Shuichi "Beta-est of Betas" Saihara ✯ 最原 終一 (
diffidentive) wrote2019-12-19 08:05 am
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Entry tags:
[ooc] ryslig application
OOC INFORMATION
Name: Katar
Contact:
robokatar or robokatar#0520 on discord
Are You Over 18?: yes
Other Characters: none; formerly Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and Nagisa Shingetsu
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Shuichi Saihara
Age: 17
Canon: Danganronpa V3
Canon Point: In the middle of Chapter 6's execution
Character Information: Danganronpa V3 on the fandom wiki, Shuichi himself on the fandom wiki
SPOILERS AHEAD
Personality: Shuichi Saihara was meant to be the "weakest Ultimate Detective ever", and the writers on Team Danganronpa certainly did not fail to meet that goal. He's a meek, unassertive, and cowardly individual who gives off an impression of being unreliable. He speaks softly and falteringly, and he's so scared of making eye contact that he always wears a baseball cap with the brim pulled down. He has next to no self esteem, even when it comes to something like his talent, which SHOULD be a point of pride. The government only gives out Ultimate titles to exceptional teenagers, after all. It's not something you can apply for or buy, you have to be discovered by standing above all other high schoolers in your field (the definition of "talent" is very loose, but it's typically some kind of sport, academic/artistic subject, or occupation). But Shuichi always refers to his scouting as an accident, that he just "happened to solve a murder case the police couldn't" and says that an apprentice like himself doesn't really deserve the title. Honestly, he's not sure he even deserves to be called a detective, nor is he sure he actually wants to BE one. This is mostly due to the fact that he fears the outcome of revealing the truth. Which, you know, kind of completely defeats the purpose of being a detective.
This fear stems from the very same murder case that earned him his Ultimate title. It was one of those cases where the killer's motives seem almost justified. Or, at least, some people would say so, as the man only killed in order to avenge his cruelly murdered family. Not only DID some people express this opinion after the fact, but the look of hatred Shuichi received from the man he put behind bars was so intense that it stuck with him, and shook him to his very core, leaving him wondering if he did the right thing in capturing the man or not. While he has no problem with the detective work that actually leads to finding the truth, he fears the pain and hatred that comes after it's revealed. He also expresses a distaste for "uncovering people's secrets for money". This was one of the biggest reasons why he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a detective in the first place. This feeling worsened after he solved that murder case, since receiving his title more or less forced him into the profession, despite his misgivings. But that's just how it works for talented children in the Danganronpa universe. Your talent owns you just as much as you own it, sometimes even moreso.
It's not all bad though, Shuichi's talent HAS given him some strengths in addition to all the weaknesses and flaws. He's a very rational, intelligent, level-headed individual. In fact, when discussing matters of logic and reasoning, he actually becomes more confident and at-ease. His classmates point out on numerous occasions that the only times when he's REALLY reliable is when he's investigating a murder. Because of this, nearly all of them come to rely on Shuichi to carry them safely through the trials and ensure that they aren't all killed due to an incorrect vote. Additionally, detective work really nurtured Shuichi's compassionate nature, though this is mostly due to the type of detective his uncle (the person he's apprentice to) is. His office is actually fairly busy, despite its small size, but they deal mainly with infidelity and runaway cases, not murder. Unlike most detectives, Shuichi's uncle doesn't consider a case closed when a runaway is found, but rather after both parties have been followed up with and are satisfied. His goal is to not just fix a problem, but to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Shuichi strongly agrees with this policy, and adheres to it as well. He also says that he's happiest when he can use his ability to help others, even if it's something as simple as finding a lost pet. The feeling of knowing that he was able to help some one is more important to him than materialistic payment.
This compassion is something of a double-edged sword, however. While he longs and strives to help others, Shuichi is also a fairly suspicious person by nature. That isn't to say he doesn't trust anyone and is overly paranoid, but he's not one of those people who can simply trust in someone based on belief alone. True to his detective nature, he relies on facts and reason, rather than emotions. This sometimes can make him seem uncaring, simply because he's not willing to rule an option out for emotional reasons. (For example, things like saying someone can't be the murderer because the victim was their best friend) Not only that, but he has the tendency to shoulder everything on his own, rather than seek help from others. Though this is more out of not wanting to burden others, rather than him being suspicious or believing that others are unreliable.
