Someone At Some Point Called Surge Sonic's Wario And I Was Like "what?", But Also Went Made This...

The "You're all secretly war criminals" thing is a pretty epic twist the first time playing. But like...it's an absolute mess when you really think about the sheer number of logistical issues Junko should have faced if we go with the fandom idea that "brainwashing was just a retcon" and that she successfully manipulated each of them with pure charisma. To begin with, people severely underestimate how much work it would actually take to turn a relatively normal (if a little eccentric in the case of Class 77) person into a monster on the level of the Remnants of Despair. Like this is WAY beyond anything Junko was doing in DR1's Killing Game. Manipulating someone to commit a murder is one thing. I'm not denying that it's entirely possible for Junko to have done that to them. Manipulating them into having a complete breakdown and killing their families? Trickier, but not entirely outside the realm of possibility. Manipulating them to keep on killing over and over again, become addicted to the sensation, carry out all sorts of other depraved acts, and wage a forever war on humanity, with the determination of a literal machine? That's gonna take a LOT of work. Like years of work. To put things into perspective, the Nazi gas chambers were implemented as a more efficient extermination method, because it was discovered that quite a few guards found it difficult to pull the trigger on Jewish prisoners themselves. That was with an entire decade's worth of anti-Semitic propaganda building up to the Holocaust. Junko meanwhile did not have a decade. She had a year. Less than a year actually. On top of getting things ready for the Class 78 Killing Game, manipulating Kamukura, Matsuda, and the Warriors of Hope, and keeping up appearances as a regular class member, we're expected to believe that she was able to corrupt all of Class 77-B to that degree as a FUCKING SIDE PROJECT within about 9-10 months? Not just doing it to one person, but to 14 people altogether. And all the while this was done without Kyoko or Makoto or Matsuda or Jin Kirigiri noticing ANY unusual shifts in those students' behavior. Which would require the Remnant versions of people like Teruteru, Ibuki, Akane, etc. to have insane acting skills up until the Reserve Course destroyed most of the school. I get that the Despair Video thing felt kind of lazy. I personally would have gone with a brainwashing methods that was less OP and slower acting. But like...literal mind control really is the most straightforward explanation. The "charismatic Junko" interpretation is completely inconsistent with the level of competence she displayed in DR1. Someone brilliant enough to create the Remnants of Despair with a silver tongue alone would not have their Killing Game derailed by something like Sakura's sacrifice. And it requires some ridiculous characterization for Class 77-B. We have real life examples of attempted spree shooters who gave up and turned themselves in after killing family members, because they realized they didn't actually have the guts to become a mass-murderer. There would have to be at least one such "failed Remnant" who crashed and burned like that among those 14 if they behaved like actual human beings and not goddamn robots. People try to chalk this up to the SDR2 cast coming from broken homes and shit. But I mean come on. So did a good chunk of the DR1 cast, and they spent an entire year in isolation with Junko. They would have gone insane just by being in proximity to her for so long if she was that charismatic.

goddd you get it. you literally understand it all. it was cool when it was first revealed but it's just so. Weird. when you think about it. like this is just some teenager. some random teenager created a cult and basically ended the world in the span of less than a year .i get what they were going for but it feels like a lot of the time the characters bend to fit whatever's going on in the plot... it aint consistent 💀

Munakata: You know nothing, you're just a naive child who thinks the world can be saved by positivity.

Well that might work in your game, but not in the real world.

Makoto: chained on the ground Your pathetic.

Munakata: What did you say?!

Makoto: You laughs, glares at him you know nothing. You think that I don't know, that words aren't enough to change people?

You think that I don't know that positivity can't fix everything?

Munakata: Than why do you drone on and on about it? If you truly believe your words are hollow, than why pretend to be such a fool?

Makoto: God your stupid. What I said was that I know words aren't enough. But they're a start, their a step and a necessary one.

If anyone's the hypocrite, it's you, Mr rehabilitating murderers is wrong but I'm gonna kill people that don't agree with me.

