#did you know that. i miss danganronpa another

[ultimateplaylistmaker]

Rate all the popular dangitronpa ships out of 10

Komahina; really fun but also kinda overshadows other fun ships, along with the issue of characterization being a bit flanderized, but very fun in basically all forms 8/10

Oumasai; interesting fact the reason i call it oumasai instead of saiouma is because 1. Kokichi tops and I refuse to budge on this. and 2. to help keep it out of the much more popular tag when I'm complaining. Anyways 90% of it's terrible but that 10% can be pretty damn good though, please become less popular, constant bad characterization 3/10

Ishimondo; classic, maybe too much of a classic, way too hard to find other ships with these two, however ishimaru did in fact get mondo on his knees in that sauna so i can't exactly say they are wrong, alas i got into danganronpa at like 13-14 and i was too young to really appreciate this ship and has kinda made it not something i ever really reach for 7/10

Naegiri; also a classic, I love them, they are so cute, they love each other so much and the memes are great, genuinely amazing, plenty of room for fluff angst and crack. Adorable but also not something I tend to overly reach for over other ships however am more likely to casually see it and go "HELL YEAH" and read a 40k fic, 8/10

Kaimaki; long time fans know I am not the biggest Maki fan, she's grown on me over the year, but the more canon a ship gets the harder it is for it to keep my interest without some other detail, and Kaimaki, does not have that other detail, I don't mind reading it if it catches my fancy, though I think I prefer it unrequited on Kaito's end, is 'aight 6/10

Saimatsu; similar problem as kaimaki of thhe more canon the ship the harder to keep my attention HOWEVER saimatsu is also a fucking comedy because they both kinda bring out the unhinged in the other and also the angst does make me really sad, so its good even if its not what im reaching for. 8/10

Naegami; 14 year old me was fucking obsessed with this ship, I have since calmed down. Thank god. Honestly overexposure made it a bit stale to me I think, like it's FUN don't get me wrong, I love Togami being a fucking freak about this little peasant little guy, but it's a bit generic "soft with mean" shipping I feel, very much "baby's first rivalry ship" for me 6/10

Oumota; oh that's the good shit, that's the good shit, the angst, the drama, the competitiveness, the assisted suicide, the secrets taken to the grave, the totally for real kiss in the hangar, the, pun intended, amalgamation of them in the final trial. The fact their love hotels line up, the fact they balance each other out. The hilarity of Maki and Shuichi's faces if they found out these two are dating, Ohhh my god, ooooh my god 10/10

Fuyupeko; another classic that falls under "the more canon it is, the harder it is for me to get into it" also Peko just...isn't super interesting to me, like don't get me wrong she's still great, but she's definitely a character I don't think of as often. I love the art for it though, fanartist go HARD and i love it, it's just overall missing that friction or interesting twist I want with my ships, tends to lean too domestic. 6/10

Kamukoma; pretty fun! I kinda grew a bit out of this one as well but sometimes you want komaeda being the absolute fucking dramatic worst with his cringe loser emotionless emo boyfriend, and that's a lot of fun. Good for angst, especially more cracky angst at times. Very funny when Hajime after the fact is like "HEY W HAT" 7/10

[sotogalmo]

1:38 am

I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another. I miss Danganronpa Another.

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU Pixel Sprites

I made pixel sprites for these three as their designs are changed from canon and would probably be used for Hibiki and Akane’s FTEs if this were an actual game. And yeah, Hibiki gets a new outfit because she wanted to try and put some distance between her and Kanade due to...EVERYTHING she’s done to her. Being her twin and having similar looks to their relationship and career as a band has become something of a negative thing for Hibiki, so she wanted to try and look different from her sister so she can be more comfortable with herself. Even if there are certain things she can’t change.

At least she gets her own FTEs that allow her to heal and grow now that Kanade is gone. And fun fact: Teruya and Akane helped her pick out her outfit! There’s nothing better than doing a nice therapeutic shopping trip with friends.

I’ll post their new sprite designs on separate posts later. For now, just look at how cute they are. ^^

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

[midnightskraptor]

He has me in a death grip right now hnghnh Nagito in DRAE makes me go feral like,, hhhhghgh (Idk man, something about that chain) Yes I'm mentally ill, how could you tell? <3

Also shoutout to tumblr for being the one place I'm not embarassed to post this lmao

[buffkitties]

Thinking about how Komahina is literally canon.

People dismiss the fact that they canonically have a strictly romantic relationship because it's apparently not "obvious" enough, but for a game from 2012, it is actually rather clear.

I feel like people don't understand that media tends to portray queer relationships in more subtle ways as opposed to straight relationships because of the stigma surrounding gay characters. Danganronpa is not, and will not ever be, the only game to not outright come out and say that the characters are queer and that they are into each other.

Even if these details can be missed, I think it was mostly the localisation that didn't deliver the implications right because when you actually pay attention, they're basically confirming it without saying it.

In the original version, Komaeda blatantly flirts by saying things that are vague enough that they COULD be missed, but those who know will recognise the meaning. His confessions, worded in ways that wouldn't be understood unless you knew his characters to some degree, and the context for his words (EX. Chapter 3), would be misleading or telling you nothing. Chapter 4, he mentions their good chemistry and admits he cares.

Additionally, Hinata, too, gives us subtle signs that he finds him attractive. He speaks of a bond and meaningful relationship, and he constantly says that he would like to understand him better/be closer to him. It also goes as far as very vague answers or questions, such as the scene with Komaeda telling him he wouldn't mind if he just wanted to see him naked, and there being nothing except his little, "You don't mind..?" (Neither a confirmation, nor denial, just genuine wonder; curiosity; he wanted to know more, to prompt him on it).

Komaeda is just more obvious than him, but Hinata is aware of his advances, and he does spend time thinking about them.

For example, in his last free time event, when he walks away from Komaeda. He hears him speak, and even if he had already left, he listened to every word he said, then carefully considered them. He was most likely aware of what he meant, and even if somebody didn't know the actual words, it's still very hinted at in the English translation.

» "If he obtains the hope he desires, what will he do? Strangely enough... I feel like I want to see that." <- Referring to Komaeda speaking of the hope inside him; he implies that he would like to see Komaeda obtaining the hope... That Komaeda apparently was in love with (although that was just a panicked lie, and the English version messed it up). In other words, he wants Komaeda to have him, or whatever he said he likes about Hinata. The implication is still there, with or without the confession being messy.

Additionally, Komaeda is the first person Hinata meets, which points towards him being important to him, at least more than the others. He was the one to stay by his side when he needed it the most, and the one he trusted first; he was the first person he saw—and that is the person he still sees, even in the end, when he's resentful towards him: "If I'm a nobody, then... You should've just left me alone." -> Hinata, after Komaeda is already dead, remembering their first meeting with a feeling of bitterness in his heart because he couldn't handle Komaeda's death. It's another example where he feels abandoned by him, just like in the first trial, just this time, he goes as far as wishing he'd left earlier, right at the very beginning, rather than when he couldn't imagine him gone. And I say that because Komaeda is the only person he didn't expect to die—he'd experienced this before, finding a dead body, but it was never Komaeda, and he'd never felt so empty and in disbelief, and he was never angry at the person who had died, instead of the killer. Before they find out it's a suicide, he blames Komaeda, or rather, targets him with his anger like he was saying, "Why did you have to go and die on me? This wasn't meant to happen." And he imagines him there, during the trial, a lot: Things he'd say, things he'd do. He gets sensitive about their relationship being mentioned, and when implied to be friends, he gets snappy. He's very touchy about the subject of Komaeda, just like any other person grieving their loved one would be.

Komaeda is the one he trusted the most and believed in his abilities. He trusted his ability to stir the trial any way he wanted, he trusted that he was saying the truth, he trusted that he would be hiding something, he trusted that Komaeda would be difficult, he trusted that Komaeda would help him if he needed it, he trusted that Komaeda would give him hints, he trusted that Komaeda knew, he trusted that Komaeda would oppose him, and he trusted that Komaeda would bring him closer to the truth. Most of all, he trusted Komaeda with information, and he trusted the information he was provided, and he often didn't break that trust, especially when they whispered between each other, and kept the evidence to himself until the trial. He investigated with him. He gossiped with him. He bantered with him. He listened to him. He saw him—for worse, for better, for all that he was. He judged him, and he was annoyed with him. He didn't even like some of his traits, but he still loved him. He knew what to expect from him.

To love someone is to see them and not turn away. To love someone is to want to see them, and even if you're unable to, you're willing not to turn away and trust them. To love someone is to allow them to see you.

Because Komaeda saw him, too. He saw past talent, even though he was most likely aware of his lack of talent. Even if he didn't know, there was never anything to go off on. There was just Hinata, one who was neither talented nor untalented, just an unknown status. He was just Hinata Hajime.

And he saw the stubborness, and he saw his will and the pressure he was under. He saw his anxiety, he saw his fears, he saw his efforts, and he saw his abilities. He was there for him, and he was there when Hinata needed to grow. He was there to push him. He was there to distribute a flame enough to make him act, but never to burn him. He was there to give him confidence and to boost his will to live and do something for himself, rather than depending on others. He passively encouraged him, and he made him feel like it was just his own achievement rather than because he was there to push him. He forced him to have to believe in himself and to stick to his word, even if he was in a tough situation, and to fight for what he wanted—for what he thought was right. He forced him into a position where he needed to defend himself, but not in a way that would break him, unlike many others, who just wanted to win. Every time he opposed him, it was for a purpose, and he never had the desire to silence him, just to see him do his best. And he helped him fight, not out of desire to win, but to see the meaning in it.

To love someone is to guide them, even if it requires a push. To love someone is to be there for them, not coddle them.

And he, too, saw Hinata, just like Hinata saw him, for a person, not talent. They saw each other for who they really were, the people they knew and trusted with their lives.

[pumpkinhimiko]

"Mistranslations" that are not mistranslations

Now with an additional part 2.

NISA has made plenty of mistakes while translating the Danganronpa series (and I've complained about them before), and so they have a reputation of being untrustworthy. But because of this reputation, I feel like fans are too quick to trust whatever anyone that isn't NISA states as absolute fact. So, I want to examine some instances of fan translators claiming NISA has mistranslated something, when, no, actually, they didn't.

Kokichi's last words

人にやらされるゲームなんて…楽しい訳あるかよ… A game you're forced to play... how could that be fun...

This is probably the most widespread myth in terms of "mistranslations that aren't", with the original post that makes this claim having over 2k notes: that Kokichi in the original Japanese actually says, "How could a game where you're forced to kill people be fun...?" Unfortunately, it's just not true. Fortunately for me, there's a reddit post here that breaks the line down in detail, so I don't have to do any work.

Anyway, I really wanted to make this post because of this thread, which makes several false claims.

 Kokichi says he's afraid of friends in general

オレは、そういう『仲間』が他人よりも怖いけどねー。I'm more afraid of those kinds of [friends] than strangers.

So... souiu, meaning that type of/that kind of is right there, directly before nakama (which can mean friend, especially if it's in a shounen anime, but can also just mean companion/member of a group). I don't understand how you can miss this. Not only is it right there, this claim on its face doesn't make sense. Why, in this context, would Kokichi suddenly blurt out that he's afraid of having friends? It has nothing to do with the conversation they're having.

Shuichi's words to Kokichi after the 4th trial

王馬くん、もういいだろ ? Ouma-kun, isn't this enough? その話を聞かせてくれよ。Tell us about that.

Okay, you've probably heard the phrase mou ii a lot if you watch anime, and it's almost always accompanied by a frustrated huff. Because it is, in fact, something you say when impatient, fed up, what have you. It literally means "good already", carrying pretty much the identical meaning of the English phrase, "that's enough" or "I've had enough". Shuichi does not say it's okay as in it's daijoubu, which is the word you use when trying to comfort someone. He is very much frustrated here and telling Kokichi to fess up.

