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

(+) Yeah! (+)

*thumbs down* FUCKING VIRGINS
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She doesn't even go yandere! She just...falls in love with him for no reason. It feels really strange. Her FTEs with Kaede were weird too (mainly the "Kaede has a flat chest" thing which made zero sense).
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For all her talk, I get the feeling she's actually a virgin

That would be typical shitty Japanese writing. They like to pretend everyone is a virgin, no matter how little sense it makes.
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I know, maybe I have been watching a lot of anime lately to think that way

I dunno.

She has that sprite with the big purple spiky dildo.

I think she's the real deal.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

The real tragic thing about her is how terrible her FTEs are

What
They were the most fun FTE in the game
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yeah, I thought her FTE was good - I also think it doesn't make sense though

14. Makoto Naegi
Appears in: Danganronpa
Ultimate Identity: Lucky Student/ Hope
Endearing Character Trait: Unflaggingly "main-character-like"

Yay! Makoto's here! Now you guys can stop giving me a hard time about how boring he is.

Makoto actually isn't completely boring, though. Unlike Shuichi, you learn a bit about his backstory, including the fact that he's just an ordinary, regular boy with a younger sister who loves him (Japan...). Despite this relatively bland existence, Makoto makes it into Hopes Peak and ends up being the key figure of the first killing game. Unlike Shuichi, who I feel relies upon Kaito and Maki quite a bit, Makoto is more of his own person - though Kyoko and Byakuya both upstage him at particular points.

Plus, main characters deserve a bit of "list armor." You're around them a lot, they're meant to be a bit open for interpretation, and they're meant to be relatively even-keeled. It's Makoto who's progressing the story along. Without Makoto, none of the other characters are the way they are, because you're seeing them through the protagonists perspective. As a protagonist, as long as you don't actively piss off the player, you deserve a bit of leeway for being a little boring.

Makoto goes on to lead the Future Foundation, I guess. I'm not a huge fan of that particular development, but whatever.

Next: I'm going to put an end to this list *KLONK* (massive bleeding from the head region)

colliding posted...

Unlike Shuichi, who I feel relies upon Kaito and Maki quite a bit, Makoto is more of his own person - though Kyoko and Byakuya both upstage him at particular points

The entire game is Kyoko holding his hand. I believe there is one, maybe two instances to the contrary.
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colliding posted...

Next: I'm going to put an end to this list *KLONK* (massive bleeding from the head region)

man I thought this was Kokichi for a second and was about to be mad at him being below Rantaro until I realized it was probably Rantaro
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Miu reminds me a lot of someone I know in real life, so I couldn't help but draw comparisons as she referred to herself as a w****, ***-dumpster, etc. I initially really disliked her for this reason, as I'm not very close with the person she reminds me of.

Yet, that's where fiction somehow surpasses real-life. Miu is talented, she's outspoken, she has the occasional funny line and flashes of brilliance. I have no idea how a fictional character is more well-developed than an actual flesh-and-blood human being.
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Traits that are annoying or bad in real life often lead to great fictional characters
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Traits that are annoying or bad in real life often lead to great fictional characters

Truest words in this topic
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You tend to only see one side of someone in real life if they're an acquaintance, while a fictional character was designed to be explored in-depth, so it only makes sense that people in real life seem shallower, because you're not spending as much time with them.

On the other hand, this girl also told me she didn't have any hobbies. I'm not entirely sure what she does with her free time.
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Big Bob posted...

You tend to only see one side of someone in real life if they're an acquaintance, while a fictional character was designed to be explored in-depth, so it only makes sense that people in real life seem shallower, because you're not spending as much time with them.

On the other hand, this girl also told me she didn't have any hobbies. I'm not entirely sure what she does with her free time.

What if she is just a nerd that is afraid to admit it but she watch anime and play video games and visit Board 8
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Thinking of just powering through and knocking out this list tonight. Maybe. We'll see.

13. Rantaro Amami
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Survivor
Endearing Character Trait: Competence

Even though I didn't really like the ending of V3, the idea of there being an "Ultimate Survivor" is a damn good one. Again, I have no problems with the characters having false identities and that they are part of a TV program. My main problems are with how everything is presented in an overbearingly "meta" way.

Rantaro was the most interesting character at the beginning of V3 so of course it makes sense that he gets killed right away. Still, the impression he made in such a short time was impressive. I kept thinking about who he was the rest of the game. One of my crazy theories involved him being Monodam, because they're both green. Yeah, that's the only evidence I had but I WAS SURE I WAS RIGHT.

They really should have given us a "4-0" like flashback to Danganronpa V2 though. Real missed opportunity there.

