A Way-Too-Early Big Brother 22 Boot Order Prediction!

Big Brother 22's premiere date is FINALLY upon us, so I thought it would be fun to create a way-too-early prediction for the boot order. And as I started doing that, I realized that in order to predict the boot order, I needed to first get some idea of how I think the alliances will shake out, at least in the early season. So that turned into this big, weird, conspiracy theory of a post that you're about to see here.

Obviously, we don't have the actual full cast list at this point. However, based on the current rumor mill on Twitter, I think the cast pictured below is our real cast, and my predictions will therefore be based on it. If even one person is different, that can shake up the dynamic, so hopefully this is accurate.

I went through the cast, tried to make connections based on previous relationships, and have used that to create the predictions below. Pretty much all of my predictions on placement/ alliances are based on that prediction, so if I'm woefully wrong on that, I'm probably going to totally bomb on everything! But that'll make this post even more fun to look back on at the end of the season.

General Alliance/House Structure Predictions

Every year, we see a big majority alliance form in the first week of the competition, run things for a few weeks, and eventually break up. While trying to make connections between players, I ended up compiling just that-- an 8 person alliance built on what I believe to be some of the strongest pre-game friendships that will be highly combustible. Here's how I see it shaking out.

I think that Dani, Janelle, and Nicole F. are the most well-connected people in the house, and they're also connected to each other. I could see Keesha joining up with them and the 4 of them pulling in Kaysar, Cody, Da'vonne, and Memphis. And here we see our immediate problem. Da'vonne & Nicole already played together, aligned with each other, and the alliance blew up. I think if they were proposed an alliance like this, they'd have trouble turning it down, but wouldn't trust each other and that would eventually be the end of the alliance. I'm not sure how the ensuing chaos would play out, but I'd love to see it happen. 

I say all this, but also based on his previous game, I know that Tyler tends to work with athletic players-- look at Level 6. They were the pretty people/ the popular kids/ the athletes. Which is essentially what my big majority alliance looks like-- the popular athletes and their previous allies. Tyler, and possibly Christmas & Bayleigh could definitely be somewhere in the mix with that group, and if the alliances shake out differently, they could be in there instead of people like Keesha and Memphis.

I could also see an early all guys alliance forming between Cody, Memphis, Tyler, and Enzo. It'd probably be spearheaded by Enzo, who would likely be both the most expendable & the only one 100% committed to it, since everyone else has a pre-established friendship in the game.

Another potential alliance I see are the moms/parents: Dani, Janelle, D'avonne, Christmas, maybe Enzo? I think this just further solidifies my thoughts on that majority alliance, tbh.

And then there are the misfits: Kevin, Nicole A, Ian, and David. They were misfits on their original seasons & seem to be the same on this one as well. We always get some misfits going deep in the game and others getting cut because someone wants to not get blood on their hands, and I think this cast is no different. Full disclosure: I have not seen Kevin's season. I'm basing my opinion on him on what I know/have heard about him from BB discourse! There are very few seasons I haven't watched, and 11 is one of them. (Full list: 5, 7 (bc I haven't finished 5), 9, 11)

So, those are my broad alliance predictions, now on to my actual prediction for the boot order! 

Note: they're divided into categories-- pre-jury, early jury, late jury, F2. The categorization is more important than where I've specifically placed them on the list, but I have tried to roughly order them too.

Boot Order Predictions

Pre-Jury

Ian

I really hate that I've had to put Ian in this spot, but it just makes the most sense. I think he's a really easy first boot. And if not him, then the person I have directly below him on here. First, he's one of the least well-connected members of the cast. He played with Janelle, but they weren't close, and I think she's actually more likely to target him than to work with him. He's also kinda been out of the BB community for a little while. And on top of that, he's a winner. And on top of that, he was nearly the first boot on his original season because of how awkward he was. Unfortunately, he's just not in a great spot going into this game.

Potential upside to get him further: I think if he manages to survive the first few evictions (potentially by forming an underdogs alliance?), lock him in for the late game. Especially since there are a lot of strong underdog/misfit players-- they just have to be able to come together and form something quickly. 

David

Unfortunately, David also isn't in a great position going into this game either. Sure, he's got Nicole A from his season as a potential ally, but she's also a bit of a misfit in this cast. He also was already the first boot last season, which I think makes him a really easy target if one of the first HOHs doesn't want to make a big move and get blood on their hands. That said, we've barely seen him play, and I do think he has the potential to be a capable player-- I just don't have any proof for that.

Potential upside to get him further: If he can quickly get himself in a better spot than last time. He's really likable, personable, and perceptive. I think if he can bond with people quickly before someone tries to go for an easy first boot, he has the potential to go much further.

Enzo

As much as I think Enzo had a really great social game in BB12, I'm not sure where he finds his footing in this cast (he's one of the least connected) and could easily see him going out early. I see him as someone whose best-case scenario is getting into an all-guys alliance like the Brigade & I'm not sure how strong of a game he can play outside of that. And pretty much ALL of the other guys (especially the ones he'd try to work with) have a pre-established stronger female ally. So any loyalty to a potential all guys alliance would be weak. I could see him trying to form something with Tyler, Cody, and Memphis, but I think Enzo would be the clear odd man out of that alliance & therefore the easiest to cut. 

Potential upside to get him further: If he could get in good with the old-school/parent players, I think he could find a decent footing. It just depends on if he can work with them.

Kaysar

I mean... he's never made it to jury, so why predict anything different? I'm mostly kidding, but in all seriousness, he's one of the people I'm most excited to see back. TBH, I think his biggest strength and biggest weakness are both Janelle. Janelle is really well connected in this cast, which I think will help him to a good position early on. However, she's also one of the 3 biggest targets in this cast, and I think anyone not aligned with her will be gunning for her and her allies immediately. Kaysar could easily get caught in the crosshairs, especially if Janelle saves herself by winning a comp-- which is more likely than not.

Potential upside to get him further: If Janelle makes it a few weeks and then gets cut pre-jury. That gives him enough time to get integrated into whatever alliance she brings him into, but also removes the player putting the biggest target on his back. Once she's gone, he could be seen as alone and weak, and his likability could bring him far. 