Citation needed

I couldn't find a line like this in Kokichi's FTEs, but maaaaaaaybe I missed it? Shuichi's narration comments quite a few times on Kokichi acting childishly throughout the game, but I couldn't find anything like this in specific.

EDIT: Correction, I did find it, and it's covered in part two. Suffice to say, the OP got this line completely wrong.

That Kaito thing

Yeah this is patently false. It's also already been touched on in this thread with comments backing it up, so there’s another thing I don't have to get into. I'll put the text here though.

オレはテメーみて一に胸クソ悪い真似までして、If I have to mimic your sickening behavior, 生き残りて一とは思わねーんだよ。I don't think I want to survive.

Shuichi's words to Kokichi after the 4th trial part deaux

I've seen varying claims on how these lines were translated, from them being slightly tweaked, to the claim they were completely butchered to make Saihara too aggressive. I'm just going to leave it here and let you come to your own conclusions.

ダサいのはキミの方だよ…王馬くん。The lame one is you... Ouma-kun.

百田くんの周りにはいつも人が集まってくる… Momota-kun always has people around him... でも、キミの周りには誰もいないじゃないか。But, there's no one around you.

キミは…その程度のヤツって事だよ。That's... what kind of person you are.

This is snappy in its own way, though, if you consider that 程度 is closer to meaning grade/level/degree rather than simply "type of". "That's the level of person you are," basically.

And if you doubt me on any of this, I encourage you to do your own research, get second opinions if you can. I know not everyone knows Japanese, in which case you can't really help but rely on someone else and hope their translation is accurate. That said, at the bare minimum, I think people should provide screenshots and the original Japanese text if they're going to claim something is a mistranslation. Like, I don't think you should be able to say "actually in Japanese Kokichi says he volunteers at animal shelters in his free time but NISA cut it!" and have half the fandom believe you with no proof.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Idk if you still write for Danganronpa, but i have a idea

What about Yandere remnants of despair with a darling that they thought that died, like after they got brainwashed darling went missing, but after some time they discover that they actually are alive and now works for the future foundation!

Bonus: They are now dating another member of the future foundation and darling is/acts like Tsumugi Shirogane(without the despair and mastermind thing, so darling is just a silly little person who cosplays and is the ultimate former cosplayer! You can ignore this part!)

Thanks for reading! Really, thank you so much! <333

Found Again | Yandere Danganronpa

Since your class had turned to the remnants of despair the best thing you could do was pretend. Playing the part of a fellow brain-washed remnant before you could slip away to instead aid the future foundation. Now move on with your life it’s a shame that you seemed to be a poignant point in their fall to despair and now that they know you’re alive things are going to change:

Sonia Nevermind

“What's this…how could you….how dare you take my sunshine?!”

Released from the brainwashing of the Ultimate Despair and returned to normal

During the rescue of those in future foundation finding you walking around and directing others

It’s horrifying because you are hers

So why do you have a ring on your finger

A small stupid ring that isn’t half the size of what she would have given you

She might take advantage of the chaos to convince you to come with her

Surely you wouldn’t mind helping her acclimate to a proper and hopeful life

Whoever gave you this useless ring shouldn’t need you

“Come on (Y/n)I Don’t you remember?! You are my sunshine! I need you to be good!”

Should she find out while still in the throes of despair, it’s a little bit of the same

“So my loyal subjects your king has been abducted and brainwashed by those unhopeful rats! Come my subjects! On my order burn down the future foundation and retrieve my King!”

“Yeah!!!”

As a princess turned Queen having the whole kingdom behind her in her rule of despair is incredibly helpful

Immediately informing the moles that lure you from your partner and subdue you

Bringing you to her kingdom in Novoselic

“There my King is in their rightful place….NOW~SHALL WE PRACTICE THE PUNISHMENT OF YOUR ABDUCTERS!?”

“What?!”

She’s still a remnant of despair 

Remnant of despair who delighted and yearned when she found evidence of your death

A remnant of despair who continues to swoon at the way your face morphs into fear

“There~ that is a face I will torture for to fill this Queen with despair.” 

Nagito Komaeda

“Ah~To think my one true hope would be alive!”

He’s so so so happy you are even alive

He remembers the despair he was thrilling himself with and your supposed death definitely added to that

So him being able to experience this blossom of hope when in the process of saying so

He’s ecstatic 

Actually he abandons helping the future foundation to devise a plan—based on his luck—to get you on the ship with the rest of his class

He knows with his luck he’ll be able to pull it off

Though he’s certain there will be a death somewhere

But as long as it's not you, he doesn’t care 

Your back~and you’ll be his again

As a remnant of despair through his eagerness to have you knows no bounds

He almost doesn’t believe it

He doesn’t believe it

“I’ll believe it when I feel the despair of finding their body.”

It’s too hard to fool him

Likely you never did 

Him being constantly on the hunt to see your despair as he breaks your legs and does whatever he can to keep you in the pits of despair

And right by his side

He so dearly made his dear Junko a part of him is it insane he’d want to do the same

“My Despair! I’ve found you!” 

Gundham Tanaka

“My Divas, please aid me in apprehending our fallen star!”

“Squee!”

It’s fate that he should find you again

That he should have you again+

It was devastating waking up to find after his execution that he wasn’t reunited with you

But now he has

“Will you please just help the founders? I’m not your ‘star’ anymore.”

“How could you not be? Now that I’ve seen you, you’re burning so beautifully!”

“I’ve…found someone else Gundham.”

“....I see.”

He’ll understand liar

He’ll get back on his ship and leave you behind an act

He’ll let you live out your life alongside someone new wrong

The minute you’re around any large wildlife or swarm it’s over

They’ll do their dear Ultimate Breeder a fan by bringing you to him 

Switching off with others when it comes to water or islands

Eventually plopping you on the beach where he happily welcomes you

Commending their loyalty, he claims they did this without his judgment

“Their loyalty betrays my Star’s wishes, I’m sorry.But please for our class’ safety, you’ll stay with me us.”

As for the Remnant of Despair, it’s a miracle you even made it out

The animals are so much more vigilant 

Prepared to cripple you and drag you back to his side the second you step away

He is very intense about including you in his reshaping of the world

After all who wouldn’t be eager to share in the ritualistic sacrificing of those for despair

“It is I Gundham Tanaka! And my Star and I will be the ones to usher in this glorious revelry that is disastrous despair!”

[accirax]

Danganronpa: Despair Time Chapter 2 Episode 14 Dissection

I can't think of how to introduce this dissection other than just saying "god damn??". This chapter-- especially its second part-- has been a wild ride, and one that it appears we're nearing the end of. However, we still have one important question left to answer, which I'm sure I'll talk about here. So, let's chat.

SPOILERS for Danganronpa: Despair Time Chapter 2 Episode 14.

Also, I will be discussing Ace and Eden as equally likely blackened candidates in this post. If it will upset you to hear about the prospects of either or both of them being the killer, you might want to sit this one out.

Given what happens later in the episode, it's very interesting that the episode began with (more or less) Ace "admitting" that he has no idea how the murder mechanism worked. A truthful method of disqualification, or a masterful play by Ace to ask Teruko to ask him about the murder method only to pretend that he has no idea what it was? Time will have to tell on that one, because I honestly have no leads.

Similarly, is this Eden being genuinely shaken up and not remembering what transpired in the Gym, or trying to play the helpless innocent card to get out of having to help Teruko explain the murder method that she stole? Spoilers for my thoughts later in this dissection, I guess: they're so evenly matched that it's crazy.

I've always thought that Hu is the prettiest DRDT character, and this episode did nothing but prove me right. Hot damn, ma'am.

The insistence that this questioning is "traumatizing [Nico]" makes me think that Hu could be projecting her own experiences on to them. Perhaps she was once an innocent in a situation for which she kept taking the blame? That would be interesting as another connection between Hu and Nico, of both of them having taken the blame for someone else's follies.

This was a hilarious comeback; never change, Ace. Or, maybe you do need to change slightly, to become a less cowardly and impulsive person. Or maybe I should at least be rooting for you to have the chance to change in the sense that you live long enough to have that work out for you.

Yet another instance of J being the one to say that murder is bad. I wonder if this has to do with her character/backstory in some particular way (although given what we know about her past I have no idea what that would be), or if DRDTdev just needed a judgmental and confrontational person who would snap back at anyone to take over these kinds of lines.

(That's not me dunking on J's character btw she's valid for this)

This was a really clever way for Charles to phrase this to make Hu listen and settle down. I appreciate the out-of-the-box yet logical thinking. (Also I missed hearing Charles' voice :,D)

Woah, I was not expecting to get a Closing Argument comic for the Gym murder, but I am obviously delighted that we have one! Also, OH MY GOD, THE CEILING GRATE. How did none of us even think to consider that as part of the murder mechanism?

However, there are still some aspects of the state of the Gym that haven't yet been accounted for with this version of the murder timeline. I don't really think it's anything that would stop Nico from being Ace's would-be killer at this point, but I'll list them out here in case they are or in case they turn out to be relevant to Arei's murder. I'll also be trying to debunk them, though.

Moved Benches: Some of the benches near the pullup bar were knocked over. These probably fell either in some sort of struggle while knocking out Ace, or when Ace's body fell from the fan.

Moved Weight Rack: The weight rack was moved closer to the bench press and flipped on its back. I guess this really was also knocked over in the same fashion, no matter how unrealistically difficult it should have been to move due to its weight? Or it really was "workout preferences"???

Nico's Missing Cowl: When Teruko and Eden found Nico at the scene of the crime, they weren't wearing their typical dark cape thing. I have no clue why. You could say that Nico was trying to look less instantly recognizable, but it's not as if anyone (other than maybe Teruko) who saw a dark-haired 5'5" individual in a blue shirt instead of a gray cowl would think it was anyone other than Nico. There's also ye olde theory that they might have used it to soak up blood somewhere, but 1) Ace seems to have lost less blood than it may have seemed, and 2) the cowl was still not seen anywhere in the crime scene. I think I remember speculating that after Nico hypothetically used it to soak up blood (or, on second thought, maybe used it to gag Ace with the turpentine), they then stuck it in the fridge to hide it for the time being, at which point MonoTV discarded it and Nico got a new cape from their room. Maybe if it was used to apply the turpentine, Nico also could've put it away to prevent themselves from being affected by the fumes? I guess that's what I'm going with.

Lack of Tape on Pullup Bar: So, this one is obviously relevant to the murder already because Rose not being able to do a pullup is part of what tips off Teruko to the fact that something is off with the tape. However, I have no idea why the tape actually got removed from the bar. I still maintain that I don't think anyone could have stolen the tape off of that bar and repurposed it elsewhere-- most online sources seem to agree that kinesiology tape isn't reusable, and the fact that it was already wrapped around the bar in such a tight spiral would make it difficult to conform to any new specific shapes. My best guess is that Nico might have tried to use the bar instead of the light grate at first, determined that the tape was preventing the wire from sliding properly, and then removed the tape before determining the bar still didn't work. Or, Nico could have tried using the bar before settling on the broom, and thinking that it wouldn't work with tape on it... for some reason? Kinda scratching my head here.

I wonder how long ago it was. It's been four days since the Chapter 2 motive was revealed, although Ace was attacked only two days after the motive. Furthermore, Ace had started bullying Nico to some level already by the end of Chapter 1. I'm sure that Nico must have known what their secret was and probably didn't want it to be shared. My guess would be that they probably started cooking on murder pretty shortly after the new motive was released. That would also work with Charles-via-Whit letting everyone know what the custom weapons were in the first Class Trial.

This was the perfect response for Nico's character. They don't understand why an untruthful "sorry" would actually serve as a courtesy for most people, so they try to say what they feel and get ostracized for it.

Gotta say though, Ace, that was a pretty aggressive reaction from someone who said he "didn't need other people to tell him lies just to keep him happy" ;) (/j)

Damn, way to throw Levi under the bus. I can see why, for someone like Nico, they would want to assert themselves as not the most abnormal person here, though. I just want them to be neurodivergent buddies :(

If that's the case, then I'd have to imagine that we won't be seeing Nico as a killer again down the line. However, they could also just mean "getting caught"/"going in without a solid gameplan," so it's still possible we will. There's also the possibility of them doing something more like a sacrifice kill, although it would take a lot of character work to make something like that feel within Nico's nature.

