Love Across the Universe: Dangan Salmon Team is a bonus mode unlocked after beating Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. It’s similar to its predecessors (School Mode in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Island Mode in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair) in that it serves as a dating sim where no killing occurs.

Some fans have queerly read this bonus mode in previous games since the act of male characters giving Shuichi Saihara their underwear can seem to be referencing queer relationships in some way. Also, multiple “Love Suite” events in Hotel Kumasutra where Shuichi witnesses an intimate scene from other characters while being portrayed as their “ideal” seem queer in nature.

Additionally, some dialogue such as with Kokichi Oma suggests gay/queer relationships as well. With multiple characters, the player has the option to say “Ah, maybe we should take off our clothes…?” on a second date in the Gym. Kokichi responds saying:

• “Oooh! To be honest, I’ve always wanted to strip for you!…is something you probably wanted to hear, huuuh? Why should I have to strip for you?”

Dialogue like this throughout multiple interactions contain implicit and explicit mentions of queer sexuality.

LGBTQ References in this series:

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010): Chihiro; Genocide Jack/Jill and Toko; Hifumi’s Ending; Mondo and Taka; Monokuma; School Mode

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012): Ibuki Mioda, Island Mode, Mentions, Mikan Tsumiki, Nagito Komaeda, Teruteru Hanamura

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (2014): Tokomaru Ship

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017): K1-B0, Kaede Akamatsu, Kokichi Oma, Korekiyo Shinguji’s Love Suite Event, Love Across the Universe: Dangan Salmon Team, Miu Iruma, Rantaro Amami, Tenko Chabashira

See also QRM’s entry for this game series.

Citations:

1. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danganronpa_2:_Goodbye_Despair
2. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danganronpa_V3:_Killing_Harmony
3. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danganronpa:_Trigger_Happy_Havoc
4. Love Across the Universe/Kokichi Oma. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020, from https://danganronpa.fandom.com/wiki/Love_Across_the_Universe/Kokichi_Oma
5. Love Across the Universe: Dangan Salmon Team. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020, from https://danganronpa.fandom.com/wiki/Love_Across_the_Universe:_Dangan_Salmon_Team
6. MarioStrikerz. (2015, March 20). r/danganronpa – What characters did you think were gay/lesbians? Retrieved January 29, 2020, from https://www.reddit.com/r/danganronpa/comments/2zpo96/what_characters_did_you_think_were_gaylesbians/cpl5mck/