My final character ranking for Tetro Danganronpa Blue (first part);
After procrastinating a lot, I finally decided to finish my Tetro character ranking, this time it will be a ranking of the Bluelings, following the same criteria as before; if you haven't seen my Pinklings ranking I recommend looking for it. Just like in my previous ranking, in this one I also created an alternative death ranking that was satisfactory to me. I decided to do this as a challenge and not as a rewrite project (this death order was created today btw, so I didn't think much about it). It might be an unpopular opinion, but I feel I'm more attached to the Bluelings, I think because I've followed Blue since the beginning, while with Pink I only really started watching when the series was in its third trial, so despite the decline of the story, I ended up creating a stronger bond with them. This will probably be my last post about the series; maybe I'll write a final farewell, but if I don't, consider this a goodbye to the Tetro fandom. It was difficult, but I feel like I'm now fully ready to move on. Well, let's get straight to the point, time for the ranking;
#16 Shishikura Osamu: I still can't fully process everything they did to Osamu. When I look at his actions in the first chapter and then think about his actions from the third chapter onward, he seems like a completely different character. Like, he argued with and distanced himself from Maekawa after the Voter Game and was willing to go against Kumada because what they were doing to Ikeda went completely against his morals. But then, two chapters later, he takes the life of the girl who returned his medicine, tries to win the trial, then tries to take the life of someone who was in a terrible state (the method he used was the same one his mother used to make him sick), knowing he wouldn't be executed because he would be the second murderer. He doesn't take responsibility for what he did, says Kumada wasn't nice, even though he took her life, and these are just a few points that show how ruined this character was. I think what irritates me most about this is the way Ruka is treated in comparison to him, because despite what she did being terrible (and out of character too), Shishikura killed a person, regardless of whether people liked Kumada or not or if it was because of the risk of lobotomy, he took a life and should have been treated like Yanagi in chapter two, he also made Maekawa look like a huge hypocrite in some parts of the game. What happened to him seems disconnected from what was presented about the character. I can even understand that he was afraid of the lobotomy and that he decided to kill Tei as a way to save him from suffering; in fact, the game changes people, but the lack of consequences for the character really bothers me. I feel like the creator needed a character who would perform those actions but didn't know who, so she chose Shishikura; it's the only thing I can think of. I hate that I can still feel sorry for him or sympathize with him at times. All his talk about forgiveness, his backstory that causes me immense discomfort—all of this prevents me from hating him, but damn it, you're ruined, Shishikura. In my "rewrite" (which isn't really a rewrite lol), I opted to keep the character as someone with strong morals who seeks to become stronger. It would be interesting to see him trying not to depend so much on Maekawa and fight for himself (without obviously stabbing someone to death). Doing that would be much more consistent with the character himself. As for his fate, it might seem like an unpopular opinion, but I like him sacrificing himself for Azusa, the problem with the original version is that the logic behind it was very flawed. But it makes sense that he would want to sacrifice himself to save her. I chose to have Shishikura die in chapter four, in parallel with Watari, but in this case, unlike Watari who framed the wrong person, Shishikura would manage to do it to the right person. He would be poisoned and his body would be found underwater, leading one to believe he drowned. For the poisoning itself, I imagine that either Maekawa would unknowingly put the toxic substances in the mixture and put it in Shishikura's mouth, making him drink it (thus actively poisoning the drink and "forcing" him to drink it), or it could be a completely different method like Watari's, a trap activated by Maekawa in some door or floor that would hit Shishikura, or a poisonous gas. I will explain more about Maekawa's fate when I talk about her. In any case, Shishikura's canonical arc was terrible and ended up affecting my perception of it (I can no longer delude myself into thinking that chapter 3 onwards isn't real, sadly).