Sorry to keep screenshotting every little thing Nico says but they keep saying really interesting things. The fact that Nico specifically mentions their father as opposed to "parents" or "family" makes me think that we'll hear more about their father specifically sometime in the future. Or, who knows, maybe their other parent left or died.

Nico: I don't expect you to forgive me. Very few people ever do. So I don't see the point in acting sorry.

This was very interesting as an addendum to the above screenshot. What exactly did Nico "ask for" forgiveness for in the past? Was it just more social blunders, as they described in ch2-e2, or did they get into more trouble closer to this level than we realized? It could also be an indication that Nico has spent time with people who believe that being nonbinary is a crime that Nico needs to feel sorry for. Fascinating stuff, indeed.

Points for Ace being the killer. We know that he went into this trial looking to suspect Nico ("[...] I'm pretty sure I know who the murderer is. It's not David, it's Nico"), so if Ace is the killer, it would make sense if he'd want to make the crime scene resemble Nico's to make his bait more credible.

Hey, it's the aforementioned T A P E T I M E, motherfuckers :D (still /j) Personally, it's quite gratifying to hear that it wasn't just a visual malfunction or a minor detail blown way out of proportion.

You're, uh... getting to this point much faster than I expected, queen. I don't think she's now going to go down the exact same distrustful rabbit hole that she was in before, but there's definitely still potential for her hopes to be crushed by the end of this chapter. Or, maybe she will accept some people as genuine friends, and instead in the future have to confront how she feels when she loses a genuine friend, or not blaming herself for the effects of her luck, or something along those lines. I like that Teruko isn't a static edgy protagonist, though. Like, don't get me wrong, I've always known and appreciated that she has depth, but it's refreshing that she isn't someone who's so stubborn about her own way of thinking that she refuses to admit when she's in the wrong. Teruko really wants friends, guys.

TERUROSE REAL??????

(Also Rose's speech was excellent as well I just didn't have anything in particular to say about it other than "wow" at the moment)

Yahoo, lockdown logic strikes again! Also, a quick

Is Teruko Correct In This Assumption?

Personally, I fully think yes, only Ace or Eden could be the culprit at this point. MonoTV confirmed that it tried to restore the Gym to the best of its ability but couldn't return the tape, which means both that there was no tape in the Gym to be taken and that there was never any spare tape in the Storage Room that MonoTV could have used to replace the roll. I guess you could say that there was an extra roll of tape in the Storage Room that someone else took before the murder took place, but that level of coincidence seems implausible at this point in the Trial.

No, for anyone other than Eden or Ace to have acquired the tape, they must have either stolen it from one of those two or asked for it from one of those two. Asking them seems very unlikely-- for starters, if it was Ace who took the tape, I don't think he'd be giving free hand-outs to anyone. And, if Eden isn't the killer herself, that means all of her fright regarding stumbling upon Ace's body was genuine. I don't think she's naive enough to then hand over what was used in Ace's murder to anyone asking... or at least not without bringing it up now. Beyond that, anyone who would ask either of them for the tape would have to know that the tape was used in the murder attempt, knowledge of which was very limited. This episode went to lengths to establish that Nico was the sole culprit behind the attack on Ace, and while it's still possible it could all be an elaborate lie, the explanation Nico gave felt very in character and important for their characterization moving forwards. So, while Nico would obviously know it was used, if Nico asked either of them for the tape, surely neither Eden nor Ace would trust them. Otherwise, I think Rose is the only one who could have found out it was gone, but even so, given that neither Eden nor Ace have tried to argue that Rose asked them for the tape, I don't think that happened.

You could also say the same of neither Eden nor Ace claiming to have had the tape stolen from them-- but I could see either of them feeling like claiming to have taken the tape at all right now would be a death sentence, so I understand why they wouldn't say it. Still, I don't know if the narrative is there to support the tape having been stolen from them. On the day after the Gym murder (Day 7), Eden isn't seen in the daily life at all. If someone stole the tape from Eden on that day, I would think that DRDTdev would at least want to show us who Eden was spending time with on that day (given that he put in the effort to make the tape sprite disappear from the Gym at the time it did), so that we would have any idea who might have done so. Ace is seen once in the Day 7 daily life, arguing with Hu, Nico, Levi, Veronika, and Arei. However, having just been attacked, I imagine he'd be hyper-aware of anyone getting close to him, and therefore would be more likely to notice if someone was rifling around in his pockets (if he has pockets?).

Really, I think the only possible candidates for who could have stolen tape from Ace or Eden would be Levi (mostly just for Ace) and Arei (from either of them). Levi might have had an opportunity to take the tape from Ace on the night he was attacked, the night of Day 6. Eden said last episode that Levi "kept trying to help him" after Ace was attacked, which could imply that Levi was the one to put bandages around Ace's neck. Furthermore, he does have a criminal past, which could make him better at stealing. Similarly, Arei is confirmed to be a good pickpocket, stealing Min's pen without Min noticing at all. I think she's the only one with the proper buildup to have taken the tape from Ace at that breakfast, and would be the most likely to have spent time with Eden when Eden was off-screen. (Although, it would have to have been before lunch, because Eden says the last time she saw Arei was at lunch.)

However, I don't think many people think that Levi is the killer anymore, and if Arei stole the tape from Eden or Ace only for the killer to then steal the tape from Arei, I would start to wonder why DRDTdev even made the tape such a scarce resource in the first place. Remember that, if the killer was purposefully trying to recreate Nico's idea, they likely knew in advance that they would need the tape to pull off their plan. It was used in enough places that seizing the opportunity to take it off of Arei seems unlikely, as it was too fundamental to the plan's inception. Besides, for the killer to replicate Nico's plan in the first place, the killer likely needs to be Nico, Eden, Ace, or Teruko, who are the ones who could have most easily taken the tape on their own.

I've already seen people accuse this Trial of being bloated, and while I strongly disagree (I only think cases are bloated when they're stalling for time and have nothing of interest to discuss, and we've still had PLENTY of interesting stuff to discuss), if we spent a whole 'nother who-knows-how-many episodes reversing all of the progress we just made to say that either Nico wasn't actually the one to kill Ace or that someone who didn't see the crime scene killed Arei, that bloating problem would only seem worse to those people.

I understand if you don't want to believe that Eden or Ace has to be the culprit for whatever reasons-- whether that be that they're your favorites and you don't want them to die or you really like your theory and don't want it to be false-- but I really think that this episode cemented that either Ace or Eden will be voted for as the blackened for all of the reasons above. Therefore, I shall be proceeding accordingly.

She was WILD for this. Hilarious line of reasoning.

What's Up With the Body Discovery Announcement?

The "reveal" of this line of logic was no surprise to me. As someone who's believed that Eden is the culprit for quite a long time, we've had to figure out ways to get around this thing before, and besides perhaps "not witnessing the murder," someone else seeing the body before the BDA rang is the most obvious way to cheese it.

However, in order for this to be a thing, we have to ask ourselves-- who would have actually seen the body first?

David claims to, but he has an alibi starting at 7:30 AM with Veronika and J. Both because Arei theoretically wasn't dead before then and because we've been operating off of the assumption that a meal takes about 30 minutes to eat, I don't think any of the three of them could have stumbled across Arei in the morning. Nico and Hu both have an alibi, which I'm going to consider solid enough to remove them from possibility-- one of them spotting the body would be helpful to make Eden the killer, and I think the only people who believe that Hu and Nico are lying only believe so under the condition that one of them is the killer. Whit is out, because him seeing the body beforehand doesn't actually accomplish anything, and so is Charles, because we can assume that, if he saw the body, he would be out of commission. I'm also going to strike Rose from seeing the body before breakfast, both because she's very likely to have been asleep and because if she had already seen Arei's body in the Playground, she probably wouldn't have refused to draw a diagram. That would leave only Ace, Levi, and Arturo as non-blackeneds who could have helped facilitate culprit!Eden from not being caught by the BDA.

However, we also have to consider that "before 8 AM" isn't the only time someone could have stumbled across Arei's body. They also could have seen it before Teruko, Eden, and Whit did while everyone was looking for Arei. So, what do we know about what happened during the search for Arei? Not much. Hu says that they should split up, while J says she's going to check Arei's room. Teruko says that most people are probably searching the first floor, an assumption that's supported by Teruko, Eden, and Whit not seeing anyone else while they check the second floor. You might think that would eliminate the possibility of anyone else seeing Arei's body during the search, but Teruko did say most people, not all. There's also what MonoTV said when Teruko and Veronika were investigating the Gym.

MonoTV: It's too high! If you stood in the movie screening room on floor one and started punching through the walls, you'd fall into the playground.

This not-yet-addressed piece of evidence got me thinking about the possibility of someone seeing Arei's body from above, standing in the Motive Screening Room. It still probably couldn't be Teruko, Whit, Charles, Rose, or J, but anyone else would theoretically be back on the table if that were the case. That being said, I can't find any visual differences in how the Motive Screening Room looks between the beginning of Chapter 2, when the search for Arei begins, and when Teruko goes to check the motive secrets (other than a curtain being added over the screen in the third case). So, unless there was already a heretofore unmentioned hole to peek through in the room, I wouldn't count on that being the case. The connection between the Motive Screening Room and the Playground will probably just be relevant to a different chapter.

Therefore, that leaves us once again with Ace, Levi, and Arturo. The main problem with believing that any of them could have seen the body beforehand is why they wouldn't have brought that up at this point in the Trial. Here are my best guesses as to why:

Ace: I have genuinely no clue why Ace wouldn't have brought up that he saw the body in the morning (assuming that he actually did) to defend himself at this point. It's not like it would make anyone more suspicious of you.

Levi: Levi does seem to be a bit dense regarding what is and isn't helpful behavior in a Trial, so the most likely possibility to me is that he just didn't realize that confirming he saw her was helpful. Like, "oh, I didn't realize that me confirming that I saw Arei would help us pin down Eden as the killer. I was just trying to figure out how David and I both saw Arei's body this morning and I didn't see him." "Wh-- David was obviously lying!" "He was?" "I already told you he was lying before..." "Levi... we talked about this..." Bonus points for it not being out of character for Levi to be unfazed by seeing a body, though.

Arturo: In Arturo's case, I think it would have to be that he'd still be worried about people seeing him as suspicious for saying he found Arei's body in the case of accusing Eden specifically. They already have a past history of conflict, and I could see someone brashly accusing Arturo of throwing Eden under the bus just to get revenge on her for the secret thing (even if I don't think he would actually do that). He also made an enemy out of Arei, so I don't think he would be particularly fazed by seeing her corpse either-- similarities to Felicity's cause of death notwithstanding. However, I also find it likely that he trailed after J in going to check Arei's room.

So, what's our conclusion here? Does this mean that Eden is basically fully cleared by triggering the BDA? I wouldn't count her out just yet, but the evidence isn't looking great for her. It's quite possible David only brought up this argument to A) hold out suspension of disbelief that it's not just Ace for a little while longer, B) drop this logic as foreshadowing for a future killer's plan, C) characterize the kind of logic he uses in a Class Trial, or D) bring up this argument in canon so that the people who theorized that the BDA might not clear Eden or Whit wouldn't be like, "wait, but what about...?" However, it's also possible that one of the possibilities I listed above, something I might have missed, or the "see no evil" idea (as FF put it) could keep Eden in contention. That dynamism is part of what makes Ace and Eden feel so evenly matched.

See, this is what I assumed David was getting at after Nico reminded me of his early-morning alibi. But then he just kept talking...

