#killing game was a virtual reality simulator

[deadlyrose9086]

Harukawa is looking at him like she’s disturbed, like she’s only just now realising that this isn’t a lie, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. “You…”

She doesn’t finish the thought, though, trailing off and looking slightly lost, and when he’s sure she won’t continue, he lifts a hand to rub the back of his neck, letting out a breath.

“Okay,” he says. He wants to know what Saihara means by sidekicks, but there’s so much that’s confusing to him right now, he doesn’t want to reach for excessive information and get his head even more muddled than it already is. Instead, he runs his hand through his hair, wrinkling his nose when it comes away sweaty, and reaches down to wipe it off on his hospital gown. “Uh, I got another question, if that’s okay?”

“Sure,” Saihara says, breathlessly, one of his hands lifted to cup his mouth. “What is it?”

“Who am I?”

---

Momota wakes up from the killing game simulation with amnesia. All he knows is that there's one person in the world he can trust more than anyone else.

Unfortunately, that person is also Ouma Kokichi.

Language: English Words: 16,075 Chapters: 6/6 Comments: 97 Kudos: 421 Bookmarks: 53 Hits: 3,292

[sketch-twentytwo]

“Danganronpa is the latest and greatest in Killing Game Entertainment! As they are the pioneers of their craft, they try to incorporate bigger and better gimmicks into each season. With the fiftieth season and beyond—the V0-series if you will—came the ‘implementation’ feature! As Danganronpa moved to virtuality to host their seasons, it became possible to program not just avatars for our Players, but false memories, talents, and personalities as well! All of this has allowed the characters to come to life before the audience’s very eyes! “See, there’s a special little agreement that one must sign before the game that’s part of the audition contract! It gives the Player the option to keep all of the artificial junk that Team Danganronpa stuffed into their head under the condition that they win! It’s an optional prize, but who wouldn’t want to keep their very own—very special—Super High School Level talent!?” A single checkbox makes Shuichi Saihara’s world spin. A single check mark makes Kokichi Ouma’s world break. --- Or, the killing game ends, but not everyone is back where they started.

After six years(?), I have finally returned to rewrite my post-game, saiouma fic which you can read [here].

The story follows, Shuichi Saihara after the events of V3. He discovers that the killing game was all a virtual reality simulation and all of his friends are alive, except anyone who didn't survive til the end AND sign off on keeping their in-game memories before the game has been reverted to their pre-game state.

It's a story of self-discovery in the wake of an identity crisis sprinkled in with the frustrating romance of two teenage boys!

It's been an arduous five months of work, but I've come to deliver 60K+ words to you, dear reader! Even if you have already read this fic in the past, I would strongly encourage you to give it a once-over/another chance. I have VASTLY improved the pacing, plot, characterization, and grammar, and I'm quite proud with what I've been able to create! I used to be very insecure with my writing style but in the past six(?) years, I have improved in both my confidence and prose.

Give it a shot, leave a comment, and just let me know what you think! Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated and I hope to continue working on this after taking a bit of a writing break! :D

(Alt. Image under the cut)

[pr-incey]

For a while—after being exposed to the antiship movement, because goodness knows I didn't care about this when I was younger—I wondered *why* fiction and reality were so different in my head. Why I could happily see things depicted in fiction that would make me sick to my stomach or upset me to tears just from thinking of it happening in real life. I couldn't come up with a reason for this for a while, which caused me distressed and made me worried that I might secretly be a terrible person after all.

But I've done some thinking and I've figured it out. Or, rather, I've returned to the mindset that came so easy to me in the past and probably did to a lot of people before the well was poisoned.

When I see a fictional character, I don't see a person. I don't see a person like *me*, anyway. I see a person within that piece of fiction's universe; a plane of existence that is wholly different from my own. Lines and colour, words on a page, virtual drawings being played sequentially at a speed that simulates movement. Sure, the written passage, 'He had eyes, ears and a mouth' is a representation of what *I* am, and what other people around me are, but it is fundamentally a plane of existence that is *alien* to me.

An alien is something that is decidedly not human. I feel empathy for other humans because I can relate to them. I have no desire to hurt them because I either know what it is like to be hurt in that way, or I can imagine what it would be like. I know the harm it would do to them, which illicits a reaction of disgust and apprehension in me. 'That's terrible,' I think, which simply kills any desire to cause any harm to a real person or do any disgusting actions.

This is why predators are such terrible people. They are fully aware of the harm their actions will cause and then go ahead with them anyway.

But with a fictional character, it's different in these ways:

1. First of all, we have to remember that they AREN'T human and so whatever I feel towards them cannot accurately mirror whatever I feel towards real flesh and blood individuals. They're projections of humanity from OTHER people in whatever medium they choose, but fictional characters are—and I cannot stress this enough—NOT HUMAN. If I pull off the head of a Barbie doll, does that mean I have the desire to behead someone in real life? Does it mean that I MUST have the urge to behead someone in real life, because a barbie doll is a 'representation' of a person? Your answer, I'm hoping, is no. Because Barbie is not human.

2. And because fictional characters are not human, I don't have empathy for them. Not REAL empathy, anyway, the type that stops the desire to cause harm. When I 'violate' a fictional character, it illicits at most only superficial disgust because I know that character will not live with the lasting consequences of my actions. They're a projection, a facsimile.

So that might bring you to another question, 'Even if they're not real, why would you WANT to do that to them, anyway?'

That I can't answer. The human brain is weird. Sometimes, people have dark urges. If a kid tosses their Barbie onto the ground and seems to take pleasure in it falling, can that accurately say they want to push a real person onto the ground? If someone seems to enjoy a violent video game like GTA where they can run people over and shoot them to their heart's content, is that a surefire way to know that they want to do those things to real people? I wouldn't say it is. Would you?

The final thing to remember is that it's not completely black and white. A serial killer might have been 'inspired' by a violent horror story, whereas the actual author of that story is a nice, well-adjusted individual. People with the desire to hurt actual humans might make do with projections, but it does not change the fact that they actually want to HARM people. The fiction didn't make them want to do that. They already did, and probably would have even if they didn't discover said fiction. And horrible people CAN make their own 'projections'.

Generally though I believe it is obvious when someone is just playing with dolls, and when someone is exhibiting an actual desire to hurt somebody.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 6: Danganronpa V3 Case 4

//Case 1 and Case 4 of Danganronpa V3 are two of the most standout trials in the entire series. So much so, that seperating them, and deciding which one was better between the two, was nearly GODDAMN IMPOSSIBLE.

//Seriously, throughout the entire time I was making this list, having to choose between which case I liked better between this case and the first case of V3 was so insanely difficult.

//But in the end, I had to give it to Case 1. For the simple reason that I always tend to revisit Case 1 of V3, where I don't do the same, at least not nearly as much, for Case 4.

//And for very little reason other than that.

//Danganronpa V3’s fourth Class Trial is a bit of an enigma for me. On the one hand, I often find myself sweeping it under the rug when discussing the series, but on the other hand, I can’t deny that it’s one of the finest trials Danganronpa has ever crafted.

//Seriously, it’s sitting at a comfortable sixth place out of 30 cases in my personal ranking, so yeah, it’s undeniably great. I’m just selective about how much I acknowledge it.

//What makes this trial so fantastic is the way all its elements come together seamlessly: the jaw-dropping twist, the high-stakes context, and the deeply compelling mystery. With most of V3's cases, I feel they're a little...weaker overall, even if they are generally the more complex cases in the franchise, mainly because of the emotions they instill within me.

//But two of the cases, with Case 4 being one of them, are an exception to this. This one mainly because it’s a case that doesn’t just tell a story; it practically reinvents the game’s rules while doing so.

//The trial takes place inside a virtual reality simulation, reminiscent of something straight out of Sword Art Online.

//And yes, just like SAO, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If you die in the game, you die for real. That chilling premise alone opens up a Pandora’s box of possibilities and interpretations, making the entire case feel more dynamic and multidimensional than your average murder mystery.

//It’s also hilariously meta, and in the good way, unlike V3-6. Not only are you solving a murder in VR, but the case leans into the absurdity of its premise while staying true to the emotional core of Danganronpa’s storytelling. The layers of reality, fiction, and simulated existence blur so well that you can’t help but admire how cleverly it all fits together.

//So yeah, even if I don’t gush about this trial as much as some others, I’ll still tip my hat to it. It’s a wild ride that fully earns its place in the Danganronpa hall of fame.

//This chapter is… fine, but what really makes it stand out is how it aligns with a recurring theme in the main Danganronpa trilogy. In each game, the fourth chapter tends to focus on a character who, up until that point, seems to be thriving a little too comfortably in the chaos of the killing game. Whether they appear to be enjoying the despair or simply manipulating the situation to their advantage, Chapter 4 is where the narrative decides it’s time to shake things up and force some character growth, or, in some cases, a complete character overhaul:

In 1-4, Byakuya gets his reality check during the trial itself. After stubbornly clinging to his cold, cutthroat logic all game, he suffers a humiliating defeat in reasoning during the Chapter 4 trial, making him reconsider whether his worldview is truly as airtight as he believed. By the time the trial ends, he begins taking steps toward becoming a more dependable ally and declares that he won’t engage in any more killing.

In 2-4, Nagito's character arc takes a sharp left turn in the Case 4 investigation. Up until that point, Nagito had this weird self-deprecating reverence for the other Ultimates, treating himself like disposable trash unworthy of standing among them. But suddenly, after finding out the truth behind their identities, it’s like a switch flips. During the investigation, he becomes disturbingly self-assured, cruel, and downright dominant, flipping his dynamic with the group entirely. Now, instead of putting others on a pedestal, he’s treating them all like the garbage he once considered himself to be; and this segways into Chapter 5.

This idea literally goes double for A-4. Rei, typically dismissive and unhelpful, is shaken to the core when faced with Satsuki’s sacrifice. Haru, a victim, gave his life to save Satsuki by creating a Locked Room Mystery for her escape; a level of selflessness Rei has never witnessed, and when Satsuki confirms Haru’s sacrifice was real, Rei is stunned, unable to process such altruism. Meanwhile, Tsurugi, steadfast in punishing victims as chaos-causers, is thrown off balance by Satsuki’s unprompted confession. The idea of a victim helping their killer challenges his beliefs so profoundly that he passes out, forcing him to question his entire worldview.

Syobai literally becomes the player character in A2-4 for a part of the trial, and singlehandedly is forced into a position of leadership. It's a key moment for him and the mark of the game where he starts to take more initiative as a character, and go on his own quest to dick over Mikado and end the Killing Game.

//And then, in V3, there’s Kokichi Ouma, who, comparatively, takes the "fourth chapter personality shift" baton and runs to the end of the Earth with it.

//(Side note, I can't believe I'm actually talking about it here, but I have seen SO many people ask me why I spell it "Ouma" and not "Oma" like the dub does, especially since I don't call Kyoko "Kyouko" or Kirumi Tojo as "Toujou" when that's what it is in Japanese. It's because "Oma" means Horse in Japanese, and I don't want to call him "Kokichi Horse." That's weird. Also, I just prefer this spelling, it's as simple as that.)

//Kokichi, already a wildcard and a mischievous trickster, steps fully into his role as a scheming, manipulative VILLAIN, leaning hard into his calculating and almost theatrical nature. It’s a fascinating evolution, especially since his antics fill the tension void left by the previous case.

