#really interesting the idea that he made the junko ai based off the shit he yoinked outta them

[spookberry]

Its always two dumb bears telling eachother "Exactlyyyyyy"

[goshdangronpa]

Why yes, I believe I shall procrastinate from work today by analyzing all of these options~ (mostly based on how much their lead role in investigations and trials would irritate or befuddle Kyoko)

Sayaka: by far the most popular pick at the time I write this, and for good reason. I actually have my own draft for a Sayaka-centric THH rewrite in my files. Her preference of intuition over logic would make for a totally different experience, which would be most welcome for a protag swap. Imagine she still tries to murder someone and frame Makoto, only for Makoto to turn up dead, leaving Sayaka as a prime suspect who must prove her innocence and spend the rest of the game earning everyone's trust ... Now imagine the ships!

Leon: characters who die in Chapter 1 of these games tend to suffer from having so little time for us to get to know them. I find it hard to say much about Leon in any context. There's something compelling, though, about a Hope's Peak protag who rejects their designated talent. That mindset might even give him the nerve to try his hand at detective-ing. On that note, the idea of Leon working closely on cases with Kyoko makes me laugh. And you thought she and Makoto made an odd couple ...

Chihiro: having this as an option is weird because Chihiro is already the hero of THH. She creates a sophisticated lifelike AI replicant to keep helping her friends in the event of her death, and that AI saves everyone time and again even after it seemingly dies. Anyhoo, we love stories of meek characters finding and tapping into reserves of inner strength with help from friends, especially if that character is trans. On that note, maybe a star role would've compelled the writers to treat Chihiro more sensitively and generously.

Mondo: pour one out for that one Mondo protag fan project I followed avidly on here, quickly canceled and deleted from Tumblr. I find it hard to picture Mondo as the type to rigorously analyze evidence and reject falsehoods with careful reasoning. Pfft - leave that shit to smarties like Kyoko. Give me a more two-fisted version of this story, where he gets answers by cracking heads and brute-forces his way through Junko's despair game. Hell yeah.

Kiyotaka: oh, you mean Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Hope's Peak student who rejects the very ideas on which the school is founded, who'd be constantly confronted with examples of why telling people they're better than everyone else may leave them with a corrupt sense of morality and justice? You think that guy could, perhaps, make for an interesting main character? If anyone's gonna call BS where they see it, it's Mr. Hall Monitor.

Hifumi: no one's voted for this guy yet? Not one powerful? Including me? Cmon people, imagine a THH whose protag blitzes through trials purely through his nerdy obsessions like it's otaku Legally Blonde. Think of how funny it'd be if all the research he's poured into his doujins gives him a surprising reservoir of knowledge, helping him crack cases that stump even Kyoko. The dude is even protective of the people he ... um, cares about. Do you see my vision?

Celestia: a main character in a mystery story who's hiding a lot from both cast and audience is an old trope that, done well, can really knock one's socks off (may I suggest The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie?). That could be great for the macro scale of a Celestia-centric THH. In the micro scale, I love the idea of her executing gambits to goad killers into giving themselves away ... but then, Celestia also isn't as much of a stone-cold badass manipulator as she seems, right? She'd definitely need Kyoko's help - celesgiri shippers rejoice.

Sakura: you pick up this game and start off as a totally typical anime protag. You play as this scrawny brown-haired teen boy for a while. Then he freaking dies. Next thing you know, you're controlling THE ULTRA-DETAILED DRAGONBALL-LOOKING HYPERMUSCULAR MARTIAL ARTIST BADASS, AND SHE'S A GIRL. Best rug pull in this entire list, and that still leaves you with a whole game playing a profoundly noble hero. Even better is if Junko’s still blackmailing her in this version. Every trial she beats, every blackened she rats out, it all contributes to her sick game ... and eventually, she just has enough.

Byakuya: second-best rug pull in this list for how much it'd piss people off. This version of THH would be much more about manipulation, alliances, betrayals, juicy drama that he claims to be above caring about but just keeps causing - Danganronpa at its most cynical. No speeches about hope here. I'd be terribly curious to see it, actually. He and Kyoko can make each other worse.

Aoi: I think her protag vibes would be closest to Makoto's, though with more passion. Not that Makoto doesn't care when people die or anything, but I didn't see him tampering with a crime scene and nearly kill everyone out of rage. An Aoi who feels more responsible for investigations and the outcomes of trials could be even more emotional, even more unstable ... so, more interesting to follow. Kyoko would hate her. Junko would loooathe her.

