(No Sound)

The existential crisis that is waking up in a body that isn't your own in a life that isn't your own but it really is yours and your perception of fiction and reality has been warped so much you still believe you're the person you were written to be in the simulation even though you know that person is fake because it's the only sense of identity you have left.

It's like having two people trapped in your body the person you were in the simulation and the person you used to be.

honestly, i really hope tsumugi lied A Lot at the end of V3 because if she is even telling 90% of the truth, the survivors are exiting the game into an existential nightmare

Hope vs Despair and How Danganronpa Shows the Fine Line Between Them

In Danganronpa, Hope vs. Despair aren't just opposing forces—they’re intertwined like yin and yang.

You can’t have one without the other. Each moment of hope carries the potential for despair, and each moment of despair can give birth to a new form of hope.

The series doesn’t just explore this dynamic; it forces the characters to confront it, shaping their growth and evolution throughout the story.

Take Makoto Naegi, for example. As the Ultimate Hope, he stands in direct contrast to Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair. But Makoto’s hope isn't simple optimism—it’s been tested and shaped by the despair surrounding him. His journey shows how hope can survive even in the darkest circumstances. On the flip side, Junko manipulates despair, using it as a tool to corrupt and reshape hope into something sinister. She twists the idea of hope, showing that it too can be warped when exposed to extreme despair.

Despair is often depicted as the absence of hope, like the color black, while hope is like white—full of aspirations, dreams, and ambitions. But, just as there are varying shades of black and white, hope and despair are not as clear-cut as they might seem. There are nuances, shades of gray that blur the lines, making it harder to see where one ends and the other begins.

In SDR2, the pattern continues, but with more complexity. It’s still hope vs. despair, but with the added layer of past vs. future. The characters' pasts represent despair to them, but through confronting their dark pasts, they create new hope. Their stories show that hope isn’t just about looking forward—it’s about confronting the past and using that pain to forge something better.

Then there’s Nagito Komaeda, who’s obsessed with hope. His view of hope is twisted because he believes hope can only arise from despair. For him, creating despair is the means to achieve his ideal hope, showing just how tangled these forces can become. Nagito represents the extreme, where hope and despair bleed into each other in the most disturbing way.

In V3, the lines between hope and despair are even more blurred. Monokuma’s Death Road of Despair is a perfect example of this cycle. The characters are given hope—a potential escape that’s always within reach—but as they fail repeatedly, their hope turns into despair. They begin to believe that escape was never possible, that they were wasting their time from the start.

The constant cycle of hope and despair leaves them trapped in their own feelings, forcing them to reevaluate what hope even means.

Then, we have characters like Kaede, Kaito, and Tenko, who embody hope for those around them. When they die, the survivors are filled with despair, but instead of succumbing to grief, they use their deaths as a source of strength. Their deaths become a new form of hope for the survivors, pushing them to continue the fight. The cycle isn’t over; it’s reborn from loss and pain, showing that hope can arise even from the darkest moments.

Ultimately, Danganronpa isn’t about choosing hope over despair or vice versa—it’s about understanding the complex relationship between them. Both hope and despair are essential to the human experience.

One cannot exist without the other, and each gives rise to the other in ways we may not fully understand. The characters are constantly forced to confront this reality, evolving in response to the ever-present pull of these two forces.

By rejecting the notion that hope and despair are opposites, Danganronpa teaches us that life isn’t about simple binaries. It’s about the messy, complicated truth that both hope and despair are necessary for growth, and in the end, it’s the balance between them that gives life meaning.

I decorated a box with a bunch of my pre-game Kokichi pen doodles I made at work, and now I have a Bonkichi box! It will hold all of my treasures :]

The ending of Danganronpa V3: Not the cliché twist people think it is.

Probably the most controversial part about V3 is the ending. I love it. I love it so much I have a shirt of it. I can see why others don’t somewhat but at the same time I’m like why?

Many people say the fact the game is fiction makes it meaningless, but I strongly disagree. I understand that an 'it was all fake' or 'and then they woke up' ending is annoying and overused and, depending on what happens in the piece of media, just bad writing, but DRV3 isn't one of those endings.

And if you do believe the game was meaningless, then congrats you fell for Tsumugi's lies, hook line and sinker.

