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maspers · 8 months

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Weather Update: The First Danganronpa Game secretly had TWO rivals the entire time.

Lemme explain (spoilers, obviously, and this is gonna be a bit a rant whoops):

Usual Danganronpa Format as the fandom usually sees it: Students trapped in an unfamiliar location with no idea what's going on, plot driven partially by the mystery but mostly by the character interactions.

Trigger Happy Havoc: Students trapped in an altered but still familiar location with no idea what's going on, plot driven partially by the character interactions but mostly by the mystery.

In a setting like DR2, V3, or a vast majority of fangans, the participants in the killing game are given very little information about their circumstances aside from what Monokuma gives them, which is deliberately vague and designed to direct them towards killing each other. Additionally, the students are given very little ability to react to and retaliate against the Killing Game system in ways Monokuma won't expect. Weirdness aside DR2 basically went all according to plan until the final trial due to Monokuma's nigh-omniscience, and V3 was similar with the only debatable exception being Kokichi's elaborate scheme in Chapter 5. Since the students are dealing with such restricted conditions, the plot can't be fully driven by the students figuring out the setting, so instead the plot focuses on the conflict that derives from the various characters reacting to the game. In a story like this, it makes sense that the most antagonistic characters aside from the mastermind would be the ones with EXTREME personalities that shake things up a lot. Nagito, Kokichi and that character archetype that everyone expects to be in a fangan are necessary to make the plot more INTERESTING.

But THH is different. The students KNOW where they are (or at least they think they do, and turn out to be right). While they don't have any recollection of the Academy itself, they at least know what to EXPECT from Hope's Peak, and can from there point out nooks and crannies for delicious little clues that reveal more about the situation, putting together a narrative without Monokuma's handholding. Additionally, despite his blustering Monokuma is explicitly NOT omniscient here, or even practically omniscient, as methods to hide things from him are figured out early on. The students are able to DO something about their situation as the story progresses, and have figured out some aspects of the overarching mystery as it pertains to them long before the final trial (and NOT because the Mastermind deliberately put the info in their path). This greater information access and greater character agency in general means that while the character conflicts are still very much a part of the plot, the overarching theme is solving the mystery while adapting to the circumstances to avoid dying.

In a setting like this, extreme/bizarre personalities aren't really a boon to the plot. While the character reveals add layers and information in other settings, here it's a distraction. The students HAVE resources, and at least SOME of the tools they need. Engaging in over-the-top schemes and traps is a DETRIMENT to their current course of action even more than in later games, which is probably why Monokuma tries to encourage them to do such. Other characters in THH fit the bill of "stereotypical DR Rival" probably better than the supposed-rival Byakuya and THH's other Rival character actually do. Celestia Ludenberg comes to mind, in another DR setting she could be exactly the sort of mysterious and interesting rival the series is known for (and that she clearly wants to be), but in THH she's just another annoyance. Toko Fukawa and Genocider have the extreme personality down, but they only advance the plot in the students' favor when they approach things logically and in a less crazy manner. If Rivals in this game are supposed to fit the bill of "causes unexpected occurrences and advances the plot but still clashes with the rest of the cast in intense ways while doing so" like the other Rival characters in the series do, they have to play the role under a different ruleset. Rather than representing a philosophical extreme through their personality, these rivals have to represent a different extreme: their methods and rationale when it comes to SOLVING THE MYSTERY / ESCAPING THE GAME.

And in this regard, Byakuya Togami plays the role wonderfully. The vast majority of the students in the game are very passive when it comes to solving the mystery. Sure, they get very active when trying to escape by killing someone, but that's just dancing to Monokuma's tune. Rather than wondering what to do, Byakuya makes his actions clear from the start, and everything he does in the game that's antagonistic fits that same M.O., while not doing anything that would put him in an uncertain position. He learns how the trial system functions, then during Chapter 2 he performs an experiment to analyze the other students further. His antagonism largely stems from viewing the other students as opponents, so his pragmatic approach makes sense, but he doesn't JUST analyze the players. He also analyzes the metaphorical board, and it's clear he's trying to get every scrap of info he can on his situation before fully committing to action (exhibit A: him spending so much freaking time in the library). The only stereotypically "nuts" thing he really does is down that bottle of poison/protein in Chapter 4. He's proving a point. He'll do anything it takes to win, and knowledge is power. Hence his active role in acquiring info about the game, the setting, and the other students' behaviors.

But Byakuya can't be the only Rival here. While he might be solving some mysteries in the background, we don't get to see much of it because the whole point of his character early on is conflict: his active versus the other's passive. He won't share his findings or really work with others, which is not good when our precious baby protag Makoto is trying to solve the mystery himself. Byakuya can't move the plot forward like that until after Chapter 4. Chapter 5 onward, Byakuya's method to his madness is revealed, and he contributes a lot to solving the mystery and directing the other students to getting more of the info he needs (exhibit A, dismantling Monokuma). And... that doesn't really fit with the formula later games set. Chapter 5 is when conflicts with the rival comes to head, and shenanigans abound. Nagito does it. Kokichi does it. But Byakuya isn't particularly inclined. Shenanigans with his own life at stake aren't his methods, they're just complications. But... the stuff still comes to a head with THH's other rival. The other character that's been progressing the plot in active ways that contrast with the other students, and clashing with the rest of the cast AND the player. The character whose life IS on the line in Chapter 5.

You've probably guessed by now that I'm talking about Kyoko Kirigiri.

When we look at her in retrospect, Kyoko doesn't raise any alarms compared to the craziness of the rest of the franchise. She helps with the investigations and moves the trials forward, she's nowhere near the craziness brought by Nagito and Kokichi, and generally just really competent. We categorize her in the "Assistant" role, similar to Chiaki and Shuichi/Kaede/Kaito/Maki/whoever (hey wait a second where did we even come up with this archetype anyway, if V3 doesn't even really seem to have one character who properly fits it?) She definitely fits the Assistant bill in DR3, but this ain't DR3. She doesn't fit the bill for stereotypical Danganronpa Trial Rival... but as previously established, Byakuya doesn't either. So let's go deeper and look at things in context. Because from the start of the game, Kyoko is weird. Really weird.

