(3/21/26 EDIT) Heyyyyy so… given what’s been going on with GHOST I’ve decided to remove the link from this post + any songs from him on my playlist - I will leave this post up for preservations sake and keep what my inspiration was for the work in the OG text below, but any links that loop back to his works will be removed. I do not condone nor support any of the behavior he’s exhibited, and truly hope for his own sake he takes proper accountability for the harmful things he’s said and gets the help he so obviously needs. That being said, though, his mental health should not be an excuse for the things he’s said and he must be held accountable. Thank you for your understanding, and take care of yourselves - Geo 💜
So I’ve been listening to my remnant au playlists a bunch recently, and even more so I’ve been listening to BROADCAST ILLUSION BY GHOST and I’ve talked about how this song and the other song COLORBARS are extremely fitting for him, soooo…… I kinda went into the currently on fire danganronpa kitchen and cooked something for 1-2 days and spat this out :)
decided to sketch out a wordless comic for my remnant!mitarai au! I’ve missed this goober and since I wanted to get back on the danganronpa grind thanks to working on the remnant!v3 au dub I thought this could help :>
It’s definately an extremely rough sketch because I didn’t wanna work tooooo hard on this one and burn myself, especially because I don’t normally work on illustrating comics, out but I’ve always wanted to get back to this au and figured making something - though a rough comic - could be fun!
I’ve missed Mitarai and I want more remnant content with him so I figured be the change I wanna see in the world lol. I’m also thinking about how I’ll incorporate my remnant!Chiaki design AND a possible scenario of Danganronpa IF into this story!
(Edit 2/16: I did make a ramble scenario post of despair arc’s rewrite if anyone’s curious :) https://www.tumblr.com/geodraws04/775191940130111490/danganronpa-remnant-mitaraichiaki-au-despair)
So ive talked about my remnant!Mitarai AU a bit, esp after rereading Dark Red (Which WAS apparently inspired by my own design which THANK YO
If anyone is curious on what im thinking for this story, asks are always open!
This fic literally was impulsively written at like. 12:00 AM a few nights ago and in the span of that night I had written around 20 pages. Yeah it was that bad.
Soooo what was originally gonna be a one shot is now a multichapter fic of my Remnant Mitarai!
I had written about the sequence of events and changes before but things have. Kinda changed since then as I was dwelling on it and boom: fic. Why am I like this idk.
This being danganronpa it’s gonna delve into some pretty heavy topics so be sure to read the tags before you read because. I know we meme on this franchise but FUCK if it doesn’t get dark - especially despair and future arc like damn.
Danganronpa Remnant Mitarai/Chiaki AU - Despair Arc Changes
So ive talked about my remnant!Mitarai AU a bit, esp after rereading Dark Red (Which WAS apparently inspired by my own design which THANK YOU AGAIN BUTTERCUPGHOST I STILL LOVE IT SM!!! Please read it chat,) and I have been thinking about a timeline of events regarding this AU while ALSO incorporating my remnant!Chiaki and Danganronpa IF! Into the mix! So here we go! Huge thanks again to Buttercup-Ghost again for inspiring me to rewrite the scenario for the Despair Arc segment, and for also giving us the go-ahead to dub it too! :))
So, essentially. Here’s what I got so far!
(MINOR GORE WARNING AND HEAVY SPOILERS OF COURSE!)
Despair Arc runs the same way from episodes 1-8, and part of episode 9. The change in story starts when Komaeda and Chiaki discover Mitarai and a brainwashed Mikan (and of course Junko, Izuru and Mukuro - the final who had returned from a scuffle with Peko). Izuru had injured Komaeda, and while Mitarai does try to run away like in canon, Mikan gets in the way of his escape. And similarly like in canon, Junko intends to plunge Nanami into despair and display the video, however, Mitarai tries to intervene in a last ditch effort.
Junko, remembering his existence, comes up with another idea - also similar to canon. Thinking Mitarai may prove some help afterall, she decides to stamp out that uncooperative side of him and has Mikan restrain him down to watch his own video - the one thing he strived to save the world would be his downfall.
If youd like an indepth recreation of Mitarai’s downfall, please read Dark Red by Buttercup-Ghost! I also made a script-formatted version (which will be used for when we dub it) right here!
While Chiaki is initially nearly forced into the same position as Mitarai, also like in canon, Chisa bursts in with a fire extinguisher that causes the room to fill with smoke. She quickly helps up the nearly unconscious Nagito and saves Nanami, all the while and ends up glancing at the video, revealing who was behind the murders of the student council. She has a sick feeling in her stomach, but can’t bring herself to worry too much about it now - she needs to save her students. Now.
