Route 29 app

[struck_out]

Player
Name: San
Personal Journal: fanfictionming
E-mail: mingrps@gmail.com
AIM/MSN: fanfictionming@Plurk
Timezone: GMT+8
Current Characters in Route: NA

Charater
Name: Leon Kuwata
Series: Dangan Ronpa
Timeline: After Chapter 1
Canon Resource Links: Wikipedia article on the game, Dangan Ronpa characters on TV Tropes, Leon at the Dangan Ronpa wikia, Tumblr post explaining the confrontation between Leon and Sayaka in Chapter 1 and a document containing all of Leon's dialogue in the game.

Personality: Ever met one of those genius people out there? The ones who skip class, play DOTA all day erryday and go clubbing all night while you're stuck in the library pounding facts and formulas into your brain in the hopes of scoring big in the exams, only to still end up playing second fiddle to these prodigies? Doesn't it grind your gears when you get your papers back, and maybe you got that A you wanted, but those geniuses are getting top marks without even trying?

Oh, and if you ask them how they felt about the exam, they just say "It was easy! I didn't even need to study for it! No big deal!"?

You may now press the rage button and flip a table.

This is probably how Leon Kuwata's baseball team mates feel about the 'Super High School Level Baseball Player'. Leon is extremely lazy; his success as a baseball player isn't due to any hard work and commitment on his part towards the game. He doesn't even show up for practice! The fact is that he relies solely on his immense natural talent to throw those beautiful pitches and make those powerful swings. He displays an equally lackadaisical approach to other parts of his life as well, applying minimal effort to his studies and relying again on his natural genius at baseball to win him scholarships. And although he harbours a dream of changing his title to Super High School Level Musician it hasn't even crossed his mind that there's actually a lot of hard work and dedication required to build a career in the music industry.

Consider how Leon gets away with his terrible attitude towards practice and hard work just because he's preternaturally gifted, and it's no wonder that he's come to think that everything will go his way, no additional effort required other than the bare minimal (and preferably none at all!!). Sayaka regards his bold proclamation of being a punk rock star with disdain; it's not as easy as Leon thinks to get to the top. But Leon's convinced himself that he's already got what it takes to make it in the industry. He admits he needs song-writers and back-up instrument players because he's lacking those particular skills, but it doesn't even register with him that he might not have been born with music in his genes like how baseball is.

Let's also not forget the chief reason why he wants to be in the music industry in the first place. It's not because of inspiration, not even out of passion. It's simply because he wants to attract the attention of a girl who doesn't think much of baseball but who likes musician. Leon loves girls, or rather, the attention that girls give him. It's part of the reason why he's so protective of his so-called 'cool' image: he fears that if he's no longer seen as cool that he'll be unable to attract any more female attention. Quite frankly speaking he might not even be interested in a dating relationship; such is the extent of how shallow he can be. Leon's simply a guy who has a massive ego that's been fed by all his adoring fans, and he's always hungry for more.

And boy, speaking of his ego...

Leon is a very self-centred guy. Everything has to be about him, him and only him, and never in a bad way either. He keeps telling himself that he isn't to blame for Maizono's death and that he was as much a victim in the case as she was, never mind that it was him who shoved the knife into her chest. While the game and the manga differ slightly on what happened in Naegi's room (the manga shows Leon in a more sympathetic light as Sakuya's death is more of an accident rather than an intended murder), it doesn't change the fact that Maizono died because of a few bad life choices he made during a heated moment, choices that he refuses to take any blame for. Even before the murder school he has demonstrated that a lot of what he does is mainly for himself; what career choice that makes him cool and allows him to pick-up girls, why bother with baseball because it's dirty and he has to make an effort to practice, even which band members to pick so that he looks the best out of all of them.

Now Leon's tendency to blow his own horn partially stems from his bloated ego, but it's also because he's a person who prefers to say outright what's on his mind regardless of how blunt and tactless it might sound to others. It's already bad enough that he's blind to all his bad traits but to make matters worse, he's quick to point out the faults of others right to their faces, using harsh words and insults unnecessarily. Personally I feel that Leon's not trying to be mean to anyone but he's just simply too lazy to properly try and phrase his words politely. Standing on decorum takes effort after all so why beat around the bush when you can be direct and straight to the point? It's faster and takes less effort.