I'm not going to delve into what David was thinking here too much, because I already have an anonymous ask about what I think David's rationale was that this will almost certainly come up in. However, as a short version, I imagine that David is trying to get everyone angry at each other in the hopes that it'll incite another murder that he can get the class to fail? Or to cause enough discord in the group that they just fail this one. That would be why he also rags on Rose for not remembering the tape, and insults Arturo's sister-- he wants no one to trust anyone so that the murder-solving process will be as un-streamlined as possible.

The fact that he targets Teruko so specifically is probably because he (accurately) assesses her as the only real threat there. Charles and Rose can help, sure, but their mental struggles make them easy enough to eliminate if you play your cards right. Teruko's main flaw is her lack of trust, so if David wants to weaken her, it makes sense to go right for that jugular. Furthermore, by stating his plans so plainly and publicly, it might incite other people to fight back against him and say that Teruko should trust them. However, that kind of olive branch might make Teruko even less inclined to get close to them, if what Teruko said to Eden at the end of ch2-e03 can tell us anything. Didn't stop Eden from trying at the end of this last episode, though!

After taking some more time to think about what David was up to this chapter, I might change my mind on those being his goals. But, this post does serve as my initial thoughts of sorts, and that's what I initially think about this scene.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Does Ace Have Nothing To Do With Arei?

What Ace has to say is more or less true-- barring the breakfast in which Arei didn't talk at all (AKA, no conversation), Ace has literally never been in a small group event with Arei. However, although they didn't talk to each other, Ace did overhear the conversation between David and Arei, which does give him a connection to Arei. Quite relevantly, Arei did say this to David during their conversation:

Arei: You said that sharing our secrets would help fight against the motive. But when I think about it, not a single good thing has come out of that. Eden was stupidly naive, as usual, and tried to talk to Arturo, so now I have to protect her.

From this, Ace could probably surmise that Eden had Arturo's secret, she talked to him about it, and that Arei stepped in to save her from Arturo. He was one of the few people who could have known that Eden and Arei grew closer before the murder occurred: another connection Ace had to information about Arei.

However, before you use that evidence to call Ace the killer, let me remind you that he still doesn't have enough information to write the note from just eavesdropping on this conversation alone. As I outlined in this theory (same as the one I just linked above), whoever wrote the note had to specifically know that Arturo's secret was about his sister, which Arei doesn't divulge (quite possibly because she didn't even know) to David. Therefore, although Arei mentioning Arturo and Eden in this conversation is interesting, it doesn't actually make Ace any more likely to be the killer, because he still would have needed to find some way to spy on Eden's secret and/or Arturo and Eden's conversation to write that note. (Unless mentioning the sister specifically was an oversight plot hole, but I never want to use that as my reasoning.)

So, do I get what Arturo is getting at? Yeah, Ace and Arei were never particularly involved, and Eden clearly has a greater connection to the victim. However, there is more to the Ace/Arei bond than it might first appear, and it's possible that could come up in the Trial moving forward.

This distinction-- between "Arei was my friend" and "Arei could have been my friend"-- could be very telling down the line. Eden pauses mid-tear-filled rant to distinguish that Arei is not her friend, not because she's dead, but because they hadn't reached that point yet. Arei is not Eden's friend in death. What can that possibly mean other than that Eden killed Arei?

... BUT THEN HOW THE FUCK CAN EDEN GO AND SAY ALL OF THIS, BE THE KILLER, AND THEREFORE PROVE DAVID RIGHT???

AND THE "BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS DO" REFERENCE??? AT THIS HOUR????? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT MAKES HER SEEM MORE OR LESS SUSPICIOUS!!!!

OUGH AND THE MIN PARALLELS TOOOOOOO

MIN WAS TERUKO'S FRIEND BUT ALSO A KILLER. DOES THAT MEAN EDEN IS GOING TO BREAK THE CYCLE OR DOES IT MEAN THAT WE'RE STUCK IN A DOOMED STORY IN WHICH TERUKO IS THE PROTAGONIST? IT COULD GO EITHER WAY!!!

Jumping back in time for just a moment...

A Piece of Evidence That Lines Up to Them Only

I thought about making this its own separate post, but decided not to. If you guys want me to make this part it's own separate post so it's easier to find/comment on directly, let me know, and I'll set that up.

But before you can make your decision, I suppose I have to explain what I aim to do here. Basically, Teruko has told us that she's still torn between Eden and Ace (mood), and that, while she'll start off attacking Ace, she's looking for any pieces of evidence that could prove that only one of them could have committed the crime. Problem is, we have no indication of what that specific piece of evidence could be, and, trust me, it could be a lot of them. Thus, what I'm going to do in this "mini" theory is list out every piece of evidence that I can think of, and say whether it points to Eden being the culprit, Ace being the culprit, or it can't point to either of them. Perhaps once we're done, you'll see why I'm so conflicted on which of them it would be.

I'm going to tier these pieces of evidence in terms of least likely to be the missing piece to most likely to be the missing piece, starting with all of the aforementioned unexplained gym evidence. The knocked over benches and weight rack were not part of the replicated crime scene, and I have no idea how Ace or Eden would have wound up with any version of Nico's cowl. The missing tape on the pull-up bar has the greatest likelihood to be relevant, but as we're already suspecting both of them for having the tape, I don't think it'd be a decision maker. Any of those pieces of evidence would be likely to come up in proving that Nico wasn't the one behind Ace's murder, but this theory is operating under the assumption that Nico is the one who tried to kill Ace, and either Ace or Eden killed Arei. If you want the answers for your own theory, do your own homework. (/lh)

Ace or Eden will get a point for any evidence that I think would better be used to accuse them as being the culprit. Therefore, winning points is actually a bad thing if you want to be innocent. For convenience of "scoring," Eden will be purple because of her shirt and Ace will be pink because of his "maroon" hair... and because I needed red and orange for the likelihood ranking.

UNLIKELY FINAL PIECES OF EVIDENCE

Arei's Body Swinging: This evidence has already been used to establish that Arei was killed in the morning, not at night. Either Ace or Eden could have killed Arei at 7:30 AM, so point to neither of them.

Ace Trying to Assign Himself to Guard Duty: This one is obviously a point for Ace if it were the final piece, but it's such a minor happenstance that I doubt Teruko would think to bring it up as the main thing against him. Like, she could bring it up in general, but I don't think it'd be her crowning jewel. Still, it's a piece of evidence we haven't discussed yet, so credit where credit is due.

Arei's Bound Wrists: Bound by the grippy tape that either of them could have stolen. Point to no one.

Broken Playground Lights: The lights in the Playground are broken, likely from the mechanism being hung up through the ceiling rafters. You could argue that this is a point for Ace's strength, but I don't think throwing a ball that high requires so much strength that Eden couldn't do it, especially if you might be able to use the see-saw to launch it somehow. Point to no one.

Dried Up Puddles: This has nothing to do with either of them. Point to no one.

Carousel Wrapped in Tape: Again, either could have had the tape, so point to no one.

Two Pieces of Rope: Either of them could have taken the rope from Storage and cut it; point to no one.

Food/Utensils/Napkins in Trash: Probably David's dinner. Possibly evidence of Eden and Arei having breakfast together, but that's a stretch. Point to no one.

Cups/Tissues/Palette in Trash: Rose says these were hers. Point to no one.

Incense in Trash: I know thebadjoe had (has?) theories about this being used to conceal the scent of Arei's body being hidden in the Relaxation Room a day earlier than anyone thought, but I find that to be too much of a stretch to accost Eden for it here. I think it's just filler. Point to no one.

Grippy Tape in Trash: I should just stop writing out tape evidence. Point to no one.

Broken Jugs: The killer used jugs of water to make Arei heavier, which broke when she fell. They probably had the fish water in them, but we're not talking about the fish themselves at the moment. I'll say point for Ace because the jugs are probably from the Gym, and we've seen Ace in the Gym far more times than we've seen Eden.

Needle and Black Thread: This evidence... might have to do with the ball of clothes, which we'll get to later. However, if this is relevant to the murder, it's probably from the Dress-Up Room, in which we've seen Eden but never Ace. Point to Eden.

Construction of the Note: After a bit of internal debate, I'm going to call this a point for no one. Why? Well, it's because Eden would have reason to help construct the note whether she was the killer or not. If she is the killer, she might have wanted to guide the discussion that followed its reconstruction, to urge to Rose and Whit that she's innocent and that someone must have framed her. It would also give her reason to come into the Trial already having a handwriting sample on her. However, if Eden is innocent, she also easily could have just wanted to help out. Most importantly, Eden already brought up the note being constructed in her initial defense, so I doubt Teruko would reuse it as the nail in someone's coffin.

Splashing Arei With Water: Either of them could have thought of this and accomplished this. Point to no one.

SOMEWHAT LIKELY FINAL PIECES OF EVIDENCE

Body Discovery Announcement: While this may very well play an important part in solving the case, I don't think it'll be the final smash, so to speak. That's mostly because we already talked about it a lot in determining whether Eden could have done it. In the end, I think we'll either have to come up with a way to justify Eden having cheated the BDA-- by Levi or Arturo having seen it or via see no evil-- or we'll accuse Ace without the BDA being a problem. I guess I have to call this a point for Eden because if the BDA were to be the damning evidence, I think it'd have to be for her. However, in my heart, this is totally evidence supporting Ace being the killer.

Arei's Broken Neck: I'm using this as a stand-in for the strength of the killer, in the sense of lifting Arei up and being able to stop the carousel. This is a point for Ace, because he's a professional athlete and Eden is generally the weakest person in the cast.

Scratches on the Ground: This evidence certainly seems to indicate that there was a struggle at the Playground, but is there anything more to it than that? I'm more willing to believe that Ace could have beaten Arei in a fight, but does that point to Eden because there would've been more of a struggle, or Ace because Eden wouldn't have wanted to fight Arei at all? Ace also normally wears heels (while Eden and Arei don't), which is what Hu cites will naturally scratch up the floor. This evidence is vague enough that I don't think it'll be used to point to either of them, but if it did, I think it's more likely to be Ace.

Ball of Starched Clothes: For starters, I'll share (I think it's) thebadjoe's theory that the ball was adhered together using starch from the Relaxation Room that's sprayed on the plants at night, because I saw some people questioning how the clothes could have been stuck together. Anyways, the ball of clothes itself is definitely a point for Eden, because we saw her in the Dress-Up Room specifically looking for Teruko's clothes. Although, Ace certainly saw Teruko and Hu's new fits, so he could have figured it out for himself.

Actual Acquisition of the Tape: I don't think this will be used as the final piece just because I feel like the narrative is pointing towards the damning evidence relating to Arei's actual murder as opposed to Nico's. However, it's relevant to discuss, so I'll list it here. Although Teruko says that Ace and Eden had equal odds at the tape, on the surface, it really makes much more sense if Eden was the one to take it. Star explained it well here, but I'll add my own recap: in the moments when the tape must have been taken, in between when Nico leaves and when MonoTV kicks everyone out, Ace is recovering from unconsciousness, covered in blood, full of rage, and has all eyes on him. Meanwhile, Eden is scared, sure, but she had a clear moment to actually examine the scene of the crime and is also knocked to the ground-- potentially right next to the tape-- with all her wits about her. While it's not impossible to believe that Ace sleight-of-handed the tape, Eden had a much clearer path to taking it. Point to Eden.

MOST LIKELY FINAL PIECES OF EVIDENCE

Arei's Missing Glove: To my memory, Arei's glove hasn't been brought up in the Trial at all, which is definitely strange, because it must be missing for a reason. If DRDTdev is crafting so much detail into the BDA that the swinging of the body is plot-relevant, there's no way he would have just missed giving Arei her glove. The question is, what was this used for? Those who are familiar with my theories should know that I've never been a fan of dress-up theories, so I'm going to discount that possibility. The thing I thought was the most likely was that the killer donned the glove so that their hands wouldn't get super scratched up from grabbing the grippy tape-d carousel bars, before gleamingtempest reminded everyone that both Eden and Ace already wear gloves. Still, looking at them, Eden's gloves are probably made of something more like cotton while Ace's gloves likely have some sort of tougher grip on the inside. So, Eden would probably be more likely to need something else to protect her hands. Also, given that both of Arei's wrists have marks on them, the glove was likely taken off before her wrists were tied. I can't figure out why Ace would have taken off Arei's glove before restraining her or how he would have gotten Arei to take it off otherwise, while for Eden, at least, I can imagine her asking Arei to take off her glove. Therefore, I'm going to call this one a point for Eden, while also throwing out that it might just be missing if Arei didn't bother putting on her glove for the early morning meetup.

