Started replaying Danganronpa last night for a friend *series spoilers*

Current Events

Current Events » Started replaying Danganronpa last night for a friend *series spoilers*
The friend has never played or seen the series and knows nothing about it, but was a little interested. I've been looking for an excuse to replay the series (on the Switch, since I bought the anniversary collection but never played it; I had just finished a series playthrough on the PC when it released) and this was a great opportunity.

Clarifying right now that I'm going to be discussing spoilers for 1, 2, and V3 even though we're only in the opening act of the first game so far.

He doesn't know it yet but he's successfully predicted that Sayaka is going to be the first victim because they're clearly setting her up as a love interest and he knows a death flag when he sees one. Or to put it how he did, "They're obviously going to want the first kill to be a gut-punch."

As soon as he saw Toko he predicted that she'll be a killer and he's absolutely right, just not in the way he thinks, lol. He also predicted that Hifumi will be a killer and not a victim, so he's 50% on that one.

Proposed talents for Kyoko at this point are "Ultimate Ellipsis User", "Ultimate Purple Girl", and "Ultimate Assassin".

I did slip up a little bit but I'm pretty sure he thought I was just making a joke. He saw the pattern on Leon's shirt and asked if he was already covered in blood, and I put on a voice and said "Hey, I'm the Ultimate Killer! Whoops, shouldn't have said that out loud!" Not like it's gonna be a surprise once the first murder happens anyway because it's the most painfully obvious case in the series lmao

He also caught on quick that Chihiro knows more than she lets on, but he's suspecting that it's because she's up to something. He threw out the idea that they're in a simulation and I had to bite my tongue about how he's one game too early for that prediction.

I don't know if he has any favorites yet but he seemed to be pretty into Hiro's vibe and I think he's fonder of Mondo than he lets on. Keeps making jokes about how his hair "looks like corn" and he needs to stay away from microwaves.

EDIT: Oh, forgot to mention. He questioned whether the guy getting killed in the opening cutscene was a "sixteenth student that didn't show up" because he observed that there were 8 girls and 7 boys (obviously not knowing at this point that Chihiro is a crossdresser) and another friend who was watching the same Discord stream sent me a PM screaming, lmao
Ah, spoiler free Danganronpa. Must be nice. Did your friend predict Celeste as an obvious killer?
Tag.

TMOG posted...
EDIT: Oh, forgot to mention. He questioned whether the guy getting killed in the opening cutscene was a "sixteenth student that didn't show up" because he observed that there were 8 girls and 7 boys (obviously not knowing at this point that Chihiro is a crossdresser) and another friend who was watching the same Discord stream sent me a PM screaming, lmao
You should have gone "He could be hidden in the school. better watch out for him."
LearntoRead posted...
Ah, spoiler free Danganronpa. Must be nice. Did your friend predict Celeste as an obvious killer?
He mentioned something about Celeste during her introduction but I honestly can't remember what

DodogamaRayBrst posted...
You should have gone "He could be hidden in the school. better watch out for him."
lol
Tag
[teep is] an evil genius who will one day kill us all - Choco
teep is a God damn genius - Zodd
Played more last night, got up to finding Sayaka's body before I got too tired and needed to sleep. Let's see what highlights I can remember.

