@asaka-lucy-dr-rc happy birthday! (i believe its the 29th already in japan :] )
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Since you said you'd like to read some thoughts on the characters, i will try to do my best (but since i struggle a bit with words, this may be a bit botched)
Naegi was actually my favorite DR character for a long time! (around 2013), i loved his attitude and i thought he was very cute (also really liked his relationship with kirgiri). i think hes probably the bravest character in the series, and i adore how compassionate he is, even with people who are irredeemable :] he gives everyone a second chance, and i love characters like that!
Because I got into SDR2 a little later than the other games, i'm still fairly new to it's specific fandom :] but i adore hinata a whole lot, hes my second favorite character in thr entire series! i love his attitude, and how caring he is as a person (and if i think too much about his backstory i start to cry). i also find his struggles with his self esteem a little too relatable, and of course, i adore his relationship with komaeda, i think they can be quite sweet when they are not in the killing game ahah
i dont have any naegi merch! but i have some of hinata, here are some photos (though, its not all of them. i have pins and keychains too :])
its so difficult to find affordable hinata merch in general!!
(theyre mostly komaeda because not only theyre is way more, hes my favorite ahah)
i hope this was ok! happy birthday! i had to do something for you since you made something for me! :D
Thank you again to everyone who sent me birthday gifts and messages!
Sorry it’s so late, but here’s a thank-you picture I made.
This time, I spent some time thinking about what kind of thank-you picture I should make.
To my surprise, so many people had drawn illustrations for me that I decided to create a piece based on those artworks.
I chose a composition where many Makotos, Hajimes, and other elements from your drawings burst out of a gift box.
Some parts are a mix of multiple works, so I’d like to explain which sections are inspired by which creators below.
(Since it’s quite long, I’ve folded the list.)
1.
Makoto drinking juice and Hajime eating cake
→ Gabi (@dr2-hell)
The red gift box lid they’re sitting on
→ Rajaie (@rajaie)
--------------------------------
2.
Makoto and Hajime playing tennis with a cake as the ball
→ Pomodoro (@dangakkisland)
--------------------------------
3.
Hajime being hugged by Nagito
→ Castle (@12castle)
Nagito smiling on the monitor
→ Alcibiade (@elfen-alcibiade)
--------------------------------
4.
Hajime playing a Game Boy game against Chiaki
→ 縺 (Bluesky: @nerimadaco.bsky.social)
--------------------------------
5.
Makoto dazzled by the sight of meat
→ @nanomimikan
Hajime giving Makoto a shoulder ride
→ Winnie (@blondesillyboylover)
Alter Ego scolding Makoto
→ Alcibiade (@elfen-alcibiade)
Hajime holding Makoto in a princess carry
→ Alex (@sdrklx)
Makoto losing his shoe
→ Alcibiade (@elfen-alcibiade)
A herd of hedgehogs
→ Pomodoro (@dangakkisland)
--------------------------------
7.
These letters are inspired by the message I received from Piper on Discord, and another message I received from vic (@vic-11037).
--------------------------------
8.
Young Yuma holding a four-leaf clover, with his father Makoto
→ Pixel (@pixelatedraindrops)
Kyoko watching over Yuma and Makoto
→ Pixel (@pixelatedraindrops)
Kyoko shown on the monitor
→ Alcibiade (@elfen-alcibiade)
Hedgehog and clover popping out of a pink box with a yellow ribbon
→ @koneko-chan-hai
--------------------------------
9.
Red gift box and long yellow ribbon
→ Rajaie (@rajaie)
Colorful paper from party poppers
→ Jam (@jampdrooze)
--------------------------------
I’m sorry if anyone felt disappointed because their work was only referenced briefly or not as prominently.
The extent to which I was able to incorporate each piece mostly depended on how well it could fit into the overall composition,
but every single gift meant so much to me and brought me joy.
Also, I apologize to @alan-mezzanotte—I wasn’t able to directly include your Makoto drawing that you sent via DM,
but I think at least one of the Makotos here must reflect your version in some way!
I hope you enjoy the picture even just a little. Thank you once again!
Makoto: Wow, how did you know? You know something? I get the feeling you’re going to be a great detective someday.