Fish on the Playground: You've heard it from me before, Eden has an alibi through the entire time the fish could have been taken. With seemingly no accomplices (other than possibly Arei) in sight, I don't know how Eden would have gotten her hands on those fish. Meanwhile, Ace had a great opportunity. Point for Ace.

Pieced-Together Note: This evidence is very confusing, because I don't see how/why either of them would have implemented it. For Ace, I wrote that entire theory (I'm not going to link it a third time) about how, based on the information in the note and the layout of the first floor, it really seemed like eavesdropping was impossible, and the person who wrote the note had to be Arturo or Eden. Then there's what thefandomenchantress pointed out about Ace's pedantry making it seem like he wouldn't misspell "responsible" in the note, and that he just doesn't give me the vibes of someone who writes in cursive. By all accounts, it really seems like Ace can't have written that note. But then again, why would Eden have written that note? Okay, bad phrasing; she wrote it to get Arei to come to the Playground. But still, why would she sign it? Or if she were to sign it, to make sure that Arei knew it was her, why include so much detail about what Arturo's secret was? More importantly, why wouldn't Eden have just stuffed the ripped up note into her belt, or her pockets, or her room if it would serve to incriminate her? Put it wherever she put that glove! Hell, why not eat the note, if it's a life or death situation? There's the "reverse psychology" argument, but similar to what Teruko said this episode, it would have been much simpler for Eden to have pretended that Arei came to the Playground for some other reason without the killer planting some sort of note meant to frame her. And it's not like I think Eden is really the type to misspell "responsible" either. So, I'm kind of at a loss. It's such a major piece of evidence that I feel it has to come into play again somehow, but I'm not sure how. I think I'm going to call this one a point for Ace because at the very least I understand why he would want to leave this evidence here, even if I don't know how he created it. For Eden, I don't get why she'd leave it lying around, even if in pieces. You can call it revenge for Eden getting the point on the BDA, if you wish.

So, what are the results? If you add up all the points together, you wind up with 6 points for Ace and 6 points for Eden. Funny. If you tier the points, however, with 1 point for unlikely pieces, 2 points for somewhat likely pieces, and 3 points for the most likely pieces, you get 12 points for Ace and 10 points for Eden. Of course, that's using my tierlist of which pieces of evidence are most likely and on top of that, assigning the BDA and the Note the way that they are (if you flip them it's 11-11), but still. If you're invested in my findings, these are the results.

Needless to say, I hope you can understand why I'm having such a hard time determining which one of them will turn out to be the killer. Although, I must add...

If we're suspecting Ace first before we've done our Debate Scrum, that's not a good look for Eden never being suspected again in this Trial.

Concluding Thoughts

What? A conclusion? I've never done one of these on a dissection before?!!

Yeah, well, this time, I have stuff to say that I couldn't really correlate to one image in particular! And also I ran out of images, so this is what you get!!!

I spent that whole "A Piece of Evidence" section talking about the physical evidence that could support Ace or Eden being Arei's killer, but in it, I really didn't get to talk about the narrative implications of either of them being the killer at all. I know that Narrative Defenses are typically Venus' thing, but I have my thoughts on this, too. Namely, that both of them are riddled with narrative problems for being the killer at this point.

(Note: I don't mean "problems" in the sense that DRDTdev has written anything poorly. What I mean is, my own perception of how the characters are conveyed has me currently raising red flags about how either of their stories will pan out as a killer or how the rest of the story will pan out without them. At the time the answer comes, I have full faith that I'll be satisfied with the results.)

Let's start by looking at Eden, the spotlight character of the end of this episode. After that whole heartfelt speech with the CGs and the tears and the brilliant voice acting and the everything, how could Eden possibly be the killer?! I'm the one who was trying to defend the possibility of her still being the culprit after her little rant last week, and while I could probably do that again with this speech, it just felt so... I dunno, sincere. You can really feel Teruko's reluctance to put her faith in Eden, but her choice to do it anyways. Teruko already showed signs of growth this episode by admitting that she can't always solve mysteries by herself, so could that be a sign that she might come around on the group faster than we initially anticipated? If Eden was the killer, it would crush Teruko so hard. Is there any recovering from that? Can we really prove David right?

On the other hand, Ace is, quite possibly, one of the most intertwined members of the cast. He's probably Levi and Nico's #1 correspondent, and he's up there for Hu as well-- assuming they both survive the chapter, I'm sure their animosity towards each other will only grow in Chapter 3. With Ace just having given up on Levi, having just been the target of Nico's battery and Hu's verbal lashes, can the story really work without him in it at this point? Eden hardly has connections with anyone other than Teruko-- Hu's probably next, but Eden probably ranks, like, fourth on her list after Nico, Ace, and David-- which should make her more expendable. Is it really Ace's time already?

However, despite my complaints, I also think that both of them could be really good options as the killer here-- the two options I prefer over anybody else.

Eden is the character who's most connected with Arei. She plays into the chapter themes of being a good person beautifully. She's a good person, a tragic figure, that killed not because she wanted anybody dead, but presumably because she had something back at home that she had to get back to at all costs. Killing her off would break Teruko-- would break everyone. With the reveal of everyone's secrets, next chapter is going to be a living hell, so why not make that hell worse by removing the biggest conflict de-escalator here? It would force other people to step up to bat. It would give everyone a chance to change, what Eden wanted for Arei most of all. Eden's development isn't an arc, per say, but a fall-- a reminder that even the "most good" people can do the unspeakable.

Meanwhile, Ace has perhaps the most obvious reason to kill someone: he literally almost fucking died himself. Ace's execution would be a reminder of the physical reality of the killing game. That actions have consequences. Even if the guy who started all those fights is dead and gone, you can still feel his presence lingering in the arguments between the others. The guy you underestimated most of all-- not for being kind, but for being dumb-- can send you into a multi-hour spiral in which you accuse even the sweetest of participants. Ace's development isn't an arc, per say, but a fall-- a reminder that reveling in your own distrust and anger might lead you to do the unspeakable.

For someone who's spent so long believing that Eden is the culprit of the chapter, it's really amazing how down-to-the-wire DRDTdev has made the end of the case, where either option feels so believable that it's like you can picture the rope in their hands. Whether my theories, old or new, were right or wrong, I am highly looking forward to watching next week's episode and discussing it with you all. See you on Friday-- just try not to freak out too much before then, alright? (/aff)

[theshslpumpkinghost]

Rose Ch2 Culprit Theory!!

(Spoilers for Ch2 Ep12! (and literally every episode before that too)

(i know it probably isn’t her, but i wanted to post my theory regardless! Also, this is unfinished, I just wanted to post it before Ep13 comes out- I’m so sorry to anyone who reads through my stupid little rambles-)

(reminder that all of this is silly stuff my brain thought of while i was sleep deprived after ep12 so- none of this is probably relevant-)

I was looking at DRDT culprit theories for Ch2 and randomly though what if it's Rose-? 'Cause after they found the body, Rose was right outside the room, in the hallway- She was the one who found evidence that nobody else would have found, since it was hidden in the trash can, and more than that, it was evidence that specifically framed someone else. She mentions not wanting to see the body, so she's unable to help with the crime scene, unlike in ch1, where she helps by using her photographic memory to draw a picture of the crime scene before it got disturbed.

But WHAT IF the reason she doesn't want to go in is because she doesn't want to end up accidentally revealing herself as the killer- Like- First off the BDA thing, where 3 people who hadn't seen the murder needed to set it off- This isn't actual evidence, really, but i thought i could mention it- uh- Anyways! Another way she might reveal herself as the killer is being too- useful- Like, how Min volunteered to help Teruko investigate in Ch1, but it was actually just to make sure Teruko didn't figure out it was her. So- Rose could've made a fair assumption that Teruko or someone else could be suspicious- And so she used the excuse of not wanting to see the body as a way to get out of it.

The reason she might want to escape is because of her family- Who she put into debt and also got them out of it- So she obviously cares about them, ergo, motive for murder. (maybe she was reminded of this when Teruko told her the secret she got-? idk lol)

Plus, she mentions the grippy tape in the gym, and how she used it to be able to do a pullup- So she could've used it to get a better grip on the spinny thing during the murder. (I know it’s probably just a way for the tape to be introduced before the murder) She could've taken it from the gym whenever, and since she's the one who mentioned it was missing- Could be to get rid of suspicion. although she wasn't there when the tape disappeared from the gym, you can't rule out that she might have an accomplice- Or she could be the accomplice, either or-

Also, I've seen a lot of culprit Eden with accomplice Levi, but what about culprit *Rose* with accomplice Levi- Just a thought I had.

Rose culprit with Levi accomplice theorists wya

Another thing is the fact that she hides her face when talking to Teruko in the hallway after Arei's body is found- which means we can't see her expression. And since her voice is usually monotone, even when talking about stuff she cares for, we can't get any clues about her emotions from that either-

She's also the first one to mention that the evidence from the murder is probably hidden on the second floor, since it would be difficult to make elevator trips without people noticing it- This isn't *too* suspicious, but also, it could be. Because sometimes Danganronpa is so fucking sneaky and hides stuff in obvious places-

None of this is really concrete evidence it's her, even though she *does* try and push everyone back to assuming the murder happened at night, rather than in the morning like Teruko proved it did, during episode 12- And in Ch2 in general, Rose has been- kind of derailing the trial a bit. Not too noticeably, but a few things-

1- She *did* agree with Ace somewhat when he brought up Nico being the killer. Which is understandable, considering that they *did* lie and steal from her- But it could also be evidence of her trying to blame someone else for it without being overly suspicious.

2- She spends some time in Ch2 Ep9 trying to convince people that Arei committed suicide and not murder. Maybe a normal assumption, but given that they're in a murder trial, talking about a murder, and Veronika had already mentioned that Arei wouldn't have been able to snap her neck by jumping from the swingset- Plus the rule that if it *was* suicide, MonoTV wouldn't hold a trial. And since Rose has a photographic memory, she should've remembered that, right? She even mentions this- in the trial- She then brings up the possibility of assisted suicide, instead of continuing with the murder assumption like everybody else- Rose could've helped Arei kill herself, but this isn't a theory about that, it's about her being a murderer so-

Also, she hasn't fallen asleep once in T2 yet. Which is- strange considering she did in T1. And plus the fact that she possibly uses sleeping as a form of escapism. Maybe because she needs to contribute more to this trial for it to work, but it's still suspicious- I might just be reading too much into it idk- Maybe the reason she isn't sleeping this trial because she doesn't have anything to specifically try and escape right now. Unlike T1, Rose supposedly didn't see Arei's body, so she wouldn't be trying to forget it by sleeping through the trial.. But that's also not really evidence, mostly just guesses-

(Another thing- When the fish in the playground are brought up, she seems like she's going to say something- But then J interrupts and Rose just stops talking. Probably doesn't mean anything but I'm putting every Rose trial scene in here- )

She also doesn't have a reaction to the note being brought up, but she joins in after Teruko asks to see the note for the second time. She mentions how she and Whit figured Teruko wouldn't mind as much if Eden was the one who had the note- probably so Teruko could easily check if Eden was lying.