  • He definitely has Celeste picked out as a killer, but thinks she'll kill via poison because "her design really looks like a spider." Not bad logic tbh
  • "What the fuck is wrong with Hifumi?"
  • He wanted to look up a list of characters and make a little chart thing he could use to make notes on everybody. The third friend who's watching along with us and I immediately went into panic mode because of how easy it is to accidentally spoil yourself by Googling this game and its characters (especially Junko), so third friend told him to stop and made the chart instead.
  • He really likes Kyoko and already reasoned that it's worth investing Free Time with her, because he doesn't see her dying off too early and thinks her Ultimate talent will be revealed by the middle of the game.
  • I think he's joining me on the Toko Hate Train, and no, I haven't been pushing him towards it due to my own bias lol. He's arriving there on his own.
  • Spoken during the Free Time chapter: "I'm gonna need someone to die really soon."
  • While scrounging for coins to get early hangout gifts, I was searching the kitchen and inspected the knives on the wall. "None of these knives are missing yet, " he says. He also realized immediately that the gold flakes on the sword coming off easily are going to be relevant. I'm starting to wonder if he's lying about not having played it before lol
  • He wasn't surprised at all by Sayaka's early death because he viewed her as just the tutorial character and they were pushing the love interest angle WAY too hard. He definitely knew she was either going to be the first victim or first killer. I don't think he noticed the upside-down LEON on the wall though.
Completely unrelated, I picked up Rain Code for myself and need to find time to start it. The announcement of the new Not-Danganronpa game and starting this re-playthrough made me decide it was time lol
I love Rain Code, but it's a very flawed product and I imagine how much people like it will depend greatly on which parts of Danganronpa they appreciate mostly, and whether they're into the noir aesthetic it got going.
TMOG posted...
Not like it's gonna be a surprise once the first murder happens anyway because it's the most painfully obvious case in the series lmao
<cries in "It's definitely Hiro because the crystal ball was by the incinerator!">

Also, I don't think the gold coating thing is a particularly unusual thing to be suspicious of. That is to say, it's such a weird detail to make such a big thing out of that it makes sense to assume it's gonna be important at some point.

Anyway, tracking this topic, I always enjoy seeing first-timer reactions to Danganronpa! I'm especially looking forward to hearing how he reacts to 2 as a whole and the bait and switch in V3~

Based on your post, I assume you're skipping UDG and the anime arcs completely? Not that I don't understand, mind you, I just feel like UDG, at least, is a lot better than it gets credit for~
Master Duel (373-244-752) | FGO (960,463,298) | Star Rail (601319792)
Let's be friends~
SydnieStarlight posted...
That is to say, it's such a weird detail to make such a big thing out of that it makes sense to assume it's gonna be important at some point.
danganronpa does this a lot, I think

there was a case in the 2nd game that I predicted the killer and had a vague idea of the method before the murder even happened, just because it was giving a lot of emphasis on certain seemingly small bits of information so I knew they must not actually be small at all
THIS IS WHAT I HATE A BOUT EVREY WEBSITE!! THERES SO MUCH PEOPLE READING AND POSTING STUIPED STUFF
I think it's a problem in Danganronpa that literally everything ties into the episode plot as it makes the game easier to predict. I loved the sequence with Mondo and Taka in episode 2 of the first game. It was really nice and sweet. Great character writing. Then when I realized it was all tying into the story of the case my heart kind of sank. I would have liked if the games took a little time to just let lose with their characters interacting with each other rather than just free time with the MC without it being part of a murder setup.
Post #12 was unavailable or deleted.
JHBPhD posted...
are you a based V3 enjoyer or a cringe V3 hater?
I'd say V3 is overall my favorite, but I can't put my finger on why. I just kind of remember it the most fondly out of all three games. I fucking hate the Monocubs but I love Kokichi as an antagonist, the protagonist swap was an interesting twist but I think Kaede was a much stronger protag in her chapter than Shuichi turned out to be.

I didn't like the exploration changing to 2D in the second game and felt like the plot was weaker, but 2 does have the best cast imo.

1 has the best/most creative cases and the best Free Time system, I like earning skills at different tiers of interacting over having to invest fully in one character to get their skill.
Why doesn't he play it
Just how, pray tell, does your dick "take life"? How could a dick take a life? - XciteMe
V3 heavily improved how the cast interact with each other and not just the MC and its easily the best emsemble of the three even if two has stronger individual characters. That coupled with the ending is probably why v3 is my favourite even if the cases are very much the worst of the three games and the trial minigames are tortureously bad. The improvements to the non-stop debates help alleviate that as wrll.
EpicMickeyDrew posted...
Why doesn't he play it
He doesn't own the games, and I've been wanting to replay them anyway, so I'm streaming them on Discord as a kind of surrogate. I don't intend on spoiling anything for him and letting him figure the trials out on his own, only stepping in when he's well and truly stuck. I'm even letting him and the other friend watching alternate on who we hang out with for Free Time.
Post #17 was unavailable or deleted.
V3 being a different continuity sounds like fanfiction that cop outs the impact and point of the ending.
JHBPhD posted...
Did you ever bother with Ultra Despair Girls?
Tried it, hated it, didn't play it very long. Wasn't a fan of the gameplay and Toko is a character I honestly can't stand, so her being one of the main characters was never gonna work for me.
Not trying to convince u of anything, but UDG is a massive redemption for Toko. Shes really great in it.