Yasuhiro: it says a lot about THH's character writing that there don't seem to be any bad picks for an alternate protag, just ones who are better than others. Yasuhiro, resident grifter and dimwit, seems to be pushing it ... but some people clearly disagree, having chosen him for what I must assume are good-faith reasons. What might they see? Perhaps a sweeter-than-expected fellow whose eccentricities disarm the aloof and make the smarties underestimate him? A young man among kids, charged with newfound purpose in protecting people younger than him from death? Someone whose psychic abilities may even have a profound effect on gameplay and the narrative?

Toko/Jack: Toko really is a pain in this game, but we've seen her in a (secondary) lead role and know her potential. Like Hifumi and her beloved Byakuya, she might have a whole lot of knowledge from research for writing her books. She might even be able to quickly piece together Kyoko's clues into a cohesive narrative or something (wait, isn't that already a trial minigame?). The presence of Jack could maybe give her a Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling kind of investigative duo relationship? I'm trying here, I really don't like Toko in THH

[bevvydraws]

This is going to be my feelings/opinions towards all of the main characters in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. This is directly related to my interpretation of events in the series! If you disagree with my thoughts/feelings that’s totally cool but this isn’t meant to be a debate! 

A lot has been going on right now and I don’t have the energy to do much digital art right now, so I figured I’d just open up a little more about one of my favorite series! Maybe I’ll do my opinions on characters for the other games next. 

** This post will contain information that will spoil the series for you, so continue at your own risk**

Makoto Naegi:

Honestly I really like Makoto. He is really average but honestly I think that’s what makes him so appealing. Not only that, but he comes off with a type of charisma that only “average” people can pull off. He has a base knowledge on a variety of subjects that allows him to talk to the other students. That and I find the concept of his “luck” very interesting. Also, side note, but that sprite of him focusing with his finger under his chin is probably one of my most favorite DR sprites ever. It’s just so cute! (I might redraw it someday hehe) 

10/10 

Aoi Asahina: 

While I adore Hina, I really wish that they would have made her more than just a ditzy character who was obsessed with donuts in this game. I loved her energy though! Her interactions with everyone always made me smile. My appreciation for her character just increased exponentially after watching the Despair Arc of Danganronpa 3. All in all I’m super glad that her character survived in THH.

8/10

Byakuya Togami: 

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about Byakuya. I think he’s a great antagonistic character, truly, but beyond that I’m not sure. I definitely think that his character is humbled throughout the course of the game, and in later games/animes he seems a lot less asshole-ish, but I’m not sure if I like him or hate him. I guess that just goes to show just how great he is as an antagonist. One thing I thought was hilarious though was how he casually admitted to being a true-crime nerd. I’m really glad he survived because I think his “talent” was really important for the Future Foundation. 

6/10

Celestia Ludenberg: 

Okay so real talk, I used to be a huge Celestia fan when I first stumbled across the series. But now, I don’t really like her character all that much. I think that out of all of the killers in THH her motive was the most shallow and that really is terrible considering how much potential she had. Her disconnect with her true identity could have made for an interesting character arc. And I really hate how they gave her literally the most complicated murder scheme when it would make sense for her to take a little risk as possible. Her character design is really cute though. 

5/10

Chihiro Fujisaki:

I think Chihro’s death was one of the hardest for me in the game. I played through all of his freetime events and was super attached to him (I know, a horrible idea in a game like DR), and as soon as he died I was just in shock. One thing I love about how they portrayed his character was truly allowing the brilliance of Chihiro shine through even after his death. He created the AI that not only helped aid in their escape, but ultimately saved Makoto's life. I also really liked the juxtaposition of Chihiro and Mondo (the seemingly weaker one ultimately being stronger after all). All in all, Chihiro is a great character. 

10/10

Hifumi Yamada:

I’m not really a fan of Hifumi, but I definitely think he gets wayy too much hate or just gets overlooked completely. I think that the creators leaned a bit too far into the stereotypes for him, and that made him come off as stiff and just… there. I knew from the very beginning that he wouldn’t survive, and honestly he’s the only character I had that feeling with (minus Leon). There are some quirks about him that I like, though, like how he never fails to refer to the others politely.

4/10

Kiyotaka Ishimaru:

So I originally found Taka annoying but after playing THH again he became one of my favorite characters. I find his enthusiasm adorable and his free time events boosted my admiration of him. He’s the only Ultimate that makes a conscious effort to prove himself and not rely on his prodigy-type status. And his relationship with Mondo, albeit short-lived, was so pure. It was so obvious to me that he was happy to have a friend (because Mondo is the first friend he’s ever had), and having that suddenly ripped away and listening to his desperation at the end of chapter 2 made me sob. 

