#and decided not to go back to until i finish dr2

[aparticularbandit]

and another chapter of the dr1 end rewrite fic into the backlog.

[trubbishrubbish]

I’m going to come clean about something that has been nagging me for a really long time.

I created this blog on Jan 30th, (don’t ask why I make an anniversary post on the 31st) so that day is indeed the  anniversary of my blog, but it’s not the anniversary for when I met Genocide Jack and fell in love with her. I wanted to find out what day I first declared I loved this serial killer. So I went down a little rabbit hole of old posts and messages made by me.

Note: This is going to be a very long rambly mess.

As explained in this post of how I first discovered Danganronpa, I first watched a playthrough of the games in 2018 but I did not mention a specific day in 2018, I forgot what day it was. I knew it was somewhere in November-December but that’s it. I didn’t exactly write down my thoughts on the game while watching so I have no idea when I watched each game, and I assumed I never will.

However, I decided to dive into my old Game Diary blog and found that I did make a few posts about Danganronpa! Just barely enough information to make a timeline.

So this is when I finished watching DR1. November 30th. 4 days later, I made this post and I found this discord message of mine.

In those 4 days, I finished watching DR2. And the character I was hinting at was Byakuya (ugh) I still remember what profile pic I used. (Barf)

And then, 4 days later again...

I finished watching V3.

And then many days later, I made my cursed top ten favorite Danganronpa characters. (Don’t try to find it. It’s so cringe)

Why did I wait so long to make this top ten?

Genocide Jack was still in my mind but I didn’t realize yet she was the one. I still thought Byakuya was my fav. But... What about Ultra Despair Girls? That is the one game I have not seen up until this point.

I don’t really remember how I came aware of UDG and the fact that Jack is back in it and is playable. But sometime in December, I knew I didn’t want to just watch a playthrough of UDG. I wanted to buy it. So I went to Gamestop, saw that UDG was available on the shelf, I picked it up... And I didn’t buy it. I went home and watched a entire video that summarized the whole game’s plot. I have no idea WHY I DID THAT. I spoiled the whole game for me when I could have played it blind lol. But this is nothing new for me. Before I actually watched the playthrough of DR1, I watched the youtuber’s closing thoughts about the game first and was spoiled of the big twist about the outside world. Lol.

Anyway, this is when I actually first played UDG.

This is when I finished playing UDG.

And on this same post I made said this.

So, I was really really into Genocide Jack at this point. Like, I think I was debating which character I liked more, Jack or Byakuya, and Jack (THANKFULLY) was becoming more prominent in my mind.

And hey! January 27th! 3 days from when I made this blog. But I must have made an announcement about how I was going to make a new, fandom blog right?

I did and EEEEUGHHHHH. What is wrong with past me? I was still acting like I liked him? I was in the middle of playing UDG and freaking out about seeing Genocide Jack and switching to her. I can’t find a true post about when I said I loved Genocide Jack. I even tried to look on my old reddit account but I didn’t find any answers.

I made this post about UDG on Jan 4th and gushed about Genocide Jack.

But I made a cringe meme with Byakuya in it on the 21st so I have no idea what side my brain is on.

There is this post tho.

It’s cringe. Some trend on the sub at the time where people used this template and paltered a character they liked. I remember that I wanted to make this but I was caught between either Jack or Byakuya and for some reason I was having a hard time deciding. So I used a coin flip and the results of that led me to using Jack. I used to look back on this post before and wonder if this when I shifted everything in my thinking.

Two days later, I made this rather silly (and really lewd) sprite rating post and commissioned a Genocide Jack icon. (The same one for the game blog lol)

And then I made this blog and only talked about Genocide Jack from here on out?

So was it that really that reddit post that finally made me stop caring about Byakuya and only care about Jack? Maybe but I don’t want it to be that because I would hate that the reason why I love Genocide Jack was based on a coin flip and that would further make me think that if the coin resulted in Byakuya, I would still like him. That’s a terrible thing. Also that reddit meme is shitty. I’m not giving credit for changing my life to a reddit meme.

So, with this trip down memory lane, what did we learn? Well, I was stupid for thinking I liked Byakuya. I really getting sick of having to type this past fact about me. Like, I really really want to just throw up at the thought of me, giving a positive thought to that rich bastard. I don’t even care if people who like Byakuya are reading this. Fuck him. He’s awful.

What I do know is I have reaffirmed why I celebrate the creation of my blog as the first time I love Genocide Jack. This blog was a fresh new start for a new identity of me. Leaving behind a version of me that wasn’t bad per say, but just not fulfilling enough, no motivation to create art and improve my skills, no groups I could join in and find people that would be life long friends, no single character that is a comfort for me, that makes me feel happy, safe, and warm. That version of me, If I kept living life without Genocide Jack, I don’t think I would be as happy as I am today. Genocide Jack is so important to me. She is my everything. I owe her so much. I love her so much.

So... Going back to why I made this post in the first place, I don’t need an specific date for when I first loved Genocide Jack. That date isn’t important. It’s just a point of time. Genocide Jack is more important than that. All I know is that there was a time before I loved Genocide Jack and me currently loving Genocide Jack. I am still currently loving Genocide Jack. For how long exactly? Again, doesn’t matter. My blog is 4 years old now. But my love for Genocide Jack stick by for as long as I can.

Thank you for reading. And thank you, Genocide Jack. Genocider Syo.  Genocide Jill. Genocider Sho.

[shslrose]

Promise - Mondo Owada x Reader

It’s been a few days since the killing school life began. So far, no has died, but you’re still nervous. You had promised Taka that you’d come to the morning meeting in the dining hall, so when the morning Monokuma announcement plays, you make your way there.

It wasn’t long before you were standing in front of the door to the dining hall, when you suddenly ran into none other than the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader himself, Mondo Owada. Honestly, you find him quite attractive, or, you would, if he wasn’t so scary. He is the leader of the most feared biker gang in all of Japan, after all.

You recall the first time you met him easily. You had entered Hope’s Peak Academy one morning, walked into the entrance hall, fainted, and then woke up in a classroom you’d never seen before. When you had made your way back to the main hall, a group of Ultimates was waiting there.

The group seemed to have broken out into unorganized confusion, but a boy with black hair and red eyes took charge immediately. 

“May I please have everyone’s attention?!” He called out, and everyone turned to look at him. He then introduced himself as Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass. He went on to suggest we all introduce ourselves to each other so that we could understand our situation better.

Everyone seemed to agree to his idea, so you turned around and introduced yourself to the first person you saw: a tall boy with a strange haircut, wearing a long black coat and baggy pants. He looked like something of a delinquent, but you also found him rather attractive.

“Um, hi,” you said softly, slightly intimidated by his height and aggressive demeanor. “I’m Y/N… Y/N L/N, the Ultimate [talent].”

“The name’s Mondo Owada, nice to fuckin’ meetcha.”

You snapped back to reality, blushing slightly as you realized you had been staring at him for a few moments while you were lost in thought.

“Oh,” you said softly. “Good morning, Mondo.”

“Like hell it is!” he scoffed. “The day I beat the stuffing outta that goddamned bear, that’ll be a good fucking morning.”

“O-oh..I guess you’re right,” you said, a bit dejected. Before he could say anything else, you opened the door to the dining hall and walked inside. 

“...Damnit!” He exclaimed, letting out a frustrated sigh. He hadn’t meant to be so aggressive, he just couldn’t help it. His problem with aggression was only aggravated by the fact that he found you to be utterly beautiful, which made him nervous in your presence. 

A few minutes later, and all fifteen of you had gathered in the dining hall. It seemed like a normal morning, until Monokuma showed up.

“I’ve got a beary big surprise for you all!” exclaimed Monokuma. “Can you guess it? Can ya? Welllll, you don’t hafta, cause I’ll tell ya! It’s a special video for each of you showing you what’s going on outside the school!”

A...video...showing you...what’s going on...outside the school…?

“Outside the school?” Makoto asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Why dontcha just watch it, and find out?!” Monokuma retorted.

“Fine,” replied Kyoko, who sat in the back of the dining hall. “Then we can go to the A/V room and watch it right now.”

Monokuma disappeared, like usual, leaving the group confused. Curiosity and confusion dominated the conversation that broke out as everyone tried to make sense of Monokuma’s actions.

Eventually, everyone decided to go watch the videos, and so the group made their way to the A/V room. Makoto had gone ahead first, and when you arrived at the room with everyone else, there was a grave look on his pale face. Quickly, everyone grabbed their individual DVDs and rushed to a monitor.

When you watched yours, a video of your family appeared on the screen, wishing you good luck at Hope’s Peak Academy, but then the video suddenly changed to an image of your home that looked completely destroyed. If that weren’t bad enough, you saw blood splattered across the wall.

Blinking back tears, you stumbled away from the monitor. You began to hear outbursts from your classmates, but it was all muffled to you.

“This.. this can’t be real…!” “No.. no way…!” “What..is..this?!”

You couldn’t process it at all. The black and white bear, this killing school life… none of it made any sense. 

“N-no,” you mumbled quietly to yourself. There was a part of you that realised you were trembling, but you didn’t have the energy to try to stop it. “Why..why is this...happening…”

“Y/N?” Taka called out, noticing your distress. “Are you alright?”

You barely even heard him. Desperation and fear struck you, and you quickly ran from the room, tears clouding your vision.

Without a thought, you stumbled into an empty classroom. Your mind was completely blank as you tried to make sense of everything that was happening. You were scared for your family, and you were scared for yourself. What if someone tried to kill you because of the motive video they watched? Anxiety and fear built up inside you quickly...

You had no idea how much time had passed when suddenly the door opened, revealing none other than the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader himself.

“Ah, Y/N! You’ve been gone all day, everyone was worried…!” He exclaimed, smiling at the fact that he had found you, before his expression was quickly replaced with a look of concern. Your face had gone pale and your eyes were nearly vacant. 

Before you even knew what you were doing, you rushed forward and hugged him, pressing yourself firmly against his chest. 

“Oh! Y/N..?” You could hear the surprise in his voice, he hadn’t expected you to hug him, but he quickly wrapped his arms around you in return. He noted to himself that it was a man’s job to comfort a girl in distress, and he was determined to do just that. Even if he wasn’t exactly sure how.

“I’m..so scared…” you cried, feeling the weight of the situation upon you. “I don’t..wanna die..” “Hey, c’mon...it’s alright, you know? D-don’t cry…” He tried his best to comfort you, but he wasn’t sure exactly what to say. Still, his words and his presence managed to calm you enough, and allowed you to take in your situation.

“...!” The realization that you had just walked up to Mondo and hugged him unprompted hit you like a turn of bricks. Your face turned bright red with embarrassment as you pulled away. “I-I’m sorry…!”

You looked down at your hands, too embarrassed to make eye contact with him. Mondo turned away too, as a blush began to cover his face as well. 

“Tch, it’s no big deal,” he scoffed, trying to play it cool. “Besides, it’s not like I minded…”

You heard him mutter something under his breath, so you asked, “Huh?”

“I didn’t fuckin say anything…!” His blush deepened as he spoke.

“...”

“Anyways...you don’t gotta cry anymore, or feel scared, alright?” There was a confidence in his words, like he was certain in what he said.

“What do you mean…?”

“I’m gonna make you a promise, as a man!” There was a smile on his lips and a light in his eyes that you hadn’t seen before.

“A promise...as a man?”

“Hell yeah! It’s the one thing my big bro always told me! He said that no matter what, a real man always keeps his promises. Always. So, I’m gonna make you a promise as a man: I’ll protect you, and we’ll escape this school together, no matter what,” Mondo promised earnestly. “Okay?”

“O-okay..”

“Good! You can trust me when I make that promise, so now you don’t gotta cry, or feel scared, see?” He was still smiling, and by the time he finished his sentence, you were too. You hugged him again, pressing your body against his once more.

“Thank you, Mondo, I really do feel better,” you told him honestly. With the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader on your side, you felt completely safe and reassured. 

Without warning, Monokuma appeared before the two of you. 

“Ah!” You exclaimed, breaking apart from the embrace. Mondo quickly stepped in front of you, protectively. 

“Monokuma...I’ll rip ya to shreds!” He roared, clearly irritated.

“Mondooooo!” Monokuma sang cheerfully. “It’s standing up!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Mondo shot back.

“Come onnn!” Monokuma replied in the same cheerful tone. “Do ya even hafta ask?!”

As he realised what Monokuma meant, Mondo blushed for the third time that day.

Monokuma didn’t wait for a reply, and continued on. “Your flagpole! It’s standing up!”

“Get the fuck outta here!” Mondo shouted, and unexpectedly, Monokuma listened and left the room.

“Standing up…? Flagpole…?” You muttered, confused, which only seemed to make Mondo blush harder. “What did he mean?”

“Tch, w-who the hell knows?! I-I mean, that bear’s fucking insane! A total psycho freak, ya know!”

“Yeah, you’re right,” you agreed, before taking a quick glance at the clock on the classroom wall. “It’s nearly nighttime…”

“Hey, how ‘bout I walk you back to your dorm?” Mondo suggested, having calmed down.

“Sure, I’d like that,” you replied.

And so, the two of you made your way through the halls of Hope’s Peak Academy together. Although you were still scared by the killing school life, Mondo had made a promise to you, and you found comfort in that promise.

------

Read Part Two here!

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a/n - requests are currently open, for dr1, dr2, and drv3! <3

[monomonomagines]

Hello! I hope that my timezone will translate into when requests are open but I'd really like that v2 boys with a baker that stress makes and eats buttercream... Could I get that with the v2 gals? Thank ya!

Thank you so much for enjoying our other prompts like the dr2 boys with the scenario you requested. I hope that you’ll enjoy the dr2 girls with this same prompt just as much! Seriously thank you so much for your patience and support, I tried to make these a bit longer than the scenario with the boys since there was such a long wait on them so I hope that this will make the wait worth it!

DR2 Girls with a baker that stress makes and eats buttercream

Mahiru

While Mahiru tended to scold you for not taking care of yourself she never would have a time where she wouldn’t worry about you.

It was just in her nature to want to care for you and to help you out when she could and without meaning to could baby you even at times.

That was just how she was and while she expected you to eat the frosting you’d make for your delectable cakes she hadn’t imagined that you were stress eating it.

She happened to chance upon you partaking in this habit in the middle of the night when she went up to get a glass of water and immediately understood only then.

There was no cake in sight. Just you and a big bowl of frosting looking upset as you shoveled some more into your mouth.

Jeez, she really couldn’t help but think you looked cute right now but at the same time, she was worried more than ever.

Moving to wrap her arms around you she exhales a breathy sigh, feeling as if she could cry just knowing that you didn’t want to rely on her.

“S/o, I’m sorry if you’re going through anything but I’m here for you. If you need anything you can rely on me.”

She’d be firm on her stance waiting for you to move away from the bowl to pull you into a big hug, letting you bury your face in her chest or the crook of her neck as she runs her hands through your hair, gently shushing you.

“It’s alright, S/o. I’m here, you can rely on me more than you can on some frosting.”

Peko

Like Mahiru, Peko is rather smart. It’s just when it comes to emotions her knowledge may be lacking.

That’s why it was so hard for her to tell what was going on though. She had recognized early on that you definitely had a sort of reliance on eating frosting when you seemed upset but she couldn’t understand why.

All she could deduce is that it could be that you can’t rely on her or don’t want to and it drove her mad. She wanted to be helpful to the person she loved but if they don’t even want to rely on her then what should she do?

Rather than agonize over it for the rest of the week she decided she’d take initiative this time. Deciding to ambush the next time she happened to hear you using the mixer in the kitchen to whip up some more of your favorite sugary goodness.

“S/o?” Peko calls out, leaning in the archway to the kitchen, her usual stoic expression greeting you when your eyes meet.

She could tell she startled you from the way that your eyes met but instead of giving up, she decided to take a step closer to you, putting her hands on your shoulders to force you to look at her.

“S/o, I know you may not want to rely on me but please listen. I vowed I’d protect you when we became involved and I want to hold onto that promise. Please allow me to be the sword at your side, the one that will cut through all of your problems and protect you at any cost.”

Ibuki

Ibuki may not be the brightest tool in the shed but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t observant. Her ears were as good as ever so it wasn’t hard for her to pick up on this habit of yours.

Anytime you looked upset she’d end up hearing the mixer in the kitchen come to life to mix up another batch of buttercream frosting for you to indulge in.

Ibuki knew it wouldn’t be good to continue like that though so she wanted to cheer you up herself to show you that you don’t need to stress eat to feel better. She was right here and would do whatever it takes to help you out.

Ibuki does like to go out and go all out she shall! She had been working on the buttercream song as she called it for a while and was pumped to surprise you with it. As soon as she heard that mixer call out for her she knew it was her cue so with a loud yell that she’s coming in, Ibuki was there with a guitar in her hands ready to serenade you.

She didn’t wait for any reaction despite smiling at you the whole time she played. Even as she finished she didn’t let you get a word in before she could set her guitar down and throw her arms around you squeezing you nice and tight as she gave you one of her signature smiles as she presses a million kisses to your cheeks.

“Ibuki love love loves you! You can always trust her so you don’t need to rely on buttercream! Just use the buttercream song instead. Ibuki guarantees it’ll always make you feel better!”

Hiyoko

Despite Hiyoko demanding a lot of others and being a bully to them. She was always sweet as sugar when it came to you. You were the one person to get past her walls and to see the insecure and lonely girl she was deep down so she was almost never apart from you.

However, that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t notice the habit you had picked up for when you were down.

She was childish and bratty sure, but you were her number one and she couldn’t believe that you wouldn't want to rely on her the way she did on you.

Hiyoko takes most interactions as some sort of attack or something to use as ammunition when she wants to lash out but for her to notice that you always had a bowl of buttercream in the fridge even when you had no cakes and noticed it slowly disappearing every day you seemed a little down she’d break down crying right then and there.

You’d have to lean down to pull her into your arms as she whines about how you didn’t rely on her and how unfair it is, not bothering to enlighten you as to what happened until she’s calmed down.

Demanding you to pull it out of the fridge she’d examine the bowl just to end up pouting at you more than she had been before. She was right and she knew it. She wanted to be mad but when she saw that embarrassed look on your face she hesitated, opting to set down the bowl instead on the nearby counter as she pulls your arms so that they’re firmly around her again.

“You know I care about you...so I’m not mad or anything it’s just that...that I wanted you to rely on me. You wouldn’t like it if I relied on gummies instead of you right!? So just keep holding onto me. I’ll make the bad feelings go away soon!”

