Divine Tree, 3
~Dimple Is~
Japanese Title:
神樹３ 〜エクボは〜
Shinju San ~Ekubo wa~
Original Air Date:
9 November 2022
Dimple is not holding back; Mob's monkey shirt is one of the ugliest things he's ever laid eyes on and he can't shut up about it. Now certain of Dimple's honesty, Mob discharges all of his psychic energy in an explosion of 100% Trust.
Dimple still isn't convinced, however: the barrier he erects to shield himself dashes Mob to the floor. Why would the boy render himself defenseless like this? Does Mob... not take his power seriously? Mob gently calls him out on his threats and explains. Dimple's blunt teardown of his shirt and his purported popularity won his full trust; he apologizes for blowing the spirit off, thanks him, offers to properly hear him out on any of his future ambitions... then collapses. Seems he didn't reserve any of his power for himself.
Dimple stands at the cusp of godhood, but it still doesn't satisfy his soul. The now-somewhat-less-sleazy ghost realizes that the goal animating him for so long wasn't really what he was after, then resolves to cleanse everyone's memories of the fake Psycho Helmet and uproot the Tree according to Mob and Reigen's original plans. Unfortunately, the Broccoli—having gained sentience—is listening... and all too ready to wage war over Mob's now-dozing body for sustenance just as the two are headed home.
The spirit shields Mob under a barrier, and mounts a valiant charge against the Divine Tree as it spawns thousands of clones in self-defense. As powerful as Dimple has grown, he can't win this and he knows it.
Cut to Mob's eyes opening, unfocused, uncomprehending. His limbs don't seem to work either. Are they home yet? No, says Dimple; he needed a break. The spirit hypnotizes the teenager, commanding him to rise despite everything and find his own way home. As Mob-under-hypnosis exhorts the still-present crowd to do the same, the Broccoli consumes Dimple's form and begins to crumble...
The uprooted plant soars across citizens' TV screens, gradually erasing the day's events from everyone's memories. Including Mob's.
Tropes appearing in this episode include:
- Badass in Distress: Applies to both Dimple and Mob in this episode:
- Mob's dumping his psychic energy in an explosion of 100% Trust unexpectedly catches up to him a little while later, leaving him too weak to stand or, eventually, stay awake. The Divine Tree wants the sleeping boy for sustenance and almost makes off with him.
- After Dimple relinquishes control of the Divine Tree, it attains sentience and wages a war with him over Mob's sleeping body using an army of freshly-spawned clones. They stretch his abilities to their limits; he's shown quite a few times struggling to keep up.
- Brutal Honesty: Dimple is unable to restrain himself from verbally shredding Mob's hideous monkey shirt. It wins Mob's trust, triggering an emotional explosion.
- Bridal Carry: After snatching him away from an avatar of the Tree, Dimple carries Mob's somnolent form in this fashion before setting him down and encircling him with a barrier.
- Botanical Abomination: The Broccoli after it becomes sentient and assumes Psycho Helmet's now-vacant identity. It generates Plant Mooks and is also apparently carnivorous.
- Chrome Champion: Dimple not only appears to be encased in gold; his footfalls and punches sound heavy and metallic as well. He extends his finger into a spike sharp enough to slice off a lock of Mob's bangs, as a threat.
- Depower: Mob realises that Dimple is too afraid of him not to hide behind the considerable defenses he's accumulated. The teenager therefore temporarily relinquishes his own powers in an explosion of 100% Trust, so that he and Dimple can talk out their differences as something closer to equals. While this does lead to Dimple giving up his schemes of godhood, it also means that Mob can't defend himself from Psycho Helmet.
- Glowing Flora: Some of the vegetation inside the Broccoli glows. The luminescence becomes more intense after Dimple abandons his thirst for godhood.
- I'm Crying, but I Don't Know Why: After seeing news footage of the Broccoli flying up and out of the city, Mob heads to his room to lie down... and breaks down in tears, thanking the absent Dimple for his friendship. While he can't remember exactly what happened, Mob seems to realise on some level that Dimple is gone.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Dimple, as promised, removes everyone's memories of the fake Psycho Helmet he created... and the events in this episode.
- Lying to Protect Your Feelings: Dimple uses some of his remaining energy to mentally shield Mob from the sight of his partially-consumed and lacerated body. Mob sees the familiar green blob from earlier in the series waving back at him instead.
- Now, Let Me Carry You: Mob reveals he discarded too much of his power; he is too weak to walk as a result. Dimple—normally the weaker of the two—hoists the boy up and carries him on his back as he drifts off to sleep.
- One-Man Army: Dimple against the Broccoli. He puts up a hell of a fight against what appear to be thousands of its clones—some sprouting out of thin air outside the Tree—before finally succumbing.
- Power of Trust: Mob's trust in Dimple has inspired much of the spirit's taking a level in kindness over the course of the series. His full awareness of that trust here leads him to sacrifice himself to the Divine Tree, in order to protect Mob and release the boy's hometown from its influence.
- Power-Strain Blackout: Mob accidentally dumps too much of his psychic energy during 100% Trust, leaving him too weak to stay conscious.
- Speak in Unison: Zig-zagged. Broccoli!Psycho Helmet's endless supply of clones all command Dimple to 'hand [Mob] over', their voices sync up and de-sync randomly to disturbing effect.
- Single-Episode Handicap: Exploited. Mob's Power-Strain Blackout has this effect on him. Before he loses consciousness he's unable to move, and when he comes to, he's also temporarily blind. Ordinarily he would be immune to Dimple's hypnosis, but the spirit takes advantage of the circumstances to do so and help him get home safely.
- Sincerity Mode: The normally sardonic Dimple voices his admiration and deep respect for Mob a few times during this episode.
- Victory by Endurance: While the various Psycho Helmet clones aren't particularly strong, their sheer numbers allow them to overwhelm Dimple and chip away at his power. By the time he sends Mob on his way, Dimple has lost chunks of his body and is too weak to save himself from Psycho Helmet.
- What You Are in the Dark: Mob realises that Dimple could have achieved his plans of godhood at any time with the Broccoli, but he kept trying to reach out to Mob and make them partners specifically because he wanted Mob to be part of his dream. This leads Mob to relinquish his powers and call Dimple's bluff, showing he completely trusts the spirit. This trust is proven in the episode's final act, when Dimple is actually able to hypnotize Mob for the first time. He sends the boy home to keep him safe from Psycho Helmet.
- Zerg Rush: 'Lord Psycho Helmet' overwhelms God!Dimple with seemingly-limitless reserves of broccoli puppets, though not without a fight.