Doesnt help the gameplay, though.
Post #21 was unavailable or deleted.
I like the gameplay, but TC did not, was my point.

And I thought Toko was one of the worst characters in DR1, but she was really great in UDG.
Tag
Taxes, death, and trouble.
Brunt/Gaila 2024. Make Ferenginar Great Again!
1 has the best overall mystery (the school the world etc) but the worst individual cases

2 has the best ending and the best chapter the fun house one

3 has the best characters
Just how, pray tell, does your dick "take life"? How could a dick take a life? - XciteMe
EpicMickeyDrew posted...
1 has the best overall mystery (the school the world etc) but the worst individual cases

2 has the best ending and the best chapter the fun house one

3 has the best characters

This is not a bad take. I admit Im a bit biased since I think each game improved on the last, but I like 2 best because it has the strongest last cases. V3hurts less over time but I think I respect what it tried to do.
I think V3 has by far the worst cases. I like to rank them 1 for 1, as in which game has the best first case, second case, etc., and I don't think V3 comes out on top in any of the 5. It has the best chapter 6, but that's not really a case in any of them.

1 has the best atmosphere and intrigue and the most organic free time system. 2 has the best individual characters and the best cases, but the island theme is just not enjoyable for the mood the franchise sets. V3 has the best team of characters (monokubs excluded), the best interactions, the most engrossing music and by far the best ending. It also has Miu, so that's awesome.

That's just my opinion. A game opinion.
Is he the type of guy to have a waifu (or husbando) and if so, who are they?

Part of the Danganronpa experience is seeing a character you're attached to die horribly.
Black Lives Matter. ~ DYL ~ (On mobile)
UDG is complete garbage you're not missing anything
How to play Monster Hunter
Step 1: Hit the monster. Step 2: Don't get hit.
DodogamaRayBrst posted...
1 has the best atmosphere and intrigue and the most organic free time system. 2 has the best individual characters and the best cases, but the island theme is just not enjoyable for the mood the franchise sets. V3 has the best team of characters (monokubs excluded), the best interactions, the most engrossing music and by far the best ending. It also has Miu, so that's awesome
Couldn't agree more, this is what I was trying to say basically. That's why the fun house chapter is the best in 2 because it brings back that feeling of claustrophobia. Island theme is the least fun to go back to
Just how, pray tell, does your dick "take life"? How could a dick take a life? - XciteMe
2 has the best twist tho,
Just how, pray tell, does your dick "take life"? How could a dick take a life? - XciteMe
UDG as a game is just extremely bland. I like how they fleshed out Toko but dear Jesus that game has a severe content warning, which is something compared to the other games.
Game collection: http://www.backloggery.com/bakonbitz
Gaming channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwVQm69J7bGScbv3_50C0dA
EpicMickeyDrew posted...
1 has the best overall mystery (the school the world etc) but the worst individual cases
I actually like 1's approach to cases because it was the only one that actually tried to shake up the formula towards the end. Case 4 was a suicide with no killer, case 5 was a trap with no killer AND a victim who had already been dead for a long time. The second game didn't really do anything to play around with expectations in that way; V3 tried to bring it back with the huge twist in the first case, the mid-investigation murder in the third case, and the confusion in the fifth case over who was the killer and who was the victim, but I also feel like the killers in that one were the most obvious out of all three games.