Mikan

Mikan loved to care for others so like Mahiru she recognized what was happening almost instantly.

She quickly could identify your triggers that made you want to stress eat before you even realized you had a problem even. That was how much she paid attention to you and she wanted you to know it.

She wasn’t nearly as confrontational as people like Mahiru or Peko but she could tell something was wrong and wanted to let you know that she did want you to rely on her and that she was glad to support you.

Waiting patiently until she sees your triggers acting up again she asks you rather suddenly if she can hold you, not mentioning the buttercream stuff until she feels that you seem calmer.

“S-S/o...um can I talk to you about s-something?” Mikan squeaks out, looking concerned before you agree with a nod of your head.

“W-well I...I know it may upset you to hear it but I...I noticed that you st-stress eat buttercream whenever you g-get stressed.”

Taking a moment to glance at you to see how you’re processing this she allows herself one shaky breath before wrapping her arms around you more tightly, pulling you into her.

“Um...and I...I want you to k-know that I’m here for you so if you d-don’t mind relying on me I’d like you to. It’d b-be healthier and um...I can always try to make you f-feel better if you need me to.”

Hesitating once more, she takes a long moment to listen to your reply before smiling at you through worried tears and pressing a big kiss to your lips.

“I p-promise I’ll take g-good care of you, S/o! I’ll always do whatever I can to make you feel good!”

Chiaki

Chiaki is certainly not as unobservant as her sleepy nature may make her seem. She was a sharp one so piecing together that you had this habit wasn’t hard for her.

Though that may also have been because whenever she’d take a nap she’d often wake up to find you eating some frosting in the kitchen or making some fresh buttercream to eat later in case you get stressed then.

Like Hiyoko, she was a bit frustrated you wouldn’t rely on her and definitely puff her cheeks out in a big pout whenever she’d wake up to hear you doing it again instead of telling her what was wrong but she wasn’t about to throw a fit over it.

Instead, she’d corner you the next time you try to get some when she’s supposed to be napping to check up on you. It’d be a stealth mission for her.

Going to “nap” as she so often did you thought nothing of it as she went to lay down on the couch. You waited a while before trying to get up in the hopes of heading to the kitchen to partake in some of your sugary sweet vice when Chiaki’s “sleeping” form grabbed onto your wrist.

“Hey,  where are you going S/o?” Chiaki asks calmly looking up at you with sleepy eyes.

You knew you couldn’t lie to her and decided that would have to be when you finally opened up which just prompted Chiaki to sit up.

Pulling you into a hug she rubs her hand up and down your back reassuringly as she admits that she already knew about your problems with frosting though she was happy that you were honest with her.

“I know that it can be hard, S/o but I’m always here for you. You can always hold onto me and take a nap or talk to me.”

Akane

Akane wasn’t the most observant person unless it came to food so it’d be easy to assume that it’d take her a while to catch onto you.

However, that was the complete opposite. Anytime you seemed down and she happened to smell buttercream on your breath or taste it when you kissed she’d give a confused expression only to fall for your usual excuse that it was just to test the frosting for another cake of yours.

However, whenever she looked around the kitchen after hearing such a thing you never had any progress towards any cakes at all. There were only complete ones or spare ingredients but never more cake for her to stuff her face with and it made it all the more obvious that something was amiss here.

Rather than go for the frosting eating issue she wanted to know why there weren’t any cakes ever when you said there were. Sitting in a chair closeby as you worked on another one of your yummy creations, Akane forced herself to hold back her drool as she asked you straight forward what was going on.

“Hey, S/o? Where are those cakes you say you’re always baking? I’ve never seen em but you always tell me you have more baking!”

Without meaning to she had cornered you. There was no getting out of it easily so you had to admit to her what was really going on and in turn have to watch her smile be replaced by a concerned look.

“S/o! I’ve been right here! Dontcha think you could rely on me a little!?”

Her outburst didn’t help your mood when you felt that she wouldn’t understand but rather than go on to make you feel worse by going on she decided it’d be best to pull you into the biggest and strongest hug she could muster, crushing you against her chest as she pressed a sloppy kiss to the top of your head.

“Just you watch S/o I’m gonna keep getting stronger so you can rely on me! You don’t need to eat frosting unless it’s the leftovers from when you frost me a big cake to eat after I beat up all of your problems!”

Sonia

Even if Sonia wasn’t accustomed to living the same way you did, she was enamored enough by you to want to try to learn.

She’d often end up watching you bake and frost your cakes so she was always confused by all the leftovers you had even if at first all she could do was put a finger to her chin to think on this perplexing factor.

It wasn’t until a week of high stress that she had her suspicions confirmed that you were stress eating and that’s when she knew she’d have to take action.

You were hers and because of that, there was no way she could allow you to rely on something like frosting when she could provide far more in terms of support of the financial kind or emotional kind. If you needed her she’d be there to hold you and make you feel better.

Deciding that it’d be best to ask you when she was enjoying her usual hobby of watching you in your element she waited patiently to ask you if she could join you once again, smiling warmly to really seal the deal.

She had made herself comfortable, sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter as she looked to you with that same smile from before.

“S/o, may I ask you a question?”

Used to her many questions you didn’t bat an eye at her sudden wish to ask something of you. In fact, you had brushed it off as nothing other than a question of how you made your buttercream.

Boy were you wrong. Before you could even prepare yourself Sonia had already loudly and clearly asked, “Why do you eat buttercream frosting when you’re stressed?”

You could tell she was concerned and didn’t mean any offense from the tone of her voice but for a while you couldn’t think of anything to say, just staring at her vacantly.

Taking your silence as an opportunity to continue Sonia stands from her position at the counter to move behind you now, wrapping her arms around you comfortingly as she pressed a small kiss to the crook of your neck.

“I’m terribly sorry if my question surprised you, S/o but I can’t allow you to keep relying on icing when I can support you myself! I’ll take it upon myself as a princess and your lover to protect you and to support you however I can.”

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

RWBY / Danganronpa AU write-up:

(After watching Game Grumps play DR this morning, I’ve had Danganronpa on the mind. So, I decided to write this up for fun)

Set-up: In an alternate universe, teams RWBY, JNPR, SSSN, and CFVY are invited to attend Hope’s Peak Academy, the next step to becoming Huntsmen and Huntresses after graduating from Beacon Academy. Monokuma traps the students there and forces them to kill each other in order to escape. 

Chapter 1

The motive for this round is “memory wipe”. If no one is killed in 24 hours, then their loved ones’ memories of them will be wiped out. No one will remember them outside of the school. This freaks out Yatsuhashi Daichi in particular due to his past traumatic experiences with his semblance. And sure enough, he is the first student to die.

During the class trial, the students have a hard time determining who the killer is. As they uncover the truth piece by piece, they soon discover that Yatsuhashi was not as innocent as it seemed. It turns out, he was actually PLANNING on committing a murder of his own. Ruby Rose then starts to wonder if Yatsuhashi was killed in self-defense, that he had actually carried out his plan but failed and was killed by his would-be victim. 

The students are about to give up until Nora Valkyrie points out that Yatsuhashi has an unexplained broken rib. The wound wasn’t fatal, which is why the students opted to ignore it. That’s when Ruby realizes that the injury could’ve been caused by a really strong punch. 

Cue the “CHOOSE THE GUILTY PERSON” minigame and Ruby selects Yang Xiao Long. After a long back-and-forth of Ruby picking apart the evidence and testimonies, as well as Yang defending herself, Ruby eventually proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Yang killed Yatsuhashi in self-defense. Yang breaks down, wondering if she inherited Uncle Qrow’s misfortune semblance.

Yang’s execution: Yang fights several robots dressed as the White Fang. Suddenly, she’s cornered by a robot dressed as Adam Taurus. Yang tries to fight him but Adam-bot strikes first, cutting off her arm (just like the show). This time, Adam-bot finishes the job by cutting off Yang’s other limbs before decapitating her. 

(students eliminated: Yatsuhashi Daichi, Yang Xiao Long / 14 students remaining)

(quick note: just like the actual Danganronpa series, I killed off Yang in the first chapter since the games killed off someone you thought would have been a major character for the rest of the game. Sayaka in DR1, Byakuya in DR2, and Kaede in DR3)

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Chapter 2

The motive for this round is “2 lies and a truth”. The group is given three statements about each other, 2 of which are false and 1 which is true. To prevent the students from just confirming which is true and which is false, Monokuma clarifies that any student who reveals the information in their cards will be killed instantly. This greatly increases the paranoia among the group. Just to give an example of this motive, Ruby’s statements are:

1) Weiss Schnee’s sister, Winter, arrested Qrow Branwen for murder, which he was framed for (in this alternate universe, this turns out to be the true statement but was written by Monokuma out of context in order to make Ruby hate Weiss)

2) Blake Belladonna’s parents scammed Taiyang Xiao Long out of a deal that would’ve made him millions of liens.

3) Lie Ren mocked Summer Rose after her death and has even pissed on her tombstone

And the victim of this round is...Sage Ayana. During the class trial, the group discusses whether anyone had any statements involving Sage. The only ones who do turn out to be Jaune, Coco, and Blake. Ruby proves that Coco was in her room at the time of the murder while Blake is cleared by Sun Wukong (he says something about how Blake needed him for help with a special project).

Side note: Blake later reveals that her special project was investigating the academy to find any clues regarding Monokuma’s identity and what happened to Hope’s Peak. 

This leaves Jaune. After prying him for information, Jaune reveals that his statement about Sage was, “Sage Ayana was planning on blackmailing Jaune’s family after finding out he forged his transcripts”. Everyone starts suspecting Jaune of being the killer because of this. Then, surprisingly, Jaune admits to killing Sage. 

However, after analyzing the evidence, Ruby realizes that Jaune is innocent and is trying to cover for the real killer. Reasoning that Jaune would only do this for people he cared for, Ruby then realizes that the killer has to be someone from JNPR. And that person turns out to be...Pyrrha Nikos. 

Despite Jaune’s attempts to defend Pyrrha, Ruby eventually proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Pyrrha killed Sage. After admitting defeat, Pyrrha says that she killed Sage on accident. She and Jaune had confronted Sage and, after a heated argument, Jaune and Sage started fighting. Pyrrha intervened, resulting in Sage’s death. 

Pyrrha’s execution: Just like the show, Pyrrha is killed by incineration. However, before she dies, Pyrrha sees that the people “responsible” for killing her are robots made to look like JN_R. 

(students eliminated: Sage Ayana, Pyrrha Nikos / 12 students remaining) 

(quick note: just like the actual games, the execution in this chapter is meant to propel one character’s arc forward. Mondo in DR1 and Peko in DR2)

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Chapter 3 

The motive for this round is control of the Schnee Dust Company. This immediately makes the group wary of Weiss, believing that she’ll try to murder someone in order to maintain control of her family’s business. Weiss tries to convince Ruby that she won’t do such a thing but Ruby, for the first time, is unconvinced of her friend’s intentions. 

This chapter is especially brutal since we have two murders to deal with. The first turns out to be Fox Alistair. Then, several minutes later, Neptune Vasilias ends up dead. 

The class trial for this chapter is especially complicated due to the two murders. First, the students find out that Neptune was the one who murdered Fox. Ruby wonders if Neptune wanted control of the Schnee Dust Company, to which Sun Wukong says that doesn’t sound like Neptune to him. When the students dig further into the evidence, they start to wonder if Neptune was working with someone.

Ruby proposes the theory that Neptune was ordered by someone to kill Fox. He was then killed by that same person so that the unknown person can claim credit for a murder and to create a complicated scenario that would help them avoid being exposed in trial. This leads to the students turning against Weiss. Ruby points out that Weiss had the most to lose from this motivation and that it would’ve been easy for her to get Neptune to do her dirty work for her (they are still romantically involved in this universe). 

After a round of intense questioning, Weiss finally breaks down and reveals that she did indeed plan everything out. She got Neptune to kill Fox and then planned to kill Neptune to complete her plan. However, she swears that she didn’t kill him. Someone else got to Neptune before she could. 

When Ruby wonders who else had a reason to kill Neptune, she realizes that the only people who could have a reason would have to be someone close to Fox. This person would also had to have seen Neptune kill Fox and were angered to the point of taking revenge, knowing that would make them the guilty party in the class trial. Ruby then narrows the suspects to two people; Fox’s teammates, Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina. 

After another intense round of questioning and battling both Coco and Velvet’s arguments, Coco finally admits to killing Neptune. She says that she saw the whole thing and because she was still dealing with Yatsuhashi’s death, she just “snapped”. Coco then bitterly remarks that if she had kept her cool and let Weiss go through with her plan, she would’ve gotten her revenge anyways since Weiss would’ve been exposed in trial. 

Coco’s execution: In a bit of irony, Coco is killed by Monokuma with her own miniguns 

(students eliminated: Fox Alistair, Neptune Vasilias, Coco Adel / 9 students remaining) 

(quick note: just like the games, 3 students are eliminated this round. Also, yes, this is a variation of the Celestia Ludenberg case) 

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Chapter 4 

The motivation for this round is...nothing! Monokuma says that he was going to give them one but, based on the previous chapter, the group doesn’t need one due to Weiss’ presence. No one, not even Ruby, feels comfortable being around Weiss, despite all her attempts to get people to trust her again. 

Eventually, the group does start to warm up to Weiss again. However, that’s when Monokuma intervenes and claims that he helped Weiss with her plot to kill Fox and Neptune. When Ruby asks how he helped her, Monokuma says that in exchange for information on how to best accomplish her murder scheme, Weiss acted as his “mole” by reporting to him directly about the group’s actions. This further enrages the group, especially Blake since she’s been trying to find a way out of Hope’s Peak Academy.

Just as the group is about to imprison Weiss, she ends up dead. Ruby finds Weiss’ body in her room, apparently having committed suicide. Ruby even finds a suicide note by Weiss’ bedside drawer.

The class trial is initially seen as a piece of cake since it’s clear that Weiss committed suicide. It’s only Ruby and Blake who are unconvinced. They insist that the group review the evidence anyways since there might be something they’re missing. 

As the groups digs deeper into the evidence, the students realize that there was indeed more to this death than they originally thought. It turns out, Weiss DIDN’T commit suicide. Someone took advantage of the group’s paranoia surrounding Weiss and her own guilt from the previous trial. They then killed Weiss and made it look like she killed herself out of despair. 

The group then starts flip-flopping on who could’ve done this. First, the group targets Velvet since she could’ve been seeking to avenge Coco and Fox. Then, the group targets Sun Wukong since he was friends with Neptune and may have been furious over how his friend was manipulated. 

Eventually, the group exposes the true killer: Scarlet David. Turns out, he also had the same idea as everyone else and was hoping that the group would focus on Velvet and Sun. Scarlet then says that he had nothing against Weiss, it was purely just to survive. However, he also says that he was justified in what he did due to Weiss’ actions in chapter 3. 

Scarlet’s execution: Scarlet is incased in ice. He is then crushed to death by Weiss’ Arma Gigas as a bit of ironic revenge from beyond the grave. 

(students eliminated: Weiss Schnee, Scarlet David / 7 students remaining) 

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Chapter 5

As the penultimate chapter, Blake’s side mission that was mentioned earlier takes the forefront. Since chapter 2, Blake, Sun, Ruby, and Jaune have been working together to solve the mystery of Hope’s Peak Academy, Monokuma, and what happened to them. In their investigation, the group discovers that a “great disaster” happened to Remnant and that it somehow involves Monokuma. 

There is no motivation this round once again. However, someone still ends up dead. The unlucky student this time around is...Nora Valkyrie. Ren is especially angered by this since Nora was his best friend/the person he was technically “together-together” with. During the investigation, Ruby is troubled by the fact that the evidence she’s been collecting doesn’t paint a logical picture. Unlike the previous murders, Nora’s death seems...unnatural. Like it shouldn’t have happened. 

The class trial for this case is arguably the toughest of the 6 trials. Nothing seems to go anywhere and, despite the breakthroughs made by Ruby, none of the evidence adds up to anything. Ruby then starts to suspect something about this trial; what if this trial is rigged? 

Ruby’s suspicions are somewhat confirmed when the group starts honing in on Blake and herself. Ren and Velvet accuse Blake and Ruby of being aloof from the group, to which they defend themselves by saying that they have their reasons for being on their own. Ruby starts to realize that this is what Monokuma wants and that Monokuma may have killed Nora himself in order to set up a case in which the only answer was either Blake or herself. 

Before Ruby can bring this up, Monokuma claims that he had nothing to do with Nora’s death. Knowing that the situation is doomed and that it was between her and Blake, Ruby takes the fall by saying that she has no alibi. Blake tries to stop Ruby from taking the fall but the group overrides her arguments. Ruby is voted off and, much to Blake and Ruby’s surprise, Monokuma proclaims that the group got the right answer. 

Ruby’s “execution”: Ruby is taken to an angry crowd where she’s laid down on a tree stump. An executioner wielding Crescent Rose appears, preparing to decapitate her. Before he can, Jaune Arc arrives and helps Ruby escape. To ensure Ruby survives, Jaune tosses Ruby down a garbage disposal chute. He’s then stabbed through the back by the executioner, killing him instantly. However, he dies with a smile on his face, knowing that he saved Ruby.  

(students eliminated: Nora Valkyrie, Jaune Arc / 5 students remaining)

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Chapter 6 

Ruby wakes up in the garbage disposal, hazy but alive. As she gathers her bearings, she’s met by Blake Belladonna, who had jumped into a different garbage disposal chute to save her. Ruby and Blake make their way out of the area and back to the main lobby. When Monokuma says that Ruby has to be executed due to Jaune’s interference, Blake argues that Ruby should never have been declared guilty in the first place due to the previous trial being obviously rigged. Blake then says that they deserve a re-trial and if Ruby is declared guilty once again, then they will respect the verdict.

Monokuma reluctantly agrees to this, leading to Ruby and Blake realizing that Monokuma is purely observing their actions. He won’t actually involve himself in their deaths and actively encourages them to solve the murders on their own. It was almost as if he wanted them to solve their problems themselves. 

Ruby, Blake, Ren, Sun, and Velvet reconnect and, after squashing any previous feelings of distrust, agree to work together to solve Nora’s murder once and for all. In the class trial, the group hits all the same snags they hit in Chapter 5. However, this time, the group approaches the situation as if Nora’s death was rigged. That’s when Ruby realizes that they need to figure out how Nora even died in the first place.

