MagicalFlyingFish

Okay, one thing I'm pretty sure about (and I genuinely doubt I'm alone with this), is that all these people are simply copies of their outside selves. They are not just connected to the program in a Matrix-like way, they are completely separate from their outside bodies. Pomni said that she makes youtube videos of exploring abandoned buildings. She arrived into this world after putting on a "weird headset." The same is probably true for Agatha, for in the flashback we see her groping at her head and saying "I can't figure out how to..." take this thing off, I think?

And the reason the "guys" she's with don't help her with it, is because they don't realize there's any need for that. She put on a headset, nothing happened, she took it off, went away with her friends - but a copy of her had now entered the program. Pomni too is probably out there somewhere, her video of that building on youtube.

Zooble too said they liked to sometimes explore abandoned buildings, I get the feeling Jax was on a run from something so he might have gone in there to get shelter, and Gangle... well. Who knows what she was up to, but I don't have a good feeling about her being at a place like that. But they all might have had reasons to go there, and seeing something like that... well, makes sense they'd try it on. I probably would, too.

When Pomni tells Kinger about Abel and how they've maybe figured out how to leave the circus, Kinger is confused, saying leaving doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense, because they've nowhere to go. They're nothing but data files. Mind files. Their real selves are out there, living their lives. (Hopefully. Some might even be dead, who knows?)

The main question about this in my mind is why is that computer system still there in this abandoned building, and how does it have electricity? And of course, how was the original team that worked on this AI captured? There's five people plus Kinger and Queenie, who knows, if this was a small company, maybe that was all of them? But what happened to their office afterward? Was everything just left there, for random people to explore?

Other things on my mind... Kinger mentioned that Scratch had been trying to create something. That... sounded important to me. Scratch, the abstract thinker, the first abstraction... what was he after?

...what is abstraction about? It seemed like Jax was about to abstract once. From his perspective... it was quite peaceful. Now, I wonder if it's different for different people. Kaufmo sure didn't seem peaceful at all... but who knows. I was wondering if abstraction wasn't in fact what Scratch was after. (Yes, I know that's a pretty wild thought, most likely totally wrong.) But his mind was already on an abstract level, why not the rest of him too... Abstraction is something that doesn't follow the rules of Caine's little world, something he doesn't understand. Maybe it's the final way to break free from him? (Who knows, maybe Kaufmo realized that hey, this is actually great and was trying to make Ragatha glitch/abstract too...) (In an overly violent way, true) (that really wasn't working well at all...) (and then he attacked the gloinks cause those were harming his friends...) (...ok, these thoughts are very random, I admit)

...Jax. I'm so curious about him. His backstory. I wonder if he was bullied. Made fun of... because of his appearance? Or for liking cute, girly stuff? (His room is very pink, after all.) He says his ears and tail are pinnacle of male performance (trying to turn his appearance into something it is not), but later we have that "god I look stupid" moment. And yet... this body "perfectly encapsulates his mind file"? Hmm. Also... he made fun of Pomni thinking this is just a dream in the beginning... but maybe he has been thinking something similar, all along. "It wasn't real so it doesn't matter..." but now that he's realizing this is real, he's freaking out.

Talking about bodies encapsulating mind files... some of them are quite obvious (Zooble, Gangle, Ragatha...) Maybe Kinger too, a king - but still only a chess piece... and the most useless chess piece too, you could say. Queenie, then.... the queen is the strongest. (And yet she abstracted first?)

Anyway, so, what about Pomni? Why is she a jester? I saw someone somewhere (on reddit, I think?) talk about this, how Kaufmo was a clown, someone whose purpose is to make others laugh at himself, but Pomni is a jester who is the one making fun of others.... but I think that's a bit off. A jester is someone who is allowed to make fun of the ruler. To speak things that would make other people's heads roll. (No one gave Caine the memo, I guess...) That is an interesting role to have.

I'm thinking that the mind files can't differentiate between self-perceptions based in reality vs insecurities (ex: if someone is like 'I'm too feminine' or 'people think I'm too feminine,' the program while generating the avatar could be like 'this user thinks of themselves as feminine' and then creates a feminine avatar because it doesn't understand the difference between positive vs negative thoughts in the mind). Kind of like how Caine doesn't/didn't understand why they aren't/weren't happy with the adventures.

