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arynisI've been pretty stoked for DRV3 and while I initially wanted to stay blind, I decided to take the plunge and find more out about the game. I've watched a livestream of Chapter 6 and read a few summaries circulating around, so I might be going off not fully accurate info. In any case, here are my thoughts.
Bait and Switch
Reading the rough summaries of the cases, they sound really amazing. Messy motives, brutal deaths, even more cruel executions, just all the things that make Danganronpa so interesting. It felt like V3 had the potential to be something great. But first, Chapter 1 pulls a really controversial at best, misleading at worst twist.
I like the idea of playing as multiple protagonists, tackling at the trials from the point of view of different characters. What really bums me out is that I was really looking forward to Kaede being a female protagonist (well, the second one anyways, Komaru was first), but not only she gets ruthlessly axed, we later find out she was completely innocent and she wasn't even meant to be in the Killing Game to boot! It felt like a waste of marketing to see her go so soon. On the other hand, this is the first time the series betrayed the protagonist immunity, barring (non-standard) game overs, but frankly I don't know how to feel about it, to be honest. I don't dislike Saihara though, I think switching between Kaede and Saihara (and possibly others) would have been really neat.
However, Chapter 6 is just... It's got some interesting concepts going for it, but ultimately it's marred by, in my view, excessive meta commentary which also feels like a giant middle finger to the fans. I might have interpreted it wrong and/or I'm missing crucial information, but I feel rather cheated, upset and angry.
It's All a Show
So, one of the big twists is that the Killing Game is actually a TV Reality show, that has spanned for several seasons, V3 marking the 53rd season. I feel very mixed about it.
On one hand, DR1 pulled this off before, with Monokuma telling the students that the Killing Game had been broadcast all over the world, so it's not exactly a new twist. DR2 and DR3 also toyed with this, albeit in DR2's case it was being broadcast to Future Foundation to attract Makoto and co. into the Neo World Program, while in DR3 it really was a Red Herring.
It's a similarly twisted scenario just like DR2's virtual reality twist. Instead of finding out you are in a simulation and you start questioning what was real or not, you find out you signed up for a sick TV show as a Danganronpa fan, you had your real memories removed and got a fake talent and life in return, and put into a fabricated story. So in a way, everyone is a run of the mill character without a talent. Instead of being an actual Ultimate, you get the talent/role you apply for (or not).
However, you find out that everything was made up - the killings were scripted, even the character relationships were scripted. Everything was orchestrated by Shirogane and Team Danganronpa. It throws everything out of the window, because it was all made up. DR2 made things meaningful because the interactions inside the Neo World Program still happened, and everyone worried if it would carry on to the real world or they'd lose those experiences. In V3, Saihara does seem to claim that their interactions were meaningful, even if they were written that way, but compared to DR2, the whole situation feels excessive.
I think my other issue is the different feel of the suspense and risks associated. I feel DR2 handled the suspense better - the characters had to deal with losing their experiences and waking up as Despairs, or have Junko take over their bodies and start Operation Junkoland. Hajime also had to choose between staying or getting erased because of the Izuru Project. Makoto and co. were also trapped in because they weren't able to initiate the shutdown sequence. It was a sadistic setup with no way out (especially after Junko Nihil Beams everyone), at least not until Chiaki, or more specifically, Hajime's memory of the real Chiaki, stepped in and saved the day and the future together.
In V3's case, from what I understand, the risk was either keeping the Danganronpa franchise running and keep the Killing Games going on, or stop the franchise and lose the audience. It makes sense on a meta level - you don't want more innocent people to become pieces of amusement for the watching masses, but the fact that it is so meta (way too meta) makes it feel really awkward rather than a real climax. However, the game does have a secondary "normal" ending in the vein of DR1, which was nice to see again. (Kiibo blows everything up and you don't learn the additional details and mysteries.) There's also a Bad End you need to trigger in order to advance to the True Ending, as far as I know? Kiibo destroying the Academy and breaking the Fourth Wall/studio(?) out of a self sacrificial(?) manner rather than coming off as just berserk is quite something and more meaningful, but ultimately the whole thing left me feeling sour.
In addition, unlike DR2, the survivors apparently have no means to regain their old memories, they have to live as their new selves from now on. That's rather twisted as well, and supposedly ties into the game's "Truth vs. Lies" theme. Is it better to live a lie? Does it become truth after a point if you make it your own truth?
Unfortunately, the meta aspect of the last chapter makes it really hard for me to appreciate any of the potential.
