Just in case that title wasn’t clear enough, this post is going to have some spoilers for the first trial of Danganronpa V3 so if you care about that then it was lovely of you to visit, I hope to see you again tomorrow. Otherwise I have kept it pretty spoiler free. So, enjoy without fear!

Around the turn of the year, I shared with you how the Danganronpa Visual Novels had devoured me. For a couple of months, they were my go to entertainment as soon as I had enough free time and brainpower to devote to them. I’m a huge fan of the franchise and have not done the games justice in any way.
This said, even a devotee such as myself, has to admit that the limited game mechanics and predictable structure can become repetitive by the third game. When I started V3 I had already poured dozens of hours opposing Monokuma and avoiding despair. I had watched 21 of my dear friends and beloved class mate murdered or executed (which is pretty much the same), had unraveled countless mysteries, hunted down every possible clue, marveled at twists and red herrings. I knew what to expect. In a murder mystery game that relies on shock value, this is a major obstacle.
And then came Kaede.

Kaede is your main character and protagonist when you start Danganronpa V3 Killing Harmony. Already, this was a breath of fresh air. The first and most obvious difference is that Kaede is a girl. It should be noted that Danganronpa has never made a huge distinction between genders. What I mean is that the casts were always evenly distributed and as all characters are more or less insane and over the top, all of them tend to be interesting in some way. There are plenty of strong, well developed female characters throughout. But you always played and experienced the games from the perspective of a boy. And in Makoto’s case, a boy who gets rather easily manipulated by the girls around him…
So I thought that this new view of things would be interesting. Already, I discovered that in the first hour of gameplay, other characters were treating me much more openly and with less suspicion than in the two previous games. I even had some of the guys hitting on me right off the bat. The tension in the communications was different in a subtle way.
However, beyond having double X chromosomes, Kaede had a few other things previous Danganronpa protagonists hadn’t had up until now. Namely, a skill and a personality… What I mean is that both Makoto (protagonist of the first game: Trigger Happy Havoc) and Hajime (protagonist of the second: Goodbye Despair) are everyman player surrogate characters. Makoto in particular is your brown eyed, brown haired nice reasonable good guy. Hajime has a bit more bite, and an interesting back story but despite being slightly more sarcastic he is still your voice of reason in a sea of insanity. Calm and stable, brown haired, brown eyed boy. And in their roles, they also have no particular gifts. Being average is part of who they are, and it plays a role in how they (you) view themselves and how others interact with them. (**to be fair both their eyes do have some green in them).

By contrast, blonde and purple eyed Kaede is a piano prodigy. A tangible and remarkable skill that has earned her spot among the elites. She’s also best girl. I actually don’t know if I’m using that expression correctly, but she is one of my favorite characters in the series. She’s optimistic and a little dorky. She makes decisions and isn’t afrais to take her place. She is a pleasantly imposing presence in the room without being an overbearing one. For the first time, I felt as if the protagonist was truly driving the plot rather than being strung along by it.
This was exciting. This simple adjustment in perspective considerably changed the emotional impact of the plot and the way I went about discovering the world around me. Even though I was once again exploring a weird unknown environment full of over the top personalities and suspicious events, I was seeing it through brand new eyes. Everything old was new again. I felt invigorated.
I spend so much time talking to everyone as Kaede. Seeing people react just a little differently that what I had become accustomed to, now that they were talking to a peer and a pretty girl. It was fascinating. I couldn’t get enough.

So, you can imagine what an utter bombshell it was to discover that she was to be executed at the end of the first trial. Kaede was in fact just the tutorial protagonist but as the tutorial is the entire first trial, you have plenty of time to get use to her.
This twist was just brilliant. Not only did it take me by surprise, it did so only because Kaede is so utterly charming. All the clues were clearly there but I had refused to see them because I didn’t want to. Neither did Suichi (the second protagonist). After having spent so much time as her, that execution was unbearable to watch. It was also one of the most brutal of all the games, on purpose I suspect.
But Kaede brief and gory starring turned served as much more than a showy plot twist. It changed the game, on a completely meta level.

Like I said, I loved all the Danganronpa games. I have a very difficult time picking a favorite so that’s saying something. I didn’t need the third one to be something new. However, Kaede is crafted in both looks and personality to be extremely appealing and endearing to the core demographic. By making her a main character rather than someone to protect and/or suspect, this forces the player to assert this character archetype in a different light than they would have in other games. I would put her as roughly equivalent to Chiaki in game 2, or a more pleasant Kyoko in game 1. So far, the similar archetype had always been presented as a borderline love interest. Seeing that dynamic reversed was already something unexpected.
Moreover, having us develop such a connection t the character then having it cruelly and unexpectedly ripped away not only gets a much deeper emotional reaction from the players but also makes us instantly commiserate with Suichi as we are feeling the same anger and anxiety over loosing Kaede. The bond formed with the game and the characters within is simply not comparable to the previous games. You are no longer exploring a dangerous mystery trying to find a way out, motivated by fear and a bit of curiosity. You are out for bloody revenge on your dear friend, filled with anger and disdain.
Kaede is a very well-crafted stereotypical, whose very typicalness was turned against the audience. A character created to completely subvert the expectations of weary and jaded players and change the experience from within their own minds. I’m not saying this was successful for everyone, but it did work on me. In a blood-soaked franchise that sits a top piles of dead bodies, Kaede’s death changed everything. For that alone. She deserves special consideration.

