Board 8 > Rankings from a Lurker: Danganronpa (heavy spoilers for DR, DR2, and DRV3)

(+) Yeah! (+)

I feel like that hint is Ibuki, but that's impossible.
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there -might- be a DR2 girl that is better suited for a Nirvana reference than Ibuki

just sayin'
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If we're thinking the same, I feel like calling her better suited is a bit of a stretch.
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I would guess Toko since Toko smells...
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not as much as Mikan though

...

where is Mikan
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25. Sonia Nevermind
Appears in: Danganronpa 2
Ultimate Identity: Princess
Endearing Character Trait: Likes guns

Sonia is a pretty decent survivor, all things considered. Like most of the DR2 survivors, she doesn't really have much presence. What puts her ahead of people like Kazuichi and Akane is her interactions with other characters: her weird chemistry with Gundham, the way she shuts down advances from Kazuichi and Teruteru, even the way she's kind to that piece of garbage Hiyoko. Sonia is like a teammate who's not that special on their own, but makes people around them better.

She's also a walking talking Nirvana reference, so that doesn't hurt either. Truly a worthy heir to the four devas of destruction.

Next: Don't go thinking yer so bad just cause you wuz in SOLDIER.

I don't know anything about Nirvana, so no idea what you're talking about with that one unfortunately.
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24. Mukuro Ikusaba
Appears in: Danganronpa
Ultimate Identity: Soldier / Despair
Endearing Character Trait: She dies twice.

So to answer someone's earlier question - yes, I'm ranking Mukuro. At least in the games, we never truly see "Mukuro," just her impersonating Junko. I like how the game includes easter eggs that clue us into her true identity, like with her preferred gifts and some of her comments (her referring to her magazine shots as being photoshopped, for example). Her "why me?" when she gets speared takes on added layers when we realize that she was actually an accomplice / friend/ sister to the mastermind.

She's up this high solely for the major twist in Danganronpa's last chapter, which is just... really good. Of course, it wasn't that hard to figure out, once you saw the fake nails and the wolf tattoo. Still, it's weird to think back to DR and think about how shocking it was that Junko was the mastermind and that the earlier person we met wasn't actually Junko. A well done twist that didn't feel like an asspull.

I like to think that Mukuro wasn't as into despair as Junko was. That she liked and admired Junko and was kind of into despair, but not into the idea of dying as the ultimate despair. That way, what happens to her is tragic, rather than corny. More on despair when we inevitably get to Junko's write-up.

Next: You need me to throw balls at you guys? I got all kinds of balls.

I got a buzz goin, so I'm not gonna post anymore tonight, but thanks for reading my dumb opinions ya'll

more later today

23. Ryoma Hoshi
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Tennis Star
Endearing Character Trait: His misshapen body

Imagine Teruteru except edgy and badass. Now, instead of thinking that that's a bad idea, imagine that it's actually an idea that magically works. Ryoma has moments where I feared him, pitied him, and admired him all at once. He's another character that I thought would last longer than I thought. Alas, Ryoma dies at the hands of Kirumi, in what is commonly acknowledged as the worst chapter in V3.

It's corny, but I liked Ryoma's backstory. As a tennis fan/player, I certainly have fantasized about braining people with well-placed serves.

A lot of Ryoma's appeal is probably the juxtaposition between his voice and his appearance. That's a relatively simple, but pleasing, gag.

Next: Here Comes Fan Service (part 1)

22. Mikan Tsumiki
Appears in: Danganronpa 2
Ultimate Identity: Nurse
Endearing Character Trait: Bandages hands

Mikan can be polarizing, I take it. Her voice is annoying and her personality leaves a lot to be desired. I like my DR female characters to have a little self-confidence. As a fan-service character, she's a failed one (her scene in the kitchen is just groan inducing). Save it for the professionals, Mikan.

In daily life and trials, Mikan is just kind of there. She'll occasionally have something interesting to say, but she's mostly there to be the butt of jokes.

Still, this doesn't change the fact that Mikan is one of the only Ultimate Despairs to get some hint of a backstory within the game of DR2. Learning of her past marked a strong turning point in the game, and to me, marks the beginning of the best stretch of chapters in the DR series. One of my fan theories was that she and Hajime were in a relationship and that the person she was talking about was actually Hajime. Knowing it was just Junko worship was a tad disappointing.

Next: It's a trap.

bump

colliding posted...

