Responses
Idk I feel like it was also something like that to some extent. Like, the more of an actual dick they were, the better the brainwashing worked. Like they were nice to "Selonia" because she was their crewmate and hot, but would still possibly be dicks to a rando lady (especially Macryan and whatshisname fiance). The fiance in particular strikes me as a person who would be an ass to a server at a restaurant for no reason. That's just my impression tho
Yk I hate stories where it turns out that the ML candidates started acting shitty under the influence of magic or brainwashing. IMO, that makes them more of a victim than the actual MC. Yeah MC might've been treated bad by them but the guys literally had someone mess with their head and/or control their actions. They also end up with bad rep and face the consequences of something they had no control over. Even in this story, MC forgives the Priest and Dragon dude but is holding onto a grudge against the fiance. He was also a fucking victim!
This trope is best done in the "The one within the villainess", where it turned out that the magic/brainwashing only worked on people who had those thoughts anyway and the brainswashing just amplified their feelings.