It makes me wonder if she and the other participants are dead. Because really, are they dead? It may look real, but it makes you think that according to Tsumugi, that whole game is a reality show. And it went up to 53 seasons. 53 seasons. And the public allowed this as an entertainment? Did they know those executions can actually be real things that can kill a person? Or did they think those were just props because they sure don’t.
That’s part of the fun. The open ended nature. Some scenes also could suggest that it was all a simulation.
And it kinda bothers me that nobody talked about this part. The start of the game. I mean, why put the characters in lockers???
Game 2 had a lot of this type pf stuff as well
But at the start of the Danganronpa 2 game, Hajime only went through a door. Kaede, in V3 game, didn’t see a door. She didn’t feel or hear a thing either until she could touch the locker door. To me, the lockers seem to be a starting point like when you log in to a game for the first time, you will automatically be in a beginner location.
I’m pretty sure that was indeed the analogy they were going for. I got the same impression at least
Do you think they’ll ever make a sequel from this? Or start a new killing game but with different new characters instead?
Not sure. The franchise definitely isn’t over in my opinion but I do think they will take a break as promised so it maybe quite a while until we see something new
??
Feel free to DM me, I’d love to talk more about V3 without destroying your comment section :3
It is though to keep thibgs spoiler free
I definitely didn’t see her execution coming either when it came. It was quite a shock to me when that happened but it also made sense. However on your point on her being a fresh air, I still think she showed a lot of similar character traits to previous protags in the series (i.e very optimistic, friendly, etc) though I do agree that she showed more personality as well making her stand out a bit more compared to makoto and hajime.
I wouldn’t call Hajime optimistic. Boy was grump. Now Komaeda had the hope thing down!
Yeah he would’ve been the edgy kid from DR2 if it wasn’t for komaeda stealing the title by the long shot (komaeda you piece of sh*t)
Leave my misunderstood (admitedly unhinged) husbando alone….
http://gph.is/1oWCcqI
Thank you!!!
I couldn’t make it to the 3rd game… I enjoyed the 1st 2, but I definitely did find them a little repetitive. You had me hooked on the idea of Kaede. I was so sad when you said they kill her off!! SHE WAS SO YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL!!
It’s quite the exit! I played all 3 in a row and this one really got under my skin…
Ooo… Under your skin… That and Kaede really kind of make me want to play it…
I had avoided V3 for a while because I heard mixed opinions on the ending, but I’m so glad I played it. Kaede was such a great twist and it broke my heart, as I was so excited to be controlling a female protagonist with so much energy! Shuichi is actually my favorite protagonist of the series, though, so I guess I recovered…mostly…
That first trial really does smack you back to attention. I guess the monocus are annoying but overall I loved V3. As I think back on it today I’m tempted to reply it right now!
Thanks for reopening that scar I’ve been trying to forget for the last year or so. Danganronpa is a series that manages to tear through my soul with every playthrough (frankly, because I’m weak and utterly clueless with mysteries).
And amazing write-up of a somewhat underrated character (and visual novel). Damn… Now I just miss her even more.
Thanks, Irina…
Your welcome…sorry…
I share your pain. I will be waitng for game 4 with bated breath for years to come!
So far pretty much the only thing I have managed to avoid (despite several bloggers urging me to try this out) is visual novels. Seeing as I am pretty much at my limit when it comes to hobbies, I’m thinking I will keep it that way lol 😂
Also…have you noticed that you are only 6 followers away from reaching 1000 WordPress followers? Woohooo so awesome 🎉🎉🎉
Whoa! I needs to go out and beg for followers!
Hmmm… maybe I should buy a couple?
Lol…I don’t think you will need to do that at all. Trust me, when this week is over, you will have reached that magic number 😊🎉🎉
Well i know a jinx when I see it..I’ll probably lose 6 followers now…
Lol😂😂 If that’s true I will start a campaign for people to start following you 😀😀 (And you know I am crazy enough to do something like that 😂😂).
Loved the first two Danganronpa VNs, and I keep forgetting / getting reminded that V3 is out. One of these days I’ll cough up the cash for it..
It’s really good…really really good…