When Ruby digs further into the evidence, Ruby realizes that Nora’s death was purely a freak occurrence. Turns out, she suffered a random brain aneurysm that had nothing to do with any of the investigations. After making this clear, the group discussion turns to who arranged her body to make it seem like she was murdered. 

After confirming that none of the group was involved in arranging Nora’s body (including Jaune), Ruby points to Monokuma as being responsible. Monokuma once again declares he had nothing to do with Nora’s death, to which Ruby points out a loophole; Monokuma DIDN’T kill Nora, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t arrange the scene afterwards. Ruby then points out that Monokuma used Nora’s sudden death to his advantage to get the group to turn against herself and Blake. 

With his act exposed, Monokuma decides to reveal himself. And it turns out that Monokuma this whole time was...Ozpin. Just then, the rest of Hope’s Peak Academy’s staff and students (who are really just the Beacon Academy staff) enter the trial room and congratulate the surviving students. Even the students’ families are there to cheer them on. 

The students are shocked when they hear the explanation behind Hope’s Peak Academy. Ozpin reveals that the entire mystery of Hope’s Peak Academy was just a set-up for the real experiment. This entire process, the true purpose of the killing game, was to weed out the weak students. He says that, due to the coming of the dark lord known as “Salem”, they needed Huntsmen and Huntresses who could survive the harshest of challenges. So, Ozpin and the rest of the Hope’s Peak staff devised the “Danganronpa experiment”. They would torture the potential students mentally and physically and those who were able to figure out Monokuma’s identity and survive the challenges would be fit to graduate to the second-level of Huntsman and Huntress training in Hope’s Peak. 

Ruby is horrified by this revelation. When she says that her family wouldn’t have approved of this, that’s when she sees that Qrow Branwen and Taiyang Xiao Long are in the room as well. They congratulate her on surviving “Danganronpa”, saying that she has what it takes to be a Huntress. They then reveal that they also survived a version of “Danganronpa”, which further shocks Ruby since they never told her about their experiences in Hope’s Peak. The game ends on that bittersweet note. 

Survivors: Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren, Sun Wukong, Velvet Scarlatina 

[shsl-fluff]

DR2 boys with a S/O who’s on the chubbier side and is a insecure about it? I love this blog by the way!

Sdr2 boys with a S/O who's insecure about their body!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

Fuyohiko was never really in tune with others' emotions, or his own.

He didn't really pick up on how self conscious you were until one night you spelt it all out for him when you were drunk

After that, he tried to find ways to comfort you when you looked upset about your body. 

"Don't say that shit about yourself, (Y/N)" he said suddenly, looking at you.

"You're not fat or ugly or whatever the fuck you keep thinking you are. You aren't. You're so beautiful" 

He kissed you, holding you close. 

"I'm not good at talking about this shit… about confidence or whatever… but you're fucking stunning to me."

"And please let me know if you feel upset about your body. I'll tell you this all again, you know. And… find shit to help you feel better"

He truly did mean the best, yet had problems verbalizing it. 

He started to throw in more bashful compliments towards you whenever you looked nervous.

"Your hair is nice today" "I love your smile" "that outfit looks pretty on you"

He wasn't used to helping others with emotional help, but was more than willing to learn 

Gundham Tanaka

Gundham never really cared about the size or shape of your mortal vessel. 

That's why he was caught off guard when, before your date night, you said that you were afraid your dress made you look bad

"My gorgeous majesty, why do you think that?" He asked, taking your hand

You were starting to cry as he pulled you into his arms. 

"My love, how about instead of going out, I pamper you at home?"

You nodded shakily

He bought take out and put on your favorite shows and brought the devas to cuddle with you.

He kissed you all over and over, something which he didn't normally do. 

He didn't often initiate touch with you (or anyone) but did love it when you did hold each other close.

"My (Y/N)?" He asked after a while

"Yes?"

"I… don't understand something about your mortal ways…"

"What do you mean?"

"How could someone like you feel so much shame for your body? Your body will not follow you to the afterlife, it is just a mere vessel for your spirit."

You listened to his musing quietly. You weren't sure what to say, and he just kept going.

"Especially someone whose beauty rivals those of the vessels of succubi and incubi"

"I... I don't know, Gundam…"

"And… My love… If you ever do feel this way again, tell me so I may treat you like the diety you are"

Hajime Hinata

Hajime was always self-conscious, being in such a great school with no talent to speak of.

He was able to pick up on your unease when he spent time with you and the others before any of the others. 

"Hey, (Y/N)? Are you alright? You look… upset"

You told him you were fine and didn't want to talk about it

"Well… if you need to, you have my phone number, ok?"

A few weeks later around midnight, you needed to talk about it. 

You called him, sobbing your heart out. 

"H-hey, hey! Calm down, okay? What's wrong?"

You let your emotions spill. About how you felt large and ugly, and the sore thumb of the group. 

He listened to you talk for hours, comforting you the whole time. 

"Don't worry, (Y/N). No one thinks you're any worse looking, ok? I know that me just saying that won't cure all of your anxieties, but.. I hope it helps"

Whenever you looked anxious, he would pull you aside and help you calm down, telling you how no one saw you any differently than any of your peers 

You two started to hang out on your own after a while, and you slowly felt yourself gaining feelings for him. 

You ended up asking him out, and he told you that he actually loved you too.

It was so lovely to spend time with him

He loved giving you gifts and often showered you with compliments

Imposter (Byakuya)

Byakuya noticed how nervous you looked in your dress/tux during date night at a fancy restaurant. 

"What's wrong, (Y/N)?" He asked with his cold voice

"I don't know, Byakuya… I just don't feel comfortable in this. It makes me look to… big…" you kept your eyes down

He got a waitress quickly and got the food packed in boxes and left with you. 

"Come along, (Y/N). We should go somewhere quieter" 

You followed him, quietly asking "are you mad at me? I'm sorry"

"Of course I'm not mad, there's nothing to be sorry for. Let's talk"

He sat down on a bench and you sat next to him. He looked you in the eyes.

"(Y/N), don't ever be ashamed of yourself. If you don't like your appearance you can change it to be one you love, but being heftier or traditionally unattractive is nothing to be ashamed of."

"And if it makes you feel any better, I think you look amazing… but that's the thing. You shouldn't listen to me, or anyone else. No one decides how you should love yourself but you" 

Byakuya knew he should have listened to his own words, but he had no identity to begin with with…

You guys went home early that night and spent the night at home together. 

After that, Byakuya started to go shopping with you more and helped you find clothes that you felt nicer in

He wanted you to feel comfortable in your own body

He wanted you to feel comfortable with your own identity.

Kazuichi Soda

Soda loved every single thing about you, including your body

He loved showering you in gifts and praise, especially about your body after he found out you were so self conscious

He would compliment you every single day about something new

It never felt forced or fake, either. 

It was all genuine and from the heart

He always did what he could to cheer you up when you were upset. He made you a few little toys to help keep you distracted by intrusive thoughts when you were alone

Whenever you went clothes shopping together, he would shower you with compliments.

"Are you sure this doesn't make me look… big?"

"Of course not! Why would I lie to you, (Y/N)? It makes you look cute/handsome, just like normal"

"It does?"

"Of course"

When you were at home together, Soda loved holding you close, wrapping his arms around your waist and just staying like that for a while, rambling to you.

"I love you, (Y/N)."

He knew that you wouldn't be instantly happy with yourself or your body, yet he wanted to help

Nagito Komaeda

Even before he was in a relationship with you, Nagito could tell you were always a bit anxious

He was a friend of yours for a few years before you finally asked him out

You both started to open up to each other a lot more

Nagito started staying at your house for longer periods of time, too.

One day, you just started crying to him.

Crying about how you hated your body 

He just held you close and rubbed your back

When you finished ranting, he whispered soft, sweet words in your ears. 

Words about how beautiful your body is, how sweet and kind and generous you are. 

After that, he would make sure to check on you when you looked upset.

He would go out of his way to compliment you more than normal.

You both had the habit of talking bad about yourselves, and heIp catch each other before either of you get to upset  

When his luck was causing problems and he didn't want to be around you, you would talk to each other for hours on the phone

It was really comforting to know that you were never alone when you needed love.

Nekomaru Nidai

Nekomaru was always concerned about your health

To you, it was a shock someone as fit as him would ask you out on a date, and then another after, and became your boyfriend

You had honestly assumed it was some sick trick, or out of pity

One day, while you were walking together, you decided to ask.

"How could you like someone like me, Nekomaru? I'm just… ugly"

He looked at you in shock before sitting down under a tree, patting the grass next to him

"Why would you think that you're ugly, (Y/N)? Even if you're on the larger side, it doesn't make you look worse than others!"

"But you care so much about health, and I don't look healthy"

He let out a hearty, loud laugh. "BMI is bullshit, (Y/N)! Lots of healthy people have high BMIs, and some of your ability to lose weight is in your genes!"

His laugh warmed your heart. You just smiled at him. 

"And if you do want to feel healthier, then you're doing all the right things! Taking these walks with me, drinking and eating everyday, pacing yourself, even getting out of bed on hard days" 

He ruffled your hair, smiling. 

You two sat there for a little while, staring at the sky before getting back up and finishing your walk

He would give you more opportunities to join his exercises or design routines for you if you were concerned about your health

On his break days, you would both cuddle up on the couch and watch TV, snacking on whatever, not caring about all the little calories. 

Teruteru Hanamura

Teruteru honestly had a bit of a preference for larger bodies

Not to a point of it being a fetish, of course. He just found them pretty.

That being said, he didn't fall for you for your body.

He knew your body made you anxious, so he showered you with praise and love. 

He liked doing so in public to see how flustered you'd get,

but if it made you really uncomfortable, he would mostly keep affection at home, throwing in just a little bit of PDA when he felt particularly playful

Every day he would ask you what you wanted for dinner

Some days you would sheepishly say that you wanted something, but were afraid it would make you look larger

After assuring you that being large wasn't a bad thing, he would make you what you wanted. 

His food always cheered you up when you felt self-conscious 

[zonerz]

Omg! Your au so so cool! Is Ayumi gonna stop Junko from destroying the world?! Did Seiko, Mayui Shige and Yui get revived!? Did the events off Corpse Part and Danganronpa start over again!? So many questions!!!!!

!!!!! Aaaaaa tysm!!!! I can answer a few of those things real quick by just going thru a quick timeline! It stays p true to the games aside from a few things!

So!

The first CoPa happens, but the first time through they try using Kibiki’s way out and thus instigate the timeloop with only Satoshi really recognizing it. The game plays out with all the bad endings (including Book of Shadows) until they finally get it right and get out which leads into the Blood Driving bonus chapter of BoS.

The survivors of the initial HH dive are Satoshi, Yoshiki, Naomi, Seiko, Ayumi, and Yuka (and Shig but we’re still working out the exact stuff for him, but he’s not with the main group or known to be alive). So from there the timeline continues, a few months go by and everyone’s feeling the impact of HH in different ways (more mental than physical). Satoshi is a lot more on edge and temperamental than he was, Yoshiki’s got an overprotective streak, Naomi becomes very clingy and jumpy, Seiko has trust issues, Yuka feels like someone is always following her, and Ayumi is obsessed with that school and fixing it/bringing their friends back.

Blood Drive happens next and is pretty similar, the main change however is with the ending. This time, with Seiko alive, she and Satoshi are able to stop him from running back to get Ayumi and they all escape. This time though Ayumi actually does perish at the end—a trade of her life for the memories of everyone who died to be restored. Ayumi is still remembered afterwards, and ik her not being alive conflicts the whole consuming the Nirvana thing but BDBDHHDHD we can’t win all of them so basically it’s just up and destroyed.

So now we’re down to Yoshiki, Satoshi, Yuka, Naomi, and Seiko. They finish off their school year begrudgingly and with such a public event happening in BD, ultimately their story gets out to the press and they gain notoriety as the Kisaragi Five. Satoshi however is struggling a lot with the memory of all the deaths and timeloops so ultimately he ends up deciding to part ways for a while in a type of witness protection—new name, new school, the works, in hopes of healing from the trauma he’s faced. That new persona, of course, is Hajime Hinata!

Meanwhile, using the tragedy that struck the country following BD as a spring board, Hope’s Peak pushes themselves further into the limelight as a school that makes SaviorsTM and can do no wrong. They exploit the situation and end up having a lot of people set their eyes on it for hope in troublesome times—Satoshi/Hajime included. From there, the story of CoPa shifts into that of Danganronpa without any alterations.

Around this time, Ayumi’s spirit actually comes to from her death coma, much to her own confusion. Sachiko tags along with her to help her learn the ins and outs of being a ghost and also clear some things up. She’s not a very strong ghost since most of her spiritual energy went to destroying the Nirvana (so cant be seen or interact with things easily) however she can save up strength to act accordingly. Basically, her final act was one hoping to protect her friends from danger, and now that they’re in danger again, she’s awake. What the danger is? Neither are quite sure.

During the Tragedy, Yoshiki, Naomi, and Seiko end up joining different divisions of the Future Foundation as a means to both help and keep their families safe in their protection. Aiko and Magari end up joining the squad as well. They stopped hearing from Satoshi a year or so prior to the Tragedy, so while they hold out hope, they assume he was also killed. However a bit after the DR3 anime takes place, they are ultimately (and extremely awkwardly) reunited!

Sorry if the formatting is wonky! Tumblr mobile is NOT cooperating. But that’s the basic gist of it!!! There are some other changes (like changing Kuon because why was she Like That good god) but these are the big ones! I hope that clears some things up??? This all started just cuz my friends and I joked that Hajime and Satoshi were similar when we first started DR2 BDHDHHDHDHD

[themattress]

Danganronpa Chapter Ranking

Ranking all 18 chapters across the three games. 

First, I will rank each corresponding chapters over one another.

Chapter 1:

1. Welcome to Dangan Island + Destination Despair (DR2)

DR2 is the technical best of the series and it definitely has the strongest opening. While I actually prefer DR1′s prologue, DR2 definitely ups the stakes when it comes to the actual introductory murder mystery, creating a spooky nighttime locked room situation right off the bat and keeping you guessing as to how the murder went down. The high point, of course, is the revelation of Nagito’s true nature, which let you know that this is a guy to watch out for.

2. Welcome to Despair + To Survive (DR1)

Like I said, the prologue to DR1 is my favorite one - just the opening scene alone perfectly sets the tone for all that’s to follow, I also really enjoy getting to explore the school and interacting with the adorable Sayaka Maizono. The problem with this chapter is when Sayaka gets killed. Not only is the investigation a very standard one, but the mystery is too easily solved - Sayaka even wrote her killer’s freaking name down and most players will figure that out well before any of the characters do! I know this is the first case and all, but come on!

3. Ultimate Revival + My Class Trial, Our Class Trial (DRV3)

If DR1′s first chapter problem was being too easy to solve, this one’s problem is that it’s impossible to solve because the game withholds the key evidence for the sake of a twist - evidence that exposes the female protagonist you are playing as, Kaede, as the culprit! It’s a shame - despite some issues here and there (goddamn Monokubs...), I was liking the atmosphere this chapter was setting up with its ticking clock factor, the Ultimate Academy was well designed and kept distinct from Hope’s Peak, and Kaede was a wonderful, lovable protagonist the likes of which we hadn’t seen before in this series. But that one ending twist which results in her getting taken from us in favor of some dude ruins the whole chapter.

Chapter 2:

1. Boy’s Life of Despair (DR1)

Only DR1 manages to have its second chapter be an improvement over the first: with not only expansions on all of the characters and even the school itself, but a mystery that isn’t so easily solved because a certain rich douchebag deliberately tampered with the crime scene in order to make the case more challenging. The only mark I have against this one is the weird gender politics at play, and even then it’s not insulting or anything: Mondo’s toxic masculinity is even highlighted as his fatal flaw. And of course, this chapter gave us Genocide Jack. WIN.

2. Sea and Punishment, Sin and Coconuts (DR2)

While a step down from the preceding chapter, it’s not by much: this is still a quality chapter with quality character and plot development and a quality murder mystery. My biggest gripes are that it becomes obvious who the culprit is early into the trial and how they committed the murder but it takes a long time for the characters to decide on those things. If that wasn’t enough, the revelation of the killer’s motives is ridiculous, with two shocking swerves on top of each other, one of them a lie and the other one the truth. The actual scene leading to the execution, however, more than makes up for that with how emotional it is, with one of Derek Stephen Prince’s best performances in his career as Fuyuhiko reveals his inner vulnerability.

3. A Thin Line Divides Heaven and Hell (DRV3)

This second chapter is a HUGE step down from the first one. Shuichi is immediately a far blander, less compelling protagonist than Kaede was, there are too many detours before the murder happens, the mystery is way too convoluted and the culprit’s motivation is an even bigger shocking swerve than DR2′s, and the execution just goes full Saw to the point of being almost too uncomfortable to watch. In the end, it doesn’t even feel like this case mattered, it was all a drawn-out way of revealing the underwhelming “twist” to Maki’s true identity which only ended up working against her character. The best part of this chapter would have to be the body discovery, which is one of the most shocking and effective in the whole series.

Chapter 3:

1. A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! (DR1)

Third Case Syndrome hits DR1 the least out of all the games, as despite the problem of the class trial’s pay-off not matching the intensity of the build-up, it still doesn’t cheat the player in any way. The mystery is still well designed and on paper the crime is brilliant, and even the way it falls apart in execution makes logical sense given what has been established about Celestia and Hifumi throughout the game. There’s even fun to be had in the trial given Celestia’s legendary breakdown, plus her execution being among the series’ funniest.

2. Trapped by the Ocean Scent (DR2)

I like some things about this chapter, particularly early on: Fuyuhiko’s character development, Ibuki’s concert, Nekomaru’s sacrifice, Nagito continuing to be his delightfully twisted self, and Monokuma’s hilarious “Wizard of Monomi” movie. The build-up to the body discovery with that supposed suicide video is also legitimately scary. But it all falls apart in the class trial to a comical degree, with the revelation of the culprit having so much wrong with it I hardly know where to begin. Everything about Despair Disease in general feels like filler and a way to ax off three characters that Kodaka had no idea what to do with. It’s just a glaringly bad chapter.

3. Transfer Student From Beyond the Grave (DRV3)

This is where Third Case Syndrome hits its nadir: once again some legitimately good and scary build-up (including the requisite second murder happening halfway through the investigation when you’re not expecting it to) is destroyed by a farcical class trial that is riddled with plot holes, convoluted mechanics, and random extreme character turns that makes it clear that Kodaka was just doing all this to kill off characters he felt had reached their limits rather than staying consistent with what came before. Special mention must go to Korekiyo’s motives. While Celestia and Mikan’s motives aren’t sympathetic either, there are sympathetic reasons behind them. But with Kiyo, the reasoning behind his serial killing is...incest. Literal brother-sister incest. We had a potentially interesting, creepy character in Kiyo, but he was utterly squandered and turned into one big incest/see-saw meme. Such a waste!

