Danganronpa 3: Kibou Hen – 01 [END]
Double the ahoge, double the fun.
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I’ve always wanted to see what the two protagonists of Danganronpa would do if they worked together. …And while this wasn’t quite that, it’s still nice to see that they do have some sort of bond. |
Where the Despair Arc lived up to it’s name, they really went all out in having the Hope Arc deliver hope. It’s nice that the 77th class was able to talk Mitarai down from brainwashing the world. And while they all got their moment in the spotlight, it’s kind of nice that it was a group effort. Hinata did the most of the work, but I feel like Mitarai backed down as easily as he did because saw that his entire class had overcome despair on their own. Plus it was kind of nice that they acknowledged that they weren’t going to run away from the fact that they did some awful things. …Even though aside from the video they made framing themselves as the culprits, they all got off pretty free considering how many people suffered under them, and how many characters have died in this franchise.
Hinata seems to have merged with Kamukura like he did in the game, which is nice. He’s not using his talents for Despair anymore, and he even seems to have experienced a lot of closure regarding Nanami, and the events of the past. Maybe it’s a little late for this, since he assumedly still has every talent ever, but at least Hinata realizes what everyone was telling him about talent before he agreed to the Kamukura Project. Hopefully this means the he can help lead the 77th class to a brighter future now.
The mystery of why Nanami appeared in Danganronpa 2 as an AI was answered too, which was pretty touching since it was a group effort to create a guide. I guess even though they were all in Despair, somewhere in the back of their minds, Nanami’s Hope was still present. It sucks that she’s dead for real, but I guess her memory will help guide the 77th class onwards.
Really, there was no Despair anywhere provided that you weren’t looking for more answers, and don’t care about characters returning from the dead or anything. I guess they never really explained why there was a whole other replica of the building underwater, but I guess it was Tengan’s way of making sure that nobody left for real. Plus it was pretty silly that Hagakure was part of the survivor count when he was barely part of the game in the first place, but I guess this show really likes having 15+ characters. I also assume that the original survivor dying because of Naegi warning was about Kirigiri, since I guess Monaka had her NG Code information (why was that in Gekkougahara again??). …Who knows what Tengan thought of having her stand in during the game, or how she’s faring up in space, but at least the main cast of both games (plus Komaru) are happy.
With Kirigiri alive, that means that all of the original survivors of Danganronpa 1 made it through alive again, which is nice since they already experienced a lot of loss in said game/anime. Of course, some (Fukawa and Hagakure) were never really in any danger in the first place, but it’s still nice that Naegi didn’t lose any more friends. Plus from my whole argument about Kirigiri being possibly alive in one of the past posts, I don’t really think it was a cop-out for her to remain alive. It’s pretty cheesy that it happened in the last minute to make everything that much more hopeful, but I don’t mind it at all.
…This episode contained next to nothing that I was hoping for. The Tengan thing was just kind of left as is, the dead were pretty much forgotten about, and there wasn’t really any dramatic showdown of Hope vs Despair. However, it really delivered on the fanservice part. The 77th class all got their moment, Mitarai was talked out of brainwashing the world because of ~friendship~, and everyone still alive finally got their happy ending. Hell, even Kirigiri came back. Danganronpa actually spared a waifu (ignoring how Asashina got away with only “dying” once this entire series). This was really just a feel-good episode. And honestly, after watching the other two arcs all season, it feels like a nice, well deserved happy ending if you think about how much the characters suffered inside the anime, and in the games. Sure, there was a lot of stuff that probably could have been better explained, but I still feel pretty satisfied with it just because there was finally a happy ending without too many strings attached.
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Amidst all the intense despair throughout both Mirai-hen and Zetsubou-hen, I can totally work with this resolution to a nightmarish ordeal. A sigh of relief for Kirigiri still able to draw breath but a bummer a lot of people were killed in the process. Especially the real Nanami. Well, we all can’t have everything. It’s the sad truth.
Anyway, in the end, I was thoroughly satisfied with everything Danganronpa had to offer. An acceptable end for an entertaining series.