Hope Vs Despair And How Danganronpa Shows The Fine Line Between Them

The Sun That Never Truly Sets: Kaito Kaede and Tenko's Legacy in the Survivors

Kaede Kaito and Tenko are the as I like to call them counterparts to the v3 survivors their confidants their supports their extroverts that pratically adopted them building them up until they eventually have to die for plot relevance and character devolpment.

And they are as I believe I have compared them to before the sun- bright, radiant, lighting up every room they walk into (hot?)

Untill the sun goes out and it's not immediate but the after effects are felt strongly cold dark unforgiving. It's not as drastic as what would happen if the sun went out in real life but to the survivors it is like the end of the world like there is no life left living.

And yet, even in death, Kaede, Kaito, and Tenko leave something behind. Just like the sun transfers its warmth through radiation, they passed their energy onto the survivors, carrying them forward to the end of the game. Their presence lingers—not physically, but in the lessons they left behind, in the strength they instilled in those they cared about.

Or, if you prefer another analogy: Maki, Himiko, and Shuichi are plants, and Kaede, Kaito, and Tenko were the sunlight that helped them grow. They transferred their energy, their warmth, their unwavering belief, and that’s what gave the survivors the strength to keep going.

In conclusion: Maki, Shuichi, and Himiko are plants, and no one actually died.

I bestow the the transgender flag onto my two favorite DRV3 characters

Double Standards, Misogyny, and Bad Writing: A Deep Dive into Character Criticism

So, it's a common saying that no one's perfect. We all make mistakes. Some of which we remember at 3 a.m. when we're trying to sleep and think, "God, why did I do that?"

But since we, as a species, don’t consider ourselves perfect (well, most of us who keep our feet on the ground don’t think that), why shouldn't we hold our characters to the same standards?

Now, writing flawed characters? It’s good writing. It doesn’t even have to be a major flaw. Make them a procrastinator, make them unable to cook, etc. But we should give our characters flaws. We don’t want our characters to be two-dimensional. We want them to be complex, we want them to be interesting.

But some people, when female characters have flaws, they hate it. They’ll magnify these flaws and perpetually criticize them. But when a male character has flaws, suddenly, they're a complex, well-written character.

Like I said before with Kaito and Tenko very similar characters pretty similar flaws to some Tenko's flaws are magnified or talked about to large degree while Kaito's are pretty much ignored.

Not saying there's no valid reason to like or hate either of them.

Think of it like cutting out cookies. People put men in a bigger mold, so they have more room for mistakes, but they put women in a tight, rigid mold. Their expectations are too narrow. And this is just normalizing Mary Sue characters, which in my opinion, is bad writing. Perfect women with no flaws who just sit there, looking pretty, are counterpieces to the male characters. I don’t want to live in a world where writing Mary Sue characters is the norm because people hate flawed characters.

Writing flawed characters is good writing. Flaws make them interesting, relatable, and real. In fact, most people kin characters because of their flaws. But when female characters are constantly held to impossible standards, it’s not just unfair—it reflects a much bigger problem with how society views women.

It’s the same pattern we see when people complain that women in video games aren’t sexualized enough. Is that seriously all you’re playing for? If you can’t handle women with flaws, maybe the problem isn’t them. Maybe it’s you.

The Ethics of Murder in Danganronpa: A Breakdown of the Killing Game's Morality

Ethicality is the adherence to moral principles in decision-making and actions, evaluating whether something is right or wrong.

However, ethics in the form of Danganronpa is where the lines start to blur. It's not as simple as right and wrong. When your life is on the line, you can justify killing someone as self-defense, right? But it's not that simple once you add in the psychological and emotional factors—the stakes change.

What's the value of a life, especially one that's a stranger? What happens when that stranger becomes someone you actually care about? The price of their life may change, and suddenly, it's a whole new ballgame. So the questions become: how much would it take for you to kill someone, and is murder ever justified?

