Monaca Towa

Monaca Towa (塔和 最中 Tōwa Monaka; usually spelled as モナカ Monaka) is the main antagonist of Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls.

Monaca is the true leader of the Warriors of Hope. She is in charge of the "Mage" class and has the title of “Li'l Ultimate Homeroom” (超小学生級の「学活の時間」chō shōgakusei kyū no “gakkatsu no jikan”).

In combat, Monaca controls the "Mage Robot Black Suspirian", a large mecha which incorporates the weapons of the other Warriors' robots.

Monaca and Warriors of Hope's advisor Kurokuma lost their fight against Komaru Naegi and Toko Fukawa in chapter 5. Her plan to make Komaru Naegi into the Successor of Junko Enoshima utterly failed as she failed to persuade Komaru to destroy the Monokuma Controller.

Monaca returns in Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy - Side: Future, dressed up as Junko and controlling a robot under the guise of Miaya Gekkogahara. It is most likely that she has taken the Servant's advice and became the second Junko Enoshima herself.

Appearance
Monaca is an elementary school-aged girl. She has short green hair tied with a red ribbon and and matching eyes with a distinct manji pattern as the iris. She wears a knee-length black dress with a decal of a pelvis and spine on its back. Monaca wears the silver Warriors of Hope badge on the collar of the dress.

Her legs are incapacitated, so she uses an electric wheelchair - though, it is later revealed that she was only faking and can actually walk. The footrest bears the emblem of the "Mage" class. She also wears black knee highs and white shoes.

In Danganronpa 3 - Side: Future, she is dressed just like Junko Enoshima. She is seen using a wheelchair and it's possible that her legs were incapacitated for real due to the damage sustained at the end of Danganronpa Another Episode.

Personality
Monaca is seemingly very amiable and caring. She appears very cheerful and has a childish way of talking, sometimes meowing and almost exclusively referring to herself in the third person.

Because of her charming personality, all of the Warriors love her and try their best to keep her happy and go along with what she wants. However, it's slowly revealed that she is much more manipulative and cunning than she lets on. Her 'true' personality resembles that of Junko Enoshima's personalities. She is also mentioned to be very intelligent for her age.

When things aren't going her way, Monaca will manipulate the situation by any means necessary, such as throwing fits, or causing the Warriors to turn on each other. She ultimately has very little regard for their well-being, and knowingly uses their traumatic pasts against them.

According to Monaca's voice actress, Aya Hirano, "Monaca-chan, just based on appearance, gives you the feeling that she has some special circumstance about her, but in reality, it's not at that level… She is a terrible little girl. She can be angelic, and she can also be a demon." Hirano also commented that Monaca's outer skin crumbles away to reveal her true character as the various mysteries in the game become clear. "She's truly villainous."

Prior to the Tragedy
Monaca was born an unwanted child by both her father, the president of the Towa Group, and her mother, his lover out of wedlock. Monaca's mother was supposed to take care of her, but instead abandoned the child soon after her birth. Because of all her actions, Monaca saw her mother as a completely selfish and pathetic person.

Monaca's father thought of giving her to an orphanage, but instead took her into his family. However, Monaca was always unwanted and everyone else felt uncomfortable around her. Every time Monaca smiled or joked, the others looked at her coldly, as if she didn't deserve to laugh. Every time she spoke, the others turned silent. Her older half-brother thought of her as an alien, not part of the family. Everything Monaca did made Haiji feel sick. He had a bad feeling about her and he was quite sure that Monaca would end up destroying his family.

Though Monaca was happy and childish on the outside, she felt like dying. It's implied that she was physically abused, too, and one time she pretended to be badly wounded as a result. She started to pretend to be paraplegic, because she was finally treated with some kindness and she could have more control over people. Believing that they caused it, her father and brother felt pity for her.

Even though Monaca was disliked in the family, she had a genius intellect and became a chief executive of Towa Group robotics branch, even surpassing Haiji.

Monaca also attended Hope's Peak Elementary School, and was part of the "trouble-maker's class" along with Nagisa Shingetsu, Masaru Daimon, Jataro Kemuri, and Kotoko Utsugi. She loved homeroom period where she would share and exchange opinions. Along with her fellow abused classmates, she planned a group suicide; however, Monaca never had any plans to commit suicide in the first place, and was planning to let the others die as a prank. The group suicide was stopped by Junko Enoshima, who took the kids in and manipulated them by treating them with kindness and love.