At least, this is all how it is in the beginning. The great thing about being the "weakest ever" is that you have a lot of room to grow. Which is exactly what happens to Shuichi when he's brought to the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles and forced to play the killing game. Despite the fact that his talent automatically makes him the greatest asset to everyone there, most of his classmates instead regard him as completely unreliable and kind of useless in the beginning. This is because of his personality, which doesn't change at all simply because he's "in his element" in a place full of so many mysteries. Instead of looking to Shuichi in their time of crisis, the students look instead to Kaede Akamatsu. Her talent (Pianist) is completely useless in a murder school, but she has an upbeat, determined, and charismatic personality that makes her seem more reliable. Shuichi is particularly taken with her, and comes to admire and eventually trust Kaede in a matter of days. She is the only one she entrusts with the information he's gathered and deduced about the mastermind and he also more open with her about his feelings and experiences. She's the only one who knows the reason why he wears a hat, for instance. She's also very encouraging, constantly correcting Shuichi whenever he says something negative about himself, and telling him to have more confidence.
Unfortunately, this blossoming friendship/romance comes to an abrupt end when Kaede is executed. Naturally, Shuichi is very shaken and upset by her death, but it also serves as a turning point. Before, when Kaede told him to be more confident, he responded by giving her a pretty wishy-washy and noncommittal "I'll try". But after her death, he becomes more resolute and actually starts making an effort to try and change. He takes his hat off the very next day, claiming that it was "getting in the way" when the other students comment on it. Despite this newfound determination, change is hard for someone like Shuichi. And were it not for the interference of Kaito Momota, it's highly likely that removing his hat is as far as his resolve would have taken him. Because even though he's making an effort to change, he still fears the truth (perhaps even moreso now, since he was the one who figured out Kaede's crime) and is reluctant to reveal it if it's just going to bring pain. Whenever he's alone, his mind becomes a void of negative thoughts and regrets, because Shuichi is a boy who spends far too much time in his own head. Kaito, on the other hand is not.
Like Kaede, Kaito is another student with an optimistic, determined, and confident attitude. But he's also more impulsive, nonsensical, and meddlesome than the pianist. He says a lot of things that sound completely ridiculous and make very little sense (for example, "The impossible is possible, you just have to believe!" and "I believe who I want to believe in, if I get betrayed, then it's my fault for trusting them.") and Shuichi really isn't sure what to think of him at first. But it's because he's so illogical and nonsensical that Shuichi decides to trust him. He's never been around anyone quite like Kaito before and he believes that the astronaut's impulsive, easy-going nature is exactly what he needs in this situation. Kaito dubs Shuichi his sidekick, and tells him that that means he takes all responsibility for Shuichi's deductions so he doesn't need to be scared of revealing the truth anymore. He also makes Shuichi start training physically to "defeat his weakness", despite the fact that his weakness is completely mental and has nothing whatsoever to do with physical prowess. Not to mention the fact that he's a detective and therefore doesn't really need to be particularly fit. But, according to Kaito, the mind and body are basically the same thing so doing push ups and sit ups will totally help. With Kaito's help, Shuichi gradually becomes, not only more confident, but more capable of relying on others and trusting them.
However, even with Kaito's help, Shuichi never truly becomes the protagonist of the story. While he is the player character and Kaede passed her will and wish onto him with her death...he's never able to actually take her place in anything other than name and playability. This is not only because of his weak personality, but also because he lacks the key traits of a true Danganronpa protagonist: determination and hope. Unlike his predecessors, Shuichi is willing and able to give up, rather than stubbornly continue on in the face of seemingly impossible odds. At the end of V3, the fourth wall comes down in a truly spectacular way, as it is revealed that the entire killing game was a work of "real fiction" put on by Team Danganronpa. People audition for the TV show and, if chosen, have their personalities and memories wiped and replaced with fictional backstories and talents that allow them to take the roles of Ultimate Students and continue the series that began as a simple visual novel game and has now grown to global scale pop culture phenomenon. Because he can reject both despair AND hope, Shuichi is ultimately able to truly end the killing game which has continued on for fifty three seasons (the true reason the came is called V3...the V is a roman numeral 5) thanks to the hopeful determination of the surviving players. Before Shuichi, no protagonist was ever willing to just give up and say that they didn't want to fight anymore. Nobody was willing to acknowledge that sometimes hope can be just as harmful as despair. Despite the fact that Shuichi was so heavily influenced by people like Kaede and Kaito who so both completely embodied the Danganronpa "never give up, keep hoping" protagonist attitude, when it comes to it, he's able to give up when it's wiser to do so. His weak personality can never truly be erased completely, a fact which he himself acknowledges and ultimately comes to terms with. It's okay if he's weak, since it allowed him to see things that others might miss. And, besides, he can always make up for it with the support and help of his friends.
5-10 Key Character Traits: submissive, intelligent, weak, shy, compassionate, observant, low self-esteem, nervous, level-headed, easily depressed
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, EITHER, or opt for 100% RANDOMIZATION? fits, please!