She helps Chiaki and Nagito out of the room, and while Junko is quite scuffled from shock, glancing at Mitarai and Mikan, she then comes up a plan that will surely plunge the rest of the class down.
Sure, Chiaki was quite the symbol of hope for her class… but she remembered there was one true beacon of hope that lead her into the class rep roll. And she must be snuffed out.
Chisa is leading Chiaki and an incapacitated Komaeda near the school buildings, trying to figure out whats going on. Chikai is disheaveled and shaken up as she babbles what she saw - Mikan acting strange, the strange figure that seemed to look like Hinata, and Mitarai - the REAL Mitarai - he… seemed like he was brainwashed. But she was so shaken up Chisa couldn’t entirely grasp on it all. But what worried her the most was Mikan and Mitarai.
If what Chiaki was said was true about Mitarai… could that girl have done the same to Mikan…?
Chisa decides that she’ll go save Mikan and Mitarai, and tells Chiaki to go find the others alongside Komaeda and to recuperate and stay safe, and she will also meet up with them once she hopefully finds Mitarai and Mikan. With that plan set in motion, things proceed similar to canon, with Chiaki bringing Komaeda back to the classroom with the others and Chisa setting off in the rain, and bumping into Mitarai. Only… not only had he gotten thinner… but he seemed panicked? He was shaking heavily with tears streaming down his face, blabbering about how they were planning on killing Nanami and have hurt Mikan. Chisa tries to calm him down as he breaks down about how useless he is and he couldn’t save her, and is scared for Nanami. Chisa comforts and encourages him, asking where she needs to go. He offers to lead the way, and while Chisa warns against this, he’s adamant. After all, he knows most of the ropes of the labyrinth they go through, she’ll surely need a guide. She nods, but tells him to run if they ever encounter any sort of danger.
Chiaki meets up and breaks down what she saw back at that hide out. However, leaving out the parts of seeing the real Mitarai and saying it was a random student, the Ultimate Nurse breaks in with an injured Peko before she could warn about Mikan. Things play out very similarly to the rest of episode 9 with the class where they all band together to find Chisa and Mitarai.
And like in canon, Mikan manages to separate herself and Chiaki. Chiaki takes this chance to see if Mikan is okay, and it does seem like Mikan is back to normal - seems. But she can't pry any info out of her, as Mikan reluctantly pushes Chiaki down a secret door, leading her into a maze-like labyrinth similar to canon - only this time, there are no traps. They are located somewhere else.
Episode 10 plays very similarly to canon, only difference is the role swap between Chiaki, Mitarai, and Chisa.
I’ve written down a possible exchange that could happen between Chisa and Mitarai before the Former Ultimate Housekeeper meets her fate!
As Yukizome enters the elevator, Mitarai stops at the door.
“You know… Miss Yukizome… I really heard good things…”
“Hm?”
“I was told how much of an amazing teacher you are. You brought the class together, and even during your suspension… Nanami was able to keep them together thanks to your influence.”
“She… really thought that? I mean… I know she looked up to me as her teacher-”
“She admired you, Miss Yukizome. Thanks to you, she was able to bring her classmates closer together… and I’m sure your students must be very grateful to have such a caring teacher like you.”
“Mitarai… wait… how do you… know all of this…?”
But as she turned to face him, he shoved her down onto the elevator floor.
“Ah-?! M-Mitarai…? What are you-?!”
Yukizome whipped her head to turn to Mitarai, and her heart stopped. Mitrarai smiled at her, but his eyes felt like they pierced through her… as if she could see the despair spiraling in them.
“So… it’s obvious why she’d choose you.”
And with those words cutting through the air like a knife, Mitarai presses the elevator door, separating the two as Yukizome plummets down to her sealed fate.
.
.
.
With Mitarai completing his task of leading Chisa to her doom, she is now forced into Chiaki’s role - going through a booby-trapped filled maze where she’s gradually beaten down time and time again, forcing herself to push on in hopes of finding her students - and those same exact students are forced to watch.
That would include Chiaki - who in her own labyrinth is shown screens of her class falling deeper into despair and her teacher being battered, beaten, and tortured. She desperately winds through dead end after dead end, and one hallway feels endless as she goes through door after door, Junko’s laughter ringing in her ears and images of Mitarai’s fall and Mikan shoving her down repeat in her head over and over. And when she reaches the end… all she sees is a pool of blood. And in the center of it, was Chisa’s body.
Her eyes were widened in shock, the life drained away with tears that poured from her cheeks which had stopped, only the damp access remained. Her body was covered in deep cuts and spear wounds.
Chiaki could swear she could see Chisa’s body was still moving in slow breaths, but she can’t help it was her mind playing tricks on her to try and not face reality.
She was too late.