Rose doesn't talk for a while after that, but almost at the end of episode 10 she mentions that she doesn't have an alibi. Of course, this doesn't mean much, considering what happened in episode 12 where they find out that they got the whole time of the murder wrong- Which leaves almost nobody with an alibi. But I had to mention it so-

After that, she doesn't speak up again until Ace is mentioned as a suspect, and then she only mentions that Ace being on the second floor is suspicious. Which, again, normal assumption, but just let me have this- And after that, she brings up David's 'secret' of family depression not being on the board- Which starts David's whole Nagito arc that apparently lasted 2 hours-

Okay! Now on to episodes 11 + 12! Rose doesn't show up at the beginning part but she does show up when the others are talking about David's real secret. She mentions that no actual good came out of David pushing them to share their secrets- And then after that her only line immediately after David's reveal was just her talking about her memory again- And then after David and Hu's whole.. conversation, Rose mentions how David is 'Definitely the killer.' Which is, well, what everybody else assumed, too- I just think it's interesting how Rose only shows up in this trial when somebody else is being blamed.

After David's whole 'I killed Arei, blah blah blah' moment, Rose speaks up and says they should just vote now. Levi agrees, and he actually almost tells MonoTV to start the voting time. She's really pushing for just whoever seems the most suspicious at the moment- I mean, plenty of characters have done it, but it's still really interesting to me. Mostly because if Teruko hadn't stopped them, everyone would literally be dead. David's plan would've worked-

Okay! Now Ep12-

Rose doesn’t show up for a lot of it- again- But her first appearance in this ep was when Teruko realised her mistake. All she does is say that it was kind of a big mistake and that’s it. Nothing else about it from Rose. She doesn’t speak up during Arturo’s rant either. Rose is shown when Charles asks if anyone has any counterpoints against Arei being killed at 7:30AM, but she doesn’t say anything.

And then they go back to alibis, and like before, Rose still doesn’t have one. She never has one, because she’s always asleep- But that’s not evidence, really, because nobody (besides 3 people) even have an alibi for this-

She doesn’t show up during David’s monologue either, but then nobody really shows up during that besides J, David, Hu, and Teruko, so-

She comments on how scary Hu is after she interrupts David, but Rose still hasn’t contributed much in this ep- Although it was more focused on David and Xander, so that makes sense. When they talk about alibis again, Rose still doesn’t have one. Which isn’t surprising. After that, but before Levi derails the trial, Rose speaks up and mentions not having any clues and not knowing where to go from here-

But that’s all for this theory so far! uh.. I’ll probably finish it at some point- but i wanted to get it out before ep13 so- I’m so sorry to anyone who reads through this absolute rambling bullshit-

[mr-writerman]

Sick Danganronpa Boys Being Taken Care of by a Kindhearted Reader ☆

category: short read, friends to lovers, lighthearted, fluff, genderneutral reader, pre-relationship a/n: yall ATE UP the last hc post I did so take another one :D characters: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Byakuya Togami, Gonta Gokuhara, Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Fuyohiko really didn't want to admit that he was sick---he hated being sick, in general. His already rosy-cheeked face was even redder, and his sneeze...he sneezes like a baby panda.

He stayed home, and asked you to come over---when you arrived, his family and bodyguards were just a bit overwhelming. Apparently, they've dealt with multiple assassination attempts on Fuyohiko, so they're very, very, very apprehensive with you.

Fuyohiko, surprisingly, was very willing to accept your help. His guards watched you like a hawk, while you made him some Chicken Noodle soup. They very directly told you they expected you to poison it.

He was surprised when you gave him the soup---he didn't expect you to be a good cook. You stayed with him for a few hours, and his family was weary of you the entire time. But, at least you and Fuyohiko got a little bit closer.

Byakuya stayed home, and refused any help at first. You convinced the guards at his mansion to let you in (by lying, of course), and broke into his room. You layed him down, despite his protests. He physically couldn't stop you from helping, so he begrudgingly accepted.

You tried to cook for him, but his chefs refused to allow you into the kitchen. They were working on a full three-course meal for him. When you looked at the food they were preparing, you realized Byakuya would probably hate all the food they were making. So, instead, you snuck him a cup of his favorite drink, Kopi Luak Coffee. It actually helped him with his headache.

After a while of you staying over, Byakuya subtly asked you to stay for dinner. You were beyond excited to receive an invite from Byakuya, but he swore up and down that he was simply requesting your services, nothing more. We all know it was something more.

Gonta got stung by a poisonous bug, and was a bit ashamed to tell you. He loved bugs so much, he didn't want you to blame them for him being sick. But, the toxins really messed him up.

You asked if you could go over to his house to take care of him, but when you got there, it turns out he really wasn't lying about living in the woods.

You tried cooking him food, but it proved fairly difficult to cook on a campfire. You ended up ordering food, and met the delivery guy at the edge of the woods. He looked terrified, but at least you got Gonta some food!

At the end of the night, you and Gonta snuggled and gazed at the stars. There were bugs all over you guys, but for Gonta's sake, you powered through it. You guys got a lot closer, after that night.

Taka hated missing days for school---he had never missed a day. But, when his fever basically disabled him, he had to stay home. You took this as an opportunity to help him out.

Taka's house was a lot smaller than you expected. His grandfather was once the Prime Minister of Japan, so you just expected him to be rich. But, it wasn't an issue to you.

You made him some food, and while you were, you met his father, Takaaki Ishimaru. He was a bit on the colder side, but you realized he was just shy. He was very sweet, though, even offering to help you cook.

Taka refused to allow you to stay over, as it would be "problematic." He did allow you to give him a hug (shockingly) before you left. You thanked him and his father for allowing you to stay so long, and left. The next day, Taka left a copy of his favorite movie 'Adorable Reactions Collection' on your desk, and a lengthy thank you note. It's a very weird and kinda boring movie, but you're just happy to see him opening up more.

[thebruno65]

I never realized i posted a tier list here until now, but just posting a normal, boring tier list of the game and maybe anime characters is soooo bland! So why not,

(almost) EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE DR FRANCHISE RANKED (spoilers for every entry obviously)

You’ll need a microscope to go through all of them lol, also, since its an obligatory thing, here’s some opinions on my top 10 characters!

TOP 10:

Sato: I don’t even need to explain it, because I quite literally have 30 times already, if you want to know how much I really love her, then check out my defence post pinned in my profile.

Karen Kisaragi: She is a character that strangely resembles sato in a way, IE; both are somewhat disliked by the fandom because they killed someone for “No reason” despite the fact they did have reasons and were in a state where they cannot think right. Which means, Kisato is peak!!!! (I seriously need to finish my fanfic abt them)

Yasuke Matsuda: Best novel character by FAR, he has a fun character, cool background, nice design, and just overall a nice anti-hero that has motives that you can actually understand. (which resemble sato too LMAO)

Yuto Kamishiro: Another dr0 character in a row! While yes, he is a creepy bastard when we first meet him, throughout the novel, we get to see more and more of him and his motives/personality shine and its just fantastic, while he would originally have been A+ though, what really sold me was when I started my “Full Class-Batch” series with Class 77-A, which made me love him even more.

Shoji Yoko & Daiki Kubo: Yup, the two character we never got to see their deaths in screen form (they’re shown in the dr0 novel), heck, even Shoji doesn’t have a canon voice. But what can I say? These two scream bros vibes HARD, like they’re the typical “bros before hoes” type.

Kyoko Kirigiri: FINALLY, a character that is from the games! She is amazing and the best one, from her mysterious aura in dr1, from her sacrifice in dr3, to her backstory in drk, she deserves the top spot for the best game character.

Hajime Hinata: Best protag is here! Yeah, I said it, he is the best protag. He shines in chapters like 6 and also in the anime where we see his struggles and doubts (dr3 is overhated, fight me). Not to mention his interactions with characters like Chiaki and Nagito, people say he is bland, but I dig otherwise.

Yui Samidare: 2nd best protag! Honestly, her and hajime could be interchangeable in spots, she is just that good! Her development and sister-like friendship with Kyoko is so cute!!!!, and so sad when you realize she protects Kyoko at all costs bc of her dead sister :( and makes it even more sad in the end of the novel. YUIIII WHYYYY.

Mikan Tsumiki: final character in my top 10, I feel so bad for her and what she went through both inside and outside of the tragedy, it goes to show how mental trauma like that can truly change a person, hope she is doing okay now.

Also, for those wondering who is missing here:

Almost Danganronpa Togami character.

Makoto Secret File Characters.

UDG Book Authors.

Kazuichi Novel characters (If any).

Drama CDS characters (if any).

Stage play Actors.

(maybe) some Danganronpa Gaiden/Manga characters

Oh yeah, heres my tierlist template for anyone to use: https://tiermaker.com/create/every-single-danganronpa-character-1204761-2

[kitkat-the-muffin]

Late screenshot dump/review for Cloutchase Vol 4!

Here are the previous three installments: [1][2][3]

Hey everybody! It's been a while, about 7 months since I've last been remotely active in this fanbase, but this past weekend I played Vol 4 with my friends and I am here to share my favorite screenshots! I will of course start this post off with some spoiler-free teasers to encourage others to play the game themselves!

And now it's time for the rambles!

This session was quite unique since I had two friends with me this time!

"Homestuck is too problematic lets to Danganronpa" oh I just know you guys put that in on purpose. I only ever saw the Danganronpa anime once but my friend immediately knew who they were going to dress up as and she was right haha

Honestly I love how Snapchat has a permanent dog filter on. My other friend who joined us today gave him the most perfect voice that I can barely attempt to describe. I called it "Irish-Canadian stoner" if that helps you imagine it

Backrooms reference *airhorns*!!!! It was kinda funny when TikTok just abandons the player in favor of egg theft, but what I think desperately needs to be talked about is the alleged missing lion man. Who is he? Where did he go? I have to know!

I spent a good 5 minutes rambling about Musical.ly's character design before I realized they're TikTok pre-transition. They look so fashionable tho! Can I get the raw files of these photos?

YOOOO VINE GETS NEW SPRITES!!!! I like how he's behind the times because he's been dead for a while haha

This is the best possible timeline I think

Tumblr looks FANTASTIC heck yeah

What did they mean by this?

Kinda love how Threads is a character and also kinda not a character. Design is peak tho

Get Gatsby'd! If I had a nickel for every time I was Gatsby'd this year I'd have two nickels-

Congrats on the gender! Genuinely though why did Twitter start looking infinitely more attractive to me after coming out as transfem? Like... she's so pretty now... but also exactly the same? Gender is a construct but holy cheese

I was literally trying to read the option choices and she cut me off ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff anyway hi Reddit. My friend had a surprisingly good Reddit voice (I'd describe it as incel meets gamer but less embarrassing somehow)

Old man Facebook! My friend had the WORST voice for Facebook... Imagine the creepiest old man asmr of your life

Kinda interesting that the Magical Girl sequence is part of the Bad Ending. My friends and I agreed that it was more of a Neutral End than a bad one. She looks great tho, I love the art in Instagram's route

Caught in 4k! This frame only appears for a split second haha

I really like how they characterized the creepy tracking of meta software this way. Instagram looks pleasant on the outside but underneath that top layer is a completely fake personality that covers another layer of invasive curiosity that covers another layer of genuine artistic enjoyment. That's so interesting! Anyway my friends and I started theorizing what the multicolored strings mean and we're stumped on the white bit between Amino and Kik-

I love Insta's photos, I like how they're physical polaroids. The logo on her bag is also the old Instagram logo! I need to see that full sized photo of Tumblr and Twitter tho-

Honestly didn't expect this ending but it's cute and I love it! Genuinely we should all be encouraged to post about our favorite simple pleasures rather than trying to appeal to the masses

Anyway before calling it a night we looked at some of the new bonus content (some of which is just stuff from the tumblr blog lol) and dang is Wikipedia so pretty in this screenshot

Actually my friend saw this next photo and said "he's just like me fr why don't I have that?" Honestly I can't wait for the Wikipedia route hahah

ANYWAY GET GATSBY'D FOR A THIRD TIME-

Or a second time if you aren't a Gravity Falls fan lol

Anyway, this volume was a lot of fun and I greatly enjoyed playing it! I like how TikTok's route had multiple activity choices and endings. It's kind of reminiscent of how much time you can accidentally waste on TikTok haha

Instagram's route being based on trying to maintain a level of perfection was interesting, as well as the Great Gatsby motifs. I laughed out loud when Waltz of the Flowers played because I'm hyperfixating on Princess Tutu rn and my friend is obsessed with Tchaikovsky so that was fun

Here's to the next volume! I can't wait to play it!

