In post 523, Sudo_Nym wrote:Given that Mondo's motive was that he felt insecure and didn't know how to handle it other than to lash out at Chihiro, I think I'm justified in calling it toxic.
That's what I figured, I just never saw it put that way.
Mondo - I really like the way Mondo's character was set up, since it seems clear that he wants to be a good dude, but has to maintain a lot of toxic masculine stereotypes to keep his position as Gang Leader. Too bad he got executed before he could experience some character development.
Sakura - She's really cool, and I liked pretty much everything about her. Having the generic "anime girlfriend" name but being completely against type is something I liked, plus the schoolgirl outfit with the sleeves ripped off is a cool look. It doesn't make a lot of sense that her death would be a full blown mystery, though, since it defies the whole point of a suicide, but I guess Monokuma/Aoi are to blame for that, really.
Chihiro - Chihiro's a sweetie, and I like him generally. The gender reveal was handled poorly, but that feels more like the writing's fault than Chihiro's fault as a character, if that makes sense.
Junko - I like the Insane Junko vibes. There's something I find really cool about her switching between various personas, and I like that it's ambiguous whether she has multiple personalities, or if she's faking it. Her motive is ill-defined, though, and seems to consist mostly of saying "Despair" in various combinations. Mukuro!Junko was pretty neat, too, and I like that you can see the mask slipping a bit in retrospect.
Kyoko - I feel like I'm meant to like Kyoko, but she feels like she's the designated handholder. In a weird way, I feel like the story was more about her than about any other character. She gets bonus points for being hot.
Byakuya - I get a "Wannabe Edgeworth" vibe off him. He's mostly an asshole, but he pulls it off okay, I guess. He was genuinely helpful in the trials, but otherwise meh.
Taka - I really disliked Taka originally, but I thought Kiyondo was kinda cool.
Makoto - Pretty generic anime protagonist. Seems to exist mostly as a foil for wackier personalities.
Aoi - Seems to exist mostly to be "stupid" so other people can explain things. She's very likeable at least, though she also gets the fanservice moment.
Sayaka - Got no time, but I liked that her flirting was actually a twist to set up Makoto.
Leon - Could have been good, got no time.
Yasuhiro - Mostly seemed to be here to be a "stupid" character so other people have an excuse to explain the plot.
Toko - I wanted to give her a higher ranking because Genocide Jack was kinda cool, and she annoys Byakuya, but the constant sexual references got annoying. I'm not sure if she deserves to gain or lose bonus points after "THE MOUTH DOWN SOUTH"
Celestia - I feel like she got way more hype for her intelligence than she actually deserves. For the "Queen of Liars", she's pretty easy to see through.