genuinely i’m mind blown by how intentional the writing seems to be when depicting mutsumi/mortis’s DID.
mortis doesn’t know how to play guitar - mutsumi does. as the protector of the system, mortis shares some core memories and feelings with fmutsumi. but not abilities. she knows the names of the other girls, and is aware of the current situation - but everything about mortis has been intentionally written to make her a separate entity from mutsumi (because she is). i think that in this system, mortis is not also the protector, but also the one in charge to hold traumatic memories.
the first time we as the audience see mortis as an entity separate from mutsumi is at the very beginning of ep3, after mutsumi falls in a catatonic state on stage. mortis is presented to us as someone who takes care of mutsumi and worries about her. at the same time, mortis is presented as a storyteller:
she tells us about mutsumi, which is why i think she’s the alter in charge of mutsumi’s traumatic memories. mortis assumes this storyteller persona even in her confrontation with sakiko, during which she also mentions how she’s been with mutsumi for a long time.
she also mentions playing dolls with her - these were shown in ep3 as mortis told mutsumi’s story, her struggles with being the child of two celebrities, always under a spotlight, despite her shyness.
there’s even a shot of her parents, as dolls, hugging a doll mutsumi while mutsumi is upstairs, alone.
all these elements are incredibly consistent with what we know of DID - it starts developing during one’s formative years (typically before 7 years old), alters assume different roles, protective alters will step in and front for longer periods of when the host is severe mental distress etc. even the vocabulary used by mortis is consistent with how i have seen systems talk about alters being “in the background” for a while (going dormant). when she talks about mutsumi, she says she’s “asleep” after her fight with sakiko. this whole ave mujica unmasking that happened in ep1 must have been incredibly triggering for mutsumi, thrown in the spotlight again. her mother seems completely unaware of her struggles (and even gives me abusive vibes). the stress was so unbearable she started dissociating more and more often, until mortis decided it was time to take charge - while mutsumi rests, mortis will try to fix things for her.
the show does not mention 解離性同一性障害 (rom. kairiseidōitsuseishōgai, dissociative identity disorder), but used instead the outdated term 二重人格 (rom. nijūjinkaku, literally translated as “double personality). however, i think this is also intentional – i dont think saki or uika would know the exact term for the disorder, and by doing so also signals to the less educated audience what is going on with mutsumi/mortis, and that this isn’t just mutsumi acting up and “pretending”. and right after this term is mention, we hear a knock and saki is terrified. this is imo a reference to other stories in which DID has been called “split/multiple personalities” and used as a horror element- the “other” personalities are scary and monstrous. but mortis isn’t. she just doesn’t want the band to split up, bc that’s in mutsumi’s best interest. at the end of the episode, everyone else seems to have made peace with ave mujica splitting up, and the only one in pain is mortis. everyone else looks away from her pain, ignoring it, they even seem scared and unsettled by the fact that mortis isn’t mutsumi. when mortis is screaming in pain, trying her best to get along with everyone. mortis, the doll, screams the most human scream of them all
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