Description Below Read
Hi Asaka-san~ ^-^ Surprise! I found out it was your birthday right on time (technically speaking its the 28th for me but the 29th for you so… I’ll give it to you on your time c:)
After you gave me such a wonderful birthday present, I had to draw you something, even if Danganronpa isn’t really my expertise right now. It’s nowhere near as impressive as your gift, but I hope you’ll accept it anyway 🥹💕
I’ve actually never drawn Hajime before, and the only time I’ve drawn Makoto is if he is portrayed as Yuma’s father. Like in this image. So I drew that for you! (hopefully it counts ;w;) And technically, your blog is for both Danganronpa AND Raincode so I give you the best of both worlds ✨👌
In the photo, Yuma is a bit older than the family photo (probably around 2 years old) Either Kyoko or Komaru is the one filming as the two have a sweet moment together outside. Little Yuma holds his favorite toy along with a big four leaf clover he had just found and picked. A lucky find. He shows Makoto a cheerful smile as he gives the treasure to his dad. Knowing that it somehow connected to him. Makoto cannot help but feel happiness at his son’s kindness and how clever and self-aware he is while still so young. He would surely grow up to be lucky and hopeful, as well as a great detective just like his mother :)
I tried making the background a bit similar to the one in Kyoko’s childhood photo with her dad. To capture a similar memory. Yuma has Kyoko’s smile :) Though, I thought the outdoor table and chairs were a fence…I was looking at a poor quality photo just to get an idea of the scenery…
Whoops… xD I hope you don’t mind!! I’m not the best with details in backgrounds… 💦 I never have been but I tried to simplify it! Hopefully it can still be understood!
I hope this drawing will suffice as a present! I hope you enjoy it! I really do think Makoto would make a wonderful stay-at-home dad! 💚
Thank you for being such a wonderful supporter for everything I do Asaka. It truly does mean the absolute world to me how much you enjoy my work. Even if I’m nothing impressive as an artist or creator. But I certainly do try my best! And I’m happy you can see that!
And back when you said that you not only enjoyed my work, but also respected me as a creator as well as my passions? I honestly almost cried. It was such an honor, truly. Thank you for everything. Your support, your gifts, your participation in my events, and your fan-work. It all means more to me than you could ever know.
So my thoughts about Makoto: I was very into Danganronpa way back in 2016, but I will say how much I adored Naegi’s adorable persona and sweet personality. He was my favorite male character in Danganronpa 1 and my favorite female character in all DR was Kyoko. And I just loved the two of them together. My obsession for DR was first born when DR3 aired and with these two as my main ship (my OTP). And seeing how much he loved her in DR3 made me so happy. He’s such a sweet adorable and optimistic guy and I think he and Kyoko make such a wonderful pair together! Wonderful partners in investigation...and maybe even in love~ 💖
That's another reason Yuma means so much to me. He looks a lot like he could Makoto and Kyoko’s child, and in the next generation of Kirigiri Detectives. I truly did believe that from the bottom of my heart and I still do even if its a headcanon. He’s the child of my Danganronpa favorite ship of all time 💜💚💙 It was also my first post on tumblr relating to Raincode. The Lucky Detective Family as I call them c: Yuma is a lot like Makoto and Kyoko put together, all the more reason it makes sense for him to be their child.
Also here’s a silly post I made on Makoto A LONG TIME AGO. Comparing him to a Pokemon lol It got pretty viral… xD
As for any merch: I remember I had these little plushies. (i think I still do??) I had both Makoto and Hajime. It’s an old photo. From way back in 2016/2017.
I was unsure to post it earlier since, I was travelling again and couldn't check out the timezone so I am writing this as soon as my phone got the notification which was already late...
But I have 3 gifts! 1. Is Hajime drawing, clearly. Big helper.
2. It was the original gift, an entire page of them, I even asked some of my friends from another state for suggestions, and I was and did try to write happy birthday in Japanese again now at hand however I couldn't get the strokes app and some unfortunate turn of events happened, did it 3 times and couldn't do it, shame on me...Though I did the best I could to make up for it, even drew the plushies you got this month (The best I could)
3. Since you said you liked Death Note too, since you spoke to me about it I decided to do something relating to it! They play tennis and the ball is cake, because I love throwing cake at them
Could this be considered a fourth???...idk.
My friends always say that if "you draw dogs/wolves to Pomodoro once he will start acting like a knight to a king" and I think I am living up to that, liking it or not. If there are any mistakes it is because it is actually veeerryy late almost 11 PM right now, sorry :(
Happy birthday!! I'm sorry if this is late, I was out all day going to the cinemas. Public transport makes things take so much longer than they need to.
It's a bit rough, because it's nearing midnight here and I'm getting tired.
Hajime underestimated how hard it would be to carry Makoto, and now he's facing the consequences >:]
I hope you like it :) and I hope the rest of your day goes well, I'm not sure about your timezones. Hopefully this isn't being sent at the dead of night.
Thank you for the birthday gift you gave me last year, and for being willing to talk to me so patiently! I hope you have a wonderful and happy time~♡(*´∀`*)人(*´∀`*)♡
Ahhhhh!!! Nagito is here too!! OH MY GOSH, this is incredible! Thank you so, so much!! 😭💖💖💖
Just to clarify for any readers: Castle actually sent me this illustration on the 27th, but I held off replying until my actual birthday. That said, I did see it on the 27th, and the moment I opened it, I couldn’t stop grinning. I kept thinking about it over the past two days, and every time I did, I would find myself smiling uncontrollably. It’s just so adorable!!
