Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School: Future Arc
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wolf10
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First off, I think there need to be ground rules for spoilers here. Since this is the end of the Hope's Peak games, we don't have to qualify and spoiler-tag every little thing, right? I mean, the end of the review just gave away Ultra Despair Girls.
Moving along... What hurts most about Aoi is that she's not just joining Sakura, she's joining her too-precious-for-this-spinoff brother as well. It doesn't matter how much you overcome or who you're surviving for: once the killing starts, nobody is safe. Thanks for the refresher, Kodaka. Then again, Aoi's death also sends the series into dangerous territory. Danganronpa was pretty carefully constructed to ensure that for all their plot involvement, no murders ever became the key to solving the whole thing, specifically avoiding sending the message that any character's death was "necessary." That sort of thinking actually causes Naegi to have a mental breakdown in the "bad end" of the fifth chapter, when you can choose to sacrifice Kyoko to end the killing game. (Obviously Mukuro!Junko was a pretty important death, but unlike the rest of them, hers was planned in advance and executed by Junko herself. The sacrifice of her sister ultimately led to her downfall.) So as much as we want Aoi's death to have some deeper meaning, it can't. It was senseless and cruel, but in order for the series to maintain its current stance on hope, it can't become necessary, barring some reveal that completely changes its context from something other than victim-of-the-week. |
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justsomeaccount
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^ I don't think he means specifically in a plot-driven material sense, but in a characterization / thematic one. Which it's not always 100% true (both 3rd chapters in both games are the most shallow overall, and in both of them a developed character (Ishimaru and Hiyoko) is brutally killed off), but the rest of the time it usually develops the other characters (even the victim and/or killer) and tries to give a sense of progression and learning about different circunstances and attitudes, and in the characterization of the survivors they can still have the dead ones in mind later (Akane with Nekomaru, Fuyuhiko with Peko, Aoi with Sakura, Sonia with Gundham, etc.). That's big part of why the games feel so solid and satisfying.
I wasn't sold on the first episode but after the intersection with the Despair Arc and this more intense second episode I'm more sold and hooked. First off I liked they changed the game to the Werewolf one because it's more suited for an anime format with 12 episodes and it's already intense. I also was very sad Aoi was killed off (all the dark-skinned ones in one episode, damn it!). Though, to be honest, as someone who didn't play Ultra Despair Girls, that weelchair girl mostly reminded me of Chiaki (it could be possible she didn't die and made a clone of herself for the simulation of the second game, and it would also link Usami/Monomi and her more) so just throwing it out there, it will depend of how both series will go on of course. I hope Ultra Despair Girls isn't very heavy, twisty and wacky on plot because I haven't played it (no Vita) and I don't like watching walkthroughs, yet I will keep reading these reviews. Of course, that's my responsibility so talk about it as much as you want or feel necessary 
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iatheia
Posts: 130 |
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It's not really much of a surprise that Aoi was killed. They needed to kill off someone from the original cast to show that no one is safe. They 100% wouldn't have touched Naegi, since he is the protagonist, and the plot armor can't erode that much. It's highly doubtful that they would have touched Kirigiri, given her major part in the previous two games, so also has protection by the plot armor. It would have been either Aoi or Hagakure, and the latter didn't show up in the episode at all (is he even a part of this game yet), and the former had one million death flags pop up this episode from the very beginning.
Of course, it's a pity that everyone else, even Hagakure, had their own spin-off while Aoi had absolutely nothing. What I didn't like this episode most of all was how OOC Naegi has been. "Trust in my luck" - since when you yourself trust in your luck? (and it has been revealed more or less that it is power of misfortune, not luck) My money is most probably on the Monomi-impersonator being the traitor. Don't forget that she was in the room with Naegi and Aoi. Not because of Monaca, she is not old enough to be in this group, let alone have this much of a backstory. Probably no more than a year have passed since UDG. But if she was the one to create the New World Program, that is super suspicious. I know that it was technically Hajime who brought the virus in, but it had to have fallen on a fertile soil, so to speak. |
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wolf10
Posts: 901 |
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TheFlu
Posts: 5 |
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On the subject of the Ultimate Therapist, I think there are multiple people that should could be. And within those possibilities there are multiple roles that she could be playing.
1) Monoca as Jake points out. If you have played UDG everything about her screams Monoca. What I think is more interesting about her if she is Monoca is what her role in the game is. I also like the idea of her being Monoca as otherwise the promise of her eventual return in some form at the end of UDG is an unresolved thread. a) The traitor/killer, this seems like the least likely option to me personally. I think this is too easy. I also don't think it would be the best use of Monoca in a thematic sense if that were the case b) She was not aware that the killings would happen and is stuck in the middle of this crazy game. This is partially because of Dangan Ronpa tradition of having one "bad" ally (Genocider/Togami in 1, Nagito in 2). Someone who adds flavor to the cast of relatively agreeable people. c) She is the mastermind. This is currently the conclusion that makes the most sense with the evidence at hand. However, I don't think it would feel satisfying to have her be the one who planned everything out. 2) Chiaki from Despair Arc: This appeals to me for two reasons, the creator of Neo World being a gamer and designing it as a game would explain a lot about the way that world works as well as how the Chiaki in DR2 came about. It would also still imply something really bad happened to her in Despair Arc and YAY Chiaki. Options for her role are more interesting though. a) She is the killer/traitor. It would explain Hina's death, she was in the same room. Also implies changes to her over time. But I personally dislike this option as once again it doesn't feel right. I do feel making Chiaki a killer in this game is a very Kodaka move though. b) She has no role. Also eh on this. Like I would like it the best as a Chiaki fan. I am just not sure what it would ultimately mean. If you are going bring Chiaki back I feel you have to do something with that. Despair is obviously building her into something and as a result c) I think the best role for her if she is Chiaki is mastermind. This comes down to the fact that I think it would be very potent to the fans to see Chiaki do that. And I feel like the character Despair Arc has built has room for that Despair. It also feels like a very Kodaka move 3) She is who she says she is and all this speculation is a huge Red Herring. I dislike this personally, but I can totally see this happening. If that happens I don't think its as interesting to speculate her role as she is a new character we know basically nothing about. Ultimately I would prefer her identity to be either 1) or 2) but with current evidence it is hard to make a claim about who she is in anyway. Side note: This is my first post in the forums, been lurking for a while though. |
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Pidgeot18
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Ooh, boy, real speculation on the killer time!