Janelle

I find it hard to see Janelle making jury in this season, even though I think she's one of the most well-connected players in the cast. I see her, Daniele, and Tyler as the most obvious threats on the board. I think she has a lot of potential allies, and could be the one to create the initial majority alliance, but that just makes her target bigger to the misfits. And a misfit always wins HOH early in the season. The way I see the house aligning in the pre-jury phase, Tyler is probably floating between the misfits and the majority alliance, so a misfit would be unlikely to target him, which makes Janelle #1 on the board. Regardless of if my majority alliance vs misfits thing happens, Janelle is going to be a huge target for anyone not aligned with her. Of the 3 biggest targets, I think she's the least strategically sound, and although she's a comp beast, if they block her from playing in the veto by backdooring her, she could easily be out pre-jury.

Potential upside to get her further: If her allies are really loyal and she wins a bunch of comps. I'm not sure I see another way for her to get much further than this. 

Early Jury

Daniele

Like Janelle, I see Daniele as one of the biggest targets and threats on this cast list. She's an iconic early-season player and she's known as a comp beast. Everyone loves Dani. Personally, I find her a bit overrated, because I don't think her strategic game is that great, and I place much more importance on that than on comp wins. Season 13, she abandoned her returnees alliance in favor of the much weaker newbies because she liked them more. She can definitely be too emotional of a player. Regardless, I think that Janelle will be a bigger threat than her, and I think they'll end up aligned or at least on the same side of the house, so I think Janelle will be out before her. And compare her to Tyler, the other big threat, I think he's a more capable, maneuverable player while also being good at comps. So I think he outlasts her.

Potential upside to get her further: Ditto Janelle. If her allies are really loyal and she wins a bunch of comps. I'm not sure I see another way for her to get much further than this. 

Memphis

For the early jury phase, I've chosen people I think will be seen as threats within their alliances, or the strongest of a pair, etc. Memphis and Keesha will be seen as a duo, and if one's going to get targeted first... it's gonna be Memphis. That said, I see Memphis as someone with a wide range of placements. He could be out early because he's a physical threat and not well connected, he could float through jury and make it almost to the end, or he could make it to the finale again. Memphis is a really hard one to peg down. But given the position I think he'll be in, I think this is a decent prediction.

Potential variances: honestly, literally anything could happen to shift his placement in a different direction. You could visit me from the future and tell me literally any placement claiming it's the one he got on BB22, and I'd be like "yeah, that checks out."

Bayleigh

Bayleigh is like Memphis for me in the fact that I could see her placing absolutely anywhere on this list depending on how well she does in comps and how the alliances shake out. I think she showed a decent ability for the game in BB20 despite aligning with the weakest players in the house and making a few fatal blunders along the way. I think if she can position herself well and be non-threatening on the comps, she can make a pretty decent run.  Otherwise, she might get cut in the first half of the season, whether due to not forming a strong enough alliance, playing too hard, or telling the opposing alliance about the secret power that she has. 

Potential variances: again, ditto memphis. I kinda already laid this out in the previous paragraph.

Christmas

Christmas. Why? I was a bit confused when I saw Amber was in the mix, but... CHRISTMAS? TBH, if Amber is in instead of Christmas, I think she's 100% in that majority group with Cody/Nicole, and that might change the structure of the group. But Christmas is the one who's more heavily rumored, so she's the one I'm talking about. I think she'll be just physically threatening enough and just on the outs enough that she'll make it to somewhere around mid-jury before getting cut because of her competition abilities. Then again, we haven't really ever actually seen her competition abilities, so... who knows. Maybe she's actually awful at them. Probably not, but it's possible.

Potential variances: If she comes out of the gate swinging immediately and can't find strong allies, she might get picked off by the majority alliance pre-jury. On the flip side, if she's as much of a dud as she was on 19, she could end up making it all the way to the end as a goat. 

Mid to Late Jury

Kevin

As I mentioned, I've never seen Kevin's season, so my opinions on him are based on BB discourse. I think that if/when my hypothetical majority alliance combusts, Kevin is someone Da'vonne might try to pick up. TBH, she might just do that regardless week 1. Despite that, though, I think he's someone who's already a bit of a misfit on top of the fact that he's not well connected to this cast. However, it's my understanding that that's also the position he was in for a good chunk of his own season, and he managed to survive all the way until final 3. And possibly would have been the winner had he made it to final 2. So he's used to being an underdog and being able to survive through the game as an underdog. Additionally, because of his underdog status, not many people remember him at all, let alone remember him for being a particularly strong player. So he's one of the players coming in with the absolute smallest target on his back, despite proving to be (according to podcasters whose opinions I trust) the best player on his season. It seems to me like he got a centimeter in season 11. If you give him an inch, he might be able to take the whole mile.

Potential variances: He could end up in the Ian/David spot if he gets unlucky. I think a lot of his danger will be early on when he's likely struggling to make allies and seen as an easy person to evict. However, I think a lot of the misfits on this cast are strong strategic players, so if they can form something early... that would be really great to watch.

Tyler

As a self-proclaimed Tyler stan, it hurts a bit to be putting him anywhere except the finale. And if I'm honest with myself, my gut still says he could make a fantastic run at it and end up winning, because I have that much faith in his ability to play this game. But the biggest downside to his game is the same one I see, and the players will see. He's a huge threat. He's far and away the best player on this cast. Period. He ran circles around his BB20 houseguests, and although he bungled the ending a bit, he still played a great game. But everyone knows that now. Including the houseguests. People will be gunning to get him out, and he doesn't come in with many pre-established allies. TBH, I probably should be putting him in early jury, or even pre-jury. But my gut and my opinion on his BB20 game tell me that he has the chops to survive the target on his back. I think he's got a good enough social game that he will be able to maneuver between what I believe the alliances will be. It's the game he played last time, but if you've got someone who's seemingly on your side, you're probably going to think twice about trying to cut him. And that's why his game works so well. Will he be able to last this far? I think so, but I could be wrong.

Potential variances: Another high-variance player. He could be out early due to his threat level, or he could be a strong enough player to make it all the way to the end. I'm betting more on the latter, but I wouldn't be shocked at the former either.

