#16 - Nekomaru Nidai
SD's Personal Ranking - #16
Average Poll Score - 6.11
My on-off girlfriend tells me that she thinks of Nekomaru as 'Courage Wolf Personified'. And I wholly agree, because that is the perfect description for him not because I love her.
He is as over-the-top awesome and positive as one can get in Danganronpa as a whole, but from appearances, that's not what you'd expect from someone who looks like him, now would you? He looks like the insanely aggro macho man who beats kids up for lunch money, but in the game, he's pretty much the moral support and motivator for everyone, and it actually feels genuine and not forced at all. And when he gets excited and pumped up, he can be a quoting legend.
Mikan: But what about those machine guns...?! Nekomaru: BULLETS CANNOT PIERCE SPIRIT!
Of course, if you want a defining character segment, look no further than just about anything with him and the bathroom in Chapter 1. While the shitting gag isn't always his best attribute (although it's just as audaciously awesome), his quotes and how he handles it with the other characters (namely Peko) seals the deal. Heck, he starts a Rebuttal Showdown just because he doesn't logic much (or he didn't know about the A/C Timer, but I prefer the first explanation better). But it doesn't stop there again, because it gets so much better.
Nekomaru's other story, which debuts in Chapter 2, is where he takes Akane under his wing, and gives it his all to train her. And their relationship is one of the sweeter ones in SDR2, between the genuine friendship the two had for each other (plus the possible sexual tension; I ship them, don't judge). Without their bond, Akane would probably be lower in both this and my rankings, but how the two interact with Nekomaru being the forceful, uh, force, of wisdom and encouragement, while Akane is as subtle as a brick and has a hard time learning anything... It's pretty endearing, and it all culminates in Chapter 3 when he sacrifices himself for Akane after she decides to randomly fight Monokuma. He dissapears for the remainder of that chapter and arrives in Chapter 4...
As a robot, or, as I like to call him: Mechamaru.
Now, before you, as the player, knew the big twist in the secret of Jabberwock Island, that of being, well, you know, Mechamaru makes ZERO sense. One does not simply transfer a soul from one dead body to an android, even if you have the Ultimate Mechanic on your side, but hey, Kiyondo Ishida also happened. Still, the fact remains: he's returned to being alive, while wearing an obliviously large "Kill Me Sign" on the back of his neck and setting off death flags left and right. I firmly believe that his death in Chapter 4 was the most obvious victim ever, in the series.
Mechamaru: CHECK OUT MY COOL NEW FEATURE! shows off I CAN CRY TEA AND COKE! Hajime (you): K, that's gonna be important in the trial...
And sure enough it was. His time as Mechamaru wasn't as amazing as when he was normal, but his and Gundam's joint sacrifices were sweet, and it was a perfect way for his arc to end. Admittedly, he's also still rather flat, but his outshining positivity launches him to start off the top half right. Any last words, Nekoma-
...That'll do.