Chapter 4:

1. Do Ultimate Robots Dream of Clockwork? (DR2)

One of the most challenging yet also one of the most unique and rewarding chapters in the whole series. The Strawberry / Grape funhouse is the stuff of nightmares, and the game doesn’t pull any punches in how horrific the situation inside it is, with the characters slowly starving to death and with the only way out being to either kill someone or brave a creepy life-threatening escape room. Then once the murder happens you get to play as Nagito during the investigation, getting further insight into his fucked-up mind before he pulls a morbidly hilarious 180 on his attitude and becomes a total condescending jerkwad rather than a creepy self-denigrating suck-up. And the investigation and trial amounting to figuring out how the funhouse is structured and how that structure was utilized in the murder is intellectually stimulating in the best way. Add to that one of the most emotional culprit revelations and executions and you have one of the greatest chapters ever put in a mystery-solving game.

2. All*Star*Apologies (DR1)

DR2′s fourth chapter is better, but DR1′s comes extremely close. Not only is it a locked room mystery where just about everyone except the protagonist and deuteragonist are a feasible suspect which leads to the most fun, challenging and satisfying class trial in the game, but it also ends up being the story’s emotional high point. The reveal of who actually killed Sakura and why, the reasoning behind why an innocent party tried to take the blame for it, and the long-overdue uniting of the Killing Game’s participants (even Byakuya!) against their true enemy, Monokuma...it’s powerful stuff that lingers in your memory long after it’s finished.

3. Live and Let the Languid World Live (DRV3)

Now don’t get me wrong: this chapter was the best one in DRV3 since the first chapter, but I feel like it’s trying too hard to recapture the glory of the previous games’ fourth chapters and mostly failing. The virtual world and trying to figure out how it works is a blatant copy of the funhouse from DR2, except that we barely spend time in the virtual world compared to the funhouse and whereas figuring out the structure of the funhouse actually took a lot of thinking, the secret of the virtual world is painfully easy to deduce and leads to another instance of the player being several steps ahead of the characters. Kokichi as a Nagito-esque antagonist just doesn’t work and it’s frustrating to watch him play all the other characters like fiddles when it’s so transparently obvious what he is doing. Lastly, while the deaths of Sakura, Alter-Ego Chihiro, Nekomaru and Gundham were sad, there was still a note of triumph and hope in them as well. There’s none of that in the deaths of Miu, Gonta and his Alter-Ego. These deaths are just sad, depressing wastes, even moreso in retrospect after Chapter 6.

Chapter 5:

1. Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair (DR2)

Nagito was right: DR2′s Chapter 4 was merely “the opening act” for THE best chapter in both the game and the entire series. Seeing Nagito finally go full-on batshit insane and carve out a path of destruction that leads to his own death is enthralling, as is figuring out the hows and the whys of his death, peeling back the layers of his madness and malice until you arrive at the horrifying truth, all culminating in one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the series when Chiaki finally reveals the truth about herself and offers herself up as a sacrifice to stop Nagito’s heinous scheme from coming to fruition. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it! The bizarre triangular dynamic between Hajime, Chiaki and Nagito really made this game’s story as good as it is despite uneven writing early on, and this chapter is the culmination of it.

2. Voyage Without Passion or Purpose (DRV3)

When it comes to the game’s overarching story, I don’t really care much for the events that transpire in this chapter. But when taken as a stand-alone, it’s excellent. Someone has been killed and someone is responsible for it, but for the first time in the series you aren’t just unsure about the culprit, but the victim as well! To make matters worse, the culprit shows up to the class trial inside a mech suit that has a voice changer, and he keeps changing his voice between Kaito and Kokichi’s to further muddle which one of them is actually dead. And to top it all off, not even Monokuma knows the solution to this mystery and you actually have to work together with him in order to solve it! Gotta hand it to Kodaka: this move was inspired. If only I actually gave a damn about Kaito, Kokichi and Maki, this case would hit much harder.

3. 100 Mile Dash; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie (DR1)

This time, the opposite holds true: I like these events as part of the over-arching story, especially everything that happens from the execution (the scariest one in the whole game, IMO) and onward. But when taken on its own, this chapter is a mess. Not only is the mystery and trial literally contrived by Monokuma in order to set a trap for one character, but it tips its hand too early by showing the discovery of the victim’s dead body well before it’s time for that scene to happen, and the constant flashing back to Kyoko telling Makoto about the existence of Mukuro Ikusaba is somewhere between comical and infuriating. I think the worst part is that there’s no permanent consequences for anyone: nobody actually dies in this chapter! Not the supposed victim Mukuro, not Monokuma, not Kyoko and not Makoto. It even turns out that Alter-Ego Chihiro managed to kind of survive its execution in the previous chapter! WTF? We’ve spent a whole game getting used to the finality of death, but now death is cheap!

Chapter 6:

1. Ultimate Despair + Goodbye Despair High School (DR1)

I think that DR2′s final chapter is arguably better, more epic and more conclusive than DR1′s, but I still can’t help but prefer DR1′s, similar to how I prefer Phoenix Wright’s “Turnabout Goodbyes” to Trial & Tribulations’ “Bridge to the Turnabout”. Everything about the overarching story and its mystery comes together perfectly here, Junko Enoshima never had the same villainous impact that she does here, and the conclusion where Makoto saves the day by becoming the Ultimate Hope, Junko puts herself through every execution in the game, and the surviving students open the door to an uncertain yet still hopeful future is just iconic.

2. This is the End, Goodbye Academy of Despair + The Day Before the Future (DR2)

Like I said, this one might be superior on a technical level, as it pulls out even bigger plot twists, features even deeper emotions and a greater sense of closure and catharsis, has a grander sense of scope, and Junko being given an even more final defeat since she’s a villain that if you want to defeat you can’t just kill physically but spiritually as well. Chiaki’s role here especially gets me choked up, and Hajime’s narration in the epilogue is the perfect note to end the story on....both the story of DR2 and the conjoined story of DR0, DR1 and DR2.  

3. Goodbye Danganronpa + Everyone’s Killing Game, Closing Ceremony (DRV3)

This is an ending that’s better watched than it is played. Watching it, it’s comedy gold in how absurd it is. But actually playing through it is a chore, and having to do such a chore for the sake of an ending that is intentionally designed to piss you off is no fun at all. While I’d say the game’s third chapter is technically worst, this one is definitely my least favorite, especially when you take that god-awful, pointless epilogue into account. Kodaka, if you want to end Danganronpa, then go all the way and end it on your terms; don’t pussy out with that crap!

And now, my final ranking of all the chapters is as follows:

1. Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair (DR2) 2. Do Ultimate Robots Dream of Clockwork (DR2) 3. All*Star* Apologies (DR1) 4. Boy's Life of Despair (DR1) 5. Welcome to Dangan Island + Destination Despair (DR2) 6. Welcome to Despair + To Survive (DR1) 7. Ultimate Despair + Goodbye Despair (DR1) 8. This is the End, Goodbye Academy of Despair + The Day Before the Future (DR2) 9. Sea and Punishment, Sin and Coconuts (DR2) 10. Voyage Without Passion or Purpose (DRV3) 11. A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! (DR1) 12. Live and Let the Languid World Live (DRV3) 13. Ultimate Revival + My Class Trial, Our Class Trial (DRV3) 14. Trapped by the Ocean Scent (DR2) 15. 100 Mile Dash; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie (DR1) 16. A Thin Line Divides Heaven and Hell (DRV3) 17. The Transfer Student From Beyond the Grave (DRV3) 18. Goodbye Danganronpa + Everyone's Killing Game, Closing Ceremony (DRV3)

1-9 are the “strong chapters”, while 10-18 are the “weak chapters”.

[kaibutsushidousha]

Artbook Data - Writer Team Interview

I really saved the best for last with this one. This interview was a wild ride, with at least two big pieces of fandom common knowledge being proven wrong.

Interviewees:

Yoshinori Terasawa: The producer for the Danganronpa series. Tasked with the challange of organizing this ragtag band of weirdoes while fighting schedule and budget. This time his title on the credits changed.

Kazutaka Kodaka: The writer, and one of the series’ creators. He created this game in paralell with writing scripts for the anime. Also experienced in writing novels and manga.

Takayuki Sugawara: Involved with the series’ development since the first game. For V3, aside from giving the order for the game to happen and offering many ideas, he also wrote all the secret lie routes for the Class Trial.

Shun Sasaki: This game’s director. Kodaka’s right-hand man, with the important role of transmitting Kodaka’s thoughts to the staff. The many bonus modes were all made at Sasaki’s idea. 

The inital theme was going to be Psychoamerican, with the game being set on a desert!?

Interviewer: It has been a month since the game was released (interview recorded in February 23, 2017), so how much have your thoughts changed since the game’s release?

Kazutaka Kodaka: Not much.

I: Then it must mean everything, including the fan reactions, was just as expected.

KK: Yeah. I was wishing for an unexpected reaction, but everything went just as expected, for better or for worse.

I: How about you, Terasawa?

YT: Kodaka says “just as expected”, but I was thinking the game would be a little bit more well received. You know, when I look at the timeline, I see more critical opinions than I imagined I would.

I: That said, I’m getting the impression that we’re getting more and more positive reviews, compared to how it was immediately after launch.

YT: We’re feeling this too. I’m very thankful that one month after launch, the positive opinion have been getting gradually more vocal.

I: How about you, Sasaki?

SS: Same as Kodaka, no big changes. I'm just still stunned that it’s over.

TS: I’m the opposite of Sasaki. We’ve always finished Danganronpa on the edge of the deadline, but this one we were REALLY improving everywhere we could until the very last second. I feel like the production is still not over even now. Maybe we’re all lying when we said we made it in time (laughs).

I: Was V3 really this hard? When did the project start?

KK: It was late into Ultra Despair Girls’ production. Sugawara called me about a new project and ...

I: So it was Sugawara, not Terasawa.

KK: For some reason, he never calls me directly. Always has someone relaying his message to me. Then me and Sugawara started coming up with some content and wrote the project pitch. It was completely different from what’s now.

YT: It was going to be set in a desert.

I: A desert!? Do deserts have schools?

KK: The design theme at the time was Psychoamerican, so we thought it should be in a desert.

YT: If I recall right, it was going to be a desert where a Future Foundation was stranded...

KK: And so we made the project pitch with loads of American-ish stuff, like Vegas neon lights. I can’t remember much of the details.

YT: But even back then, Kodaka already had the game’s direction and that ending in mind.

I: So the ending idea stayed the same through the how development cycle. Was it Terasawa or Sugawara who asked you to make the V3 project?

KK: It was more the company itself than Terasawa. 

YT: Yeah. I was the one who directly asked for it, but the very company was pointing out that it was about time for a new number Danganronpa sequel. At the time, the DR:AE development cycle was approaching its climax, so everyone was at the mood of “What are making next?” and the next cycle started very naturally.

I: I see. Then, was moving away from the Kibougamine series also decide from the beginning?

KK: Yes. No one ever considered continuing the Kibougamine series with V3.

TS: The Future Foundation ship I mentioned earlier would be set up as the ship from the DR2 ending for a twist of “haha, it was a different ship all along”. It was a red herring planned to draw the fans’ interest. 

I: And why did you change settings?

KK: We all know DR1 and 2 follow each other chronologically as the Kibougamine series, but at first I never said they did. When I say from the start that it’s a sequel, the fans start expecting characters from the previous games. But personally I’m not a fan of having a previous survivor in the killing game, having to experience the murders, investigations and Class Trials all over again. I thought that when I made the next numbered title I should reboot the setting and characters.

I: Let me get this right, all you had defined back at the project pitch stage was doing a reboot and the story’s ending. Yes?

TS: Yeah. We didn’t have a concrete idea of how we would present the ending, but it we were settled on the direction that it was something that would make the player part of the plot. 

I: And how exactly did lies, one of the game’s main themes, entered the stage?

TS: We had decided from the start that we would have the lie mechanic. Lying was actually a gimmick I came up with for DR2 and I really wanted the chance to include it for real in a next game.

I: Any other elements decided from the start?

KK: I think we decided the true meaning of “V3” in our first discussion. Did we? I vaguely recall we see saying it would be clever if V3 actually meant 53.

I: I agree, I was impressed when I played it!

KK: It’s just the part that the first game were also fictional in-universe and that V3 was the 53rd Danganronpa game that we came up with later. At the time we just though of the initial clever curveball. This was back before we had the idea to make the DR3 anime. We went with the name V3 just for this joke, then later we thought “If this is DRV3, the anime should be DR3”.

I: The game was decided first, huh. And how exactly did the “New” and the “Everyone’s Killing Game New Semester” came about?

KK: When we had to present the game for the Sony Press Conference (September 15th, 2015), we thought we should add something before the title, like the Super in Super Danganronpa 2. So we went with “New”.

YT: But for the first logo we wrote “NEW” in English letters.

I: And you already had the subtitle back then.

KK: The subtitle was also put together on a rush for the Sony Press Conference. We basically just added the “Everyone’s” there because the ending was pretty much completely planned at that point.

YT: We need to have these big presentations like the Sony Press Conference, because otherwise we never settle on a title (pained laughter).

The design theme changes to Psychocool! The production finally starts for real.

I: Now I have several questions about the contents of the game. We know you have the decided on the title, then presented the game under the final design theme of “Psychocool”. For what reason did you decide against the “Psychoamerican” theme?

KK: To be honest with you, Psychoamerican was never a design theme I was really serious about...

TS: We just needed something to pitch a project with.

YT: Every good project pitch has a few bluffs on it. 

KK: At the time I was busy with Ultra Despair Girls, so I decided to leave the theme decisions for later. But after watching Sugawara’s presentation at the project meeting, I may have regretted neglecting the subject (pained laughter).

TS: That’s because my project file on the meeting as a blank piece of paper (laughs).

I: (laughs) Suguwara, did you really explain the entire project with a blank paper?

TS: No, each page had a head title. “Scrum Debate” was one, for example. And did the explanations with just that. Judging by the participants’ reaction, the overall tone of the meeting was “What the heck is going on here...?” (pained laughter).

I: And after all these hardships, you settled on the Psychocool theme. What was the deciding factor here?

KK: We started putting some actual thought into it, notice how hard it would be to deal with a desert setting, and decided the American part wouldn’t work. At the time I was considering given a more adult image to it, so we decided on Psychostylish. But we didn’t go very far with this theme, did we?

SS: I don’t think we did.

KK: So, the players who experienced DR1′s Psychopop in their teens grew into adulthood with DR2′s Psychotropical, and now cooled down after their growth... That’s why V3′s theme became Psychocool.

I: So it had a more mature image.

YT: But us changing themes 2 or 3 times before made things hell for the graphics team, since we wouldn’t settle on a direction already.

SS: Because before we decided on the Psychocool theme, the designers had already started working with no design concept. Kodaka already some ideas in mind for a ruined school with growing vegetation and some machines in it, but without any concrete direction, they had to redo their work multiple times.

I: I’ll ask about the design concept in more detail in the designer team interview. The next question is about the story. Is “what could be a lie” something you think about in the earlier plot planning stages?

KK: Include some lie elements back in the plot planning, but there’s nothing that was always meant to be interpreted as a lie. It all started in a project meeting where Sugawara said “I want to use lies”, but without any concrete idea of would that be implemented into gameplay. Later, when I started planning the plot, I was looking back at the project file and the discussion notes, scavenging for content I could use and found that I could use lies to fill the gaps in my plot. And so was born my liar character, Kokichi Ouma.

I: Usually the characters make the plot, but sometimes the plot can make a character.

KK: They are just robots instead of characters, but the same goes for the Exisals. They came from a joke idea told in the project meeting.

TS: We mentioned the Exisal as a mascot replacement for Monokuma. “Next mascot should be a monkey” (laughs).

KK: But not having Monokuma as the mascot feels wrong to me. Yeah, we were rebooting the characters and the setting, but I think changing too much does more harm than good, so I decided to keep Monokuma as the mascot without a second thought.

I: About what you just mentioned about Ouma, did you create all the characters as you were planning the plot?

KK: Yes. I thought 16 was the perfect number of students, as it was in DR2. Before I had any plot, I asked Komatsuzaki for some designs based on his impressions. I was planning the plot as I was receiving the designs and came up with the details along the way, I think.

I: At what point did you decide on the dual protagonist scheme with Kaede Akamatsu and Shuuichi Saihara?

KK: I can’t remember when exactly I decided that it was doable, but I’ve been wanting to do it from very early on. I was thinking that if I could do it, it would make for an awesome chapter 1.

I: The Ikebukuro Namjatown had a poll to guess who would survive. Harukawa was first, Saihara was second and Akamatsu was third, so I thought the fans saw it coming.

KK: I was also weirded out by how high Saihara was, but then I heard about the unfortunate hatless Saihara sprite visible in the PV. Since the ahoge is the symbol of the Danganronpa protagonist, I’m pretty sure this spoiled the twist.

YT: You didn’t notice it when the PV came out?

KK: I didn’t. Sasaki told me about it later and I was like “Oh no, really...?” (laughs).

YT: I see, because it very early on in the video.

SS: It was. What a shame...

KK: That said, a lot of characters were predicted wrong. Our survivor Himiko Yumeno got the very last place.

YT: She reestablished balance.

I: Yeah. Just look at our presented protagonist Akamatsu. While there were a lot of people thinking she was safe because she’s the protagonist, there were also a lot suspecting even the protagonist could die.

KK: I think the majority was predicting Akamatsu would die. But I think that as they watched the PVs and play the demo, a lot of them noticed how we made all the Class Trial assets for her and started thinking “Yeah, of course she wouldn’t die”. At very least, I think not many people predicted she would be executed as the culprit in the Class Trial.

This is how the 16 students watching the new Class Trial were born

I: In this interview for Danganronpa 2, you mentioned that Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu was supposed to die along the way, but as you were finishing your plot he became a survivor. Did V3 also have a character like Kuzuryuu?

SS: I’m pretty sure no character was changed. Though I vaguely recall we changing the order in which they died as the murder tricks demanded.

TS: When Kodaka was thinking of the murder trick for chapter 1, he asked me “What SHSL should we kill off?”. I answered “Killing the detective would be a shocker”.