Which then leads into my other theory that abstraction could be related to them maybe 'passing' the program, because if Caine's whole purpose is to make them happy, maybe once they accept themselves they are able to leave (the issue with this is that Jax is the one who has been on the verge of abstracting and oh boy does that dude need some work), which could explain why it's peaceful? I don't know, I feel like both this theory and my wording of it don't make much sense.

I do think they're just copies without a body to go back to though unless their memories were scrambled up or modified to avoid them knowing they were in a facility, because if they've been in there for years they wouldn't still be alive if they just found a headset in an abandoned building (also the others wouldn't have been able to put it on if there were other people using it)? The onyl one it doesn't make much sense for it to have been in an abandoned building is Ragatha, like even if she left to hide from her mom I can't see my girly just wandering into a creepy rotting building

I got you a surprise for exchange of the card you sent me XD

https://wheelofnames.com/uh3-8jf

So I got into the mood of making these translations again, and figured I could also do those for the rest of the Big 5 (Gakushuu's part is already done.) The rest of them are here in one go as they all had only one page each. There isn't really much new info at all (except maybe about Seo's ears), but whatever. ^^ The usual drill, let me know if you spot mistakes etc etc etc

Araki Teppei - the newscaster virtuoso

Head of the broadcasting club

“If you can’t see this, you will be left behind in the society, you know?”

Thorns hidden beneath the gentle appearance

Although he looks like a good-natured honors student, he is an unconsciously bullying type whose words have thorns growing around them. Despite that, perhaps because of the influence of his journalist father, he is a compassionate person who wants to work in the mass media in the future to protect socially vulnerable people.

Images:

“E class’s Kimura is just standing there! You look uncool if you don’t at least swing the bat!”

“I’m sorry but we’ve forgotten the E class's copies. Please memorize it all before you go.”

The heavy atmosphere at the school assembly became instantly cheerful after Araki’s tasteful/conceited joke. [the joke is described as 小粋 in Japanese. This has two meanings: 1) stylish; smart; chic; tasteful, and 2) conceited; cheeky. Pick your favorite?]

In front of the mic, Araki! The prodigy of hosting

Araki graps the mic everywhere, whether it’s about a school assembly or providing live commentary at a sports festival, and never lets go of it. His smooth delivery and flowing style has been dubbed “the Araki style” and he seems to have many fans and secret admirers.

Matsui-sensei's behind the scenes data

His father is a head journalist for a major newspaper, and Araki is fully carrying on that pride and information power. He has a gentle manner, but is consistently cold toward those who are inferior to him or oppose him. [I assume "information power" refers to the ability to use it, but I'm not quite sure how to translate that. Information power is what it literally says.]

Sakakibara Ren - the undercut hair virtuoso

Secretary of the student council

“So, let’s study until beautiful words fill your arteries”

[...I genuinely would rather say fill your heart, but arteries is what it says]

A playboy for women with both intelligence and beauty

With beautiful features and elegant and noble refinement, he is one of the popular elite who has overwhelming support from Kunugigaoka’s female students. His scholarly ability is also top class, just below Asano Gakushuu, and it seems that the usually stingy heaven has bestowed him not just one but two or three gifts.

A hair style and language sense beyond ordinary understanding

However, heaven did not give him everything, and this gap is seen in his eccentric hairstyle and long-winded theatrical elocution. About 70-80% of his conversation consists of adjectives that are not really necessary, making it pointlessly long. Still, it’s very popular among some girls.

Images:

“If you only criticize, you will overlook things, Koyama. Even in a garbage dump like this, there is a crane.”

“In this school, grades are everything. Those who are lower have no right to speak to those above them.”

Sakakibara shows an abnormal obsession with cuticles. If you’re not an ikemen, you’ll be arrested.

[Cuticles. I don't know. Again, that’s what it says.]

Matsui-sensei's behind the scenes data

Because his family is wealthy it has made several donations to Kunugigaoka academyy, and his status within the school is high in terms of academic ability, financial power, and popularity among the opposite sex. Because of this lack of inferiority, he is one of the few people who can talk to Asano on relatively equal terms. As for the number of girls he has been with, he surpasses Maehara and ranks first in the school.