Monaca then helped Junko (knowing fully well that Junko was trying to use her) mass produce Monokumas for the Tragedy by using her position as a representative of the Towa Group. She lied to her father and the other adults in order to produce the Monokumas, telling them that she wanted to create futuristic robots that could be domestic helpers and emergency aid workers. Due to her separation from the family and her genius, her family decided to give her leg room to do what she wanted as long as she brought in profits to the company, and didn't delve too deeply into her plans.

During the Tragedy
The Monokuma Units created by the Towa Group were used as killing machines during the Tragedy. Monaca also began manufacturing Monokuma-themed helmets that could brainwash their wearers into obedient slaves for her plans - by giving these to various children, she created the Monokuma Kids.

When her father learned of the Monokumas' true use, he tried to stop production. However, Monaca blackmailed him to let her continue, warning that if he stopped her, she would tell Junko to spread the fact that the ones who made the murderous Monokumas was in fact the Towa Group.

Monaca also gave her father the idea to make both Monokumas and weapons against them. As a result, Towa Group made even more money and looked like heroes to the public, but was forced to work together with Ultimate Despair. Towa Group gained money, honor and protection from their alliance with Ultimate Despair, and in the end Tokuichi Towa was corrupted and became a big supporter of Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Despair and the Tragedy.

After the death of Junko, her influence grew weaker and weaker and Future Foundation became more powerful. Tokuichi simply said that it's all over, gave up and ended his alliance with Ultimate Despair. He was later murdered by a group of Monokumas and his throat was torn out at the command of his daughter, to prevent him for interfering with her plans. The murder was witnessed by Haiji, who escaped and decided to destroy all Monokumas to avenge his father.

Nagisa, Masaru, Jataro and Kotoko didn't know what to do after Junko's death. Junko had taught them that they should create a peaceful paradise for children and kill all the adults - "the Demons". Monaca told them that they shouldn't give up on hope and they should continue fulfilling Junko's wishes. She manipulated them even further, telling them that the dirty Demons killed their "big sis Junko".

However, Monaca's true goal was neither paradise nor revenge. She planned to create a successor to her idol ("Junko Enoshima II") and cause a huge war, an idea she originally seemed to get from Kurokuma. Monaca was also the one who came up with the idea of the massacre game known as the Demon Hunting. The whole thing was just a game for the kids, who started to call themselves the Warriors of Hope.

When the Warriors of Hope captured and forced Nagito Komaeda to be their slave, Monaca decided to work with him despite their different goals. She asked Nagito (now operating under the name "Servant") to guide Komaru through their Demon Hunting game and bring her to their secret stronghold, a building called Towa Hills - Monaca found a certain amusing irony in making Makoto Naegi's sister the next Junko Enoshima. The Servant then made a deal with Toko, promising to release the captured Byakuya Togami if she escorts Komaru safely to the stronghold.

Prologue - The Warriors of Hope
Monaca first appears in the news reporting room with the other Warriors of Hope warning any survivors that they intend to kill all adults and that they should remember them. She then says goodbye and cuts the news report.

Monaca appeared again as the Warriors of Hope welcomed and introduced themselves to Komaru Naegi in their airship, the Excalibur. She cheerfully explains her status as "L'il Ultimate Homeroom" and self-proclaimed "life of the party" of the group. She reveals the Warriors' plan to make "a paradise of children, for children, by children". Not long after the Servant arrives and set the Monokuma Bracelet to Komaru, Monaca and the other Warriors of Hope open a trap door, resulting in Komaru falling through and back down into Towa City.

Chapter 2 - Legend of the Revolution
After Masaru had been supposedly killed, Monaca, Kotoko and Jataro made a shrine for him and mourn his death. However, Monaca was only fake crying.

Nagisa didn't mourn Masaru's death because his current faith was still unknown. Monaca turned angry until Nagisa agreed with her and manipulated him, using both his trauma and his crush on her against him. Monaca then decided to elevate Nagisa from vice-leader to the Warriors' new leader in place of Masaru, and later left the other Warriors of Hope because she had "some business to take care of".

Chapter 3 - Cute Girl's Battlefield
After the supposed death of Jataro, Monaca manipulated Kotoko as well, cruelly using her trauma to punish her for disagreeing with her.