10/10

Kyoko Kirigiri: 

Kiri’s background made me feel really sad for her. I first thought she was just the aloof, cold, smart type that was a bit snobbish. But then you realize that she’s been raised to not be in the spotlight, to work alone and without credit behind the scenes. Detective work is basically her birthright and she’s clung to that like a vice. Her character development throughout the game was really nice, and I think her and Makoto are super cute for each other. The side plot with her and her dad in DR3 made me really sad, too. I really liked overall that she was unapologetically holding true to her beliefs, even if it made her come off as cold. She was a solid, strong female character. 

8/10

Leon Kuwata:

It was super obvious from the beginning that Leon was gonna die. There was 0 attachment to his character for me and he just came off as just...kinda there. I don’t really have much to say about him, other than that I’m not a fan.

1/10

Mondo Owada: 

Mondo was such a big sweetheart in his freetime events. I thought his character was really well rounded and I was so sad that he ended up killing Chihiro. Despite that, I thought it worked really well for the story and played off of both of their weaknesses. Again I really loved his friendship with Taka, and having it formed and ended so quickly surprisingly hurt. 

8/10

Sakura Oogami: 

Honestly I didn’t like how they made her character the spy, because it seemed ridiculously out of character for her. Honestly I think this would be something better suited to Celeste, as she would view it as a way to increase her chances of living if she’s in “kahoots” with him. I dunno, I think the spy thing was unnecessary anyways. I loved her character though and her friendship with Hina was super cute. I also loved how they mentioned that she wanted to embrace her femininity while also not wanting to give up being the strongest person in the world. 

7/10 

Sayaka Maizono: 

Honestly even though I’m not the biggest fan of Sayaka I really like the role she played at the beginning and I think they played it off perfectly. Her desperation fueled by the fear and harsh reality that comes along show business and easily being forgotten really works in the narrative. She seemed like a well-rounded character but I think that if she had lasted past chapter 1 I would have liked her less. All in all her character did a great job of kicking off everything. 

6/10

 Toko Fukawa: 

I hate how they portrayed her character in THH, but her obsessive and odd behavior (outside of her split personality) is easily explained by her traumatic past. She obviously has a warped sense of what “love” is, and that plus her intense delusions turned into obsession for Byakuya. I started loving her character a lot more in UDG, when she started becoming more well rounded and open around Komaru. 

Also, I loved Genocider Syo’s personality. While I obviously don’t condone serial murders, I think that her character is extremely interesting. She doesn’t try and condone her own actions, admitting there is no rhyme or reason. Plus I think it’s really interesting that she considers herself a “professional” and is incredibly particular about the details. 

Overall 6/10 in THH

Yasuhiro Hagakure: 

I feel like Hiro gets a lot of shit as a character because they think he doesn’t contribute anything. I think he adds a lot of much-needed comic relief. Also I think that everyone glosses over the fact that once Taka goes silent he actually tries to encourage him to speak up again. And then tries to do his part and keep everyone together and upbeat. I really think that Hiro is a fun character who deserves more love, even though I can’t say he’s one of my favorites. 

7/10

Mukuro Ikusaba:

I wish Mukuro’s personality would have been able to actually show through in the game. The only glimpse we really see of it is in the bonus school mode while she is still posing as Junko. I wish in the anime they’d have harped less on her odd obsession with Junko and focused more on her internal struggle. I think her character has potential but I can’t say I was particularly attached to her (I suppose that was kind of the point, though). 

4/10

Junko Enoshima: 

Junko is probably one of the most well-written villains I have ever seen in a series. At first I thought it didn’t make sense, and was confused how one person could have so much influence on a mass amount of people. Then it was revealed in later installments that Ultimate Fashionista was not her real talent, just a cover she forged for herself to help her blend in to the school. Her real ultimate talent as the Ultimate Analyst allowed her to predict people’s actions and more importantly, their reactions. Her innate ability and incurable boredom made her seek out something unpredictable: despair and chaos. I think what made me love her as a villain was the line “You can’t argue with me, because there's no reason for anything that I do.” 

As a villain I give her 15/10. If I were to rank her as a person? -11037/10

Overall Opinion: 

I really find most of the characters charming but it’s super obvious when comparing this game to the others that these characters were not as fleshed out as characters in other games. I found it hard to be super attached to most of them and felt that some of their actions were really uncharacteristic. However I really do like the characters and what they add to the story, even if some of it doesn’t add up completely. I’m the least attached to these characters out of all of the characters in the DR series, although there are obviously some exceptions. I think there couldn’t have been a better opening cast of characters.