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Thh - Blog Posts
Sure, I may focus on art and all but that doesn't mean I can't also make stupid stuff.
Why you shouldn't bring Kokichi to a fancy party, the bastard knows exactly what he's doing and Byakuya's regretting bringing him by the second.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE DESPAIR SISTERS!!
Have a rushed drawing of Mukuro to celebrate her birthday! (I definitely didn't forget that it was also Junko's)
Happy Holidays to whoever celebrates them and have a good time whoever doesn't, saying it now because I know I'll forget it
The Ethics of Murder in Danganronpa: A Breakdown of the Killing Game's Morality
Ethicality is the adherence to moral principles in decision-making and actions, evaluating whether something is right or wrong.
However, ethics in the form of Danganronpa is where the lines start to blur. It's not as simple as right and wrong. When your life is on the line, you can justify killing someone as self-defense, right? But it's not that simple once you add in the psychological and emotional factors—the stakes change.
What's the value of a life, especially one that's a stranger? What happens when that stranger becomes someone you actually care about? The price of their life may change, and suddenly, it's a whole new ballgame. So the questions become: how much would it take for you to kill someone, and is murder ever justified?
That’s what Danganronpa forces us to confront death isn’t just a consequence it’s the game and with every death comes new motives emotions and decisions behind it.
Some characters may seem like their killing to survive others do it for greed and their own personal gain and then you have the people who act out of pure fear and panic.
The physiological pressure the manipulation the backstabbing these aren’t just trivial things and there’s a thing in here somewhere about how being in a killing game environment isolated from the rest of the world with a bunch a strangers who can kill you at anytime would change you as a person effect your morals and such (but this sadly isn’t about that and maybe I’ll touch on that later, ) this is about how the killing game makes us and the characters question whether murder is even okay? Where do we draw the line? and why do we forgive some and ostracize others?
Of course, your first thought would be absolutely not murder is not okay, never under any circumstance. But then the other thoughts start to roll in, you think about your family you think about your life outside the game you think about the value of your own life then you start making friends with with the strangers that you’re trapped with, and you start to think about the value of their life then it becomes a twisted mess and the answer isn’t just a simple no anymore it becomes a no except… a maybe a yes only… your perception becomes skewed as other factors are weighed in.
Should we feel sorry for the murders or should we see them as monsters and what’s the cuff off point where do draw the line for sympathetic killer and heartless murderers
So, with all that in mind, how do we even begin to break down the ethics of murder in Danganronpa? It’s not a simple black-and-white answer. But here’s a framework to think about it:
Murder in Danganronpa: Breaking It Down with MBBCO Motive Brutality Bias Context and Obligation
*For specifically Dr based on the blackened trials and reactions of other students probably not good for use in real world situations*
M. Motive
Why did they do it? The motive is essential because it gives us a reason behind the action. Is it for the sake of others, like Kaede killing to end the killing game, or for personal gain, like Celestia? Some motives may seem more honorable, but it all comes down to perspective. Did they kill out of desperation, or was it a calculated act for personal gain? Understanding the motive helps weigh the ethicality of the act.
B. Brutality
How did it go down? Was the murder violent and grotesque, or was it quick, swift, and painless? Brutality plays a significant role in how we perceive the act. Junko's actions were very gruesome and treated like a spectacle, while Kiyo killing Angie was painless, not very gruesome, and simple. Even though both had reasons, how the murder went down makes a huge difference. Was it cold or heartless, or were there moments of hesitation? Brutality not only shapes the act but also the way we see the killer.
B. Bias
Who is the victim, and who is the killer? Bias can cloud judgment, and while it shouldn't determine ethics, sometimes it still can. Take Kaito vs Kokichi, for example. The majority of the cast is quick to defend and stand by Kaito but ostracize Kokichi. This extends to everything, including murder. These biases sometimes get in the way, skewing the perception of ethicality.
C. Context
Context: What was the situation? This is vital because the surrounding circumstances heavily influence the actions. If a character kills in self-defense, it changes things compared to a murder driven by power. Take Mondo as an example: Mondo killed Chihiro not just because of personal animosity but because of Mondo's fragile sense of pride and guilt. In his case, the context wasn't just survival or revenge; it was deeply tied to his own internal battle of self-worth. Context can either justify or complicate the ethical decision to kill.
O. Obligation
Obligation: Was it a choice? In a killing game, the definition of choice can be murky. Was the character forced into a situation where they had to kill for survival, or was it something they actively chose for personal reasons? In some cases, like Hifumi's, it's clear he was manipulated, while many other characters acted on their own volition. The sense of obligation varies depending on the killer's mindset and circumstances.
Murder is always murder, regardless. But this doesn't mean we should ignore the complexities that determine the ethics and morals of each murder in the killing games. It's not always clear-cut, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Some characters make decisions we might understand, even if we don’t agree with them. Others make choices that are downright horrifying, and no amount of explanation can justify that. But that’s the beauty (and horror) of Danganronpa: it forces us to question the morality of our actions, and whether any of us would really be able to survive in such a twisted situation without crossing a line.
Hope vs Despair and How Danganronpa Shows the Fine Line Between Them
In Danganronpa, Hope vs. Despair aren't just opposing forces—they’re intertwined like yin and yang.
You can’t have one without the other. Each moment of hope carries the potential for despair, and each moment of despair can give birth to a new form of hope.
The series doesn’t just explore this dynamic; it forces the characters to confront it, shaping their growth and evolution throughout the story.
