#I DISAGREE: An Ibuki Mioda SDR2 Protagonist Swap AU

[goshdangronpa]

Even with a sizable cast of huge personalities, the stories of Danganronpa eventually center around a cluster of major supporting characters alongside the protagonist. Stalwart allies, staunch rivals, the hearts of the team, the pains in the neck. "I DISAGREE: An Ibuki Mioda SDR2 Protag Swap AU" is no different.

These Hands are Meant to Hold: The Major Side Characters

With that said, the characters who fills those slots in this AU are very different from the ones in the real SDR2. That’s on purpose: I prioritized those who don’t stick around for much of the story. As I promised in that first post, this story will see different victims, different killers, and different survivors. More fun that way, right? Here are my ideas:

The Ultimate Imposter: Every DR game needs that one character who basically carries the early class trials. The Ultimate Imposter - or rather, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny - is a big help, using keen observation skills in the investigations and handily shutting down irrelevant tangents (including from Ibuki) during the trials. Ibuki’s creativity helps piece together the evidence they gather, making them a formidable duo for any blackened. Already fast friends in the game, this AU would see the girl trying to solve the mysteries of this authoritative and snobby yet tenderhearted and protective person. Yet she can’t help thinking that there’s an even deeper mystery to “Byakuya Togami” - a secret that, once revealed, will test the fire-forged strength of their relationship.

Hiyoko Saionji: If Imposter is the Kyoko to Ibuki’s Makoto, then Hiyoko is the Byakuya (not to be confused with the Imposter pretending to be Byakuya …). She needs little provocation, if any, to insult and belittle her peers. Even the revelation of once being besties with Ibuki and Mikan won’t convince her to be any kinder - though it vindicates her close connection with Mahiru. As the bodies pile up, though, the Twilight Syndrome Girls come together as they should’ve in SDR2 (seriously, how was there no follow-up to that discovery after Chapter 2?!). Moreover, Hiyoko discovers that she can channel her aggressiveness to more selfless and self-sacrificing ends.

Hajime Hinata: Yep, you gotta make room for good ol’ Jimmy - whether he wants it or not. He’s the odd man out among the gang specifically for not being so odd. WIth arguably the game’s flashiest character stealing his lead role, he serves the thankless duty as her suffering straight man. This just takes the derisiveness he already shows toward his classmates in-game and really brings it out. Once he starts getting to know everyone, though, he does warm up to them. The challenge, then, is whether he can stifle his envy of his peers’ Ultimate talents. And later on, even his status as “the only normal person in the group” will be shaken to its core.

Mikan Tsumiki: After foaming at the mouth and passing out at the beach, Ibuki awakens to see the Ultimate Nurse treating her, making Mikan the first person Ibuki meets one-on-one. The timid girl and the loudmouth rock star make a strange pair, but they stick together as this strange situation unfolds. When a murder most foul takes place, Mikan’s medical expertise comes in clutch. Even as other loud voices try to drown her out, Ibuki’s perfect hearing can pick up her whimpers and make her words heard. There’s more I want to say about this … but I’m saving all that for a separate post. Same for tsumioda.

In fact, same for all these people. Same for Nagito Komaeda as well - I haven’t forgotten him, don’t worry. Maybe the same for a few others, though I may save the breakdowns of everyone else’s roles for other posts about individual murders, investigations, and trials. Suffice to say that in my current conception, the above four are the most important people in the Protagonist Ibuki story - and I take that straight from the original SDR2. The real question, to which even I’m not sure of the answer, is, “But are they the survivors?”

PREV: Ibuki in the Trials

NEXT: Starting the Game with Despair Disease

[goshdangronpa]

It warms my heart (and really surprises me) that people are finding and engaging with my "I DISAGREE: An Ibuki Mioda SDR2 Protag Swap AU" posts! Thank yall so much~ Feel free to send asks and stuff, I'm happy to engage right back!