Because for all his bad points Leon isn't a jerk. His arrogant, shallow, blunt and lazy ways might irritate the hell out of people, but underneath all of those traits he's genuinely a nice and friendly guy. He's one of the few SHSL kids who greet Naegi enthusiastically at the start of the game and from his free time events it's clear to see that though he might have an overly high opinion of himself, he doesn't think lowly of anyone else either. He even offers to share his stories and experiences with Naegi to teach him what he knows about girls (though how much Naegi actually wants to listen to Leon's female conquests isn't a factor that Leon takes into consideration). And for how much he dislikes playing baseball he still concedes to playing in games just because his coach approached him personally. He quotes that he just couldn't refuse. So for a guy as me-orientated as Leon, it does go to show that he's willing to be less about the 'me' and more about the 'we' at times.

And Leon does care about other people as well. In Dangan Ronpa IF, he destroys a Monokuma bear to save Sayaka (ironic considering that she had actually already been planning to kill him earlier). Furthermore in the manga it's revealed that he didn't break into the bathroom to kill her; rather he initially wanted to try and calm her down as she was having a massive Freak Out. Considering that he could've easily ratted her out to everyone as potential murderess, it's a bit odd to see that he went through all the trouble of getting rid of the door knob and also exposing himself to the risk that she would try to stab him again. In both cases Leon was convinced that he could save Sayaka despite the odds against him.

And believing in himself is a major part of who Leon Kuwata is. It does feed into his cocky ways but Leon's a person who doesn't give up easily if provided the right motivation. He refuses to entertain the idea that he might not get out of the school and become a Super High School Level Musician until he faces the end when he's proven guilty of Sayaka's death. And once he's set his mind on something he's even willing to swallow some of that ego of his to achieve it. He admits to Naegi that he's all set to beg his former team and coach to take him back and he firmly believes that they will even if it'll take some time. "Yeah, don't underestimate my fighting spirit! They'll take me back for sure!" Even if a situation looks impossible, impossible is not a word that exists in Leon Kuwata's dictionary.

So was he really at fault for Sayaka's death? The answer is still absolutely. Both him and Sayaka share the blame for her murder and Leon's own execution. Leon's a hot-blooded kid; he lets his passions and emotions dictate his actions and words. Things like the future and consequence don't occur to him until the moment's arrived because he doesn't stop to consider the potential ramifications of his decisions, and by then it's too late. Whether it's the manga or the game, accidental or not, Leon kills Sayaka in a heated fight where both teens were panicking and neither were thinking clearly. The manga clearly shows that he starts panicking when Sayaka attacks him a second time; out of fear and desperation he pushes too hard and ends up accidentally stabbing her in the chest. And when he's proven guilty at the trial he's too worked up to properly explain what happened to the rest of the class. Leon just explodes into an emotional tantrum rather than calming himself down enough just so that he could properly clarify what happened. The sad fact is that had Leon simply cooled his jets or even just taken a few seconds to properly think through his options he might've avoided losing his life and killing Sayaka.

All in all, Leon's really quite a piece of work. There's a lot about him that's very unlikeable at first glance but there's also plenty of good underneath all that loud-mouthed exuberance. With a second chance at life now that he's entering Route 29, one can only hope that the painful experiences he had back at Kibougamine Academy will serve as both a lesson and an encouragement for him to work on his attitude and highlight his better qualities.

Strengths/Weaknesses:
Strengths
1. Super High School Level Baseball Player.
Leon's got amazing baseball skills. He doesn't even need to go to practice to win his matches and his skills aren't just limited to one role: he does well both as a pitcher and a batter.
2. Stamina
It's a given that if he's the best baseball high school player in Japan that he's got the energy and strength to match the title as well.
3. Confident
Very, very confident. He believes he can do whatever he sets his mind on, no matter how lofty the goal.
4. Honest
Leon's an almost open book. He's very honest about his personal feelings and he's not ashamed to talk about them.
5. Popular guy
It has to be said that for all of Leon's talk about being cool and popular...he is cool and popular, especially with the girls if his tales of last night conquests are to be believed.
6. Determined
Leon's also someone who won't let anything get in his way. Never mind the nay-sayyers and situation; if he says he'll accomplish it then he will, no questions asked.

