ReLIFE - Vol. 1 Ch. 3 - Test Subject

[MangaDex]

 

[Lynkaster]

what I love the most in any stories are fore-shadowing, because that's proof that there's a well thought plot since the beginning, and this story is... 😍

 

[AxeBurningfire]

A pill that turns you back into a high schooler? Yeah, no, you could put a gun to my head and i'd tell you to shoot before i'd swallow this capsule-encased nightmare.

 

[CelestialGreen]

the confidence in ryo’s report lmao he’s like “this dude got nothing going for him rn, he’s gonna accept the offer”

 

[KipTheGamer]

Nice.

 

[Ajuioke2]

I wonder what happened to subject 1.

 

[osqmu]

a pill that makes you younger?
detective conan vibes lmao

 

[sakurabonx3]

Ahhh I forgot the art style used to be like this xD It's a little jarring how soft she drew it later on~
And stalker Ryo :3 ahh don't change Mr.stalker who's doing it for a living

 

[AxeBurningfire]

A pill that turns you back into a high schooler? Yeah, no, you could put a gun to my head and i'd tell you to shoot before i'd swallow this capsule-encased nightmare.

five years later and this still holds just as true. Fuck highschool, shit time to be alive.

 

[sya-viper]

The fact that Ryo approaches the ML whilst they are intoxicated, already outlines him as a cognitive manipulator that specialises in situational and material coercion. The hardest kind to call out for their schemes, as they seem the nicest. I have a feeling this person might become the main antagonist, or at least, ML will eventually end up depending on them too much. Considering what Ryo wants ML to achieve, using this tactic for too long will be counterintuitive, as it works with a two-prong intent: Making the individual feel worthless, or weak, or pathetic by using personal facts and prior fears to play with their emotional/mental self-perception. The next step involves some sort of reliance, a proxy-solution per se, that the manipulator will sell as the only viable conclusion to their problem--usually involving said manipulator in some way. These two are the symbiotic factors of this type of cognitive manipulation, but generally, and I hope this manga is able to accurately portray this, the manipulated develops a strong form of emotional dependence to the manipulator, rising from a near for validation and security. These types of interpersonal dynamics rarely resolve themselves easily, as the manipulator holds all the cards, even with strong resistance from the manipulated. If this goes the way I assume, then manipulator will attempt these things:

• Will make sure to mention ML's situation as often as is appropriate.
• Will attempt to get ML to admit, or confess, these feelings/facts and then expound upon them.
• Will attempt to weave themselves into their personal lives by whatever means, usually in a derogatory way, like going for a drink or something, that gives the manipulator the upper hand and sediments a false-friendship under the pretence of care.
• Will mention positive things that have come out of their own suggestions, but never flaws, or problems--unless they are able to convert them into pros for their own argument, either through admission or false-confession/vulnerability.
• Will make sure not to answer/solve every problem the ML will face, and will allow certain situations to fester, sometimes out of pure avarice for entertainment. This is usually a way for them to also test the results of their coercion.
• When the relationship reaches a certain climax, either the ML becomes noticeably more submissive/dependant or becomes aggressive and irritable at other suggestions or becomes reclusive and depressed, Manipulator will strike. They will either cut off the relationship, as it's fulfilled its purpose, or they will divert it into a different area to reinforce dependance. Usually these are the types of relationships you see in couples, where one side uses aforementioned tactic to make sure their partner stays loyal/committed/vulnerable.

I really hope this manga will be able to expound Ryo's personality and reveal the subtle manipulations he wields in order to achieve whatever goal it is (not sure what it may be yet). He would become a very complex villain in all this.
(Little side note for M-M situations of this kind of manipulation. Usually the manipulator finds a way to interfere with Manipulee's love life, as no tool is better suited for coercion than romance. This usually will come in the form of befriending the partner, and treating them very well, to the point that partner favours them enough to invite them more often, or speak about them more often. In this way they will be able to anchor themselves in the target's life much more easily. Another very fast way to create vulnerability, that can then be moulded into reliance and further entrapment, is jealousy. I can almost guarantee the manipulator will attempt to use subtle cues, like a little bit more physical contact than normal, or humour, or charisma to 'woo' the manipulee's partner. Now, this doesn't mean the partner will cheat, or anything of the sort, this is normally just sedimenting friendship with the partner that is personal and affectionate enough for the target to feel insecure/envious/vulnerable. Then the target will inevitably approach the manipulator or confront them, and they will brush it off, usually in a way that makes the target seem like a possessive idiot, or the villain of the story. Then they'll find one aspect to remedy those emotions, normally in a way that highlights themselves positively in the target's eyes, and boosts their relationship-confidence with their partner.)