#tenkido

[dangan-meme-palace]

Between the "Maki ended up falling for the guy who kept harassing her" thing and the "Tenko Totally hates men but Could fall for the Right Guy" thing, the narrative of this game sure does like dipping into "hurr durr women who show disinterest in a man just need to be convinced" territory and it is •♪*✧ gross ✧*♪• And yeah, Tenko's case is harder to label like that because sexuality is weird and being bisexual while also being uncomfortable w/ people of a certain gender Exists. With that said, sooo many fans look at the evidence of Tenko being attracted to some men and say it's the "Lesbians just haven't met the right man" trope, which... to me is a sign that if the creators wanted Tenko to be a bisexual gal struggling with the marriage of her beliefs and her sexuality, and not a lesbian who fits into that aforementioned trope, they fucked up with the execution of that idea. And made it into a "hurr durr women who show disinterest in a man just need to be convinced" thing instead.

Kodaka back at it again with misogynistic tropes lmao, no one's surprised.

Tenko specifically has such a bad portrayal of her sexuality. Like bi people can't relate to her very well because she comes off very strongly as a man-hating lesbian but lesbians can't relate to her either because she canonly shows interest in a man. Literally how the fuck did that happen, how could that even happen? It should be impossible to fuck up writing a character's sexuality that badly.

Anyways, I second everything you just said. As per usual the writers suck ass and portray rotten themes in their writing. Golden rule is if the writers have explicitly defied previously well-known canon then it's intentional. Shitty by way of message, but still intentional. I'm just glad that people haven't started saying the same shit about Kokichi yet... god help y'all if that disc*urse becomes a thing because I'm gonna snap and rant like y'all have never even seen.

[sandibitenc]

Damijan Kren in Tenkido akademija from Sandi Bitenc on Vimeo.

[dangan-meme-palace]

What if... Tenko survived instead of Himiko? (The character with the better personality, backstory, faults and everything else)

What if... I loved this idea immensely.

I don't think the story would change much, because while we would be swapping characters I don't think the plot would change much. Himiko never really had an impact on the narrative, so Tenko taking her place wouldn't change anything, but that's not to say that the swap would be pointless.

Having Tenko get development instead of Himiko would be more entertaining and fulfilling, which would be the most noticable difference. Maybe Tenko is grieving Himiko and Shuichi, having dealt with that kind of loss, goes to comfort her? Which would then lead to her discovering that her master was wrong about menaces?

From there she would get to know Maki and Kaito, because that's just how things work, and maybe we could see a change in them as well. Maki's morals have a slight chance to be changed by Tenko, who believes that killing is wrong no matter what, and Kaito could use someone to nag him for being an idiot because his sidekicks sure as hell don't.

I don't think Maki would change completely, she might not even change at all, but there's a small chance that she might learn a bit of compassion from Tenko. Honestly with Tenko now making this a workout quartet, my main hope/goal would be some moments where Tenko calls Kaito out and he hopefully listens instead of brushing it off as Tenko hating men.

Maybe Tenko could also learn a few things about herself by seeing them reflected in Kaito, and she could work on them alongside him? I like the idea of someone helping someone else and coming to a realization about themselves along the way. Their stubbornness, quickness to jump to conclusions, or maybe even their respective problems with their love interests like how both annoyed the shit out of them. It would be funny for Tenko to call Kaito out on harassing Maki until she agreed to be his friend and then have an epiphany about how she treated Himiko the same way.

Unfortunately, for the sake of the plot and for the sake of remaining in character Kaito couldn't truly develop even with Tenko's help, especially not in chapter 4, but maybe Tenko could at least force an apology out of him during the start of chapter 5? Maybe Tenko would confront Shuichi after the trial and reassure him that it wasn't his fault that Kaito abandoned him, then go give Kaito an earful about how horrible he was being to Shuichi and how much it hurt the poor detective.

Alternatively maybe Tenko would comfort Shuichi and Shuichi would stop being friends with Kaito altogether in favor of being Tenko's friend. Like maybe Shuichi could finally be a bit bitter and it causes him to think about all the other dumb shit Kaito has done and just decide to cut him off? It's a bit of a stretch, but I like that idea because it would force Kaito to truly face consequences for once. Plus Shuichi could get a more supportive friend group.

Himiko's secret chapter event would also get swapped as well, obviously, probably becoming a bonding moment between Tenko and Shuichi. They could have a cute heart to heart and Tenko could talk about her grief and the subsequent development she went through because of Shuichi, further cementing that she's trying her best to change her views.