F I C T I O N A.K.A. Ultimate Meta
Meta commentary isn't a new concept to Danganronpa either, DR2 especially had a field day with it from the get-go. You'd constantly get comments on how so and so only happens in fiction and games, the game poking fun at itself and the genre, Monokuma talking about it all being a game, and so on. Then V3 pulls the big one on us, that the whole thing is a show and everything is fiction. I loved the twist in DR2, but in V3's case I feel like this is my biggest gripe with the entire chapter, to the point it runs the whole game into the ground.
DR2 did plenty of lampshade hanging and calling out all the crazy stuff. It was there, but it felt more natural I guess? Like yeah, of course you'd call out Monokuma summoning a bunch of animal mechas, for example. And there were lots of small things off (such as Chapter 3's Despair Disease coming and going easily, like a game setting) that eventually made much more sense. I don't know if V3 had any clues or lead-ups to Chapter 6's final big twist, so this is something that may have left a different impression on me if I actually played the game and know the full context.
In a way, I can get what Kodaka was getting at. The deconstruction of fans wanting more and more of their franchise, the deconstruction of us fans and making up our own fan content, or assigning ourselves talent titles, and so on. It was also a way of calling you out, "Hey, you wanting more games means these people get to suffer because you want more!". The game title is also pretty damn clever, with V3 either standing for 53 (as in Danganronpa 53), or referring to how 3 survivors won the game.
But... at the same time, the whole execution, at least to me, screamed "Hey, you, yes, you. Screw you and screw everything you loved about the franchise! The fans are horrible people!".
Aside from making you feel like a horrible person for wanting more Danganronpa games, the game goes full force with the meta and Reality vs. Fiction. Shirogane eases into this by cosplaying as Junko, the 53rd Junko. Was Junko really the villain behind all the games?! Unfortunately it's all fiction, no Junko for you. I suspect this was a Take That at people who expected Junko to be the franchise villain, ala, say, Ganondorf. Not an unexpected jab, but then the game takes it to the next level.
All the Danganronpa series before this one? Oh, they are simply stories inside this universe that people enjoyed. I mean, in a meta sense, they are fictional stories, but it really comes off as invalidating everything meaningful that happened in the previous material, and giving your emotional investment a middle finger. We saw the characters participate in the Killing Games, their struggles and growth, characters who developed for the better or worse, the fall of the world thanks to the Tragedy, we witnessed how people fared in the land of Despair and watched Future Foundation fall apart. We were all part of this journey, good and bad parts included. But no, those things, at least in the world of DRV3, never happened, it was all a fabrication. The world was a set-up, the characters you loved or hated were nothing but dialogue, scripts and design. It totally undermines the impact of the previous games and your investment in them.
Shirogane morphing into the previous characters is a possible deconstruction of fanservice and fan expectations, but it just leaves you feeling really sour. It's not funny or shocking at all. It's an extra slap in the face of the fiction twist. It's especially cruel when she morphs into the more impactful characters like Chiaki, switching back and forth like nothing, and drive the point home that yes, these are just personas. Personally I pretty much lost it when Shirogane morphed into Izuru like it was nothing, given all the hype and intrigue Izuru had, and the subsequent expansion he got in DR3 to give us more details about him. Nope, all meaningless.
Not to mention that the meta commentary seems really in your face here, then again, we are way beyond the broken Fourth Wall at this point. I felt the past games were more subtle with it. Even though DR2 was hard on the "It's a game!" angle, it felt like the game just being self-referential while also referencing the game's big twist. So it had the huge wham of "Oh god, Monokuma really meant those things!". It had shock and surprise value, and it was something you could laugh at. V3 just leaves you feeling betrayed.
So in the very end, it's not a character getting executed - you execute the goddamn franchise. Kiibo blows up the Academy, Shirogane and Monokuma get killed by the rubble, then Kiibo breaks out from the setting and blows himself up as his final act. I suppose this was the way of saying that there not only won't be any more Killing Games, but also no more Hope and Despair, or else the cycle will go on.
The End
Unfortunately, the ending just feels so damn unsatisfying. Not because I hungrily want more Killing Games or more games, but this kind of conclusion feels so... empty.
DR1's ending was bittersweet. The remaining students made it out of the Killing Game alive, but you had no idea what awaited them in the outside world and what would happen to them. Will they find Hope? Will they find Despair? It was left open.
DR2 was fairly hopeful. It was implied that nobody reverted to being a Despair, since they were working on bringing their comatose friends back, even if it seemed really unlikely they'd succeed. Hajime also stayed Hajime after everything, rather than reverting back into the emotionless Izuru. What was going to happen to them after everything? What about their memories and experiences? What is Hajime going to do from now on? On a bit of a downer note, we were also left wondering what was going to happen to Makoto for his treason.