Next: Later, Buddy

Playing through as Amami in the board game was such a strange experience, because he's he's a pretty damn interesting character and he has more total lines there than the entirety of the game proper.
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12. Kaito Momota
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Astronaut
Endearing Character Trait: Perpetually dying

Ladies and gentlemen, the luminary of the stars! King of death flags!

I've seen a lot of people not like Kaito because he's "too positive" or "annoying." Well, these people are wrong. Kaito is one of the series' biggest successes, in that he actively plays with the series expectations, subverting cliches and tropes while being the crux of the most emotional DR story. The writers throw death flags at you relentlessly, (not to mention murderer flags), and Kaito joyously shuts those down. Acting suspicious in Chapter 3? Oh, that's because I'm deathly afraid of the occult! Mysteriously vanishes in Chapter 4? Yeah, Miu did that. Kaito exists to play with expectations, and he does it well.

V3 has the best story of the series and it's not really close (again, this is knowing that the ending of V3 effectively undermines the story itself). One reason why the story is so good is because you actually have relationships that feel real. The "friend trio" of Shuichi, Maki, and Kaito is one of the most likable in any video game I've played - and yes, I'm aware that he's basically Kamina and they're Simon and Yoko. We've all seen TTGL and it's worthy of whatever homages it gets.

Kaito begins as a type of romantic rival with Shinji for Kaede's affections. When Kaede croaks, instead of becoming a villain - the expected route - he actually becomes a rival/brother figure for Shuichi. The friendship feels earned and real. And again, when his optimism brings Maki into the fold, it doesn't feel like he's being shifty or pervy - he's just a good dude. I'm not a "shipper," but I can appreciate when a game writes chemistry effectively.

Chapter 5 is pretty good, though I can't help but feel a tad disappointed by it too. Like, it's kind of obvious that Kaito is in the Exisal the whole time, right? It's fun figuring out how the body switch took place, but it also feels a bit unsurprising - more on this chapter when we get to Kokichi.

Kaito probably notches the biggest victory of the series too, when he dies before Monokuma's execution can actually kill him. It's one of the series' best moments: a perfect mix of tragic and triumphant.

I originally had Kaito much higher (hence all the writing), but the more I thought about him, the more I realized that - as awesome as he is - he is relatively "samey." And yeah - he is super positive in an annoying way sometimes. Still - gotta give him props.

Next: Puhuhu...

LapisLazuli posted...

Playing through as Amami in the board game was such a strange experience, because he's he's a pretty damn interesting character and he has more total lines there than the entirety of the game proper.

I really can't get into the board game. I usually like the post game stuff in DR, but I dunno, this just felt like a big ol waste of time. It reminds me of Birth By Sleep's terrible board game.

You could ignore the leveling aspect and just play on the friendship board to see all the scenes.

Or just watch them on youtube.
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Looks like my boy Ouma is getting his top 10 slot.
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colliding posted...

Kaito is one of the series' biggest successes, in that he actively plays with the series expectations, subverting cliches and tropes while being the crux of the most emotional DR story. The writers throw death flags at you relentlessly, (not to mention murderer flags), and Kaito joyously shuts those down. Acting suspicious in Chapter 3? Oh, that's because I'm deathly afraid of the occult! Mysteriously vanishes in Chapter 4? Yeah, Miu did that. Kaito exists to play with expectations, and he does it well.

Eh, I sort of figured he wasn't going out until Chapter 5 - losing him and Kokichi was the equivalent of losing Chiaki and that other guy.

I did think it was funny that they gave him a few death flags in Chapter 2 though.
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I actually legit thought it was gonna be Kaito for a minute there, even AFTER seeing that they were likely going for a red herring.
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Also this is a really good top 10 aside from Nagito.
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11. Junko Enoshima
Appears in: All of them
Ultimate Identity: Despair/Fashionista
Enduring Character Trait: Evil Incarnate

Here she is. Junko goddamn Enoshima. The most evil fictional character of all time? Probably not, but she could probably be in the conversation.

As DR has grown in popularity, Junko has become a more and more iconic figure. Were we to ever have another character battle (ahem), I would wager that Junko would be the most likely DR representative due to her character design and overall importance to the series.

Because as much as this series is about puzzle solving, trials, and weird dating sim stuff, it's really about Junko. I mean, it's part of her character: she has so much "charisma" that she throws the whole world into despair! I mean, it's corny and I never really bought it, but that's the way that it is. (Apparently the anime goes into more detail about how she actually did it, but again, don't care).