//Let’s be real, Case 3 had its moments, but Korekiyo Shinguji being both the killer and victim of his own twisted scheme felt more...uncomfortable, than genuinely intimidating.

//Kokichi, on the other hand, brings back that thick, suffocating air of distrust, which elevates the stakes nicely. All in all, the fourth chapter’s character transformations may follow a predictable formula, but they always deliver something fresh and memorable.

//But we'll come back to Kokichi later. Let's get talking about the trial itself, and why it's so unique.

//Danganronpa trials always tend to have a running theme with them throughout each game, and some of these work out better than others tend to. For example, all the first cases, a character who is seemingly important to the plot is suddenly taken away after they are killed. Case 2 always reveals a new, more ominous, secretive side to a character, who up until that point, had been rather unnasuming. And while not a lot of people like this fact, up to 3 people always die in Chapter 3 of each game.

//In Chapter 4, the running theme is that all the murders take place in a very liminal environment; different from anywhere else you've seen in the game, and with its own set of rules that differ from every other trial. In the other games, it's the Locked Room, the Funhouse, the Ballroom, and the Tower of Babel.

//But this setting is probably the most bizzare of them all, and by God, do they do some GOOD THINGS with it!

//The entire murder takes place inside a virtual reality simulation. A full-on digital world that, if I’m not mistaken, was originally created by Monokuma but later modified by none other than Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor.

//VERY CLEARLY a nod to Danganronpa 2, and that alone is great.

//Miu takes it upon herself to tweak the simulation, removing anything dangerous or sharp enough to become a potential murder weapon. Ironically, despite her best efforts, it’s Miu who ends up as the victim of this virtual whodunit.

//Now, here’s where things get juicy: this wasn’t your typical crime in the series. This was a murder gone horribly wrong.

//And what’s fascinating is that while this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the series, it’s actually only the second, or if you’re really nitpicky, the fourth instance of a murder scheme backfiring. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we?

//In Danganronpa 1 Sayaka cooks up a plan to kill Leon but ends up being the one who got skewered instead. Then in Goodbye Despair, Killing Harmony, and Another, the first cases also feature a twist where the killer’s original plan goes sideways, albeit in a slightly different flavor, with the killer targeting the wrong victim.

//But this case is the only other murder scheme, besides Sayaka's in Game 1, planned by the victim themselves.

//...Unless you count Haru in Another, which we've already been over, but you could also make the argument that Haru's plan was for him to be killed, while with Sayaka and Miu, their plans backfired.

//Miu, in all her chaotic, trash-talking glory, was planning to take out Kokichi. Being the brains behind the virtual world, she took full advantage of her role, laying out the rules of the simulation for everyone while sneakily fudging a few of the details to give herself the upper hand.

//Her goal? To execute the perfect crime, one that would be impossible to pin on her.

//Even though, upon reflection, the fact that she's the only one who COULD make the rules makes it pretty obvious that she's the one responsible. Had that been the case, I think that would have been too easy.

//Unfortunately for Miu, but fortunately for us, Kokichi is like a walking ad for 4D chess. He catches on to her plan faster than she can deliver one of her raunchy one-liners, and instead of walking into her trap, Kokichi flips the script, countering her scheme with a plan of his own.

//What ensues is a mind-bending trial where the layers of lies and manipulation make even seasoned players question what’s real and what’s virtual.

//This case stands out not just for its premise but for its audacious execution. A murder happening in a VR simulation is already enough to make it memorable, but the added twist of the victim being the would-be killer takes it to a whole new level of brilliance.

//And let’s not forget Miu herself: even in her final moments, she manages to be equal parts infuriating and hilarious, making her one of the most unforgettable characters in the series.

//I could do a whole character analysis on Miu, and I feel like I might want to one of these days, but today is not that day, because despite her integral role in this case, of the characters that are important to it, she is the least so.

//But with Miu dead, this leads into what is quite possibly the FUNNEST investigation and trial in the series.

//The real charm isn’t necessarily in the investigation process itself. It’s in the clues you uncover and the sheer thrill of piecing together how the crime could have possibly gone down.

//This isn’t your standard case where you’re dusting for fingerprints or deciphering alibis. No, this case takes place in a virtual, video-game-like world, and that alone makes it incredibly special.

//What really sets it apart is that solving the crime requires you to think in terms of VIDEO GAME LOGIC. And I don’t mean just understanding how games work on a design level, like balancing difficulty or crafting levels.

//We’re talking the nitty-gritty quirks of actual gameplay mechanics, stuff like looping worlds, invisible walls, glitches, and even loading screens. These elements aren’t just amusing easter eggs; they’re critical to figuring out how the murder was executed. It’s like being handed a mystery where the answers are buried not in reality, but in the code itself.

//For anyone who’s spent hours yelling at their screen over a bugged-out NPC or a weird collision glitch (Fuck you, Todd Howard), this investigation feels like a hilarious, and extremely meta, love letter to the quirks of gaming.

//This case’s brilliance lies in how it merges classic mystery-solving with the quirks of gaming, creating a truly unique experience. It’s the kind of investigation that makes you feel like both a detective and a speedrunner trying to glitch your way into an inaccessible area for clues.

//And let’s be honest, when you’re unraveling a crime that hinges on the kind of stuff we normally blame on bad game developers, it’s impossible not to have a little fun with it.

//But of course, the mystery and the setting of this crime don't carry the whole thing alone. The actual conflict itself is what makes this trial such an emotional rollercoaster, and hands down, there's one key element of this trial that shines out more than any other:

//Kokichi.

//We've already been over V3-5, and the role that Kokichi plays in that chapter, where his scheming all culminates into his final plan. But the biggest issue with that was how little closure it gave Kokichi, and how his plan felt like it was all part of Tsumugi's scheme anyway.

//But the SETUP for his character arc's conclusion, that we see in this trial, is BRILLIANT.

//I already kind of talked about this at the start, but let me reiterate my points in more detail here.

//Up until now, Kokichi has been the class’s resident chaos gremlin. Cocky, sarcastic, endlessly witty, and annoyingly good at making people want to strangle him.

//Whether he’s tossing out savage one-liners or cracking jokes at everyone else’s expense, Kokichi has spent most of the game toeing the line between a playful pest and a genuinely brilliant schemer. And no matter how much he got under your skin, you couldn’t deny that he was sharp as a tack, sometimes spotting clues even Shuichi, the Ultimate Detective, manages to miss.

//But in this trial? Kokichi doesn’t just steal the show. He sets the stage on fire, and crowns himself the ultimate supervillain.

//This is Kokichi at his absolute peak. Gone is the silly prankster who lived to push everyone’s buttons. In his place is a calculated mastermind who orchestrates Miu’s death in a way so devious and brilliant that it leaves you wondering just how deep his schemes go.

//And here’s the kicker: he didn’t even commit the murder himself. He set everything up like a diabolical puppetmaster, then let the crime unfold while keeping his hands technically clean. That fact alone? It’s the ace up his sleeve, and he’s not shy about rubbing it in your face for the entirety of the trial.

//Kokichi’s behavior in this case is a stage show of psychological warfare. At one point, just to prove how far ahead of everyone else he is, he flat-out CONFESSES to the crime and lays out every single detail.

//And no, it’s not because he’s trying to save anyone or come clean. Kokichi’s confession is less about honesty and more about spiting you. He doesn’t want you to have the satisfaction of piecing everything together. Instead, he hands you the answers on a silver platter, complete with that smug grin of his, just to prove that he’s always one step ahead.

//The best part is that even when Kokichi is acting like a full-blown villain, he’s still absolutely hilarious. Whether he’s taunting the group with his over-the-top theatrics or dropping perfectly timed quips, his antics add a layer of dark humor that keeps the trial both tense and ridiculously entertaining. It’s like watching a magician perform a trick while roasting the audience the entire time.

//But what makes his actions, and this case as a whole, even more heartbreaking and mind-boggling is the reveal of the real killer.

//Shockingly, the one who ACTUALLY murdered Miu...is GONTA!

//Gonta Gokuhara. The Ultimate Entomologist. The most wholesome, lovable, pure-hearted character in Danganronpa V3, heck, maybe even the entire Danganronpa franchise. The gentle giant who LEGITIMATELY wouldn’t hurt a fly (Though would probably hurt someone else for hurting the fly.) The guy who refers to himself in the third person and wants nothing more than to protect everyone, make friends, and be a true gentleman.

//That Gonta.

//Even though the big guys always die in the fourth chapter, unless you're Kakeru, To say Gonta being the culprit is shocking would be an understatement. While Gonta is undeniably kind and reliable, it’s no secret that he’s not exactly a mastermind. He’s easily manipulated, struggles to keep up in trials, and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.

//So when it’s revealed that he killed Miu, the first reaction from everyone is sheer disbelief. How could Gonta, of all people, commit murder? And more importantly, why would he?

//What makes this moment so impactful is the reaction of the group. Once Kokichi drops the bombshell that Gonta is the killer, everyone scrambles to find excuses to prove him wrong. No one, not even Gonta himself, can believe it. Gonta, in his sweet and earnest way, tries to deny it, clinging to the idea that he could never willingly hurt someone. But the cold, hard evidence keeps piling up, and by the end, there’s no escaping the truth.

//The only two people in the room who seem willing to entertain the possibility are Shuichi and Keebo. Shuichi, being the Ultimate Detective, reluctantly follows the evidence where it leads, no matter how painful the conclusion may be. Keebo, ever the logical one, processes the facts without the emotional bias the others cling to. But for everyone else, especially Kaito, and even Maki, the mere idea of Gonta being the culprit is too much to bear.

//And that’s where Kokichi pulls off another one of his devious moves. By exposing the truth and forcing Shuichi to press forward, he drives a wedge between Shuichi and Kaito, effectively turning Kaito against him. Kaito, the ever-loyal and stubborn optimist, refuses to believe that Gonta could be capable of such a thing. His faith in Gonta, and his growing detest of Kokichi, creates a painful rift in what was once a strong friendship.

//What’s even more brilliant about this setup is another reason why the investigation is so good, in how it creates the perfect misdirection. Gonta is a notoriously sweet and loveable guy whose idea of "video game logic" probably involves pressing random buttons until something works. Early in the investigation, you’re almost sure he couldn’t have done it because, let’s face it, even if you walked him step-by-step through how world loops or loading zones work, his brain would still be stuck in "kind gentleman" mode.

//So, when the evidence eventually points to him as the killer, it’s a jaw-dropping moment. The fact that the least tech-savvy person in the group was somehow the linchpin in this digital murder mystery is both tragic and utterly shocking.

//This case doesn’t just deliver a shocking twist; it weaponizes the emotional bonds between the characters to make the reveal hit even harder. Gonta’s reveal as the killer isn’t just surprising, it’s tragic, and it leaves a scar that lingers long after the trial is over.

//And the trial itself rides on these character moments, but it sure as hell doesn't die on them.

//If the concept of a murder mystery set inside a virtual reality simulation wasn’t already enough to make this case one of the standout moments in Danganronpa, then the trial itself takes things to levels of brilliance and emotional devastation that few could have anticipated.

