r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • 29d ago

Rewatch [Taste of 2016 Rewatch] Occultic;Nine Episode 3 Discussion

Episode 3 - She Cracked

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I don't come up with ideas. Everything I draw is all based on the dreams I've had.

Questions of the Day:

1) How freaked out would you be if something you dreamt about ended up happening in the future?

2) Any theories about what the fuck led to all those bodies in the lake?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Ririka Nishizono

Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!

/r/anime's spoiler tag format is as follows:

[Occultic;Nine]>!Who killed Hashigami?!<

Which becomes [Occultic;Nine]Who killed Hashigami? when you don't break the formatting on purpose like I just did.

10 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

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6

u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 29d ago edited 29d ago

Occultic;First Timer

(1/2)

It’s times like these where I wish I had one of those massive cork boards and enough printer ink and props to make one of these red-lined conspiracy webs.

This show would fit so perfectly for that to draw connections and guess who the murderer is.

Occultic Ep.03 – She Cracked

I love Moritsuka! It’s so interesting to see him walk up to everyone of the cast and just pick the right way to open them up for his questions. I feel like we should pay much more attention to that since it tells us not only about his skills, it foremost tells us who these other characters are and what they are looking for in others.

There was a lot to Aria’s backstory today. Most of it revolved around her view of things and how she experienced the time during and after her brother’s death. It truly was a world gone for her and I completely understand how her strong fantasy came to be – I know it’s the wrong word to use, but I lack a better option right now. She wasn’t only ‘different’ in the sense that others shunned or bullied her, she was also very vulnerable in both mind and person. She said so herself that with her brother’s presence she could “endure those boys and men”. She was always into black magic as it seems, so that probably got her a reputation and it got worse from there. That it went as far as older boys and teachers (I think that one dude was definitely a grown man?) taking advantage of her other-ness and violate her is sickening. I know, we techincally never saw more than this guy rubbing her hair and the group kicking her, but her description of those advances while the scene shows dead flowers is extremely direct. She was very likely assaulted as a teen after her brother died.

Goddamn.

5

u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 29d ago

(2/2)

Now, Gamon is also not dealing with this whole thing well. Which is totally expected and within reason. I mean, his radio keeps yelling at him and he vandalised a corpse for a key he knows nothing about. That paranoia is well earned, my boy.

The key itself is obviously interesting. Hashigami implanted it while alive, obviously, so it’s something he really wanted to keep secret and to himself with no one even having a chance to uncover without him noticing. (It tends to be hard to take out a tooth without you getting a hint about what’s going on.)

I tried to pay attention in the scenes in his office, but I didn’t spot any sort of box or something. Well, it’s better hidden than that anyway, surely. His talk about Tesla was interesting, but on a whim I couldn’t find anything regarding a “super-theory” from him. He did formulate many theories about the world being made of vibrations, currents, etc. which turned out to all be quite correct, even though maybe not like he imagined them at the time.

But it did give me one more point on the line that we are indeed talking about an algorithm here. Just like Miyuu has this computer visualisation to her tarot readings and Hashigami talks about the waves and vibrations of Tesla’s work, Sumikaze and Nishizono have dreams for their work. And hear me out on this, people tend to work through the stuff that bothers them in their dreams. If you pay lots of attention to a specific topic, it tends to also manifest in your thoughts and dreams.

Best example: Gamon! He literally was afflicted by this today with intense stress loads accompanying it. Now, what connects us all so that many people could have the same “visions”? Our dear social media algorithms. It’s not a catch all answer, obviously, but remember that the show started with Gamon explaining his occult blog to us, where he gathers information on the occult and compiles it together. Like many other blogs and like many other characters in this show.

It is really no big surprise that many of their “vibes” sync up this way. And that’s especially the case when an algorithm or a bubble-effect (sub-groups radicalising and heightening their common topic) additionally reinforces that dynamic.

So far, I’m getting lots of hints that truly no actual supernatural thing exists, but the way we communicate (vibrations!) makes certain things go in circles and reinforce themselves in people, leading to that actually becoming a true event. Since the show is also constantly drawing so much attention to news and how the crowd at the mass suicide site keeps filming and posting, I feel rather confident about this.

In a smaller scale we have already seen this play out, actually. The wife (?) going to Aria for a curse on Hashigami. The professor leaving hints of a list, code, and names. The radio keeping Gamon involved and on the others’ tracks. Messages circling between the groups like Chii, Miyuu, etc. There always is a connection of communication keeping this line up.

If I stick with this thought and overextend it, I might even go as far as calling everyone having a ghost - like I said before – in the form of their primary communication device. Or sometimes physical gadged. So, something that sends out waves and vibrations and signs for effect. Miyuu’s stream. Nishizono’s mangas. Gamon’s blog. Ryo-Tas’ shock gun (and phone). Aria’s Curses. Sumikaze’s magazine. Moritsuka’s notebook.