One thing that I think is key to determining the culprit is knowing what everyone's forbidden action is. We know Naegi's (he can't run). Kirigiri's forbidden action is likely something to shut down her role as detective. Given her statements, I could imagine it being that she can't learn the forbidden action of anyone who's alive. I also suspect the killer is not anyone who targeted Naegi in the first guess. The killer likely wants to make Naegi in particular suffer, and trying to see him killed off early on isn't going to do that. It also makes for more opportunities to pretend to be acting in his favor when working against him. This makes Tengan, Kizakura, Gekkougahara, Mitarai, and The Great Gozu suspicious. I'm going to buck the trend here and suggest it's the Great Gozu, for a simple (but probably too obvious reason): he picked up Naegi and carried him to avoid Naegi's forbidden action, but Naegi only ever told Asahina about it. |
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Hameyadea
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Was it explained in the games why only Naegi is still with his high-school powers while the rest have the "Former" attached to them?
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wolf10
Posts: 901 |
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Technically, everyone still has their talents, but they're former in so far as not being "High-School Level" Ultimates anymore. Leaving off that part of the title was a fine localization choice up until it was directly addressed in a sentence.
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theNightster
Posts: 1328 |
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spoiler[they killed my favorite character from the first game
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MiloTheFirst
Posts: 429 |
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I am actually getting annoyed at how stupidly most of the characters are acting only for the sake of plot progression. one thing is suspecting makoto, another entirely is not analyzing the situation at all. he just arrived to the island(?) how could he have possibly set any of this up? or are you telling me that after explicitly suspecting him of treason they neither monitor him nor check the helicopter he came from (which most definitively was sent by them) or that they did and couldn't find the wristbands and massive load of bombs, gas and poison this whole scheme has involved so far. how did he get the first victim over the lamp? he is one of the apparently few people in that room that does not have super strength.
I can get behind the idea that they were traumatized to some extent by the so called "most tragic (...) despair inducing event of human history" but if they are still alive it means they were capable of working as a team, if so then why did they so easily so eagerly jumped to the hostility band-wagon? why would they sit with a bored look while one of their guys spreads senseless violence (against naegi) for his own satisfaction. why did the series narrate they went through hell and back together and then show them eager to sell each other out or just plain apathetic to each other's suffering? one thing is trying to depict humanity as weak or despicable when faced with fear, another entirely is not giving the characters a consistent thought process And oh god, don't get me started with the katana wielder former student council president. how is anyone at all ok with anything he said??? one thing is being ruthless, another entirely is straight out saying "as long as I remain alive by the end I don't mind getting all of you executed one by one just to double check", how is people not straight out stripping him of any authority he had. what could be more despair inducing that being potentially killed out of someone else's fear, and he is proposing just that, as his very first suggestion no less. that dude is smart, how could he not realize that proposing such course of action would only cause people to panic and thus intensify the killing?. If these people really hate despair so much why do they breed it so easily? I am sorry but this whole situation just seemed to me as "bad writing for the sake of pretentiousness" On a side note, as some already pointed out the fact that nanami spoiler[is actually a real person and yet her character on the virtual "rehab" was just an AI suggest the real person is still out there, and might as well be a remnant of despair, unless she is killed during the events of the despair arc of course. so it isn't out of the question that she might have a part on this death game] Didn't catch the suggestions of monaca, now that is intriguing |
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Vannil
 Posts: 240 |
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I am guessing and probably really reaching, but i think the point of the whole "game" is to try and make Naegi the next ultimate despair. By killing off one of his biggest allies, make the others turn against him, and ultimately lose hope, which would make him lose his second ultimate status title spoiler[the ultimate hope].
The whole Monoca/ Chiaki is Girl in wheelchair character being the gamemaster doesn't really make sense as the anime is supposed to placed somewhere first and second games, so it she wouldn't look that old. Chiaki could make sense as the second series/ companion series chiaki as she seems to be very much like the one from the game, and could provide a reason as to why spoiler[the chiaki in the game was just a computer program and not the character's virtual avatar]. Otherwise I wonder how the other series will expalin her absence and other the classes decent into despair Otherwise, this going to be pretty cool to see what happens. Last edited by Vannil on Sun Jul 24, 2016 1:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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iatheia
Posts: 130 |
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Can we not use spoiler markers in this thread? The very beginning of the review states that the familiarity with the games is assumed, and everyone should proceed at their own risk. The review itself doesn't shy away from references either. And putting spoiler markers for the things that happen in episode is just stupid, considering that people specifically come here with the purposes of discussing what they've just seen.
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GeneStriker
Posts: 156 |
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Everyone bringing up the wheelchair as evidence that Gekkogahara is Monaca seems to be forgetting something.
Monaca isn't a cripple. She was faking it to get sympathy, and the control that came with it; she never needed it in the first place. The wheelchair is not cause for suspicion because there's no way they'd pull that card twice. |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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But at the end of Ultra Despair Girls, her legs were crushed for real. DANGANRONPA! |
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GeneStriker
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