Umbreon posted...
Is he the type of guy to have a waifu (or husbando) and if so, who are they?
He's in his 40s and asexual so it's pretty unlikely he'd pick a teenage anime character as a waifu/husbando lol

Anyway, we didn't play last night and probably won't play tonight, so nothing new to report yet
Forgot to update this topic. We played more over the last two days, finished the first trial and are on our way to the second murder.

  • Pretty funny reaction to "Junko" being killed by Monokuma. As soon as she stepped on him he realized she was dead, and once she got stabbed he asked wtf she thought was going to happen. (Oh, if only he knew)
  • He was piecing things together pretty well early in the investigation, but as soon as he saw the upside-down LEON he was like "oh, I guess that's it then". I had to really reassure him that the murders get less obvious after this one lol
  • Still very suspicious that Chihiro knows more than she lets on.
  • "So wait, are these dead bodies just going to be sitting here for the rest of the game?!" "Yeah, they eventually turn into skeletons." "That's fucked up."
  • He's very happy that the trials are fully voice acted.
  • He's also very frustrated at how everybody in the game seems to be taking turns with the only brain cell in the building, lol. "This really isn't a school for smart kids, just kids who are good at swimming and drawing fan art and being rich."
  • It's already getting to him how much the game/characters repeat themselves, lol. As soon as we were about to start the Closing Arguments comic I had to tease a little with "So, you know how much you hate everyone in this game constantly repeating what they just said?"
  • "A thousand baseballs?! Jesus, he must have been up there for hours."
  • As Chapter 2 begins, he immediately notes that the cast already feels much smaller after those three deaths. Just wait, buddy.
  • He's assuming that he can guess who the killers will be by who has the most unique Ultimate Talents, after seeing that Leon's was baseball themed. Honestly not a bad theory.
  • He can't wait for Hifumi and Toko to die. Gonna be disappointed on one of those. ;-;
  • Celeste has also made her way onto his hate list after the tea scene.
  • He wants to steal every last line of dialogue from Mondo and Taka's Sauna Showdown and use it to write porn.
...and that's where we left off, because he was getting too tired and needed to sleep. The last thing he saw was Toko being a gross smelly fangirl over Byakuya in the library and he really dislikes her. This is why we're friends, lol
TMOG posted...
He was piecing things together pretty well early in the investigation, but as soon as he saw the upside-down LEON he was like "oh, I guess that's it then". I had to really reassure him that the murders get less obvious after this one lol
I think case 2 is a pretty good mystery, but case 3 is almost as obvious as case 1 and case 4 while much better, isn't much harder to figure out. I think the series definitely gets better at that as it goes on, but not in the first game.

TMOG posted...
He's very happy that the trials are fully voice acted.
Have you been doing voices or just taking a pause before clicking to advance the dialogue so everyone has time to read it?

TMOG posted...
It's already getting to him how much the game/characters repeat themselves, lol. As soon as we were about to start the Closing Arguments comic I had to tease a little with "So, you know how much you hate everyone in this game constantly repeating what they just said?"
At least the closing argument does it in an engaging way, though I suppose that engagement isn't there as much when you're not the one playing it.

TMOG posted...
As Chapter 2 begins, he immediately notes that the cast already feels much smaller after those three deaths. Just wait, buddy.
Honestly yeah, when you start chapter 2 of the first game it just hits you in ways you get used to later on. It's great.

DodogamaRayBrst posted...
Have you been doing voices or just taking a pause before clicking to advance the dialogue so everyone has time to read it?
I've been waiting a bit before moving on to the next line, but there are some times that we feel like having a little fun and voice acting.

DodogamaRayBrst posted...
At least the closing argument does it in an engaging way, though I suppose that engagement isn't there as much when you're not the one playing it.
I've actually made a point of not just auto-solving everything right away, and let him tell me what he thinks the answers to things are. I've even picked answers that I knew were wrong just because they were what he thought was right. At best I'll give little hints to nudge him in the right direction if he seems stuck on something.
Current Events » Started replaying Danganronpa last night for a friend *series spoilers*