Part 54: Update LI

♪ BGM: Chapter Title ♫

Now, it's time to wrap this up.



Let's see what the story is going to give us to end it.





We begin with somebody familiar walking.



And he's carrying somebody familiar, too.



Mmm.
Oh? You're awake?



You were lucky. You would surely have perished if I wasn't there to save you.
...why?
I changed my mind and decided to stay in this town a while longer. And while I'm here, I figured I should see this through to the very end.
...that's not what I meant.
Oh, you mean why I saved you? Because... I'm the same as you. I'm disappointed with endings that waver between despair and hope. I wish a real war had started. If it did, I know a brilliant hope would have been born. That is why I allowed myself to be captured, after all.
So you did it... on purpose?
But... you weren't finished yet, right? Nothing has really changed since you began. So... I need you to continue working hard. So that a splendid hope may be born. You have tasted the bitter despair of having your meticulous plan fall apart around you, so I know you can do it.
Really... which side are you on?
Does it even matter?
Anyway... why don't you be the Successor for now? If that is your intention, I will lend you a hand. If... my schedule allows it, of course. There is somewhere I need to be later.
What do you mean?



I shall raise you to be her copy. One even more realistic than the real one...



Someone like me, who both hates and loves her more than anyone else... I should be able to make you more like her than even she herself was!



...gross.



And as Nagito and Monaca head off to an unknown destination, somebody else is carting around a wheelbarrow.



Hahaha! Are they still at it with that "Successor" or whatever?



You're talking too loud! They'll hear you!



They can hear all they fuckin' want! A bunch of chumps teamin' up together makes 'em suck even more!
Well, when you think about it, the plan was flawed from the beginning. Trying to create a successor while the original still exists?
I know this was kinda my idea, but kids sure are stupid idiots!
Not just the kids, the adults are idiots too. Just by causing a little unrest, just pushing them a teeny bit... I had them spinning around in the palms of my hands.
Heh, despite how you look, you sure are wicked inside. Even if the outside's white, the inside's pitch black! You a riceball or somethin'?
I may be wicked, but you are too. After all, we are...
No, not "we"... maybe "I"... or maybe...



It's me!
Puhuhuhu...
Well, they're pretty much the same.
White despair, black hope...
In the end, neither one.
But I guess that works too.
I mean, I didn't really give a damn about this town from the beginning.
The fact that those guys take an interest in this place will yield a much more fruitful harvest.



Hey, don't you think so?
Personally, I think they did a pretty good job for a group of kids.
Hey hey, don't you think so?
Thanks to them, the preparations are nearly complete!
Laying the foundations for the final match! It's so despairingly perfect!
Hey hey hey, don't y-



Oh...
You're so forceful...
What, what?
Am I being too noisy for ya?



I see...
I didn't know you still felt such emotions...
Or perhaps... you're forcing yourself to feel something in a situation like this? Well, not that it matters.
Anyway, I leave the rest to you.



Though I'm sure the next time I see you, you'll be someone else entirely.



Puhuhuhu... I hope you can at least have a little fun.
I hope the future's going to be one you can't predict.





So this is basically a whole bunch of sequel setup. In that the sequel being set up already has been released. So here's what we learned:

- Nagito is planning to turn Monaca into the Successor, using his obsession over Junko as a teaching aid, essentially. He also "needs to be somewhere later". The implication is that he's planning on turning himself in to Future Foundation to be involved in the events of DR2.
- Both Shirokuma's and Kurokuma's AIs were actually Junko AIs all along! So yeah, those of you that called Shirokuma as the spy in the resistance, pat yourself on the back, because you nailed it. I'm not sure if this actually explains why Shirokuma was able to pilot Big Bang Monokuma or not. I still haven't quite figured that out exactly, since even Monaca seemed to be surprised anybody that isn't Haiji is piloting it.
- The end here marks the appearance of Izuru Kamakura, the Ultimate Hope, formerly known as Hajime Hinata. Izuru tearing out the Junko AI chips from the robots here connects this to DR2, where he was the one that inserted the AI into the simulation as a virus. Izuru is also going to turn himself in to Future Foundation down the line.

It's not exactly any major reveals or twists, but I think we had enough of that in the last part of Chapter 5.