We're introduced not knowing anything about her, and she keeps it that way for a LONG time. "Ultimate ???" just screams she's going to be important later but you just don't know how (remember, this was BEFORE Rantaro). She's really helpful during the trials and is three steps ahead of everyone, but... aside from that a lot of her actions are really, REALLY conflict inducing. She is happy to get info from other students, but it's clear there's a lot she isn't sharing. She says ominous things to Monokuma that make no sense ("What did you do to my body?" anyone?) and seems VERY focused on the mystery. Just like Byakuya, she's taking an active role in analyzing every detail about the circumstances. And interestingly enough, she's just as paranoid as he is, just in different ways. As Makoto spends more time around her she manipulates him (and others) in some really unnerving ways, and her dynamics with other characters outside of trials are always either generically placating to keep things calm or downright low-key hostile when things don't go according to plan. Just like with Byakuya, for the vast majority of the game she doesn't trust anybody. And in chapter 5, these aspects of her character are brought into full view. She spends the entire chapter hiding away, she mysteriously appears in Makoto's room (side note: Nagito and Kokichi both have "looking over the protag in an unnerving fashion" pics. Byakuya doesn't. Kyoko DOES). It becomes clear in the trial how much she's hiding and how much she's been manipulating things. Chapter 5 is an impossible trial designed as a trap for HER. Her seemingly innocuous actions have come in full domino effect. And only Makoto and the power of being a Man Literally To Unpredictable To Die can save her.

(Makoto obviously isn't a rival character, but it's interesting to see how by THH's requirements he very well could have fit the bill. Think of him from Hina's or Hiro's perspective: he's seemingly innocuous, yet survived way longer than anyone would expect him to, often figures out just the right thing to say, both Byakuya and Kyoko interact with him a lot when neither of them seem to care about anyone else, and ultimately seems to become a lot more actively involved in mystery solving despite not having any right too. Couple that with the fact that he spent a couple days "bedridden" when from an outsider's perspective he could have been doing anything, and ngl Makoto sus. He even survives an execution!)

Both Byakuya and Kyoko take turns providing conflict to the story in ways that develop the plot but COMPLETELY clash with the passive methods of everyone else. They practically take turns being the one doing whatever crazy crap needs to get done. Their character arcs parallel each other too. Byakuya has to learn about the value of human life and emotional connection. Kyoko knows perfectly well how important life and emotions are, but she needs to learn that it's a two-way street, that trust needs to be established and that she doesn't have to do everything important herself. Byakuya, while lacking in empathy, is fully willing to work with others and outsource important tasks. He just views it as a business transaction. BOTH of them are prideful frickers who think they're the only one with a brain cell, and it's up to Makoto to undergo his own character arc, become their friend, and prove them wrong. And then once Makoto DOES finally take control and prove he's the one with the audacity required to actually get everything working, he's able to redirect both Byakuya and Kyoko into finally teaming up with everyone and stopping chaos so much chaos. Without either of them, Makoto couldn't have made it to the final trial (we can see when Kyoko dies in the Bad Ending that it's basically game over, the mystery CAN'T be solved, and I fully believe that the circumstances would have ended similarly if Byakuya had died and they'd lost his pragmatic logical reasoning). But without Makoto, Kyoko and Byakuya couldn't have made it THROUGH the final trial. All three of them are literary foils of each other.

(This is another reason why seeing all three of them in the final trial of DR2 is so fun, because the Trial Point Getters are a well-oiled machine by that point and you get to see them play off each other as 100% allies, while once again getting to see through Hajime's eyes how 100% sus all three of them really are once they get going.)

So that's why I think THH has some really good Rivals, despite neither Byakuya nor Kyoko fitting what we've come to expect from the formula. They aren't insane or representing a philosophical extreme, they're representing clashing viewpoints in solving a mystery and escaping the killing game. In other entries in the series, Byakuya and Kyoko would be killing game fodder for twisty midgame chapters and otherwise not being able to contribute much of interest. But in Trigger Happy Havoc? They're exactly what the game needs to elevate it from simple mystery-solving to full-blown ART.

TL;DR Byakuya and Kyoko are awesome and I love them and a lot of people sleep on their status as Danganronpa Rivals because they grade them on a standard that I think is unfair and ignores their strengths as characters. Also Makoto suddenly becomes way more interesting when viewed through a perspective other than his own. The first Danganronpa game is a materpiece and more fangans need to realize that they don't have to play by the supposed "series formula". After all, this game didn't.

#holy heck this was long #obviously the final trial's success wasn't JUST dependent on the Trial Point Getters #Hina and Toko are important characters who deserve respect #but this wasn't about them #(I still say the latter two chapters would have been way more interesting if Chihiro had survived instead of Hiro #but what we got was great so I'll take what I can get)#danganronpa #danganronpa: trigger happy havoc #byakuya togami #kyoko kirigiri #makoto naegi #danganronpa rivals #rivals #literary devices #video game writing

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transpanda-1 · 1 year

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People who staunchly defend the idea of Chihiro being a guy by using the game’s writing surrounding her is so interesting because like. Toko is literally in the same chapter as her. The extremely poorly written serial killer stereotype character? The one universally agreed to be written in an incredibly ableist way? They’re standing back to back crossing their arms like a poorly written sitcom ad. You can’t separate them.

Insinuating Chihiro’s writing is valid comes at the price of insinuating other instances, like Toko’s, is equally valid. Stop that!

#DR's writing sucks! And it's bigoted! That's why people inherently don't believe the writing!#chihiro fujisaki #Toko fukawa #DR #chirps

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erisenyo · 6 months

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Please “Don’t listen to them. Don’t you EVER listen to them.” for Toko (Zuko and Toph)

For this prompt game! (And also this one!)