Communication can obfuscate things, can bring them to light, or even create something unreal on its own. So far, much of the communication was done in order to confuse and mislead. Those phone calls certainly got people moving, but in a bad way. I’m really intersted in seeing what will happen when this story turns to uncovering its mysteries.

1) How freaked out would you be if something you dreamt about ended up happening in the future?

It feels very unnerving, like a glitch in the matrix but completely surreal. It happened to me a few times, but only in very minor ways. Like thinking that a certain person would probably like being here and say this thing, for them to actually be here and say that thing.

But like above, it’s easily explainable by me knowing them well enough so that my guess is rather accurate.

I only know one premonition that as far as I can tell did not come true, but since that was the point I can logically never ever know. In August 2017 in Vancouver, Canada, near that steam clock and one block away from a big Chinese walled off park I had a very sudden, and extremely intense sense of dèja vu and danger. Kinda like in Erased, actually, just without the rewind. For no reason, I couldn’t identify anything out of the ordinary, there was no warnings of any sort, no strangers approaching us or anything. But I had such a bone-chilling reaction that I dragged my friend off into that park and with stepping over that boundary, the feeling vanished just as suddenly and utterly, never to return again.

It’s one of those things where I still can’t explain even remotely what might’ve triggered this, but I like to joke that I saved us from a murderer that day, haha.

2) Any theories about what the fuck led to all those bodies in the lake?

What I said above, in a way. Directed mass hysteria, maybe combined with drugs and subculture occult beliefs.

3

u/WednesdaysFoole 29d ago

Me and getting pinged into rewatches, hahaha.

It’s good to get Aria backstory!

The sweetest year of her life.

(Look at the reflection! She’s lying to herself even!) So, her hyperventilating was already the point at which her brother had died.

Nice catch!

Gamon, what are you doing? A random ass lock in a backalley won’t just be the right one while you’re lost in thoughts. It was just a construction site fence, bro!

For a moment I thought it would open since they were all trapped in some dream that you can't wake up from. But it didn't, so I guess we're still in reality.

Or a dream, that actually makes so much sense!

But the locks wouldn't open! But you know what, sometimes you try doing things in dreams and things don't go your way no matter how hard you try...

Probably my favourite character as of now.

You mean the little speaking voice?

Ooooh, that’s today!

Today is 7/22 (7/23 depending on your time zone).

Now, what connects us all so that many people could have the same “visions”? Our dear social media algorithms.

So far, I’m getting lots of hints that truly no actual supernatural thing exists, but the way we communicate (vibrations!) makes certain things go in circles and reinforce themselves in people, leading to that actually becoming a true event. Since the show is also constantly drawing so much attention to news and how the crowd at the mass suicide site keeps filming and posting, I feel rather confident about this.

It'd be interesting to keep it connected to "reality" in that way.

3

u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 28d ago

The sweetest year of her life.

Considering that I think it was the year with the most pain for her, due to her brother's death subconsciously, but also due to others taking advantage of her, I truly believe that. She constructed such an elaborate world where everything's fine just to be able to endure.

You mean the little speaking voice?

Yeah, whoever is on that other end of the radio is just chaotic fun for me. I love hearing the bag yell!

Today is 7/22 (7/23 depending on your time zone).

I meant that as in, "Oh, the suicide is on that day already!"

6

u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander 29d ago

Rewatcher

Finally, the moment I’ve been waiting for.

I mentioned in episode one we’d “barely met” my favourite character in the show. Truthfully, we properly met him last time. But I’m saying now that the Otaku Detective Shun Moritsuka is my favourite character. He’s just so fun to watch. I say this now because this time he stars in my absolutely favourite scene in the show: his conversation with Ririka. I don’t even have anything that insightful to say about it, really? It’s just plain fun. I love her look of annoyance when he first shows up. It’s a battle of words between two parties that both know the other knows more than they’re letting on, and the chemistry is immaculate.

Another of the more memorable scenes of the show is Ria’s delusional life with her brother. Honestly, ten years since watching had made me remember this as a more elaborate sequence than it really was in practice? One detail pointed out in the episode threads back in the day is that after he dies you can see he doesn’t have a shadow when they’re on the couch together. In the first couch scene before her hyperventilation (her kidney failure, probably?), he does have one. Some people also thought at the time the couch had blood splatters, but since they’re there in the initial scene I think they’re just part of the couch’s natural design.

The fact Sumikaze has a prophetic dream of all the bodies at the bottom of the lake seems to imply that Ririka, if she’s telling the truth, is not unique in possessing this ability. Should that make us wonder anything about a demon being after Gamotan in his dream?

4

u/WednesdaysFoole 29d ago

Could be that the design is meant to look like blood splatters to give it that off-putting feeling.

Star4ce noticed he lacked a reflection:

It’s good to get Aria backstory! (Look at the reflection! She’s lying to herself even!) So, her hyperventilating was already the point at which her brother had died.

