I Decorated A Box With A Bunch Of My Pre-game Kokichi Pen Doodles I Made At Work, And Now I Have A Bonkichi

The Possibilities of Two Blackends in Danganronpa V3: The Transfer Student Beyond The Grave and the First Come First Serve Rule

This is a rant/speculation about the addition of a second blackend in the Transfer Student From Beyond the Grave, especially with the implications of the first-come, first-serve rule.

"A lot of people talk about the missed opportunity and the idea of having two killers for Tenko and Angie in V3 Chapter 3, and yeah, I agree—having two blackends would’ve been cool.

It would’ve shaken up the trial, with the group debating when (or if) they should even bring up the second victim.

But the thing is, the real interest doesn’t come from the trial itself.

Sure, it might’ve made that useless scrum debate a little more intense, but the real draw for me is what happens after—when one of the blackends gets away scot-free."

Seeing the others having to live with a murder.

Now, you've seen how they treated Maki when she was revealed as an assassin they were nervous scared on edge and she was murdering people they never met.

Imagine how they would act if that were their friend, someone they cared about.

That's the part that would really mess with them. It's one thing to lose your friend, but it's another to know their killer is sitting right across from you.

The blackend might be alive, but socially, they're dead.

Every interaction would be laced with paranoia—the fear they will do it again—and infighting between people trying to pretend everything is normal and those being openly hostile.

Imagine the tension, the ostracization.

Of course, some people would try to make amends, but others would still see them as a potential second killer.

And the blackend, (seeing that with the rule only the first murder counts,) would probably realize they've just killed someone for no reason and are now being isolated from the rest of the group, being labeled a murderer and untrustworthy.

Maybe they would lean into their role as a villain, or maybe they would genuinely try to reach out and apologize, only to be shut down time and time again.

Even worse, what if the real danger isn't the blackend, but the others?

Someone could snap under the pressure and decide that if Monokuma won't bring justice, they will. Because who would care if a previously confirmed killer died?

They're a threat, and they killed somebody someone else cares about, so it's a win-win, right?

And the next murder—before no one had gotten away with it, but now it's been proven that it can work. You have the road map to get away with it.

You wait until someone murders, and then you kill someone who's a threat to you, someone you hate, and get away with it just like the murderer before you.

It turns the situation into not just a killing game, but a discussion about morality, ethics, and motives. Of course, these themes are in place throughout all the blackends, but it's different when you're condemning someone to an inescapable death versus them sitting across from you at the dining table, eating breakfast.

Of course they're still human but what if they killed someone you loved, someone you truly cared about, your only friend in the game.

(The arguements especially between Kaito Maki and Kokichi. chefs kiss)

In the end, having two blackends with the addition of the first come first serve rule would turn the game from a simple survival battle into a psychological minefield, where trust is shattered and the lines between right and wrong blur beyond repair.

The real danger wouldn't just be the killers, but the fear of betrayal, the crumbling of morality, and the weight of survival, forcing everyone to confront their choices of whether to forgive or forget and what they're truly willing to sacrifice.

The true impact of two killers is the emotional fallout—the fractured relationships and shattered trust. It's the heart of what makes the killing game devastating.

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.

If Rantarou survived first chap+

How I would rewrite the utilization and timing of Tenko's flipping ability (That also slightly changes the narrative.)

Tenko's flipping ability had the power to change the entire narrative of DRV3 but the game barely used it here's how it could have made a really impact.

This is an excerpt to a 25 page essay I wrote inspired by @whattheskyknows' post about the underutilization of Tenko’s flipping ability. Check out their original post below.

https://www.tumblr.com/whattheskyknows/766230450261884928/i-wish-drv3-utilised-tenkos-flipping-technique?source=share

The first reveal of Tenko’s ability

The first time Tenko’s power will be revealed is late chapter two early chapter three. Here she will flip Shuichi and Himiko just like in the original game, but this time instead of being the only time her ability is ultilized it will be used to give the player an inclination of Tenko’s power with characters that we already know enough about to deem Tenko’s analysis correct making her ability seem reliable and trustworthy.

The next time Tenko’s power will be utilized is in the middle of chapter three.

Maki's flip

Here she would flip Maki. I know you probably think I don’t know if that would work out, etc., but at this point, Maki is getting closer to Kaito and Shuichi, and even though Tenko was one of the many people who were wary of Maki after her talent reveal she did eventually come around and had a nice chat with Maki in chapter three.