//This trial isn’t just good; it’s a masterclass in everything the series does best: crafting intricate mysteries, delivering gut-wrenching twists, and tying it all together with compelling character moments that leave you reeling. It’s a case that combines innovation, heartbreak, and even absurdity into one unforgettable experience.

//When the trial begins, suspicion immediately falls on Kaito, a favorite target thanks to his hot-headed nature and frequent clashes with Kokichi. The evidence against him is damning on the surface: he logged out of the virtual world earlier than anyone else, and a bottle of poison was found on his seat in the real world.

//All signs initially point to him being the culprit. However, things are rarely that simple in Danganronpa, and this case is no exception. As the trial progresses, we learn that the setup against Kaito was actually the handiwork of none other than Miu herself.

//As I eluded to earlier, Miu had concocted an elaborate scheme to murder Kokichi and frame Kaito for the crime. She planted the poison and forced Kaito to log out early, expecting that these details would make him the prime suspect. It’s a devious plan worthy of her sharp mind, but in a cruel twist of irony, Miu ends up dead instead.

//And how, you ask? By being strangled to death…with toilet paper.

//Yes, toilet paper.

//That’s the murder weapon.

//While it might sound absurd...and it is...it makes perfect sense within the context of the virtual world. Just exhibit A of why this case uses the unrealistic logic of the game world so damn well.

//In the VR simulation, objects are unbreakable, meaning that even something as flimsy as toilet paper becomes as strong as a rope. While this detail initially seems like a quirky bit of world-building, it turns out to be the key to unraveling the mystery.

The moment it’s revealed that Miu was killed with toilet paper, the case takes on an entirely new level of not just hilarity, but complexity. It’s a reminder of how cleverly the trial uses the unique mechanics of the virtual world to craft a mystery that could only exist in this game.

//But the ingenuity of the murder weapon is just the beginning. As the trial unfolds, the focus shifts from solving how the crime was committed to figuring out who the culprit is, and this is where things get truly heart-wrenching. The culprit isn’t some cunning mastermind or morally gray antihero, and is instead the gentle giant with a heart as pure as freshly fallen snow.

//For Gonta who wants nothing more than to protect his friends and be a gentleman, the very idea of him committing murder is unthinkable, not just to the characters but to the player as well.

//And yet, it’s true. Gonta killed Miu. But the twist doesn’t stop there...because he doesn’t even remember doing it!

//Due to a mix-up with the VR helmet cords, Gonta experienced memory loss upon logging out of the virtual world. He has no recollection of the events that transpired in the simulation, including the murder!

//This detail adds a tragic layer to the trial, as Gonta’s confusion and heartbreak become almost unbearable to witness. The group is torn between their trust in Gonta’s inherently good nature and the mounting evidence against him. Even Gonta himself struggles to reconcile the truth, repeatedly insisting he would never do it.

//The emotional weight of the trial is further heightened by the reactions of the other characters. No one wants to believe Kokichi when he suggests that Gonta might be the killer, while Kokichi, ever the manipulative trickster, delights in dropping this bombshell, though his accusations are met with immediate resistance.

//Everyone scrambles to find alternative explanations, desperate to clear Gonta’s name. Even Shuichi, who is typically steadfast in his pursuit of the truth, hesitates to accept the implications of the evidence. However, as the trial progresses, it becomes impossible to deny the facts, and the group is forced to confront the devastating reality.

//One of the most powerful moments in the trial comes when Kaito, Shuichi’s closest ally and staunchest supporter, turns against him. Manipulated by Kokichi, Kaito lashes out at Shuichi, accusing him of being too focused on the truth to consider the emotional toll it takes on others.

//I won't go as far as to call it a "betrayal" because it's nothing that serious, but considering the bond between Shuichi and Kaito has been one of the few sources of stability throughout the game, watching their friendship fracture under the weight of this trial is a testament to how deeply Kokichi’s schemes have sown discord among the group.

//Gonta's breakdown as the truth comes to light is one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the entire series. The tragedy of his character arc is amplified by the fact that he doesn’t remember committing the crime. He doesn’t get the chance to explain his actions or defend himself. Instead, he’s left to grapple with the knowledge that he did something he would never have consciously chosen to do. It’s a unique conflict that’s rarely explored in murder mysteries and one that V3 handles with surprising nuance.

//I also want to draw attention to the voice acting, specifically with the English Dub (since that's the version I played), which takes this trial to an entirely new level of emotional devastation.

//Kaiji Tang’s performance as Gonta is nothing short of phenomenal, capturing the character’s confusion, sorrow, and desperation with heartbreaking authenticity.

//But more than him, remember how I said that there were four voice performances in the main Danganronpa series that I thought were absolutely phenomenal for the breakdowns in the series? Marieve Herington as Celeste was the first one, Kira Buckland as Kirumi is the second, and the third is Derek Stephen Prince as Kokichi.

//He's insanely good throughout the whole game, but he shines especially here, delivering lines with a blend of smugness and chilling calculation that makes him simultaneously infuriating and fascinating.

//Kyle Hebert’s portrayal of Kaito adds layers of frustration and vulnerability, while Dorothy Fahn brings subtle depth to Tsumugi (shockingly). The voice work is so impactful that it enhances every twist and turn of the trial, making the emotional moments hit even harder.

//In the end, this trial isn’t just a showcase of clever writing and innovative mechanics. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that pushes the characters and the player to their limits.

//From the absurdity of the murder weapon to the heartbreaking revelations about Gonta, every aspect of this case is meticulously crafted to leave a lasting impression. It’s not just a standout moment in Danganronpa V3, it’s one of the best trials in the entire franchise, a perfect blend of creativity, tragedy, and unforgettable storytelling.

//...Almost...

//I don't want to end this on a negative note or anything, but there is another reason why I ultimately had to put this trial below V3-1. It's far from a major problem that completely ruins my opinion of the trial, obviously, but dear God did it test my fucking patience.

//Put simply...

//This trial and this Chapter are where the MONOKUBS are at their MOST INSUFFERABLE!

//Crazy, because at this point in the game, there's only two of them left!

//I largely boil this down to Monodam dropping out of the story prior to this chapter, but Monophanie and Monotaro single-handedly come close to RUINING this Chapter because of how goddamn fucking INCORRAGABLE they are. Legitimately, the only thing that they did that I thought was entertaining was Monotaro proclaiming Miu as his mother, but that's largely because of Miu and not him.

//To make a long story short, I really feel SO GLAD for the people who actually liked the incest stuff that happened in Case 3, because HERE! YOU HAVE MORE OF IT!

//In this chapter, Monotaro suffers memory loss, causing him to forget who Monophanie and Monokuma are. Monophanie, in an attempt to help him remember, beats him with a frying pan. This leads to a bizarre and disturbing romantic relationship between the two, despite being family.

//The next day, Monotaro turns abusive toward Monophanie, and though he later apologizes, it paints a toxic and uncomfortable dynamic. Monophanie becomes jealous of the students as Monotaro bonds with them and starts to act like a father figure when they believe she’s pregnant. However, this is all part of a gruesome execution, where a giant insect bursts from Monophanie’s stomach and kills both Monokubs.

//This entire plotline trivializes what are actually some SERIOUS ISSUES in a disturbing, exploitative way, and turns it into an uncomfortable "spectacle." It's hands down the ABSOLUTE WORST THING that happens in ALL of V3, and possibly the entire main trilogy, especially because it takes place in what is otherwise one of the BEST CHAPTERS in the series!

//But Oh! OOOH! OOOOOOOOOOOOH IT DOESN'T STOP THERE! IIIIIT DOOOOEEESSN'T STOOOOP THEEEERE!

//Ahem...

//Sorry...In case it wasn't obvious, this REALLY upsets me. But I'll try and stay professional.

//Largely the reason I've never gone over them before this point is because the only other time in the game where the Kubs actively play a part in the trial is in Case 2, when Monosuke, after acting all high and mighty towards his siblings, accidentally gives away a major clue in the trial. But that was actually a pretty entertaining part.

//Here, Gonta's execution, and his final moments, are completely RUINED by the Monokubs. And any emotional tension and misery that you're feeling for him in his final moments are completely taken away!

//While the execution itself is by no means poorly done, and it does feature one of my favorite music tracks from the series, it definitely doesn't give Gonta the fitting send-off he deserved.

//Sure, it’s undeniably tragic, with Gonta being attacked by robotic wasps, stabbed in the chest, and ultimately set on fire. Quite a violent and gruesome way to meet his end; but here’s the issue: The execution doesn’t focus on Gonta’s death as much as it should.

//Instead, a significant portion of the sequence is dedicated to Monophanie and Monotaro’s bizarre, unsettling bug-related antics, which just feels…off.

//While the gruesome spectacle is certainly chaotic and violent, the sequence spends a substantial amount of time on the absurd antics of Monophanie and Monotaro, especially their bizarre "bug baby" plotline.

//Now, the Monokubs meeting their end in these executions isn’t new. This is, after all, the last time we see any of them perish. But this one feels like the worst offender. When Monokid and Monosuke died during Kaede and Kirumi’s executions, I wasn’t bothered too much because their deaths were brief and didn’t take the spotlight away from the main event. Monodam’s death, on the other hand, was genuinely surprising, and despite some focus on him, the context made it feel fitting.

//But here? We’ve crossed a FUCKING line. The execution becomes less about Gonta's tragic demise and more about this uncomfortable and frankly weird bug child subplot. Honestly, by this point in the series, I’m pretty done with the odd, incestuous undertones, and I certainly didn’t need to be subjected to a whole execution where that’s the central theme, while Gonta himself feels like an afterthought.

//Le sigh...

//Aside from everything else, I feel it’s worth repeating that this case is crafted in a pretty impressive way. The sheer creativity and intricacy behind it can't be ignored. And while the execution itself leaves something to be desired (and by "something," I mean "a whole lot"), I don't think that should take away from how well the rest of the case is put together.

//I mean, the story, the twists, the atmosphere...it all comes together in a way that's hard to ignore. Even if the final outcome feels like a botched cake at the bakery...all gooey on the inside and looking suspiciously like a science experiment gone wrong...the overall design of the trial is still pretty solid.

//It’s like watching a magician pull off an incredible trick, only for the rabbit to hop away halfway through. You can’t really blame the trick just because the rabbit decided to bail.

//So while I can’t overlook how poorly the final bits were handled, the rest of the case is still good enough to hold up.

[moonogre]

Snippet 3

Business | Technology 

KaibaCorp Dreams of Another World

May 28 

“It’s not a question of what’s next. It’s what’s happening right now. Right in front of you.”

These are the words from the seventeen-year old visionary Seto Kaiba, known worldwide as the reigning Duel Monsters champion and CEO of KaibaCorp (TSE:KBA). His advice seems perfect for this moment: he is standing right in front of a gigantic dragon. It is screaming and ready to attack and he is fearless. 

The creature in question is one of three in the world that belong to the young CEO: Blue Eyes White Dragon, a rare Duel Monsters card and the star of KaibaCorp’s impromptu demonstration of its latest project: Scheherazade.

Named after the fabled storyteller of “One Thousand and One Nights,” Scheherazade is as much a technological marvel as it is a philosophical leap forward. The platform creates immersive worlds drawn from both written stories and players’ own memories, merging fiction and reality into a seamless experience. A combination of machine learning, memory recall, and advanced simulation technology allows the system to respond and adapt for real-time, constant immersion. While virtual reality has been evolving steadily over the past decade, Scheherazade’s memory integration takes it to another level, with unprecedented possibilities for storytelling, education, and, of course, gaming. 