25. Sonia Nevermind
Appears in: Danganronpa 2
Ultimate Identity: Princess
Endearing Character Trait: Likes guns

Sonia is a pretty decent survivor, all things considered. Like most of the DR2 survivors, she doesn't really have much presence. What puts her ahead of people like Kazuichi and Akane is her interactions with other characters: her weird chemistry with Gundham, the way she shuts down advances from Kazuichi and Teruteru, even the way she's kind to that piece of garbage Hiyoko. Sonia is like a teammate who's not that special on their own, but makes people around them better.

She's also a walking talking Nirvana reference, so that doesn't hurt either. Truly a worthy heir to the four devas of destruction.

Next: Don't go thinking yer so bad just cause you wuz in SOLDIER.

Does Sonia not have much presence? The game really makes her look suspicious through at least two trials, and her relationship with Gundham is fantastic. She gets some of the best dialogue in the game. Most importantly, she delivers the strongest specific moment of any trial as she refuses to believe the truth of case 5.
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Sonia/Gundham is the best couple in the series
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I guess "presence" is relative. She's certainly made to seem suspicious, and she's probably the best survivor of DR2, but she's not a particularly well-rounded character I feel. I will say her dialogue is often very funny.

Best couple? Slow your roll.

By far the best couple. No one else really compares (other than maybe Junko x Mukuro...)
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Janus5k posted...

Sonia/Gundham is the best couple in the series

Even if this is true, I really think that's almost entirely because Gundham is great.
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Sceptilesolar posted...

Janus5k posted...

Sonia/Gundham is the best couple in the series

Even if this is true, I really think that's almost entirely because Gundham is great.

This. There's a reason Gundham hasn't appeared on this list yet.

21. Chihiro Fujisaki
Appears in: Danganronpa
Ultimate Identity: Programmer
Endearing Character Trait: Comes back to life as a computer, gets killed again

Chihiro is a hard character to rank. I feel like his character is one of the most important to the overall themes of DR: AI, artificial worlds, deception, and despair. When he creates Alter Ego, he does more than simply create an AI for himself: he sets the mold for DR2 to occur and sets up a ton of references and themes in V3. If an AI can have emotions, then so can fictional characters I guess.

That being said, I don't really like him very much. Surprise gender swaps are not high on my favorite list of twists. I will grant that this particular gender swap was not as obvious as games like P4 or the Ace Attorney series.

So I'm conflicted - Chihiro is obviously important, but he dies really early and becomes relatively boring after that.

Next: New Tier Unlocked! And speaking of AI's...

I think Kaito/Harumaki take that claim pretty easy...
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Mikan too low but I can understand that

Sonia is way too low and I can't understand that
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Here comes keebo maybe
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LapisLazuli posted...

I think Kaito/Harumaki take that claim pretty easy...

lol
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I also laugh in agreement.
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Recap:

Box of Tissues
48. Hiyoko Saionji
47. Leon Kuwata

Monkey Paw
46. Mahiru Koizumi
45. Celestia Ludeberg
44. Korekiyo Shinguji
43. Teruteru Hanamura
42. Ultimate Imposter
41. Sayaka Maizono

Secret Boots
40. Tsumugi Shirogane
39. Hifumi Yamada
38. Kiyotaka Ishimaru
37. Peko Pekoyama
36. Mondo Owata
35. Angie Yonaga
34. Akane Owari
33. Tenko Chabashira
32. Kazuichi Soda
31. Gonta Gokuhara

Rose in Vitro
30. Sakura Ogami
29. Kirumi Tojo
28. Nekomaru Nidai
27. Himiko Yumeno
26. Yasuhiro Hagakure
25. Sonia Nevermind
24. Mukuro Ikusaba
23. Ryoma Hoshi
22. Mikan Tsumiki
21. Chihiro Fujisaki

New Tier Unlocked: Eternal Friendship Bracelet

20. K1-B0
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Robot
Endearing Character Trait: Calls out Robophobia wherever he sees it

K1-B0 is maybe the most disappointing DR character in history, yet he's still better than all these other wastes of memory. I say "disappointing," because his design is pretty cool and he was in a lot of promotional material for V3. I guess he ends up being "important," but like everything else, Chapter 6 kind of ruins it.

Pre Chapter 6, K1-B0 is a surprisingly one-note character. He says "robophobic" a lot, he gets assaulted by Miu, he has humorously quotidian special powers. They're funny jokes, but there's something about them that just makes it lame... like dad jokes or something.