Tenko could guise it as sparring, especially after her dojo opened up and flipped Maki telling her something along the lines of:

“You hide from us because you believe that we’ll all hate you, but Tenko can tell, deep down, you’re a caring girl, Maki. You’re afraid, just like the rest of us, afraid of hurting your loved ones, which is why you lie to build up walls. You don’t want us to shun you, and you don’t want any more blood on your hands, at least not if you don’t have to.”

And then Maki would obviously (and understandably) be shocked, probably asking Tenko how she knew that just by flipping her.

I think the two would grow closer and make that conversation between them before Angie’s death a bit more impactful.

Either Shuichi would have to be in the room or Maki would have to tell him (and Kaito) after the fact since Shuichi is the protagonist and we find out all the information through him, and then he would do that thing where he has a thought or an internal monologue, but it pops up as text that reads:

‘It’s nice that those two are getting along with their combined strength; we might be able to find a way out of here.’

Kokichi’s flip

Next would be Kokichi, which wouldn't be an on screen moment like Maki's because Kokichi dropping his mask is a big reveal for the end of the game.

Tenko would either flip Kokichi out of pure annoyance or reluctant curiosity, then say:

"Tenko can see you're putting up a villainous facade, but she can tell that there’s more behind it."

And Kokichi gets so scared that he’s vulnerable and just runs away.

Maybe he even writes on his little whiteboard an insult under Tenko’s name, then erases it and writes interesting or useful under it.

They can then have little interactions where they talk, combining their skills to try and figure out the mastermind or the truth of the game, and we see them getting closer to each other.

Then I wrote two separate storylines because I love Tenko so much I created two alternate universes for her ability to be used correctly, and I wanted to make this harder for myself because I can't take the easy way out.

Here's how Tenko’s flipping ability could play out in two possible narratives option being closer to the canon and option two deviating further from it.

Option one:

Tenko dies like she was supposed to and all the secrets die with her. Kokichi and Maki are upset, but of course, in typical fashion, don’t show it in front of the others.

After Tenko’s death, Tsumugi looks happy/relieved, and Kokichi gets suspicious, but it’s not enough evidence to determine anything yet.

In late chapter three or early chapter four, before everything happens, Kokichi finds out that Tsumugi was happy Kiyo killed Tenko because she found out too much and goes into his plan even more determined to end the killing game and get revenge on Tsumugi for everything she's done to them (and Tenko).

Option two:

Kiyo kills Angie locked room mystery style, he then tries to kill Tenko but it fails (it still hit her in the arm or a non-vital part of the neck.) Tenko still dies, though, and everyone believes that it was from blood loss.

Later Kokichi discovered that Tsumugi killed Tenko using the power of the first-come, first-served rule to save herself because Tenko flipped her and found out way too much.

Kokichi would then find out and confront Tsumugi in a confrontation that would go something like:

“You did it, didn’t you?” Kokichi said, his voice filled with emotion, Tsumugi turned around, confused and angry. "You killed her."

Here bits of Kokichi's mask would start to drop , the usual mischievous smirk replaced with a rage-filled scowl.

Tsumugi would walk closer, their faces almost touching.

“She was learning too much, sticking her nose into places it didn’t belong. The game wouldn’t have been as fun if there was a reveal so early… I had to get rid of her; she was a threat to me. You understand, don’t you, Ouma?” (referencing chapter four).

Kokichi would then curse her out and say something along the lines of he'll ruin Tsumugi's game for her and everyone watching, either Tsumugi directly or the cameras, and continue his plan to end the game.

Tsumugi would then either be amused that Kokichi would try or genuinely concerned seeing Kokichi as a threat and trying to stop him herself, once again changing the narrative.

This one is especially nice because it shows the parallel of Kokichi and Tsumugi as a sheep in a wolf’s clothing and a wolf in a sheep’s clothing and also them both having scripts and doing whatever is necessary to make their narrative happen.

Kokichi is manipulating Gonta to kill Miu and Tsumugi killing Rantaro and framing it on Kaede.

This also gives Tsumugi more of a role as the mastermind in the game, also allowing Tenko to use her power multiple times without the consequences of an early reveal or boring game.

Then for either one or two, the ending would pretty much go the same except for maybe Tsumugi subtly mentioning that Tenko (and Kokichi) already found out a while ago, but the rest of the ending is perfect and wouldn’t be affected.

Conclusion

And that is a rewrite of how I think Tenko’s flipping ability could have been used to its full potential.

Of course, there were a few things that I couldn’t stress as much as I wanted to, like Tenko and Maki and Tenko and Kokichi's friendship, and the others would be like:

“Tenko and Kokichi/Maki are close these days, aren’t they?”

But this is getting long, so maybe I'll talk about it in another post.