“Oh!” Poppy gasps, smacking her hand down onto the table and nearly catching the edge of her plate. “And our Tophie must have told you about the noodle incident?”

“Oh, the noodle incident,” Lao chortles, reaching for more sake.

“No,” Zuko says as Toph freezes, chopsticks halfway to her mouth, pressing his feet firmly to the floor to make sure she can feel the absolute delight he is suddenly feeling. “Tophie never told me about that. What was it again?” he asks, mock innocent and making a show of his interest as he evades her jab beneath the table. “The Noodle Episode?” It feels like it should have capitalization.

“We don’t need to hear about that,” Toph groans, flapping a dismissive hand in her parents’ direction. “You trot that dusty old story out every chance you get, how about sprucing it up with something different?”

“Oh, but the Noodle Incident is a classic!” Poppy says, her small features bright with enthusiasm and flushed with drink and laughter. “I can’t believe you never told him, dear!”

“I can’t believe you’re going to,” Toph mutters, pitching her voice to carry, “When we could be talking about anything else.”

Which is a truly uncharacteristic display of outwardly caring about someone else’s opinion, and Zuko is even more curious now. “Tell me about the noodles,” he says, smoothly pulling his foot out of the way of Toph’s stomping heel under the guise of pouring Poppy more sake.

“So kind, dear,” she says, patting his hand, her hairpiece listing to the side. “And so neat with your pour!”

“Quite the gentleman!” Lao adds with what Zuko can only describe as a guffaw as Toph lets out an aggrieved sound and pointedly holds out her own cup for more.

“So,” Zuko prompts, giving into the urge to rest his chin on his hand because he knows that Toph will be able to tell with her seismic sense that way she always can with him. “The noodles?”

“Well you see,” Poppy begins with a tipsy, tinkling laugh, “Our Tophling here—”

Zuko barely keeps from choking on his own spit as Toph lets out a long, dramatic groan.

“—was the cutest baby!”

“Every parent will say it,” Lao says, confiding and loud enough to be heard clear across the dining room, “But it was true, in our case.”

“Isn’t that right, Tophling?” Poppy says, practically cooing.

“Yeah, Tophling,” Zuko says, smiling slow and thrilled as months and months and months of teasing material suddenly unfolds in front of him. “Isn’t that right?”

“Nope, don’t listen to them, it’s all lies,” Toph says, reaching out to grab the nearest bowl of custard and thrusting it toward the rest of the table. “Soup? Anyone want soup?”

Lao smiles, fond, a genuine—a genuine tear in his eye. “Why, when she was born—”

“I was born from the earth,” Toph announces.

“—she just had the cutest little scrunchiest face!”

“A badgermole asexually reproduced to make me, actually.”

“So angry!” Poppy agrees, squishing up her face in imitation, Zuko nearly laughing out loud as she wiggles her nose. “It made us just want to boop her every time we saw her!”

“It formed me straight from the ground,” Toph says, nodding.

“And it turned out,” Lao continues, leaning in and face already red with restrained laughter, “That the only thing that would make her unscrunch—”

“La la la!” Toph suddenly sings, loud and obnoxious and out of tune.

“Was noodles!” Poppy finishes, tittering before visibly swallowing her laughter to continue. “And you see, one day—”

“Don’t listen to them,” Toph says, smacking Zuko in the shoulder and nearly knocking his headpiece out as she claps her hands firmly over his ears. “Don’t ever listen to them.”

“What?” Zuko says, his laughter finally breaking through to join the clamor of her tuneless singing and Poppy and Lao trying to tell their story over top of each other as they fall into giggles, all of it a bright cacophony behind her muffling hands.

“Exactly!” Toph shouts back over top of them. “And that’s what you’ll keep saying if you know what’s good for you!”

“Whatever you say—Tophie,” Zuko grins, knowing she’ll hear it even under the noise, will feel it against her hands, her glower relenting into an eye roll after a moment.

“Yeah,” she says, making a show of disinterest even as she keeps her hands firm against the side of his head. A pause, then, “You’re going to tell Sokka, aren’t you?”

“I am already mentally composing the letter,” Zuko confirms.

“…Shit,” Toph grumbles, fingers gentle stroking over the hair above his right ear. “I’m going to get called Noodles now.”

“Yeah,” Zuko says, serene, delighted, loving the twitch of her trying to hold back her smile. “Yeah, you are.” He waits long enough for her hands to drop and how him to get well out of elbowing distance before adding, “Good thing noodles are your favorite.”

#I brainstormed like. Four potential fills for this prompt. And they were all either people dishing on Toph to Zuko or about Zuko to Toph lol #fic writing #my writing #Toph #Zuko #Toko #Zutoph #asks and answers #ask game

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ultimateplaylistmaker · 1 year

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I think after Toko meets Komaru all her writing suddenly features a prominent female friend to the protagonist that 100% had better chemistry then then main romantic guy had to main protagonist but can’t be together for totally normal heterosexual reasons and definitely were never in love it’s completely het that the main girl pines over how she can’t be with her best friend and how she wishes her love interest was her. It’s STRAIGHT she PROMISES.

Meanwhile all her readers are like “Well. She’s definitely in love with one of her female friends isn’t she.” and Toko acts utterly surprised when anyone points out the chemistry between the two girls and dismisses it as them just seeing things when it’s so clearly in the text.

#yes people still read her books despite being outed as a serial killer who else is going to write romance in an apocalypse pickings are slim #tokomaru #ultra despair girls #trigger happy havoc #komaru naegi #Toko Fukawa #musings from the music manager

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mic-check-stims · 2 months

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Happy birthday Toko and Syo 🍰

X-X-X X X-X-X

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gr8brandz · 4 months

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tokosparrow · 5 months

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So I have an idea: Matthew x a shy fem reader and him teasing her about how cute she is

a/n: i’m a shy person myself so this’ll be easy peasy :3

> having a shy girlfriend immediately melts matthews heart everytime he thinks about it, because he just thinks your pretty cute this way.