Despair Girls helped bridge the two games together We got to see how AI Junko came to be, and how Izuru took her with him for the Neo World Program hijack. We also got to see more of the despair filled world the DR1 cast stepped into. Monaca allowed for a dangling plot thread - Nagito saved her, after all the trouble she caused. Will she be back with an even more despairing plan, aiming to truly become Junko's successor? Of course, DR3 once again played with expectations. You thought Monaca was back with revenge, but turns out Nagito just broke her mind with his Hope vs. Despair insanity and opted for being a space NEET instead.
DR3's conclusion was really great and a fitting way to end it all. While a double THAT'S WRONG would have been cool to see from our Ahoge Heroes, it was great to see everyone's efforts come full circle, namely Makoto's decision to save Class 77 paying off big time, and choosing to have faith in them instead of eliminating them. Class 77 being back wasn't out of thin air either, because DR2's ending hinted at it, although hopefully the OVA will shed more light on what exactly happened then. Kyoko coming back is super debatable, while I was happy about this personally, the backpedal on Asahina's death from before made it really awkward. Other than that, Seiko really wanted to do something good with her medicine, and Kyoko had the Cure W bottle with her, so Seiko's wish became true in a way. I also thought it was character development for Mikan. Instead of messing up people as a Despair or keeping people sick deliberately so they continue depending on her, she went out of her way to help someone in need. Poor Munakata did get the short end of the stick though, I'll admit that. Everyone's happy and cheery and he just... leaves.
In any case, my point is that the endings were fairly open ended, but you also had the feeling of conclusion. The big issue has been settled, the characters are dealing with the aftermath. In V3's case, it just feels like there's nothing. We've been sufficiently given the middle finger, the franchise got burned and beyond with the meta commentary and effectively executed... and yet we still have a sequel hook. I mean, yeah, the survivors are free from their chains and can leave the setting thanks to Kiibo, but it feels like Kodaka wrote himself into a corner on purpose, yet he still declared on his Twitter that the story is going on. Just... Why? Just where do you go from this?
In summary, V3 had a lot of things going for it. The OST seems like the best from the series (the remixes are fantastic and improved on the originals even more), the aesthetic/interfact design is wonderful, the game's chapters seemed to hold a lot of promise, Hangman's Gambit actually improved(?), only for the meta plot to torch it into the ground. I just feel really let down by it all and I'm not feeling excited for whatever Kodaka is planning next.
Bait and Switch
Reading the rough summaries of the cases, they sound really amazing. Messy motives, brutal deaths, even more cruel executions, just all the things that make Danganronpa so interesting. It felt like V3 had the potential to be something great. But first, Chapter 1 pulls a really controversial at best, misleading at worst twist.
I like the idea of playing as multiple protagonists, tackling at the trials from the point of view of different characters. What really bums me out is that I was really looking forward to Kaede being a female protagonist (well, the second one anyways, Komaru was first), but not only she gets ruthlessly axed, we later find out she was completely innocent and she wasn't even meant to be in the Killing Game to boot! It felt like a waste of marketing to see her go so soon. On the other hand, this is the first time the series betrayed the protagonist immunity, barring (non-standard) game overs, but frankly I don't know how to feel about it, to be honest. I don't dislike Saihara though, I think switching between Kaede and Saihara (and possibly others) would have been really neat.
However, Chapter 6 is just... It's got some interesting concepts going for it, but ultimately it's marred by, in my view, excessive meta commentary which also feels like a giant middle finger to the fans. I might have interpreted it wrong and/or I'm missing crucial information, but I feel rather cheated, upset and angry.
It's All a Show
So, one of the big twists is that the Killing Game is actually a TV Reality show, that has spanned for several seasons, V3 marking the 53rd season. I feel very mixed about it.
On one hand, DR1 pulled this off before, with Monokuma telling the students that the Killing Game had been broadcast all over the world, so it's not exactly a new twist. DR2 and DR3 also toyed with this, albeit in DR2's case it was being broadcast to Future Foundation to attract Makoto and co. into the Neo World Program, while in DR3 it really was a Red Herring.
It's a similarly twisted scenario just like DR2's virtual reality twist. Instead of finding out you are in a simulation and you start questioning what was real or not, you find out you signed up for a sick TV show as a Danganronpa fan, you had your real memories removed and got a fake talent and life in return, and put into a fabricated story. So in a way, everyone is a run of the mill character without a talent. Instead of being an actual Ultimate, you get the talent/role you apply for (or not).