♪ BGM: The Day Before The Future ♫

Next, we cut to somewhere else.



I'm so relieved... I'm glad you're safe, Byakuya.



Are you outside Towa City? You must be if this connection is secure, right?
Yeah. I used the secret passageway under the shrine. The Captives are safe, thanks to the relative of that idiot we know so well. I'll introduce you to her later. She's much more talented and useful than he is.
What's your position? I'll send rescue right away.
Before you do... There's something you need to know.
...Huh?
Komaru Naegi and Toko Fukawa...are not with me.
Not with you? Why?
I'll let her explain.
Her...?
She asked that I send you this message. It might be garbled a bit, but it'll do.





You're surprised that I'm not leaving, right? Sorry for making you worry... There's...a lot I want to say...
But first, let me explain why I'm not there.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

We then cut to Byakuya, who was apparently just stuffed into some file storage. But then, we hear something from outside the room.

Wh-what are you saying? All this time, you were bawling about how you wanted to go home!



Oh, come on! I was not bawling! Don't make things up! Jeez!



♪ BGM: DSO_Welcome Despair Academy ♫

Why are you bringing up something like that? Do you feel responsible for their revenge?
But that wasn't your fault! You can't feel bad about that, not even a little!
No, that's not it... It doesn't matter whose fault it is. This is my decision.
Then why are you doing this? Didn't you want to get out of this place and live a normal, peaceful life?
But now you want to stay here? That's like... the complete opposite!
You're right.
You... It's not because...you feel despair...
No, o-of course not. I don't wanna get slapped again.
Then...why?
Even I'm not...totally sure... But earlier, when I said how I want to save both... All the scary feelings and hesitation I've felt were gone. Even though the odds were against us, for some reason... I felt courage. I think it's because I was confident that that was what I needed to do.
But...what would happen if I leave this town with you and Byakuya? What would happen if Future Foundation came here to suppress the riot and uncover the secret? And then, what would happen if the Remnants of Despair were to find this place...?

Komaru says "Remnants of Hope" here, but that's probably a mistake.

It would turn into a war... Just like Monaca said.
S-So you're saying you're going to be this town's hostage in place of Master?
...Until now, I kept relying on you, and I never really got to make decisions on my own. But I was like that even before I met you. I used to give up all the time...
But the decision to save everyone was one I made on my own. Of course, I'm scared, and I'm worried... But despite that, I've made up my mind.
I won't give up until the very end. I'll make sure I protect both.
Idiot... You're awfully optimistic, after all this...
...Ahhh!

♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫

Seriously, what are you thinking!? You're just like your brother sometimes!
No... I think I got it from you.
...Huh? Me?
You were with me all this time. If I have changed... It's your influence, Toko.
...
F-For now, I'm going to be fine. This is much better than an imprisoned life, regardless...
So don't worry about me. Go back with Byakuya. You two are the only ones who can persuade Future Foundation not to interfere here.
...
S-So please, don't be mad...
What!? Of course I'm mad!
Jeez... Why do I have to stay behind in a town like this...?
..."I"?
Oh, no, you misunderstood. I meant *I'm* the one who's gonna stay here.

♪ BGM: This Is the Path We Follow ♫

If you're going to stay, there's no way I can leave!
I-I...decided to be with you too, remember?
Toko...
Do you really think some brother-complex girl like you can be Master's substitute!? In a hostage trade, you and I are barely enough for one Master Byakuya.
So...I'll stay with you. That's the decision *I* made. No complaining.
But you said you wanted to go home with Byakuya...
Hmph, I don't need your concern.
Master and I are rock solid. Even if we're apart, our feelings towards each other will never change.



...Huh?



♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫

It's true, what you said. Even if we're apart... My feelings of disgust toward you will never change.
...Master!?



♪ BGM: The Day Before The Future ♫

It's a choice I made myself. But I know that I can't just expect things to change right away, just because I'm staying... I know that I can't become real hope, like you...
So...I'm going to wait. I'm going to wait for the day you guys defeat the Remnants of Despair and come home safe. Ah, but...you don't have to rush or anything, okay? I'll wait until the day you come to pick me up. I have the gun Mister Byakuya gave me...and I have my reliable friend, Toko.
And... About Mom and Dad... ...I didn't find anything. I went to the torture room later, but it was empty. The film that girl forced me to watch must have been recorded earlier, or fake...
That means there's a chance they're alive and well somewhere, right? Maybe even somewhere in this city. That's what I choose to believe.
...Okay, sorry, this video is getting pretty long... I guess I should wrap it up. The next time you see me...I might be so grown up you don't even recognize me. Just like how surprised I was when I saw you. ...See ya later, Makoto.