Opt-Outs: werewolf, werebear, faerie, arachne, waldgeist, simulacrum
Roleplay Sample: here!
Name: Katar
Contact:
Are You Over 18?: yes
Other Characters: none; formerly Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and Nagisa Shingetsu
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Shuichi Saihara
Age: 17
Canon: Danganronpa V3
Canon Point: In the middle of Chapter 6's execution
Character Information: Danganronpa V3 on the fandom wiki, Shuichi himself on the fandom wiki
SPOILERS AHEAD
Personality: Shuichi Saihara was meant to be the "weakest Ultimate Detective ever", and the writers on Team Danganronpa certainly did not fail to meet that goal. He's a meek, unassertive, and cowardly individual who gives off an impression of being unreliable. He speaks softly and falteringly, and he's so scared of making eye contact that he always wears a baseball cap with the brim pulled down. He has next to no self esteem, even when it comes to something like his talent, which SHOULD be a point of pride. The government only gives out Ultimate titles to exceptional teenagers, after all. It's not something you can apply for or buy, you have to be discovered by standing above all other high schoolers in your field (the definition of "talent" is very loose, but it's typically some kind of sport, academic/artistic subject, or occupation). But Shuichi always refers to his scouting as an accident, that he just "happened to solve a murder case the police couldn't" and says that an apprentice like himself doesn't really deserve the title. Honestly, he's not sure he even deserves to be called a detective, nor is he sure he actually wants to BE one. This is mostly due to the fact that he fears the outcome of revealing the truth. Which, you know, kind of completely defeats the purpose of being a detective.
This fear stems from the very same murder case that earned him his Ultimate title. It was one of those cases where the killer's motives seem almost justified. Or, at least, some people would say so, as the man only killed in order to avenge his cruelly murdered family. Not only DID some people express this opinion after the fact, but the look of hatred Shuichi received from the man he put behind bars was so intense that it stuck with him, and shook him to his very core, leaving him wondering if he did the right thing in capturing the man or not. While he has no problem with the detective work that actually leads to finding the truth, he fears the pain and hatred that comes after it's revealed. He also expresses a distaste for "uncovering people's secrets for money". This was one of the biggest reasons why he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a detective in the first place. This feeling worsened after he solved that murder case, since receiving his title more or less forced him into the profession, despite his misgivings. But that's just how it works for talented children in the Danganronpa universe. Your talent owns you just as much as you own it, sometimes even moreso.
It's not all bad though, Shuichi's talent HAS given him some strengths in addition to all the weaknesses and flaws. He's a very rational, intelligent, level-headed individual. In fact, when discussing matters of logic and reasoning, he actually becomes more confident and at-ease. His classmates point out on numerous occasions that the only times when he's REALLY reliable is when he's investigating a murder. Because of this, nearly all of them come to rely on Shuichi to carry them safely through the trials and ensure that they aren't all killed due to an incorrect vote. Additionally, detective work really nurtured Shuichi's compassionate nature, though this is mostly due to the type of detective his uncle (the person he's apprentice to) is. His office is actually fairly busy, despite its small size, but they deal mainly with infidelity and runaway cases, not murder. Unlike most detectives, Shuichi's uncle doesn't consider a case closed when a runaway is found, but rather after both parties have been followed up with and are satisfied. His goal is to not just fix a problem, but to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Shuichi strongly agrees with this policy, and adheres to it as well. He also says that he's happiest when he can use his ability to help others, even if it's something as simple as finding a lost pet. The feeling of knowing that he was able to help some one is more important to him than materialistic payment.
This compassion is something of a double-edged sword, however. While he longs and strives to help others, Shuichi is also a fairly suspicious person by nature. That isn't to say he doesn't trust anyone and is overly paranoid, but he's not one of those people who can simply trust in someone based on belief alone. True to his detective nature, he relies on facts and reason, rather than emotions. This sometimes can make him seem uncaring, simply because he's not willing to rule an option out for emotional reasons. (For example, things like saying someone can't be the murderer because the victim was their best friend) Not only that, but he has the tendency to shoulder everything on his own, rather than seek help from others. Though this is more out of not wanting to burden others, rather than him being suspicious or believing that others are unreliable.
