Ryota Mitarai

Ryota Mitarai (御手洗 亮太 Mitarai Ryōta) is a character featured in Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy - Side: Future.

He is a member of Future Foundation and is the leader of the 10th Division. His responsibility is to help oversee and implement education and culture to areas in need.

Ryota's title is Ultimate Animator (超高校級の「アニメーター 」chō kōkō kyū no "animētā.")

Appearance
Ryota has a very skinny, somewhat frail-looking frame. He has heavy bags under his eyes and a withdrawn posture, giving him a tired and anxious appearance. He has short, light brown hair and hazel eyes. He wears a black suit with a green tie and the Future Foundation ID pinned to its lapel.

Personality
Ryota is a very timid and somewhat unsocial person, but he is also known to be a serious young man with a very strong sense of justice, thinking that it's wrong to use violence against woman, or violence in general, isn't good.

Much like Makoto Naegi, he wants to fill the world with hope and he has a strong desire to help and save other people. However, because of this, he suffers from anxiety and worries constantly. He lacks self confidence, seeing himself as a burden who fails to protect everyone. When he does get a mission, however, he does his best to help.

According to Kyoko, he appears to have some ideas himself, and that's why he is curious to know what others think, as well.

During his past in Hope's Peak Academy, he constantly shut himself in his room to work because of looming deadlines. He was determined to create animation that can bring hope to other people, at the expense of his own health and well-being, as he often forgot to eat and rest.

Prior to the Tragedy
Ryota was known as a divine animator. He would often lock himself in his room due to the many deadlines he faced. Because of this he was teased a lot by his classmates. His father blamed his mother for the bullying, so Ryota would watch anime to escape, leading to him wanting to create an anime to "save" others the way he believed the medium had "saved" him. Because of Ryota's skills, he was sought out by Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Animator.

During the Tragedy
Although it is unclear how Ryota managed to survive the Tragedy unscathed and resisted falling into despair like the rest of his classmates. It is assumed that he escaped Hope's Peak and was taken in by Future Foundation. Some time after getting recruited by Koichi Kizakura for the Future Foundation, he became the head of the 10th Division. His responsibility as 10th Division leader is to help oversee and implement education and culture to areas in need.

Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy - Side: Future
Ryota is one of the twelve executives that attended Makoto's trial, and thus became one of the final players in the "Final Killing Game", set by Monokuma.

Episode 01 - Third Time's the Charm
Ryota was first showed on the corridor, hesitating entering the boardroom due to his late arrival. He met with Kyoko Kirigiri who was waiting for Makoto Naegi's treatment. Soon, the building started to shake after a helicopter attacked the building.

Ryota and Kyoko immediately returned to the boardroom and met with Kazuo Tengan and the others. When they realized that all exit has been cut off, they began to panic and rendered to sleep with a sleeping gas by Monokuma.

After he woke up, Ryota found a Monokuma bracelet has been set up on his wrist. He and the others learned that they were thrust into Monokuma's Final Killing Game, featuring the mankind's last hope Future Foundation, started with Chisa Yukizome's body fell from the ceiling.

Episode 02 - Hang the Witch
After Monokuma announced the Final Killing Game rules, Ryota tried to ceased the heated situation. When Juzo Sakakura threatened Makoto and Aoi Asahina, He moved to their side, saying that using violence wasn't do any good. Annoyed, Juzo landed his kick on Ryota, accidentally killing Daisaku Bandai after he violated his own NG Code (Witnessing violence by participants).

Following Makoto's escape, Ryota along with Kyoko followed Kazuo to hide from the attacker.

Episode 03 - Cruel Violence and Hollow Words
Ryota awoke after the sleeping drug's effect worn off. Before Kyoko left Ryota and Kazuo, he asked why Kyosuke decided to kill Makoto. He only wanted everyone to cooperate and fight Monokuma back, but when Kyoko asked him to show to her his NG Code, he reluctantly refused it. After he heard Makoto's broadcast via the intercom, he wondered why Makoto was so willing to reveal his NG Code. Kazuo answered that maybe he believed in everyone that make Ryota surprised and saying that he can't believe it.

Later, Ryota witnessed Kyoko almost being hit with a chair by Juzo.

Episode 04 - Who is a Liar
After Kazuo failed attempt to solve their problem in peace, Ryota tried to protect Kyoko from Juzo's attack but ended up hurting Kyoko's legs. Before he could go further than that, Kazuo succeed to make him unconscious and Ryota along with Kyoko helped him tied Juzo to the wall with two loose wires.

When he saw Hina and Miaya Gekkogahara came, Ryota blamed himself for making Kyoko wounded and because of his pathetic actions, he was upset and broke in tears. As he wondered why he can't be like Makoto, Kyoko and Hina complimented him as he already tried his best to protect both of them previously. Proceeding with a new plan, Kazuo ordered Ryota to guide Kyoko back to the boardroom.

Ryota started asking Kyoko about her guess on the attacker when she began to inspect Chisa's body. Kyoko simply replied that she hasn't gather enough information and guessed that Ryota does have his own opinion about the attacker. Ryota reluctantly about to answer it before the scene cut.

Episode 05 - Dreams of Distant Days
After Kyoko finished inspecting Chisa's body, Ryota escorted her to the room where Great Gozu's body located.

Kazuo Tengan
Ryota was one of the people scouted directly by Kazuo to join Future Foundation. Ryota seems to see Kazuo as a mentor of sorts, often agreeing with his points of view and asking him questions. He was also one of the only Future Foundation members to remain in the boardroom with Kazuo. Ryota seems to enjoy talking with Kazuo, the two having many discussions with each other. Ryota also comes along with him and Kyoko to investigate.

Kyoko Kirigiri
Because of Kyoko's cold demeanor, it takes a while for Ryota to become friends with her. However during the Final Killing Game, he becomes quite close to her. Ryota even attempts to protect her from Juzo Sakakura, although this results in Kyoko injuring her leg. Kyoko doesn't mind this, and actually seems to trust Ryota as much as Makoto and Hina. Ryota seems to be interested in Kyoko's detective skills.

Makoto Naegi
Ryota doesn't have any close relationship with Makoto, however, he admires him, thinking of him as a hero who defeated Junko Enoshima. Ryota is one of the few who believes Makoto shouldn't be executed for protecting the Remenants of Despair and admits that he wants to be like Makoto.

Ultimate Imposter
Fellow member of the 77th class of Hope's Peak Academy. At some point after the 77th class entered Hope's Peak, the imposter stopped acting as Byakuya Togami and instead decided to impersonate Ryota. They got Ryota's permission after helping him out. Since then, the two have been living together in the same apartment and became good friends. Ryota would spend so much time creating animes that he started forgetting about his own health. The imposter became so worried about him that when Ryota fell to the ground unconscious due to lack of food, he revealed his secret to Mikan Tsumiki just to get her to help him.

However, Ryota's friendship with the Ultimate Imposter must've come to an end when Ryota joined the Future Foundation, and the imposter became Ultimate Despair.

Quotes

 * “Right, I'm Ryota Mitarai from the 10th Branch.”
 * “Using violence against women isn't good.”
 * “It's always... It's always like this. I want to save everyone, but I just bring everyone misery...”

Trivia

 * Ryota's voice actor, Kanata Hongō, also portrayed Makoto Naegi in Danganronpa The Stage ~Kibō no Gakuen to Zetsubō no Kōkōsei.


 * Ryota's name could mean from Japanese 涼 (ryou) meaning "cool, refreshing", 亮 (ryou) meaning "clear" or 良 (ryou) meaning "good" combined with 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations and Mitarai could mean "Big Clear/Help".