KK: For context, I wasn’t too sure if it was ok for Saihara to be the Super High School Level Detective. Because Detective Saihara would mean a protagonist title ripping off Kyouko Kirigiri’s. But I ultimately accepted the idea of him being a detective.

I: I see. So this didn’t have any big changes like DR2 had. Was there any student talent or character trait that you decided on based on their murder tricks?

KK: I always plan the characters and the tricks at the same time. And this time I planned part of the tricks along with Kitayama. Whenever we discussed, I just told him “This is the culprit, this is the victim and this is the type of case I want” and he would come up with the details for me. Otherwise none of us would know what to do with his murder tricks.

I: If any other character had their characterization changed along the way, like you said Ouma did, tell us about it.

KK: I changed Harukawa’s title after seeing the finished desing. I kept her title as Super High School Level Child Caregiver, but made her actually an assassin.

SS: I remember you going with Bounty Hunter Harukawa before you changed it to Assassin.

KK: You’re right. She looked so out of the ordinary in that illustration that I thought she would work out as assassin and changed it, if I recall right. I tend to change my plot points a lot, so that’s why it’s always better to do all part of my work at the same time.

I: Is Kodaka always this nonchalant when talking about major plot changes?

SS: Yeah, he just comes out of nowhere and “I made Harukawa an assassin”.

TS: The script still wasn’t finished at the time, so even I didn’t know the reason for the change, I could say is “Really?” (laughs).

SS: Though I like her a little better as an assassin than as a bounty hunter.

I: Yeah, that’s not a situation where you can say “no” for no reason (pained laughter). By the way, Ouma and Harukawa are super popular. Did you expect them to this many fans?

KK: Sure, Harukawa got a lot of attention on the first teaser visual, and she’s a tsundere character very easy to understand, so I thought she would be popular. And Ouma is remarkably “Danganronpa”. When he is doing so much work to get things his way and getting many big scenes in the process, it’s no surprise he would get popular.

I: I think Kaito Momota got even more big scenes than he did. Not to mention his story role was pretty important.

KK: Momota was a character I was much more unoptimistically hoping to be popular. Because in the previous games I never had any characters as super friendly as him and Gonta Gokuhara. When I was writing the script, Sugawara or Sasaki told “This cast is our tightest group of friends so far”. Now that I think about it, I guess this strongly influenced my decision to put Momota as the leader. Byakuya Togami from DR1 would be constantly on the edge if he was there.

I: He sure would (laughs). Opposite question now, what character did you think was less popular than you thought they would be?

YT: Less than expected? I guess Ryouma Hoshi? Just my personal opinion though, I understand it’s because he died too soon.

KK: A lot of people I know love Hoshi. 

TS: I know lot of Hoshi fans too.

KK: To me, the most unexpectedly unpopular character was Korekiyo Shinguuji, not Hoshi. I mean, his uniform is awesome and his unstable relationship with his sister feels like a classic underground movie. Shinguuji is one of my personal favorites and I thought he would be popular. But the people playing the game called him “gross” (pained laughter).

I: Shinguuji, one-of-a-kind as he is, he’s really not for everyone.

KK: Meh, whatever, I don’t wriite characters trying to make them popular. Be it for Momota or for Shinguuji, I was thinking I would personally love if they became popular but that was not the goal. In fact, the only character I wrote with the popularity polls in mind was Miu Iruma, and the goal there was to get her the last place! I think this gave her strong character quirks, not mention that trying to make everyone popular makes the cast weird and lacking in variety. 

I: I see. Speaking of Shinguuji, I felt that while his motive was quite unrelatable, most of the other students had sympathetic motives. Was that on purpose?

KK: For the motives, I was just trying to avoid a repeat of what happened with Mikan Tsumiki. Yeah, I know Shinguuji’s was close. But this time most of the motives were based on their murder tricks. The first thing I did was give a definite theme for each murder trick: chapter 1 is the protagonist being the culprit, chapter 2 was a fusion of murder trick and magic trick, chapter 3 was a new death during the investigation, chapter 4 was the culprit not knowing that he is the culprit, and chapter 5 was the culprit and the victim working together. That makes chapter 2 the only outlier. I just really wanted to use the twist that Kirumi Toujou was the Prime Minister. I also absolutely wanted to have piranhas in my story (laughs). 

I: (laughs) Another big difference I notice is that I couldn’t predict the culprits based on the murder tricks.

KK: That part was very intentional. I really didn’t want any moments of “I don’t know the trick, but the culprit is this guy” the best I could. Chapter 3 was easy to figure out, but I think chapter 2′s clever hooks did a lot better.

Kodaka is Barack Obama!? The personality felt by Megumi Hayashibara.

I: Sayaka Kanda voicing Akamatsu was a highly discussed topic. How exactly did you decide that?

KK: The initial was to have (non-voice) actors playing the role of the two protagonists. After many twists and tuns, we had only Kanda voicing Akamatsu.

YT: She had a great performance as Junko Enoshima in Danganronpa THE STAGE. I invited her to the Akamatsu with high expectations, not only because she obviously a very talented actress, but also because she is so associated with Junko Enoshima that it would give the fans a lot to speculate about. 

I: Another big surprise was the other protagonist Saihara being Megumi Hayashibara. Hayashibara is not someone most people would imagine voicing a boy...

KK: Hayashibara was my personal request. It looked difficult at first, but ultimately she accepted it. She might have been initially wary but then felt it was okay because she shares a lot of history with Ogata and Takayama, who voiced the previous protagonist.

I: I see. Not that you mention it, in a previous interview Hayashibara made a comment about you: “He’s like President Obama”. She didn’t elaborate on that, so please tell us why!

KK: When we were recording chapter 6, Hayashibara asked me “Does Danganronpa always ends like this?”. I answered “It’s not always like this.” and the conversation continued from there. After I created Danganronpa, many other stories with death games started appearing. I know death games are exciting and easy to employ, but so many of them didn’t think their endings through or were just the using the game as a sadistic system to kill characters. Then, as I was analyzing what it means to “truly escape the death game”, I reached the conclusion that it’s the characters upsetting the death game itself. As I explained to her how I made that ending because I had to take responsibility for creating Danganronpa, Hayashibara said “Wonderful!”...

I: And where does President Obama come in? 

KK: Hayashibara talked about one time when President Obama dismantle bomb facilities in the US to say “It’s important to take responsibility for what you make”, so I answered “Then I’m Obama?” (laughs).

I: (laughs) What a conversation.

KK: Hayashibara seemed to be very convinced by this explation, seeing how she put even more power into her chapter 6 performance.

I: Saihara’s chapter 6 voice acting was indeed on fire. Speaking of chapter 6, I was really surprised by the twist of having the DR1 and 2 characters there. Was that decided from the start?

KK: I didn’t even considered it when I was planning the plot. The idea came to me only when I started writting chapter 6′s script.

YT: That’s pretty late into the process.

KK: I was thinking that just Tsumugi Shirogane’s cosplays would be too weak to express the mastermind’s threat level. As I was thinking on how could I make her a character on par with Enoshima, since the ending was going to be that, I had my epiphany: “She should cosplay every character before her!”. And if I want a perfect cosplay, I would need the real voices. When I talked to Terasawa about how awesome she would be if she could cosplay even voices, and how much of a visual punch it would be to have all previous characters, his reaction was “Wait a minute...”.

I: I can see how he wouldn’t be ready for that.

KK: I was doing the recordings for the DR3 anime at the time, so I was naive enough to believe asking for just a couple additional lines would be enough.

YT: Life is not that easy (laughs).

I: (laughs) But everything worked at the end.

KK: I have to admit, I did some emotional blackmail there. Saying “I already started the script, I can’t go with any other twist now”. I had already resigned to the fact that we couldn’t have everyone, but in the end, the entire cast came to the recordings.

I: Impressive work, Terasawa.

YT: After Kodaka’s blackmail, I had to do my part, too. The result was splendid and very meaningful to the game, but we can’t use that in promotional material, so, from a cost efficiency standpoint, it was really bad (pained laughter).

KK: But one problem I would want to fix if I had a chance is how this made her total dialogue really long. I could have made it all a lot more concise, but you know, leaving one character with only two lines who be such a waste.

I: That said, I think the result was splendid. Just as you wanted, it made Shirogane a lot more awesome, in my opinion. On the topic of Shirogane, was making Super High School Level Cosplayer the mastermind talent decided from the start?

KK: Yes. The mastermind being a cosplayer came first from that ending punchline where she asserts that their entire world is part of her cosplay. Also because I really wanted to have a cosplayer character somewhere.

The Love Hotel was born from a cancelled game mechanic!?

I: Our next topic will be the setting and the special scenes. Starting from how the Kibougamine Academy was rebooted into the Saishuu Academy. Tell us how the academy was created.

KK: I think didn’t put any school name on the project pitch. The thing is, V3 is a project initiated under the idea of being something of a culmination of the series, of putting an end into everything, so we went with the name Saishuu, which carries the nuances of both “final” and “talents being locked up”. Another neat detail I only noticed now is that it’s kanji form is pretty easy to write (才囚).

I: You’re praising yourself too much (laughs).

KK: I love Saishuu Academy’s name, but I like its emblem just as much. The design includes a subtle prisoner aesthetic and a Monokuma. Though I wonder, how will the localization handle this? (pained laughter).

I: That’s a good question (laughs). Then, how was the academy’s design decided?

KK: I only asked them to make the wall. The wall was my utmost priority.

TS: I remember that this wall got its birdcage style because I suggested to include a jail or birdcage motif. V3′s school has a prison atmosphere, but prisons still have sports grounds and whatnot, you know? Because of this, we decided to make the Saishuu Academy with explorable areas outside the school building.

I: The Saishuu Academy has a lot of strange areas. A casino is already bad enough, but it has even a love hotel...

KK: Whose idea was the love hotel again?

SS: It was based on Sugawara’s idea of nighttime raids, from the project pitch.

TS: Oh yeah, at the time we had a set rule where you could only solve the academy’s mysteries at nighttime. The idea was to explore the academy at night and investigate the mysteries, but you could also peek into the students’ rooms.

YT: Yeah, I was thinking of making an investigation game like this. 

KK: The problem was that this was going to make the game too lenghty, so we left the parts where you enter the students’ for dialogue as the Love Hotel.

SS: Yeah, and since we thought it would be nice to have an element where you can flirt with the characters, they became those erotic scenes...

I: I see (laughs). Did you write the Love Hotel scenes, Kodaka?

KK: I gave the Love Hotel scenes to a substitute writer. Except their version were really not acceptable, so I had to rewrite them myself (pained laughter).

I: What an interaction to have. Enough about character scenes. We also had many new secret routes in the Class Trials.How exactly were these secret routes created?

SS: The secret routes exist because we wanted to incorporate the Lie Bullet into the story, not only the gameplay. But lying is something we kind of needed to convince most players to do. You know, we needed to add moments where the player would want to lie. And all thanks to Sugawara, we could do it.

I: You wrote the secret routes, didn’t you, Sugawara?

KK: I was too busy with everything else. Since already had semi-done scripts for the proper route, I let Sugawara have his ideas based on that.

TS: That said, I was also piled up with other jobs, so I had other developers do some bits, like pointing me out where I could lie. Some pointers I followed straight, while others I had to rethink. I tried to include as many secret routes as I could, but this was a work I couldn’t get done in time for the voice recordings.

I: I think making secret routes is hard even when the proper route script is complete...

TS: It was relatively easy to make the new content for the secret routes. The difficult is how to get back to the original route.

KK: I tried not to touch on Sugawara’s scripts too much, but I did edit some character word choices or some parts where the topic got too long.

I: How did the fans react to the secret routes?

KK: I didn’t hear much about it.

YT: I often check Twitter for fan opinions, but that’s never really tweeted about.

TS: I think a lot of people don’t notice where they can lie to get a secret route. I did make them change the song for the Debate where you can do Perjury, but that’s not listed or hinted in any tutorial, so...

KK: Not to mention it’s a really minor change, so I find it pretty difficult to notice on your first go.

The mystery novelist Kitayama adds even more well polished murder tricks

I: Since we are talking about Class Trials, I would like to ask about the murder tricks. First, tell me how Kitayama joined the party.

KK: Once I knew I would have to work on this and the DR3 anime at the same time, I thought I would have to ask someone for help, since the time I would have on the scripts would shorten. I thought that if I could smoothly get all the murder tricks decided, I could handle both scripts just fine, but unfortunately the discussion went for much longer than I expected. In the end I didn’t gain any time from all this, but thanks to Kitayama joining me, we boast higher quality.

I: How was your work?

KK: I told Kitayama the trick themes for each chapter and had him come up with the howdunnit. With that, Sugawara and Sasaki’s developer team can plot out the trick, then I check it all and put it together as the script. 

I: Was there anything big you had to fix?

KK: Depends on the chapter. For chapter 1 I pretty much used Kitayama’s idea exactly as it was. Even the “I tossed away what I was holding” descriptor was left exactly as Kitayama wrote it. On the other hand, chapter 2 was very different from the initial draft. 

SS: The chapter 2 trick was the water slider instead of the ropeway using the floating tube, right?

KK: Yeah, that one. Lining up a lot of floating tube to make the corpse slide on them. Then she would only have to cut the rope connecting them and that would leave just countless floating tubes on the pool. I fought finding the tubes during the investigation would be a fun idea, but when it came the time to script it, I got a lot questions. “Is this really enough water pressure to make a corpse silde?”. “Won’t she get wet from the water on the gaps between tubes?”. “Are sure the corpse can enter the fish tank?”.

YT: I’m a physics major, so this bothers me a lot. One little detail like this can ruin the whole case for me, so I made sure to comment everything I noticed.

KK: Yeah, so I had to change to the whole water slider trick into a ropeway trick. Sasaki, you’re the one who argued the most against this, weren’t you?

SS: I was (laughs). I had to plot the trick for chapter 2. So when Kodaka told me “The water slide won’t work”, I was like “Really...?”.

I: The script is where you start to notice the problems.

KK: More exactly, the plotting stage doesn’t put all that attention to detail. Because the workload for plotting a trick as a lot bigger than it sounds. And we’re definitely not gaining any time if I happen to see plans before they’re ready...So, the issues only start showing up when I’m doing the script.

SS: In chapter 2, even my idea to gather all the students together, the Insect Meet-and-Greet, caused some back-and-forth.

KK: Yes, I let the developer come up with the finer details, like for example the reason why all students gathered together. So, for this one I was like “What’s an Insect Meet-and-Greet even supposed to be?”.  Then he explained to me that the group would be assembled to look at Gonta’s insects, but I still had no idea why they would do that. I still wanted to do it, it was a fun idea, so I implemented Gonta’s Insect Meet-and-Greet on the form of Gonta kidnapping the students under Ouma’s orders.

I: Do you have any other case of struggles to connect a trick’s dots?

KK: Chapter 3, handled by Sugawara, also took a lot of time.

TS: I used Kitayama’s idea for the main trick using the seesaw, but we needed to change all the steps that lead to the crime, and that was the time consuming part. 

KK: Oh yeah, we changed the seance ritual.

TS: At first, the trick was that the students would all hold hands and sing Kagome Kagome together, while the culprit would stomp the floorboard. But if that were the case, when the culprit stomped the floorboard, the people holding his hands would feel the movement, you see...

I: And that’s why you had to edit. Next is chapter 4, how was it?

KK: Chapter 4 also had a murder trick by Kitayama, but it was a trick using a rope. Since we changed chapter 2 into the ropeway, that would make chapter 4′s a repeat. While we were thinking of how to make a ropeless trick, one the developers gave the looping world idea, so I created the trick using the loop.

I: Chapter 4′s trick was an idea that made a really good use out of the game world. Was there any reason to change the characters’ visual into the chibi models?

KK: I was born because we wanted to make a game inside a game. At first, we wanted to make a fully 3D world.

YT: You were calling it “VR”, weren’t you?

TS: But then its main gimmick became the loop trick, so we had to give up because a loop would be too hard and far too costly to portray in 3D. 

SS: We also considered using the bonus modes’ 8-bit sprites, but the consesus what that those were too visually unimpressive, so we made new ones, if I recall correctly.

KK: Also because to make the trick work we need to make the game in 2.5D, not 2D. Most of us thought it would be difficult to use the 8-bit sprites under that circumstances.

I: And for the chapter 5 trick, the twist where the victim and the culprit were in cahoots was very original, and I honestly couldn’t tell which of them was the culprit until the very end.

YT: That one is the hardest to figure out.

KK: I’m glad I could put the Exisal to good use in the 5th trick, with the victim and the culprit switching places. Also, I loaded chapter 5 with a large amount of information to distract you from the truth, so you being confused about it is exactly what we wanted.

The feelings imbued in the shocking finale. And an intriguing plan for the future!?

I: From this part on, I will be asking about the controversial chapter 6 and your plans for the future. I was told that when you were writting the chapter 6 script you added many extra animations and cutscenes of the school being destroyed. 

KK: At the plot planning stage, the only thing I had planned for chapter 6 was the endgame. Only when I actually reached that part in the script that I saw I didn’t know how lead the path to that. In DR2 I prepared some surprises to thrill the fans, like Kibougamine Academy appearing and whatnot. I wanted this game to have an element like this. And that’s when I arranged a meeting with all of Sasaki’s developers. I said “I put Kibougamine in DR2′s finale, so now I want V3 to have a set up as good as that”.

SS: Everyone agreed we should have one, of course.

KK: And that’s where I suggested we should explode Saishuu Academy. With Ki-bo appearing to help us around at the tightest moments, fighting the Exisals and all that. I talked with Sasaki’s team to ask if they could do it, they said “I think we can” and I answered “Nice” (laughs).

I: (laughs) That said, I think that was hard on who was managing the budget and schedule...

YT: You get me. There was suddenly a lot more to make.

KK: But we weren’t behind on the deadlines, were we?

SS: That’s right, we weren’t.

YT: That’s not how it works! (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

I: Chapter 6 had a lot more animated cutscenes too, hadn’t it?

KK: I wasn’t expecting that. You know that scene where Ki-bo first appears, flying to the glass? I was think that was going to be just some CG, not a fully animated cutscene. So it was a good surprise, like “Are you really making him this cool? Thank you!”.

YT: And his cutscene was quite a long one, at that.

SS: A CG would be too weak and unconvicing for this. We decided we should have this animated to give it the impact it deserved.

I: And I assume the same goes for all the add cutscene. Was the idea of slapping away the block-pathing debris conceived and added for the same reason? 