In the sixth trial, Shuichi talks about how even though the game was fiction, it still hurt him to see the people he cared about die.

Even though they are being told that everything they went through is meaningless, it is real to them; if they feel sadness and anger and love, it’s just as real; it’s just as meaningful as in the real world.

Another thing is the theme of the whole game is truth vs. lies, so wouldn’t it make sense for the final twist to be that what they thought was the truth is a lie?

In the first two games, the final trial ends with a battle of hope vs despair where hope always triumphs and despair is crushed, but in V3 it’s different.

Tsumugi wants them to continue the game. The fans want them to continue the game.

Choosing hope—sacrificing someone to go on to the next killing game—will just cause the cycle to repeat, but choosing despair is also bad; it causes people to give up and lose everything.

Shuichi doesn’t want Maki (and Kiibo) to have to go into another killing game, but they also don’t want to fall into despair. So he refuses to vote, and as much as Tsumugi begs and pleads, he stands his ground.

The viewers also refuse to vote, proving that fiction does have the power to change reality, a powerful message that is one of the main reasons this ending is so great.

Even though Shuichi Maki, and Himiko were fictional characters, they changed the outside world and stopped a whole franchise, a whole movement, and in real life, fiction can spread ideologies, beliefs, and concepts, and these things can spread to people like wildfire and bring people together in ways that normal methods, (like by mouth,) cannot.

That's why artists try to put messages in their art, musicians in their music, and directors in their movies and TV shows. They know that's the type of media that will have the most reach and spread the fastest.

Or even social media spreading information; it might not be the best source, but it still spreads rapidly.

Media has influenced our way of life for years, influencing our speech, thoughts, and cultures because of what it says; this is what V3 is trying to show.

Shuichi also talks about using his friends deaths and the lie of the killing game to change the world.

This is why it matters; this is the power of fiction.

Shuichi using his friends' deaths, which may have been seemingly useless anyway, to take down the show that has trapped them in a cycle of deceit and forced them to play their game.

It’s also great when you remember that Shuichi was afraid of finding the truth, and Kaede and Kaito helped him gain more confidence.

He vowed to Kaede he would end the killing game, and this man not only found the biggest truth ever, he not only ended the game, but ended the whole franchise.

If that's not character development, I don’t know what it is.

Another reason people hate the ending is the portrayal of the fans, the fans are portrayed as Danganronpa obsessed, and they are shunned by watching the senseless killing of people for entertainment.

It’s a world where everyone has become so desensitized to kids getting killed on TV that they gather around screens all over the world eager to watch the next installment; that’s why there are 53 seasons.

The fans in the ending are an exaggerated view of what Kodaka feared would happen.

It's not trying to bash the fans of today but the fans of the future if this continues and we don’t care about the deaths anymore, and we just want more because you can have too much of a good thing.

It also has good messaging about fans (and corporations) tearing a TV show or game series apart in compensation for more, deriving it from the original message.

For example, Squid Game a show about the flaws of capitalism and exploitation for entertainment, was remade into a reality show by Netflix, Mr. Beast, and Amazon Prime to capitalize on the success of Squid Game when it first came out, actively hurting real people in the process, just for the sake of making money.

The ending of V3 reminds us that the connections we make and the experiences we have give our lives meaning. And even if we only affect one person with our actions, it will be all worth it, and that's the greatest truth of them all.

It’s about freedom, the problems of beating a piece of media to death just to have more, using deceased loved ones' wishes to help move forward, and finding meaning in the things that seem meaningless.

The V3 ending is a roller coaster of emotions and a masterful experience. It serves as a great ending to a great series that keeps you on the edge of your seat, makes you feel sympathy for some fictional characters, and still holds up even eight years later.

I don't think this rant/analysis will fix the wedge in the fandom this ending has caused (we've argued about much more ignorant things in the past.) But I hope it at least resonated with you and re-kindled elements you remember loving about the ending for people who did enjoy it; and for those who didn't I hope this gives you some insight into why I and many others appreciate the ending.

So before your start to conclude that V3's ending was meaningless think to yourself-is that the truth or just the lie you were meant to believe.

i think the fact that we can see the vote count at the end should've been discussed more

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.

Tenko character design is amazing- so why did Danganronpa S fail her

Tenko's original character design character design screams her, so why did Danganronpa S take that away from her?

