Part 135: Teenage Fanclub

MUSIC: Becoming Friends



Let's do it! Together, we're strong enough to defeat Monokuma!



...S-Sorry... Can you leave me alone for now?

Kaito's been going back and forth between the gym and the school building for a while now.

I think he wants to prepare for tonight. But when I offered to help, he turned me down. ...I told him not to overdo it, but he won't listen to me at all.

Maki looks like she's in a bad mood...

MUSIC: Spirit, Praise and Beauty



...

...It's no use... I wouldn't even know what to say to him.

Maki...I'm sorry...

MUSIC: Becoming Friends





Maki's the only one of us left who can fight... I wonder if it's really going to be okay.



S-Sorry...for being so negative. This is a chance like we've never had before! I'm going to do my best to be useful!









Oh, this is nice. You've got good taste, Shuichi. If you're offering it to me, I'll gladly accept it. I'm really happy now!



Well, I don't really have anything to do, so I tend to go to bed right away.

I did that at first too, but now I usually stay up late... 10 o'clock just seems too early to go to sleep. So I've been making paper patterns for my next cosplay until I get sleepy.



Yeah, it's fine if other people wear them. I said it before, but... Some people have started to promote themselves more than their characters.

That's why you cosplay with love.

Of course, there are still cosplayers who think their characters are important.



That's not a good phrase to hear in Danganronpa.



People can get famous doing cosplay, so from there... Some people try to use that fame to become celebrities or idols.

I suppose that's true, it is a stepping stone for them.



It's fine if they disrespect me, but I won't let them disrespect the characters!



Tsumugi sighed, rubbing her temples. This must be serious...

When people first start cosplaying... They just want to dress up as the characters because they like them. But before long, it...warps. It gets more warped the longer you do it.



Umm, well...for cosplay, you have more contact with others than most hobbies. In the beginning, it's just fun to wear the outfits, but... Then you start comparing, pushing your opinions, and starting drama...

And before you know it, the feeling of wanting to dress up as the character...



Makeup, wig color, contacts... Whatever you need to make it perfect.

...Perfection isn't such a bad goal though, is it?



Of course, I believe you should work hard to make quality cosplay, but... It's even more important to feel like you can become your favorite character. That's why I don't want to call anyone just starting out "bad" or a "newbie."



No, I think I understand...

Tsumugi never wants to forget the fun of cosplaying. Those feelings must be what makes her the Ultimate Cosplayer.



Don't think that's all cosplay is, okay? Lots of things about it are just plain fun.

Next time, I'll talk about those things. If you want to, of course.







...What should I do?





The final battle...is getting closer... You should be...confident and...relax like me...

Himiko, you're shaking... Are you okay?

Monokuma is the obvious threat, but we need to be wary of Kokichi's next move... He is persistent about this game, and will likely interfere with our attempt to end it.



...

...It's no use... I wouldn't even know what to say to him. If she saw me like this, Maki would yell at me...

Tonight, huh...? I don't know what'll happen, but I'll do what I can.







So why isn't he trying to stop us...? Maybe he's giving us some space?



Oh...when I think about that, it makes me anxious...

Wh-Why don't we have a mixed juice drink here to take our minds off of it?









You like rhythm games, Tsumugi?

Oh, this is nice. You've got good taste, Shuichi. If you're offering it to me, I'll gladly accept it. I'm really happy now!



Tsumugi seems pretty energized. I wonder what she has in store for me.

Hmm, first...I'll tell you words of wisdom from my cosplay friends.



...What?

Make up! Makeup's pretty much like drawing a picture on your face. You can make someone look like a completely different person with makeup!

I-I see...



They "crossplay"?

They're so cute, I don't even think twice seeing them in the women's restroom!



Cons can get super chaotic. Hot guys coming out of the women's restroom and vice versa.

I can imagine it gets pretty chaotic...

Oh! And I should show you pictures of cosplayers reenacting scenes.

They reenact scenes? What do you mean?



And they try to reenact famous scenes from their work.

But 2D poses aren't the same as 3D, of course!

In order to reproduce them, sometimes you need super weird setups.



...I shouldn't ask.

Well, that about covers it...



It must be hard to keep that figure.

S-Sexual harassment!? I didn't think you were looking at me like that...

N-No, that's not what I mean... I'm just saying, you put a lot of work in...

Just so you know, I immediately report any low-angle skirt pictures!

I told you, that's not what I mean!

I should probably change the subject...

What's it feels like to draw a crowd?

Hmm, that's a hard question...

To be honest, it makes me feel like a panda at the zoo, I guess...

I can see that... Surrounded by people, everyone taking photos...

*sigh* I'd much rather make cosplay than wear them...

Tsumugi seems kind of stressed out, I should change the subject.

Being on location must be fun.

Yeah, going on location makes you feel like you really are that character. And it's actually pretty fun trying to find good locations for photoshoots.

Like when you find a place that's just perfect. A sacred place for cosplay!

Oh, but of course, you need to make sure it's okay to take pictures there.



Hmm... Well, wouldn't say fun, but the one that left the biggest impression is... An event at a theme park where I was cosplaying a character from a kids' show. All the kids there kept yelling, "Do your Special move!"



So I ended up practicing them a bunch. It turned into a good learning experience.

Tsumugi is having so much fun explaining all this. I'm having fun too.