SS: It was. Honestly, there was so much more we wanted to do but didn’t have time to...

KK: To be completely honest, I was thinking chapter 6 was going to be a lot more visually simplistic than that. But once we started we didn’t want to stop. I’m glad the finished version is this much better than I imagined.

I: Speaking of chapter 6, can I ask Kodaka to explain the ending? 

KK: I went with that ending because I wanted to change where the player stands in V3. In 1 and 2 the player was an outside observer to the killing game. But in V3 I wanted the player to experience the same shock as Saihara and take part in the debate from the same position as him. Then, as Saihara is shocked to learn “This world was fictional. The Akamatsu and Momota I believed in were all fiction”, the player would also be hit with the fact “Everything I played so far is fictional”. But it’s a fact that everything you played so far still resonated with you and you gained a lot from it, so I was hoping you could synchro yourself with Saihara and take his side in the argument after he gets back in his feet. I was thinking that it if the player and the characters could outgrow this fiction, it could even create a new relationship between player and game.

I: I see. So that’s what you were thinking.

KK: I prepared a lot of tricks to make it easier for the player to sync up with Saihara, like Ki-bo’s “Do you want to save?”. Just empathizing with the characters was not enough for chapter 6, I want to share their point of view. That why, to make it harder to insert and emphatize in one specific person, I shuffled the POV with everyone.

I: I think the finale intentionally avoids stating what’s the truth and what is a lie. Do all of you in the production staff share the same answer to this mystery?

YT: Kodaka might have the answer on his mind, but I think we don’t need to know. We don’t even know if we can take everything Kodaka says as correct. See, the real right answer is the answer you came up with yourself.

I: You mean you just want everyone to think of the answer with their own personal interpretations?

YT: Also, I want to take this moments to tell all the fans that we never had the slightest intent to tarnish or insult the past games. We still think of Danganronpa 1 and 2 as our very beloved children. We love all 3 games from the bottom of our hearts.

I: Kodaka said before that V3 is a culmination and an end to everything, but will the Danganronpa series continue?

YT: Like with the first two games, we are completely burned out after finishing it, so, honestly, we don’t have any solid plans for a next game yet. However, as a producer, I want to answer to the fans’ support and expectations. I need to think long and hard about the future of Danganronpa.

I: What could this future be holding for us...?

YT: Who knows. DR1-2 Reload and Ultra Despair Girls will be ported to the PS4 this year, so I think we’ll get many new fans. If something in this trend incites Kodaka’s desire to write, we could be having a new game. Or at least that’s what I expect. I hope our fans expect the same.

I: I’ll be looking forward to it. Now, one message from all of you to the fans.

KK: Thank you for buying this artbook. How about replaying once more now that you know the game better? Or even better, buy another copy of the game and the book!

TS: I think there’s always something of value, be it good or bad, in someone playing a videogame for the first time. So the words I want to say here are the same words of gratitude said since the old days: THANK YOU FOR PLAYING.

SS: I saw a lot of intense critical commentary both for and against this game, so I’m very happy that this game managed to make this many people feel something about it. I believe leaving you wanting to talk about of you felt is one of the more characteristic traits of Danganronpa, so I love that you can enjoy exchanging your opinions.

[crazynekochan]

What do you think would have happened if the killer and victim in each murder was reversed (how the double murders work is up to you)?

Had to think for a bit for this one

DR1

Chapter 1: In this one it would just be the case that Sayaka’s plan worked out and she managed to kill Leon. She might have even succeeded with it and could have blamed everything on Makoto, but she had no idea that Kyoko is a detective and quickly solved it, since her plan wasn’t that good. The cast would have been harsh towards her, since she was the first to kill, had full on planned it and also tried to blame her only friend. The only one who would have been on her side is Makoto himself

Chapter 2: I don’t think that Chihiro would have killed Mondo to keep his secret hidden and out of a jealous moment of rage. However it could happen out of an argument, where Mondo instead of killing Chihiro just flips out and looses it. When going too far with his words, Chihiro lost himself for a moment and killed Mondo on the heat of the moment (Just like Mondo did) Chihiro would have been too shaken to cover up the crime and probably just ran, however Byakuya came in and changed the sceneThe reason why Chihiro probably didn’t come clear was out of fear of dying, unlike Mondo who wanted to protect Chihiro’s secret

Chapter 3: I think Hifumi would be the killer in this one, where he is so sure that Taka is the one who stole Alter Ego. Celest was probably still planning and hid the laptop, but before she could move, Hifumi lost it and bashed Taka’s head in. He still had his whole plan set up with pinning it on Hiro, however without the confusion part. Celeste, who was keeping watch on them and saw everything, now had a problem because one the first killer would be allowed to leave if there were two, so she had to either kill Hifumi who was searching for Alter Ego or come up with another plan. However to avoid that her plan gets stopped, she decides to take care of Hifumi. First it worked, since the other was quite loyal to her. Until he found out that she had Alter Ego and realised what was going on, so he used his hammers and based Celeste‘s head in as well, before pretending to be attacked as well by justice hammer 1 and barely surviving

DR2:

Chapter 1: This one was hard since Imposter is such a pacifist, so I had to change them a bit. Nagito probably chose Imposter to let them in on his plan since they were trying so hard to keep everyone together. This led them to panic about the fact that the others were apparently so open about killing and they didn’t want to die themselves. So they jumped the gun and decided to kill Nagito first to get away from it all. However to their misfortune something went wrong and Teruteru ended there were Nagito was supposed to be and ended up being killed

Chapter 2: Fuyuhiko was probably still the one to finish the game and find out that Mahiru was involved in the murder of his younger sister. However he didn’t talk with Peko about it, since he wants to keep her out of the Yakuza business, and so he sends the filed to Mahiru with an invite to a private talk about it. However Mahiru completely misunderstands this and is sure that this is a trap to kill her in revenge, since Fuyu isn’t really the nicest person and also a Yakuza known for killing people. So she tries to trick him and get rid of him way before the meetingHowever Peko, who noticed that something was wrong with Fuyu, keeps a watch on him from the distance, which is a thing that Mahiru notices and they end up in a fight. Let’s say that due to the fact that Peko was about to meet the other girls to go to the beach, she is only in her bikini and doesn’t have her sword with her (because having it makes no sense), which leads to her being without a weapon unlike Mahiru who has the bat. However since this wasn’t her plan at all to kill Peko, she tries to then quickly pin it onto Fuyu who had no idea what happened only further down

Chapter 3: For this one let’s take Hiyoko, who is the one to remember everything due to the despair disease. However she was able to hide it just like Mikan was. First she sneaked into the hospital when she knew that no one was there and tricked Ibuki and took her to the Titty Typhoon to strangle her. However what she didn’t anticipate was that Mikan wasn’t able to sleep with worry over Nagito and decided to check up on him again, and while she was downstairs anyway she then checked the other rooms. To only notice in horror that Ibuki was missing, so she quickly began looking for her which led to her walking in as Hiyoko just killed Ibuki, who then also killed MikanWhen found out later on, everyone thought she lost it due to grief over Mahiru, however Hiyoko just laughs and tells them that she simply wanted to kill them because it was fun and that Mikan was just a nice bonus. She would then haunt the others for nothing everything they have forgotten, before happily going to her execution and leaving them all behind with only more questions to plague them

Chapter 4: Discussed here

Chapter 5: For AI Chiaki to end up as the one being killed, it could have two reasons. Nagito tried to kill everyone at once but ended up only killing Chiaki or Chiaki tricked Nagito into killing her. Since chap5 is always the one to be the most twisted, I would go with the latter. So let’s say that the Junko AI/virus was able to go into Chiaki’s code and make her want to kill for “the greater cause” and not see reasonable. So instead of trying to save everyone, she tries to get rid of Nagito who was threatening to kill them all. However since she can’t kill, she needed to trick him into doing it. Her plan wouldn’t rely on luck that much, but with way more logic to make sure that Nagito it the one to kill her by accidentWhen revealed everyone would loose it that she of all people would go to such lengths just to kill Nagito by torturing herself and making him kill her. Nagito however would totally loose it since he was planning on saving Chiaki, whom he had now killed

DRV3

Chapter 1: With them it’s quite easy. Since both tried to get the mastermind, let’s say that Rantaro has set a trap to get them. However Kaede was there too fast, while Shuichi was looking for help. When they got there, they only found Kaede on the floor. Rantaro would have come forth during the trial, but he tried to find the mastermind till he knew he couldn’t keep on going(Also imagine a DR game where the protag is the first victim. Just the moment where you run with them into a room and instead of a transition there is black with a bit of text and before you know it, you are in the POV of someone else who also runs inside and you see the protag dead on the floor. Now that would be a shock)

Chapter 2: Seriously, I can’t think of anything that would make Ryoma kill Kirumi...

Chapter 3: As I often say, I would have loved to see Angie as a blackened who got so delusional with her student council that she would kill to keep peace. So when Tenko tried to stop her and her student council from oppressing the students, she killed her. Korekiyo then genuinely wanted to try out the seance to talk to Tenko (no serial killer story here) and ask her who it was. However Angie didn’t like it one bit and so she let them do it after an explanation and used her knowledge about the crawling space to get into the room. She then followed Kiyo’s voice and during the last verse, killed him silently before following the salt back to the crawling space and escaping. Since she waited for Kiyo to end his chanting it took the others a bit longer to realise the silence from him and then find their way to light the candles to see what is going on, giving Angie enough time

Chapter 4: In this Kokichi’s and Gonta’s plan failed and Miu ended up killing Gonta instead of Kokichi. While Kokichi knows everything after seeing it, the whole tria would be about “one word against the other” where the others would need to decide if they trusted Miu or Kokichi more as they prove who is telling the truth

Chapter 5: The same plan as before, however when Kokichi is about to give Kaito the antidote, Kaito refuses since he knows he won’t make it long enough due to his afwul health. So Kokichi takes on the role of survivor of them two and kills Kaito, before he tries to end the killing game before he bleeds to death from all the wounds he suffered from Maki and making her a blackened as well

[danganxastrologyimagines]

“How would the DR2 react to their s/o finding a two person bike and suggest to ride it around the island?”

Hajime Hinata:

You were walking along the beach with Hajime, fingers intertwined as you lovingly looked up to your boyfriend. The sunset complimented his smile, as your hands slowly swayed with one another.

You look over to the path, and you see a two-person bike.

“Hajime, look.” You hush, pointing over at the vehicle. “We should go on it!”

The boy looks over to the bike, before pulling you over to the bike.

Chiaki Nanami:

Chiaki was sleeping in her room, exhausted from the day you spent with each other.

You, being the more adventurous one, explored the island in more depth.

Eventually, you make a discovery. A date idea.

More specifically, this idea was riding a two-person bike with your girlfriend. You would take the front seat, letting Chiaki cycle without the responsibility of steering the bike.

You run over to Chiaki’s house, knocking on the door before running in to tell Chiaki about your discovery. You look over to her bed, and she’s rubbing her eyes as she slowly got up from her hibernation.

“Chiaki, can we cycle with each other tomorrow?” You beamed at her. “I found a bike that has two seats on it!”

“Ah, that sounds fun…I think…” Chiaki lets out with a light blush illuminating her face, before falling asleep again.

Nagito Komaeda:

Nagito likely was the person to spy it.

He really REALLY wanted to go on the bike, but he didn’t want to force you, nor anyone else, to ride with him.

“Hey.” You interrupt his inner thoughts. He looks over to you to see what you were going to come out with.

“Wanna go for a ride? I noticed you were eyeing up that bike over there.” You joke, enveloping his arm with your arms.

“I mean, I would like to.” Nagito begins. “But trash like me sh-“

You drag him over to the bike.

“Stop with the ‘trash’ rants.” You state. “Now, do you want the front or the back?”

Sonia Nevermind:

The moment you spy the bike, you’re running over to the bike. Poor Sonia was struggling to keep up with your steps, flailing her limbs around.

“S/O, what happened my dear?” Sonia demanded.

“I saw this bike, and it looked like something you’d like to try out!” You retorted.

Sonia looks over at the bike, her eyes lighting up.

“Ah! This reminds me of those old-fashioned romance movies where a romantic couple ride on it lovingly.” Sonia sighs out. She’s staring at it in awe.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu:

The yakuza was escorting you to a place you wanted to show him.

Why did you drag him out of nowhere? He was walking along side you, watching out for any potential danger.

You stop at a bike.

“Is a bike that mysterious to you, S/O?” Fuyuhiko blandly questioned.

“It’s not the bike itself that I wanted you to see! I want to ride it with you!” You respond, pointing over at the two seats located on the bike.

Fuyuhiko stares at the bike for a minute, making you feel uneasy.

“I-I mean, if you don’t want to that’s fine as well…” You sadly admit to him.

You begin to walk away, but Fuyuhiko grabs your hand, pulling you over to the bike.

Akane Owari:

You were doing laps around the island with Nekomaru and Akane.

After 5 laps, you took a liking to a bike that you spotted. The reason the bike was one you’d like was because it had two seats – you could share the ride with someone else.

You had Akane in mind.

You didn’t even realise that you stopped in your tracks to admire the bike until Akane speaks up.

“I like that bike as well, s/o!” Akane was ecstatic that you found the bike.

“Wanna go for a ride?” You blurt out, smiling at Akane.

“Sure! Nekomaru, can the both of us go now, or do we have to complete the task?”

Nekomaru was about to debate against the action, until he saw the looks on the both of your faces. Both of you looked so excited, happy that you could even find a bike like this one.

“Go ahead!” He responds. “We can do a contest where people go into teams to see who can do the most laps around the island in ten minutes!” He blurts out as you’re both running towards the bike.

Kazuichi Souda:

When you ask Kazuichi if he wanted to ride the bike with you, he’s looking at you like you were trying to prank him.

“I’m not falling for this one.” Kazuichi tried to go against the idea of finding a bike he never even saw on the island.

“No, there really is a bike we can both ride on! Follow!” You cheered, walking with newly found motivation within your legs.

He does follow you, as he had nothing to do. On top of this, he was wanting to know if there was, in fact, a bike like the one you described.

Finding the bike, he’s staring at it in awe.

“Can we go on it?” He admits, laughing at the realisation that he thought you were lying when it was a real thing on the island.

Peko Pekoyama:

Peko looked down, and you couldn’t really figure out what made her feel upset.

So being the loving person you are, you invite her out to a bike ride.

She doesn’t really say much when you’re wrapping your arm around her waist.

But when she does get to the bike, she looks really happy. Contempt with the situation you’ve offered her, she happily goes to the front seat to steer you along the island with the help of your legs.

Nekomaru Nidai:

You spy the bike, and you want to ask Nekomaru to come with you to travel using the two-person bike.

But when you get to him, you get nervous.

“Speak up, S/O!” Nekomaru projects. “You have to speak to start going after your dreams and desires!”

That made you even more nervous. You were blushing profusely, while stuttering out what you had in mind.

“Ah, is it about that bike I’ve been interested in?” Nekomaru questioned.

You nod.

“Well let’s make your desire to ride the bike into a reality!” He finishes, initiating a race between the two of you to the bike.

Hiyoko Saonji:

She wanted to do something romantic with you, but you were too oblivious to her changed attitude around places she wanted to stop at. You thought she didn’t want to be in the places she got quiet and flustered around, but she wanted you to be more lovey dovey with her.

When she caught you looking at the bike in question, she had enough of your actions.

“C’mon, let’s do something fun for a change.” She whines, while dragging you along with her.

You smile to yourself, and you let her chose who sat at the front and back of the bike, as well as the route.

Teruteru Hanumura:

When you found the bike, you decide to ask him if he could ride with you.

“Ohohoho, so you’re ready to go up a level in our relationship, cher!” He excitedly pondered.

“Uh, no…” You try to explain. “I found a bike, and I thought that you’d like to ride it with me!”

He does agree, but then he discovers that his legs couldn’t reach the pedals.

So the ride consisted of you being at the front and escorting Tertuteru through the island, while Tertuteru was shouting out sexual comments to people passing by.

Mikan Tsumiki:

Mikan wouldn’t really be honest with what she wanted when you guys were hanging out, and you noticed how many times she looked at places that would have had romantic undertones.

When you asked her if she wanted to go, she got nervous and said that you wouldn’t have to do so. She looked really scared, almost like she was preparing for you to abuse her like other people did in the past.

So when you guided her to a bike, she squealed with happiness before quickly apologising for her actions.

“Mikan, ride with me, please.” You smile at her, easing her into the situation. “I want to make you feel loved.” You finish, caressing her hand.

You look up at her face, and she’s smirking with a heavy blush on her face.

“I-I would love to!” She beams.

Byakuya Twogami:

He would try to keep up his façade of Togami, let’s be honest.

When you look at the bike, he already knows what you wanted to go on it with him.

“Ah, so you want to ride a measly bike with me, I see…” he retorts. “Well, I must escort my lover through the island, so I suppose I must do so!

Mahiru Koizumi:

Mahiru was complaining about the lack of inspiration to take more pictures that she was proud of. The island got boring for her after the first week of being there.

So when you find the bike, you hurry Mahiru over to the bike, allowing her to make a decision based on viewing the vehicle.

She makes a proposal to you. You would take the front seat and guide her around the island, while she would take pictures from the bike.

Gundham Tanaka:

You wanted to catch Gundham off-guard, but nothing really worked. The closest you got to him breaking his character was when you were hardcore flirting with him while giving multiple sensual body signals implying you wanted something else. Even then, all you really got was him nudging his scarf up, hiding his prominent blush from your moves.

Aha, you struck gold! A bicycle made for two!

You were walking with Gundham, and he didn’t seem to notice the presence of the bike. Almost like he didn’t want to draw too much attention to the bike itself.

“My dark lord of the underworld,” You whispered to the Sagittarius, making him stop in his tracks. “Wanna ride?”

You heard the poor guy whimpering, so you look up to see what face he was making.

You managed to make him so flustered that he’s nervously shaking, while stuttering out something you couldn’t hear. Maybe you went TOO far with this plan.

“Over there’s a bike that both of us can ride on.” You finish your request. “It would allow you to declare war on this island!”

Gundham slowly looks over, to see the bike you were questioning. He stopped stuttering, and he managed to calm down his shuddering. He’s got a hint of excitement in his eyes, and he’s unable to hide this.

Ibuki Mioda:

Let’s be honest, Ibuki would have seen the bike long before you knew it was present.

How did you not see the two-seated bicycle that was stretched out on the island? It practically stuck out like a sore thumb, but it didn’t seem like it was used.