However, you find out that everything was made up - the killings were scripted, even the character relationships were scripted. Everything was orchestrated by Shirogane and Team Danganronpa. It throws everything out of the window, because it was all made up. DR2 made things meaningful because the interactions inside the Neo World Program still happened, and everyone worried if it would carry on to the real world or they'd lose those experiences. In V3, Saihara does seem to claim that their interactions were meaningful, even if they were written that way, but compared to DR2, the whole situation feels excessive.
I think my other issue is the different feel of the suspense and risks associated. I feel DR2 handled the suspense better - the characters had to deal with losing their experiences and waking up as Despairs, or have Junko take over their bodies and start Operation Junkoland. Hajime also had to choose between staying or getting erased because of the Izuru Project. Makoto and co. were also trapped in because they weren't able to initiate the shutdown sequence. It was a sadistic setup with no way out (especially after Junko Nihil Beams everyone), at least not until Chiaki, or more specifically, Hajime's memory of the real Chiaki, stepped in and saved the day and the future together.
In V3's case, from what I understand, the risk was either keeping the Danganronpa franchise running and keep the Killing Games going on, or stop the franchise and lose the audience. It makes sense on a meta level - you don't want more innocent people to become pieces of amusement for the watching masses, but the fact that it is so meta (way too meta) makes it feel really awkward rather than a real climax. However, the game does have a secondary "normal" ending in the vein of DR1, which was nice to see again. (Kiibo blows everything up and you don't learn the additional details and mysteries.) There's also a Bad End you need to trigger in order to advance to the True Ending, as far as I know? Kiibo destroying the Academy and breaking the Fourth Wall/studio(?) out of a self sacrificial(?) manner rather than coming off as just berserk is quite something and more meaningful, but ultimately the whole thing left me feeling sour.
In addition, unlike DR2, the survivors apparently have no means to regain their old memories, they have to live as their new selves from now on. That's rather twisted as well, and supposedly ties into the game's "Truth vs. Lies" theme. Is it better to live a lie? Does it become truth after a point if you make it your own truth?
Unfortunately, the meta aspect of the last chapter makes it really hard for me to appreciate any of the potential.
F I C T I O N A.K.A. Ultimate Meta
Meta commentary isn't a new concept to Danganronpa either, DR2 especially had a field day with it from the get-go. You'd constantly get comments on how so and so only happens in fiction and games, the game poking fun at itself and the genre, Monokuma talking about it all being a game, and so on. Then V3 pulls the big one on us, that the whole thing is a show and everything is fiction. I loved the twist in DR2, but in V3's case I feel like this is my biggest gripe with the entire chapter, to the point it runs the whole game into the ground.
DR2 did plenty of lampshade hanging and calling out all the crazy stuff. It was there, but it felt more natural I guess? Like yeah, of course you'd call out Monokuma summoning a bunch of animal mechas, for example. And there were lots of small things off (such as Chapter 3's Despair Disease coming and going easily, like a game setting) that eventually made much more sense. I don't know if V3 had any clues or lead-ups to Chapter 6's final big twist, so this is something that may have left a different impression on me if I actually played the game and know the full context.
In a way, I can get what Kodaka was getting at. The deconstruction of fans wanting more and more of their franchise, the deconstruction of us fans and making up our own fan content, or assigning ourselves talent titles, and so on. It was also a way of calling you out, "Hey, you wanting more games means these people get to suffer because you want more!". The game title is also pretty damn clever, with V3 either standing for 53 (as in Danganronpa 53), or referring to how 3 survivors won the game.
But... at the same time, the whole execution, at least to me, screamed "Hey, you, yes, you. Screw you and screw everything you loved about the franchise! The fans are horrible people!".
Aside from making you feel like a horrible person for wanting more Danganronpa games, the game goes full force with the meta and Reality vs. Fiction. Shirogane eases into this by cosplaying as Junko, the 53rd Junko. Was Junko really the villain behind all the games?! Unfortunately it's all fiction, no Junko for you. I suspect this was a Take That at people who expected Junko to be the franchise villain, ala, say, Ganondorf. Not an unexpected jab, but then the game takes it to the next level.
All the Danganronpa series before this one? Oh, they are simply stories inside this universe that people enjoyed. I mean, in a meta sense, they are fictional stories, but it really comes off as invalidating everything meaningful that happened in the previous material, and giving your emotional investment a middle finger. We saw the characters participate in the Killing Games, their struggles and growth, characters who developed for the better or worse, the fall of the world thanks to the Tragedy, we witnessed how people fared in the land of Despair and watched Future Foundation fall apart. We were all part of this journey, good and bad parts included. But no, those things, at least in the world of DRV3, never happened, it was all a fabrication. The world was a set-up, the characters you loved or hated were nothing but dialogue, scripts and design. It totally undermines the impact of the previous games and your investment in them.
