)

Now the truth is out: Moebius is an artificial construct designed with utopian ideals in mind. However, the harsh reality seems to stray from such a well-intentioned design.

Reacting to Moebius

It was interesting to see how each character individually reacted to this surprising discovery, that has essentially turned their world upside down.

Using a rudimentary knowledge of psychology, Ritsu continues making philosophical enquiries into the world around him. He carefully roams around, gaining a better grasp on both his emotions, and the nasty situation that has developed. I thought this made it all the more realistic, and generally liked how Ritsu approached the world with caution.

Kotaro acknowledges that things are dire, but takes it at face value, remaining positive that everything will be alright. That might be overly optimistic, if not childish. However, I’d say he probably has buck loads of confidence, allowing him to maintain such composure. On the other hand, Suzuna becomes incredibly frightened, even with Kotaro’s protective presence, and sequesters herself into the library. Whether she can prove of use in her current state is questionable. But it’s been hinted that she has been borrowing the same books as Ritsu, which could mean that together, they might figure out something about Moebius.

Lastly, we have Mifue, who served as the primary focus for this episode.

True Self

Mifue quickly resigns herself to the status quo, but immediately sets off to search for her mother, attending a tea party in the hopes of discovering new information. While the idea was interesting, I personally wasn’t a fan. Nothing came of rationalising this dislike, so sorry folks, I just hate cute and dreamy stuff. But once things started rolling, I kind of changed my mind. More specifically, when everything became surreal.

That sudden burst of fat people hatred caught me off guard, and it was intriguing how SweetyP sadistically accused Mifue of possessing an ugly heart. Such an accusation is hardly far fetched, when I even found myself agreeing with some of his points (there is such a thing as inner beauty too). More importantly, she erased her mother from existence by casually conversing with μ, as a tangent to her seemingly irrational hatred of fat people.

That said, Mifue doesn’t have an evil heart per se and I wouldn’t pin all the blame onto her. While μ is intent on granting everyone happiness, her ways of fixing problems does not necessarily resolve said problems, even compounding them at times. Although she fulfils Mifue’s wish, this was done in a twisted way without a shred of common sense. In what world does ‘I want to eat together with my Mum’ translate into erasing the mother, and replacing her with someone else? It was a disproportionate interference, highlighting μ’s lack of understanding regarding the human heart.

By solely judging herself via intentions, as opposed to the actual consequences, μ cannot comprehend that her incomplete world has become an inescapable nightmare for others. To worsen things, it seems the Ostinato musicians are negatively influencing her, and it’s difficult to discern the ulterior motives behind their actions for now.

Concluding Thoughts

Seeing how SweetyP self-destructed when details of their actual identity came out, I’ve come to a particular conclusion. Those who are currently experiencing Moebius are people who have lost faith in society, and cannot come to terms with their true selves. Many evidently sought an escape from the real world, and though some are completely satisfied, there are others who’ve slowly come to realise that Moebius is not what they need. With μ as an artificial goddess of sorts, it is ultimately a hollow construct built upon a hedonistic pursuit of shallow wish-fulfilment. Without anything meaningful cause to strive for, and no proper means of escape, the only thing left to do is to take up arms against god herself.

Among these disillusioned individuals, it seems that a resistance is beginning to build up, starting with an alliance between Ritsu and Shogo. Styling themselves as the ‘Guns & Bouquet‘ sending out messages inviting people to join, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them rise as a new opposition to the Ostinato Musicians. Of course, they need to assemble more members before they could feasibly mount a challenge. But I can easily see that happening in the near future, with blogger girl being the newest addition to people who have broken the illusion.

Unfortunately, I’m incredibly busy this term due to university exams, meaning that it’s unlikely that I’ll pick up Caligula for coverage. This is a real shame, because I’m absolutely digging the potential in this show, and it may turn out to be a true dark horse from this season. However, a finale post is always a possibility, though I cannot offer any guarantees.

As always, thanks for reading my post. Hope to see you next time!

 
Preview