“Ibuki discovered a bike we can enjoy a ride on!” Ibuki declared, running towards you with a smile. “Ibuki thinks that Ibuki could find more inspiration for writing new songs based on the excitement!” She finishes, dragging you along while skipping before you could go against the action.

You didn’t want to go against the action – Ibuki was clearly excited, and you also wanted to enjoy a ride around the place to take your mind off the killing game for a while.

[kimmysfandomblog]

🔥 for the dr3 anime. Have at it. (Before I forget I just wanna say I agree 110% about your opinion on Ko's sexuality. Single-target sexuality, I think it's called?)

Thanks for the ask, Hyun :) Sorry I took so long, but I have a lot of feelings when I write about this subject ^^; I accidentally... wrote you an essay ;;;;;;;

(And also, thank you so much!!! I never knew that existed, but it sounds very much like how I headcanon Ko!)

Unpopular Opinion on DR3, huh? I feel like I am generally... aligned with how most of the fandom view DR3?  DR3 was written poorly, DR3 ruined some characters (specifically a certain girl I love), DR3 had a bad mastermind/main antagonist, DR3 retconned  things poorly, etc. Like, honestly, the only thing I can do is actually tell you something I like about DR3, lol.

I guess one unpopular opinion would be that DR3Z Episode 3 is still my favorite out of all of DR3 (Hope Side included)!

I think when someone refers to their favorite episode in DR3, it would be something like Hope Arc, maybe an episode of Future Arc (like in Episode 6 when we were super hype about possibly Kamukura being there instead of Hinata and all these boats coming on their way). While I was also super hype about that, and I may have watched Hope Arc 20x times that day because my boy Hajime Hinata is safe and Happy, I have to say, I just like DR3Z Episode 3 more. It wasn’t completely satisfying (I don’t know if any episode of DR3 can be said to be completely satisfying, especially once you’ve finished the series), but it made more of a lasting impact on me.

First of all, I think one of the things that made me attached to it is that this is a much more Hajime-centric episode. We start with Hinata’s POV, and it shifts only a few times to other perspectives (Like Fuyuhiko’s, or Sato’s). WHen I finally got to know and love th DR2 cast, I was prepared to be excited for DR3 and getting to know their pasts. I first saw the DR3 trailer not knowing what they were talking about until they released the game on team, so when I rewatched it in anticipation, I got excited! One of the things I definitely wanted was more of Hinata! He was, and remains, the best DR Protagonist! I kinda figured that we would get more of Izuru than of Hajime, but I wanted to at least get more out of his motivations, and, yeah, we kinda did! It wasn’t what I thought we would get, what with a few mentions of his parents, but not so much of what they were like, but parts of Episode two, and all of Episode three were made to explain it a bit. SOme stuff, we already know, or could guess, such as that Hinata was desperate for a talent, and that be acquiring a talent, he would get Hope (Or a meaning to his life).

However, we get some additional info. Firstly, in Episode two, it is mentioned that HPA is paying for his tuition, should he enter the Hope Cultivation Plan, implying his parents are not as rich as we thought (DR2 made it seem like they were, since his parents were mentioned in that sort of flashback sequence). That puts a lot of pressure on him... not to mention they give him some time to decide. By the start of Episode three, he mentions he only has a week left. Within that one week he has left, he is acquainted with both sides of the decision, represented by Chiaki, representing the Ideal solution, where he wouldn’t need the project to have Hope, and Natsumi, representing the, I guess you could say, “Logical” solution, as in that no one alive cares about anyone unless they have talent, and HPA is giving it to him with no monetary cost to him, or his parents.

Now, we know that Chiaki is technically right, that even without a talent, you can have hope, but the problem is that she doesn’t have that same perspective. She does have a talent, and those words she learned from Yukizome can only help her because they were meant to say that Talent shouldn’t restrict Chiaki from doing what she wants, just for the fun of it. Hinata, meanwhile, has much less freedom in this Talent-driven society he is stuck in. No one will acknowledge his existence without talent, and because of  that, he can’t do anything even if he wanted to. By the end of this episode, he sees this flaw because unlike Nanami, Natsumi has the same perspective he does. She dies and it looks like as if no one cares at all about her death.

Now to Natsumi, she is the character struggling with society’s rules that you have to have a Talent to mean something. Both of them actually believe in these rules, and they are both desperate to get into the Main Course, but for Natsumi, the need is greater. She has a brother and his bodyguard who are both acknowledged as Ultimates, yet though she probably spends time with them both, Natsumi was left out. She was deemed, by society’s leaders in HPA, that she wasn’t enough for them, so how could she be enough for her brother? She would do anything for the same opportunity Hinata got. Hinata, who had been stuck with Reserve Course students that were all trying to accept they were nothing more than Reserve Course students and would never move on to the Main Course, now has come across someone similar to him, who has also refused to give up on their dream of being acknowledged as something special.

Hajime feels like the Hope Cultivation Plan is his only chance to finally be happy and proud of himself, but at the same time, he is, by nature, skeptical that such a plan would. It’s too good to be true (and it was, of course). The episode starts off with him looking up the school’s website, which doesn’t give him any real results. He’s only got a week to decide left, and he’s not completely sure yet if this is the right way to go even if, in his head, he desperately wants this to be the solution. It would be easy, and would benefit him and his family. But, with that doubt he still has, he latches on to Nanami’s words that he won’t need talent to be happy. THese words sound right. They sound like this is something that exists. But, it isn’t proven. In fact, it is disproven by Natsumi, first by her denial of his words that Talent isn’t everything (because it is something to enough people for it to matter), and secondly, when Natsumi dies despite coming from an influential family, and when she dies, her death is covered up with lies and unsatisfactory answers. This girl who he only just came to know and kind of befriend is dead, and he could do nothing about her death. He even pieces together that Sato killed her by chance, and that there was something clearly wrong with Sato to begin with, but then she is dead. Two classmates, now dead, and both of them had their deaths covered up. Hajime is not dumb, he can put pieces together (He didn’t need as much help in the trials unless someone was withholding information (usually Komaeda)). He knows exactly who to ask, and would have investigated it, but is stopped by Juzo.

He of course doesn’t know Juzo is trying to make sure he doesn’t dig too deep and gets targeted by HPA for revealing too much, but Juzo really doesn’t know how to talk with anything other than physical language. As in beat up a 15-16-year-old kid into submission, but you know. Juzo is just one more reason on top  of Natsumi’s death that he accepts the plan. Juzo validated his thoughts that he, nor anyone that lacks talent, matters.

It’s really heartbreaking to see Hinata like that, however I suppose, in his own way, he thought of the project as his way of breaking the mould of normality he was stuck in. You know that he needs to become Izuru Kamukura, you know it has to happen, but it does crush me how he had to come to the “realization” he is worthless otherwise to do it, through two deaths and his own degradation by Juzo. (and being saved by Chisa... probably not what he wanted.)

I find it interesting that the person that represents accepting the Hope Cultivation Plan is Natsumi, because we know if Fuyuhiko had ever heard her speak the words she did to Hinata, he’d have denied it. He’d have said she deserved to be in his place, that she would have been the better clan leader, that even though she didn’t accept his role, he would always introduce her as is Ultimate Little Sister, and no old men and drunk scout can change that.

If Hinata could have known that by being such a supportive friend, his friends would value him more than just as someone who has an Ultimate Talent, or EVERY Ultimate Talent, and that he provides all the difference just by being himself, I don’t think he would have turned to the Hope Cultivation Project.

But that isn’t how things went. Hinata, had no proof that Talent was truly meaningless. Society kept on validating that Talent meant much more than someone not acknowledged to have any.

Oh... I got.... way off topic ^^;

Well, overall, this was an emotional episode. I get why people don’t like it much: They really rushed the Twilight Syndrome MurderCase, to the point of not even showing the events in the minigame. I also wished for more Natsumi and Hinata interaction, or have this episode split in two (and take place instead of Love SOup incident, please). I found Satos’ character to be ver much lacking as well, since they reduced her to some kind of yandere-like personality (although thinking back, was she like that in the Twilight Syndrome Murder Case?) However, for what we got? It’s still something that I really love! It gave us an insight into Hinata, and an awesome character to boot!

(I also kinda skipped over the Hinam bits, but the Fountain scene was pretty sad, even if I’m really ehh about the way Nanami sees he’s hurt and still offers him to play, and other weird things like that involving those two... Like I swear Nanami would be way more concerned about his wellbeing in DR2 and pick up on the obvious bad signs and act on them more)

[sanctferum]

Dangan Ronpa V3, chapter 3 free time!

Time to explore!

There’s a hidden Monokuma in Kaede’s lab. Ryoma’s lab’s been cleaned up by Monokuma, and the shower room is inaccessible because Shuichi doesn’t need to take a shower. The gym has also been cleaned up, and the inner tube in the pool has been neatly put away.

OK, the blackboards show different things in different chapters when you go into search mode. Or maybe it’s because we’re playing as Shuichi? I didn’t check them last chapter.

Monokuma knows. He knows that in order to be a Dangan Ronpa player character, an ahoge is necessary.

Another hidden Monokuma’s in the boiler room.

Oh, we can retry the escape game, huh?

Well, that didn’t work. I wonder what would even happen if we completed it successfully?

Found another Hidden Monokuma near the Kumasutra Hotel. I bet the last one is in the racing minigame again…

The casino minigames now include Mind Mine and Psyche Taxi equivalents.

Treasure Hunter Monolith: the music reminds me WAY too much of Chiaki’s execution music from DR2…

Outlaw Run: I am still very bad at this minigame. Give me Logic Dive back!

Don’t know how to unlock any category besides “Kind” for these minigames. Betting max coins didn’t work, getting an S rank didn’t work. Advancing a chapter hasn’t worked for the Hangman’s Gambit one, either.

Oh, did the exchange always sell Monopad themes?

Anyways, on to the actual free time! I’m gonna hang out with Kaito.

Kaito is still upset people are lumping Maki and Kirumi into the “murderous fiend” category. Let’s calm him down with this moon buggy model!

Kaito tell us about how astronaut training is super intense, and it’s a lot of work…but the universe is a harsh place. He’s got to be able to handle crazy situations if he wants to explore it. For the first two years of training, he learned the basic skills needed to be an astronaut – medicine, engineering, scuba diving, linguistics, survival training…pretty much everything.

There’s a training facility for astronauts at the bottom of the ocean? The most important thing for an astronaut is communication and teamwork. No one person can hope to explore space by themselves…you need a team, and you need to trust in that team. The facility at the bottom of the ocean helps people learn to work as a team. Also, as part of communication training, you have to master other languages and cultures…Kaito is fluent in Japanese, English, and Russian. He might be an idiot sometimes, but Kaito sure is incredible…

Bedtime already? I wonder if trying the escape game took up a portion of free time?

The Monokubs sure look beat up…well two of them at least. Monodam sure is harsh…

Time to train with Kaito! On our way out, we see Angie, who’s still trying to convert everyone. She claims to be prepared to work with everyone to make the Academy a paradise on Earth. Considering how well her last attempt at that went…hmmm.

Shuichi shows up to the usual training spot, but Kaito is nowhere to be f-

Oh. There he is, dragging Maki behind him. Well, I guess we’re all training together, huh?

Kaito kept ringing her doorbell till Maki answered. Then he dragged her here.

Maki thinks the whole idea is stupid and heads back to her room. Kaito tries to convince her to stay by…Kaito. Kaito, that’s stupid. You aren’t the hero of this story, and Maki isn’t gonna be willing to be your sidekick.

Kaito does say that from his perspective he might be the hero, but from our perspectives, we each are the hero of our own stories.

Maki knows from experience that this will all end in tears. But Kaito calls her out on the what he believes is the real reason she isn’t interacting with anyone. She’s afraid. She’s running away, when she should be standing tall and fighting.

Maki is getting pissed. Kaito, this is…

…going to work out well after all. Maki agrees to train, just so Kaito will stop bugging her about it.

And now. 100 pushups! Shuichi’s body is in hell, Kaito is going along…Maki is almost done. You don’t become an assassin by being out of shape.

Kaito tells her to show up for training tomorrow too. Maki ignores him and walks away.

Ah, so it ties back into what he was saying in the free time event. Teamwork…if you see someone who is weak, you help them become strong. Someone is suffering? You can’t just walk away. Kaito mentions that Shuichi and Maki’s cases are a bit different. Back to the rest of the pushups.

Monokuma Theater ti-

…Monodam Theater time.

He’s wearing a leather jacket and Kamina shades.

Morning announcement. Everyone will gather in the gym to get along, huh? Assembling in the gym is usually a rather bad thing. I’m not sure what to expect.

Kiyo mentions how he overslept, but is usually up by 6 AM and ready to go at 7:30 AM. A half hour to get ready? Is it because of his uniform? Kaito is also around but not going to the gym yet. He’s gonna make sure Maki comes with him to the gym, since everyone needs to show up. If someone doesn’t, who knows what could happen.

Outside, Himiko is complaining about having to go to the gym so early in the morning. Shuichi is apprehensive about all this, and Himiko mentions a student council meeting. What? Oh. Oh boy. Angie wants to throw a party…Atua decreed it would be a pool party?

Monokuma shows up. Looking awful still, huh? Is he gonna tempt us to peek on the girls’ pool party? Is this the scene that the Man’s Desire Gun or whatever unlocks?

Monokuma just stares at us until we randomly have a fantasy come up in our mind. A Man’s Fantasy, to be specific. Oh boy. Shuichi finds himself unable to resist it. Swimsuits…a zany-yet-romantic scene…yet, on the other hand, if anyone saw him, Tenko would beat him half to death twice…oh well, if such is the price we must pay…

Inside the Academy now…Keebo’s also worried about the sudden summons. Another motive, most likely. Keebo is determined to stop anyone from killing, no matter what!

In the gym, which again, has been cleaned up post-trial, we find everyone else. Miu talks about the computer on the 4th floor…the specs are insane…

Keebo is jealous of the computer. Godammit, I know Miu was being super suggestive at you, but…come on. You’re basically a computer yourself, anyways.

Kokichi is unnerved by Maki’s presence, and immediately begins trying to ruin the fragile atmosphere. Then Gonta shows up. He’s about to tell us something serious about the courtyard, possibly something that will help us make sense of “horse a”? Then the Monokubs show up before he can finish his sentence.

Monodam has a motive, all right. A motive to get along?

Tsumigi and Keebo…I’m getting the feeling Angie brainwashed them into her Atua cult too…Himiko was already in, but, um…

The motive will inspire fear like never before…forcing the Ultimates to unite to fight against it. Monotaro and Monophanie prepare to present, on Monodam’s behalf, the motive! It’s…a transfer student. What?

Resurrect one of the four people who’ve died so far…? How? Using the computer? Are we gonna resurrect Kaede? Or perhaps Kirumi, since she’s important to the world? Rantaro, so we might learn his talent? Ryoma…probably wouldn’t care to be resurrected. Anyways, what the fuck, and also, that’s the meaning behind the chapter title.

The Necronomicon? We’ve got a copy of that?

Once resurrected, we can welcome the student back, or, if we want to, kill them off again immediately. They’ll be part of the game again, in other words. Thanks for telling us that, Monotaro.

Monodam has no such thanks. Monotaro blames his exposition of killing on old habits.

Monodam instructs Monophanie to punish Monotaro…this is a complete reversal, the students are being spared and it’s Monotaro and Monophanie who are in deep shit. Monotaro doesn’t want to be punished by Monophanie, since he mocks for dumb shit all the time. Monophanie, remembering those times, decides sure, she’ll do it. Then the Kubs leave.

How can anyone believe that the dead can be resurrected? Well, Kiyo thinks that not believing it to because it’s scientifically impossible is folly in and of itself.

Funeral ceremonies…like the one we saw of ourselves…

Sending the dead to the next world. HMMM.

Kiyo believes souls are real…but they can’t be reached once the person is dead. Resurrecting the dead is impossible.

Angie believes it isn’t so strange, though. It’s not so much bringing the dead back to life as returning the dead to us…the difference is, the crime scenes were cleaned up perfectly. Perhaps the dead…had their deaths faked by Monokuma or themselves? In which case, they’re alive? Could the bodies have been fakes? If Monokuma and the Exisals can exist, is it possible for realistic corpses to?

Shuichi wants all this to be true, but he can’t believe it really is. To do so would be to turn away from the truth.

Gonta brings up that if the students were alive, they’d have to be here somewhere. Maybe one of them wrote “horse a” in the courtyard. He was gonna tell us something about the courtyard. Was it that the message is now longer?

“Twnm I”?

I see. The horse message wasn’t meant to be read  from top to bottom. It was meant to be read from left to right. TH, WOR, SE, N, I, MA…?

And the Monokubs left the Necronomicon here for us. It’s definitely a motive…but what kind? Maybe it’s a motive like this: we ignore it and the four people who are still alive somehow die for real? Angie is very appreciative of Gonta’s story…she goes over and hugs him…is she…she’s trying to get him to believe in Atua. Soon she’ll have brainwashed like half the survivors.

A gentle grandma? Isn’t Atua a handsome man? Himiko says Atua’s appearance depends on who’s looking. Kokichi thinks that sure is suspiciously convenient. Angie invites Gonta to the student council that Himiko mentioned. Apparently it’s part of Angie’s plan to stop the killing game. Keebo, Himiko, Tenko, Tsumugi, and Angie all met up and agreed to make the Ultimate Academy Student Council. Angie came up with the idea, and is Student Council President. Which means Atua is the one really in charge. Of course. Kokichi declares them brainwashed…Kiyo agrees. The Ultimate Academy, under the conditions of the killing game, is the perfect breeding grounds for a cult. And this has all the markings of a cult. Keebo, Tenko, and Tsumugi, and now Gonta, have been taken in by this nonsense…Tenko even put aside her love for Himiko to give her love to Atua instead.

Maki points out how clear of a trap the resurrection ritual is…but it’s to no avail. The Student Council members are beyond the reach of logic or reason. Meanwhile, Kaito’s been really quiet this whole time, and I’m somewhat worried about him.

But there’s no time to be worried…we need to head to the pool and spy on the girls, pronto!

Two girls wearing only bikini bottoms. One girl wearing pantaloons. And Tenko, fully in the nude. Enjoy the view, Shuichi, I guess? (Or, you could just ask Miu to flash you? Where is she anyways? Was she not invited? Guess not, student council girls only)

Himiko would rather conserve her MP than use them to grow her boobs as big as Tenko’s. She’s awfully jealous. Tenko reassures her that Himiko’s boobs may be small, but they’re nicely shaped. Angie, meanwhile, is trying to grope Tsumugi’s boobs. Shuichi witness it all and immediately remembers that this is morally wrong and stupid. Too late, dude. Too late.