Nicole A

Although she's positioned to potentially be a misfit on this cast again, we've already seen that she's able to maneuver her way to the end in a position like that. She also has stronger potential allies this time around. And she's not coming in with a huge strategic target on her back. She wasn't seen as a mastermind, she wasn't seen as a comp threat-- she's known for winning America's Favorite Houseguest because she was the bright spot in an otherwise problematic season. So sure, maybe that might make her a social threat to some people, but she also didn't have a ton of long-lasting allies in the game last time either, so people probably won't consider her a social threat either. All that said, however, she did definitely have a very sneaky game in BB21 before her spot was blown up. She's proven that she does have some decent strategic chops, and if they underestimate her, she could make it all the way to the end again.

Potential variances: She could be out early because she's a misfit who's seen as too likable. On the flipside, though, she could play a really lowkey game and make it all the way to the end. I think she's personable and likable enough to get in good with people and get far. 

Keesha

Keesha's kinda got the whole package here. As a more old-school player, she's been a part of the community a long time and therefore is pretty well-connected. She and Da'vonne especially seemed to get along well in the interactions they've had, which is a major reason I've mentioned them as likely being aligned this season. Furthermore, she comes in without a reputation for being a gamer. If anything, people remember Keesha's birthday more than they remember any of her actual gameplay. She's also there with Memphis, who she worked with in her own season. She's likable, so she'll probably be able to bond with the players she doesn't know. And she's also a capable player who made it near the end on her first season. And I think she'll be able to do that again. She also befriended some of the misfit players in her original season, so if she could do that again while still being well-connected? That might be a deadly combination!

Potential variances: She got in some infamous fights in BB10, and although she aligned with women early on in the season, that alliance blew up, with tons of fights in the process. If she aligns with women again this season, like I think she's positioned to, history might repeat itself, and this time she could be on the opposing end of it. 

Da'vonne

I'm really surprising myself with how high I'm predicting Da'vonne will get. I'm not necessarily putting the jury members in order, but I do think she has the potential to go a lot further than she has before, which is why I've put her in this section of the list. I think that she's one of the most well-connected players in the game. She's positioned to be able to have allies immediately and form a majority. And she's a gamer. She's there to play, and she wants to win. And apparently, she's gotten really physically fit for The Challenge, which will be really helpful due to how physical recent competitions have become. The only problem is... Da'vonne. Both of her previous seasons, her mouth got her in trouble. And the highest she's gotten is the first jury member. But if there's a season where I think she's positioned to do better, I think it's this one. I think she comes in with more of a reputation as a character than as a good strategist, and I think that will be a benefit to her. Furthermore, I think the people she's going to align with early on will be much bigger targets than her, so once some of them are gone and her alliance falls apart again, if she's still there, she might be able to pick up some misfits or rally together any alliance members she still has.

Potential variances: She's in a good position within this cast, but that all depends on her ability to remain calm & level-headed and not get herself into hot water. If she can do that, she can go far.

Finale Night-- F2

Nicole F

All pre-season jokes aside, I think Nicole Franzel is in a really good spot going into this season. She's got a lot of friends on this cast, and they're from a variety of eras of the show. I mean, the two I see her most strongly aligned with are probably Dani and Cody, who on their own probably wouldn't end up working together. Despite being a winner, Nicole probably won't be seen as a threat. Sure, she won, but her game's not super respected by the community. She's that player who's better than you think she is, and will likely be underrated both by the fans and by her fellow houseguests. She's also really likable, at least to her fellow houseguests. So I see her as someone coming in with a really good chance at doing really well again.

Potential variances: She's a winner. If people in the house actually respect her game, she could definitely be targeted, and then it would come down to how well connected she truly is to the people around her. 

Cody

(my winner pick!)

Before taking a good long look at this cast, I honestly kept forgetting Cody was on it. But as I compared them all to each other, he started really standing out. He's going to do well at competitions, he's got a great social game, and he's a solid strategist. He's basically the total package. And he has all of that wrapped in the nice bow of "the guy who made the worst move in Big Brother history." I think Cody's going to be massively underrated by the other houseguests. Because he's known for that one move, that massive blunder that cost him the game. But otherwise, he was actually a really solid, well-rounded BB player. If he took Victoria, he won 500K and today he'd be seen as a mid-tier winner. Period. I think the houseguests won't remember how strong of a game he played until that point, and therefore he'll be able to fly under the radar. Add to that his connection to Nicole F, who's connected to a huge portion of the cast? I think he's sitting pretty in this cast. 

Potential variances: At some point, he'll probably be seen as a physical threat, which could get him into hot water. It also depends on how the alliances eventually shake out. I think women are going to be power players this season, and if he ends up on the wrong side of an all girls power alliance? Watch out, dude.

So, with a few hours left to go before Big Brother 22: All Stars 2 premieres, this is my official prediction, and I'm locking in my winner pick as Cody Calafiore. My heart is not with Cody-- if I'm honest, my heart is right where it's always been alongside our superfans Tyler, Nicole A & Ian. But based on how I see the season playing out in my weird conspiracy theory, Cody's my pick. 

Thanks for reading! Let me know your own winner picks & predictions down in the comments!

Ranking all of Danganronpa V3's Cases/Trials

Hey everyone, it's time for another Danganronpa ranking!

In my last 2 Danganronpa posts, I ranked the cases in Trigger Happy Havoc and SDR2, so now it's time to rank the cases in Danganronpa V3! Although the ranking for this one wasn't quite as competitive as the ranking for SDR2, it was still pretty competitive and there were definitely a few placements I was tempted to change. V3 has some really unique and twisty trials.

If you have no idea what Danganronpa is, don't go any further, because this post will contain spoilers for the entire trilogy!

I mentioned this in the last posts, but I'll repeat it before jumping into the ranking:
I mostly see people talk about ranking the trials, which are definitely part of this, but in this ranking, I'm ranking the cases as a whole. So basically I'm focusing more on the mystery, how interesting it was to investigate and solve, how complicated it was, etc. Things like the trial being long/dragged out and the mechanics of the trial aren't things I have too much interest in discussing, so they're not things that will really come into play on this ranking.

Without further ado, let's jump into the list!

6- Case #2- Ryoma's Murder

Honestly, when compared to the other two games, it was much easier to choose my least favorite trial for V3. Not because this case is that bad, but rather because all of the other cases of the game are just leaps and bounds better than this one, so it gets easily & very obviously left in the dust. Yes, even by case 3. I said what I said. 

