So… what the fuck was that?
One of the first bits of information that you can find on Dissociative Identity Disorder is that it is a disorder founded in childhood trauma, usually causing polyfragmentation of the self. A single fragmentation of the self caused in FULL ADULTHOOD may as well be psychologically impossible. I’m a college student with one psychology course under my belt and I know that. Yamanaka has a fucking psych degree and somehow put less research into writing Mikoto’s disorder than I did writing fanfiction about him. IN HIGH SCHOOL. Because he didn’t want to let go of his ableist narrative.
Because let’s be frank, it is absolutely an ableist narrative. I can see that the intention is to critique the intense stress of Japanese workplace culture on the mentally ill, which is a noble idea, but the fact remains that the narrative of people with disorders like schizophrenia and DID being habitually violent and dangerous is rooted in the idea that mentally ill people are to be othered and shunned instead of helped and empathized with. All this time, I thought the intention with Mikoto was to employ the trappings of this harmful trope as a framing device that the writers then intended to deconstruct. Clearly, that was too much to hope for.
How do we go from Camouflage and Non-Denominum, two of the most intelligent and empathetic episodes in the entire series, to sensationalist trash like this? I’ve been a MILGRAM fan for five years now. It’s been one of my greatest creative inspirations. I have never been so close to dropping the series as I have been today. I won’t - there’s only one episode left, I may as well see how it ends - and even though I don’t think I could ever hate the series, this, along with the handling of Mahiru’s case, is a massive black stain upon a series and a case with so much potential. Shame on you, Yamanaka. Do better.
kianamaiart
turnnoffyourmind
dailybridgerton
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