#15 Tei Atsushi: I'm quite conflicted about Tei; it's the same case as the previous character. So much has happened in the last three chapters that the character has completely changed, and although I initially enjoyed him slowly losing his sanity, it reached a point where I genuinely got exhausted. Tei initially suffered from a problem that occurs with some characters in this series, where he ends up being overshadowed by another character in his duo, in this case Ikeda. He ends up being uninteresting because Tei becomes a kind of father figure to Ikeda, and his entire character revolves around him, with rare moments where he actually seems like a character. I at least expected him to act more like his introduction. Although he ends up being overshadowed, there are two ways to make him much more interesting while maintaining the idea of Tei as Ikeda's caretaker. I'll go into detail later; I'll continue talking about his route in the original story. Tei ends up spiraling into despair after Ikeda's execution, It seems his character revolves around obsession; he's obsessed with work and develops obsessive tendencies towards Ikeda and this need to maintain control, ultimately leading him to lose all of that. The problem starts here, because although this idea of him caring for Ikeda with sort of a obsession is interesting, but the narrative shows very few healthy moments between the two, especially with Ikeda not regressed. They needed better moments that showed their concern for each other, which could have been developed more effectively. Tei then falls into a depressive state, and Monomoko shows him visions that slowly drive him insane. I won't lie, a character losing his sanity and starting a cult is an interesting and eccentric idea for a fangan, but damn, the number of episodes where Tei laments Ikeda and acts during the fifth trial completely exhausted me. And let's not even talk about what he did to Shishikura's, that was... wow... (I still can't take the billiard ball eyes seriously lmao, that was so stupid). I'm glad he's getting help at least, but seriously, this character... just doesn't work in the canon route. In my "rewrite," Tei would have more moments where they treat each other well, not only when Ikeda is back, and would also have more interactions with other characters, such as his interactions with Yaitabashi and Matthias in the third chapter. To contextualize, instead of that terrible motive, the students would be exposed to a hallucinogenic gas that would cause each of them to hallucinate about their traumas. Ikeda, who thanks to Ogura would recognize his position as a victim, would be greatly affected by this and would stop eating, drinking, and sleeping after having visions of his parents. Realizing he couldn't save him, Tei would give Ikeda a merciful and painless death, inspired by Ogura. Although he initially wanted to survive, Tei ultimately didn't care about being executed; he had lost his jobs, couldn't count on his family, and his work as a caregiver had ended. His fate is tragic, but he would suffer far less than in the original version, and it thematically fits the character, since Tei's entire life revolved around work, so in the end he would be just a caregiver.
#14 Kumada Erina: The biggest wasted potential of the entire series, whether you like her or hate her, we can all agree that she was a huge waste of a character and definitely deserved to be used better in the story. If you've seen my previous posts, you know that my relationship with Kumada is... complicated. I think the biggest problem with the character herself, and what makes me wary of her, is the lack of moments where she shows vulnerability and her backstory is explored. Aside from those moments, most of the time she's yelling, clashing with someone, or pushing people away. The fact that she was a member of Bleeding and helped kill one of the only people who was very close to her doesn't help the situation. And it's crazy to think that we only have one episode where she's vulnerable and says what she really feels, and then she dies... a few hours later. The fact that she returned Shishikura's medicine and showed remorse for what she did demonstrates that she could change and had room for character development. Some might even say that killing off a character with potential isn't bad writing, but in this case it is, because it diminishes the impact of Mutsuko's death and harms Kumada's character, who needed redemption. One of the reasons I like Ikeda is precisely because, although Kumada is objectively a better person than him and although Ikeda said horrible things, Ikeda was explored much more, and the narrative presented reasons that could help one feel some empathy for the character's situation and redeeming qualities, while Kumada had very few such moments, making it difficult for me to empathize with her. This shows, once again, how male characters are much more favored by the writing than female characters. Kumada deserved to be used in a better way and could have been an incredible character. I'm grateful we got her interview before the series definitively ended. The moment she mentions wanting to paint with everyone definitely made me a little emotional, and it's sad to think we would never have had a moment like that if it weren't for that interview. Despite the Voter Game, the fact that she stabbed my favorite character, and how she acted in the second trial, I don't hate her and feel like I've come to like her a little more compared to before. Of course I don't find her entertaining or as attached to her as the others on the list, but at least I'm neutral towards her and she's no longer at the bottom of the list. Regarding her writing style, I wouldn't have her be one of the Bleeding members and would still keep her temperamental self-proclaimed involvement in the Voter Game plan, but from chapter three onwards she would isolate herself from the group because of her actions and believe she deserved to die instead of Nishiguchi. With the deaths of Ikeda and Yaitabashi, her dynamic with the group would change considerably; she would become much more emotionally vulnerable, carry their names forward, her backstory would be explored further, and she would have an arc revolving around redeeming herself for her actions. Originally, she was supposed to be the victim in chapter five, but I opted to make her a survivor because this way the legacy of the mahjonh trio would remain alive and it would be a satisfying fate for her—someone who thought she would die forgotten, now managing to survive and redeem herself for what she did.