Ryoma's murder is just really forgettable within the grand scheme of V3 for me. It gets lost in the shuffle among all of the other huge cases throughout the game. Kirumi is one of the least notable killers and has one of the most random-seeming motives, and while Ryoma has inspired tons of memes post-game, he's also not one of the most memorable characters within the game either. Furthermore, although the piranhas and the magic show are an interesting element for the case, the case is honestly pretty straightforward in comparison to the other cases in V3. If it were in... Trigger Happy Havoc, for example, it might have been ranked a lot higher, but the V3 list is really competitive, so it's at the very bottom. 

5- Case #3- Angie & Tenko's Murders

Although it's in 5th place, I'm very firmly a V3 case 3 defender and wanted so badly to put this higher on the list. Because the investigation of case 3 is possibly my favorite part of V3 overall. The seance sequence, followed by Tenko's murder and Kokichi subsequently pretending to be dead is one of the most compelling sequences of events in the entire series for me. However, there's the obvious downside of the fact that this is also one of the most stupid cases, motives, and killing methods in the entire series. So that tips it in the other direction... much like a SeEsAW.

Ugh, the seesaw. And the fact that Tenko was murdered in general. It's all just so... dumb. Look, I get why Kiyo felt the need to kill as many people as possible for Sister, but that doesn't stop me from thinking it's a really stupid motive for the writers to create for his character. And on top of that, Kiyo is so obviously the killer, to the point that you almost want to write him off because he's so obvious. And on top of all of that, we also miss out on what could've been a really cool opportunity. The game presents us with the option of there being two killers... just for there to only be 1 killer. That's such a flagrant violation of the concept of Chekov's Gun. Don't dangle the idea of multiple killers right in front of us if you don't intend to actually give it to us!

The final piece of this case, and the final thing that makes me want to move this up the list... the development it gives to Himiko. One of the reasons I love case 2-2 is because it gives my favorite character, Fuyuhiko, the start to his redemption/growth arc. Similarly, 3-3 gives Himiko her own growth arc. She finally begins to pull herself out of inaction and is inspired by Tenko's last words to her to show her emotions and express how she feels. The more times I experience this case, the more I grow to love Himiko, for this exact reason. 

4- Case #6- Rantaro's Murder pt. 2

Of the 3 final cases, this is the one I have the most mixed opinions on. Firstly, to get my interpretation of it out of the way, I firmly believe that Tsumugi was lying about several of the aspects of the trial. I don't believe that they were really these soulless, messed up potential killers before being given their in-game personalities. I think the prologue pretty handily proves that on its own. Past that, however, I think her lies are a bit harder to parse through. I view Trigger Happy Havoc & SDR2 as real things that happened to real people, but I'm not sure whether I view it in the lens of V3 being an alternate universe version of the Danganronpa world or if V3 is significantly in the future and inspired by the original real killing games. IDK. But that's generally my personal opinion on the matter.

Anyway, the ending of V3 really reminds me of The Truman Show, which I think is why I was pretty quick to accept how meta it was. I'm not sure I personally totally love it, but I also didn't find it as controversial as the fandom at large seemed to find it. I liked the way the trial at first seemed to be returning to the original concept of hope vs. despair before finally returning to the game's true concept of truth vs lies. I thought it was a really clever way of wrapping up the themes of the game and emphasizing the idea that truth and lies aren't black and white morally, and lies can have positive impacts on people as well. 

Personally, my favorite aspect of the case was the actual retrial of the first case. The idea of Monokuma purposely manipulating trial outcomes certainly wasn't a new concept for this game (see: Trial 1-5), but it was a concept I thought was cool the first time around & thought was handled significantly better this time around. Going back over the case with new evidence was a really awesome idea, and seeing it all culminate in the mastermind being revealed was just the cherry on top. 

3- Case #5- ???????'s Murder

Honestly, although I like this trial, I think I would have much more positive opinions about it if not for the people involved in it. This is the only case in the entire series where one of my favorite characters is both the victim and the culprit. Apart from Case 1-4, but including that feels like a cop-out. So this case really broke me in a way none other had done before. Because no matter what, I knew I was coming out of this trial losing both Kaito and Kokichi, aka half of my favorite characters. That hurt.

That said, though, the obvious most interesting aspect of this case is the fact that we don't know who the victim is, so we're forced to figure out not only the culprit, but the victim too. All while one of them is inside an exisal, changing personalities at the drop of a hat. And even more mind-bendingly, Monokuma also doesn't know who the killer is. The 5th cases in Danganronpa games tend to be the most mind-bending cases-- 1-5, a body inexplicably appears despite all the students being accounted for, 2-5, Nagito fake-suicides and uses his luck to get another student to accidentally kill him, and then this one. 

Overall, I think 2-5 is the most mind-bending of all of them, but the thing that makes me really appreciate 3-5 is, of course... Kokichi. He creates this entire plan to make a murder Monokuma can't solve and effectively ruin the killing game. In my opinion, this is when we finally see the closest thing to the real Kokichi we will ever see, and to me it speaks volumes about his intentions both in this trial and throughout the entire game. This case was the key piece to put Kokichi into perspective to me, and I think that's what I like most about the case, even if we had to lose him in the process. 

2- Case #1- Rantaro's Murder

The previous two first cases haven't ranked very highly on my lists. 1-1 was my least favorite case from THH, and 2-1 got 2nd to last solely by the grace of me disliking 2-3 that much. But 3-1 changes everything for me. This case is not only one of my favorites in V3, but also across the entire series as a whole. The plot twist of "the protagonist is actually the villain" can still be done well, but is a bit overdone at this point. But the "protagonist isn't really the protagonist and dies in the first chapter" twist? Now that's interesting. 

Unfortunately, I mildly spoiled this for myself-- I liked to look up which gifts I should give characters and in doing so, saw something that alluded to Shuichi being the one giving the gift rather than Kaede. Probably because I was trying to do my free time with Shuichi lol. Which is another key point-- as much as I was excited to have a main-game female protagonist... I didn't really like Kaede very much. And I still don't. So switching to playing as Shuichi, who was immediately my favorite character? I was a fan.

The build-up to the murder (especially all the hints to what she was doing) and the subsequent realization in the 6th trial that Kaede actually didn't end up killing Rantaro both add really interesting layers on top of what is already a really unique, interesting case within the series. This is truly the case that just keeps on giving, and subverting all of your expectations every single step of the way.