Munakata: You little-

Makoto: No? You go on and on about how dangerous it would be if despair disguised itself under a flag of hope.

And yet here you stand like your own Remnant of despair.

Munakata: How dare you! Kicks him, hard

Makoto: laughs And you say I'm the child. How did you get such a high up job?

I mean you talk tough but you're just a washed up graduate who's clings onto his high school glory days.

Munakata: seething How dare you!

Makoto: Oh I dare. I think you got the job to work at the overseas Hope's Peak, because you're so desperate to reignite that spark because you've found nothing else fulfilling in your life.

And than the world fell but you got lucky, because finally everything was yours. You could be the big bad hero you always wanted to be.

Munakata: You call this a victory?

Makoto: For you? Other than being vice chairman and Chisa, sounds like your dream.

Munakata: Don't you dare speak her name!

Makoto: Yeah, my bad I'm sorry. You know, I was willing to hear you out for her.

I've lost people, know how hard greif is especially in a place like this. And she wanted me to hear you out, and I thought sure okay.

Munakata: That sounds like her.

Makoto: But man, I've looked into the eyes of those infected with despair.

And I've still found shreds of humanity in their souls, you are as soulless as it gets. And I watched Junko kill her own sister without a second thought.

Munakata: scoffs

Makoto: Junko twisted the Remnants from the people they were. The kind, good loving people they were.

But no one did that to you, you are your truest self. There was nothing to regain because nothing was lost.

Munakata: Is that your long poetic way of calling me a monster? How original.

Makoto: No you're worse. Hell at least Junko knew she was being awful. You say the most awful things and pretend it's just.

Munakata: The truth is always hard to digest. You should know that better than anyone. But you insist on hiding behind your hollow words.

Makoto: They aren't hollow. Sure I talk, a lot. But I make my words mean things, I fill what could have been hollow because I believe in the power they hold.

Munakata: You do have a lot of influence in your words. But that doesn't change that they won't fix things.

Makoto: I know it's not going to fix everything! But if they can get people to act, if they can change someone's opinion. That makes them mean something.

What you're proposing would destroy what's on the surface but change won't happen if you won't touch the root of the issue.

Munakata: And what of it? It will only spread. I do what has to be done. I use my words and I put them into action.

Makoto: The difference is I'm proposing people care about each other and you're trying to justify mass murder.

That's the difference between you and me, you take the easy route.

Munakata: Easy?! You dare call this easy?!

Makoto: Violence is easy, you can hurt anyone without raising a hand. You know what's hard? Healing.

Going day in and day out in a hopeless world trying to convince people life's worth living.

You watched the game... How many times did I try to bring people together? How many times did I try to talk to someone who would later be a murderer?

A tear falls down his cheek.

I will carry their deaths for the rest of my life. I will be kind in a world that hates that because someone has to.

I gave my weakness to everyone not because I don't know the danger but because I do.

Because I know if one person, just one comes forward it can persuade others to do so too.

Munakata: Scoffs What you've done is make yourself a bigger target.

Makoto: Gets up, got free ages ago and stands tall It's easy to kill the people who wronged you. What's hard is knowing all they've done, and forgiving them anyway.

I smile and it hurts more than anything and yet I do it because it makes people feel at ease. And if that's make me weak? Than so be it.

Munakata: So what, you'll forgive me for all of this?

Makoto: Yeah, because even now I think there's still hope in you.

Munakata: That kind of optimism will get you killed one day.

Makoto: It's gotten me this far. Sad smile And apart from my friends, it's all I've got anyway walks away, pauses And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss. Walks away

This audio from Star vs the Forces of evil worked way too well in reference to how the Neo World Program works! It could have fit any character but I always associate Star with Sonia so I decided to use her!

Fun fact, within a day of posting this on tiktok it became my second highest viewed video ever and highest viewed animation I’ve done which is wild! (It’s currently at 163.0k views!!)