That’s what Danganronpa forces us to confront death isn’t just a consequence it’s the game and with every death comes new motives emotions and decisions behind it.

Some characters may seem like their killing to survive others do it for greed and their own personal gain and then you have the people who act out of pure fear and panic.

The physiological pressure the manipulation the backstabbing these aren’t just trivial things and there’s a thing in here somewhere about how being in a killing game environment isolated from the rest of the world with a bunch a strangers who can kill you at anytime would change you as a person effect your morals and such (but this sadly isn’t about that and maybe I’ll touch on that later, ) this is about how the killing game makes us and the characters question whether murder is even okay? Where do we draw the line? and why do we forgive some and ostracize others?

Of course, your first thought would be absolutely not murder is not okay, never under any circumstance. But then the other thoughts start to roll in, you think about your family you think about your life outside the game you think about the value of your own life then you start making friends with with the strangers that you’re trapped with, and you start to think about the value of their life then it becomes a twisted mess and the answer isn’t just a simple no anymore it becomes a no except… a maybe a yes only… your perception becomes skewed as other factors are weighed in.

Should we feel sorry for the murders or should we see them as monsters and what’s the cuff off point where do draw the line for sympathetic killer and heartless murderers

So, with all that in mind, how do we even begin to break down the ethics of murder in Danganronpa? It’s not a simple black-and-white answer. But here’s a framework to think about it:

Murder in Danganronpa: Breaking It Down with MBBCO Motive Brutality Bias Context and Obligation

*For specifically Dr based on the blackened trials and reactions of other students probably not good for use in real world situations*

M. Motive

Why did they do it? The motive is essential because it gives us a reason behind the action. Is it for the sake of others, like Kaede killing to end the killing game, or for personal gain, like Celestia? Some motives may seem more honorable, but it all comes down to perspective. Did they kill out of desperation, or was it a calculated act for personal gain? Understanding the motive helps weigh the ethicality of the act.

B. Brutality

How did it go down? Was the murder violent and grotesque, or was it quick, swift, and painless? Brutality plays a significant role in how we perceive the act. Junko's actions were very gruesome and treated like a spectacle, while Kiyo killing Angie was painless, not very gruesome, and simple. Even though both had reasons, how the murder went down makes a huge difference. Was it cold or heartless, or were there moments of hesitation? Brutality not only shapes the act but also the way we see the killer.

B. Bias

Who is the victim, and who is the killer? Bias can cloud judgment, and while it shouldn't determine ethics, sometimes it still can. Take Kaito vs Kokichi, for example. The majority of the cast is quick to defend and stand by Kaito but ostracize Kokichi. This extends to everything, including murder. These biases sometimes get in the way, skewing the perception of ethicality.

C. Context

Context: What was the situation? This is vital because the surrounding circumstances heavily influence the actions. If a character kills in self-defense, it changes things compared to a murder driven by power. Take Mondo as an example: Mondo killed Chihiro not just because of personal animosity but because of Mondo's fragile sense of pride and guilt. In his case, the context wasn't just survival or revenge; it was deeply tied to his own internal battle of self-worth. Context can either justify or complicate the ethical decision to kill.

O. Obligation

Obligation: Was it a choice? In a killing game, the definition of choice can be murky. Was the character forced into a situation where they had to kill for survival, or was it something they actively chose for personal reasons? In some cases, like Hifumi's, it's clear he was manipulated, while many other characters acted on their own volition. The sense of obligation varies depending on the killer's mindset and circumstances.

Murder is always murder, regardless. But this doesn't mean we should ignore the complexities that determine the ethics and morals of each murder in the killing games. It's not always clear-cut, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Some characters make decisions we might understand, even if we don’t agree with them. Others make choices that are downright horrifying, and no amount of explanation can justify that. But that’s the beauty (and horror) of Danganronpa: it forces us to question the morality of our actions, and whether any of us would really be able to survive in such a twisted situation without crossing a line.