1- Case #4- Miu's Murder

As I mentioned in my rankings for SDR2, I love when the characters are forced into a different environment and the way that the resulting case hinges around understanding the secret to that new environment. And although I think it was still done best in case 2-4, this is a really great spin on it. And that's even before we get to the fact that the culprit is someone that you'd never think would be a culprit, and that fact once again hinges on understanding the new world that they were forced into. 

Although I don't find the virtual world quite as compelling as the funhouse, I do really still enjoy the process of trying to understand the world, not only on its own but also as it relates to the case, to the real world, and to Miu's own murder plot, which is an extra twist that I found really compelling.

The obvious downside for me of this case is, of course, Kokichi's involvement in it and the way that he manipulated Gonta into essentially doing his dirty work for him. It's Kokichi's lowest point morally in the game and the biggest thing that Kokichi detractors can point to when they want to say how evil he is. And I get it, it's definitely a side of him that I really didn't enjoy seeing. It shows the extent to which he is truly self-interested, even above his desire to end the killing game. That said, I do also believe that his tears for Gonta were real. Maybe I'm being naive or seeing him through rose-colored glasses because he's my favorite character in the game, but that's how I interpret that moment. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. 



That's all for this post! I still haven't decided if I'm going to rank all of the cases together, or if I'm going to do a 5 favorite/least favorite, but that should be my last Danganronpa case/trial post. That might also be my last Danganronpa post for a while, because I've gotten to the point where I've done the posts/rankings that I most wanted to do. But if I have more that I want to do in the future, you'll definitely see more, because I love talking about Danganronpa any chance I get!

Let me know which Danganronpa V3 case is your favorite down in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

Top 15 Hit Songs of 2011 [Top Pop of the 2010s]

A few days ago, inspired by Todd in the Shadows videos, I embarked on the task of ranking my favorite hit songs of each year of the 2010s. This is the 2nd post in this new series, and I'd recommend checking out the 2010 list, which is the first one. Because today, we're moving on to 2011.

Todd's 2011 Best Hits List

The same simple rule applies: all of these songs come from Billboard's end-of-2011 hot 100 list. I'm not taking every single pop song of the year into consideration, because this is just a fun little hobby project. I'm not dedicated enough to this to parse through every pop song from every year of the 2010s. Way too much work. The only additional rule this time is that if it made an appearance on my list previously, I can't include it again. We don't need even more Just the Way You Are.

Obviously, these are just my personal choices, I'm not trying to say that these are the best, but rather that these are my favorites. I'm well aware that to many people, I have trash taste. I'm cool with that! 

Obligatory background on me and my taste for context:

• Currently I'm a sucker for anything with a catchy melody, my favorite genres are alternative (especially pop punk) and KPop (not relevant for this list lol), and I tend to really dig songs featuring real or simulated instruments-- guitar/brass/drum kit/etc.
• Also, to date myself, in 2011, I was 16/17 & in 11th/12th grade, depending on the time of year, and although I didn't dislike pop music, my one true love was pop punk/pop rock/alternative (favorite bands at the time: McFly, All Time Low, The Academy Is... & The Audition). 

I've decided on 15 for this specific list, because I didn't have the heart to cut it down to 10, and at the end I'll also be discussing honorable mentions as well as some songs that would've made the list if I'd made it in 2011 instead of 2020. Because why not? Also, as much as I enjoyed the songs on the 2010 list, this list is even stronger, with some of my absolute faves of the entire decade.

Without further ado, onto the list! 

15- Katy Perry- Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

I think I mentioned in my previous ranking that my favorite Katy Perry songs were yet to come, and we still haven't gotten there yet, but Last Friday Night is definitely a solid entry in her discography. This is the only one of her songs that made it onto the list, but pretty much everything she released this year was in contention, because she's still in her golden years at this point. 

 

14- Lady Gaga- The Edge of Glory

On the flip side of Katy Perry, all of Lady Gaga's songs that made the hot 100 for 2011 also made my own personal top 15. Admittedly, at the time I was not a Gaga fan. Lots of complex things going on there, but I've learned and grown a lot throughout the decade and now appreciate and respect Gaga, her music, and how much she pushed the boundaries at the time. Also a moment of silence for that sax solo that just intensified the late 80s/early 90s vibes of this song. BLESS.  

13- OneRepublic- Good Life

Ah yes, more of the boring white guy music. And honestly, true to that label, I've really never had very strong opinions on OneRepublic as a whole. Pretty much all of their songs are just... there. They're fine, but it's like they exist just to fill time. I know for a fact that I have some of their music on my iTunes and that I know many of their songs but I can't name a single one of them off the top of my head apart from this one. This placing here is honestly largely nostalgia, because it was one of the omnipresent songs that I actually liked around the time I got my first car, so I heard it a lot when I first had the freedom of having both a car and license.

12- Foster the People- Pumped Up Kicks

Honestly, any time a band or indie artist song becomes a hit, it's likely to be one of my favorites. Because it's already in my musical wheelhouse, which many of these songs can't say. This is definitely more of a mellow sound than I usually enjoy, but like with Paramore's The Only Exception, it was one of my favorite songs on mainstream pop stations at the time solely on the basis that it was an indie band. Or at least sounds like one-- I know nothing about Foster the People lol. I try to curb my impulses now, but in 2011 I was in peak hipster mode.  

11- Selena Gomez & the Scene- Who Says

I love that I say 2011 was peak hipster Kristen and then immediately put essentially a Disney song on this list. This is this list's obligatory "I hate that I like this song but sometimes my ears like a song without my brain's consent" song. I really hope that makes sense and other people have songs like this too lol. This song is so cheesy and so upfront with its message of positivity, and like I said, it feels very Disney. And I begrudgingly enjoyed it at the time and feel the same now. I think it really just has the perfect combination of catchy melodies and the exact type of instrumentation I enjoy (aka actual/simulated(?) instruments and even some strings).  

10- LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock- Party Rock Anthem

I love that this is only the second list and I already have archetypes of songs. This one is, of course, the song I HATED at the time, and by hated, I mean that I was lying to myself and everyone around me, because no, I wasn't listening to it ironically, I was listening to it and lowkey enjoying every second of it. I like to think I've grown in the years since 2011, but at the time I was very susceptible to hating the current hatable song of the moment, even if I lowkey liked it and didn't want to admit it. I think it was because it was electronic music? But that's ridiculous, because at the time I was also jamming to Cash Cash, who were... wait for it... also an electronic band. (side note: totally forgot about Cash Cash until writing this but apparently I still know every single word to Party in Your Bedroom lol)

 

9- Bruno Mars- Grenade

Of all of Bruno's singles/hit songs, this is one of my least favorites. And yet, here it still is. For the longest time, I kinda disregarded it, at least in terms of his songs specifically. But there's a very distinct and clear power behind his vocals in this song that just won't be denied, just like I couldn't deny it a spot on the list. I don't have a ton to say about it because I see it as a really good, solid song, that while not my favorite from him, has definitely stood the test of time.

8- Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera- Moves Like Jagger

I didn't go to parties in 2011 because I was a nerdy high schooler, but if I had, my party trick definitely would've been whistling the main hook of Moves Like Jagger. Apparently that's impressive, because every time I did it in front of my friends, they thought I was cool for once. Regardless, that hook is one of those earworms where you hear it once and it's stuck in your head for the rest of eternity. Which was probably really frustrating for people who hated this song. Thankfully, I liked it even more at the time (again, I really liked Adam Levine), so this was one earworm I gladly accepted.  

7- Pink- F**kin' Perfect

Finally, some Pink! I love Pink's music. She's an extremely skilled vocalist, performer, and songwriter, and I honestly can't think of a song she's released that I didn't like. And, as seen here, she released one of the rare songs that I love more because of the lyrics than the music. You might have noticed (I generally don't lol) that when I talk about songs on here, it's mostly about the music because... that's what I care about, generally. The lyrics are secondary to me. But this song makes you stop and listen. It means something and makes you feel something. It takes a really powerful song to have that level of emotional impact for me, and this is that kind of powerful song.

6- Bruno Mars- The Lazy Song

And now we go from one really meaningful, emotional song to just a really silly, relatable song. As someone who's a serial procrastinator and "lazy" person, this one hits me on a very different emotional level from the last one lol. Perhaps I'm even using this post and series as a whole to avoid doing my real work? Who can say?! (me, I can say that, because it's very true). Anyway, honestly there's really not much I can say about this one. It's silly, it's fun, I like that about it.  

5- Lady Gaga- Born This Way

I flip-flopped these next two on the list so many times. In the end, they're essentially tied, because I love them both and have trouble picking favorites when it comes to some of my favorite artists. Lady Gaga has released a lot of big hits throughout her career, but this one is less of a hit than it is an anthem. Of all of her songs, I truly believe this one will be the one that endures the longest and becomes the biggest iconic classic, because of the impact it's had on so many people. I can't imagine the number of lives Gaga has touched with this song alone. The number is probably staggering. 

4- Lady Gaga - Yoü and I

There's just something about You and I. Even back when I didn't like Gaga, there was just something about this song that was really compelling to me. And when I finally started liking her, it was the first one I downloaded. There's just something about it that my ear really loves, and if I'm honest, it's probably my favorite of her songs. I mean it's probably the guitars and the fact that it's largely real instruments, because I'm really predictable. 

3- Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts

On the 2010 list, I referenced Gym Class Heroes, and now here they are on the 2011 list! Back in 2011, I still rarely downloaded single songs from iTunes-- I tended to either get actual CDs or download a full album from iTunes. I was a pretty band-loyal person, so downloading a random one-off song by an artist I didn't listen to often was something I only did for really special songs. You get where I'm going with this. This was one of those songs, and I don't even want to know how many plays this had on my high school iTunes, because it's probably an obscene number. Per usual, the chorus is what made me really love it, but I think I'm also discovering now that I also just really like Travie McCoy. I guess I need to go back and listen to more Gym Class Heroes lol. 

2- Hot Chelle Rae- Tonight Tonight

I was such an obnoxious hipster about this song. I was bumping their first album and single (I Like to Dance) back in 2010, and these mainstream losers are just now discovering them in 2011? Pshhh, I loved them before they were popular. In hindsight, I really understand why I wasn't cool as a teen. It's because I was really, really annoying. Anyway, although my obnoxious hipsterness about this song is thankfully long gone (replaced somewhat by the feeling that the radio ruined this song by overplaying it), this song still makes me happy from the second it comes on. It's catchy and fun, and is still a bop to this day, even if Todd in the Shadows named it his worst song of the year lol.

1- Pink- Raise Your Glass

Yeah, no other songs realistically even stood a chance at getting this spot, because this is one of those songs I could listen to 10,000 times in a row and not get sick of. It's one of those songs that's the best of both worlds-- it conveys a meaningful message, while still being a fun, uptempo song to jam to. This, my friends, is an anthem. It's an anthem for anyone who's felt like the weirdo, outcast, underdog (aka most of us, honestly). And it's a message that can come across as cheesy, but coming from someone like Pink, who's been that rebellious weirdo of pop music for her entire career, it feels very authentic, from one weirdo to millions of others. It's a meaningful song wrapped up in a lighthearted and fun package, which is what makes it the total package for me.

Alright, now that the list is complete, let's discuss some of the songs that didn't make the list.

Firstly, the ones 2011 Kristen would've 100% included:

I grew up on country music & by 2011 I wasn't really listening to it anymore apart from when in the car with my parents, but I still heard & liked a lot of them this year (and don't like them anymore).

- Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owen-- honestly might've been my #1 at the time. I had a weird obsession with it. 

- Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum-- I liked most of their songs at the time.

- Don't You Wanna Stay by Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson-- Kelly Clarkson is the redeeming factor of this song.

- Knee Deep by Zac Brown Band feat Jimmy Buffett-- for some reason, I really liked this band.

- Remind Me by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood-- even in 2011, Carrie Underwood was still one of my favorite artists-- my family has loved her since American Idol.

- Take a Back Road by Rodney Atkins-- another random song that I really liked for some reason.

And finally, the ones 2020 Kristen nearly put on the list:

- Forget You by CeeLo Green-- it was thisclose to making the list, because it's iconic.

- Lighters by Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars-- almost entirely due to my love of Bruno lol.