Weaknesses
1. Super High School Level Slacker
If he's not interested than sayonara, he's not going to do it even if you highlight how important it is to "insert moral lecture here about the importance of studying/being a team player".
2. Arrogance
He's can-do attitude stems from his over-confidence; he believes he can do it, but he doesn't need to work hard like everyone else because he's already good enough to succeed.
3. Emotions run wild
For someone who runs on emotions like he does, he's definitely got an issue with keeping a cool head. Whether it's losing his temper, falling into endless despair or just flipping the freak out, Leon's as honest about his positives as he is about his negatives.
4. Failure isn't an option
The flip side of his confidence is that he doesn't take failure very well. See: his explosion after failing to graduate. Imagine that the one time he actually tried and he still gets found out.
5. Inability to properly play baseball.
Given the extremely brutal and cruel way he died and with a twist of irony, I've decided to render Leon unable to bat for the time being. His skills are still there but he's going to need closure before he'll be able to face a flying ball coming his way.


Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Rocket
Starter: Level 15: Lapras, Level 5: Woobat
Password: Spring Rolls

Samples
First Person Sample:
So uhh...I just realised that it's March. As in, if I was home and all, the Spring Kōshien would probably be starting around this time, and umm...hmm...

...it's not like I like the sport that much! I still really hate baseball! It just feels damn weird to not be in the tournament this year. It's like, hnghn...I just wanna hit something, y'know? Or throw a ball or run.

Shit.

[He scratches the back of his head, trying to hide how excited he was for coming up with this suggestion.]

So I guess what I'm saying is that if anyone wants to play some ball, I'm organizing something at the National Park this Saturday. I think Keisuke wants some of that action too, so bring your Pokemon and maybe we can have like a Pokemon baseball match or something.

Oh! I nearly forgot the most important people we need to have at a game! Heh, we can't have a game without'em.

[And that would be...?]

Cheerleaders!

[And probably no one is surprised.]

So if you're a girl and you're interested make sure you drop by earlier and try-out the uniforms. They're smoking hot! Bought them off from some lady who claimed she's a pony so that's a little weird but trust me, they'll look great with some curves in them! Oh yeah, and guy Pokemon need some support too so be sure to bring all your ladies along!

[Leon flashes a cheeky grin at the screen, before ending the broadcast.]

Third Person Sample:

It's one of those lazy Sunday mornings where you feel like doing absolutely nothing. Just chilling and relaxing, stretched out on the soft grass and enjoying the warmth of the sun and the kiss of the breeze on your skin. There's no coach to yell at you to get up for practice, no teachers nagging at you about your grades...just you, yourself and all the time to nap in the world.

Now if only there was a girl nestled next to him. Then he'd call it Paradise.

Still, Leon takes what he can get. Having rejected any invitations of joining up with his former classmates, Leon was starting to realise though that maybe that hadn't been such a good idea. Going solo meant that he was alone, and being alone meant that he didn't have anyone telling him how cool he is on a daily basis. Or even just having someone listen to him whine and complain; the Chimchar he had received on the start of his journey was just as fickle as his trainer too. Keisuke may be his but he certainly didn't listen to Leon, preferring to go off and do his own thing. Leon couldn't help but feel frustrated at his Pokemon. I mean, what was the point of having a pet if it wasn't going to obey you? Didn't people buy animals because they were feeling lonely and needed someone to talk to that would adore them?

Whatever. He didn't need that chump chimp. He's a human being isn't he? Stronger and smarter. He can figure out his problems on his own, never mind that he's aimlessly wandering the world without a dream in sight. He'd thrown away the idea of being the 'Super High School Musician'; that just brought back sick memories of being duped by Maizono. And baseball...he's never touching baseball ever again. Not even if he was paid 10 billion yen.

Hell, not even for the girls.

Which just left the question on what else there was left for him to. So far from what he's seen, people seem to think take this Pokemon thing way too seriously. I mean, they're just like digital pets right? No need to get so worked up about it or anything. But apparently the girls here really had a thing for Pokemon trainers especially the top ones. He's seen the groupies that some of the gym leaders get too.

Yeah, maybe he could do that here.

If he's going to get back some of his swag, he's going to need to do well in this Pokemon thing. It shouldn't be a problem though; how hard could it be to order a monkey around to beat up your opponents? So far his Chimchar has roasted every single Starly that's come across their way (the monkey's actually useful in something other than aggravating his owner). If he kept up the good work then Leon's sure he'll reach the top in no time and no sweat.

He smiles to himself and closes his eyes for his nap; yeap, there's no doubt about it. If he's not going to be the SHSL Baseball Player or Musician...

...then he's going to be the next SHSL Pokemon Trainer.