My full essay of my rewriting Tenko’s flipping ability

Just a heads up. This is a 33-page essay about Tenko’s flipping ability, a very niche topic, and a scene that only showed up once in the game. It has some good points, of course, but it is VERY LONG and in my opinion okay in quality.

But someone asked me for it and I promised I would post it if someone asked

So if you genuinely want to read it, you can read it Here 👈

I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed my original post, and if not, I'm sorry.

The True Horror of Danganronpa V3 Isn't the Killing Game It's the Aftermath

I've always been terrified of body horror, not just because of the grotesqueness but because of how it strips away your autonomy, turning you into something monstrous in the eyes of the world. It's the fear of losing control of your own body, of becoming something unrecognizable not just physically but mentally, and I believe Danganronpa V3 follows this same theme.

Not to the same extent as body horror, but the true terror of V3 isn't the killing game, it's what comes after-the unraveling of your very identity, realizing that everything about you, your relationships' backstories and personalities are all written by someone else. You're left not as who you once were, but someone else entirely a puppet to the whims of a creator.

And the worst part, there's really no one you can confide in. You don't want to hang around the people from your past, the ones who cling to the person you once were and now only see you as a celebrity on their favorite show, but the people who have been through the same things as you remind you of your past trauma. The people who should bring comfort only bring more ghosts.

And Team Dr could have changed anything to fit their mold of a perfect character your body something minor from eye color to hair texture to more major things like body type or gender your backstory if they make your character unlikeable, you're remembered like that forever think Kiyo and Miu or give you such a horrible yet detailed backstory that you have nightmares about it like you actually lived it (Maki and Ryoma) the identity crisis is the true killer.

It's also the horror of freewill. Before, all of your choices were pre-written. Now you have control of your own body, but it's terrifying when you don't even know who you are, you don't have any foundation to build your future on. You also lose your sense of purpose in the killing game. At least you had escape to push you forward and motivate all your decisions, but now you have nothing what you are supposed to do with your life.

Get a job? Where you'll be heckled for being in the latest season of Danganronpa by coworkers and fans alike, which brings me to my next point. You'll just be seen as the fictional character you were inside the game, and you know how some fans act theuy would admire you ridicule you treat you like an animal in a zoo like how some people act with celebrities stalk them have tattoos of them try to hurt them sexually, or otherwise it would be hard to go anywhere, and you may not even be safe in the privacy of your own home.

And sticking on the path of being a celebrity Team Dangaronpa using the cast for the press, especially if Shuichi actually ended the franchise, they would have to milk them for all their worth to try to hold onto straws as their biggest series falls apart around them invasive QnAs, forced smiles for photoshoots fake relationships to appease to the fans use your trauma annd suffering for content.

And wherever you go, you're haunted by your trauma. People dressing up as your friends in videos talking about your death, fans raving about your execution even after you escape. The pain isn't over.

That's the true horror of Danganronpa V3 not the blood, not the executions, not the killing game, but the aftermath. The terrifying questions of: were you ever real in the first place? How do you figure out who you truly are? And what does it mean to truly live?

More Than a Label: Rethinking V3's 'Dumb' Characters

It's weird how the characters that we and the game constantly call stupid are actually some of the smartest.

Well, a lot of characters fit this bill, but seeing as I am a DR rant blog, I'm talking specifically about Tenko Chabashira, Kaito Momota, and Gonta Gokuhara.

Now these characters are now referred to as dumb by the game and particularly the fandom for pretty similar reasons.

Gonta because of his speech pattern particularly is portrayed as Tarzan's speech, and his understanding of normal things we find simple like technology and most famously in chapter 4 where he was manipulated by Kokichi, but the localization, NIS America did change his character a lot they changed his backstory and how the whole killing game buster thing happened in chapter 4.

Which is funny because all three of the characters I'm talking about in this rant were changed pretty heavily by NIS America.