> matthew even helps you order food whenever you two go out to eat, sometimes he like to encourage you to order something yourself to help you somewhat get over a tiny bit of your shyness slowly.

> there were even times where he had to call out the employees that happened to get your order wrong (it’s like that one meme “she didn’t want pickles >:(“ or whatever LOL).

“she didnt want pickles in her burger >:(“

“matthew…it isn’t that serious, please…:<”

“it is completely serious to me!”

> he just doesn’t like people taking advantage of your shyness, it makes him a bit pissed off.

“if anyone take advantage of you, i’ll put them on fire for you <333”

“awhh…thank you mattie, but i don’t think that’ll be necessary..”

“i’ll still do it, just for you my love <3”

> there are even times where he teases you about your shyness, he isn’t trying to be mean about it i promise <3

> if you ever tell him that you happen to not like the teasing, he immediately stops and give your cheeks kisses and little promises inbetween about not teasing you ever again (and he keep those promises)

> he just love you and your shyness sm <333

#toko writes #scott pilgrim takes off #scott pilgrim vs the world #matthew patel x reader #matthew patel

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stitch1830 · 8 months

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Those two angsty pieces put me in the mood for something a little more light-hearted, so Misc #16 for Toko?

LJF, hello! Thanks for the ask :D I seem to have the bug for writing today, and so I figured I'd write this up and post it right away haha. Hope the this is hits the light-hearted Toko spot!

......

Toko - Misc - #16 - “YOU SAID TO BE HONEST STOP HITTING ME!”

“Ugh!”

Zuko looked up from his scroll, setting his morning tea down to look across the bedroom. The sound was undoubtedly coming from the closet, and he had a feeling he knew what was up.

Still, Zuko found himself asking his wife, “Everything okay?”

Toph let out a loud sigh, hollering back. “I feel like I look stupid.”

“What?”

“I feel ginormous and I feel like if I walk out of this closet I’m going to appear as big as a platypus bear.”

A faint smile played at Zuko’s lips, but he quickly wiped it away as he stood up and walked toward the closet. “I’m sure that’s not true, Toph. Besides, no one is going to care. And if they do, you’ll just throw a boulder at them.”

“Still! Everyone’s coming to the palace today, and you know one of the dunderheads is gonna say something.”

“Aang and Sokka know better than to say something, Toph,” Zuko said. “Remember when they came here before Kaede was born? They definitely learned their lesson.”

He remembered that particular day fondly, for it felt like the perfect storm of comedic and chaotic timing how both Sokka and Aang opened their big mouths at the same time. They just had to let Toph know how big she looked just a week before she was due. If Toph hadn’t skyrocketed them in the air with her earth pillars, Zuko probably would’ve lit their pants on fire. Now, of course, they could laugh at the memory. At the time, though, Toph’s wrath was not so funny to the boys. Now, Zuko hope for their sake that they knew better than to speak on the appearance of a pregnant woman, especially if that woman was Toph Beifong.

And yet, Toph still felt self-conscious enough to feel that Aang and Sokka hadn’t learned their lesson. “Yes,” she began, “but I wasn’t pregnant with twins then. I look twice as big now!”

With crossed arms, Zuko replied, “Okay, well let me see, and I’ll be the judge of that.”

Toph let out a sigh, then emerged from the closet with the biggest pout on her face. “Tell me I don’t look huge. You can’t.”

Every time he saw Toph’s glowing, growing figure, his heart skipped a beat. She wore a loose-fitting Fire Nation robe, and while Zuko truly thought she was stunning, the garment didn’t really do her any favors. It draped over her round belly, and, well…

It made her appear rather tent-like.

The man began to sweat. How on earth was he supposed to tell her that even though she was the most beautiful woman in the world that this particular robe made her look bigger than she actually was?

Zuko swallowed the lump in his throat, beginning the conversation by peppering her with compliments. “You look beautiful, Toph.”

“That’s not saying I don’t look fat.”

“Toph, come on. You’re pregnant with twins. No one really cares what you look like or what you’re wearing. They’re all just coming here to celebrate!”

“Zuko. I will call up every single one of our friends right now if you don’t tell me the truth. Do. I. Look. Fat.”

This was a lose-lose situation for the firebender. To lie and say she didn’t look fat would earn him a one way trip to the polar-bear-dog house, for she would certainly catch him in the lie.

If he was honest? Well, that was bound to end in disaster, too.

Spirits help Zuko.

He let out a sigh, and mumbled, “You—the robes make you look a little big—”

Zuko was immediately attacked Toph’s tiny but mighty fist, causing him to shout and yell, “Ow! Qu—Toph! Cut it out! I was just telling the truth—”

“You said I look fat!”

“You said be honest! Stop hitting me!!” he hissed.

“No!”

“Toph—what was I supposed to do? Lie?”

“Yes!”

“You would’ve caught me in the lie!”

Toph paused for half a second, then continued to smack his shoulder. “That—that’s not the point! You should know better!”

“I tried to steer you a different direction—”

“Steer?! Am I more like a cow? Is that it?”

“No! No, nothing close to a cow—Toph. You really are beautiful.”

“Just not right now, is that it?” “I never said that—” “Oh, save it. I’m calling Katara right now so she’s ready to kick your ass into the next Sozin Comet.”

Spirits help Zuko. This was going to be a long day.

......

Send me writing asks if you don't mind waiting a bit! Lol

#toko #toph #toph beifong #zuko #atla #writing #quote writing prompts #my asks #thanks for the ask!#ljf #Poor zuko #there was no way he was getting out of this convo lmaoo #send me asks!

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awkward-thinker · 10 months

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This is the fake scene I mentioned when I posted a fake screenshot of it! :D

I still think it’s super dumb for the kids not to have been angry/disappointed with Aiger for breaking Valtryek.