Its most immediate application will be for duelists, offering fully interactive Duel Monsters matches in an arena where the creatures seem to step out of the cards and into life. Industry insiders speculate that this move could put KaibaCorp at the forefront of both gaming and virtual reality, potentially outpacing rivals like Industrial Illusions (NYSE:ILL) and Meta (NASDAQ: META).

This is the latest in the bold new direction forged under young Kaiba’s leadership, which transformed KaibaCorp from an arms contractor to a tech powerhouse, pioneering innovations at the intersection of telecommunications, augmented reality and entertainment. KaibaCorp’s origins date back to the post-World War II era when it rose to prominence as a leading arms manufacturer, standing just behind global defence giants like Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE: NOC). The company’s previous success in the defence sector is often credited to the founding family’s deeply personal experience with war: Ryu Kaiba, KaibaCorp’s founder, served in Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour. The war also impacted his son, the late Gozaburo Kaiba, who was one of the 650,000 survivors of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 

The latter half of the twentieth-century saw KaibaCorp as a bastion of military technology, supplying weapons to governments around the world. Yet the company was perpetually mired in controversy, and a frequent target of political outcry for its contributions to war and conflict. Protests frequently accompanied its business dealings, which placed it at the centre of public debate about the ethics of arms dealership. It is speculated that mounting pressure and dwindling public support factored into the shocking suicide of Gozaburo Kaiba, who jumped to his death from the KaibaCorp headquarters during a meeting with the company’s board of directors. 

This tragedy would make it the third time Seto Kaiba had lost a parent. Gozaburo Kaiba adopted both the current KaibaCorp CEO and his younger brother, KaibaCorp’s Senior Manager of Technology Operations, Mokuba Kaiba, following the deaths of their parents. Their mother died of eclampsia while giving birth to Mokuba, and their father was killed in a car accident in the infamous Izumo Earthquake Disaster.

Seto Kaiba succeeded Gozaburo as CEO of KaibaCorp at fifteen, making him the youngest person to ever lead a billion-dollar company. His youth left him no shortage of ideas, and he set the company on course for a seismic shift in focus. He went on a buying spree, absorbing a staggering number of promising computer technology companies in his first quarter as CEO. He also terminated operations at KaibaCorp’s global weapons testing centres and completely divested the company from projects supporting armed conflict. These actions led KaibaCorp to several high-profile lawsuits for defaulting on its contracts and sales agreements. These disputes were settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.     

Between the payouts, acquisitions and lack of customers, KaibaCorp was teetering on financial ruin. The company was saved with Kaiba’s most notable innovation: SolidVision, the holographic projection technology that brought Duel Monsters to life. This was followed by the Duel Disk, a revolutionary p2p interface that allowed duelists to compete in real-time holographic battles, becoming a staple for competitive players across the world. These commercial successes catapulted KaibaCorp into global fame and made Duel Monsters a cultural phenomenon, while signalling KaibaCorp’s new mission: to create, not destroy.

This pursuit has now brought KaibaCorp to the verge of another groundbreaking moment. Scheherazade, set to roll out this summer, will first be available at stadiums and theme parks before making its way into homes through a specialised hardware release. Duelists and VR enthusiasts alike are eagerly awaiting the chance to immerse themselves in the fully realised worlds this technology promises to deliver.

In many ways, KaibaCorp’s evolution is as poetic as it is fascinating. What was once a company defined by its contribution to destruction is now positioned to offer the world a new way of seeing itself, through stories, memories, and duels. 

“This is just the beginning. Scheherazade isn’t just a virtual space—it’s a new frontier for human imagination. It’s the bridge between what we can dream and what we can live.”

And in that, perhaps, lies Kaiba’s greatest victory: transforming a company of war into one that makes dreams reality.

______

The article featured two captioned pictures. Duel Monster Blue Eyes White Dragon, rendered in Scheherazade: a still of him pulled from the testing zone broadcast, looking up at Blue Eyes White Dragon. He was surprised at the lack of fear on his face– the light from the White Lightning Attack had washed every emotion into brightness. He was just vacant, ready, waiting.  He was more expressive in the second photograph: Father and son. One of the last before Gozaburo’s death. The man had a hand on his shoulder and was sneering down at him. Kaiba, fifteen, slanted his face to return his contempt, the corner of his mouth barely lifted in a matching, cruel smirk.

[sweethoneyrose83]

Writing prompts based on Entomophobia (the fear of insects):

Invasion: A person with severe entomophobia moves into a seemingly perfect new house, but over time, they start noticing strange behavior from insects—beetles creeping out from the walls, spiders weaving webs in impossible places, and centipedes appearing in their bed. As the infestations grow, they begin to suspect the insects are more than just pests—they’re trying to communicate.

The Hive Mind: After an experimental drug meant to cure entomophobia backfires, the protagonist begins to hear the thoughts of insects around them. At first, it's faint whispers, but soon the chorus of bugs becomes overwhelming, especially as they start demanding the protagonist fulfill their wishes. They must figure out a way to stop this mental link before the insects drive them mad.

The Bug-Eyed Stranger: In a small, bug-infested town, the entomophobic protagonist meets a mysterious stranger who claims to be an exterminator. But there’s something unnerving about this exterminator—they never seem to kill any bugs, only move them to hidden places. When the protagonist uncovers a dark secret involving the exterminator and the town’s obsession with insects, they must confront their fear or become the next victim.

The Burrowers: After returning from a camping trip, the protagonist feels something moving beneath their skin. Their entomophobia spirals as doctors dismiss their concerns, and they become convinced that an unseen insect species has laid eggs inside them. Paranoia takes over as they begin to take extreme measures to rid themselves of the invasive presence.

The Butterfly Effect: A reclusive entomologist with entomophobia receives a rare butterfly specimen for study. As they examine the insect, they start having vivid nightmares where they are surrounded by swarms of butterflies. Each dream feels more real than the last until they begin waking up with butterfly wings growing from their own body.

Insect Haunting: The protagonist inherits an old house from a distant relative who passed away under mysterious circumstances. The house is overrun with insects, but it’s not a normal infestation—these bugs behave strangely, almost as if they are guarding something. As the protagonist’s entomophobia intensifies, they uncover the chilling history of the house and its previous owner’s sinister experiments with insect spirits.

The Infested App: A new VR game goes viral, allowing players to explore hyper-realistic insect-filled environments. The protagonist, terrified of bugs, is challenged by friends to try the game, and they reluctantly agree. But as they play, the line between the virtual world and reality blurs. Soon, they start seeing swarms of insects in real life, crawling on their skin and walls, even when they aren’t wearing the VR headset.

Entomophobia Therapy Gone Wrong: A groundbreaking new therapy claims to cure entomophobia by gradually exposing patients to virtual bugs. The protagonist signs up, hoping to overcome their fear, but something goes terribly wrong with the simulation. The virtual insects start to invade the real world, following the protagonist wherever they go, multiplying faster than anyone can explain.

The Cicada’s Return: Every 17 years, a small town experiences an overwhelming swarm of cicadas. The protagonist has an extreme fear of insects and dreads the event. But this time, the cicadas seem different. They’re not just swarming—they’re targeting specific people in town. As the protagonist’s terror escalates, they uncover a bizarre link between the insects and a long-buried town secret.

Eyes in the Dark: The protagonist begins seeing glowing insect-like eyes in the darkness of their home at night. At first, they think they are imagining things, but then they start hearing buzzing sounds, clicking legs, and skittering movements from unseen creatures. Their entomophobia escalates as they struggle to prove that these insects aren’t just in their mind but something far worse.

[shy-sapphic-ace]

what genre are you thinking for your mechs robin hood? a big part of how the mechs write stories is that they're all set in classic movie genres (war, noir, western, mystery) different from the original story.

Okayyy (thanks for asking!!) so my general thought is keeping quite a few elements of the original story, but it's a dystopia/utopia-gone-wrong.

The main thing is that the world in which the people live is polluted and broken, so they created an escape for themselves in the form of a virtual reality game called Nottingham where people could plug themselves in and be in a 13th-14th century universe, where they still have castles and villages and forests that are still green (hence the name of the game's largest forest, the Greenwood). I think the trope of a virtual reality game to escape the no-longer-ideal world is pretty common (think Ready Player One or Epic) but I don't know if that counts as a classic genre...? If anyone has anything better I'm open to suggestions, this is just kind of what I've been going with so far.

And it was so popular that soon all the people who could afford it plugged themselves in to live full-time in that virtual world, while those who could not stayed behind in the real world to tend to the machines that support the bodies of those whose mind is immersed in Nottingham. Generations pass with people living in the simulation, and then, the game has a major glitch (though there are some whispers that it's been hacked) and the game's benevolent NPC ruler, King Richard, disappears without a trace and in the mad scramble to seize his power over the game and its players, those still inside realize that they can die/be killed in the game, and since no one knows how to unplug anymore they assume they've died in real life too. There are rebels trying to fight the corrupt players who've taken power, like Robin Hood and his (or her, perhaps??) band of merry men.

That's a lot of information (sorry if I ranted a little), but that's what I'd try to squish into the intro narration. Is this similar enough to the other mechs albums' themes? I'd love to hear thoughts or suggestions :)

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Pitch for a video game:

A loose remake of the 1996 point-and-click game, “Harvester”. The game is remade in the style of choose-your-own adventure games, namely “Detroit Become Human” and “Life is Strange”.

You play as two main characters, Steve Mason (voiced and mo-capped by Finn Wolfhard) and Stephanie Pottsdam (voiced and mo-capped by Thomasin McKenzie), who are both suffering from amnesia. All they know is that they’re residents of the town of Harvest and they’re both getting married to each other. Harvest is a 1950s-style small town which is run by the mysterious Order of the Harvest Moon, which operates out of a giant castle-like structure called the Lodge.

For the first half of the game, Steve and Stephanie investigate the town in order to figure out what is going on. None of the townspeople believe they have amnesia and are all behaving rather strangely. What’s important here is that Steve and Stephanie keep getting into scenarios that’s forcing them to think a certain way. For some reason, Steve keeps witnessing acts of violence while Stephanie keeps getting “life lessons” from her parents and strangers.

For example, Steve witnesses the town’s police brutally beat up a homeless man while Stephanie watches as a girl her age is disciplined (paddled) by her teacher for talking about things that go against the town’s conservative nature. Although they’re not sure what’s going on and can’t prove it, Steve thinks he’s being desensitized to violence while Stephanie thinks she’s being indoctrinated by the town’s fascistic/ultra-conservative values.

The second half of the game has Steve and Stephanie enter the Lodge (a change from the original here is that both men and women are allowed to become members). Their goal is to reach the end of the Lodge in order to get some answers, since everyone in Harvest says that the Lodge and the Order knows all. This is where the game takes a massive left turn into surreal nightmare territory. In order to reach the end of the Lodge, Steve and Stephanie have to pass the challenges set up by the Order of the Harvest Moon, which continues the conditioning that both these characters have been receiving.