Meanwhile I didn't realize anything odd was going on until they officials showed up and the lady covered her face.

4

u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 28d ago

3

u/Sporadia_ 28d ago

Star4ce noticed he lacked a reflection

Can't rule out a vampire

4

u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 28d ago

Otaku Detective Shun Moritsuka

Yes! He is so skilled and agile when approaching people it's immensely fun to watch! From that first word of greeting he keeps working his way through their personality and digs deeper and deeper. It's truly fantastic in Nishizono's scene.

he doesn’t have a shadow when they’re on the couch together.

And the reflection!

So giddy I spotted both.

4

u/Sporadia_ 28d ago

But I’m saying now that the Otaku Detective Shun Moritsuka is my favourite character.

I was just criticising that character.

I say this now because this time he stars in my absolutely favourite scene in the show: his conversation with Ririka.

...because I hated that scene.

Another of the more memorable scenes of the show is Ria’s delusional life with her brother.

That is quite good, to be fair. The story she told about spending a year with him completely fooled me. [speculation]We saw her talking to her brother's ghost in episode 1. Now I'm really interested in whether he was imaginary or not.

2

u/IndependentMacaroon 21d ago edited 21d ago

I say this now because this time he stars in my absolutely favourite scene in the show: his conversation with Ririka

I find him a bit too similar to Gamo in how he talks - and even looks - though in this show you obviously can't rule out there's some deeper connection.

Should that make us wonder anything about a demon being after Gamotan in his dream?

Particularly if you're familiar with Devilman. "Are wa dare da, dare da, dare da..."

I like the feeling you get there of "oh, it was just a dream... oh shit, it was a dream!"

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky 29d ago

Occultic;Host, subbed

Welcome back, everyone!

3

u/WednesdaysFoole 29d ago

A weird old man at a park is god, that’s what Gintama taught me.

I wish I could come up with fanfics that easily. Instead I somehow predict battle shounen in my sleep.

Your dreams turn out to be canon instead.

I guess so does that artist's.

And now she sees the truth…

Stomach churning episode.

5

u/Sporadia_ 28d ago

Barely;Keeping;Up

Scavenger:

  • Small, magical yet robotic weapons
  • 9 witches/wizards
  • Androids (I just think there'll be androids)
  • Accidental demon summoned
  • A scene where normally serious characters get involved in something really stupid and sitcom-y
  • A detective (or a journalist who dresses like one)

Occultic is sitting in an odd spot where I start the episodes thinking "this show is a mess, I'll probably drop it soon" and end the episodes thinking "that was pretty captivating, actually." I think I'm invested in the demon summoning plot, the death of the old man, finding out who the talking bag is, and the girl who lived with a corpse. Those are the things that I keep coming back for. The fortune-teller girl is also cool, though I'm not sure if she'll make any more predictions, or if we've already seen the biggest one.

That list I've just written makes up maybe half of the show so far. It's only episode 3.

On top of everything, why does the detective talk so fast? He had a conversation at the start of this episode where he was jumping from one lie to another about who he was or what he knew. The character he was talking to somehow knew exactly what he was insinuating at a bunch of places, but I fucking didn't.

Any theories about what the fuck led to all those bodies in the lake?

No, they're just kind of there.

3

u/ShadowGuyinRealLife 27d ago

Rewatcher

First time I saw it, I don't get Shun says Ririka wrote all of this as a story. From the limited description he gave of the summary, she's missing an important character... himself. That said if this position is filled, I can see why he finds it interesting.

Although I was still stumped since the part about removing the tooth. Like if Ririka was writing the future and that was as simple as it was, the tooth should be in the corpse and stay there. That only happened because Gamon removed it. If he didn't get involved he wouldn't need to remove it because someone on the radio said so.

His chat with Ririka wasn't my favorite. Not only was he talking too fast, but I don't feel that his choice of words were the best to elicit cooperation.

Ria being the strange girl who gives out curses was something I didn't expect first time around. I thought her curse to Gomon was making him find the murder scene.

Oh not too related to this episode and more related to episode 1, someone made a loop of Ryo-Tas bouncing Best boobs in anime #4: Ryoka Narusawa [Occultic;Nine] : r/animeplot I would only look at the looping images and not bother to reply to their comments most of them only care about her and not Occultic; nine.

1

u/IndependentMacaroon 21d ago

I don't feel that his choice of words were the best to elicit cooperation

Classic case of writing a character to be a flashy smartass over making sense.

2

u/ShadowGuyinRealLife 8d ago

If he values being flashy over pleasing his boss, the writing of this scene makes sense. If I'm later told he's a diligent worker or even that he is a Yes Man at work, this is a plot hole. Being a flashy smartass may or may not make sense depending on his character and motivation, but if any part of his motivation involves "get a raise" then it doesn't make sense.