Koyama Natsuhiko - the demon of memorization virtuoso

Head of the biology club

“Cram like your life depends on it!! For middle and high school science, memorization alone is enough!!”

Academic ability stronger than communication skills

Because of his appearance and quite twisted personality, Koyama had very few friends. As a reaction to that he single-mindedly devoted himself to studying, and that resulted with him becoming one of the five virtuosos and a respected figure in the school. “It’s fine even if I don’t have communication skills,” he thinks.

The splendid metamorphosis of a spring-colored papillon

When Koyama was in the first year of middle school, a hooligan in the same class made fun of him and used him as an errand boy. Using that frustration as nourishment, the repulsive Koyama grew rapidly and became one of the five virtuosos. Consequently, he is very harsh towards the E class.

[The character book doesn't specify who Koyama's bully was, but it's generally thought to have been Terasaka. It's been too long since I read the manga, I don't remember if it was explicitly mentioned there... but in that following image about throwing stones, he seems to be talking to Terasaka. That would certainly explain why Koyama hates 3E so much.]

Image:

Koyama: Don’t talk back, impertinent girl. Besides, your glasses make you look unsophisticated Kishishishi huh, Araki Araki: He... hey Koyama...

For some reason, when he gets excited, people around him get down. Why is that?

Images:

Koyama: I’m looking forward to it~ The day when I’ll throw stones at you who fell into the E class.

Araki: It seems that last time was just a fluke after all. Asano Gakushuu Total score: 493 points Overall rank: 1st

Matsui-sensei's behind the scenes data

Until the second year of middle school, he was a gloomy and dreary bookworm, but with Asano Gakushuu’s advice, “with your strengths, you can look down to people and be impressive”, the strong ego hidden within him blossomed.

Seo Tomoya - the LA accent virtuoso

Student council chairman

“Hmph, with that kind of grammar, you’d be a laughingstock in LA where I lived.”

Proud returnee child

Among the extremely strong-willed and individualist virtuosos, he stands out for an especially arrogant attitude and abusive language, adhering to the school’s caste system. He is proud to have lived a year in LA because of his father’s work. He is a little self-conscious about the fact that his ears are placed a little lower than those of an average person.

A too early separation ~ Looking for a good match instead of good marks

The magical title of a virtuoso made even Koyama popular. The same was true for Seo, but there’s a rumor of a loss of effect because of his way too quick separation with Tsuchiya. However, that was only temporary gossip, and now he seems to be getting well along with another female student.

Images:

Seo: Saying stuff like that... didn’t you yesterday come here with Maehara? Tsuchiya: Th-that’s not how it is! This is the first time with you, Seo.

Seo: Is that some dangerous drug? He was taking something suspicious with his lunch.

Seo talks to the exchange student Kevin with overly confident native pronunciation. Assuredly so.

Image: Don’t think everyone can go abroad!!!

Matsui-sensei's behind the scenes data

Even within the A class, he has an exceptionally arrogant personality, and since his grades are also top-class, his nature is unpleasant. He broke up with Tsuchiya Kaho after that incident, and even though they are now distant, they keep on rushing to each other to throw insults at one another – a relationship that is in a way a very close one.

On a beautiful sprig day, Akabane Karma climbed over the fence of a large mansion, grunting in annoyance as he dropped down to the other side of it. He strolled across the yard to the front door, but no one answered it, just like no one had answered when he rang the bell at the gate. He could have still entered, of course, but started instead walking round the house. Behind it, he finally found the one he was looking for and paused for a moment to stare.

Gakushuu had spread a blanket on the ground under the flowering sakura tree in the backyard, and sat there his feet bent neatly underneath him (in seiza? Karma thought to himself dumbly. Is he actually sitting in seiza?), reading something.

“What are you doing?”

Gakushuu glanced at him from the book. “What does it look like? I’m studying.”

Karma rolled his eyes a little. “I thought you agreed that it’s too nice a day to be wasted on studying! I…”

“I agreed that it’s too nice a day to be wasted on studying in a dusty library,” Gakushuu put in. Karma huffed a little.

“Anyway! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Why don’t you answer your damn phone!”