I wanna let this out. Have you ever thought that the sdr2 characters just gave up their dreams after the shit they did when they were brainwashed (despite not remembering it)

Kazuichi gave up his love for machines and fixing them after hearing the horrible shit he did

*inserts ending theme of digital circus*

OOOO THIS IS AN INTERESTING THOUGHT!!! A concept worth to think about! But there are some where doing the things as their talent came off as a coping mechanism, just imagine how just simply doing the things they aspire or what comes off as stress-relieving to them became a trigger. Its a very deep in thought what-ifs, but I do believe this is the case logically enough in post-NWP. Though there are few that could and couldn't give up on their talents merely because...

Someone like Teruteru, Kazuichi, Akane, Tanaka, Nekomaru, Ibuki, and Mahiru are all purely because the talent they have are simply much of a hobby, something they find love, comfort, and inspirational, or motivation to move forward.

Ones like Sonia, Fuyuhiko, Hiyoko, and Nagito are all born or was already given a chance to the talent itself, where their fate has been placed down since the beggining (does not end well).

And people like Mikan, The impostor, or Peko were ones being put in bad situation thus grew a talent they view in a way that was a bit unhealthy (this could apply to Nagito as well)

Every people has a different thoughts on this ofc, I'd love to write out mine but I simply just doesn't have enough time to write out all of them. Ty for sharing your thoughts!!

Thought I get in on this holy bandwagon, but Luce has a friend to tag along.

Oh my god, you know what I just realised?

Makoto putting the Remnants of Despair inside the Neo World Program—as idealistic as his intentions were—indirectly makes him a Mastermind.

I’ve imagine Jotaro seizing Haiji the moment he comments about Komaru’s age and get disgusted (along with the rest of the Crusaders) when Haiji says ‘The younger the better.’ Polnareff is super protective of Komaru and Yuta, because of the loss of his younger sister. He actually grew a protective side Kotoko, after hearing pedophiles being mentioned. I’ve actually imagine the Crusaders expressing extreme disgust on what happened to the WoH and their parent and had plans to make these kids atone.

I was also thinking that they wouldn’t like Haiji. Whether they are disagreeing with his decision to hide from the Monokumas and wait it out (for what, they don’t know) or his comment about liking young girls, they just dislike him. Once he says that comment carefreely, Jotaro is practically at his throat, with Polnareff right behind him because that’s just disgusting and they want him as far away from Komaru as possible. Especially Polnareff since it brings back horrific memories of his sister’s death at the hand of a murderer-rapist. Still, they don’t kill him because he’s too important right now to fight back against the Monokumas. However, some of them are still skeptical over why they’re banking their victory on the Big Bang Monokuma which was produced by the same factory as the other Monokumas, but it’s whatever. You can bet though that both Jotaro and Polnareff keep a sharp eye on Haiji from then on. If he touches Komaru, he might just lose that one good arm he has.

Polnareff is there with Komaru during the fight against Kotoko and witnesses Kotoko’s meltdown when she hears her trigger word. Although she’s one of the brats who put them into this mess, there was something clearly wrong with her on a deeper level, as if she’s being deliberately manipulated to carry out these awful deeds. Later, when he finds out about Kotoko’s awful backstory involving child molestation and prostitution, he feels awful for her and tries to convince her to join their group and fight against Monaca who was probably pulling the strings behind this all along. Yet, Kotoko is still confused since Monaca has such a strong psychological pull on her. And when it comes to the backstories of all the WoH, I imagine that Joseph, being a father and a grandfather himself, would feel the worst for these kids. They were just young kids–ten years old–and subjected to abuse, torture, sexual predation, etc. It was a horrific shame that the kids went through their awful backgrounds, but the hunting game needed to end. It was there that they knew they couldn’t hurt even the WoH and instead, they needed to destroy the Monokuma machines they were controlling to stop this.

(imagine Polnareff giving Kotoko a piggy-back ride after the events of the game. imagine that and have a great day)

How’s Ibuki?