For example, Steve is forced to execute an old couple just because they’ve gotten too old to be members while Stephanie is forced to torture a doctor who was supposedly performing abortions. If the player chooses not to commit these horrible actions, they get reprimanded and run the risk of failing the challenge.

The big twist (if the player manages to get there) is that it’s revealed Harvest is a virtual reality simulation. It turns out, this is a dystopian future where the United States has become a fascist society and is at war with some unknown nation. Harvest is a form of governmental control over the population since its purpose is to warp the minds of “troublesome” citizens.

Steve is revealed to be a conscientious objector who avoided the draft while Stephanie is a left-wing activist who heavily criticized the government. Harvest was trying to turn Steve into a ready-and-willing soldier who wasn’t afraid to commit atrocities (hence the desensitization to violence). For Stephanie, Harvest was trying to force her to reject liberal/left-wing values and become a hardcore far-right fascist (hence the indoctrination to the town’s values). The game’s ending then depends on the choices you made in the game:

1) Steve and Stephanie are publicly executed by the Order (if both Stephanie and Steve fail the Lodge’s challenges before they can reach the end)

2) Steve either dies of old age inside Harvest or exits the Harvest simulation as a loyal soldier who can’t wait to go to war (only Steve makes it to the end)

3) Stephanie either dies of old age inside Harvest or exits the Harvest simulation as a fascist propagandist who renounces her original beliefs (only Stephanie makes it to the end)

4) Steve kills Stephanie and exits the Harvest simulation as a loyal soldier who can’t wait to go to war. (Steve accepts, Stephanie rejects)

5) Stephanie kills Steve and exits the Harvest simulation as a fascist propagandist who renounced her original beliefs (Stephanie accepts, Steve rejects)

6) Stephanie and Steve reject Harvest, which results in them living a long-happy life as a married couple inside the program. They then both die of old age. This turns out to be another program set up by the U.S. government, in case the subjects aren’t successfully changed (Stephanie and Steve pass, but reject Harvest’s lessons)

7) Stephanie and Steve leave Harvest and become the “perfect” married couple. Steve goes off to war and becomes a national hero while Stephanie becomes the ultimate propagandist. (Stephanie and Steve pass and accept Harvest’s lessons)

8) Harvest crashes due to the resistance movement storming the base and freeing Steve and Stephanie (secret ending, only unlockable if the player does certain actions)

[spontaneousglitterbees]

It's been mentioned that Kokichi has some phantom pains and he has clear mobility issues (love that btw as someone who uses a cane), so I was curious how the rest of the class is doing in that regard. Does Kaito ever struggle to breathe or have coughing fits? Do Rantaro and Angie get migraines?

[Talent Acquisition Pilot Program AU Masterpost]

This one. This one got away from me.

tl;dr: Absolutely, Anon, we are on very similar pages! This ask really got me thinking about how the whole TAPP!cast is doing fresh out of the Killing Game. Every student in Class 79 is going through something, about now, be it physical or mental; in fact, it’s usually both.

Also: for sure, I want to try and be relatively true-to-life with their struggles, especially Kokichi’s. I write from personal experience living with chronic pain, but haven’t used a cane before. Apologies if I miss the mark at any point.

Obligatory disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional of any kind and the AU’s premise is largely sci-fi, so there may be inaccuracies. That said, I am fascinated with biomechanics and always looking to learn, so I’m trying to keep things at least semi-plausible.

Full spoilers for Danganronpa V3 (and some for the end of SDR2) ahead!

Very Long Loredump (~6.2k words) under the cut:

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?

Everyone is traumatized. That much is obvious, sure, but the Talent Acquisition Pilot Program (TAPP) is a virtual reality simulator based on the bones of the Neo World Program (NWP). In much the way SDR2’s NWP is purported to replicate death in the simulation in the players’ real bodies, the TAPP simulation is built to alter the brain chemistry of its participants. TAPP builds muscle memory and ‘burns’ new neural pathways to a participant’s Default Mode Network (DMN), a collective term for parts of the brain responsible for letting us “autopilot” common tasks like riding a bike or typing on a keyboard. The V3 cast’s experiences in the simulation impact their real bodies in a very literal sense to ‘speedrun’ them through orientation at Hope’s Peak and mainstream them in the curriculum as quickly as possible so its researchers can start collecting useful data on the merits of HPA for investors.

The problem is, nobody programming TAPP anticipated they would start killing each other.

Class 79 were the first human test subjects for the program with zero peer review or board approval, of course, because HPA is morally dubious and can pass off “dude, trust me” as genuine credentials to several world governments. Even if this massive oversight was not noticed until after the fact, V1 of TAPP did at least include one quasi-safety feature: if any player became “significantly injured”, that player would be ejected from the simulation. Everyone else would be locked in the simulation (in case one of them was involved and tried to evade consequences) until an administrator could come and manually assess the situation. In theory, the physically-unharmed student could rejoin the simulation once the conflict was resolved.

But TAPP was built to write data to the brain. It was not built to identify what data it’s actually writing, and cannot differentiate between playing the piano and getting smashed in a hydraulic press. Data is data.

It does not help that Team Danganronpa (the group of Reserve Course kids, including Tsumugi) are foolish teenagers entirely unaware of this, assuming that “none of it is real, so none of it will actually matter! we’re just scaring them!” While skimming through the code and thoroughly Knowing Not What They Do, they manage to remove any defined cap for what constitutes ‘significant injury’ before player ejection. The only flag that can set it off is a lack of any other player flags. Virtual death.

This is where Rantaro earns the title of “Ultimate Survivor”. The shotput ball put him down too quickly for the damage to be fully reflected in his physical body, so he managed to get ejected with post-concussive symptoms, short-term memory issues, and persistent migraines instead of fully dying. Were his method of death much slower, he’d likely have been screwed (and wouldn’t have Komaeda’s luck cycle to save him).

Time scales differently in TAPP than in the physical world; while Rantaro’s been at the virtual Academy for several days, the students have been strapped in their pods for a few hours at most. Between the Responsible Older Sibling Energy seared over the person he may have been before and an extant knack for escape room puzzles, Amami is The Man with the skills and motivation to call in backup.

It’s a good thing he did, too! Their “observer”, having tired of watching a bunch of students play the piano and run around outside, only figures out something has gone horribly wrong the moment Rantaro practically busts down the door. The next tense hour-plus is spent doing damage control and imposing limits on the code of the simulation to prevent TAPP from letting the students actually die. Unfortunately, the TDR kids and their takeover took a sizeable chunk out of the spaghetti code holding the whole thing together in their haste. TDR, with proposed talents like Ultimate Cosplayer on their side, are primarily concerned with artistry and are only competent-enough programmers. As a result, there is no obvious way to manually override the lock completely and just let the students out without significant defragging, even as TDR members are still actively messing with the code, and who knows how long that will take. (About 6-ish chapters)

Instead, for now, they’ll have to settle for putting as many programming-adjacent talents as possible on the case and exploit a loophole that panicking overseer managed to write: if the remaining students are systematically ejected, the program will bypass the lock and let them out. During the rescue operation, the main objective is first to minimize the physical damage TAPP can inflict by lowering the tolerance required to eject the students (which is easier said than done) and by dampening its neural-carving functions, then to get everyone left out of there.

It is a very good thing they sprung into action as quickly as they did, as it doesn’t take long for Kaede to arrive.

KAEDE

The first thing Kaede notices coming out of the simulation is that she can’t hum the notes to get back on-pitch after the worst rendition of Der Flohwalzer she has ever heard. The second thing she notices, because it is far easier to be angry about something trivial than face the slow-dawning realization you are having, is that she can only barely speak. It hurts.

I think Kaede learns to sign early on, but still finds herself trying to speak aloud anyway since she’s so used to having her hands busy already playing piano. Shuichi often reminds her to take it easy, treat it like a vocal rest, and steadily she begins to improve. She is as exuberant as ever, with determination fitting of our protagonist. Kaede is the Class 79 representative, though with his renewed confidence Shuichi often accompanies her. Not only are they best friends (though it is strange, at first, to see her alive after spending so long grieving. Kaede last saw him, like, yesterday.) and Kaede will inevitably tell Shuichi all about the meeting anyway so why not cut out the middle man,  but Shuichi initially came specifically to speak at meetings so Kaede wouldn’t strain her voice. She is immensely proud.

RANTARO (PT. 2)

Rantaro doesn’t hold the shotput ball against her; desperate times, and all. It made sense her proactive attitude would make her first to act for the ‘greater good’. She aimed to end the whole thing, not just comply. Even if she swung and missed, he (an older brother with faint recollections of failing to protect the people depending on him and guilt knowing he doesn’t have the stomach to take a victim and thus will be failing people in need of protection again) can’t fault her for swinging. She is confused when he asks her how she launched the ball that hard, though. Odd.

TENKO

Tenko has neck pain issues like Kaede, but hers are more acute. The seesaw effect was heinous but relatively precise; as the magnum opus of TDR’s homebrewed serial killer, they un/fortunately made him pretty good at it when he has a plan. Tenko has some of the least devastating lingering physical injuries of the class. Given the severity of her classmates’ injuries, though, that still leaves her with minor vocal strain, susceptibility to sore throats, and severe neck pain, among other things.

A lot of Tenko’s lingering trauma is mental: she isn’t quite as willing to immediately throw herself into the fray to help her friends, and certainly doesn’t want to leave her back exposed (a tendency she shares with Kokichi, of all people). While it did numbers on her perception of men again for a while, hearing about the trial left her with a lot to reconcile. In a ‘cool-motive-still-murder’ way, she does not forgive Kiyo (nor is she obligated to) but doesn’t hate him as much as she expected, either. Processing the idea that a girl could be horribly abusive, especially to a guy, and catalyze a cycle of violence… gets to her. She’s more wrapped up in the tragedy of the entire situation than the righteous indignation that’d fueled her for so long. Everybody lost that day.

She’s pleasantly surprised to see Himiko trying to lift her spirits now. Those two have a lot to talk about and boundaries to set, yes, but Tenko is still touched Himiko took her words to heart and seems to be benefiting from it.

ANGIE

Angie had bit more complicated situation than Tenko, getting KO’d before the fatal blow. Her migraines come on more often than Rantaro’s with high light, which is a special kind of awful for the SHSL Artist, but they’re generally closer to a dull ache. Once she gets going on a project she sets out to grin and bear it; Tenko and Himiko often check up on her. She does her best to stay just as upbeat as in the simulation, and if anything it seems more genuine now. She can actually relax, rather than mind-game her way to relative (unsteady) peace under duress.

(Angie is really interesting to me for many adjacent reasons to Kokichi, since they’re both willing to get morally gray and manipulative if it’ll keep everyone from killing each other. Angie-Kokichi compare contrast essay when?)

She hasn’t “forgiven” Kiyo either, but isn’t hostile while she evaluates whether or not his conviction in getting help and being better is genuine. She was pretty heavily affected by TDR’s “character rewrites” as well, after all, and empathizes with the feeling you’ve been used as a glorified dress-up doll. To some unknowable extent, she is a different person now, and it is frightening.

She’s trying to step back and re-analyze her sense of spirituality, particularly how it relates to her art. It’s existentially harrowing, having been made to toe the line between faith and fronting to either get people to either listen to her or not see her as a threat. She’s not even positive “Kami-sama” (not going with the localization here, my understanding is the Japanese version was deliberately more generic and at least a bit less disrespectful towards real people and their beliefs) is the same deity she’d believed in before TAPP, but it’s difficult to try and reconnect with your roots when none of you have any information on your previous lives.