#13 Nishiguchi Mutsuko: My opinion of Mutsuko changes frequently, sometimes I find her uninteresting, sometimes funny, and I end up in this cycle of indecision. I feel like I should have rewatched some of her moments in the series (which I did for some characters), but I didn't, so I'll just base my opinion on my memory. Well, Mutsuko tends to mirror the people she interacts with a lot. With Sou, she's much calmer, and I personally love their interactions. Their first interaction, where she offers to help him walk around the kitchen, was very sweet. This calmer and more caring side of her really stands out to me. Now, when she's with Kumada, her personality is more bossy and assertive. I love the moment when she hits Kumada with a wooden spoon. She also has good moments, like when she plays Mahjong while Kumada and Sou argue, or when she asks what winter tires are. However, [Voter Game] greatly altered my view of her (actually, it affected my view of many characters, but some redeemed themselves over time and others ended up tarnished), while at the same time she also ends up being uninteresting to me at times, almost as if the other two of her trio made her somewhat faded (I also attribute this to the fact that I haven't rewatched her scenes). I have nothing to complain about regarding her route in the original story; the problem lies in the consequence of her death, as there was no one left who could honor her since Seki, Erina, and Yaitabashi die in the following chapter. This definitely needs to change. I would also change one thing about her: I would make her one of the members of Bleeding, and listen to me; The original lineup would remain the same (Ogura, Matthias, and Ikeda). They would plan to kill Yaitabashi, and Mutsuko is the one they trust. Ogura would choose Isoda, then make Hirose a member, and finally they would call Mutsuko. She would be outnumbered and would know very well that she would die if she tried to interfere with the plan. So my idea is to have her sacrifice herself to prevent Yaitabashi's death and the execution of all the others. She would betray the group and try to reveal their identities, but would be discovered and killed. In this way, she would die as an altruistic person, fitting the image of someone who cares about her family. In this version, Seki would end up dying like in the original, but not before delivering a letter to Monomoko, who would then pass it on to her family and Mutsuko's family. This would provide more clues about the students' disappearances, which would become crucial in the final part of the story.
#12 Akiba Taku: Oh Akiba, you were very lucky to have been the first victim and not to have seen the horrors of the last three chapters. I like how laid-back and fun he was, I miss that himbo. I feel like he suffers a bit from the first victim syndrome, where a character who dies early ends up being a little overshadowed compared to the rest, which happens to me at least. I definitely miss his funny moments and his dynamic with Ogura, but compared to the others who had more screen time, he ends up falling in the rankings and being a little uninteresting to me, plus him saying he had no choice during the [Voter Game] when he could have tied the votes still really annoys me (I still like him, it's just that the others stand out more). I have nothing to complain about regarding his fate in the game; I feel he fulfilled his role well. [Higanbana] is still one of the best episodes of the second season precisely because of how tragic it is and because it presents Akiba's story before his death. I feel that doesn't need to change. The only thing that doesn't work with the character is his backstory. I don't want to go into too much detail; I recommend researching the subject, especially how the Koseki, the Japanese family register, works, specifically regarding the dishonoring of minors. There are many factors that end up making his backstory a bit unrealistic. Therefore, I imagine his backstory would work better if he still lived with his family but didn't speak to them inside the house and was treated as a defective being because he had fibromyalgia (which could potentially prevent him from performing his functions as a "normal human") and because he was bisexual (the latter wouldn't be to the point of causing him to be dishonored by his family, but they wouldn't be comfortable with it).