Tenko had a really amazing power that had the chance to change the narrative and be a really cool arc, especially since she's a character that expresses her emotions wholeheartedly and wants others to do the same, but it instead was just like so many other things about Tenko's character overlooked, underutilized, and forgotten about, during and after its reveal.

Tenko deserved better. We deserved better and it's a shame to see such a great opportunity go to waste.

And if anyone wants to read the full essay if requested I will make a comment or another post (unlikely though it's very long 😅)

Why Tenko Chabashira is a Great Character pt. 1: Tenko’s Backstory and Personality

Another essay excerpt because that did better than I expected last time and I'm suprised people actually want to read my stuff.

Tenko Chabashira is an over-hated character in the fandom with people before the game even came out criticizing her and hoping that she died.

Now this is not everyone’s opinion.

I've seen many people praise Tenko, but it’s a widely accepted opinion that she sucks, ranking near the bottom on a lot of people’s tier lists and having people post on every social media platform how much they hate her.

I love Tenko.

She is my favorite character in NDRV3 and right now my favorite character of all time.

With the game already in its eight anniversary I thought, what a better time than ever to fulfill my civic duty as a Tenko fan and explain why she is a great character and doesn’t deserve nearly all the hate she’s gotten.

Backstory

One of the main reasons people hate Tenko is her hatred of men.

I would like to lessen this to dislike because Tenko shows multiple times in the game that she does not hate men and there are also reasons behind her sentiments.

Tenko took her master's teachings very seriously; he was like a father figure to her (which makes sense especially since her parents abandoned her), and she was adamant about mastering neo-aikido.

Tenko is also really gullible.

It's why she believes Himiko can do real magic, so she would believe her master wholeheartedly when he tells her that interactions with men would weaken her.

It's similar to a child being told by their parents that if they are good Santa will give them gifts.

Another factor contributing to Tenko’s dislike of men would be her crime fighting which not only adds to her childlike nature but gives more of a reason to her so-called “man-hating.”

In one of Tenko’s ftes with Shuichi, she says:

“As practitioners of Neo-Aikido, Master and I… are also heroes of justice! Master and I wear masks to disguise ourselves! We serve to save, whether it is day or night! We do everything! Help an old woman carry her belongings… Help a child cross the street…Oh, yeah! I caught a thief the other day! We also punish degenerates who cheat and bring divine justice to gropers on trains. And even help girls who just had tough break-ups!”

Even though those don’t seem like the best reasons to “hate” a whole gender overshadowed by being hurt by men emotionally or physically.

If you think about it, it’s not the worst reason either, Tenko was just a kid and her master filled her head with misconceptions and stereotypes about men.

(In the end, he was just trying to protect but there are many more ways to go about it.)

Of course, Tenko didn’t have to believe it, but by being exposed to bad men on the streets when she and her master were fighting crime, and not having many interactions with good men, you can start to see where she comes from.

She’s just like a kid who never grew out of the boys' cooties phase (with a little more trauma), and as a kid, she wasn’t taught that all men aren’t bad, she wasn’t shown that all men aren’t bad, and she wasn’t exposed to the idea either.

I don’t think we should blame Tenko for something really out of her control.

Children are very impressionable that's why they're easy targets (well them and elderly people).

Their frontal lobes aren't fully developed so they don't think critically plus when your a kid small and vulnerable you tend to look to your parents for safety and guidance.

Imagine yourself in Tenko’s shoes. The man who is basically a father figure to her tells her all these misconceptions about men—and that they will stop her from fully mastering Neo-Aikido, something she has dedicated years to. With her low self-esteem, she likely already believes she isn’t good enough.

(While most of her self-esteem issues seem to be tied to her physical abilities, strength could play a role in that too. )

Wouldn’t that make you dislike them?

Then when he takes her out and she sees the men doing exactly what her master told her that they would do it would not only prove that her masters teachings are true it would solidify that hatred.

Now at the beginning of this section I said that Tenko doesn’t hate men but now I’m saying she does?

I believe Tenko had bad teachings and exposure that made her man hatred reasonable.

I don't think Tenko hates the whole male species as she says she does but if you're a man who hurts women Tenko is going to hate you with a burning passion an important distinction I need to make.

Tenko’s backstory isn’t perfect I’ll admit that but based on how she interacts with men during the game and how she acts overall bad exposure and teachings are a fine reason.

Personality

She’s rather boisterous and is like a ball of energy and can be overbearing to other students especially Himiko since how she acts with other students (not just the boys) is not “normal” per se (but no one in this game is normal) many people chalk it up to her just being annoying.

Still, I would like to add something else that may be a factor in her upbringing which I know I have already discussed.

