English Dub Review: Boogiepop and Others “Overdrive: The King of Distortion 3”

You could have what you wish, if you just give up.

Overview:

Boogiepop manages to sneak into the temple.

Our Take:

Boogiepop admits that the King and she do have something in common; they are both beings that exist without physical form. The King is only able to appear when everyone is unconscious or dreaming, at least with the exception of being nearby the Moon Temple, something that is part of the King’s territory. While the King stated in the first episode of this arc that he was a being that had just been born, it seems unlikely that he would get a body. Likewise, Boogiepop is only able to exist freely by borrowing Miyashita’s body, for if it wasn’t for her, Boogiepop would simply be a phenomenon. Both are beings that have no set form despite their origins, and both only exist because people wish for them. While Boogiepop is a protector figure, they are also as being a reaper because that’s the image people have of them. Thanks to the wishes and engagement of the general public, both beings can exist.

As a result, because Miyashita hasn’t been invited into the Temple, in order to get into people’s minds, Boogiepop has to make themselves clear to the people inside. While Kei already knows of Boogiepop and is able to converse with them easily, most of the other unconscious people don’t have the same awareness. Boogiepop is able to manifest normally only once their presence has become solidified, in this case, in Makoto’s dream. Once Makoto dreams of and acknowledges Boogiepop’s power, Boogiepop can remain in the Temple without issue.

The dreams are interesting because now we see they aren’t just dreams. Makoto imagining Zooragi as something menacing coming to attack him, so Zooragi manifests as something chaotic, rampantly attacking the city that the dreams take place in. Despite the fact that this takes place in Makoto’s headspace, the tremors that Zooragi causes are shaking and even causing a sinkhole beneath the building. Zooragi is a branch of the king’s power, and this means that the King could potentially affect reality. He is only able to move within the Temple grounds, but if he manages to become more powerful, then he could easily affect the world outside, even without a body. Most likely, this would happen if those dreaming accept him and his deal for false happiness. While the center characters likely won’t, with Sakiko being a notable exception, there are a lot of people trapped in there. A lot of potential people willing to hear the King’s message, even.