Literally, Phi breaks Fafnir, and Valt screams for Free to get out of Phoenix’s attack, and then immediately rushes down to reprimand Phi and challenge him. But ohhh nooooo, Aiger gets away with BREAKING. THE WORLD CHAMPION’S. BEYBLADE.

At the very, VERY least, Toko and Nika should have been upset with him! He broke their big brother’s Bey! Nika literally started crying when it happened! Toko tried not to cry! How are you supposed to still be all buddy buddy with someone when they harmed your family member so badly, and haven’t even apologized for it?

Aiger did face repercussions for his corruption through his bond with Achilles weakening, but he didn’t face any repercussions from his friends, which he logically SHOULD HAVE.

Seriously, if I were his friends (OR LITERALLY EVEN JUST AN AUDIENCE MEMBER, you know Valt has to have fans that should’ve been angry with Aiger), I would be so mad at him.

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ogradyfilm · 9 months

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Recently Viewed: I Am What I Am

I Am What I Am is the exact sort of pleasant surprise that defines Japan Cuts for me. The synopsis on the festival website led me to believe that it would be a somewhat overwrought melodrama; what I got instead was a delightfully unconventional, subversive romcom that omits the “romance” entirely.

The plot revolves around Kasumi Sobata, an asexual thirty-year-old struggling to navigate the pressures of a society that expects women her age to quit their jobs, get married, and have a bunch of kids. Unfortunately, her family practically epitomizes conformity and traditional gender roles. Her heavily pregnant sister, for example, dutifully ignores the warning signs that her husband might be unfaithful. Her grandmother, meanwhile—fresh off her third divorce—insists that a “proper” wife should accept infidelity as an inevitability. Worst of all, her mother—misconstruing her lack of a love life as evidence of depression—frequently sets her up on impromptu “dates” with “eligible bachelors,” hoping to force the issue of wedded bliss through manipulation, subterfuge, and sheer tenacity.

The conflict ventures far beyond the tropes typically associated with the genre. The primary “obstacle” isn’t the protagonist’s reluctance to abandon her own ambitions (though that is a secondary concern); her very identity is at stake. Whenever she admits that she is incapable of experiencing physical attraction, her feelings are immediately dismissed, invalidated, and trivialized. A male friend, for instance, assumes that she is merely making an excuse to “politely” reject his (abrupt, clumsy) flirtatious advances; he subsequently ends their platonic relationship.

The movie’s visual style is simple, yet elegant. Most scenes unfold from a single camera angle, with only minor adjustments to the frame: a pan here, a lateral dolly move there, the occasional slow push-in. This minimalism prioritizes behavior rather than action, allowing the performances (as opposed to the editing) to guide the rhythm of the narrative—and the actors absolutely deliver in that regard! Toko Miura is particularly compelling as our hapless heroine; whereas the character that she portrayed in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car was cold, aloof, and taciturn, Kasumi is sensitive, affable, and effortlessly funny—an impressive display of versatility.

Ultimately, I Am What I Am is a triumph of representation. It explicitly assures ace viewers that they are neither defective nor alone, encouraging them to express themselves freely and unapologetically—after all, no human being (queer or otherwise) should have to justify their existence; everybody deserves basic respect and dignity. The message is unsubtle by design—and that thematic transparency significantly deepens the film’s emotional resonance.

#I Am What I Am #Japan Cuts #Japan Society #Japanese cinema #Japanese film #Toko Miura #Shinya Tamada #film #writing #movie review

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dangans-ur-ronpas · 2 months

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Chapter 12

UH OH

SEE HERE FOR GENERAL WARNINGS AND FIC SUMMARY

Some pre-chapter notes:

trying to move away from writing toko like chunsoft and adding more to her character (she's traumatized she wants to be loved but she's going about it in the worst way) but in the end none of her actions are condoned. she's fucked up still sorry but written in a more sympathetic light i hope?

syo WILL be in this fic but i do my best to make her hand-wavy explanation ambiguous (fuck whatever canon says about 'textbook split personality' btw)

@moonlighttogami and @tokiwigiwi :)

Content warning tags: implication of stalking/blackmail, Toko-expected creepiness, use of violence, character death

< previous - from start - next >

He’s not sure how much time passes when the door opens again.

“Finally,” He huffs, not bothering to turn. “Took you long enough. Honestly, how long does it take-”

He halts, as the intruder steps into the room, and quickly clicks his handbook shut. These weren’t Makoto’s footsteps. And - he surreptitiously covers his nose - that wasn’t Makoto’s smell. But he knows whose it was.

“...Toko. What do you want.” He turns and glares at the girl who has intruded on his space. She fidgets where she stands, a thin shadow of dark purple. The smell of her has grown stronger over the past few weeks, and hangs around her like a miasma.

“M-master Byakuya…”

He feels a full-bodied shiver of disgust run over his skin. “Don’t call me that.”

She ignores him, and carries on. “A-about last night…”

Right. To be completely honest, he was hoping that he had scared her enough the night before to make her leave him alone entirely. But he’s not surprised either; if she had the nerve to blatantly try and look at his secret, it wasn’t surprising that she had the boldness to try and confront him like this.

“What about last night.” He says stiffly, and she jumps as if shocked.

“I-I know about your eyes!” She blurts at last. “A-and, I know Ch-Chihiro knows it too…I, I heard you t-talking about it i-in the b-bathhouse last night…”

He feels his lip curling, revolted. Of course she had eavesdropped; she was quickly proving to be one of the more annoying stalkers he’d ever had the displeasure of dealing with. The number of people who were aware of his condition was also rapidly increasing against his will. At this point he might as well do the same as Fujisaki and announce it out loud.

Fukawa continues in her irritating stutter. “A-and…y-your envelope…” He freezes immediately, suddenly latching on to her every word.

“What did it say?” He demands, and she flinches - shivers? - arms crossing over her torso.

“I-if I t-tell you, y-you won’t w-want anything to d-do with m-me anymore…” She mutters, seemingly to herself, and he feels another wave of revulsion roll over him.