In the Japanese characterization, Gonta's backstory is more ambiguous, being raised by a forest family and developing an extensive knowledge of insect species, his speech pattern is more polite and formal, and the third-person way of speech is culturally associated with child-like innocence and a cute endearing or 'quirky' personality-not dumb.

And in chapter 4 he had more of an idea what was going on in Kokichi's plan from the beginning and acted upon his own decisions rather than just being a blindly lead victim till the end.

But in general, Gonta has a deep knowledge of insects and astrology (for this analysis we are ignoring the ending) and good observational skills that are helpful in class trials like how he noticed that he must be far away from home because the constellations looked different in chapter two and his knowledge about the state of the floorboards and the way the seesaw trick was carried out in chapter three which span both the Japanese and English translations.

Kaito is portrayed as being dumb due to his struggles in trials and his refusal to acknowledge certain truths because they go against his ideals.

But Kaito's intelligence while being shown in some ways on paper by passing the astronaut entrance exams excels in more ways than academically he has emotional intelligence and leadership shown by how he interacts with everyone particularly him supporting Shuichi and pushing him to grow his confidence and seeing past Maki cold exterior and helping her open up emotionally and also in chapter 5 acting out Kokichi's plan which shows strategy and trust.

He also possesses a good amount of street smarts that people overlook.

Tenko is often seen as dumb because of her loud over emotional nature and mannerisms. Some people also don't take her seriously because of her 'man-hating' and her relationship with Himiko.

Tenko also has the same problem as Gonta with localization. In the original Japanese her speech patterns are more elegant and refined, and her male hating is turned back exponentially.

Tenko is however extremely emotionally intelligent her flipping ability which allows her to read people's emotions contributes to this as well as her encouraging Shuichi to build his confidence and Himiko to express her emotions more.

It spans beyond this however in chapter 3 Tenko infiltrates Angie's cult to protect Himiko and avoids brainwashing as well as making it her mission to help Himiko grow from her emotional suppression.

Finally, Tenko allows herself to be the medium for Angie (whom she had a rivarly with) in the seance for Himiko showing her deep empathy self-awareness and willingness to prioritize someone else's emotional healing over her own safety. Is a clear demonstration of her emotional intelligence and wisdom.

In conclusion, whether a character is intelligent or not really depends on how the piece of media portrays the character and how the viewers define intelligence.

I think school systems have definitely skewed our perceptions of intelligence making us think intelligence is just test scores and book smarts rather than street smarts and emotional intelligence.

Gonta Kaito and Tenko- while not in the same as Shuichi or Kokichi- are smart. And I don't think our skewed perception and bad localization should determine how we view them.

Some characters are written to be dumb, and that's fine but Gonta Kaito and Tenko? They aren't.

They're loud, naive, and emotional but they aren't complete idiots.

And I hope this rant helped you realize that.

Why Do We Love Seeing Our Favorite Characters Suffer?

It’s like an unspoken rule in fandom: if you have a favorite character—a “blorbo”—you want to see them suffer. Not in a mean way (we love them!), but in a put them through hell and watch them break kind of way. And then, once they’ve been completely emotionally destroyed, we turn around and say, “Actually, I want them to be the happiest person alive.”

We’ll write fics where they get to be safe, loved, and thriving… but also fics where they’re barely holding it together. We’ll create AUs where the worst never happened, only to still find ways to make them suffer. It’s the duality of fandom.

But why do we do this? Why does suffering make our favorite characters better in our eyes?As a Danganronpa fan, I’ve seen this in action a lot. We’ll create non-despair AUs, but will that stop the angst? Nope. We’ll write post-game fics where the survivors try to move on, but the trauma still eats them alive. And yet, we also turn around and make content where they’re happy, together, and free.

It’s this weird push and pull between wanting them to heal… and wanting to drag them through the worst imaginable pain first.

So what is it about suffering that makes characters so compelling?