- Super Bass by Nicki Minaj-- I don't have strong opinions on Nicki in general-- her music isn't really my thing-- but I do like this one quite a bit.

- Price Tag by Jessie J feat. B.o.B-- There's only one Jessie J song I love but I like pretty much all of them.

- We R Who We R & Blow by Kesha-- like I said, her songs blend together a bit for me, but I like all of them.

- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry-- yet another solid Katy Perry song. 

So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen by other series on my blog, I'm horribly inconsistent and incapable of completing a series, so we'll see how this goes.

On the last one, I listed a few of my least favorite songs of the year here at the very end, and tbh there really aren't any that stand out to me as ones I really disliked in 2011. So I'll just say... anything with Pitbull. Lol I don't think I've ever liked a song by him, or one he was on.  

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2012 list!

My Top 15 Hit Songs of 2010 [Top Pop of the 2010s]

As is pretty common for me, I recently fell down a YouTube spiral. This specific spiral, I found myself binge-watching Todd in the Shadows videos. I'll embed a relevant video of his below so you get a feel for what his content is like. 

Namely, I found myself binging his lists of the best and worst hit songs from each year, going all the way back to 2009 (I think, lol). And, as someone who loves listing and ranking everything, I found myself wondering which songs I would include in my own personal ranking. And thus, this idea was born. My plan is to cover every decade of the 2010s, listing my favorite hit songs of the year. For simplicity, I'll be using essentially the same criteria as Todd-- all of my songs come from Billboard's end-of-year hot 100 list. So, I'm not taking every single pop song from the year into consideration, just the top 100. Because this is just for fun and I'm nowhere near devoted enough to this to parse through *every* pop song from *every* year of the decade. 

Obviously, these are just my personal choices, I'm not trying to say that these are the best, but rather that these are my favorites. I'm well aware that to many people, I have trash taste. I'm cool with that! 

For reference, currently I'm a sucker for anything with a catchy melody, my favorite genres are alternative (especially pop punk) and KPop (not relevant for this list lol), and I tend to really dig songs featuring real or simulated instruments-- guitar/brass/drum kit/etc. Also, to date myself, in 2010, I was 15/16 & in 10th/11th grade, depending on the time of year, and although I didn't dislike pop music, my one true love was pop punk/pop rock/alternative (favorite bands at the time: McFly, All Time Low, The Academy Is... & The Audition). 

I've decided on 15 for this specific list, because I didn't have the heart to cut it down to 10, and at the end I'll also be discussing honorable mentions as well as some songs that would've made the list if I'd made it in 2010 instead of 2020. Because why not?

Without further ado, onto the list! 

15. The Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling

Possibly the most difficult part of this list was choosing which song would get the 15th spot. I had a list of ~10 songs that I liked pretty equally, and eventually, I just picked this one because I think it's one that has stood the test of time decently well. It's one of The Black Eyed Peas' most well-loved songs, and for a good reason. It's one of those universally appealing songs that pretty much anyone can enjoy. I'll list some of the other options at the end, but I'm really content with this one as my choice.  

14. Kesha- Take It Off

My best friend used to LOVE Kesha, and I think that love grew on me a bit as well. A lot of her songs end up blending together for me, but in the back of my mind, I always remembered that I really liked one of her songs-- I just couldn't remember which one. Surprise! It's Take It Off lol. This is due almost exclusively to the melody in the chorus. It's one of those melodies that gets stuck in my mind and refuses to leave, and that's why I first loved it in 2010, and why I still really enjoy it today. 

 

13. Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars- Billionaire

I remember when I first heard this, my first thought was "oh, it's the guy from Gym Class Heros and...some other guy?" Little did I know that "some other guy" would become my favorite American pop artist of the decade and Gym Class Heroes would be all but forgotten in a few years' time lol. This is definitely one I thought was just alright back in 2010, but has definitely grown on me over the past decade. 

12. Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg- California Gurls

Although it's not my favorite Katy Perry song (nowhere near it, actually!) I'd be lying if I said this weren't one of the biggest, most defining songs of my teenage years and of the decade. When I hear this song, I'm instantly transported back to a very specific moment in time-- it's the summer of 2010, I'm in my friend's Beetle, and we're blasting the song while driving to go see a movie (Eclipse? Despicable Me? Inception? idk). It's such a stereotypical high school moment, but this song is just so evocative of that time in my life that I can't help but love it and have fond memories of it. 

11. Miley Cyrus- Party in the U.S.A.

I HATED this song in high school. And by that, I mean that I lied to myself and everyone around me and convinced myself that I hated it, even though I quite obviously begrudgingly loved it. And that sentiment has kinda stuck around for the entire decade. I hate to admit that I like it, but I still do. It's another that's just so evocative of that time in my life and despite "hating" it at the time, I find myself still really enjoying it whenever I hear it today. 

10. Adam Lambert- Whataya Want from Me

It's been 11 years since Adam Lambert lost American Idol, and I'm still offended by the fact that he lost. I was rooting for him the entire time and was so angry when he lost. I haven't followed his music career very closely since then, but this first(?) song was definitely a great one. It was written by Pink, which makes a lot of sense, because it sounds like a Pink song, and I also love Pink. Adam's vocals really get a chance to shine, especially near the emotional climax of the song. It's the type of pop song I'm naturally inclined to love, because it has a bit of a rock flair, and that always gets bonus points from me. 

9. Orianthi- According to You

Full disclosure, I 100% forgot this song existed. But while going through the hot 100 list, seeing this song there was like a huge nostalgic punch to the face. If I remember correctly, this was the iTunes free single one week, and that's why I downloaded it. And I quickly fell in love with it. It's very reminiscent of Avril, who I've always enjoyed, and as I already mentioned with the last song, I like rock-infused pop music. So, despite literally completely forgetting this song existed, I couldn't help but put it on here. 

8. Maroon 5- Misery

After watching all of those Todd in the Shadows videos, I feel almost obligated to dislike Maroon 5 songs because of how vehemently he complains about them, but at least for the first half of the decade, I still find myself really enjoying them. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor because of how much I liked the band/ Adam Levine at the time, maybe it's the songs themselves, maybe it's all of the above. Regardless, this is a song I still find myself really enjoying. It's one of those songs that really gets stuck in my head and refuses to leave, and somehow doesn't totally annoy me in the process, which is rare!