[goshdangronpa]

I’m no mystery writer. I can’t promise airtight murder cases. Still, I have quite a lot of ideas for the first chapter of "I DISAGREE: An Ibuki Mioda SDR2 Protag Swap AU." Let me piece together something - or some of something, anyway - for our new protagonist to piece together in her first pitched battle against sheer despair. Strap in, cuz it’s a long one.

We've All Been Looking for the One: The First Trial

The Monokuma File only confirms the obvious. The victim: Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer. Time of death: when else but in the dead of night? Cause of death: impalement, as evidenced by the gushing tunnel connecting gut and back.

Ibuki screamed even louder than Hiyoko, drawing everyone - including the bear. Hajime vomited. Byakuya fell on his knees. Fuyuhiko bemoaned the bastard who did this. Mikan broke down. Monokuma cheered. Everyone else cried out. But with a limited window before the imminent trial, there was no time to grieve - only to investigate.

Let’s follow the investigation and trial through the main suspects:

Nagito finds the Ultimate Kendoka’s sword at the bottom of the swimming pool, definitely not where Byakuya had stowed it after confiscating it. Only this could be the murder weapon, and surely only its wielder could use it so effectively. Her do-nothing demeanor could be a put-on for all anyone knows, and her being barricaded like every other patient means nothing when Chiaki also somehow escaped.

<Peko Pekoyama!>

Fuyuhiko vigorously defends her, leading everyone to question why he paid so much more attention to her than anyone else. Ibuki notes that before even knowing the girl was sick, he noticed that she wasn’t at the restaurant and rushed to find her. Peko says they should stop hiding their connection. That’s how everyone learns that the two have known each other practically since birth. The Ultimate Kendoka is the Ultimate Yakuza’s lifelong bodyguard and companion.

Ibuki thinks it’s adorable that he did so much to protect her. The others feel differently …

<Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu!>

A few things become clear: the killer needed access to the sword, and they couldn’t have been stuck in a room. So, either a patient with help from staff (Fuyuhiko released Peko, who killed Chiaki) or a member of the staff on their own (Fuyuhiko did it himself to cure Peko). Fuyuhiko had already shown a willingness to kill before this sudden pivot to nursing. Maybe he volunteered specifically to become the blackened after all!

“No, that’s wrong!” Hajime’s been practically nonfunctional after seeing Chiaki’s corpse. Though he’ll never know it in this AU, her presence in the trials would’ve grounded him in a way no one else could, enabling him to suss out contradictions and find the truth. This is what allows another person to become the protagonist. With Fuyuhiko in the crosshairs, though, he’ll finally spring into action. “Peko would’ve died too,” he continues, “and he’d never let that happen.”

A few other clues will vindicate the pair. I like the idea that Hajime is Fuyuhiko’s alibi because they spent the whole night in bed together. Kuzuhina fans, rejoice! (Fuyuhiko, too straightedge to let the implications stand, insists they just watched samurai movies until they passed out.)

This is when Ibuki and Mikan realize something crucial. “She wasn’t acting like herself,” Fuyuhiko says about Peko’s recent behavior shift. He’s the only one who’d know what any patient was like before the island. It’s no coincidence that they started acting weird when they fell ill. The illness itself radically altered their personalities! “It’s like Opposite Day Disease,” Ibuki shouts, “or Being-Really-Different Disease!” (And this is why I chose Peko as one of the infected!)

Monokuma confirms their theory, but claims dibs on naming the malady he invented. He dubs it Despair Disease.

<Byakuya Togami!>

Up to this point, Ibuki’s mostly been little more than a contributor to the trial’s progress. Byakuya Togami dominates the conversation with his self-proclaimed leadership role. His keen observation skills and high intellect back him up. What he can’t quite manage is to piece together a clear narrative of the night’s events, though he still expects everyone to catch up with him.

Several things become clear:

The staff were around the contagious patients long enough that someone could’ve caught Despair Disease from them.

The symptoms of the infected cleared up after Chiaki’s murder, though the exact timeframe is unknown.