I thought all your sister was good for was cowering in fear... But there you have it.
Seriously... Well...she's surprised me before...
Hey Makoto... You know what we have to do, right? We have to stop this idiotic "war" and return here to retrieve them. We wouldn't want to betray their expectations.
...Yeah, you're right.
I've made up my mind, Byakuya. If a situation like this ever happens again... No matter how dangerous the trap... I'm jumping right in. So I can end it properly. With my own two hands.



Huh?



Fine. I'll partner with you. For just a little while. At least...until I've repaid the debt I owe to Toko and your sister.
...Yeah.



♪ BGM: Ending -progressive- ♫



And with that, we're dropped into the credits.



There's nothing too special about them, with the exception of something at the end. To start, the credits just show a bunch of stills from the animated sequences from the game. But towards the end, they show three unique CGs. Thankfully, we can buy them in the extras shop later, so I can just show them to you like that.



First, we have Haiji sitting amongst adults smashing up Monokumas, looking like he still hasn't coped with the fact that his big hope got blown up by two schoolgirls.



Next, we have the Warriors of Hope, still alive, but it seems that now the Monokuma kids have completely turned on them. The game deliberately leaves this vague.



And finally, the student has become the master, as Monaca has now gone full Junko and is working on her next project with some Monokuma kids. That's it for the credits, but we still have a post-credits scene.



♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫





You're not really a morning person, are you? Are you secretly staying up late without me!?
Th-Thanks to your jimmy legs and snoring, I can't get a good night's sleep!
I'm so not snoring! But... It's true, I might toss and turn while I'm asleep.
And it wasn't just snoring! You were talking in your sleep! Saying "Makotooo"...
L-Lies! Definitely lies!
And if you want to get a good night's sleep, why don't you go sleep in your own bed!? We're in a hotel, there's plenty of other rooms...
D-Don't be an idiot, what happens if a ghost shows up!?
Ah, so you're into occult stuff now!
W-Well...you really *did* get possessed, right? So g-g-ghosts *do* exist...right?
Well, I guess that's just one more thing you're afraid of now.
It's all your fault!
C-C'mon, let's go. If we don't keep a watchful eye, these people are gonna start fighting again.
No time to slack off.
What? But you're the one who woke up late!



Hey! I told you to wait! Awww, c'mon, Toki!





And here we are, at the end of the story.



Hrm.

You can now make use of the "Bonus Mode" where you can view CGs and listen to BGMs. By loading the cleared save data with the *, you can check them out. Thanks for playing!



♪ BGM: Absolute? Despair? Girl? ♫

And now that we've beaten the game in its entirety, we get to access this menu after loading a save. Continue just continues from the save point on.



We also now have access to a chapter select. New Game lets us do a sort of new game plus, which I have no interest in at the moment, since I'm not going for 100% completion because of a particular reason you'll see in a bit.



The Extra menu, like we were told earlier, lets us buy movies, CGs and music with our left over Monocoins. We can also change the voice language on the fly here. ...hang on.



Yeah, there we go! Now I can finally find out what the hell Shirokuma was saying in that scene where he was getting beat up by Monokumas!



And there's our answer. Mystery solved.



And finally, we have Ultra Despair Hagakure. This is a novel that is a spinoff off of the spinoff. Now, I haven't read this. I just couldn't be arsed, because I really don't care for Yasuhiro. But we'll figure out what we're going to do with this later.



For now, we've officially reached the end of Ultra Despair Girls. I'm missing Bling Bullets somewhere, but I can't be arsed to search the entire game for those, because I have no idea where I missed something. With that, I suppose it's time to give some closing thoughts.

So, I've gone on record as stating that this is my favorite Danganronpa game. Now that we've seen all of it, here's some more details on why.

