Baal, God Of Rain

For Yuno, they may say that it's considered murder because Japan has a negative view on abortion and argue against the framing of it as murder because abortion isn't murder.

For Mahiru and Kazui, they may say 'but being in love isn't the issue!'/'but it's the partner who killed themself!'

People are less generous for Fuuta because he's indirectly killed a middleschooler to satiate his boredom, but it's still surprisingly different compared to the definition of murder - Yuno, Mahiru, Kazui, and Fuuta are being considered murderers by Milgram, despite not aiming to directly kill their victims.

Milgram doesn't care about the indirectness of all these crimes. This much is obvious. But, if not about the legal widespread definition of murder, then what does Milgram consider murder?

These past 3 trials suggest that it's dependent on what the prisoner considers a murder.

Yuno has already said multiple times that she considered her abortion a bad act because she feels like she should have been punished for taking life for granted (as many women like Mahiru aren't able to have that happen in their lives). This doesn't make her logic right, but it explains why she might see it as murder.

Kazui feels guilt about not having been open about his attraction with his wife and considers him coming out of the closet as what pushed her to do it.

Mahiru, even if she's confused and can't understand what she did wrong, feels as though her love for her boyfriend had played a part in how he died.

Fuuta felt guilt even from T1 - the end of his MV shows it, regardless of how much he hides his feelings to Es and to himself, and then T3 confirms that he has the habit of running away from his problems. Even if he refuses to acknowledge it as a murder at first, his emotions were firmly set on considering it a murder.

'But then, why was it written this way? The Milgram Project writers could have used a legal definition of murder instead.'

The confusion surrounding their definition of 'murder' is evidently on purpose by the time Trial 3 started. These characters consider their actions to be murders, which adds to the amount of discussions that voters can have. For example: The discussions for Yuno's trial had helped some people to understand that abortion isn't murder and Kazui's may have led people to re-evaluate why they thought he should've stay closeted/told her sooner.

in her second mv, we do see a glimpse of her mother, but amane is still desperately clinging to her beliefs. it had to all have meant something. and so, if shidou continues down the path of giving others medical care, then he cannot live. because if he is allowed to help others when she was severely punished for wanting to do the same, then that would mean she was actually tormented for no reason at all. if shidou lives, then that would mean her mother did not have to die, that her family did not have to live the way they did.

keep in mind that she believed her true sin involved helping the cat in trial one and she was voted UNFORGIVEN for that. the song seems to say, can i still be a good girl even if i slip up and want to help others and watch cartoons? and the winning portion of voters said NO. they probably meant to tell her that murder is wrong, but i think instead they accidentally affirmed the abusive parts of the practice she was born into. it's no wonder that in the second mv she is so punishment-focused. she is a bad girl for helping the cat, she is guilty for faltering in her belief system. and so, everyone who breaks those vows must be severely punished (including herself).

however, there is some indignation in her second mv, especially right at the end where she says remember MY cries? why did you (her mother) punish me if you were going to break promises too? but at the end, when she's standing over the body of her mother, she's dressed in her imaginary world's attire. she is protecting herself by viewing the murder of her mother as her simply upholding the definitely unequivocally true belief system she was raised in, rather than her lashing out in anger at the injustices she went through.

if she was just upholding beliefs, then the life she'd lived so far still makes sense, she was loved (not abused) and it all means something. if she is lashing out in anger at the injustices she faced, then she has to accept the fact that her entire life was filled with meaningless suffering, which is a terrifying thing for her to come to terms with. the same belief system that hurts her is also what she is protecting herself with.

but shidou and es and everyone else who reached out to her made a huge difference. i think the cat is gone from the third trial because she is starting to think that maybe medical treatment is okay, that maybe helping the cat was not actually a sin. her imaginary world has dulled, and there's a lot more realistic elements to this mv. i think she's slowly realizing the horror of her life. her inner world, previously protected by dissociating herself from the abuse and painting it as something justified, something bright and colorful and not very serious, falls into chaos.

her mother needed medical help, and she knew this. i think she actually did have a desire to help. despite it all, she loved her mother. her hands shook, and her inner world seems to represent that she WANTED to seek out medical treatment (the pills being created on the assembly line), but the screen flashes "DANGER" warnings at her. why wouldn't it? she was told her entire life that it was wrong. so, just as she was taught, she steadies herself, denies the desire to help, and prays. this is all she can do. this is right.

however.

her mother, contrary to every lesson literally beat into her so far, tells amane to break her vows. she tells amane to call for medical help.

and amane is angry!! when she lifts a hand to hit her mother, it slams down on the console in her imaginary world. the pills shatter, and so does her entire belief system. it's okay to seek medical treatment, the rule was meaningless, so why did she have to suffer? she tried to bury it and shield herself, tried to deny it and protect her belief system by claiming her fury was actually a calm and logical upholding of her vows, but she is so, so hurt and angry inside.

she sings of the beliefs she was raised with, but she's barely holding it together in her inner world!! this entire mv seems filled with anger. this is not a bad emotion, it's merely her starting to realize the injustices done to her. it's good that she's allowing herself to feel this.

in this mv, she kills her mother not as a symbolic representative of her beliefs, but as herself, full of rage and grief and confusion. this shot is such a massive difference from the second mv. there is less mental distance (it's framed a lot closer than before). there are no imaginary elements. it's real, it's horrifying.

her inner world is falling into ruin. she replaces the previous mv representations of her belief system with her new emerging beliefs, but they are still shaky, uncertain. clouds of smoke still rise from this faltering landscape.

it may take her a while to fully realize the extent of everything, but she CAN heal and start over. shidou himself believed that it was not too late, even as he was dying at her hand. mahiru's pure and overwhelming love will stay with her, too. she's never had people reach out to her and show her affection without also expecting perfection from her and punishing her severely should she falter. of course people like shidou and mahiru would make her feel uncomfortable and conflicted. if pain is all you've ever known, then anything else will feel unfamiliar and therefore wrong.

but shakily, she asks if it's okay to change.

the answer is YES. no matter how long and difficult her road ahead is, she can change. she can learn to falter and make mistakes (ordinary mistakes, not the outrageous things labeled as such by the belief system she was raised in). she can learn that it is possible for love to come from people who will not hurt her.

she can start over. i think shidou and mahiru would want that for her very much.