Holy Wow...that...that Whole Thing Actually Happened...

I'm thinking about that one post that went "Amnesia but you're haunted by your scars" post, talking about how wiping someone's memory in fiction doesn't completely erase the trauma they went through, and I just immediately look to DR2's cast and go "... Yeah."

I think Makoto was well meaning in wanting to wipe their memories of being remnants and putting them in an island paradise, but like. That's not therapy. That's not healing. That's only covering the scars on their hearts with an ill-fitted bandaid.

Even without the KG for that game, I think the Remnants would have like, sensations of fear they can't explain, sensations of trauma they can't address.

I don't think it's cruel to want to erase someone's painful memories... but I don't think that's a solution, either.

DANG and his buddy RONPA

Stone & Starline - Egg Boss designs

I just had the most fire AU idea 🔥🔥🔥

Imagine this: Makoto came out of the Killing Game of the 78th Class a lot more messed up than he did in canon, and so instead of putting the 77th class into the Neo World Program to rehabilitate them, he intentionally puts them into a virtual killing game bc he resents them for helping Junko end the world (even tho they were brainwashed or wtv but Makoto don’t care) He wants them to experience the kind of despair that he and the other survivors had to during their killing game.

Anyways Mastermind Makoto AU mfs come get ur daily rations 🗣️🗣️🗣️

The thing is that Hope and Despair are two sides of the same coin.

But in regards to Makoto he's not doing this for some thrill, but because he's hurt.

He's broken.

He knows the Remnants are wanted dead but he's decided no that's to kind.

So I'm going to intentionally steal from the government, get put on the wanted list myself just so I can cause them pain.

He's got nothing left to lose and even any enjoyment he gets from this will not change what happened to him.

But he doesn't care.

Makoto is dangling hope infront of them and making them think their safe only to take it away.

And give it back in droves.

Only to take it away when they need it the most.

Hope is a motivator.

It's what people need to survive.

So not only could Makoto be worse than Junko.

He has the capability to be so much worse.

Hajime: terrified Why... Why are you doing this to us?

Makoto: empty look in his eye knowing everything they've done Why not?

Redraw of something I made a while back.

One of my favorite things about Ultra Despair Girls is listening to the kid characters talk.

Like Jataro and Kotoko especially just ramble on and on about weird shit because their attention spans are still at this young age. Even Monaca just automatically gets bored with something if it fails to properly catch her attention. Nagisa doesn’t typically display this trait out of all of them because of his childhood and how he was pretty much raised by abusive parents to be an overachieving perfectionist to even get any scrap of worth or acceptance from them.

So many kid characters in anime are boring or there to be all cutesy. I really love that the Warriors of Hope are just… really gross and absent-minded. It’s not that they aren’t clever or anything, but their imaginations are at the age of just being on overdrive and so they go on tangents or lose interest and think of something better, cutting off their current thought processes…

Like Kotoko just has to tell everyone what her favorite food is and also what her least favorite food is and what she thinks about giraffes or eggs… and that’s just funny and cool of her. Hell, I love it even when the kiddy stuff covers up darker things like Masaru’s design of this standard shounen-esque kiddo with the little bandaids and scratches look is really hiding an outwardly and physically abused child.

It’s just really neat is all.