Tenko’s original character design embodies her as a character especially her personality. Her extra frills (which she added by herself to make them more appealing to women) and her abs (which only women are allowed to touch) socks and sandals multiple hair accessories. Kodaka literally described it as "a fashion disaster that shows off the light-heartedness of a sportsy girl mixed with the harmonious Japanese essence."

(I personally headcanon that when Tenko was at the temple she was reading those teen girl magazines and it said something like "girls love accessories and frills" and she said bet and went a bit overboard.)

Just by looking at Tenko, you can tell that she is a very passionate girl who puts her heart into things and is bubbly and eccentric and that is part of what a character design is supposed to do.

It doesn't just stop at her original design even her Tenko's 10th anniversary outfit reflects her personality. I love the suit top skirt combo, the top hat, her hair etc . I think it's very Tenko, and very pretty.

I don't, however, like Tenko's Danganronpa S swimsuit. In the game, Tenko wears a pink and plaid, two-piece that completely takes away everything I complimented about her character design. Tenko is supposed to be this eccentric character with a bad fashion sense (I guess plaid is a weird pattern for a swimsuit, but still.)

Where are the frills, the cutesy additions to make it appealing to women? It's just plain.

I guess there isn't much you can do with a swimsuit, but on the other hand, I've seen people design way better swimsuits for Tenko that really portray her well and encapsulate what I wish her original design had done. So I guess the devs wanted it to be boring.

Examples that I believe fit Tenko really well:

@chibigaia-art redesign is really Tenko and captures her essence and personality with her extra frills and abs. You can view her amazing redesign here.

https://www.tumblr.com/chibigaia-art/661063246304985088/gave-tenko-the-abs-and-frills-she-deserves?source=share

@cl4ret-10ko redesign looks like something Tenko would wear and differs from the basic two pieces all the other girls wear especially with the added additions of the inflatable armbands bands and the abs. You can view their amazing redesign here.

https://www.tumblr.com/cl4ret-10ko/657459375318941696/redesigned-tenkos-swimsuit-closeup?source=share

And then there's the other side of Tenko's design problem in Danganronpa S, the abs Where are the abs! Kodaka explicitly said she had them so where are they? None of the athletic girls except Sakura have abs, and knowing the fandom i'm pretty sure the majority would love seeing more muscular girls with scars, so I don't know why the devs were being cowards about it.

Tenko's character design was eccentric, passionate, and bold. But Danganronpa S stripped that all away, leaving her with a swimsuit design that could have literally belonged to anyone else. No frills. No chaotic choices. No abs. Just the shell of a girl that was never meant to blend in. If fan artists' swimsuit designs can capture Tenko's essence, what excuses do the devs have? They played it safe and, in doing so, gave us an okay swimsuit and erased everything that made Tenko her.

Tenko deserved so much better.

(And if either artist is uncomfortable with me doing that I will remove it. 👍)

The double standard: Why Kaito’s flaws are forgiven and Tenko’s aren't

Sexism in DRV3 is crazy-like which loud, hot headed, oddly dressed, self sacrificical, hero complex having supportive character do you like more? But ones a girl.

It's not about disliking any of them honestly-I used to hate Kaito for no reason-if you asked me I wouldn't be able to give you a straight answer.

Now I appreciate his character and actually like him and he is my second or third favorite male character (the spot for second place fluctuates with Kokichi.)

That said its worth recognizing the double standards, you can ignore and forgive every questionable thing Kaito says but don't start hating on Tenko for her male hating when it isn't even that bad.

You don’t have to love Tenko just like you don't have to love Kaito. But it's worth asking: "are we holding the girls to a different standard than the boys?"

If Kaito’s flaws don't ruin his character for you the same ones that Tenko has shouldn’t ruin her character either.

It's okay to have preferences but at least be honest with why you hold them. Saying "hey I'm biased I just like Kaito more than Tenko" or "I don't like Tenko for this super specific reason" is totally valid. But sometimes the reasons people hate Tenko don't hold up when you compare her to Kaito, and that's worth thinking about.

No hate if you like either and not the other- this is specifically for the people who say "I don't like Tenko for her personality and sexism" but then defend Kaito from any criticism about his personality or sexism/ toxic masculinity. I think it's worth questioning whether the issues might be more about how we treat certain flaws than the characters themselves.