“It’s muted. I don’t want to be disturbed.” Gakushuu gave Karma a frowning glance. “How did you enter? No one else is at home.”

“Your fence isn’t that high,” Karma said with a slight shrug and plopped down to sit next to Gakushuu. “You could give me a key though.” There was no response. He glanced at the book the other was reading – theoretical computer science – and sighed.

A moment he sat there in silence. Gakushuu read on. Some little bird fluttered on the sakura tree’s branches, chirped a bit and flew away. Gakushuu, Karma thought, watching after it, would have probably recognized it. If he had noticed it, that was.

“Seriously. You’re just reading? On a day like this?”

“Hmm.” Gakushuu’s head moved a little, maybe in a nod, and he turned a page. Karma sighed again. He wiggled a little and lay down on the blanket, placing his head on Gakushuu’s lap. This earned him another glance.

“What do you want?”

Karma smiled up at the frowning face. “Your attention,” he said, grasping some fallen sakura petals and sprinklingthem down on his face.

“I,” Gakushuu said, “am trying to study, you know.”

“And I,” Karma said, “am trying to have a romantic moment with my boyfriend! It’s spring, we’re seventeen, sakura’s blooming, lovebirds are singing, and you… you’re reading about machines.”

“That was the Eurasian tree sparrow,” Gakushuu said dryly. “Hardly a lovebird.”

“So? You shouldn’t look down on it just cause it’s ordinary. A sparrow can be a lovebird if you look at it the right way! It’s still singing there, looking for its mate.”

Finally Gakushuu lowered his book, giving Karma a long look. “Firstly, that’s not how it works. Lovebird is an actual bird species, you know. Besides, since when did you become such a romantic?”

Karma smiled, a little wryly. “We’ve been dating for a couple of weeks only, you don’t know me that well yet. I could show you how romantic I can be, but… that book’s sorta ruining the mood.”

“Too bad.” Gakushuu picked it up again. “I have a study plan, and according to it, I need finish this today.”

Karma pouted a little. “A plan. Does it leave any room for me?”

“We do have date scheduled day after tomorrow, remember?” Gakushuu said, reading on. “At 5 pm.”

Karma heaved out one more sigh, deeper than any that had preceded it. He still didn’t get up – and, he noted to himself with mild satisfaction, Gakushuu had not told him to get up, either. Perhaps this wasn’t hopeless.

A gust of wind made some more petals float down, among them a full flower. Karma grasped it in air and reached out, trying to tuck it behind Gakushuu’s ear. The other wiped it away, annoyed.

“Pink isn’t my color, you know.”

“Oh, c’mon! Boys can wear—”

“I merely mean it doesn’t suit my hair. It’d fit better yours.”

“Oh?” Karma blinked, smiled, and tucked the flower in his own hair. “Tell me I’m pretty,” he said, tilting his head a little in Gakushuu’s lap.

“You’re pretty damn annoying, that’s what you are,” Gakushuu said bluntly. “You really aren’t going to let me study in peace, are you?”

“Nope!” Karma said cheerfully.

For a moment, Gakushuu said nothing, just read on. Then he grasped a bookmark, put it between the pages and placed the book on the ground.

“Fine then. If you insist, I can reschedule reading this on day after tomorrow, at 5 pm. Would that be alright for you?”

“Hmm.” Karma pursed his lips a little, thinking. Then he smiled brightly. “Absolutely!”

“And you,” Gakushuu glared down at him, “are not allowed to be bothering me at that time. Got it?”

“Of course, of course,” Karma assured him hurriedly. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Gakushuu rolled his eyes, clearly not believing a word. “The things you dream of I don’t even want to know,” he muttered. “What am I to do with you…”

“I do have some suggestions,” Karma said with wiggly eyebrows, and Gakushuu couldn’t help giving out a little laugh. “Besides, don’t worry, the forecast says it’ll rain the day after tomorrow. We can have a study date in the library.”

A few more sakura petals floated down in the soft wind, as the tree sparrow jumped from a branch to branch, looking curiously down at the two boys who were lying down in the tree’s shadow, the textbook forgotten on the ground.

(The forecast was wrong, it did not rain on the day after tomorrow. After 27 minutes of studying Karma dragged Gakushuu out to “study” in the park.)

Redrawing from Mar 2024