They do, at least, have a resident anthropologist that might have a clue how to even start looking.

Hah. They sure do, huh.

I think Angie is the type to nominally forgive and never, ever forget. She holds the kind of grudge that lives beyond logic as all the compartmentalized emotions you don’t want to admit you have. A grudge that co-exists with an active desire to move on and seeps into her art.

KOREKIYO

Kiyo got burned.

Alive.

Also dead, somehow, an extension of the Ultimate Placebo Effect we have going on in the simulation; Kiyo was so certain ghosts were real and he’d be one that, through earnest conviction, the simulation made it so. I think this is how Komaeda’s luck works in SDR2 as well; the original Neo World Program was developed for therapy, and in doing so assesses whether or not it would be completely devastating (do more harm than good) to actively disprove something about the patient’s worldview at that time and adapts the environment accordingly. Hence you get a reality-warping luck cycle and ghosts are Definitely Real. Is either true in the outside world? No idea! Komaru talks to a ghost in UDG, once, but considering it’s unclear if Kiyo’s sister was ever a living person to begin with there are bigger fish to fry.

Or not. He’s pretty damn-well aware much that hurts. Or at least being boiled and seasoned does. Going by that kind of simulator-logic, I think in a technical sense it was the salt that killed him, not the torture. There’s probably something to unpack there I haven’t fully explored yet.

Rumors start going around campus that Kiyo is a vampire. It makes enough sense for watercooler gossip, the mask covering up fangs and an aversion to lingering out in the sun; Class 79 knows it’s actually because sunburn, for him, is a new brand of Unfun. He prefers to hole up in the library or his lab anyway, so it could be worse. He’s honestly kind of into becoming a school cryptid. It helps transition him from “avoiding my classmates and other people because they hate me, i also hate me, and we are all correct to do so. i am an extension of her so it does not matter what i want” towards “i am not my past, i cannot make up for what ive done but i can move forward and be better, i am forging a new self and it is mine this time and it always should have been”.

(Kokichi is particularly proud of having kickstarted the cryptid thing. Of course Shinguji would love to watch the evolution of new local lore in real time! Now he doesn’t mope in the corner half as much. He’s still in the corner, granted, but its probably reading while Rantaro sits next to him on his phone instead of moping!)

Kiyo’s also in therapy now. They all have therapy scheduled into their school weeks, but Kiyo has a session besides. Fabrication or not, everyone’s backstories are functionally now ‘real’ and need to be dealt with. Kiyo, Maki, and Kokichi got hit particularly hard on that front. Those scars run deep, but are starting to heal.

Of the students with whole-body injuries, Kiyo probably has the most manageable physical symptoms at this stage. He has to have long sleeves and generally keep as covered as he can so that he can subdue the part of his mind that expects the skin is still raw and flaking (it isn’t, but phantom sensations suck). Overheating pushes him toward a panic state like the end of his trial, which doesn’t exactly gel with the first point, but he’s working on it. Rantaro and Kokichi, occasionally Shuichi, tend to notice and start to defuse the situation. Part of me wonders if he’d have a black lace parasol on sunny days to lean in to the ‘mystery’ around him, plus for the sheer Aesthetic of it.

KIRUMI

Speaking of full-body injuries: Kirumi. She has similar ‘got-to-keep-covered’ issues to Kiyo, particularly wearing heavier work gloves now just to minimize any potential for cuts (and, in the back of her mind, ropeburn). Breaking several bones on impact was rough, though fast enough that she’s had remarkable improvement in a relatively short period of time. She started out on crutches, which made it difficult for her to keep up with her workaholic inclinations, but unlike some of the other students she has at least an idea of “when to quit” as not to make things worse. She’s still genuinely lost some bone density resulting from her treatment and coping methods, finding that she really does need to lean on her friends on occasion, but she is still resolute she is a care-giver, damn it. On both physical and mental fronts she’s dealing with reclaiming her agency and independence.

Kirumi is one of the few, with Maki, whose talent courses actively discourage the kinds of behavior they need for personal growth and mental health maintenance. Kirumi is still reconciling her “rewrite”, the encoded passivity in her and clash of her “selfless devotion” against her own will to live and thrive, a nightmarish reminder that You Are Not Your Own. The “Ultimate” maid needs to be agreeable, to follow orders, and hasn’t the tampering just improved her proficiency at her craft? Why be so upset? Never mind having to reconstruct her proper ability to tell people “no”, having to re-learn it’s okay to do things for yourself; according to her programmed instinct, her classes, those very things are antithetical to her talent. And everything relies on that talent, doesn’t it?

Kirumi and Kokichi are the two in Class 79 who were discharged with mobility devices that got students in the other classes… more than mildly concerned about what the hell happened to all of these freshmen (well, first year at HPA anyway), but luckily for HPA administration they’re also probably the two people least likely to offer details.

THE RIBS

There are enough students who have chest pain and associated issues that they made a club about it. It started out as Miu, Ryoma, and Kaito all independently concluding there was no way in hell they were making it through a mile run and sitting on the bleachers. Once they’d had an opportunity to gather themselves again, they do as teens are wont to do and started talking to each other. Hypoxia is an oddly effective experience to bond over. They call themselves the RIBs, standing for “Respiratory-Issue Beleaguered” (students), mostly because it made Miu laugh and for as irritating as the sound could be they’d missed it.

Kaede, Tenko, Gonta, and Kokichi also stop by from time-to-time, meaning precisely half of the 14 active Class 79 students revolving-door through this unofficial student group. HPA took notice. Class 79 has its own gym class, now, taking into account the state of everyone. One could argue that should have been the case from the onset. They would be correct.

RYOMA

Ryoma is fairly elusive. He generally keeps to himself and remains a Fairly Chill Guy with a cool temperament everyone wants to emulate (he doesn’t see what they see in him) and some Complicated Feelings now knowing he hasn’t killed anyone in the certified Real World and, by logic, should not have to have the memories of a hardened prisoner. He still does.  The persistent rasp in his voice now surprises nobody, but it took a few days for everyone in the class to stop flinching a little hearing it. He frequently hangs out in the animal shed with Gonta, Gundham, and Peko to take care of the cats.

MIU

We’ve seen quite a bit of Miu in the AU so far, but to recap a lot of her deal:

She loathes having to “take it easy” but will do so reluctantly

She tries to talk less to stretch out her working time as much as she can (even if she can’t resist just a little banter when Kokichi swings by)

She’s trying to approach her death with a sense of humor. A choker with a huge heart-shaped buckle replaces her usual necklaces with full awareness of the irony. Ha-ha, a choker. It’s a dare for anybody to bring it up, ‘I’ve said it before anyone else could’. The first thing she did waking up was try and make an autoerotic asphyxiation joke. It did not make her feel better like she thought it would.

Miu spends most of her time in her lab, now. Granted, she did that already, but she’s particularly fixated on re-creating a certain Ultimate Robot, ground-up if she has to. Fortunately, she has a team assembled (re: two upperclassmen and the Ultimate Supreme Shit-for-brains). We’ll see how this pans out soon enough.

When not re-building Kiibo outright, she ““takes a break”” innovating in other areas (re: prototyping potential features for kIIbo, usually testing them on a bored Kokichi. He usually complies because Miu is one of the few who doesn’t look at him with a patronizing amount of pity she’s Not boring. Mm-hmm. All there is to it.)

Miu does not resent Gonta (or Kokichi, for that matter) for killing her. There's a small extent to which she's a little relieved she was stopped from going through with her plan to kill Kokichi, and a much bigger disconnect between her idea of reality and her memory of Chapter 4. Miu died in a VR game within another VR game. Having messed around with the programming and guts of the nested simulation personally, it still seems fake. She didn't really die, no matter how real it felt; they were in a simulation. Logically, she's well aware of how it works and the consequences, but it doesn't feel like it was more than a glorified fever dream on an emotional level. Both Gonta and Kokichi are more outwardly traumatized by her death than Miu as a byproduct of how she's processing it. She's not "better off" or "less impacted" so much as "disassociated from the whole thing and very much wanting to put it behind them before it catches up with her", thus burying herself in work and trying as hard as she can to bring back the one person she wants to comfort her.

Kiibo's absence is not great for her abandonment issues. It is hard to blame him when he never had a physical body to begin with, though. 

GONTA

Gonta is also with the RIBs, and reeling from it the most visibly of everyone on account of just how. Much, his death was. An allergic reaction blocking off the air, puncturing at least one lung for certain, and living long enough to feel the shrapnel of the laptop lodge into the wound alongside the scythe, the fire quickly eating away any oxygen, any hope of gasping another breath… yeah no he acts as much the gentleman as ever but he is not okay. As Resident Buff Nature Boy Gonta tanked it better than anyone else in the class could have, but the sheer excess of the thing gets to him. Fond memories of setting a campfire in the woods with his adoptive family are overwritten, vespidae in general… hitting differently. But Gonta is kind, to a fault. More resolute than ever to make himself into a kind of person not perceived as ‘too intimidating’ to be friends with, acknowledging the capacity he has for violence is difficult. Somewhere deep down he knows that everybody does, especially in their circumstances, but still acts as though his case is exceptionally bad (nobody else does. This does not deter him, becoming a little less gullible when its least helpful).

He is also not as disconcerted by the occasional spontaneous sensation that your insides are going to lose structural integrity, even with no stitches to pop, that with only the damaged wake and no piercing sharp pain to focus on and blame for the mess could potentially be perceived as a bizarre, abstracted kind of crawling feeling from the inside-out. Things in motion, displaced from where they are meant to be. He knows it isn’t bugs, isn’t glass and metal and plastic, that it isn’t anything but himself. A teeny-tiny part of him wishes it were. At least being shelter for a hive of some sort would be helpful. Aren’t gentlemen helpful, they improve life for people, make things better and how could anyone even look at you again knowing what you’re capable of, who in their right mind would talk to you, you’re going to end up alone again talking to stray cats in the alley since not even the wolves would stay—

Gonta also has extra therapy. He already had to work out self-worth issues, but the game pushed them to interfere too much in daily life not to actively work on.

KAITO

Kaito has made several background and supporting appearances without much central attention just yet. It's not that I don't like him or anything (I do!) but I guess because it seems like well-worn territory in V3 fic to me? Kaito is endlessly proud of Maki and Shuichi (Himiko too, less personally) for "winning" in the face of the killing game, and the training trio of them meet back up again regularly. Only.

It's different, now. 

He's no longer sick and dying, but his lungs 'top out' at a certain level of activity and refuse to take in more air, this burning sensation that leaves him only able to huff and wheeze and brings his training regiment to a dead stop. He treasures those last moments in his failed execution where he got to see the stars, because a lingering anxiety in the back of his mind won't let him forget that he never will again. Not the way he'd dreamed of, the way he'd planned to, the way he'd centered his identity around. There is no way, as things are, that he will pass all the physical exams to become a proper astronaut. 

The drawn-out deterioration of his health during the simulation chipped away at his physical lungs at a rate too gradual for the countermeasures the rescue team implemented; TAPP did more overt physical damage to Kaito than anyone else. It could certainly be worse and he is gradually improving, but some degree of it is permanent. It haunts him. He's trying not to think about it.