Still, Tenko grew up in a temple with priests she was sent there when she was very young (there isn’t a specific age but many suspect five to six) so we can assume that she didn’t have a lot of interaction with kids her age (especially boys) with the only time interacting with people probably being people going in the temples for religious purposes or the people she saved while fighting crime.

A person’s upbringing especially if it’s bad or not normal can influence how someone acts just take Maki Harukawa, for example, she grew up in an orphanage and was trained to be an assassin during the game when Shuichi and Kaito are fighting she makes Shuichi watch her teaching Kaito to assemble and disassemble a crossbow so that they can make up, and when Kaito is kidnapped she reverts to the only thing she knows and tries to kill Kokichi.

Or Gonta Gokuhara who was raised in the forest by wolves doing odd things like not wearing shoes, lacking general cultural knowledge, getting suddenly controlled by strong emotions and having trouble with language.

So it makes sense for Tenko to act strangely and lack strong social skills, given her isolation from kids her age when she was young.

Unlike someone who has been interacting with others their entire life, starting from kindergarten, her experiences have been limited.

Or you can just say it’s her lack of understanding social cues and she’s neurodivergent coded.

...

Tenko, while claiming she hates men, gets along fine with them and shows them support. Some of these scenes include:

Joining Kaito’s strategy meeting

Telling Shuichi not to be too hard on himself after Kaede’s death

Yelling at Kokichi when he makes fun of Shuichi without his hat

Promising to avenge Rantaro and Ryoma’s deaths

Complementing Gonta for being calm and reasonable after Kirumi accuses him

Feeling bad after flipping Shuichi over her shoulder and carrying him back to her room

Allowing Shuichi to participate in Aikido with her

Telling Shuichi he needs to gain more confidence in himself.

She is also lovely and caring, volunteering to protect all of the girls, placing herself at risk alongside Kaito and Gonta to save Kaede from her execution, and her friendship with Himiko, in which she tries to help her overcome her emotional suppression, demonstrates her compassion for others.

She is one of the most vocal characters when it comes to opposing the killing game they were imprisoned in, and she is always willing to offer assistance or emotional support.

Tenko has a wonderful personality. Her deep emotional core, supportive persona, and childlike thinking are qualities that I and many others can identify with.

These qualities, in my opinion, dampen the hatred of her "male-hating" mentality in some aspects and make her a charming character.

Tenko's development

While having many ‘annoying/ undesirable’ traits Tenko eventually does have character development.

The main one is her dislike of men. I've already discussed that this dislike doesn’t seem genuine because, since the beginning of the game, she’s been having friendly, kindhearted interactions with men but taking that out of account Tenko does develop from the beginning of the game to her death.

Tenko’s journey reveals layers of her personality, showcasing how bad experiences shape beliefs and attitudes.

And how a good experience can turn it all around for the better even if her transformation is not entirely linear and overshadowed by other major characters (Shuichi Maki and Himiko.)

In her Free Time Events (FTEs) with Shuichi, she is very mean to him.

Nicest thing she says is that he can improve himself through Neo Aikido and become a good man like her master.

However, the interactions in her FTEs specifically with Shuichi amplify her disdain for men making it seem worse than it is in the game.

Despite all this she still she moments of genuine growth realizing that not all men are as bad as the ones her master told her about and the one she saw while crime-fighting through her experiences with Shuichi and the other men in the game she slowly but surely alters her perspective, and the journey leads her to form a friendship--though some would say acquaintanceship--with Shuichi (a man 😱.)

It’s a shift for her from her initial male-hating persona as she learns to accept that not every man is as bad as she was taught to believe by her master.

I could go on but this is getting long so in Part 2 I'll delve deeper into Tenko’s character arc and development in chapter 3.

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?

Why Post Game AUs Hit Different

Hear me out, okay? Post-Game AUs in the sense of Danganronpa hold a special place in my heart. They’re what first brought me into the fandom space, they’re some of the first fics and fanart I made, and yeah, I know it’s kind of weird, but there’s just something about them that I can’t shake.

When I first sat down to write this, I stared at a blank screen for hours. I really wanted to talk about this topic, especially since no one else seems to have tackled it in depth before. But I was stuck. At first, all I could think was, "I want the V3 cast to be happy and alive," and, "I love angst."

However, after re-reading some of my favorite post-game fanfictions and really reflecting on them, I realized there’s so much more to this AU than I initially thought.

Post-game AUs are so compelling because they dive deep into themes like healing, found family, rediscovering happiness, self-identity, and the truth about fame.

These themes are what make the stories emotionally impactful and really connect with readers. They make you think, and they allow the audience to resonate with the characters and the world they inhabit.