Afterwards we return to our room. Time to go hang out with people! Not sure who, though…Himiko, maybe. Next time!

[akaiiunmei]

....So I just finished Dangan Ronpa V3 and I want to give my thoughts about the game. Warning there are HEAVY spoilers so these will be under a Read More and have a bit of a border underneath. Mainly so my boyfriend doesn’t see it since he uses mobile. 

SO IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED ON THEN PLEASE SCROLL ON. IF YOU DON’T AND ARE SPOILED YOU CAN’T BLAME ME. 

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So let me start with my opinions on each section of the game. 

Prologue

Honestly? It was a pretty long prologue. Probably the longest in the series? It took awhile to even go on but...I eventually was able to enjoy it. I got to see the first impressions of the characters and of course pick out my favorites and of course there were some I didn’t like right away but, I’ve learned in playing Dangan Ronpa that...you can’t judge the characters in the prologue. So either way. Also the Monokubs were nice though....”So Long, Bear Well” Got VERY tiring. Either way, it was a nice kick start to the story. 

Chapter 1

This goes pretty much like every chapter 1 in Dangan Ronpa. Someone dies randomly and you have to figure it out. Though...this chapter was honestly the one I felt the most feels. That plot twist in the trial, the protagonist switch....Holy fucking shit. It really made me wonder what the hell was going on. Because I was Kaede and I didn’t understand any of it! I was yelling at my Vita “If you know then tell me!” It...got pretty difficult. Also it introduced the “lie” feature which I thought was amazing and then the “Split Opinion” which was like “...Hoooooooly shit.” After the trial too...I literally dropped my Vita and was like “...This is just the first trial...what the hell?!” I honestly tried so hard not to cry right after and if a game can make me feel that much? Then it shows how amazing it is. Though...it was only the beginning. Also yeah, that execution made me want to cry.

Chapter 2

I...will admit I was spoiled on who would die and how they would die. Mainly because I didn’t like this character. Maybe that’s a snap judgement but...eh, I just didn’t like him. I’m sure everyone playing the games has had that happen at least once. However watching his death? Was actually...hard for me. Like VERY hard. Just watching him become nothing more than a skeleton....geeze. Though...I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was. I actually thought it was Miu for awhile, I didn’t suspect Kirumi AT ALL. I thought the piece of fabric was part of Ryoma’s clothes. Still though it introduced more mechanics. ...Mind Mine can go fuck itself though and Psyche Taxi? ...I feel that’s a reference to Crazy Taxi. Still though it...was definitely fun. As for the execution? ...It felt tame for Dangan Ronpa standards. Course maybe I’ve numbed a bit. But this is Dangan Ronpa, executions that are always extreme and over the top. This one...just having her get hurt and then fall? Ehhhhhh. I don’t know, my opinion. Also fuck Monokuma for making that damn reference. Seriously. 

Chapter 3

Ah the famous double murder chapter. As much as I hate that they did this again...it was better than the other ones. Every case with this trope? Was almost always obvious. Chapter 3 in DR1, obviously Celeste from the motive alone. Chapter 3 in DR2, obviously Mikan because of how Ibuki died and two, Hiyoko dying. Also the bandages. Hellooooooo? This one..it actually wasn’t that obvious at the start until the clues came together. I had my suspicions but I couldn’t be sure. The trial turned on it’s head most of the time. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Though...I feel bad for Angie. She was never to be killed but she ended up being. And then Tenko...ewww, I know I didn’t like her but damn, to be killed like that? Fuck. Also Korekiyo’s confession made me cringe and shake my head. No physical connection my ass. 

Chapter 4

I seriously was crying at the end of this one. Because...I felt something was off. I honestly thought Miu accidently killed herself. I seriously thought she did. Though...the trial turned itself around again and then...I came to the truth that Shuichi did. To kill the one person....that I thought would never commit murder nor get murdered? ...It was hard. It was...so hard. But I had to continue the game. I honestly wanted Kokichi to die instead but...the rules are what the rules are. It...was just amazing. And then his words at the end...I can’t say anymore. If any of you have played this chapter, you know what I’m feeling. As for the execution? ...It was fitting. Really, really fitting. Just...yeah, this chapter is one you just have to play yourself. 

Chapter 5

This was the chapter I wanted to murder Kokichi. Seriously. MURDER. Like I felt like Maki. I wanted to fucking destroy that piece of shit. He was adorable but...GOD DAMN. Though...during the murder. ..More tears. Seriously. MORE TEARS. Just seeing all that blood in the hydraulic press and then the jacket? It...made me shake. It was like...”Whoa. This is...a gruesome murder.” Then the trial. Oh my god the trial. Now here was my thought, I actually thought they both died. I literally thought both of them were dead. Kokichi and Kaito fought and in the struggle, Kokichi was going to kill Kaito but Kaito decided to take them both out. That was my thought but...I’m glad that didn’t happen. I’m really glad. Even though the outcome...made me wonder what Kokichi really wanted to do. Was he really evil or was he just...a Chaotic Neutral? I..have no idea. The execution though made me want to cry but...in the end? He never felt despair. He got to see the one thing he wanted to see. Space. And that smile...made me realize, he accepted his death. He was going to die but he died without that regret. It...was...refereshing in a way. Though I am a little disappointed they reused an execution, seriously. I am at least happy they made it unique. 

Chapter 6

HOLY SHIT! Like seriously, HOLY SHIT FUCK BALLS! This game...seriously twisted itself on me! The fact that we looked back at the first murder and the fact that we had a fucking time limit to investigate. A TIME LIMIT! It was...holy fucking shit! Then the trial? I...had no idea Tsumigi was the mastermind. Though...JUNKO WILL YOU EVER FUCKING DIE?! SERIOUSLY YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD! But then....how the entire game just shattered the 4th wall? Seriously it fucking destroyed it! Just...ahhh! I honestly can’t put this chapter into words. I...honestly can’t. It was a plot twist I wasn’t expecting. Am I mad they went this route? Not really. Am I glad it wasn’t the whole “Remnants of Despair” thing again? Yep. Yep yep yep. Am I glad the people who died...ACTUALLY ARE DEAD?! Actually yes. That was the thing I hated at the end of DR2. That Hajime’s friends were technically alive and Makoto’s were dead as doornails. But yeah...I am happy for this ending. Honestly? I think it was their best one. Also I feel bad for the voice actors that came in just to say a few lines. But hey, they get paid. Then...when it all ended. I actually...felt satisfied with the ending. 

Epilogue: 

...Then only to see them survive. The three of them able to survive that hell. Maki, Himiko and Shuichi. All of them moving forward to the outside world and see if the world has changed. It...made me happy and the music? Oh my god...yeeeeees. I loved the music. I loved it so much. It was just...fulfilling in a way and...it made me think that this story isn’t over. That maybe in their world, Hope’s Peak and stuff did actually exist. That maybe this was just something they wanted us to think. And that the story will continue. 

Overall Opinion: 

...This game did not disappoint. I had wanted this game for months and honestly to play it? Was an adventure. I loved every minute of it, even the times I was like “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Then just to finish it and end all the suffering? I loved that. Then again, that’s why I love Dangan Ronpa in general. Because you want to keep playing. You want to see them live happy lives. You WANT to see them be happy and be loved! You want these characters to smile and for the despair to end. Yes, that’s what the ending basically wanted me, the audience, to think. So in the end...a stalemate, was perfect. There were so many new techniques that honestly? I didn’t know what to do sometimes. Do I think there are some flaws with the game? Course. There’s always flaws. Do I think there are some points that could have been done better? Yep. I do. 

However am I happy with what they did? Absolutely. Do I think this is the end of Dangan Ronpa as the game dictates? ...Who can say? After all this is the 53rd Killing Game. How do we not know they’ll make games for the rest or even just continue the story? It is up to the team. If this is the last one? I’m fine with it. They made so many references and stuff that I feel like this was their last hurrah. If it’s not and we find out more? Then okay. Either way, I loved this game and I’ll continue supporting Dangan Ronpa with whatever they decide to do. Now...ONTO SCHOOL MODE! 

[kimmysfandomblog]

So Nae/giri, Kamu/koma, Toukomaru and Kii/ruma for the ship meme ? :P You can do all of them or pick the ones you want to talk about, I just wanted to give you one ship per game ~

Thank you so much for the ask Serahne!!! :D I’d be more than happy to do them all!!!

From here: https://kimmysfandomblog.tumblr.com/post/168063250112/send-me-a-ship-and-ill-give-you-my-brutally

Since there’s 4, I’m gonna have to put it under the cut! And they got very long, sorry ^^;

obviously, V3 spoilers for the last one!

Nae/giri (+)

So, funny thing about me: I actually started DR with the Animation (I hadn’t even known a game existed at the time). Anyways, because it’s an anime, you don’t get those free time events, and everything is much, much faster. Basically…. I’m a real dunce when it comes to romance, so I hadn’t even realized Nae/giri was pretty heavily hinted at ^^; I spent most of the time thinking Kirigiri was gonna betray Naegi (which… I mean I wasn’t completely wrong, kinda? XD She didn’t mean to throw him under the bus at all, of course).

Now, I didn’t ship anyone in DR by the time I finished the anime. I’d seen it mostly as friendships, and that Naegi and Kirigiri’s was the strongest one. I don’t know when exactly it sprung on me that, hey, this is a ship!!!, but my best guess is that it wasn’t until I stumbled across DR again when it came out on Steam. A let’s player I kind of visit occasionally was playing the game and I got sucked into nostalgia, and he did Kirigiri’s FTEs. It was probably during that time that I recognized this was definitely a ship, one that was practically canon, and that actually, I’m okay with it, and even like it! If two characters like each other, and can support each other this well, then why not?

I’m not the biggest Naeg/iri fan (that spot for favorite DR1 ship belongs to another pairing, but admittedly it’s more of a pre-canon ship). I’ll admit, a part of me still thinks Naegi forgives Kirigiri too easily after all he’d been through, but if he gave her a hard time, he wouldn’t be Naegi! And I was a little salty she threw him under the bus, but Kirigiri made a mistake, acknowledges it, and even returns the favor back to him! It wasn’t even really her fault (she clearly didn’t know what would happen or she would have definitely let herself be sacrificed), so I forgive her, too!

If DR3 proved anything about Naeg/iri, it’s that Naegi and Kirigiri very clearly care for one another, and are able to balance each other out. They understand each other so well, and I’d say they definitely like, probably even love, each other. So, given canon events throughout the series, I ship it! It’s been good for both of them, the way I see it! I sincerely hope they continue to care and love each other post canon, too. They both deserve happiness after all they’ve been through together!

Kamu/Koma (-)

Okay, this one… this one actually irks me, I’m sorry to say. I know Kamukura is Hinata, and I definitely ship Koma/Hina, but Kamu/Koma…. it’s very different. I’ve read Kamu/Koma fics, and seen the fanart, (and sometimes I actually like the fanwork). I get why people like it. However, to me, it’s a very unbalanced ship.

Ko’s obsession with Hope and Talent, with Kamukura being the embodiment of Talent, and of the Hope Ko originally fixates on, makes it much too unbalanced because Kamukura is given all the power in this relationship. Not only that, but it would be Ko constantly trying to be useful to Kamukura, or trying to make things interesting for Kamukura. And Kamukura, well, I can’t see him reciprocating or giving back much. Kamukura’s kinda weird, as in he’s pretty selfish in a way. Maybe he’d do things back for Ko, but would he mean it? Would Ko even know if Kamukura cared? It doesn’t help that the majority of the fanworks don’t really do anything to disprove how I feel their relationship would work. People write/draw fanart for Kamu/Koma using this power play: Ko revering Kamukura like a god, doing demeaning things for him, or being like his housewife or maid or something, and Kamukura kind of staring blankly back, or barely reciprocating or acknowledging any of it. It’s also portrayed very sexually (?), with no amount of fluff, and I end up feeling sorry for Ko. I really can’t ship something this one-sided where only one person has affection for the other, or at the very least, where it’s difficult to see how affectionate one is for the other.

And, I suppose, another thing is just the fact that I like Haji way more than Kamukura. Sometimes Kamu/Koma shippers portray Haji as the one losing out, the third wheel left behind, or even saying Kamukura should have fully returned. I’m glad, in the end, Haji is seemingly acting like he’s mostly Haji to his friends.

However, I admit that besides how I see the Kamu/Koma dynamic playing out… the really extreme shippers were the reason I can’t stand it most of the time. More than a year ago now, there was this huge shipping war, and at least to me, with the people I was following at the time, it seemed like it was mostly between extreme Kamu/Koma shippers against the extreme Hina/Nami shippers. The sheer hatred and pride at being so hateful disgusted me. I unfollowed a few people that I used to like because of all these scathing remarks against Nami (by that I mean DR2 Nami) and basically mocking the fans for liking and defending her, and then being proud of it, even celebrating it in a congratulating post to themselves. I mean, I know now it was aimed at the Nami lovers that were just as bad as they were being, but it still hurts either way. I wasn’t following anyone that was strictly Hina/Nami at the time, but I did see a lot of Ko discourse flying around, too (and heavily disagreed with them of course). Even after that, people were tagging their hate for Nami and Ko, and the ships. I couldn’t escape it. Maybe I’m over-imagining it, but that’s how I feel about it. I’m glad it’s settled down now that V3 is mostly distracting people from it these days.

As for how I feel about Kamu/Koma today, sometimes seeing Kamu/Koma (or Hina/Nami) makes me cringe, and other times, I find it okay (though it’s mostly the former. I always felt weird about Kamu/Koma because of the power dynamic).

Unrelated: Weirdly enough, even though I don’t like Hina/Nami, I ended up liking Kamu/Nami, but only because AI Kamukura exists ^^; I actually participated in Kamu/Nami week, too, and… yeah I actually like it. My guilty pleasure ship, lol. Just... not so much for Hina/Nami. DR3 Hina/Nami was that bad.

Sorry that answer was very negative, but brutal honesty right? I know I have followers that ship it, and I don’t really mind as long as no one is trying to force me to like it or see it!

Toko/maru (+)

Well, I didn’t like Another Episode as a whole that much, but I did like the interactions between Toko and Komaru a lot. Their friendship was just so good! They were able to help each other, see the faults in each other, and call them out. Komaru helps Toko learn to trust her through her genuine kindness and loyalty, and Toko helps Komaru find solutions and helps break Komaru’s habit of seeing herself as just a normal girl with no way to change what happens around her.

And the ending, where Toko decides to stay with Komaru instead of leaving with Togami? It makes me feel a lot of joy, honestly. Nothing against ToFu, but her choosing Komaru over Togami was great! Like, from what I remember of her FTE’s Toko has had trouble trusting people. Neither of her moms wanted her, and she was even dated as a part of a dare. Her moms and that boy both treated her nicely, but they actually didn’t like her (actually I wonder about the moms, but I’ll have to revisit those FTEs eventually). The reason she is so infatuated with Togami probably has to do with how rudely he treats her, on top of being the SHSL Heir. If he got with her, it would be like a romance novel come to life, and he wouldn’t be pretending to like her. However, it’s unrealistic the way it is in canon. Togami may be getting better, but at least at the point canon left off, he still needs some work.

I’m very glad Toko has Komaru. Komaru treats her normally instead of being scared off or angry at Toko’s accusations and jokes, and she openly shows how much she cares about Toko. I can see Tokomaru both as a strong friendship, or a future romantic relationship, given time. And, based on the one DR3 episode, it seems like their bond has done nothing but grow! They trust in each other and work really well together. May they remain this close or more post-canon!

Kii/ruma (+)

I don’t know if anyone was expecting this to be appealing? I usually don’t like the characters that spew vulgarities, so I thought I’d never like Miu. I was so wrong! And, knowing what I did, I never thought I’d ship her with Kiibo, who’s just… so pure??? I remember, back when I was trying to avoid spoilers, that one CG where Miu was apparently performing maintenance came up, and I totally misjudged it. 

However, this game… it subverted my expectations. The CG was not as uncomfortable as I thought! Miu got a bit too close, and I’m 99% sure she knew what she was saying and how it could sound, and Kiibo just came for maintenance, and he doesn’t really get the double meanings to her words, but somehow ends up saying things that could be suggestive too XD It was so funny! I honestly thought, upon getting spoiled that CG before playing, that he wasn’t consenting to whatever was going on, but while I can’t say it was “innocent,” it was clearly not that bad. And after that, Miu is introduced to the Neo World Program and Kiibo gets jealous of the computer XD To try to get the most out of my V3 experience, I actually went up to every character each FT to get their “FTE starter,” so I know he’s always been either in the hall right before the computer room, or (not much farther away from there) next to the three empty rooms. I’m pretty sure the first FTE of that chapter, he even gets defensive over his not-jealousy of a computer, lol!!! There was also that part in Chapter 4, before going to the Virtual World, Monotaro calls Kiibo “Daddy” and Miu “Mommy” XD and even after her death, he was so sad he wished he could cry for her, which just punches me in the feels… and from what I remember in Trial 4, Kiibo was pretty much trying to defend her as the others pretty much admitted to not caring that much about her? I’d need to replay that trial, but that’s what I took from it in regards to Miu. Also, I guess another reason I like it is because Ouma bullies both of them, so they are similar in that regard haha.

I guess, maybe as the sole complaint, I wonder how Miu felt about Kiibo? I mean, clearly, she was interested in him because he’s a robot, but I wonder how she felt about Kiibo as a person? I think she respected Kiibo, but I can’t gauge how much she liked him from what I remember of the game. She was certainly proud and happy to give him upgrades, and Kiibo doesn’t seem to mind so much when she does, even though he hates sci-fi things, or generally any reminder he’s not as human as he’d like to be. She always kept her upgrades rather simple, and he was always so proud to have them! Maybe she wanted to add all that fancy gear from his Ultimate Lab, but didn’t push him when he said no. Maybe that’s why he was fond of her?

Kii/ruma’s a really cute ship to me! It’s probably more funny, than cute (but the fanart is so very cute...), but either way, I still really like it! And well, it’s about one of the only ships I care about in V3 as well, hahaha. It didn’t seem forced, I didn’t really feel like it was necessarily one-sided, and their dynamic was great and interesting!!! I should really check out those anthologies sometime to see if there’s any more Kii/ruma in it, hahaha.