Hajime and Fuyuhiko are each other’s alibis.

Ibuki and Mikan, having also shared a bed (Hiyoko: “Hey, is that hotel a love hotel?”), are each other’s alibis.

(I've learned that two people can’t just be each other’s alibis. Just assume there was an awkward moment, very late at night, where Mikan and Fuyuhiko tried sneaking out of what they both know to be, respectively, Ibuki and Hajime’s rooms. They both ducked back in and apparently stayed.)

No one saw Byakuya after the group split and left Ibuki’s room.

Byakuya was the one who insisted on storing Peko’s sword.

He also insisted on keeping its location secret from everyone else.

The alleged leader and protector of the group doesn’t take the subsequent accusations well. (Being the only one on staff who slept alone that night doesn’t help.) Ibuki’s confident that he’d never murder someone in a million years, but vibes alone aren’t enough for others to drop their suspicions. This is her moment to shine as the protagonist! Her vivid imagination allows her to conceive possibilities that wouldn’t cross anyone else’s minds and devise creative solutions that most would immediately dismiss.

One funky idea I had for how his name gets cleared involves Chiaki’s nails. While examining her corpse, Ibuki notices dark marks beneath them - flesh, torn off when the victim fought back. Kitty had claws, but who bears the claw marks? Only one way to find out: “Quick! Take off your top!” With no choice but to remove his dinner jacket and undershirt, Byakuya shows no signs of that damage on his chest, arms, or back.

Pants are out of the question. At least, not until others expose their upper halves first. Despite Teruteru’s insistence, they start with the boys:

The slim Fuyuhiko is free of marks.

So is the surprisingly wide-chested Hajime … “but,” Ibuki teases, “you already knew that, didn’t you, Hiki-chan?”

Nagito has scars, but they’re old. Mikan correctly guesses they’re from past surgeries.

Kazuichi, who’s been near-catatonic since being discovered in his room, is reluctant to move, let alone strip. Ibuki recalls that his crazy pecs were exposed throughout his entire hospital stay. They thought that finding him with his jumpsuit zipped up was a sign of normalcy …

The others urge him to comply. With great reluctance, he unzips. This action reveals a bloodstained wifebeater.

<Kazuichi Soda!>

More on the murder and execution, next week.

PREV: The Killing Game's First Victim

NEXT: The First Blackened

[goshdangronpa]

“The beats of the beginning will stay the same.” That’s what I said last week. But rewatching justonegamr’s playthrough of SDR2 convinced me that “Starting the Game with Despair Disease” is a real misnomer. I want to break down the first three days of “I DISAGREE: An Ibuki SDR2 Protag Swap AU,” showing what those beats are like from Ibuki’s POV. Along the way, I’ll illustrate the impact that moving the Despair Disease to Chapter 1 would make, show how these events push her to the protagonist role, and even reveal who suffers from the disease in this AU.

Fear of Dying: The AU Narrative's Chaotic First Three Mornings

Morning 1

Ibuki Mioda introduces herself, excited for her very first day at Hope’s Peak Academy. She’s concerned that the school won’t take kindly to the newly minted Ultimate Light Musician’s shift to heavier styles, but otherwise she’s eager to make friends, have new experiences, and live her best life.

The first 20 minutes of SDR2 play out from her POV, with the same overwhelming disorientation. When Hajime faints, Ibuki assumes he dropped dead, foams at the mouth, and drops like a domino. Mikan Tsumiki wakes her up quickly, doing her duty as Ultimate Nurse.

Ibuki’s only out for a minute. Everyone’s still at the beach, making character introductions more like THH than the original SDR2.

An unseen moment from the latter narrative plays out: Byakuya Togami, the most clear-headed of the bunch, tells everyone to pair up and fan out. Ibuki takes her rescuer around the islands, eventually winding up in a supermarket. It’s there that they meet the now-revived Hajime Hinata, escorted by the chill and kind Nagito Komaeda.