My favorite K1-B0 moment, aside from the cheap tingles I get from his scene with Miu, is when his hair antenna drops off and he temporarily becomes awesome. I realize I'm falling into V3's trap, which is that I want him to end up being the embodiment of hope that his hair says that he is. But I mean, if he isn't that, isn't he just kind of a waste? If the whole point of V3 is to say that fictional lives matter, do they really if they end up not having any type of purpose or goal? Once again, V3 sacrifices satisfying character development for commentary on fictional media and audience involvement in fanbases. I guess what I'm saying is he shouldn't have died at the end.

I expected so much more from K1-B0. But I guess I shouldn't have expected such development from a robot.

Next: Dough or doughnuts. There are no fries. (speaking of dad jokes)

19. Aoi Asahina
Appears in: Danganronpa
Ultimate Identity: Swimmer
Endearing Character Trait: Likes to eat

Donuts donuts donuts donuts donuts.Some quality voice acting with this one. HIna is a survivor who, even though she's not all that "important," is still endearing, unlike most of the survivors in these games. You're glad this one makes it.

There's not much here not to like: kind, attractive, funny, not super-smart but not dumb either. Hina's the total package when it comes to "best girl" material, even though she's not the best girl from the first DR.

As I talked about with Sakura, Hina's friendship with her was interesting in a sister/rival/friend/more than friends kind of way. Also, Hina's "plan" was actually kind of smart. The only reason it didn't work was because of some nonsensical "it's on top of the glass" explanation.

She's a fun and pleasant character. I don't know what else to say. Sorry, I've got Gordon Hayward's broken leg stuck in my head. Maybe I'll add more to this at some other point, but probably not.

Next: A main character appears.

Asahina 100% bland.
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LapisLazuli posted...

I don't know anything about Nirvana, so no idea what you're talking about with that one unfortunately.

Nevermind is the name of a Nirvana album and Novoselic is the last name of one of the members of the band
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Up for future reading
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18. Shuichi Saihara
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Detective
Endearing Character Trait: The Worst Ultimate Detective

Controversial call here, I know. Shuichi is an aggravating-loser-type protagonist, like Shinji from Evangelion or Young Simon from Gurren Lagann. Unlike Young Simon, he doesn't eventually triumph over his insecurities and turn into a hero. Unlike Shinji, he doesn't serve as total deconstruction of the genre or a metaphor. He's just a guy full of doubts who never really quite takes that next step.

While I like Kaede more than Shuichi, I don't think her early demise makes me prejudiced toward Shuichi. I gave him plenty of chances, but he insists on doing things that make me hate him. Part of this is intentional - I know - because of the theme of truth vs. lies. The truth hurts and that means you have to be a jerk. Still, he's not a particularly fun or interesting lead character.

Thanks to Chapter 6, we know he's not really an Ultimate Detective, so we really don't know anything about him. Sure, you could say that about all the characters in V3, but Shuichi feels particularly empty.

His character design is kind of interesting, but only if he's evil. As a good guy it doesn't really make sense. Finally, his voice acting is bad. All this means that Shuichi is the worst protagonist.

Next: *achoo*

Yeah, a world in which Makoto, the blandest least interesting protagonist imagineable, is inferior to Shuichi is not a world I live in.
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Everything you said about Shuichi in that post was negative. Why do you have him so high?
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Everything you said about Shuichi in that post was negative. Why do you have him so high?

Good question. One, he's part of what I call "the friends trio," which I'll talk more about later. Two, he is a protagonist, so a certain amount of leeway has to be given in these types of games. He's obviously an important part of the V3 experience. Three, even if I don't think he was fully realized, the idea of him as a "truth" focused character, as opposed to a "hope" focused character, is intriguing.

17. Toko Fukawa / Genocide Jack/Jill
Appears in: Danganronpa, UDG
Ultimate Identity: Writer / Serial Killer
Endearing Character Trait: "Schizophrenia"

Look, I like Erin Fitzgerald as a voice actor as much as anybody. I'll admit that she does great work here. But like many of her characters, Toko gets annoying. Which is part of the point, I suppose, but still.