[realclemhours]

Hi alright take another ramble because I watched the newest episode of the Game Grumps Danganronpa V3 playthrough and this is more of just an introspective dive into my feelings about this trial since I read through some comments and I wanna get my feelings out there.

Idk spoilers for V3 trial one under the cut

Okay so as I said above I both read the comments for the latest episode of the Grumps Playthrough and watched their reactions, and that made me realize that this trial is pretty polarizing and I 100% get why.

The clues leading up to the twist and the murder itself are sloppy and kind of confusing. It’s such a left turn because after you play for this character, who is the first mainline girl Danganronpa protag btw, for only one chapter with seemingly no indication she is now suddenly the murderer you guys have been looking for the whole time. To add insult to injury, the new protagonist is now the guy sidekick, so yeah not great.

However- despite all it’s misses, despite how I know this trial is objectively sloppy, I still really get into Chapter 1 of V3. Even knowing what was coming and seeing Dan and Arin’s rightful confusion in live time, I still felt dread leading up to the reveal. I felt genuine dread and sadness to a sloppy twist I knew was coming, and I think that’s because despite all of V3’s many many many flaws I’m invested in Kaede and Shuichi as characters.

I’m invested in watching a protagonist slowly being lead into the very game she swore against out of desperation to save everyone. I’m invested in Shuichi’s trauma and him slowly picking up on the fact the Kaede did it, but being unable to say anything for the longest time due to how much he cares about her and his trauma. I’m invested in how despite Kaede going into a death march she still has a class trial in one last attempt to save everyone and how she uses her final moments to build up Shuichi’s confidence for his own sake and for the sake of the survival of everyone else. I’m invested in them both breaking down crying blaming themselves. I’m invested in how Kaede in her final moments pushes on her will to save everyone onto Shuichi, not realizing how intense a final wish like that could be and how he struggles with it for the rest of the game. And I’m invested in that final goodbye in Kaede’s lab, with Claire De Lune playing in the back as he mourns the loss of someone who, despite only knowing her for a few days, changed his life.

V3 trial 1 has a very strong emotional core. I think it’s the strongest one out of the whole franchise tbh (that doesn’t equal best btw I think V3 trial 4 or 5 are objectively better), but a lot of that gets muddied with an upsetting twist and a confusing murder, so I get why a lot of people don’t like this trial. However, I really love this trial even after all these years and going through the Danganronpa series again and realizing I find a lot of it mid.

That’s kinda how I feel about V3 as a whole honestly. It’s an objectively bad game with sloppy writing, a lot of filler dialogue, and some gross problematic stuff. I would never recommend this game to anyone in a million years, yet under layers and layers and layers and layers of hot garbage, there’s some moments that really do shine to me. Not for everyone, but for me they do.

That’s why I love V3 Chapter 1 and V3 as a whole so much, despite everything. It made me captivated with a handful of characters and moments even if the overall quality was bad. Growing up is realizing that not everything you like is of good quality and that’s okay. “My Class Trial Our Class Trial”, and by extension V3 as a whole, just so happened to be the media to make me realize that.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

A2-5 being so low down the list? Colour me surprised because a lot of people enjoy this chapter quite a bit. Sure its not the best and the fact its sandwiched between two bad chapters doesn't help matters but for what it does it does a decent job. Well A2-6 isn't bad per say but we get there when we get there.

Yeah this chapter really suffers from the very weird relationship the Another series has with the West since with Another 1 being not easiy available and the fact it has aged quite poorly on the graphics side leads little wonder why we have a remake of it coming out. If you don't know about Akane and Utsuro, then you are gonna be very confused during this chapter whilist if you do it will be much better.

There isn't any trivia I can give out for this chapter so let's just jump into my opinions and start with the character conflicts. I do want to pin the whole Sora and Akane relationship for when we get to A2-4 because trust me, there was ideas going into that could have made things much better then what we got. But I will say its very interesting that Sora goes through a severe identity crisis during this Chapter as the memories of Akane Taira are flowing through her and as such she doesn't know if she's Akane or if she's someone with her memories. And its also where Yoruko makes a major fuck-up since her paranoia has reached fever point at this point since she tried to kill Yuki due to realising what Void's goals were and while she didn't agree with Nikei's methods last chapter, she did get the general idea what he was aiming for. Of course this was stopped but this leads then to a major fallout between Sora and Yoruko as Yoruko is mad at Sora for not telling her about how she intefered in the last murder, especially with how much faith she was placing in Sora. Which seeing as Sora was going through a lot of shit at the moment, was the last thing she wanted to here, and its little conidence her identity crisis gets worse shortly afterwards. To be fair, Yoruko does realise she overstepped her mark and apologises to Sora afterwards but this is just the fact the Killing Game is really getting to people and tensions are mounting.

Teruya and how he's handled in SDRA2 I also will save when we get to A2-4 since it becomes more important there, but I will say I don't get why he is adopting Tsurugi's viewpoint, given how much he opposed him in Another 1, its kinda like if Yasuhiro became more like Toko or Byakuya it doesn't make sense. I'm of the opinion that Teruya shouldn't have been in SDRA2 in the first place, well until the very end when the Kisagari Foundation comes in ala like the DR1 survivors do, and we have some other original character in the 16th place. The reason is I feel the way he's handled is the fact LINUJ wanted a returning person but also considering everything Teruya has gone through in Another 1, he would have stopped the Void conflict too easily. But we don't and we have Teruya and again, we have a returning character and I do give LINUJ props for actually having the guts to kill him off since I got so mad during Danganronpa 3 for all the fake-outs we got about the DR1 survivors being killed off. It would have been one way to really raise the sakes of the game, and while Aoi's fakeout might have been kept, I'm unsure if Kyoko should have been killed off or not due to the way her fakeout death was handled is very much fridging.

When Mikado announced there were 3 other hidden Void members in Chapter 1, my guesses at the time were Emma, Kanade and Nikei. My logic is due to the way they behaved is very suspicious and their talents could have been used to help a terrorist organisation. Now the obvious plot hole is why Kanade is a Void and how does Hibiki not know, but since I didn't know what the motives behind Void were at the time, I assumed maybe Kanade was trying to protect Hibiki and saw Void as the only way to keep her safe. While I got Emma and Nikei right, I completely missed the mark on Kanade and didn't see Iroha as a Void coming at all. It really was a massive HUH from me as I didn't see any signs she was a Void. Maybe her ditzy behaviour was played up so that it would throw off suspision but no she is as dumb as a Void as she is normally. Given how Iroha is easily LINUJ's favourite character he's made, I honestly believe the reason she was made a Void was due to his need to make her feel important. Would also explain why she's also the Void member who escapes the most severe consequences contrary to some of LINUJ's beliefs.

I know every evil group needs that one dumb member who constantly makes mistakes and is there to explain why they keep failing, but even if you think of Iroha as that kind of member, she...really doesn't fit within Void. I can understand her being pushed around by Mikado because she's really not the kind of person to stand her ground so her being an accomphile does fit the character in question but again I have this feeling in the back of my head that the reason Iroha wasn't the flat out culpirt was because LINUJ couldn't under any circumstances find it within him to kill Iroha off.

Mikado's plan was brilliant and I have the complete opposite view of you on Mikado, as I see him as the best mastermind. But that's mainly because my main beef with the masterminds is that we get barely anything about them until Chapter 6 where its an info dump to explain the motives, and I just really don't like Junko. Mikado is the one of the few masterminds who's motives isn't tied to Junko in some way because as brilliant as Akane is, unfortunately the Despair bitch's influence is lingering in the background, and I'm honestly sick of every single mastermind having to trace their evil back to Junko. The fact that Mikado isn't tied to her, plus the fact he's exposed at the beginning means we have the entire game to show how evil he is, is a major selling point of SDRA2. And I do love how normally Chapter 5s is where the Masterminds start to lose control and they act out of desperation to get back control, Mikado already had his loss of control in the previous chapter yet he overcame it and he was fully in control this Chapter leading to the fact this is the only time a incorrect verdict has been delivered which to my knowledge this is the only fanganronpa that's brave enough to do this.

You mentioned an issue with the trials is the fact everyone blames Mikado for everything and yet the one time he is to blame for something he isn't accused. Well, if you look how the SDRA2 trials are run, most of the cast is...actually quite stupid as they can't really work out how to problem solve and the ones who can problem solve are elimanted one by one. Chapter 1; Yuri dies who was quite the insightful person as he noted some holes in Mikado's plans and was the one who realised the only way to get out is for the Killing Game to start, and in that class trial Koroko basically solos it, though unlike a certain guitiarist, she does allow the others to come to the same conclusion and only jumps in when they are going off track. Chapter 2; Koroko herself becomes the victim since Void aren't stupid and realise she is a threat, which leads to Kanade taking up the reins as the one figuring shit out. Chapter 3; Kanade herself kills and Syobai who has been sleeping the last 2 trials wakes up and does shit, and he repeats this in Chapter 4. But while Syobai is around in Chapter 5, he mysterious vanishes at one point without any knowledge so when the class trial starts, all the smart people are gone and we are just left with the idiots. Its little wonder why they come to a wrong conclusion because the general IQ of the group has been decreasing as time goes on until the end where you have people either going through mental breakdowns or aren't very intelligent. And given how the Killing Game is set up, I do imagine this was by design as Mikado didn't want anyone intelligent sticking around by the endgame.

Yeah now when you think about it, this chapter is very much a forgettable one as the others are rememberable abet not for the right reasons while aside from a few beats here and there, not much can be remembered. I guess because of the serious writing issues the other chapters suffer, this one doesn't and so comes off as decent by comparison. However having to come off two bad chapters in a row means we could have had a lot better going in.

I will say one thing though; Mikado deserves hell for creating Higa City. Seriously if you haven't watched Weeby Newz streams, watch how she reacts to Higa City because that's the most despair I've ever heard from a person's mouth.

Overall A2-5 isn't a bad chapter at least when compared to what the other chapters in SDRA2 are like, but the terrible writing preciding it doesn't help matters as it does dampen what twists could have been done, and the weird availability of the Another series in the West does hurt this chapter but that's on us more then anything since South Korea wouldn't have these issues and yeah LINUJ is capable of doing things that Spike Chunsoft wouldn't dare to do such as kill off a returning character or have one of the trials give an incorrect verdict. Plus the idea that Sora might be tied to Akane Taira is a scary thought due to the fact if you know who Akane Taira is, you should be very frightened because she means business. Overall its okay with some golden moments but it could be a lot better.

//Look, largely the reason why is because it's just another example of a mystery that exists for no reason other than to fuck with the characters, killing game be damned.

//Also, I'm not gonna lie, this might be a bit of a spoiler for future entries, but holy shit, I did not realize that I generally dislike the 5th cases as much as I do, lmao. Most of them (except one very obvious one) are really close to the bottom XD.

//Mikado just kind of decided, "yeah, maybe I be a little silly and get everybody killed using the rules that I can bend" and I generally hate when that happens, because if the Mastermind needs to break their own rules, or if they weaponise them to eliminate a particular person, it kind of makes them look far less intimidating or powerful.

//Narratively, this can be a good way to show that the Mastermind isn't invincible, but it never quite hits for me.

//Something I find that's kind of ironic about this case, and something I very briefly eluded to, is that Case 5 in Game 1, V3, and Another are all standout moments where the Mastermind/Monokuma looks very incompetant, because they are forced to step in and break their own rules because they need to eliminate one particular student. But Mikado here is the inverse because he's made to look so hypercompetant instead.

//Which is ironic because Mikado to me is generally the most incompetant Mastermind besides maybe only Tsumugi.