The rest of the prologue plays out the same: everyone reconvenes at the beach, shares their findings, expresses unease. Usami pops up with presents as promised, and Ibuki’s first to dismiss the Usami Straps, then first to grab a swimsuit. She and most of the rest relax enough to take a dip … then Monokuma enters the picture. Ibuki doesn’t faint this time, but she does foam at the mouth again.

Morning 2

As she says in SDR2, Ibuki doesn’t sleep a wink out of sheer dread. She still tries to maintain her good humor, though she understands why it takes two separate visits from two different people to drag poor, terrified Kazuichi Soda out of his cottage.

Also like in SDR2, she totally approves of Byakuya proclaiming himself the group’s leader and protector. He seems reliable, and his presence is impressive.

After Byakuya shows everyone the suspiciously bomb-shaped countdown timer that appeared in Jabberwock Park overnight, Nagito makes the same speech about the need for everyone to strengthen their bonds. Unlike certain others, Ibuki doesn’t find it cringe. It becomes her motivation for hanging out with her classmates in her free time (as opposed to, say, playing music or napping). Let’s say she uses her FTEs to shoot the breeze with the delightfully dutiful kendo master Peko Pekoyama and get schooled at a favored hobby by the too-chill-to-function gamer girl Chiaki Nanami.

Evening 2

Just when she’s ready to take a pre-dinner nap, Ibuki hustles to the park for Monokuma’s little show. The reveal about the theft of their memories from their time at Hope’s Peak makes Ibuki foam at the mouth again. Mikan’s getting concerned for her health, but freaking out seems normal for such a freaky situation!

When Monokuma adds that there’s a traitor in the group, Mikan takes her turn to freak out, insisting it’s not her. Ibuki thinks nothing of the outburst, silently agreeing with Byakuya that the bear must be making it up. As with Hajime in SDR2, though, she can’t help thinking that because of Monomi’s tampering, Monokuma’s right about one thing: “You guys don’t really know anything about each other.”

As everyone heads back to their cottages, Ibuki catches up with Byakuya. She’s got an idea: if no one really knows each other yet, how about an icebreaker? They should throw a party, and Ibuki can provide the entertainment. Byakuya approves. Sleep comes a little easier, and she’ll send invites out in the morning.

Morning 3

Nagito doesn’t have time to hatch a scheme and send a threatening letter to Byakuya like in SDR2. Instead, the cast find him at the restaurant, where he accuses anyone in sight and thought of being the traitor, a robot, someone else in disguise, and other crazy conspiracy theories.

Kazuichi is already there, too, his boiler suit unzipped to reveal surprising musculature. The most cowardly classmate is now openly challenging Monokuma to a wrestling match, giving Akane stiff competition for sheer recklessness.

Chiaki must’ve gotten a really good sleep, because she’s hyperactive now. Worse, the gamer’s salty side comes out. Her surliness gives even the openly dangerous Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu pause.

All this might be easier to deal with if Peko Pekoyama was around. Fuyuhiko goes to fetch her, and Mahiru Koizumi - whom Fuyuhiko had implicitly threatened to murder the night before - sends Hajime with him. They have to carry her in: she’s too laidback and apathetic to care about anything.

It’s just been a series of upheavals for Ibuki. Each attempt at optimism and enthusiasm is completely rebuffed by forces beyond her control. Now it looks like several of her peers are already snapping! Then Monokuma reveals that they came down with a weird disease, and then Mikan calls for volunteers to help treat these patients. Ibuki immediately steps up. If there’s anything she can do to help - and to get some small bit of control over this constantly shifting situation - she’ll do it. And that’s how Ibuki Mioda becomes a protagonist. I’ll move on to how the Despair Disease progresses in the next installment.

Prev: Starting the Game with Despair Disease

Next: Group Bonding in the Time of Despair Disease

[goshdangronpa]

Thinkin about my old ideas for "I DISAGREE: An Ibuki Mioda SDR2 Protag Swap AU" and remembered what I wanted to post next. Previously, I talked about how Ibuki might be like as a protagonist, but I didn't get into what she'd be like during the class trials. So, let's get into it!