1. Emotional Growth and Development

Let’s be real: watching a character go through hell makes them more interesting. A character who’s just happy all the time? Kinda boring. But a character who’s been through the worst and still keeps going? Now we’re talking.

There’s something about seeing them struggle that makes them feel more real. You get to see their vulnerabilities, their breaking points, and how they react under pressure. And when they do manage to grow from it, it feels earned.

Take Shuichi, for example. Seeing him go through all the weight of his friends dying then taking down the game that caused their suffering that's the good stuff. It feels so much more meaningful because we saw what it took to get there.

2. Relatability and Humanity

Characters who suffer just feel more real. Nobody’s life is perfect, and when fictional characters go through tough times, it makes them feel more human. Their emotions—whether it’s grief, fear, or desperation—make them easier to connect with.

Even if we haven’t been through the exact same things, we get the emotions behind them. Seeing them struggle can feel like looking in a mirror sometimes, and that connection is what makes us latch onto them so hard.

Ryoma is emotionally distant and initially refuses to get involved with the other students, but as the story progresses, his humanity shines through. His struggles with loneliness, despair, and his desire for redemption mirror universal feelings of wanting to escape the weight of loss while still searching for a meaningful connection.

His suffering, especially in dealing with his personal guilt and past trauma, can make him a very relatable character for some, as many of his emotional challenges are reflective of real-world emotional battles people face. Ryoma’s journey throughout the game embodies the theme of human vulnerability and the complexities of trying to find hope in the face of overwhelming darkness.

3. The Contrast Between Pain and Joy

The reason we love to make our faves suffer and be happy is because one makes the other hit so much harder. If a character’s just happy all the time, it doesn’t feel as impactful. But when a character has been through hell and finally gets a moment of peace? That’s when we feel it.

Think about it: watching Maki smile after everything she’s been through? That is what makes it powerful. If she was just happy from the start, it wouldn’t have the same weight. The suffering makes the happiness feel earned.

4. Catharsis (AKA, Glorified Therapy)

Let’s be honest, sometimes we just project a little too hard. Watching characters go through emotional breakdowns, trauma, and existential crises is basically free therapy at this point. We put them through pain, watch them survive it, and in some weird way, it helps us process our own emotions

It’s like, “If they can make it through this, maybe I can too.” Their suffering feels familiar, but their healing gives us hope. It’s weirdly comforting, even if we’re the ones making them miserable in the first place.

Take Kokichi underneath all his lies and pranks, there's a longing for genuine connection and understanding, but he’s terrified of being vulnerable.

Kokichi's journey through deception and eventual emotional exposure offers a deep form of catharsis. Fans can project their own feelings of vulnerability, fear, and longing onto him, and when he finally allows himself to show his true emotions, it’s a bittersweet release that resonates on a personal level.

5. Projection (We’re All Guilty of It)

Let’s be real: we see ourselves in our favorite characters. Whether it’s their insecurities, their struggles, or just the way they react to things, we latch onto them because we relate. So when they suffer, it feels personal.

And when they finally win—whether that means healing, finding happiness, or just getting a break—it feels like a win for us too. Seeing them overcome their struggles gives us the tiniest bit of hope that maybe we can too.

Many people can project onto Kaito because, despite his loud personality, he struggles with feelings of inadequacy and fear, particularly surrounding his health and the pressure to be the "Ultimate Astronaut"—a title that weighs on him heavily.

Kaito represents the idea of pushing through hardship while trying to maintain an outward appearance of confidence, which is something a lot of fans can relate to, especially when dealing with their own struggles while trying to appear strong or capable to others. The way Kaito allows his insecurities and fears to be buried under his bravado speaks to the way many people carry their own emotional burdens while trying to stay positive for others. When fans project onto him, they might see aspects of themselves, their own struggles with self-doubt, or the desire to be a source of support and strength for others.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we love seeing our favorite characters suffer because it makes their stories deeper, more emotional, and more relatable. Their pain makes them feel more real, their growth makes them more compelling, and their happiness—when they finally get it—feels earned.