She's also Monokuma, I guess, so his good moments are her good moments too. Though thinking about that too much doesn't really make much sense. Monokuma's wacky but Junko is more just plain erratic. Something doesn't line up there, but you just have to accept it.

I actually think Junko is pretty annoying. The multiple personality stuff was insufferable in DR1. You also know that whenever Junko shows up you're about to get an exposition/wrap-up dumpage of text.

Junko, to me, works better as an ideal than an actual character. Still, it's Junko, so she has to be pretty high up.

Next: Do you wanna die?

Is tenko on the list yet
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greengravy294 posted...

Is tenko on the list yet

See no. 33

=(
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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

Eternal Friendship Bracelet
20. K1-B0
19. Aoi Asahina
18 Shuichi Saihara
17. Toko Fukawa
16. Ibuki Mioda
15. Miu Iruma
14. Makoto Naegi
13. Rantaro Amami
12. Kaito Momota
11. Junko Enoshima

New Tier Unlocked: Hope's Peak Class Ring

I thought I was mad that Miu is too low, but wow at Junko missing top 10!

(Although I do factor in the stuff outside the games. I think Junko is at her best in DR0)
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OK, never mind about powering through. I'm done with the list for tonight. But here, in honor of Ibuki, have a bonus list.

Top 10 Danganronpa Soundtrack Songs:
10. Climactic Reasoning (DR1 &2)
9. Rise and Shine, Ursine! (DR3)
8. Beautiful Ruin [Summer Salt Edition] (DR2)
7. Darkness Time (DR3)
6. Class Trial - Solar(DR)
5. Third Island Theme - (DR2)
4. Debate Scrum (DR3)
3. Ikoroshia (DR2)
2. Discussion - Heat Up (DR)
1. Class Trial - Future Part (DR2)

HM: New World Order, but only sometimes.

I'm not giving you the links. Look them up you bums!

needs more Hope Searching tbqh
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Rise And Shine, Ursine has to be the weirdest song that I really hated at first but actually ended up loving it.

Weird
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Rantaro feels impossible to rank, simply because his "character" is on a plane of existence outside of everybody else's. His backstory is the backstory of DRV3. You can't judge his motivations in the same way as everybody else, so it's odd to even have him on the list. (To clarify, this isn't criticism of your list - I'm just pointing out the oddity of it)

If we had another character battle, I'd refrain from Junko, just because nominating her would be a massive spoiler. I'd personally recommend Monokuma, because he's recognizable enough as the face of the series.

Though if we had to have a "real" DR character representative, it'd probably be Byakuya, Chiaki, Nagito, or Kokichi. None of which you've ranked yet, so good job there!
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bump

more later, but I'm gonna have a busy few days, so keep an eye on this topic please. thanks.

Bump

10. Maki Harakawa
Appears in: Danganronpa V3
Ultimate Identity: Child caregiver / Assassin
Endearing Character Trait: Killer with a heart of gold

Top ten time. As much as I would love to go into more detail with these people, I just plain don't have the time. Let's just say that these are not necessarily my favorite characters from a pure likeability standpoint, but moreso from a development/purpose/execution perspective.

Maki is not a particularly original character. Let's face it: there's been a lot of female teen assassins coming out of Japan in recent years, and so the big reveal of her as a hired killer was not shocking. Perhaps even less shocking is her reasoning: to protect her friends in the orphanage, she sacrificed herself to become a professional blah blah blah.

So yeah, on one hand, we've heard it all before with Maki. But on another, there's just something about her that is remarkably likeable. A lot of it has to do, once again, with her dynamic with Kaito and Shuichi. For the first time in DR, you feel as though you have actual friendships and bonds to get you through the killing game.

Maki is written consistently throughout the game, and she rarely is annoying or overbearing. In many ways, she's like Kyoko, except less concerned with solving mysteries and more just... cool. And that's fine.

Btw, I'm really glad the game didn't try to force a love triangle thing with her, Shuichi, and Kaito. Not only would this have probably made me like Shuichi even less, it would ruin what is a perfectly good romance. There was a debate earlier about the best pairing in the series, and as much as I like Gundham, this is it.

Next: The only way to win is to quit playing.

9. Byakuya Togami
Appears in: Danganronpa
Ultimate Identity: Affluent Progeny
Endearing Character Trait: Has no problem remind you that he's better than you

You can easily make the argument that Byakuya is a jerk sociopath. He's in general a terrible human being... and that's exactly why he's this high on the list. I feel like people who don't like characters like Kokichi, Nagito and Byakuya have a completely different feeling toward this series than I do. Some people might be perfectly content getting to know these characters through their quirks and fetishes - I want characters who make the game interesting.