#11 Ouno Nanae: I feel like I misjudged Ouno lately. After rewatching her scenes, I've come to like her much more. Also, considering what happened to several characters in the cast, her actions aren't as condemnable as before ☠️. Like, even though she tricked Ruka, was very influential in the votes against Ikeda and killed Akiba, I don't feel as angry as before, she definitely did horrible things, but I feel that, at least in her case, my resentment has lessened. I've come to like her more now. She was so silly, I especially love her voice, it's strangely relaxing and helps highlight the character (kudos to Lemon). I like how her introduction is basically: "Hi, I have a crowbar and I'll break both your legs if you try to hurt me, I hope we can get along ^•^" lmao. If Kumada is in first place as the student with wasted potential, Ouno deserves second place, because she could have been so much more than she was in the original version, and I hate how most of her backstory was relegated to extra material without being explored in the main story—like the cult thing, which was never really explored, and that really irritates me. She could have had very interesting dynamics with other characters and even more scenes with Ruka. Shishikura, for example, in chapter four, in the tape scene, the two have a super cute interaction that could have been explored, not to mention that the fact that she participated in a cult and Shishikura's connection to religion could have resulted in an extremely interesting scene. Her discovering Ikeda's age regression and no longer hating him as before could have been interesting, but in the end we didn't get any of that. I definitely don't want her to be the first culprit, despite being the character with one of the strongest motivations for doing so; I imagined a scenario where she's the second culprit in the third chapter and remains alive. Initially, I thought Ruka would steal Youhei's insulin, and Ouno would find out, realizing she couldn't trust anyone, and then kill Yaitabashi. But, considering that Ruka stealing the insulin seems quite out of character, I decided that, due to the hallucinogenic gas, which would cause Ouno to have visions of the cult and her daughter, and after the Bleeding motive that would make her very paranoid, Ouno decides to commit murder to get out of the game. So she decides she would kill Yaitabashi because he's the best at judgment and is much more vulnerable after Mutsuko's death. She would knock him out with the crowbar, take him to the shower area, cut his throat while he's unconscious, and leave him in the hidden room that controls the water temperature. After the trial ends, she would remain alive, imprisoned in a room, and her dynamic with the group would change drastically, especially with Ruka, who would feel guilty for all the deaths in chapter three (in fact, Kumada might try to poison her while she's imprisoned as revenge against Yaitabashi, but only maybe). In chapter five, she would be trying to redeem herself for what she did but would be afraid of how the group would react to her. In any case, she would survive the game and return to her daughter, while maintaining contact with Ruka, who at this point in the story would be in terrible situation.