It’s not just about watching them struggle or giving them a happy ending—it’s about the journey in between. And that’s what makes storytelling (and fandom) so addictive.

So yeah, I will continue to put my favorite characters through hell… but only because I love them. (Sorry Tenko.)

Why do you love "torturing" your favorite character is it one of the reasons above or do you have your own reason?

I Accidently Made a Game: The Origin of The Duck Game

Hey, pausing the not so regularly scheduled Danganronpa rants to talk about a passion project of mine that has complety taking over my brain for the past several months.

You ever start a joke and then wake up one day realizing it’s gone way too far? Yeah. That’s The Duck Game.

It started with a simple board game, a dumb conversation, and a Danganronpa fanfic idea that spiraled completely out of control.

And now, somehow, it’s a real, fully fleshed-out narrative RPG about the dark side of ambition, success, and power.

Let me explain.

One day, my friend Jensen brought in a board game called Abducktion by Very Special Games.

It’s a strategy game where you move colored ducks into formations to score points. The game had this story where you’re an intern at a UFO company abducting ducks, and in the single player mode you could gain promotions based on how many points you earned.

So, as my friends Jensen, and Braylon were playing, we started joking around. What if Abducktion wasn’t just a fun little game? What if the boss was actually using it to weed out the weak to find the best interns, promote them and get rid of the rest?

And that’s when I thought: Wait. This would make a great fanfic.

I didn’t want to write a fic about me and my friends, so I did the next logical thing—turn it into a Danganronpa fanfic. That same day, literally hours later, I had a draft for the first chapter, multiple endings planned, and a whole choice-based structure where readers would click links to different chapters based on their decisions.

Then I realized... that would be alot of work even for an over-obsessed Danganronpa fan.

So, I told my friend Braylon about the idea, and he said:

"If you come up with the ideas, me and my team could make it a game for you."

And just like that, me and his team partnered up. But there was one little problem:

Copyright.

I couldn’t just submit a Danganronpa fanfic as a standalone game and try to market it off as my own that would be a legal disaster.

But then I remembered—my stupid brain had already come up with HCs so OOC they twisted the characters beyond reconigtion.

So I took my favorite (sadly) non canon friend group—Tenko, Kokichi, Maki, Shuichi, Kaito, and Kaede—gave them new names, new roles, new backstories, new trauma, and new relationships and boom.

The Duck Game was born.

What started as a ha-ha funny idea spiraled into something way bigger than I ever expected.

When I was writing the idea down for the first time I literally wrote "The Duck Game, lmao no way this will go anywhere"

And now, several months later, here I am—actually making a real game. And honestly? I’m really proud of myself (which is rare, so that’s how you know this means something).

It's also really weird to be super fixated on something that isn't Danganronpa for once.

So What Is The Duck Game?

It’s a narrative-driven RPG about climbing the corporate ladder at a shady company called Luxus Enterprises. You play as Bennett Brooks, an anxious intern who slowly gets tangled in a world of corruption, power, and moral compromise.

Every decision you make shapes his relationships, his career, and who or what he ultimately becomes.

With multiple endings, branching choices, and a heavy focus on ethical repercussions, The Duck Game asks one question:

"How far would you go for success?"

If you're into narrative driven games, power struggles, and complex characters you'll love The Duck Game. It's got drama, tough choices, and dark themes, with a unique twist on corporate ambition and moral dilemmas.

It's still a WIP but I'm excited to share as it develops. Follow @theduckgameoffical for updates!

If you're intrested I'd appreciate you checking it out! Your feedback and support let me know people are invested, but no pressure.

Thank you so much for all the support you’ve shown on my rants and projects in the past—I’m really excited to work towards making The Duck Game a fully fledged game with all of your help!

(No sound)

Sakura shows a little parlor trick, based on that one DRS interaction.

Happy I finished some animation already, trying to really keep to it :]