Byakuya is openly hostile to the ideas of teamwork and friendship from the beginning of the game. This is actually a perfectly natural response to being dropped in the middle of a killing game. As the game progresses, he barely becomes friendlier. The most you could say at the end is that he recognizes the importance of working together to eliminate the mastermind. This is a fine character arc, and his funding of the Future Foundation to in part restore his family name makes sense.

Byakuya's best (worst) moment is staging the body in Chapter 2. That takes 1) balls, and 2) a complete lack of human empathy. His second best moment is when he says he's "quit playing the game" and the music kicks in. Tied for his third best moment is every time he insults Toko.

I might have actually had Byakuya higher on this list if his character type wasn't re-used and improved upon in DR2 by someone who has yet to appear.

Next: It's kind of like if you played as Mia in Ace Attorney case 1-1.

I get why you're grouping them, but speaking as someone who has Byakuya in last place for the series and Kokichi in first, I don't think thoughts are always gonna line up there.
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Best line of Byakuya was in DR2, after it's revealed that the killing game is being broadcast.

Sonia: Oh no, I did some very... unqueenly things in front of those cameras!
Byakuya: You sure did.
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Byakuya and Kokichi are at the bottom of my list, while Nagito's up top. I think the three of them all have pretty distinct differences, especially as far as their motivation goes.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Byakuya and Kokichi are at the bottom of my list, while Nagito's up top. I think the three of them all have pretty distinct differences, especially as far as their motivation goes.

The only similarity to me is that they serve the role of 'in-group antagonist' that the games need until the final reveal of the true antagonist. Byakuya is just an asshole, Nagito is losing touch with reality, and Kokichi is a troll. Their function is similar, but their behaviors are distinct. The big thing for me is that Byakuya chooses not to question himself, Nagito is incapable of questioning himself, while Kokichi has simply been performing and is fully aware what he has been doing is awful. The latter two work better because they add an interesting take on how killing games can function.
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I don't like none of them but after the ending of V3 (beaten yesterday) I have a lot more sympathy for Kokichi.

Kokichi > Byakuya > Nagito

Nagito nevers stops being an a** basically
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Sympathy for Kokichi always confuses me, considering that there's nothing that comes later to justify him murdering Gonta.
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You can group them together, but I still don't think Byakuya is similar to them

Kokichi IS Nagito 2.0 though
And it pains me to say it because it's clear that they TRIED very hard to make him different, but still I couldn't shake off the feeling that both of them are very similar
Nagito is all about HOPE, Kokichi doesn't give a shit about hope or despair
Nagito doesn't care about killing people, Kokichi doesn't want to kill people and it's part of his organization (at least in the Japanese translation)
Kokichi is very self-aware, Nagito is not at all
Nagito endgame was to kill everyone, Kokichi endgame was to beat Monokuma

But still both of them are crazy and want to make chaos, both of them enjoys spoiling dark secrets like Maki Talent, and both of them doesn't care that everyone hates them
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Sympathy for Kokichi always confuses me, considering that there's nothing that comes later to justify him murdering Gonta.

But he doesn't murder Gonta...he convinces Gonta to protect him. You're really selling both characters short there.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Sympathy for Kokichi always confuses me, considering that there's nothing that comes later to justify him murdering Gonta.

I mean, it's not much different from Kyoko throwing Makoto under the bus in the first game.
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I think an important thing to consider about the end game characters of DRV3 is that 5 of them come to the conclusion that the best option is for everyone to die; Kokichi, meanwhile, is actively trying to break the system that is causing this.

Gonta, Maki, Kibo, Himiko, and Shuichi are all ready to die for this game to be over. In addition to lying, a major theme of this game is the idea of sacrifice. Kokichi, however, is using the situation to try and sacrifice himself to save the others. He's the only character beside Kaede who really seems to be fighting to save everyone else; he unfortunately has to sacrifice Gonta along the way to get a chance at his plan, but Gonta was also ready to be sacrificed.

Gonta, Maki, Kibo, Himiko, Shuichi, Kokichi, Ryoma, Kaede...hell, the entire cast at the end of case 2 is ready to sacrifice themselves for the "greater good."
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Janus5k posted...

Mac Arrowny posted...

Sympathy for Kokichi always confuses me, considering that there's nothing that comes later to justify him murdering Gonta.

I mean, it's not much different from Kyoko throwing Makoto under the bus in the first game.

hmmm. well, I won't really touch this except to say I'm pretty sure Kyoko would've felt really bad if Makoto had actually died and despite Kokichi's "no killing policy" I don't think he actually cared about Gonta