One Step Closer to the Edge: Ibuki in the Trials

Hajime and the other DR protagonists approach class trials by piecing together clues and finding holes in arguments. Ibuki has never shown an aptitude for that kind of reasoning. She contributes almost nothing during the two class trials in which she’s present.

To be clear, Ibuki’s not a total idiot, either - though it’d be great if she’s briefly stumped when asked to name the number of sides in an octagon (“Rock stars don’t need to know calculus!” “Ibuki, it’s basic geometry …”). If she hopes to determine the killer and save everyone else, she’ll need to tap into different strengths:

Perfect listening! In Chapter 1, Ibuki boasts about her extraordinary ability to … tell which of her classmates is talking when it’s dark. Not that impressive, with everyone having a distinct voice and manner of speech, but I’ve always loved the notion that her hearing is enhanced as a result of her Ultimate Light Musician talent. Imagine an SDR2 that includes Mass Panic Debates before their introduction in V3. Years of discerning the layers in complex instrumentals would help Ibuki sort through the noise of the hysteria and find the arguments that matter most.

Perfect recall! What is impressive about her contribution in Chapter 1 isn’t that she recognizes her classmates’ voices, but that she remembers everyone’s exact words and the order in which they talked. That’s quite a memory! Something like that could really come in handy down the line, with mysteries built around a need to carefully remember events. Maybe Monokuma could even decide that instead of offering a limited number of details in a Monokuma file, he should just destroy all the e-Handbooks. That would require Ibuki to exercise this ability like never before.

BS detector! I swear it’s not just because I’m a big fan of the mystery-of-the-week TV series Poker Face. Look, Ibuki’s living her truth right now, but that’s only after spending a long time hiding behind a conformist facade. That experience helps her recognize when someone isn’t being fully honest. (It’s a good thing this is just a narrative and not an actual Danganronpa game!) As fellow Poker Face fans might recognize, this seemingly busted ability comes with its own challenges: figuring out exactly why someone is lying, learning to discern when someone only believes they’re telling the truth, and so on. Then there’s Byakuya Togami, who seems honest but has something just a little off about him.

There’s also her sharp wit and fair level of intelligence. Moreover, she has a genuine fondness for her classmates, striving to overcome their barriers and see who they are at their core. All this should combine to make her a shining star on the stand. Of course, she’ll get by with a little help from her friends … but that's for another post.

Anyway, I'm surprised more Danganronpa protag swaps don't account for the differences that their stars have from the actual protags. It's fun to think of how each character might use their own strengths to guide their approach to this kind of situation.

PREV: What Would Ibuki Be Like as the Main Character of SDR2?

NEXT: The Major Side Characters

[goshdangronpa]

So, remember that post I wrote about conceptualizing a version of Super Danganronpa 2 with Ibuki Mioda as the protagonist? Well:

I DISAGREE: An Ibuki Mioda SDR2 Protag Swap AU

This probably won't evolve into a fully-written fanfic, though I might write some excerpts from the narrative. It definitely won't be a whole-ass video game mod - I can't even edit pictures. Just a loose series of Tumblr posts (maybe even something on AO3?) where I hash out ideas on this AU for as long as it amuses me.

The gist is right in that lengthy title: Ibuki is the main character in the story instead of Hajime Hinata. Common wisdom holds that she's best left as a side character. Big, bubbly personalities like hers rarely make it past Chapter 3 in these games anyway. But she's the closest thing I have to a blorbo, and I think it could work.

As promised in that initial post, there will be different victims! Different killers! Different survivors! And, as anyone who follows me would already expect, heaps of bandaid/tsumioda! Keep your eyes peeled for more!

(And yes, that name is a tribute to Poppy, the closest thing I have to a pop artist I stan.)

NEXT: What Would Ibuki Be Like as the Main Character of SDR2?