For example, when I read about Kaede digging her nails into her neck, desperately trying to pry off the chain that dragged her to her execution—a chain she never actually wore—it makes me stop and think. It makes me feel something.

Or when I read about Maki having nightmares about killing people and being tortured, even though she never actually did. Those moments resonate deeply, and I find myself thinking about them long after I’ve finished reading.

Then there’s Kokichi, atoning for his past mistakes and opening up, allowing himself to be vulnerable. And when I see Ryoma discovering that there are people who genuinely care about him, it hits so hard.

It’s like watching that final, epic battle in a movie that everything’s been building toward. It’s satisfying, and it gives you an ending you can feel content with.

I know a lot of people complain about V3’s open ending, but honestly, if there had been a definitive conclusion, we might not have gotten all the creativity that’s poured into post-game fanfics and fanart. The beauty of that open ending is that it left so much room for fans to craft their own narratives—nothing feels too absurd because there was no ending at all.

And I’m not going to talk about every single post-game fan art or fanfic that’s completely changed my view and perception of post-game, but some of these fics have inspired thoughts that go beyond just the post-game world For example, It’s Just Showbiz got me thinking about the reality TV side of fame and made me start headcanoning Tenko as a trans woman, which I hadn’t considered before.

Here Comes the Sun shifted my perception of Kiyo, showing me a different side of him that I hadn’t thought about in the context of the original story.

The Friends We Used to Know led me to a rabbit hole of exploring platonic Chabahara, which opened my mind to new dynamics between characters.

These fanfics didn’t just change how I think about post-game—they expanded how I view the characters and their potential after the events of the original game.

There are so many vastly different takes on what happened to the V3 cast after the events of the game. (Well, all the casts, but V3 is the most prominent in the post-game space, followed by SDR2.) Some interpretations focus on the survivors struggling with guilt, forced to carry the weight of everything that happened. Others bring back the dead students in different ways—some with injuries reflecting how they died, some as puppets controlled by Team Danganronpa for publicity, and some just living happily together in a one-bedroom apartment.

Some fics depict V3 as the final game, while others frame it as just the beginning of something even bigger. Some characters signed up willingly; others had no idea what they were getting into. Post-game AUs are completely open to interpretation, with no right or wrong answer. Sure, you could say the same for Hope’s Peak, non-despair AUs, or even pre-game stories, but there’s something about post-game that just hits different. Maybe it’s the characters. Maybe it’s the themes. Maybe it’s the perfect balance of angst and healing. I can’t fully explain it—but it works.

Post-game AUs are more than just a way to keep the story going—they’re a way to explore what happens after the cameras stop rolling, after the killing game ends, after the characters are left to pick up the pieces. They allow for healing, for growth, for alternate interpretations that make us rethink everything we thought we knew. And maybe that’s why they hit so hard.

No matter how many versions exist, no matter how different the interpretations may be, post-game AUs will always be special to me. They take everything I love about these characters—their struggles, their resilience, their ability to change—and push it one step further. They remind me why I fell in love with Danganronpa in the first place, and why I keep coming back.

I love post-game aus so much and I can’t wait to see what other incredible stories and art will come from this space, because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that post-game AUs aren’t going anywhere.

I've been wanting to share my thoughts on the print on Kaito's shirt for a while now. This post is largely inspired by this one

Kaito's shirt has a print of a special type of makeup used in traditional Japanese theater. This makeup type is called Kumadori. I'm not an expert, so I'll just briefly summarize what I found about it.

The makeup itself is a dramatic pattern of symmetrical lines that highlight facial features, drawn on a base of a certain color that is applied to the face in advance. The placement of the lines and their color reflect the character's personality.

Dark red (which is what Kaito has) is used to reflect courage, bravery, and a sense of justice, but can also reflect anger and short temper.

There are many types of this makeup. The one on Kaito's print most closely resembles Suji-guma (筋隈). This style is used for roles of strong heroes full of anger, which suits Kaito perfectly.

The post I linked says that in each game there is a character in a white shirt with a red print that somehow reflects their death. Leon has a broken skull, Nagito has something resembling a spear (or toxic fumes). And Kaito has his "mask" of a hero. And technically, that's what killed him. His desire to be a hero.

He tried to act like an indestructible hero the whole time. He hid his illness from his friends. He became a murderer to save Maki. And he agreed to Kokichi's plan to give others a chance to be saved. He died from his illness in the middle of an execution, but what drove his illness to that point, and what led to his execution, was his desire to be a hero.

So in a sense, it was Kaito's heroism that led to his death.

Sites where I found information about traditional Japanese theater makeup:

1 2 3

And what the Suji-guma (筋隈) style itself looks like

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.

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.