At least, this is all how it is in the beginning. The great thing about being the "weakest ever" is that you have a lot of room to grow. Which is exactly what happens to Shuichi when he's brought to the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles and forced to play the killing game. Despite the fact that his talent automatically makes him the greatest asset to everyone there, most of his classmates instead regard him as completely unreliable and kind of useless in the beginning. This is because of his personality, which doesn't change at all simply because he's "in his element" in a place full of so many mysteries. Instead of looking to Shuichi in their time of crisis, the students look instead to Kaede Akamatsu. Her talent (Pianist) is completely useless in a murder school, but she has an upbeat, determined, and charismatic personality that makes her seem more reliable. Shuichi is particularly taken with her, and comes to admire and eventually trust Kaede in a matter of days. She is the only one she entrusts with the information he's gathered and deduced about the mastermind and he also more open with her about his feelings and experiences. She's the only one who knows the reason why he wears a hat, for instance. She's also very encouraging, constantly correcting Shuichi whenever he says something negative about himself, and telling him to have more confidence.
Unfortunately, this blossoming friendship/romance comes to an abrupt end when Kaede is executed. Naturally, Shuichi is very shaken and upset by her death, but it also serves as a turning point. Before, when Kaede told him to be more confident, he responded by giving her a pretty wishy-washy and noncommittal "I'll try". But after her death, he becomes more resolute and actually starts making an effort to try and change. He takes his hat off the very next day, claiming that it was "getting in the way" when the other students comment on it. Despite this newfound determination, change is hard for someone like Shuichi. And were it not for the interference of Kaito Momota, it's highly likely that removing his hat is as far as his resolve would have taken him. Because even though he's making an effort to change, he still fears the truth (perhaps even moreso now, since he was the one who figured out Kaede's crime) and is reluctant to reveal it if it's just going to bring pain. Whenever he's alone, his mind becomes a void of negative thoughts and regrets, because Shuichi is a boy who spends far too much time in his own head. Kaito, on the other hand is not.
Like Kaede, Kaito is another student with an optimistic, determined, and confident attitude. But he's also more impulsive, nonsensical, and meddlesome than the pianist. He says a lot of things that sound completely ridiculous and make very little sense (for example, "The impossible is possible, you just have to believe!" and "I believe who I want to believe in, if I get betrayed, then it's my fault for trusting them.") and Shuichi really isn't sure what to think of him at first. But it's because he's so illogical and nonsensical that Shuichi decides to trust him. He's never been around anyone quite like Kaito before and he believes that the astronaut's impulsive, easy-going nature is exactly what he needs in this situation. Kaito dubs Shuichi his sidekick, and tells him that that means he takes all responsibility for Shuichi's deductions so he doesn't need to be scared of revealing the truth anymore. He also makes Shuichi start training physically to "defeat his weakness", despite the fact that his weakness is completely mental and has nothing whatsoever to do with physical prowess. Not to mention the fact that he's a detective and therefore doesn't really need to be particularly fit. But, according to Kaito, the mind and body are basically the same thing so doing push ups and sit ups will totally help. With Kaito's help, Shuichi gradually becomes, not only more confident, but more capable of relying on others and trusting them.
However, even with Kaito's help, Shuichi never truly becomes the protagonist of the story. While he is the player character and Kaede passed her will and wish onto him with her death...he's never able to actually take her place in anything other than name and playability. This is not only because of his weak personality, but also because he lacks the key traits of a true Danganronpa protagonist: determination and hope. Unlike his predecessors, Shuichi is willing and able to give up, rather than stubbornly continue on in the face of seemingly impossible odds. At the end of V3, the fourth wall comes down in a truly spectacular way, as it is revealed that the entire killing game was a work of "real fiction" put on by Team Danganronpa. People audition for the TV show and, if chosen, have their personalities and memories wiped and replaced with fictional backstories and talents that allow them to take the roles of Ultimate Students and continue the series that began as a simple visual novel game and has now grown to global scale pop culture phenomenon. Because he can reject both despair AND hope, Shuichi is ultimately able to truly end the killing game which has continued on for fifty three seasons (the true reason the came is called V3...the V is a roman numeral 5) thanks to the hopeful determination of the surviving players. Before Shuichi, no protagonist was ever willing to just give up and say that they didn't want to fight anymore. Nobody was willing to acknowledge that sometimes hope can be just as harmful as despair. Despite the fact that Shuichi was so heavily influenced by people like Kaede and Kaito who so both completely embodied the Danganronpa "never give up, keep hoping" protagonist attitude, when it comes to it, he's able to give up when it's wiser to do so. His weak personality can never truly be erased completely, a fact which he himself acknowledges and ultimately comes to terms with. It's okay if he's weak, since it allowed him to see things that others might miss. And, besides, he can always make up for it with the support and help of his friends.
5-10 Key Character Traits: submissive, intelligent, weak, shy, compassionate, observant, low self-esteem, nervous, level-headed, easily depressed
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, EITHER, or opt for 100% RANDOMIZATION? fits, please!
Opt-Outs: werewolf, werebear, faerie, arachne, waldgeist, simulacrum
Roleplay Sample: here!