Thank you! Yeah, it's been bothering me for a while now that people in this fandom became so attached to the idea that the Remnants were all voluntary mass-murderers acting of their own free will. To start with, it basically means that Makoto and co. are complete assholes for trying to redeem such people through amnesia. To do that to terrorists who acted entirely of their own free will instead of putting them on trial would be an insult to all of their victims (both living and dead). Yet the writers were clearly wanting the players to sympathize with Makoto's cause, and don't treat what he's doing as reprehensible. And the very existence of the Neo-World Program implies that it's made with the intent to deprogram brainwashing. Then there's the fact that "someone preyed on my insecurities and made me depressed, so now I'm gonna blow up the world"...is just not a believable fucking heel turn at all. Human beings just don't work like that. I'm not saying that you couldn't tell a story where a moral person like say Mahiru Koizumi gradually becomes a complete monster. But it would take a hundred extra steps and need way more time. Class 77-B are all flawed people, but Jesus wept they're not THAT flawed. And something I forgot to bring up in the previous ask is another big logistical issue for Junko. They're not even in the same class. The SDR2 cast a year above her. Thus meaning the amount of time she could spend with them is even more limited. If anything it would have actually made more sense for her to pick Class 78 as her Remnants, since she at least has more time to work with them. One of the explanation I've heard is she did an evil variant of the FTEs during school lunch breaks or in the afternoon. Like...how even the fuck do you corrupt someone to that level over the course of a few private conversations? And to have it work perfectly with zero subjects acting conspicuously too early, or going on a bender, or just committing suicide? That is not a cunning manipulator you're writing. That is one of the worst examples of a Villain Sue I've ever seen, as you've just given her the most nonsensical winniest win that's ever been won.

LITERALLY. LIKEA CTUALLY. junko is a flat piece of cardboard to me

Ecosocialist praxis

!!!WARNING: 2nd IMAGE - GORE!!!

"Makoto"

If only they knew he had the power.

Inspiration? This post from @makowo and @hibiscuswolverine's reply!

Rising Hope

PAIRING: Hiyoko x Male Reader (Romantic) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: (Y/N), Hiyoko’s boyfriend, cures his classmates of despair without the use of the Neo World Program.

Hiyoko adored you, her boyfriend. She trusted you, felt comfortable around you, and didn’t feel the pressure to be rude just to protect herself from you. Her and the whole class thought your ultimate to be the most intriguing, being titled the ultimate copycat. You could essentially copy any skill if you studied or observed it hard enough. You didn’t really feel much need to use such a skill set until everything happened.

You weren’t inside the killing game, but you escaped from the rest of your class, having the skill set necessary to reject being brainwashed and survive the Japan you once knew now in ruins. Junko, using her analyst talent, knew you would try to ruin the fun of her game, so she used your one weakness against you; Hiyoko Saionji.

You were too preoccupied with trying to save your girlfriend, so Junko was able to continue her killing game in peace. Unbeknownst to her, you were already undoing her evil deeds on the outside.

Thankfully it wasn’t too hard to capture them. You’ve seen them and many others perform their talents time and time again. It was simply a matter of outsmarting them that led to you capturing them all. Izuru was the easiest since he complied from the beginning.

By the time you had done that and found an empty building to contain them all, news of Junko’s killing game ending spread quickly. Some of the remnants were upset to find out she had died, others didn’t care much. You knew that someone would come looking for the remnants, and unsure of what would be done to them, you hid their existence from the public until you could fix them.

In order to break Junko’s brainwashing on them you tried to remind them of the old days. You made the building resemble their classroom, made a robotic version of Chiaki to fill the void of her absence, and interacted with them all as if nothing had even happened.

The quickest one to adjust was Nagito, he was relishing in the hope filled within your actions. The others, especially the more aggressive ones, were fighting back from even the slightest nice gesture.

Hiyoko was the one you wanted to focus on most. Despite not wanting to play favorites considering the situation, you couldn’t help but spend most of your time with your girlfriend. Dancing with her, having dinner dates with her, squishing ants together, anything to bring back her memories.

She was reluctant at first, but as her memories of you slowly became clearer, she removed the walls she had made and began to open up more, eventually becoming disgusted with despair. Especially once she realized Junko had only used herself and the others for her schemes.

Hiyoko jumped into your arms, sobbing tears big enough to fill a room. She regretted everything, and promised to do anything if meant things could go back to normal; just her and her boyfriend, with her friends, all in a classroom playing games and having fun with each other.

After Hiyoko was cured, the others began to follow suit one by one, each time helping you fix the rest of their classmates. By the time the Future Foundation found out where you were, all the remnants of despair were no more. Makoto was surprised by your accomplishments and told you his dream of rebuilding Hopes Peak, wanting you to hold the title of ultimate hope alongside him and his friends.

- Fin