Okay I'll start off with Ibuki Mioda; I would say that while she is cheerful, friendly, outgoing and has good parents - she does have a mental condition.

Wait... Ibuki has a mental condition?

Indeed, it's ADHD or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and it's unmedicated and no, if asking - her parents couldn't get the medication because it's illegal here - in fact I even say she gets along pretty well with her parents.

I see... Ibuki did mention that her parents aren't bad at all but if that's the case... it must be challenging.

It is, there were thoughts of leaving the country to get this medication but Ibuki wanted to stay because of her band, mostly she say that it was due to creative differences but in reality I do think Ibuki was lonely and just wanted friends, she even got accepted into Hope's Peak...

As for Mikan,... well I'm sure your aware of her background, right?

Not...really, all I know is that Hiyoko really doesn't like her but I didn't know why and she just tripped over herself, I just... figure that was just her being her...

Well sadly for Mikan, her life is filled with tragedy and trauma that I think Hiyoko wasn't even aware of or never care; she had a whore of a mother who constantly whored her out, her clients use her for sex, ask her take off her clothes and other favors.

Even at school, she was bullied for it; often doing favors for them, wanting to be useful that she develop a lot of issues even going to the point of being an attention seeker, especially her athazagoraphobia.

Athazagoraphobia? What is that...?

The fear of being forgotten; she was so scared of it that she would do anything for attention - even going into compromising positions to get attention, even bad attention as she can't tell the difference and given Hiyoko's hatred for those that lie and deceitful people.

To put it simply, Hiyoko and Mikan enable each other to be their worse selves and the 2 never got to understand each other because of it.

...I never even notice, it's no wonder.

Blah blah blah I wanna help my cousin this, I wanna help Monaca that. If your words are genuine why not joined despair Miaya? It could be fun, plus I don't think you'll win her over by apealing to her "morals" is gonna help you.

Yeah, right? You're basically already there at this point.

Back up a minute. You said something about "my" method of brainwashing?

Yeah with your thingie. The...New Universe Simulation or whatever?

That's not true at all...! The Neo World Program doesn't brainwash people, it undoes brainwashing!

Hmmm, are you sure? Brainwashing in its simplest terms, is making someone change their personality to your liking. And isn't that what you did to the Remnants? You didn't like them being Despair so you changed them?

What?! You have no idea what you're talking about! It was designed as a psychotherapeutic simulator to undo trauma and triggering memories for the users! That's exactly why we used it on the Remnants of Despair!

.....Okay Auntie, let's play a little game here.

Let's say for instance, the Remnants of Despair weren't brainwashed. And that Big Sis Junko just merely...talked them into becoming the big bad terrorists you know them as today. Would you still use the program for them anyway?

Well....yes, but-

But why? They're not under some mind control or order from others. They would be fully cognizant of their actions. Morals and all. There'd be no way to know for certain what those guys would be thinking.

To that end, let's go further. Who would you use this on? Serial killers? Predators? Embezzlers? Gang members? Other terrorists? Where does it end?

You'd be replacing other people's already preconception of ideals and making them have new ones to better fit your image! See? Brainwashing! Plain and simple~

They have a term for this sort of thing. I think it's called...Death of Personality.

And I get a feeling, you'd want to use this on me too, huh? Riiiiiight?

Wh-What?!

Mhmm, mhmm!~ That's why you're so adamant about getting me on your side. So you can shove me in a pod and make little old Monaca a "proper" little girl. My my, even you want to use Monaca too for your own purposes, Auntie!~

Listen to yourself, that is absurd! I...would never....do something like that to you-

So say it.

!

Go ahead. Say you never had the thought. Say you'd tell me everything about my past life, and all about Big Sis Junko in that case. Go on. Lie to my face.

I.....I wouldn't.....

...........

I.....I'd....n-never....

......

.......

........

Uuuuuh-huh! Just what I thought. Adults are all the same! Only interested in what they want and what better suits them!

Monaca: Ahahahahahaha!

Beach episode sir’ Horikoshi I’m begging you