Chapter 4 - The Way We Live
Monaca reveals her true goal to horrified Nagisa. She then kisses him in order to enforce the authority she knows she has over him, then degrades him by implying he is a pervert. Monaca implies she will do more 'favors' for him in exchange for a now scarred Nagisa's cooperation. Once literally backed into a corner, he slaps her repeatedly and screams for her to stop but she continues to mentally wear him down. She tells Nagisa that she has never expected a thing from him to begin with because he is just a child who isn't worth placing any expectations on, which clashes with everything he has been told his entire life. In his mental distress, she kisses him and throws him into despair.

After Nagisa is supposedly killed in his fight against Komaru, Monaca is glad.

Chapter 5 - Absolute Despair Girl
Komaru, Toko, and Haiji confront Monaca in the airship Excalibur. After revealing that her legs were not disabled as previously thought, Monaca and Kurokuma summoned their battle robot, which appeared to be a combination of the robots used by the other Warriors of Hope. Komaru and Toko were able to defeat them, leading to Kurokuma having his head sent flying of his body, through the window, and falling down to the ground.

Monaca then gave Komaru the Monokuma controller, which controlled all the Monokumas, for her to destroy and shut them down. However, Kotoko appeared and warned them not to break the controller, saying that it would blow up the helmets of the Monokuma Kids, killing them all. Komaru wasn't sure what to do, and Monaca showed her a video of Komaru's parents dead in a torture room. Komaru was in complete despair, and Monaca then revealed that her true goal was to turn Komaru into "Junko Enoshima II" by despairing her and making her kill all the Monokuma Kids. The killing of the Monokuma Kids would also cause a war between Future Foundation and Towa City.

Suddenly, Toko took the controller from Komaru to prevent her from breaking it. Monaca questioned why she did that, saying it's her duty to Byakuya and the Future Foundation to eliminate all despair. Toko agreed, but added that she also doesn't want to let despair spread to Komaru, the Monokuma Kids, or anywhere else. Haiji then got angry at her for refusing to destroy the controller to save the adults, even if it means killing all the kids (since they were the ones trying to kill them). But Kotoko attacked Haiji in order to help Toko.

The giant Big Bang Monokuma then began attacking the ship. Monaca claimed that it is being controlling by someone (being Shirokuma) to try and kill them all. In panic, Haiji, Kotoko, and Toko (who dragged the despaired Komaru with her) escaped the crumbling room. Monaca, however, remained at the room and smiled insanely as the Big Bang Monokuma attacked her.

In the end, Monaca was trapped under rubble, and everyone mostly ignored her and left. Monaca was frustrated at the ending which is neither hope nor despair and she felt great despair as the ceiling started to crumble more.

Epilogue - The Changing World We Made
After her plans failed and she was trapped, Monaca was rescued and carried away by the Servant. The Servant suggests that Monaca herself should become Junko Enoshima II and he offers his help for some amount of time, deciding to raise Monaca to be Junko's copy and even better than the original Junko.

Monaca's current whereabouts are unknown, but there is a CG available at the end of the game which shows her, dressed up as Junko, working on a computer or laptop. It is most likely that she is taking the Servant's advice and is becoming the second Junko Enoshima herself.

Episode 04 - Who is a Liar
After Juzo Sakakura attacked Miaya Gekkogahara, she fell to the ground unresponsive, cutting to a scene showing Monaca trying to reboot "it", suggesting that she is controlling a robot doppelganger of Miaya.

Episode 05 - Dreams of distant days
After successfully recovering Miaya from Juzo's attack and catching up to Makoto and Asahina, Monaca is seen using a joystick to control Miaya's actions.

Junko Enoshima
Monaca sees Junko as her savior and idol. Junko appears to be the only person Monaca genuinely cared about. She was the only Warrior of Hope who knew that Junko was just using them, but she didn't care, as she was so grateful for Junko for "shining light into her boring world".

Not wanting Junko's legacy to end, Monaca's main goal is to create a second-generation Junko Enoshima.

Monaca also has many pictures of Junko in her secret room. One main photo depicts her with a younger looking Junko holding onto her wheelchair.

Kurokuma
Kurokuma was Monaca's Advisor and they shared secret plans together.

Kurokuma was the one who gave Monaca the idea of Junko Enoshima II. He also assisted her in her final battle with Komaru and Toko, using his AI to help her control their complicated battle robot.