- I think Komaru is the best protagonist in the series. She has the most genuine reactions to the crazy shit going on, is the most relatable, and is just genuinely an enjoyable character.
- I think Komaru and Toko also make the best duo in the series, too. Though that's a bit unfair, given that the construction of the game gives a lot more time to our two main characters than any duo could get in a mainline DR game. Still, the chemistry between Komaru and Toko is excellent, going from a freaked out civilian of sorts and a bundle of neuroses trying to keep it together long enough to achieve her goal to battle-forged friends.
- I also greatly appreciate that this game is a spinoff that actually makes a difference in the genre. It's too easy to just stick with what worked to start with, so them taking a risk and going with a third person shooter is something I like.
- I liked a lot that we actually got to see what the outside world looks like. Both DR1 and DR2 talked a big game about the Incident and both ended with the survivors leaving their confinement and looking towards an unsure future, but we never really got to see what the world actually looks like. While Towa City isn't an example of what the original Incident's fuckery looked like, it gives us a pretty good facsimile, I'd say.
- I think the antagonists of this game are a lot better than Junko. Monaca in particular profits from being built up the entire game instead of showing up at the end like some sort of despair god from the heavens or whatever, and the Warriors of Hope as a whole are also a lot more interesting. I think the idea of using mentally broken children that have been given way too much power for their own good as antagonists is really interesting. You can argue about the execution, but I like the concept.
- I actually really enjoyed the gameplay. People have their problems with it, but personally, I liked it. The different ammo for the megaphone combined with the Monoku-Man puzzles made it different enough to a standard third person shooter and kept things fresh.
- I also really like the music here. This game, thanks to moving away from the regular Danganronpa formula, gets to enjoy a semi-unique soundtrack instead of slightly remixing a ton of music from the previous games - though it's not like this game doesn't have its share of that as well. Tracks like The Warriors Of Hope, Wonderful Dead 002, Like I Would Become A Monster and It's a Kids' World are my favorite in the series.
- Another thing I'm fond of are the environments. I've gone over this before, but compared to the first game in particular, the fact that this game takes place in an open city instead of an enclosed building really does the environment variety good. It makes advancing through the game a lot more enjoyable when you can't predict what's going to come next, particularly with some of the crazy shit this game pulls like the technicolor vomit of the riverside area from Chapters 2 and 3.

I recognize that a lot of this is personal bias, and I'm pretty much entirely glossing over the negatives, but that's honestly just the kind of guy I am. I'm very much a "warts and all" type of guy that tries to accentuate the positives in something he likes, which of course was the stated goal of this LP - not that I did a great job of it, but I tried, anyway.

Aaaanyway, with that, we currently have one thing to decide, and that's how this thread will continue. There are two options available, and I would like you to vote on it.

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A) Go through Ultimate Despair Hagakure, then Danganronpa 3

Like I said, I have no idea if that story is any good. It might actually be great! All I know is that it involves Yasuhiro and Kanon Nakajima (you know, Leon's person of interest?) mucking about in Towa City.

B) Skip Ultimate Despair Hagakure, go straight to Danganronpa 3

Of course, the story might also be kinda shit. I don't believe it's relevant to anything that follows after it. And really, we did a spinoff now. Do we really need a spinoff of the spinoff?

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Either way, I don't know if you all have realized where we're going, but note that regardless of which option is picked, I will be covering Danganronpa 3, the anime that was made to be a conclusion to the Hope's Peak saga, next. I'm not 100% sure how exactly I'll do it, but I'll figure something out. I'm doing this because, well, much like UDG, who the fuck else is going to be stupid enough to even try it? So anyway, this thread isn't over yet regardless.

But to round out our UDG part of the thread, I would like to ask a little favor of the audience, because I'm very curious. When you vote, I would also ask of you to tell me something you really liked about this game. It doesn't have to be anything big. Just a small moment where you thought "you know what, that was really good" or something like that. Also, to keep things fresh, try to pick something nobody else has picked yet.

Now, to close off this update, I'll give you one of my little things I really liked about this game: There's a bit of understated comedy in the "Break The Controller" segment which goes under in the whole excitement of the scene. When Monaca stands up in the middle of the scene, Haiji and Kotoko both get really confused, but Toko basically just goes "Guys, get with the program, you're like half an hour behind!". I got a good chuckle out of that one.

Happy voting!