It does, though, drive a wedge between him and his sidekicks; the survivors are planning their futures, and Kaito is not too far from a slight tailspin without any idea what his might look like for the first time he can recall. Space has been the dream since he was a kid (as has getting there in this specific role) and it almost feels like a rejection. Like he got too cocky, and the cosmos decided it didn't want him. 

It starts to make a little more sense, then, that he starts willingly hanging out with Kokichi. They went through the hangar together, of course, but even besides the traumabond (and a need to, after he woke from his coma, make sure the little brat is still alive, damn it, you can't run away anymore it counts now) but. If anyone else gets having such drastically shifted circumstances that life as you'd imagined it no longer makes logistical sense, it's probably the leader without an organization. There's no need to explain the feelings of inadequacy, or the aimlessness, going through the motions of classes and formal education because what the hell else am I going to do, right now? It's familiar. 

Kokichi needs someone willing to chase him, no matter how circuitous the route becomes. Kaito needs someone willing to shake him by the shoulders and snap him out of his own head, so sure it's all-or-nothing and that if he can't be the Luminary as he'd dreamed of it whatever happens next is immaterial in comparison. Kaito needs to adapt and roll with the punches, Kokichi needs to double back from his logical leaps from point A to point Q and articulate his thoughts clearly to other people (at least some of the time.) The two of them concoct little daily and weekly rituals, like Kokichi stealing Kaito's notebook and drawing in it, just because the consistency of company reminds them both that they aren't the only one going through this. 

None of the other students quite get it, but have come to accept it.

KOKICHI

Then there’s Kokichi.

Ah, Kokichi, whose whole deal in this scenario inspired me to write about this AU at all (and who manages to weasel his way into every comic and a other entries in these notes) . I’m biased, I know, but there are also a few reasons he’s singled out in-universe as well:

A) So a hydraulic press does not slam down quickly. The pause-and-play of the video deliberately makes it look much faster than it was; watching enough of the hydraulic press channel makes it abundantly clear that it was not instant. Kokichi was impaled with two crossbow bolts (the one in the back being bad enough already), poisoned by those bolts, and then pressed. He had to have felt non-zero of the Pressing, which, considering it already had to be agony before bones started breaking… the rest of the class might not have been fond of him, sure, but he’s right there with Gonta on “sheer level of excess.” Not even Maki is at a point of wishing that on him. Not after finding out how drawn out and excruciating it was. Veering into headcanon, I’m going to add “sleep deprivation” on the pile as exacerbating the whole thing, given his conspiracy whiteboard and everything after the concussion, honestly.

Combined with the World’s Worst Placebo Effect, King Horse takes the crown for top “my entire body hurts most of the time” severity. It’s not a desirable one, but when your previous life is all but erased there is exactly one choice available between Big and Home. Let it be said Kokichi Ouma has never half-assed anything he’s set his mind to, ever.

B) Ouma is paranoid and distrusting, which adds the psychological angle of “you literally shot me in the back” to a poison-laced crossbow bolt in his mind. TAPP will very literally never let him forget the bolt burying itself in the muscle of his back, barely kept from severing his spinal cord; he won’t forget the shivering and shaking from the poison, or the bile rising in the back of his throat handing Kaito the antidote. (He still wanted to live. He forfeit the right, he thought, after getting Gonta and Miu killed, but he still wanted to. That was all the more reason to quadruple-down on the press idea and making their three deaths mean something, damn it. Three, because Kaito could live. If the killing game ends there is no execution. It’ll be over. Can’t take back the past, but at least one of the pair of you has to walk out of this forsaken place!)

(… Can you really believe that? Or is it just another lie.

A lie you want, with all the heart they’re so sure you do not have, to blithely believe. There has to be a cure for whatever the hell has gotten into Kaito once the game ends and they can look for it, it might even stop cold the moment the game ends. That dumbass space cadet can go back to his sidekicks and he better appreciate it, the comradery you’ll never have, because he is the designated Hero and Heroes get happy endings. You want-want-want-want to trust in that lie, to trust him with the collected thoughts and notes and pieces of you spilled across reams of paper that have been so pointlessly important for you to keep secret this whole time. For once in your life, you want to believe you will not be betrayed. You want to believe in the closest thing you have left to a friend.

It will, in fact, be the last thing you do.)

C) Ouma is paranoid and distrusting. Again. Only this flavor has more to do with his persistent denial anything is wrong, in turn making things a lot worse for himself. Mental trauma and impressions of physical sensations can have physical effects. Clinging to his persona and trying to keep bouncing around like nothing ever happened turned a very difficult but potentially manageable condition into small amounts of permanent nerve damage within the first day of waking up. It screws with his coordination; just what he needed at a school that prizes talent above all else, when he is a leader with no organization and proficiencies in sleight of hand, forgery, lockpicking, and generally evading anything that might threaten him because he can’t take very many hits.

Whoops.

D) Kokichi was last of the class to wake up from the simulation, even after the survivors. They thought he was actually dead for a bit. Just when they were thinking of  giving up on him Kokichi Ouma, SHSL Stubborn Son of a Bitch, refuses to stay down for the count.

HPA already knew Class 79 would need accommodations on account of their negligence, but it became much harder to sweep things under the rug when they thought they’d actually killed a student. Even worse, thirteen witnesses have been actively fraternizing and scaled the flashback-gaslighting required to cover it up to easily exceed what their current technology is capable of.

Half the class was positive Ouma was playing dead specifically to fuck with them and light the fire under them to act. He and Kaito are the only ones to know without a shred of doubt that he was not. He still gladly takes the credit, though.

E) Class 79 as a whole already adapted to Ouma Being Ouma, so when the definition of ‘Being Ouma’ expanded he’s still pretty distinct. He hangs out around the people closest to him often, particularly Miu, Kaito, and Rantaro, but the entire class knows now that he’s pretty much beyond the point of perfidy. Even if he were to lie about being in more pain than he is at a given moment, there’s constantly enough underlying truth in how vulnerable he is that it’s not strategically worth trying to use as a manipulative tactic. It’s too real. Plus, he knows better than to boy-that-cried-wolf his way out of help from his classmates after getting lost on campus once and fainting before he found his way back.

K1-B0

K1-B0, as far as has been established, is being re/built. Miu is spearheading the project. Presumably, he is currently hanging out on at least one computer in the school, somewhere. Per the AU, though, Chapter 6 did go a bit differently than canon, so we’ll catch up with him soon.

TSUMUGI

Nobody is exactly certain what happened to Shirogane. Or, at the very least, nobody in the class knows. Admin is certainly not about to tell them. Wouldn’t it be just like the Ultimate Cosplayer to Theseus her way back into their lives following a single loose thread…

THE SURVIVORS

Shuichi, Maki, and Himiko each emerged from the simulation minimally physically harmed in a lasting sense beyond initial fatigue from being hooked up for so long. Each is still moving forward on their established character arc: Himiko is finding her motivation, Maki is learning to open up, and Shuichi is becoming more sure of himself and his detective abilities.

I think Himiko begins embracing the 'stage' side of her magic, considering that TAPP was blocking my mana, and you know what? I survived a killing game, and I didn't even need it. What else can I do without my mana? As time goes on, she'll likely value her own practical skills more rather than relying on her want of more fantastical powers. Not to say she'd disown them, but more that she could admit to herself it's more for fun than a need to affix something exceptional to her identity. She is enough as she is.

Maki enters HPA and immediately requests transfer out of 'Ultimate Assassin' classes. She hates fighting, per canon, and after going through the simulation she is no longer afraid of any authority figure that may deny her because she has certifiably seen worse. She initially tries to pivot and become the Ultimate Child Caregiver, for Real This Time; she is genuinely pretty good with kids. After a little incident nearly choking Kokichi, though? It confirms what she'd been afraid of all along: her patience is too thin, her instinct to defend too heavy on the trigger. She talks to Peko about it, among other people, Mukuro and Sakura chief among the other classes. She'd made their acquaintances during combat training in the first few days at HPA. She especially confides in Kaede, who carries a more-domestic-less-battlescorn perspective on it she can't help but appreciate. Kaede takes her to not-Claire's, playing with accessories and make-up and generally reclaiming some of the girlhood Maki has effectively never been allowed to have. In the whole process, Maki realizes she wants more than anything to protect the ability to have that kind of frivolity, that freedom: she changes tracks again, to become a SHSL Bodyguard.

Shuichi is a difficult one to place for me, exactly. He's in a state of becoming significantly more confident in the wake of the simulation, but the deviation from canon has turned the main conflict away from ending a destructive cycle and towards fighting the idea of predetermination by an external force. Shirogane was predetermined to stay in the Reserve Course despite her skills and aspirations, and railed against it; Kiibo was predetermined to be an AI helper and not a person, but embraced the role so hard he developed a soul of his own; Maki denies her talent and changes her destiny, Himiko embraces hers.

I suppose Saihara must fall somewhere in the middle, then. An observer steadfastly declaring that yes, there were aspects of life shaped for them beyond their control (entry into the simulation if they wanted a taste of success, the killing game, the "character rewrites" overriding the people they were before...) and yes they cannot control everything. What happened has happened. There are always going to be things you can't control (like how severely you burn in the sun, or whether you get headaches with the lights up too high, or even if your dream life rockets away too fast for you to catch unless you want to lose what you still have) but you can adapt to it. It's tempting to give in, to consider it all a lost cause, to submit to the forces you feel are puppeting you, but see. You keep living anyway, because you have to. The only way forward is through. Even if you were a puppet, you're still an independent you, and that means something. Maybe you can't snap your strings, but you can sure as hell stretch them out and bend them in a way you like better than this one.

Not having total control doesn't mean the control you do have doesn't matter.

So Shuichi is taking up cases as a detective, now. Seeing how he likes it. If not? Well. Skills are transferable. 

He'll be okay.

They all will.

----

(The first screenshot I took of this ask to begin drafting vs. the last one:

I'm sorry I am bad at timely responses but I hope they are Good.)

[kikizoshi]

Just found out that Danganronpa V3 has over 700 fics under the tag 'Killing Game Was A Virtual Reality Simulation (Dangan Ronpa)'... If that isn't indicative of how awful the real twist was, idk what is.

[deadlyrose9086]

“Ouma?”

There’s shuffling somewhere nearby, the mattress dipping under the new weight. Kokichi’s eyes snap open, alert and wide awake, and he blinks a few times trying to adjust to the darkness.

“Momota-chan really can’t live without me, huh?” he teases, but his voice feels strangely flat in this big, obnoxiously white room. He shifts a little, rolling onto his back to see Kaito better.

Not for the first time since leaving the game, he notes just how deflated Kaito looks, a mere shadow of the person he was back in the simulation. His hair lies flat against his face without copious amounts of gel and his eyes lack their usual spark as he leans closer, invading Kokichi’s personal space.

“Apparently I can’t,” Kaito says quietly and Kokichi closes his eyes and chuckles like it’s some kind of inside joke only the two of them are privy to.