Monaca, at least, seemed to like Kurokuma, but also found his constant talking a little annoying at times. She sometimes ordered him to enter "silent mode" when his ranting got out of hand.

Fellow Warriors of Hope
The Warriors of Hope are extremely fond of Monaca, always caring for her well-being and hurrying to calm her down whenever she enters one of her pouting fits. The others often even called her their "princess". Monaca appears to use her delicious cookies as an incentive for her comrades to work harder.

Although the care the other kids express for her seems genuine, the treatment Monaca receives is also due to practical reasons, since it is her "magic" which allows the Warriors to control the Monokuma robots.

Ultimately, Monaca is revealed to not actually care about her fellow members, she is shown to sexually assault, badmouth, and even blackmail her fellow members into doing what she says. She isn't truly saddened by their supposed deaths and often pretends to forget their names, even when allegedly "avenging" them in her battle with Komaru.

Komaru Naegi
Monaca appears to take joy in watching Komaru, even giving her the title Onee-chan (Big Sister).

At the game's climax, it is revealed that Monaca's plan to create Junko Enoshima II involves not herself, but Komaru - Monaca herself claims that she chose Komaru because her brother was responsible for Junko's defeat and execution. To do this, she attempted to drive Komaru into despair by forcing her to choose between the lives of the brainwashed children and the increasingly-savage Adult Resistance, nearly succeeding before Toko Fukawa's intervention.

Toko Fukawa
While Monaca hasn't directly interacted with Toko, she appears to enjoy blackmailing her, as seen towards the end of the game, and she appears bored by Toko's speech about friendship. Toko in return sees Monaca as the worst brat of them all, and ultimately foils her plan by taking the Monokuma controller away from Komaru before she could break it in a fit of despair.

Quotes

 * “Citizens of Towa City...Nice to meet you. We are the "Warriors of Hope." We control Mister Monokuma. This dirty, lame, worthless, pathetic town that's nothing but a penal colony for filthy criminals...On this site, we've decided to build a paradise...Of children, for the children, by children. Therefore...All of you adults will no longer be needed. Goodbyeee!" (Monaca giving her speech)
 * “Monaca is called Monaca! Monaca's a Mage in the Warriors of Hope. I was known as Li'l Ultimate Homeroom while I was in elementary school.”
 * “You might think there are no Ultimates and Commons in a class like Homeroom, but there are! For me, my skill isn't really about uniting people, it's about getting them all to help me. Believe it or not, I bring together a lot of wonderful people...It would be nice of you could be a wonderful person for Monaca, too...”
 * “Nnn... like— I— said—! Why— don't— you— get— it—! That's— how— it— is—! If Monaca— says— so—! Then— it's— so—!”
 * “You know, even if you think about it based on your common sense and experiences, there isn't any reason. Monaca and us are like that so it can't be helped. We do it because it's fun. That's really all there is—”
 * “You were a great leader...in place of the cowards, you worked hard like a hero.” (talking about Masaru Daimon)
 * “Kotoko and Nagisa are comrades, so you have to get along.”
 * “This is for the sake of, um, I forgot his name. That hero guy who got bullied by adults!”
 * “At times, hope can be a terrible burden... It can be a drive to hurt others.”

Trivia

 * "Towa" (塔和) means "broad harmony".
 * "Monaca" (最中) is a type of Japanese sweet made of azuki bean jam filling between two thin wafers made of mochi, like a cookie. Her name can also be read as 最中 saichuu, which literally means "in the midst of."
 * It should be noted that unlike the rest of the Warriors of Hope and despite sounding Japanese, Monaca's name is written in katakana - which is almost never used to write Japanese names and words. The main purposes of katakana are to write foreign names, terms and loanwords, as well as made up names (e.g. Monokuma). The creators have confirmed that they did this to make her name sound more cute.
 * Monaca likes time for talking with others and warm futons. She dislikes spending time alone and cold meals.
 * Monaca's blood type is B.
 * Monaca is apparently very good at baking cookies.
 * Ironically, given that Monaca faked her disability to get attention and sympathy, her legs are crushed by rubble after the final face-off.
 * In Danganronpa 3 - Side: Future, she is seen with a wheelchair, so it is possible that she became disabled for real.
 * The creators have confirmed that Monaca was designed to be a character the players would loathe. In the past, many dangerous characters in the series were cool and likable in a way, so Monaca was developed to be a dangerous character that one would loathe. They stated that a rather unpopular character would feel nice.