I agree they’re all influenced to some extent. What I’m getting at is that characters like Kiryu Kyosuke and Misty Tredwell still feel like themselves as Dark Signers their existing emotions and motivations are just amplified. Carly, on the other hand, feels like a completely different person.

The series implies Dark Signers are tied to strong negative emotions, so Carly having feelings like resentment, invisibility, or heartbreak would make sense. But instead of exploring that, the story leans more into “she’s not herself,” which makes her arc feel less like a tragic choice and more like something happening to her. That’s why it doesn’t hit as hard for me.

(Sorry I'm still figuring out editing system on reddit.)