Language: English Words: 1,750 Chapters: 1/1 Comments: 7 Kudos: 75 Bookmarks: 8 Hits: 397

[streetlights-was-taken]

usually I write for smaller fandoms and ships, so I'm blown away to receive comments for azazel considering that it hasn't even been 24h since I posted it yesterday (and I only remembered to share on social media today). I guess the saiou tag on AO3 is still going strong in the year of our lord 2024. amazing

anyway, I wasn't actually sure about posting it because there are some parts of the fic I'm still unsure about. but I workshopped it with a friend last night, and I think I have a better idea of how to write this fic. I have my themes and I have my murders, huzzah!

initially I wanted to play around with the theme of autonomy (or loss of) just for shuichi's character arc, but I think it's a general theme that I'll play around with angie, keebo, and korekiyo too. and juxtapose it with the theme of responsibility for ryoma, kirumi, kokichi, and kaede.

without spoiling anything, though you might be able to guess, I'm thinking that angie, keebo, korekiyo, and shuichi all fall in circumstances in the fic that challenges or limits their autonomy. there are certain restrictions they (or society or circumstances) put on themselves, and there's a general lack of freedom relative to others. what they think they're doing might not necessarily be things they actually wanted to do.

meanwhile, the responsibility camp will undergo character arcs where they realize that they have freedom and choice and it's all a question of what they'll do with it and what they're willing to be responsible for. to live, to lead, to serve, are all things they think they're doing for others, but they need to take ownership of those actions as well.

I also wanted to explore characters that usually don't get a lot of focus. I love kaito and maki for sure, but the premise of the fic doesn't really set the story up for the training trio to come together, unfortunately. on the plus side, I think it'd be fun to explore kaede in an actual leadership role, and how she'll butt heads with angie's student council. and of course, how characters like korekiyo and ryoma and kirumi would act if things went a little differently in their respective arcs.

V3 usually plays around with themes of truth/lies and trust/doubt, so I wanted to play with a different angle. I think it'll be interesting too in the context of a virtual reality simulation where tsumugi wrote in their backstories. how much of their actions are influenced by an outside script and how much of it is from their own free will? compare, for example, kirumi and korekiyo's actions and how their scripted backstory played into it, as opposed to kokichi who leaned in on his character and went all out on even trying to take responsibility of the killing game just to end it. and yet, we'd all probably say that he was the most "free" with his actions, and he did these things out of his own desires and free will, and not because his backstory dictated it so.

anyway, now that I have a clearer roadmap, I'm very excited to write the next chapters. tbh I wasn't sure of continuing the fic after spending 20k words on chapter one alone, but the comments have been unexpected and encouraging. I will try my best to write more!!

[evercelle]

i’m a huge danganronpa fan so it’s been super fun to see you getting into v3!!! i’d love to hear what you thought of the last trial/the ending! it’s super divisive but i personally love it and think it’s really clever and creative.

ooooh yeah sure let's talk about v3!! happy sixth anniversary to the game that knocked me over and stole my attention span for the last couple months. i'm in the camp that loved the ending, and i'll cut the rest for spoilers:

i can definitely understand why the ending is divisive, but i thought the final trial and the meta-narrative of "danganronpa has always been fictional within its own canon" were cleverly executed and beautifully tied to the driving theme of the game itself. because v3's core mechanics revolve around truth and lies, the central thesis of the game (to me) is "perception affects reality." the big twist ending (and the reactionary emotions it causes for players) really highlights that theme.

when you think about the game, there were hints left and right that the killing game was a show from the very beginning (literally. from the title screen, which displays a disclaimer "characters depicted are fictional" a la tv shows), but because players (and especially long-time DR fans--as a send-off game in the franchise, it takes advantage of "standard DR tropes" to great effect) have certain expectations coming into the game as to what the story is or should be like, it's easy to overlook those clues...! because you have those preconceptions, the average player isn't looking for those clues, so when you finally get to the Big Twist you're totally staggered by that reveal, even though characters (amami, ouma, saihara) have explicitly told or speculated to the player throughout the game that things aren't what they seem.

saihara as the protag's early (and then ongoing) character arc deals with averting his eyes from the truth, because he's afraid of what must follow. it's a parallel for the player's experience in the final trial, which slowly leads you to the only possible conclusion (everything you know is a lie) and then links up to the secondary thesis of the game by setting up and then subverting standard DR/video game conventions (if we just believe in hope, we can get through this!! ...actually, that's wrong!): perception affects reality, and your own perception & agency shapes your world view. though shirogane tries to mindbreak saihara by showing the pre-game videos and asserting that everything about their present selves are all fabricated and therefore meaningless outside of the context they were created for, saihara concludes that ultimately, it doesn't matter--his experiences, his memories, his bonds, and his choices belong to him and shape his future. for the player, you get to make the same choice in interpreting the ending--whether you believe the ending is real (the classmates actually died) or fake (it was all a virtual simulation) is left up to you. your perception and your choice!!

overall, the driving theme that truth and lies are closely entangled was very well-executed, in my opinion! especially embodied in ouma as a whole and in trial 5, but that's a whole separate post lol... what you assumed was true wasn't, things that appeared to be lies perhaps weren't... infinite possibilities offered by a kind or useful lie, versus the narrow reality of a single harsh, objective truth; having the steel to pursue the truth to the very end; and finally, choosing to stand by your truth and forge onward, no matter what. that's what saihara's journey + the final trial is all about...!!

p.s. i enjoyed saihara as a character throughout the game but trial 6 made me just fall in love with him HAHA when he becomes intensehara is sooo choice. one of the reasons i love trial 6 is that it once again subverts itself in clever ways!

doing the standard video game-ish "we are in the pit of despair... wait, we just have to believe in each other and work together (game UI is literally lighting back up, coming back to life)" only to reverse into saihara realizing wait no. that's the trap!! fuck despair AND hope, actually!!! saihara rules

you get a parallel to chp 1 switching protags (akamatsu->saihara) with the switch from saihara->kiibo, but interestingly enough, you don't win against saihara. when you rebuttal showdown it's kiibo who is swayed

mechanically refusing to play the minigames in order to ruin the show was awesome and an excellent call back to ouma's FTE #5, when he implies that sometimes you win a game by simply not playing. (funny story about that actually - i DID attempt to play the nonstop debate you're supposed to not participate in during the last leg of trial 6 just because i wanted to see what would happen, and it auto game overs. LOL)

[unclekaz]

I know the Nolanverse doesn't use games much, but which games are a part of the Nolanverse? I know that FNaF 3 is a part of it, and Pizzaria Simulator isn't (I don't think Issac is trying to kill his dad), so which games would be included? (Would Help Wanted count since Malhare?-)

alright so. it's probably smart for me to go chronological for this question. yes i had to add the read more because this would've been Long Long

FNaF 1: probably. yes the pizzeria was made and the animatronics were made for it after William disappeared, but technically all you have are confirmation that the ghost kids are lingering around the pizzeria from William's experiments when Nolan visited to grab a spare suit

FNaF 2: no. again the pizzeria was probably build alongside the toy animatronics (Henri is a businessman after all), but there was so second batch of missing kids because 1987 was the year Arthur got crunched so. William probably scuttled the whole idea and made the FNaF 1 pizzeria as a plan before he vanished too, leaving Henri to make it alone

FNaF 3: no actually. there is Springtrap merchandise, but that's only made to really just mess with Nolan's head. remember, the CEO of Fazbear Entertainment was linked to the A.R.C., so it makes sense that they'd make a more edgy design to appeal to teenagers (in reality, springtrap could probably sue them for infringement)

FNaF 4: no. they're just Arthur's nightmares, something Nolan can experience through his Remnant affliction in the same way he can experience William's past

SL: no. Isaac is still M.I.A because of how much id have to focus on that yet, but it's clear that William struggled with making springlock technology because his plans were too ahead of the time. there's no way William could invent the Funtimes in the 80's if he's struggling with springlocks.

FNaF 6: maybe? i could see Henri making a few failed pizzerias after William vanished before selling off the Fazbear license to someone else and taking the money for retirement. it's less office gameplay and moreso Endless Tycoon though

Help Wanted: not at all. Malhare is a technological virus that Nolan got from jacking into a virtual simulation to use his Remnant to fuel up the equivalent of a Glamrock animatronic with genuine sentience, but I could see Fazbear Entertainment absolutely making a bunch of filler video games

Security Breach: kinda? Gregory did find Glamrock Freddy and left the Pizzaplex, but only because it shut down from Nolan's airport scuffle with Garneau. there was no 'Vanny', probably just Vanessa doing her job and failing as Gregory was found all the way in San Francisco.

ITP: yeah actually. the mirror idea influenced it, but i didn't make it a ballpit because purposely doing the whole 'magic mirror' thing was kinda funny. no ITP Spring Bonnie though, that's reserved for Were-Nolan

[sinjpt11]

Sword Art Online

"Sword Art Online" (SAO) does a great job at captivating the audience. Its story line leaves the viewer with a “what if?” impression exploring the possibility of our dependance on technology advancing to the point of allowing it to kill us. SAO offers profound insights into contemporary issues in Japan and around the world, touching on themes of technology, reality, and human connection.

Addressing Issues in Japan and Globally

In Japan, where technology and online gaming are deeply integrated into daily life, SAO reflects significant societal concerns. The series portrays the allure and potential dangers of immersive virtual worlds. The characters, who face real-life consequences from their actions in the game, highlight the ethical implications of advanced technology. This resonates with broader issues of technology addiction and the impact of digitally escaping real-life responsibilities. 

Globally, SAO highlights universal themes of identity and community in the digital age. It raises thought-provoking questions about how we define reality and forge connections in an increasingly virtual world. With tech such as augmented reality headsets being used to improve daily activity, it’s easy to see that we’re transitioning to a more digitally dependent society. Although, this is not to say embracing this new tech is a bad thing. The social dynamics within the game, where players form bonds and face challenges together, mirror the complexities of human relationships in our interconnected, digital society.

Personal Reflection

As someone who enjoys gaming and exploring new technologies, SAO's portrayal of the virtual world is both exciting and scary. SAO vividly illustrates the appeal of immersive digital environments and the meaningful friendships that can develop there. However, it also serves as a reminder of the importance of balancing virtual escapism with real-world interactions and responsibilities.

Connections with "Simulacra and Simulation"

SAO offers a fascinating connection to Jean Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation," particularly his ideas about hyperreality. In SAO, the virtual world becomes so immersive that it blurs the lines between reality and simulation. Players' experiences and identities within the game often feel more significant than their real-world lives. This mirrors Baudrillard's concept of hyperreality, where simulations become more real and impactful than the physical world.

SAO also reflects Baudrillard’s idea of simulacra, where the game world of SAO is a self-contained reality. The immersive nature of the game and the deep engagement of the players illustrate how technology can create a world that feels just as real and influential as the one outside.

[cyberpunkboytoy]

Woke Up New

Rating: Teen

Wordcount: 5,671 words

Tags: Memory Loss, The Killing Game Was A Virtual Reality Simulation, Post-Canon

Prompt: Hospital/Hunger Games AU

Summary:

There was one thing Kokichi knew, the only thing he'd known for sure this entire time. That piece of knowledge was all he had when he'd woken up, and all he trusted in.

Kokichi knew one thing, and it was that Kaito Momota was trustworthy.

--

Kokichi wakes up late from the simulation without his memories.

(click that title up top to go to the fic! I couldn't get it to embed on mobile and I'm too impatient to fix it before posting)