“Out with it. I already want nothing to do with you, but if you don’t speak up now-”

What will he do? He tries to come up with a threat that can hold actual weight, but they all sound pathetic, even to himself. If only Makoto were here, he could at least get him to chase her away…how long does it take to talk to three people, anyways?

Ironically, it’s Fukawa who saves him from having to think of something. “I-I know you’re r-really mad at m-me for r-reading your secret last night,” She continues, and she’s swaying slightly, as if drunk. “U-um, I-I promise n-not to t-tell anyone! About your eyes, o-or your envelope…a-and, I’ll t-tell you mine, t-too.”

“I’m not interested.” He says flatly. “Tell me what was written in my envelope. Now.”

She shakes her head instead. “I-I know th-there’s no way for you t-to have r-read yours yet, right? S-so only I know!” The light catches on her spectacles, and it gives the illusion of two, illuminated orbs on her face. “W-which makes me m-more special than M-Makoto, or Chihiro, right?”

She sounds deranged. Her voice is pitched with desperation, and she’s breathing heavily. She takes a step closer. “I-I know all your s-secrets, and once y-you know mine…s-so you can r-rely on me, m-more than Makoto, o-or Chihiro?” Another step, and the floorboard creaks. “I-I’ll do better than th-them! And, and I can accept you f-for all your secrets, s-so, you don’t n-need them, I promise!”

“Stay back.” He snaps, shifting backwards. The revulsion was curdling, mixing with fear, and crawling down his back like something physical, like the vile, unwanted sensation of fingernails, tickling over his skin. He hates this irrational panic - she was just a girl, and a pathetic one at that - but here he was, shying away anyways, unable to discern her next move, her intentions. “I’m warning you-”

She lurches forward, and he takes an inadvertent step back. His back meets the bookshelf; he was trapped. “S-so don’t get scared,” She says, though these words really only have the opposite effect on him. “D-do you remember the news, a few y-years back? A-about Genocider S-Syo?”

Genocider Syo? The name sounds familiar, but it takes him a moment to place where he’s heard it before. It was a few years before he enrolled at Hope’s Peak, while in transit to some social gathering or another; Pennyworth had left the car radio tuned to the local news.

“The serial killer?” He asks aloud, as he subtly searches the shelves behind him, trying to find something to use as a weapon. The tip of his index finger catches on the spine of a large, plastic-bound copy of some textbook or another, and he leverages it slowly out of the shelf, feeling sweat beginning to slicken its cover.

She nods eagerly, her braids bouncing. “I-I knew you’d kn-know about it,” She sounds relieved, somehow, voice breathless. “Y-you know, th-the first place Syo turned up was the town w-where I was b-born…i-it was my f-first crush that was the f-first victim, y’know?”

It clicks together quickly for him. The radio announcer had described bloody and ugly scenes of murder, the displayed corpses of young men and boys, all attributed to a mysterious killer with a penchant for stabbing their victims. And now standing before him was a clearly-deranged, unwell girl, well-known for her romance novels, and apparently obsessed with him.

“I-it’s okay!” She says hurriedly, as he presses himself closer to the shelf. “Sh-she only c-comes out when I-I’m really t-tired, o-or if I see b-blood…b-but, I c-can control her! I am controlling her, I promise!” She steps forward again, and this close, he can see the sickly flush on her face, the shine of sweat - tears? - down her cheeks. “I’ve b-been working s-so hard, s-so she won’t h-hurt anyone again…so it’s o-okay! I c-can be good! See?” She hiccups slightly, she must be crying. He can’t imagine why. “S-so now we can be equal, r-right?!”

She staggers towards him again, and he reacts before he can even think twice about it, yanking the book from its shelf and swinging blindly. The edge catches her across the face, whipping it sharply to the side with a sickly crack and a squeal - there’s a crest of blood, splattering up the length of the book, he can feel a few warm drops splash his hand, the skin crawling where it landed - and she crashes against the shelves with a shriek, stumbling.

“Why?!” She wails, hands shooting to her face. She sounds genuinely distraught, and she shakes as she scrubs at her nose with her palms. “I-I told you m-my biggest secret, a-and I kn-know yours…w-why won’t you tr-trust me?!”

“Trust you?!” He laughs, mirthless and a little frenzied, pitched wildly with his thudding heart. “You repulse me.” He steps forward now, book still clutched in his shaking hand. “Why would I ever trust a murderer in a killing game?”

She flinches as if his words were more physical blows, stumbling away from him and knocking against the shelf. A few books rain down, thudding open on the floor. “I-It’s not me,” She babbles, clutching at her head. “S-Syo - she’s j-just s-someone else, she’s in m-me, b-but I can c-control her, I p-promise - sh-she’s not me, she’s not me, she’s not!”

It sounds vaguely like some dramatized description of a split personality, though Byakuya had never heard of any such disorder that matched Fukawa’s apparently extreme case. Whatever the girl had going on would probably warrant its own DSM volume, but he wasn’t particularly interested in that. “I don’t care if she’s a ghost that’s possessing you or a secret twin taking your place. I want nothing to do with either of you.”

“B-but-”

“Get out.” He snarls, chest heaving. “If I hear anything - anything - on my condition, I will make you wish you were dead.” She doesn’t move, and he feels his teeth clench enough to creak. “I said, OUT.”

She darts, stumbling and stepping through one of the piles of boxes on the floor, completely breaking through the lid. Whatever was inside it stays looped around her ankle as she kicks the lid off, and clicks against the floor as she sprints away, her sobs fading as she goes.

___

For safety, he blocks off the door to the library with the chair, jamming it beneath the handles.

Then, he waits for Makoto, pacing, agitated. Really, how long could it take to accompany one person to talk to three people? His clock in his handbook stated that hardly an hour had passed since Makoto first left, and ten minutes since he sent Fukawa away. Surely, he had to be coming back eventually?