#10 Ninomiya Youhei: I had forgotten how freaky Ninomiya can be sometimes. I rewatched several different scenes and wow, the guy was wild lmao. He was fun, laid-back, a little excessive, and didn't take responsibility, but I love that creature. The game was extremely unfair to him, but Yonekura never cared much about whether something is fair or not considering other cases. Well, I wasn't satisfied with his writing, starting with his relationship with Matthias. I felt they moved too fast in their relationship, and okay, they're consenting teenagers, but considering who created them, I can't help but feel a bad taste in my mouth when I think about it. I'm glad Hirose touched on this subject in the fourth chapter, and it's good that they were both comfortable with it, but I found it a bit excessive. I also hate the conclusion they reached. I understand he would suffer because of the insulin, but Isoda was right there dude. It makes me question the purpose of Ogura's sacrifice?. Another big problem with his writing is the theft of his insulin, which I'll go into detail about when I talk about Ruka. My third and final problem with his writing is his relationship with Okazaki. The idea of a character meeting another from the previous session opens up many possibilities for him, but I feel he took too long to realize that the body was Okazaki's, and this relationship between the two was poorly used throughout the series, not to mention the fact that the creator made him a victim and never explored it. The relationship between Youhei and Okazaki could have been very different from what was presented, and it would have been incredible if Youhei had known a little about her childhood and could have started connecting the dots after finding her body. It would have fit very well thematically with this section that revolves around the lab and discoveries. As for what I would change in her story in the game, first, I wouldn't make Okazaki an abuser because I feel it's completely unnecessary for the character. They could still be roommates, and Okazaki would still do her crazy things, but they wouldn't directly affect Youhei. He would also know a little about her past, and shortly after, Okazaki would disappear. In the game, Yokoi wouldn't steal his insulin, and his relationship with Matthias would develop gradually, with him unsure if he was good enough for Matthias and if he was ready to take responsibility. Their relationship would officially solidify near the end of chapter three, with Youhei willing to live his life alongside him. In chapter five, Youhei gains access to the school and finds Okazaki's body. Her body had been removed from the lab before the students arrived, leaving only some signs of experimentation in Kan's room. The files from session one are also unavailable, as they were taken by Ken and would only be found in chapter five. Therefore, this entire chapter revolves around uncovering the truth about the project. Youhei is running out of insulin, and due to the agreement, Monomoko is unable to bring him medicine, demonstrating the game's inherent unfairness. Knowing his time is short, Youhei gains an advantage in the morning games that allows him to save two people if he wins. He accepts, applies a punishment to everyone (I haven't decided what it is yet), and after finding Ken's notes and learning that Kumada has access to the cameras, he devises a plan. He shots Isoda using Okazaki's weapon, which he took from Mai's room, and attempts to win the trial to save Ruka and Matthias, but fails. Huzzah, here's our tragic yaoi done right. The interesting thing about Youhei being the culprit in this case is that his death resembles Ogura's sacrifice, and just like in chapter 5 that I created for Pink, here Okazaki would also be of great relevance to the case. Anyway, I like Youhei but his writing is disappointing and he dropped in the rankings for choosing Matthias as the target.
#9 Maekawa Azusa: The queen of crashouts, who was discarded with flawed and unfair logic, Maekawa was always a little too aggressive for me, but she was amazing. I love her interaction with Monomoko; seriously, I never imagined the two would get along so well. Damn... Maekawa's last moments were difficult... I don't think her death was necessarily bad, it was just very poorly executed. The logic behind it could have been much better and more convincing, since it was Shishikura who poisoned the drink. If she had at least put the poison in by mistake, maybe it could have worked, but I feel the plan is still flawed. Something like a trap set by Shishikura and manually activated by Azusa could have worked much better. Anyway, although the method is bad, her death serves to make Monomoko even more angry with the staff. In my version, Maekawa would die in the fourth chapter, in the same unfair way that happened to Ojima. Monomoko lost her two friends to this stupid game, and that's the breaking point for her, causing her to attack Kan and shortly after break her agreement with Haruka to prevent the start of the third session and the revelation of the truth to the population. Anyway, leaving those ideas aside, I'm outraged by the fact that we never got an official answer from the series about how she lost her limbs. Once again, we depend on additional content because the creator didn't want to include a single scene of the character mentioning what happened... and, like, apparently she lost her arms and leg by invading a robot fighting ring... more than once... and man, that's really stupid. This could easily have happened if Maekawa's father, drunk, after killing her mother, put her in a car trying to flee the scene but crashed the car and caused her to lose limbs...that would be far more acceptable than...she had a fit of rage and things went wrong. I was rewatching some scenes and there was that moment where she ended up being very intrusive with Shishikura and he gets uncomfortable. She apologizes afterward, but that moment implies that she's not very good at bonding, and that could have been explored in the series; it would have been something interesting to discuss, but unfortunately it never happened. I have nothing more to say about Maekawa, I just wanted to say that LeiLikeADog gave a performance that gave me chills in the final trial, like wow... especially when she realizes what happened... wow.... anyway, I'm getting tired and I'll send part two later.