Honestly, the fact that such a beautiful illustration even has my name written on it felt like too much for me—I was seriously thinking, “Shouldn’t I just erase that part? Isn’t it kind of too good to have my name on it?” I mean it. 😂
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such an amazing gift!!! 💕
(The section below the fold is a message addressed to Castle:)
Not only is your drawing skill absolutely amazing, but this piece also aligns so perfectly with my personal tastes that I almost feel a little embarrassed to be this understood. 😳😆
Having not just Hajime but Nagito too is wonderful, and the fact that the art style is based on Komatsuzaki’s original designs—whom I adore—is just perfect. On top of that, they’re not drawn in their game versions, and the fact that they’re not drawn in their game versions, but rather in their DR3: Hope Arc designs, makes this piece all the more special and meaningful to me.
Hajime with Izuru’s eye!! Nagito’s prosthetic arm!! 💕
In fanworks set after the events of DR3: Hope Arc, some people draw Nagito wearing gloves. But personally, I really prefer it when his prosthetic is shown openly. This is just my own interpretation, but I imagine that his arm was either made by Kazuichi, or by Hajime using Izuru’s talents. So I think that for Nagito, this prosthetic—created by such extraordinary ability—might actually be something he takes pride in.
The two-tone color scheme of white and black clearly matches his aesthetic as well, so unless he’s specifically trying to hide his identity, I don’t see him wanting to cover it up with gloves.
And the pose—Nagito clinging to Hajime—is one of my absolute favorites to draw. 🥺💕💕
The way he holds Hajime as if to say “He’s mine!” along with that expression on his face—that’s one of the main reasons I can’t stop smiling whenever I think of this illustration.
But hey, Hajime doesn’t belong to just you, Nagito!!! (Yes, I’m a Komahina fan, but even I find Nagito’s audacity toward Hajime a bit much at times. lol)
I also love how Hajime's hand rests lightly on Nagito's arm. It's as if he's trying to temper Nagito's enthusiasm. Whether it's reluctance or embarrassment, their relationship really comes through in this pose.
Still, the colors, the hair rendering, the way the folds in their clothes are drawn—all of it is such a stunning homage to Komatsuzaki’s style. I especially love how the generous fabric in Nagito’s sleeve and the tension in Hajime’s shirt both reflect their body types so well. And the slight volume in their lips—gorgeous.
Honestly, the way you captured the foreshortening in Nagito’s arm wrapping around Hajime is even better than Komatsuzaki’s own work. The depth feels so real.
It makes me truly, deeply happy to receive such an incredible piece from someone I admire so much.
The illustration I gave you last year was something I drew rather hastily after realizing on the day itself that it was your birthday—so receiving such a detailed, lovingly-crafted return gift makes me feel genuinely humbled.
Actually, I’ve already started brainstorming ideas for your next birthday piece. I hope I’ll be able to spend more time on it this year and create something worthy in return!
Talking with you is always a joy, and I’m endlessly grateful to you.
This illustration has already brought me so much happiness over the past two days, and I know I’ll keep coming back to it again and again to savor that joy.
Thank you so very much once again—and I look forward to what’s ahead for both of us! 🫶✨
Since July 29th is my birthday, please give me Makoto or Hajime! Last year, I received far more wonderful gifts than I ever expected. This year, I’d love to do the same and receive anything related to Makoto or Hajime as a birthday gift. For more details, please see below.
---
🎁 What I'd love to receive:
Your own artwork of Makoto or Hajime
It can be new or something you’ve drawn in the past! (It doesn't have to be birthday-themed.)
Text about what you like about Makoto or Hajime
Favorite quotes, favorite scenes, your impressions—short or long, anything is appreciated!
(I really enjoy reading about what others love about them!)
Photos of Makoto or Hajime merch you own
Plushies, acrylic stands, figures, anything!
Other Makoto or Hajime-related things
Last year, someone sent me screenshots from their modded game collection, which made me really happy!
➡️ Any of the above would make me incredibly happy!
Of course, I’ll reply to everyone who sends something—please feel free to participate!
⚠️ Notes
If you post something for this, it would mean a lot if you could use the hashtag #AsakaBD!
I may draw a thank-you illustration after my birthday, and in that case, I might include the images you send.
If you prefer not to have your content included, please be sure to let me know in advance.
🎨 Example of last year's thank-you illustration:
The framed artworks in the background were all directly used from the submissions I received.
The drawings on the table and cake were based on images people had sent me.
(For example, last year, I received a picture of Makoto and Hajime buried in a cake, so I drew them escaping from the cake. I also used motifs such as hedgehogs carrying clovers from submitted works!)
I’m not sure yet whether I’ll make something similar this year—but there’s a good chance I might!