Shuichi would also get the chance during this event to grieve over Kaede in a more meaningful way instead of "I gotta make sure everyone survives for Kaede's sake!" Like he could actually take time to cry or something, or maybe just talk about how much she meant to him with Tenko. Seeing Shuichi's sensitive side would cause Tenko to comfort him and they could have a good moment, with Tenko further realizing that men aren't always menaces.

All in all, the plot wouldn't really change, but hopefully Tenko could have more of an impact on the characters around her and inspire them to change alongside her.

Idk idk it's just really sweet and soft I love Tenko so much. You go girl, give us self improvement!

-tech

[dangan-meme-palace]

Hear me out. Tenko x Sakura

Buff x buff... good.

Sakura could teach Tenko some self-control and chill with her wisdom, while Tenko could help Sakura be more confident in her femininity (probably by plastering an obscene amount of bows all over her). I'd normally worry about putting 2 selfconscious people together, but Sakura is chill and grounded except for that one thing so it would be fine.

[dangan-meme-palace]

When I first played the game I was 100% sure that Tenko was a lesbian and I was so happy because finally some representation, might not be the best representation but at least we had something. Her blushing and stuttering when Kaede called her cute, the whole Himiko thing who also said to Tenko that they “don’t play on the same team” and even in the last trial Himiko talked about Tenko when they were talking abt what Maki felt for Kaito. But her FTEs contradict what we have seen of her so far

Not just her FTEs but her LHE (love hotel) and her SMEs (dating mode) as well.

They didn't have much about her not hating men in the main story except for some optional moments where Tenko earnestly tried to be nice to Shuichi which is super dumb because if they had put effort into making it clear that Tenko might say she hates men but frequently tries to work with them (albeit while being super rude) and even suggests working together a couple of times without anyone forcing her to, people might be less confused about what the fuck is happening with her character.

Like... this whole thing could've been avoided if they had just made it clear that they were pushing for Tenko to not hate men by the end of it and not leaving it up the the bonus stories to do the main story's heavy lifting.

[dangan-meme-palace]

Hey, dear! So I have a question. Do you have an opinion on Tenko? (yes more questions because why not) ~Mod Maki

Heya~! I sure do! And don't worry about asking questions cuz I love answering them!

Fair warning: This will be long as fuck.

Tenko

Tenko is a very solid character with very entertaining and interesting traits that set her apart from most of her peers. She also has a plethora of flaws that would've been enjoyable to see her overcome, and no, I'm not just talking about her drooling and her hatred of men.

Speaking positively, Tenko is a very upbeat person who likes to help others and protect them as best she can, not taking dumb risks with her life but also not unwilling to step up for the sake of others if the need arises. She's very passionate and energetic about things and gives her all for the sake of the things she's interested in, proving to be a very dedicated disciple. An unfortunately lesser known fact about her is that she's very sensitive to the emotions of others and can be seen both giving very wise, heartfelt advice to others while trying her best to uplift them or reflecting on their views of her. She has a genuinely interesting and unique past that adds a lot of depth to her character and brings up struggles that you never would have guessed she had. She also expresses interesting points, morals, and concerns relating to the killing game that make it feel as if she is actually immersed in the setting (which a few v3 characters sadly lack.)

Strong in both body and heart, courageously willing to tackle challenges, and earnestly wanting to improve herself with a zeal that few other members of the V3 cast can match; Tenko has a lot of positive qualities that make her likable, if not lovable.

Having said that, she also has quite a few flaws, but I don't think that they detract from her character. In fact, I think they add quite a bit to her– ...most of them anyway. For now though let's just talk what her flaws actually are: Tenko is a loud, gullible, obnoxious girl who is quick to point fingers at people she finds suspicious (usually men) and will casually insult people she doesn't like. She's self conscious about a lot of things, including her looks, her volume, and her rambunctiousness. Most prominently, she's also very, uh, drooly over Himiko.

Her self consciousness, willinglyness to improve, and past are by far the best of her traits, because of the amount of positive potential for development and intrigue they add to her character.

Her parents sent her to her dojo because they didn't want to deal with their annoying daughter, so they sent her away making her extremely self conscious about the way she acts to this day. With the help of her master she tries her best to work on those traits so that she can become the refined and elegant type of woman that she idolizes due to the standards set by her parents.

Obviously she's still a major work in progress, but it's supremely refreshing to see a character that's already working on themselves instead of yet another girl with trauma being fixed by someone else, most likely by falling in love with a man *cough cough Maki cough cough*. I'm a big fan of self improvement stories simply because they're usually shunted to the side in favor of yet another fixer-upper story, and while that's my own preference, it truly does work in Tenko's favor because it makes her seem that much more natural. She has clear motivations that believably influence her personality and flaws with a set path to self improvement that she's already walking and will continue to walk of her own volition for her own sake.