Take Makoto Naegi, for example. As the Ultimate Hope, he stands in direct contrast to Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair. But Makoto’s hope isn't simple optimism—it’s been tested and shaped by the despair surrounding him. His journey shows how hope can survive even in the darkest circumstances. On the flip side, Junko manipulates despair, using it as a tool to corrupt and reshape hope into something sinister. She twists the idea of hope, showing that it too can be warped when exposed to extreme despair.
Despair is often depicted as the absence of hope, like the color black, while hope is like white—full of aspirations, dreams, and ambitions. But, just as there are varying shades of black and white, hope and despair are not as clear-cut as they might seem. There are nuances, shades of gray that blur the lines, making it harder to see where one ends and the other begins.
In SDR2, the pattern continues, but with more complexity. It’s still hope vs. despair, but with the added layer of past vs. future. The characters' pasts represent despair to them, but through confronting their dark pasts, they create new hope. Their stories show that hope isn’t just about looking forward—it’s about confronting the past and using that pain to forge something better.
Then there’s Nagito Komaeda, who’s obsessed with hope. His view of hope is twisted because he believes hope can only arise from despair. For him, creating despair is the means to achieve his ideal hope, showing just how tangled these forces can become. Nagito represents the extreme, where hope and despair bleed into each other in the most disturbing way.
In V3, the lines between hope and despair are even more blurred. Monokuma’s Death Road of Despair is a perfect example of this cycle. The characters are given hope—a potential escape that’s always within reach—but as they fail repeatedly, their hope turns into despair. They begin to believe that escape was never possible, that they were wasting their time from the start.
The constant cycle of hope and despair leaves them trapped in their own feelings, forcing them to reevaluate what hope even means.
Then, we have characters like Kaede, Kaito, and Tenko, who embody hope for those around them. When they die, the survivors are filled with despair, but instead of succumbing to grief, they use their deaths as a source of strength. Their deaths become a new form of hope for the survivors, pushing them to continue the fight. The cycle isn’t over; it’s reborn from loss and pain, showing that hope can arise even from the darkest moments.
Ultimately, Danganronpa isn’t about choosing hope over despair or vice versa—it’s about understanding the complex relationship between them. Both hope and despair are essential to the human experience.
One cannot exist without the other, and each gives rise to the other in ways we may not fully understand. The characters are constantly forced to confront this reality, evolving in response to the ever-present pull of these two forces.
By rejecting the notion that hope and despair are opposites, Danganronpa teaches us that life isn’t about simple binaries. It’s about the messy, complicated truth that both hope and despair are necessary for growth, and in the end, it’s the balance between them that gives life meaning.
Talents: The Ultimate Blessing or Curse? A Speculation on the Ethical, Societal, and Moral Issues of Ultimates
Being an ultimate is a blessing untill it isn't.
Do you think people who aren't Ultimates would hate Maki because she hates her talent like yeah she was forced into it at a young age and doesn't like taking people's lives but would people sympathize with her I'm sure some would but others just because she's in a prestigious academy in a place where talents are supposed to be hailed and practiced would see her as 'ungrateful.'
Then if people found put how many people Ryoma and Kiyo killed would it ruin hopes Peak reputation or are they desensitized to having murders be Ultimates.
I also feel like it would be awkward for Shuichi and Kyoko both being detectives it would be like: "we're looking for these people." "yeah... those are my classmates." It's definitely a moral dilemma because they know for most of their friends/ classmates at least that they were forced into it or there was more context behind it but to everyone else it just seems like they're protecting 'dangerous criminals.'
On that same note are people concerned about the ultimate assassin and yakuza honing their skills and being released into the world.
I'm sure someone is praying on hopes peaks downfall pointing out every weird questionable or controversial thing an ultimate does just to be like: "see they don't deserve to be there."
I bet people are complaining all the time about which Ultimates get accepted. "Cosplayer come on man are we even trying anymore."
That line between adoration and resentment has to be so so thin.
At the end of the day being an ultimate is a double edged sword fame and fortune for the rest of your life but still held to the same regard as celebrities in which there will always be people who hate you and scrutinize you for everything you do.
Danganronpa's heart isn't the killing game it's the characters
I think a part of the DR games get pretty overlooked is the daily life sections like yeah sometimes it seems like you can skip over sections them and not lose any important information and V3 makes the FTEs unbearable but it's what gives Danganronpa games their charm and what separates DR games from other games similar to it.
The characters, their backstories their relationships.
And even though THH the animation probably brought in more viewers (because its much more easy and convenient to watch a ten episode anime than to play, or watch someone else play a 25 hour game) people who watched it would just get the surface level version of the story.
Trust me I watched the anime the first time around.
If you ask any Danganronpa fan whether they play for the plot, (the mystery-solving murders, executions, and trials) or the characters most would probably pick the latter and it's not a choice with no thought at all.
Each game has a wide array of characters with their personalities, backstories, quirks, interests, and traumas. With every game comes a new cast of characters to obsess over, and hope they don’t die.
The characters are what makes the game so special and unique, and I think the game wouldn’t have gotten as much popularity as it did in the past few years if there were a bunch of normal characters with nothing of note in a killing game.
That's why the daily life sections are so important-they give the characters a chance to breathe and interact without the pressure of a trial weighing upon them.
Without those moments the deaths, executions and trials wouldn't hit as hard.
Danganronpa thrives on its daily life sections and if they are skipped over or reduced they take away so much of what makes the game special.
The mystery is engaging sure, but it's the relationships personalities and tragedies of the cast that's what keep people coming back long after they've finished the games.