Chisa Yukizome was gone.
She was dead.
Chisa Yukizome was dead.
Her teacher was dead.
She was dead.
She was dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Chiaki just stared at her teacher's body, tears flowing down her cheeks but she felt so numb and into so much shock that she couldnt even feel them. No gasps or choked out noises came out of her throat - its as if Chiaki’s body completely shut down and her soul left her fleshy form and all that was left was her husk of a body.
“Puhuhu~! Looks like its game over for the main character’s mentor~! Isn’t that tragic!”
Junko struts in with a handkerchief, as she kneels to Chiaki’s level. Chiaki doesn’t respond at all - all she did was give a thousand yard stare. Junko coos mockingly.
“Awww…~ Our little gamer girl feeling a little tongue tied, hm? Well… don’t worry. I know what may make you feel all the better… but first, I think you need a little rest before we reunite you with your class.”
With that, Junko walks around her to put a cloth over Chiaki’s mouth, and knocking out the Ultimate Gamer who couldn’t even struggle against her captor.
The last thing she saw was her teacher’s corpse.
.
.
.
.
.
AAAAAAND THATS WHERE IM LEAVING IT OFF!
This is all very very rambly and one off so don’t expect every little detail to make it into the final cut of this AU. Its very much meant to be a “not entirely proof read and just getting my ideas thrown into the void” type of post lmao.
Getting back into my remnant mitarai has really sparked my gears for the remnant au as a whole and its so fun :))
So expect me to ramble and make more remnant content in the near future!
(EDIT)
So if anyone stumbles upon this post, I’d like to announce I officially made a fic for it!
I don’t think I posted it here yet but here’s a colored ref. of my remnant!mitarai that I referenced from his Dr3 Future Arc turnaround and if anyone wanted to draw him! :>>
So the thought process I had for his remnant design is something dark, but cozy and a bit “work from home” type of vibes.
Originally I had him in some painter’s overalls splattered in “red paint” (iykyk lol) with some handkerchiefs in the pockets based on the jeans in the Vocaloid song “Colorbars” by GHOST (I believe this song and this post on Amino by ThePantaSpider and this one from @dothackeryggdrasil is what inspired me to make a remnant design for Mitarai from the get go back in 2021/22!)
However, I felt the design seemed a bit too cluttered, and after thinking a bit that Mitarai would prefer working digitally than traditionally for his work, decided I’d scrap the overalls and give him regular pants (nothing fancy but not like. Casual or “comfy” - something that cuffs at the bottom that aren’t jeans).
The sweater’s colors was also based off of Colorbars, aka the stripes below his shoulders, and to add a bit of a pop in color - not that Mitarai will be going out and committing atrocities so he should worry too much in camouflaging himself.
I also wanted his buttoned-shirt to emulate how much he’s truly working self to the bone making works for Junko’s sake, so his shirt isn’t neated up and all wrinkled.
He’s just. Not mentally there anymore (imeannoneofthemareletsbehonestbutithinkyougetthepoint). All he cares about is pleasing Junko in whatever way he can, sacrificing his needs to do so.
it’s my first time drawing “insane” or “obsessive” facials like these so hope I did it justice lol.
I’ll work on mitarai’s full remnant design soon :00
The main stuff I’ve got in mind for Despair!Mitarai atm is these:
• Most of the stuff from Despair Arc ep. 1-early 8 still happened! Mitarai is tricked and gives Junko the tips on making subliminal messaging in videos and works on her brainwashing video, then Mukuro kidnaps Mikan and she gets somewhat brainwashed offscreen, and then Mitarai discovers the truth and tries escaping (but to no avail before Komaeda and Chiaki arrive). But instead of forcing him through blackmail (which I think she still does), she then decides to test her work on Mitarai himself - and though he surprisingly does try to put up a fight against succumbing (he does know how the subliminal works after all), Junko ends up using both the video and implanting doubts and the like into Mitarai’s head (alongside an unstable Mikan possibly) which spirals him even further (and possibly bringing that reserve course student that saws his head off in episode 9 - only this time it’s Mitarai witnessing it and not Yukizome) until he just eventually breaks and succumbs. So when Komaeda and Chiaki find him… he’s already gone.
• His behavior is pretty similar to Mikan, fully infatuated and obsessed with Junko to an unhealthy degree
• He uses his skills in animation and creating subliminal to constantly overwork himself and create many animations dedicated to Junko and/or despair to brainwash anyone who stumbles upon it. I think he also makes the suicide video that was used on some of the Future Foundation members in DR3 Future Arc and on the Reserve Course.
That’s all I got for now! Any other ideas or suggestions for this lil guy is appreciated :))
Here’s a happy Despair!Mitarai for your troubles :)