Her drooly-ness is obviously her worst trait, not only because it's based on gross stereotypes or because it makes Himiko uncomfortable, but because if literally goes against the rest of her character. All of her other traits are cohesive and mesh well with each other, but her most defined flaw runs counter to everything she stands for.

She's shown as someone very conscious of the way others view her –to the point of putting herself down when others compliment her– and very intuitive/sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of others. There is no way for Tenko to not have noticed that she was making Himiko uncomfortable and there is no way that Tenko, who is already very self concious about the way she acts and has a character entirely based on improving herself for the sake of that self consciousness, wouldn't stop as soon as she realizes that she's acting the same way she condemns men for acting. It goes against everything her character stands for and all of her core personality traits.

I'm not saying that it should be ignored –because it shouldn't, unwanted advances are definitely something to be critical of– however this inconsistency is definitely something that was shoehorned in to make her into a ~qUiRkY~ character rather than anything born of her canon personality. It's not a trait authentic to Tenko, but rather something tacked on in order to portray a ~wAcKy~ archetype as danganronpa so often loves to do with it's characters.

Wrapping this up, the moments where I think Tenko truly shined and where her traits showcased in the best possible way were when she infiltrated the student council and planned to convince Angie to stop with the help of Shuichi and Maki, the moment when she talks to Shuichi after he takes off his hat and she tells him that she also wants to fulfill Kaede's wish and tells him to never go back on the progress he's made, and of course her FTEs.

The first one because it was an interesting solution to a very valid concern, the second one because it shows off her compassion and empathy better than most scenes with her do, and the third one because it focuses on her past where she is flawed and then the present where she is still working on those flaws, showing both a determination to change and also just adding some really enriching context that explains Why Tenko is The Way She Is in a very well written way.

All in all, I love Tenko for who she is and while I acknowledge that her actions towards Himiko are canon and should definitely be criticized despite any well-meaning intentions she might have had, I don't believe it was core to her character or even in-character in the first place. Tenko, in my eyes, is a girl in the middle of working on herself with a genuinely moving and entertaining in-between phase with flaws that never fails to make me smile with her caring and bright demeanor. I love this girl and genuinely think that she would have been a more compelling, amusing, and fascinating character with better development potential than the survivors of V3 combined.

[dangan-meme-palace]

Could you see tenko with mikan tsumiki (sdr2) together? and what about shuichi with kyoko kirigiri (dr1) ?

Tenko*Mikan

Without putting too much thought into it, while I understand protective girl x abused girl is a cute idea, I think Tenko's loud energy and enthusiasm would scare the shit out of Mikan. Tenko is always working on herself but I think it would take a long time (like years) for her to get to the point of not scaring the shit out of poor Mikkie.

Shuichi*Kyoko

Honestly Kyoko probably wouldn't be Shuichi's first pick? She's not very open about herself or overtly supportive, so I don't think that she would be the one for Shuichi, who seems to like that type of person. Similarly, I think that Kyoko needs that same type of person Shuichi does to help her open up and while Shuichi is supportive to an extent, he's not exactly the brightest little ray of sunshine.

I don't think it would be bad, but they would have to really work on it.

[dangan-meme-palace]

V3 is Sexist and Here's Why

Heyo! Here are my reasons for why I consider NDRV3 to be the most sexist installment of the DR series.

They fridged Kaede who was introduced as a promising and compelling protagonist in favor of her male love interest; another generic boy that the series loves to play as. It also sucks since Kaede ends up being remembered only as Saihara's love interest who care about him rather then a genuine leader who was morally gray.

Maki's characterization was inconsistent and cliche. A brooding tsundere who had a horrible life and it's only after a guy forces his way into her life does she learn to regain her humanity. Although Chapter 5 says that Maki managed to change for the better, her actions proved that she didn't changed at all consider that she was willing to kill everyone for the sake of her love interest. But everyone just brushes it off since she was just a girl who had fallen in love. Not to mention how her character development revolved only around Kaito.

Iruma was written in the hopes of making her as dislikable as possible. This is leads to unfortunate implications since she represents all the qualities that Japanese society disapproves of for women to be. (Being loud, prideful, sexually active, vulgar, having a talent that defies gender roles). Plus it's really messed up how she turns into a fragile, pathetic mess whenever someone yells at her or throws an insult at her.

Toujo and Angie both had interesting plotlines and characterizations (Toujo revealing to be a prime minister and wanting to kill for the needs of the many, Angie using her cult as a means of protecting the students while also having a selfish side) but they're instantly forgotten once they're killed off. Plus Angie's characterization and backstory is filled with racist writing.