Not that there was anything keeping Byakuya in the library, other than his own uncertainty regarding his safety. Considering that he knew Fukawa’s alternate identity, and her apparent infatuation with him, it would be foolish to make the trek back to his room alone.

He stops pacing, frustration and restlessness boiling over. And returns to the files, shuffling through them, handbook held aloft to read the names printed on the edge of each folder, ignoring the ones that clatter to the ground after he shoves them haphazardly back. Finally, he comes across the one he's looking for, and slides it out of the shelf.

The front of it is stamped with the title in silver: ‘The Murder Cases of Genocider Syo: Top Secret’. He flips it open.

The text is interspersed with images of the victims before and after their unfortunate encounters with Fukawa. He can’t make much out about them, other than the fact that all the murder scenes seemed similar enough; photos of pale bodies, stretched out as if crucified, splattered with blood. Their faces, which must have been twisted with agony, are merely dark smudges.

“...As with the other cases, at the scene of the crime the word ‘BLOODLUST’ was written with the victim’s blood,” Alter Ego reads aloud. “The scissors used in the murder were apparently custom-made, with every pair left at each murder scene seeming to be of the same material and construction…”

How vile. He flips through the pages (one of which is annoyingly wrinkled, and furthermore, smudged with dirt), reading through the victim's descriptions. There was a sort of morbid curiosity that drew him to read further, even as his stomach turned with the knowledge that he could end up like one of these men; pinned like a butterfly for the killer to admire and laud over.

He snaps the file shut at last, feeling nauseous, and sinks down with his back against the shelf, suddenly exhausted - the adrenaline from Fukawa’s confrontation is gone, leaving behind a bone-deep fatigue. Sluggishly, he categorizes what he knows:

One: Fukawa was also Genocider Syo, a notorious serial killer who targeted young men.

Two: Fukawa both knew he was blind, and the contents of his envelope. He reaches into his pocket and feels for it, the paper now crinkled and warped. He still can’t bring himself to try and use Alter Ego to read its contents, but so long as Fukawa knew…there was little he could do about it.

That brought him to three: Fukawa was apparently obsessed with him. That was clear from the start, but he underestimated how dangerous her infatuation was. What she wanted from him was, apparently, some kind of romanticized relationship, if her mutterings about mutually sharing secrets and calling him ‘master’ was anything to go by, but nothing that could possibly be built on equal footing. Not if she was trying to leverage the envelope’s contents and his blindness against him.

He pauses at that. Did Fukawa know he was capable of using Alter Ego through his handbook to read? If she did, then there was no point in her trying to hold it over him. But then that meant she might try to manipulate him in other ways, the most simplest being blackmail. For that, he’d need to silence her…

And to do that, I would need to kill.

He drums his fingers against the hardwood floor. It’d be hard, but he could do it. She was already fixated on him, it should be easy enough to lure her somewhere and take care of her, either with a blunt-force weapon or strangulation - stabbing was too messy with the blood splatter - but the real difficulty then was how to conceal his tracks.

He thinks for a moment of Maizono, and how she had swapped rooms with Makoto solely for this intention. He thought her foolish then, but in hindsight, it really was an impressive display of quick thinking…though, it wasn’t one that he could copy.

What if he did it in a shared space? In one of the empty classrooms? People hardly went into these rooms, and it’d be harder to pin down the culprit. But he’d have to be fast about it, and careful; anyone who sees him or Fukawa entering that space, or leaving it, could easily identify him as the suspect. It’d have to happen at night.

But, she’s also smarter than she looks… He rubs at his temples now, frowning. She might see the similarities between this and Maizono’s attempt, and realize it’s a trap. I can’t risk that. It’d be easier if I could easily pin it on someone, but the amount of people who might be stupid or willing enough to let themselves be used…

The list was very short. Makoto, who was already a non-option. Yamada, who was too closely allied with Celeste to be trusted. Hagakure, who was too paranoid to be easily led into anything anyways...

And Chihiro.

He’s suddenly struck with the realization that if he succeeds, the others die. It would not be just one person’s blood on his hands, it would be multiple, including those he chooses not to directly involve. He hesitates, for an instant - and then lowers his hands slowly, a sense of defeat settling over him.

He’s already failed before he even started. This game could only have one winner, and if he could not fully commit himself to that role and accept the consequences of it, then he was never a real competitor to begin with. Circles within circles. He was back to the start.

Frustration isn’t something he’s unfamiliar with, but it’s been a long time since he’s felt so overwhelmed with it, as he tilts his head back, knocking it against the shelf as he stares blankly at the brown fog of the ceiling. And then slams a fist against the floor, hissing venomous, ugly curses under his breath. If only he had his eyes, again - he wouldn’t need to be so concerned with such things, wouldn’t need to waver - and yet.

Where the hell is Makoto? He thinks numbly, exhausted with it all. He was sick of being left with nothing but his nerves, and how long did it take to talk to just three people anyways?

Thump, thump, thump.

A rhythmic banging snaps him out of his thoughts. For a moment, he thinks it’s coming from the door, and clumsily pushes himself up, while fumbling for something, anything, to use as a weapon - his hands find the hard, stiff cover of a case file, still on the floor - and stares down the door, waiting for someone to break through it-

But nothing. The chair that’s stuck under the doorknob hasn’t even budged, from what he can tell. The banging continues, and he realizes it sounds more like hammering than knocking. It wasn’t even against the library door.

Construction? Hagakure did mention hearing construction sounds earlier. Was Monokuma building something again?

The sound ends, replaced by footsteps approaching his door. He tenses, taking a step back, but a moment later, the footsteps patter down the hall and away, fading out of earshot.

He stays where he is for a long moment, caught between terror and curiosity. Curiosity wins out, and he steps slowly to the door, hesitating once more with one hand on the chair.

But before he can even do anything, the air is pierced by a blood-curdling scream, and he throws the chair away, yanking the door open-

Only to be met with the sight of Chihiro Fujisaki’s corpse.