//Also, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I actually like Chapter 4 and 6 of Another. I get why you don't like them because there are some character moments there that suck, and they really show LINUJ's negative mindset with some of them, but I think the general mood of Chapter 4 is still in line with the general mood amongst the cast in the original series, at least in Game 1 and 2 with the traitor reveal and the funhouse.

//But more on that later.

//Generally, while I do know that Yoruko ultimately didn't do what was best for Sora at this point, I think the fact that both of them were in the wrong is one of the standout moments of the later game. It's not nice to watch it happen, but in a realistic situation, it's very easy to say the wrong things to people when EVERYONE is extremely tense, and I think it was handled well. The fact that Yoruko was still willing to be there for Sora in the end is what's important.

//I know we always shit on LINUJ for the way he thinks of people, and the way he presents the idea of growth and redemption being a non-factor, but at least these kinds of fallouts and moments make sense for the current context.

//I think the stuff that was going on with Teruya and how he adopted Tsurugi's way of thinking would have made more sense if it became apparent that he had wasted all of his options. The sad thing is that, if you look back at Another 1, despite Tsurugi's very backwards way of viewing crime, his plans to bring the group under a single umbrella WORKED for a time. And it's clear later that it's not just Teruya who thinks this way; it's most of the Kisaragi Foundation. In the scene where Midori is being held hostage by Syobai, Keisuke actually considers sacrificing her if it means getting to him before Yuki saves her.

//It's all or nothing with Tsurugi, and the whole point of his character is that he's this terrifying presence with bad morals and a demented way of thinking, but he's also insanely powerful and influential from beginning to end, which is what makes him such a good antag character.

//Also, DRA and SDRA2 have a few years between each other. You don't know what kinds of things Teruya has seen in that time to the point where he finds Tsurugi's actions morally justifiable. You don't know for sure how the Tragedy and the state of the world has affected the Kisaragi Foundation. And Teruya himself isn't nearly as strong as Tsurugi, or as logical as Rei, which is why he falls back on them so much.

//So in general, I GET it. It doesn't feel so nonsensical for Teruya to act this way to the point where it actually makes me dislike him.

//And also, I will clarify, I don't DISLIKE Iroha, but you can just tell that she's only a member of VOID because she serves LITERALLY NO OTHER PURPOSE in SDRA2. But it's better than someone like Hiro who legitimately served NOTHING.

//In regards to Mikado, the reason why he's such a letdown to me is the fact that him being outed as the Mastermind immediately was such a good twist, but at the same time, the main threat of the game is still the other members of VOID. What's the point of having the Mastermind reveal when Mikado spends most of the game up until this point doing basically jack nothing?

//Junko, Utsuro, and Tsumugi do only get screentime at the end of the games that they're in, but in Junko's and Utsuro's case, the character moments they do get in the final trials of Game 1, 2, and Another, eally show them off as spectacular villains; at least Game 2 does with Junko. Tsumugi...admittedly misses the mark by a long shot, but I would rather have an hour or two of a cool villain doing insanely evil shit than a whole game of a villain being a complete inconsequential side character.

//I do unfortunately think that one take away from this is that we likely aren't ever going to see any other Fangan attempt an incorrect verdict in the future, because most Fangans look towards what Another 2 achieves and how it set itself apart from the original games; and it managed to pull this twist off so goddamn spectacularly that you could not top it even if you wanted to. Especially if it's in Chapter 5 and you need to come up with an excuse for how the game continues from that point on.

//Alternatively, do you know what could be a really cool concept for a Fangan? A game that begins with you as the protagonist managing to get away with your murder, everyone else gets executed, and you get let outside as promised, only to find the world is in a post-apocalyptic state. Then the rest of the game plays like Ultra Despair Girls trying to navigate it. Wouldn't that be kinda sick actually?

//The stuff about the groups decreasing IQ is also interesting to think about, I'll give you that, but at the same time, Mikado wasn't in control of some of that stuff. Yeah, he could have told the VOID's to pick off the smart one's first, but Kanade was a factor that even he didn't account for, and she kind of stupidly took herself out. Had she not done that, his plan wouldn't have worked out as well, and I think that he just got lucky there.

//Also, this is kind of hilarious, because I shit you not, when I was going back to use Weeby Newz' footage for one of my future entries, I found a short of her reaction to Higa City.

//It doesn't piss me off that much, because my initial reaction is "Ah, that's a nice nod." And it's not like SDRA2 doesn't do this with other characters from the first game. But at the same time, of all characters to get a city named after them, why is it MITCH!? Why not fucking AYAME!? She was far more relevant to Utsuro and Akane than he was.

//But yeah, in general A2-5, solid...5/10. The incorrect verdict really just carries this case.

-Mod

[giggly-squiggily]

💝Candy Heart Valentine Event 2024!💝

We're back again- WHOOO!

Heyo everybody! It's the sweetest time of the year; Candy Hearts time! Thank you so, so much to everyone who's participated in the sentence starters survey this year; it really helped me figure out what prompts to keep and which to change out! I truly appreciate it!

Another major thank you to everyone who's also sent in suggestions! There were so many good ones to pick from; and I ended up choosing a few from the ones recommended!

💝 Rules💝

- Send me a pairing (Platonic or Romantic) from the fandoms listed below along with a candy heart phrase (Sentence Starter) from the list! (Ex: ObaMitsu- True Love) and I will write a short dabble for it!

- The event will be open from January 28-February 13th, ending at 8:00 PM EST. I will make an announcement when prompts are officially closed!

-Multiple prompts are allowed! The limit is like- 5? Just be sure to send them in separate asks if you send multiples! (Helps me make sure I get them all :D)

- Dabbles will start coming out Feb 1!

- I do write “Character x Reader!” (If you want it to be platonic, please specify with “Platonic!Reader”)

-Multiple sentence starter requests are allowed!

- Requester’s Choice: This is essentially a blank Candy- you can pick whatever sentence starter you want for it! :)

-Please check my pinned post for any characters/ships/things I will and won't write! Thank you :)

~Candy Hearts and Fandoms Below The Cut~

💝 Candy Heart Sentence Starters 💝

**: Recommended by you lovely folks!

❤️ Be Mine: “Oh that is IT! Come here!”

🧡 Miss You: “When’s the last time you smiled?”

💛 True Love: “I could do this all day.”

💚 Cutie: “You can't hide from me, I can hear you laughing!"**

💙 XOXO: “Hey, do you like raspberries?”

💜 Angel: “What happens if I do this?”

❤️ I love you: "What a brave thing to say for someone so ticklish."**

🧡 Bestie: Requester’s choice: Pick your own sentence starter!

💛 Sweet Heart: “Oh? Is someone ticklish?”

💚 Cupid: “I’m gonna get you!”

💗 Say Yes: “Hey did you- give that back!"**

💙 Smile: “I didn’t know you were ticklish here!”

💜 Hug: “I just want a hug!”

❤️ Darling: “Do you want me to tickle you?”

🧡 Love bug: “What’s so funny?”

💛 Soul Mate: “Not there? What about here?”

💚 Sweet Pea: “Is this a bad spot?”

💙 Adore: “I haven't even touched you yet!"

💜 Kiss me: “Don’t stop? If you say so!”

❤️ Me + You: “No way! I didn’t know you were ticklish!”

🧡 Always and Forever: “Look how red you are! How cute!”

💛 I’m Yours: “You like being tickled, don’t you?”

💚 Puppy love: “Where are those giggles I love so much?”

💙 Only You: "Stop squirming!"**

💜 Hot Stuff: “Come over here and make me!”

🩷 Be My Valentine: "I know all your weaknesses!"**

❤ It's Love: "Hey could You...You Know?"

🧡 Babydoll: "Keep your arms up!"**

💝 Fandoms 💝

-Some of the fandoms on here will have **Limited Request** beside them. This means I will only be taking up to a limited amount of that fandom.

If the fandom is crossed out, it means all slots for it have been filled!

Big Windup

Black Clover

Blue Lock

Buddy Daddies

Bungo Stray Dogs

Chainsaw Man

Code Realize

Collar x Malice

Danganronpa

Demon Slayer **Limited Request**

Dr. Stone

Fire Force

Fruit’s Basket

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

Given

Haikyuu!!

Heartstopper

Hell’s Paradise: Jirokuraku

Hunter x Hunter (Up to Greed Island arc)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jujutsu Kaisen

Komi Can’t Communicate

Moriarty The Patriot

My Hero Academia **Limited Requests**

Piofiore (Dante's route; still working on others)

Pokemon **Limited Requests** (All Gens)

Rain Code: Master Detectives

Sk8 The Infinity

Spy x Family

Toliet Bound Hanako Kun

Tokyo Revenges

Vinland Saga

Yu Yu Hakusho

Thanks again to everyone! I'm so excited to see what y'all have in store! :D

[hodgepodgequack]

Emio Demo 2: Electric Boogaloo

So it’s been more than 24 hours since I beat the second part of the demo (I hate that we have to wait 5 days for the next part man) and I have some thoughts.

First of all, I called it when I said that Kuze knows Utsugi from 18 years ago (I was wrong about her being the sibling of one of the female victims though). Instead her connection is through the disappearance of her brother Makoto (haha Danganronpa reference) and Utsugi was in charge of that. Must be tough to see the person who was supposed to bring her brother home (and failed) after a murder that reminds her of the og incident.

So let’s talk about Makoto first. According to the game, Junko had not come home for some reason so he went out to look for her. Junko comes back (clearly shaken) and Makoto is nowhere to be found. I wonder if she came home late because the OG killer was targeting her and M someone managed to find her in time, but something bad happens to him. What happens: Killer kills Makoto and for some reason threatens Junko to not be a snitch otherwise he would come after her. (Also possible he abducts him for some reason and tells J to not tell or she will never see him again)

why this stops the murders completely I don’t know, but it is possible the killer thought he might have been getting caught soon and that’s why he stopped. But if that was the case he could have silenced her permanently right then and there. Unless she sees the act occur, killer knows she’s there but doesn’t see her and makes a bluffing threat saying I know who you are and if you snitch it will bite you in the ass. Hence she survives and comes home scared.

Who did it: Now in order to keep someone silent you need to bribe (or as mentioned beforehand threaten) said person or make them believe that no matter what no one will believe them. Maybe the culprit is a cop. And Utsugi works with the police. Maybe J can’t bring herself to trust anyone in the force (again another reason why he joins because if you want the job done right, you have to do it yourself). And that would explain why she’s standoffish towards U because she still doesn’t trust him.

Another Observation: the game mentions it’s a possibility that Makoto was the original culprit (because the murders didn’t stop until he disappears). He was old enough to pull it off. But that means something would have to have happened to him. Did he run away and leave a note that only J saw? Or did she see him messing with bodies and he asks her to hide his body because he can’t live with the guilt anymore now that she saw him and he offs himself.

Game is also adamant that the mystery man who went missing after the first girls death may know something (was he an accomplice I don’t know) there’s not much info I can theorize about him right now.

Kamis age is still not revealed to us in this chapter. Very very sus. I wonder if he is Makoto and he just has amnesia. Him and J could both be adopted or step siblings. Only problem with this is that J should recognize him.

Additionally the game mentions Kami can’t have a gun because he is a terrible shot. I wonder if at some point you have to pick between him and J to raid a place and the gun makes a huge difference. Hell I wonder if knowing said info can influence the game (because it is completely optional dialogue)

Speaking of potential game mechanics: phones. During some point of my gameplay I used to phone to call everybody that was in my contacts. While playing through Ayumis section, she gets a call from the protagonist (whether or not this is scripted I don’t know) and she doesn’t pick up. There’s also an option at some point if you call the office to leave a voicemail (which I didn’t take, I’m curious to see if anyone else did). I wonder it this is going to be a serious mechanic that at some point you need to call XYZ at this time or something bad is going to happen to them, or if it’s a way for the game to gauge the players playstyle (just like they did in the Girl who Stands Behind).

Now I’m not done talking about the demo part 2, but I’m going to leave this post here for now because it’s getting long and I want to dedicate more time to Kamada and the Taxi Driver is separate posts. See you in a bit.