Tenko was written to be a man-hating and obsessive lesbian-coded character who made some disturbing statements about how all men should die. (If they made it so that she wanted another minority group to perish, then you can tell that she would have gotten worse hate). And her constantly coddling Himiko, basically reducing her to a pet animal, was honestly super creepy. It also sucks that she was also revealed to have followed this creed because her master (a man) told her to.

Tsumugi and Himiko were okay regarding their roles and characterization, but they could have been done better.

And those are the reasons for the girls. And on the opposite side of the gender spectrum, there are noticeably more guys who are heavily involved and proactive in the actual storyline compared to the girls.

Saihara gets the privilege of playing as the POV Protagonist for a majority of the game and gets all the attention from the narrative and the characters. He even gets credited as the one who 'ends' Dangan Ronpa.

Ouma is the rival character and fits perfectly well with the truth vs. lies theme of the game. He has a constant presence in most of the chapters; either by helping the other players using clues and tricks to figure out the cases, or by terrorizing them with the dark and twisted truths of the game. It all comes into fruition when he manages to halt the killing game by claiming himself to be the mastermind.

While Kaito is only a supporting character, he still has a huge influence in the game because of how much he cares and roots for Saihara. He also serves as a thematic foil to Ouma as the two constantly clash over their ideals and actions. He has the most spotlight and most of the V3 kids admit that Kaito is important to them.  And there's also how he led the unsolvable murder scheme in Chapter 5.

Kiibo is technically important later on when it's revealed that he was the audience surrogate of the game. And he is also credited for officially ending/destroying Dangan Ronpa.

Amami also gets more recognition because of his role as the SHSL Survivor which ties in to the dynamics of the series and how it works.

While Hoshi, Shinguuji and Gonta aren't as involved, it still stands that there have been more guys who were actively involved in the storyline along with fitting the theme of truth vs lies in comparison to the girls.

And actually, i would like to disagree with you on Sakura. 

Despite being referred to as an ogre, she was honestly one of the best written girl characters in the series. 

She had a unique design that wasn't conventionally attractive like the other girls. 

She has the title of World's Strongest Fighter and she has a calm and honorable personality with a heart of gold.

She could have easily broken any of her classmates for insulting her, but she doesn't. She always maintains her cool. The only time she threatened violence was when any of them harmed her friends (Asahina).

She made an honorable sacrifice by killing herself to save her friends. Both the survivors and the narrative acknowledge this by showing the original 6 making more of an effort to work together to end the killing game. They honestly wouldn't have gotten as far if it wasn't for her.

That's why I consider her to be a girl character who was written exceptionally well.

You're thoughts?

-END OF SUBMISSION-

I strongly agree with all of these points!! The protag switch off is kinda iffy for me because while I recognize that it switched from strong female lead to male, I liked it as a plot twist. Still disappointing that they just killed her off for a shitty plot device and then didn't do anything to compensate for it. The girls kinda feel like they were thrown to the side tbh... I don't disagree with you though, and they did kind of just make her into a martyr and not the significant character she could have been. I feel like dr does that a lot with dead characters >:T

Also, when I say Sakura deserved better I meant that she shouldn't have been treated as a gag character or like her being strong was weird. It's like what you said about Miu in a way. I didn't mean that Sakura herself was bad or anything, I meant that it really bugged me when they made a joke out of her and then kind of forgot her after the trial even if they used the key she left behind. She literally sacrificed herself for them and nobody even really apologized properly to my recollection? Kinda wack.

Thank you for sending this in, it was really interesting to read!!

-tech

[sandibitenc]

tenkido-2-vaja from Sandi Bitenc on Vimeo.

[dangan-meme-palace]

Odd question, but if you could change the surviving cast of every main Danganronpa game (Trigger Happy, Goodbye Despair, and V3), who would be alive at the end and why?

DR1:

Sakura: Deserved it.

Celeste: Is hot and smart.

Makoto: Is important to the last trial, SDR2, and DR3.

Kyoko: Is hot and smart.

Ishimaru: Is my fave.

Toko: Is important to UDG.

SDR2:

Hajime: Has protag rights and he’s my fave.

Fuyuhiko: Had good development.

Gundham: Is my fave.

Sonia: Is my fave.

Ibuki: Is my fave and I like how she tried to cheer everyone up.

Mikan: Should have gotten a recovery arc after Junko.

DRV3:

Shuichi: Has protag rights.

Tenko: Could’ve been more interesting.

Kiibo: Is my fave.