[Suzerain of Sheol]

Ooh, I knew I forgot something in that post. I meant to talk about the ramped-up personalities but it slipped my mind. I agree 100% about Sayori, and I might even contend (warning, this is pointless) that if the MC wasn't such a useless tool, that proper treatment and care could have brought her back from the brink even at the end. But, like happiness, there are no hospitals or licensed mental health professionals in the world of the literature club. But I can't help speculating at times. :P

Natsuki... hmm. I'd actually say her act 1 personality is the most appealing to me, in terms of what I was describing above (and there's probably a discussion to be had over whether their act 1 personalities haven't been tampered with by Monika, but it's all we have to go on). I will also say, though, that character-ranking notwithstanding, her cry for help letter in act 2 about Yuri is one of the most interesting moments of the game for me. I'm not quite sure what I think that's implying about Natsuki there yet, but it seems like the best evidence for the other girls having a level of autonomy beyond just being pre-programmed VN characters.

But as for Yuri, I can definitely see where you're coming from. I guess when I call her an edgelord I mean more in terms of her writing style, attitude about poetry, and general interests. I think I have an inherent dislike for poets who think they're good poets, though Natsuki thinks that as well obviously. I feel like in her case, though, it's an extension of her superiority/inferiority complex rather than with Yuri just being full of herself (like a lot of teenage poets tend to be, it must be said). On the other hand, though, Wheels is actually my favorite poem in the game in terms of just poetic appeal. Her other stuff just comes off to me as pretentious.

...no wonder I like Natuski better. :P

But, this:

And speaking of altered personalities, I had an insight while I was driving earlier: Natsuki and Yuri aren't acting like themselves in Act 4 either. Sayori, too, adjusted their code. She knew that trying to make them unlikeable wouldn't work because Monika tried and failed, so instead she made them develop attachments to each other in order to keep them distracted away from the protagonist, giving her time alone with him.

You're the first person I've ever seen mention that, and that is goddamned depressing to consider. It kind of reminds me of Monika's talk about finding compatible friends, except in Sayori's reality, she's making two incompatible people be amazingly good friends.

Honestly, thinking about all of them as just being these superpositions of circumstance and their own nature fluctuating via forces beyond their perception or control is pretty damned nihilistic lol.