There's really no point separating Toko and GJ. Without GJ, Toko would be a nothing character. Without Toko, GJ would be boring as well. The whole likability of this character depends on the "schizophrenia" angle, which, as the quotes signify, I find to be problematic. I know schizophrenia is a trope that's been done to death, and that DR makes its money by embracing the mystery novel tropes of yesteryear, but... schizophrenia isn't like this. Neither is multiple personality disorder (which aren't the same). I hate to nitpick, but that cliche has always bothered me.

I also would've liked GJ to be more unhinged/violent than she actually is. It seems like they're going for some weird anti-hero angle with her and I'm not really buying it.

That being said, Toko has some good moments. While some of her Byakuya fixations are... disturbing... others are kind of funny. GJ is actually really fun to have during trials. She's just a really out of nowhere, bizarre character, and again, that mixture of macabre and wacky is what DR is all about.

Next: It's voting time! Who's better: Ibuki or Miu? You have 24 hours. Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one?

colliding posted...

Look, I like Erin Fitzgerald as a voice actor as much as anybody.

*coughChiecough*
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Bump
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seriously you all need to vote

Oh did we actually need to

I thought Ibuki > Miu was a given
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Miu > Ibuki

Miu top tier, pretty sure she is my favourite V3 character or maybe Gonta (at Chapter 5 now)
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I am actually incredibly upset at the idea of having to rate Miu against Ibuki.

I.....I GUESS I'm gonna go with Ibuki?

My top 10 is something like....

10. Hajime
9. Chiaki
8. Junko
7. Gonta
6. Nagito
5. Gundahm
4. Fuyuhiko
3. Miu
2. Ibuki
1. Kokichi

Though I only just put that together on the spot.
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Miu obv
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Oh yes I've never done this for Danga uh let's see...

1. Gundham
2. Chiaki
3. Sakura
4. Sonia
5. Miu
6. Kaede
7. Aoi
8. Gonta
9. Junko
10. Chihiro

Something like that
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Up
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So... I guess you guys were all tied up on the Miu/Ibuki vote, so I'll just go with my gut and ruin LtM's day.

16. Ibuki Mioda
Appears in: Danganronpa 2
Ultimate Identity: Musician
Endearing Character Trait: Pointing!

Ibuki is a personal favorite of mine based on personality alone. She's super funny and expressive. I legitimately think "From Me to You" is a good song. The developers really use her design and sprites to full effect.

Unexpectedly, we learn a lot about Ibuki in the story. It's not particularly important information mind you, but we know that she's in a pop band, she has a rivalry with another band, she's pretty optimistic and upbeat. All around, she's not necessarily an important part of the Dangan mythos, but it doesn't really matter.

Ibuki's death, even though we all hate it, is kind of cool. The video mystery is pretty interesting and was kind of tricky to figure it out. She doesn't have a lot of screentime, but I definitely understand why she's so popular.

15. Miu Iruma
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Inventor
Endearing Character Trait: Fan service queen

God, where to start with Miu? "Tsundere" doesn't quite cut it. One minute she's sexual, the next she's embarrassed. She'll be arousing, and then she'll start talking about her dumps. Just when you think there's nothing to her, she'll actually have an intelligent idea. It's hard to keep up with, honestly.

The thing about Miu is that no matter what side of her you're seeing, she remains appealing. Most characters in DR have a few endearing aspects to them, but even when Miu is being absolutely disgusting, she's still funny. You get the feeling that her sexuality is a bit of a performance that masks some real insecurities. This saves her from just being a thrown-in character for T&A.

Like I said, she's actually smart. She fixes the cameras, creates the top-down drone thing, basically hacks into the virtual world and somehow creates a really good plan to murder Kokichi. I still dont' quite get how her plan didn't work / how Kokichi figured it out. Maybe she was too suspicious leading up to it? Her death is actually... disappointing in a way? I'm not a sadist or anything, but the virtual world kind angle kind of reduced the shock of that murder.

Her voice acting is probably the best in V3. I can only imagine the face this person made reading some of these lines. I never thought I'd hear someone called a *** dumpster in a non-porn video game before, much less hear someone enjoyed to be called that.

Next: "Fist of Justice"

Neither of these being in the top ten is a big enough fail as it is.
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True. I don't really take much issue with who's on top between them, though, so hardly ruining mu day.

The tragic thing about Miu is you have to imagine she was designed by Shirogane amd the producers to be the total fanservice character. Imagine having your entire personality manufactured specifically to show off your tits for an audience.
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The real tragic thing about her is how terrible her FTEs are
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You don't like her going Yandere at the end there?
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