7. The Script- Breakeven

I know that I have/had a tendency (especially at the beginning of the decade) to enjoy what some might dub boring white-guy-with-guitar music, and there are certainly a few of those on this list. This might possibly be the epitome of that. Tbh, if I made this list in 2010, it might be entirely composed of those songs, especially a certain heavily overplayed song about a soul sister. Regardless, this is one of those songs that I still find myself enjoying all these years later. It's a song that I think aged really well-- although I don't listen to it that often anymore, when it comes on, it maintains a certain level of freshness instead of feeling old and overplayed (see: the aforementioned Train song lmao).

6. B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams- Airplanes

Some songs are way overplayed at the time and then eventually once the hype has died down, they end up in a way freeing themselves from that aspect. This is one of those songs for me. I liked it at first, and then got really, really sick of it, and then once it was no longer on the radio every 5 seconds, that initial enjoyment of it returned and has remained ever since. Plus, Hayley Williams is always a plus on any song!

5. Paramore- The Only Exception

Speaking of Hayley Williams, here she is again! I was tempted to put this even higher simply because it's Paramore and I've always loved them, but if I'm being honest with myself, this has never been one of my absolute favorite Paramore songs. Sure, I really, really enjoy it-- that's why it's on this list! But I could name a handful of Paramore songs- just from the same album!- that I prefer over this one. I tend to gravitate toward more uptempo songs, and this is certainly not that. Nonetheless, it's a really beautiful song with deep emotional lyrics, and it's Paramore, and I really enjoy it. (but also listen to Playing God from the same album, it's one of my favorite Paramore songs of all time)

4. B.o.B feat. Rivers Cuomo- Magic

If I'd made this list in 2010, this would be nowhere near the list because I'd literally never heard it. I listened to the radio quite a bit in 2010 so I'm not sure how I missed it, but I did. When did I finally hear it? When it was covered in a little movie called Pitch Perfect. ... yeah. Anyway, I liked the song in the movie, looked it up, and the rest is history. You know when you hear a song and you feel like it's from somewhere else? Like you're convinced it's a sample of an older song, but it's not?  That's what this song is for me. The chorus of Magic is so perfectly constructed that it sounds like they must be sampling an older song, because there's no way this could be brand new-- it feels too familiar. And yet, it is brand new. Overall, this is just a really catchy, really fun song that demands that I enjoy it.

3. Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are

When I discussed Airplanes, I talked about how some songs are able to shed the weight of how overplayed they were when they were popular. Unfortunately, this song has never been able to manage that for me. This song was ubiquitous in 2010. It wasn't even "that song" that got overplayed, it was "that song" x10. It was inescapable. And as much as I still enjoy it in spite of that, I can't bring myself to move it up the list for that reason alone. Fortunately for Bruno, though, he released many more hits throughout the 2010s, and at least a few of them will place higher than this, because as I mentioned-- he's my favorite American pop artist of the last decade. Full stop. 

2. Kris Allen- Live Like We're Dying

To the average person who's just stumbled across this post, much of this list probably feels random, because I've left off many songs that others would deem iconic. But this might be simultaneously my most random-seeming choice and my most "boring white guy" choice. Yes, despite believing Adam Lambert should've won American Idol, I've still placed Kris Allen's song higher. I really don't know how to explain myself here. This is just one of those songs that grabbed me on first listen and does so again and again any time I return to it. Sometimes, you just enjoy things without knowing why you do, and this is one of those times. But I will reiterate, #TeamAdam!

1. Neon Trees- Animal

When I sat down to make this list, I never would've thought this would be #1 solely for the fact that I forgot how much it broke through into the mainstream pop scene. I used to watch this music channel (fuse, maybe?) that did top 10 lists weekly for different genres, and I think the first time I heard this was on the alternative top 10, as it was growing in popularity. Unfortunately, I only have kinda vague memories of when I got into their music, but at some point I downloaded their album, and I actually preferred 1983 (the follow-up single, I think?) to Animal. Nonetheless, Animal is the song on the list, and a really fun one at that. When going through this list, this was an easy choice for #1 because this is still that song of all of these that makes my heart swell and gets me hyped up. And honestly, I think the song is even more in-line with my taste in music now than it was in 2010, so I appreciate it even more now 10 years later. 

Alright, now that the list is complete, let's discuss some of the songs that didn't make the list.

Firstly, the ones 2010 Kristen would've 100% included:

- Fireflies by Owl City-- I unabashedly loved this, even when it was overplayed. Not so much now.

- Hey Soul Sister by Train-- ditto the above, I'm ashamed to admit. I think we all regret stanning this song as much as we did lol

- Use Somebody by Kings of Leon-- almost made the list regardless, I still like it.

- Just Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble-- yep, more boring white guy music. 

And finally, the ones 2020 Kristen nearly put on the list:

- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry-- very solid song from Katy, but not an all-time fave

- Your Love Is My Drug by Kesha-- I like most Kesha songs, but I don't love many of them.

- Bad Romance by Lady Gaga-- again, love Gaga, but her best songs were in other years IMO

- Tik Tok by Kesha-- didn't love my first introduction to Kesha, but it's become iconic

- Not Afraid by Eminem-- definitely not one I would've enjoyed at the time, but has grown on me a lot.

- Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé-- again, not my fave from either, but enjoyable nonetheless

- Dynamite by Taio Cruz-- maybe Stockholm Syndrome from how much this was played, but definitely one that stands out as enjoyable & memorable.

- Nothin' on You by B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars-- I have 2 Bruno songs & 2 B.o.B songs on my list, but their collab didn't make it. This one suffered from overplay for me, but otherwise, I enjoyed it. 

So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen by other series on my blog, I'm horribly inconsistent and incapable of completing a series, so we'll see how this goes.

As much as part of me would like to do least favorite lists for each of these years too, I don't think I will, mostly because I don't really have a ton each year that I actively dislike. If anything, my opinions toward most of the songs on these lists, all these years later, is just a mere *shrug.* Looking through the 2010 list, the only 3 that jumped out as least favorites were Baby by Justin Bieber, Imma Be by The Black Eyed Peas, and Like a G6 by Far East Movement. So there's my list, I guess lol. 

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2011 list!