< previous - from start - next >

#thpff chapters #thpff #danganronpa fanfiction #byakuya togami #hi....sorry for the delay...#in my defense i was waffling a while about posting this bc once i do it means im locked into my trial 2 case and scene etc #and im still writing the trial 2 scene WHOOPS....#also was feeling very bleh this past week. whatever im fine now #byakuya full on plotting a murder before realizing. wait a minute. i care about people now.#and then having a mild crisis about it. prince zuko style except instead of getting a fever he starts swearing in french #hitting a girl? not cool byakuya #im so sorry chihiro i love you tho #the scene were toko gets makoto to go with her to talk to byakuya doesnt happen here #and also toko has been watching byakuya hang out exclusively with makoto #and hearing the rumors that they were having a scandalous drauma-fraught romance #so she ended figuring that the best thing she could do was corner him herself. hence the gathering of blackmail material etc etc #not necessarily the most romantic thing but she sees it as creating a level playing field where he's forced to acknowledge her at all

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aparticularbandit · 3 months

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Toko: I HAVE A BESTIE RIGHT NOW WHAT IF THAT MAKES ALL MY BOOKS SUCK

me: Having a bestie usually makes your writing better. Especially if your bestie is also a writer. Not that you'll get that with Komaru, but—

Komaru: Hey!

me: You should have made besties with Hifumi instead of being on your high horse about how fanfic can never compare to actual literature.

#musings #bandit liveblogs #bandit liveblogs danganronpa #things junko stole from toko's memories: toko finally coming to peace with fanfic and the two of them having a writing friendship #am i still upset with toko for her views on fanfic?#no i forgot about it (mostly) until just now #...i never did post my rant about fanfic vs. profic in relation to toko and hifumi's fight did i

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erisenyo · 9 months

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“I’m not cut out for this.” < Toko, please

For this prompt game!

“I’m starting to think,” Toph says as the door silently opens behind her, pinging a bit of wrought metal from the window pane off into the corner of the room, “That I’m not cut out for this.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that,” Zuko says as he pads toward her, Toph following his progress by his heartbeat, his steps always strangely light against her earthsense for someone so solid.

“Everyone else would,” Toph says, folding her arms when Zuko makes one of his little neutral noises. “Don’t even try to tell me you think that went well.”

“…I mean.”

“You’re nowhere near a good enough liar for that, Your Fireliness,” Toph warns, the fact that she'd normally be curious enough to want to see him try anyway somehow only serving to make the twist in her gut more sour.

“But it wasn’t a total disaster,” Zuko says, leaning against the window sill next to her. “For example,” he continues, ignoring her snort. “Nothing is on fire—”

“Yeah, that would be you, not me.”

“—and there’s no risk of an international incident—”

“Again, you, not me.”

“—just brutal personal embarrassment—”

“Wow. Thanks.”

“—and King Kuei even complimented your negotiation strategy—”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“—and your mom and dad both watched you leave the room.”

Toph sighs, thunking her head against the stone wall, focusing on the comforting reverberation back at her. “Not helping, Zuko.”

“It’s better than them not watching,” he says, giving her a little nudge, that particular pain old enough for him to sound wry over. “Trust me. Especially with the way you blew that door off its hinges."

Toph scrunches up her face, kicking the wall a bit harder this time, feeling all the ways she could make it crack. “They just keep trying to—” she cuts off, yanking another chunk of metal out of the windowpane in frustration instead, squeezing it hard enough to feel the way it heats and protests before forcing herself to loosen her grip

“I know,” Zuko says quietly, and she knows he does. “But its not your fault if they’re too blind to notice how awesome you are,” he adds, firm, and Toph snorts.

“Was calling Lord Dumb-Shit back there—”

“Dum Shi is a rather unfortunate family name,” Zuko muses.

“—an idiot too stupid to realize a good deal if it crawled up his ass and died there—”

“Evocative,” Zuko comments.

“—really an example of my being awesome? When we’re supposed to be securing a trade deal?”

“I mean.” The familiar rustle of Zuko scratching at the base of his topknot. “I thought it was pretty great.”

Toph snorts.

“And hey,” he says, grabbing her hand where its balled into a fist against the crook of her elbows, fingers strong and gentle as he rubs across her knuckles. “I'll tell you have someone close to me once said when I was down and doubting myself.”

“What?” she asks, trying not to sigh. She’s really not in the mood right now for one of Uncle’s—

“That 'you're dating the greatest earthbender in the world' and 'to fucking act like it, Hotman.'”

Toph blinks.

“And to fuck ‘em,” Zuko adds, thoughtful and giving a little tug on her hand that she’s too startled not to follow into the welcome firebender heat of his body, “And to fuck shit up.”

“When in doubt, fuck their shit up,” Toph corrects, rote.

“Which, again, is rea;;y supposed to rhyme—”

“Yeah, yeah, shove it,” Toph says, finally breaking into a grin as she leans into him, something delighted and amused sparkling through the lingering twist of upset in her stomach. “Got some recent talents to tell me about, Zuko?" she teases, embracing the opportunity to grab the thread of her usual brashness that he's offering. "Since I’m dating the greatest earthbender in the world, apparently? Should we let Aang formally now he’s got some Avatar competition?”

“I mean." Zuko shrugs, a rustle of layers. "If you want to draft up a proclamation about how well I rocked your—”

Toph is cackling before he even finishes, belly-deep and loud and oh, does it feel good to do after a day of trying to be right instead of just being her, laughing again when Zuko’s heart does that particular double-hitch beat that he only ever does for her, feeling buoyed up again as she strides ahead of him back to the Beifong negotiating table, ready, to quote Zuko quoting the greatest earthbender in the world, to fuck this shit up like only she knows best.

#asks and answers #ljf613 #Toph #Zuko #Toko #my writing #fic writing #Toph: on a journey to figure out just how much parental approval she wants to try for #Zuko: totally getting it

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