Shirogane morphing into the previous characters is a possible deconstruction of fanservice and fan expectations, but it just leaves you feeling really sour. It's not funny or shocking at all. It's an extra slap in the face of the fiction twist. It's especially cruel when she morphs into the more impactful characters like Chiaki, switching back and forth like nothing, and drive the point home that yes, these are just personas. Personally I pretty much lost it when Shirogane morphed into Izuru like it was nothing, given all the hype and intrigue Izuru had, and the subsequent expansion he got in DR3 to give us more details about him. Nope, all meaningless.
Not to mention that the meta commentary seems really in your face here, then again, we are way beyond the broken Fourth Wall at this point. I felt the past games were more subtle with it. Even though DR2 was hard on the "It's a game!" angle, it felt like the game just being self-referential while also referencing the game's big twist. So it had the huge wham of "Oh god, Monokuma really meant those things!". It had shock and surprise value, and it was something you could laugh at. V3 just leaves you feeling betrayed.
So in the very end, it's not a character getting executed - you execute the goddamn franchise. Kiibo blows up the Academy, Shirogane and Monokuma get killed by the rubble, then Kiibo breaks out from the setting and blows himself up as his final act. I suppose this was the way of saying that there not only won't be any more Killing Games, but also no more Hope and Despair, or else the cycle will go on.
The End
Unfortunately, the ending just feels so damn unsatisfying. Not because I hungrily want more Killing Games or more games, but this kind of conclusion feels so... empty.
DR1's ending was bittersweet. The remaining students made it out of the Killing Game alive, but you had no idea what awaited them in the outside world and what would happen to them. Will they find Hope? Will they find Despair? It was left open.
DR2 was fairly hopeful. It was implied that nobody reverted to being a Despair, since they were working on bringing their comatose friends back, even if it seemed really unlikely they'd succeed. Hajime also stayed Hajime after everything, rather than reverting back into the emotionless Izuru. What was going to happen to them after everything? What about their memories and experiences? What is Hajime going to do from now on? On a bit of a downer note, we were also left wondering what was going to happen to Makoto for his treason.
Despair Girls helped bridge the two games together We got to see how AI Junko came to be, and how Izuru took her with him for the Neo World Program hijack. We also got to see more of the despair filled world the DR1 cast stepped into. Monaca allowed for a dangling plot thread - Nagito saved her, after all the trouble she caused. Will she be back with an even more despairing plan, aiming to truly become Junko's successor? Of course, DR3 once again played with expectations. You thought Monaca was back with revenge, but turns out Nagito just broke her mind with his Hope vs. Despair insanity and opted for being a space NEET instead.
DR3's conclusion was really great and a fitting way to end it all. While a double THAT'S WRONG would have been cool to see from our Ahoge Heroes, it was great to see everyone's efforts come full circle, namely Makoto's decision to save Class 77 paying off big time, and choosing to have faith in them instead of eliminating them. Class 77 being back wasn't out of thin air either, because DR2's ending hinted at it, although hopefully the OVA will shed more light on what exactly happened then. Kyoko coming back is super debatable, while I was happy about this personally, the backpedal on Asahina's death from before made it really awkward. Other than that, Seiko really wanted to do something good with her medicine, and Kyoko had the Cure W bottle with her, so Seiko's wish became true in a way. I also thought it was character development for Mikan. Instead of messing up people as a Despair or keeping people sick deliberately so they continue depending on her, she went out of her way to help someone in need. Poor Munakata did get the short end of the stick though, I'll admit that. Everyone's happy and cheery and he just... leaves.
In any case, my point is that the endings were fairly open ended, but you also had the feeling of conclusion. The big issue has been settled, the characters are dealing with the aftermath. In V3's case, it just feels like there's nothing. We've been sufficiently given the middle finger, the franchise got burned and beyond with the meta commentary and effectively executed... and yet we still have a sequel hook. I mean, yeah, the survivors are free from their chains and can leave the setting thanks to Kiibo, but it feels like Kodaka wrote himself into a corner on purpose, yet he still declared on his Twitter that the story is going on. Just... Why? Just where do you go from this?
In summary, V3 had a lot of things going for it. The OST seems like the best from the series (the remixes are fantastic and improved on the originals even more), the aesthetic/interfact design is wonderful, the game's chapters seemed to hold a lot of promise, Hangman's Gambit actually improved(?), only for the meta plot to torch it into the ground. I just feel really let down by it all and I'm not feeling excited for whatever Kodaka is planning next.
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