'Project Dread' Oblivia - Drowned in Dread Summary

7 min read

Deviation Actions

animangaemo's avatar
By
Published:
855 Views
Six students from the Shibuya ward awake inside a mansion known as "Dread" owned by the alluring yet crazy Magique Von Dread. These students cannot remember each other or the events surrounding their sleep, but when they wake Magique tells them that they have all been punished for committing an unforgivable sin that they cannot remember. They are trapped...and occurring within Dread's walls is only chaos, nightmares, and dreams. The students realize that under their left eyes they have been marked and are now capable of doing unusual things, given powers of a sort...Dread consists of varying rooms ranging in odd and terrifying themes meant to serve as an obstacle intended on urging their challengers to give up and die... The students must use their new abilities or "Guidance" to take on the challenges ahead, but something else weighs on their heads. There is a traitor among them...To which no one knows but Magique herself. As they rise up through Dread they must use a special app on their phones known as "KARMA" to prevent certain tragic events from occurring. However there is a catch, KARMA will suggest gruesome trade offs for the use of each action. With each puzzle, the one who solves it will obtain currency known as "MV" or Morality Value in order to pay for KARMA usage without a trade BUT they cannot use MV for themselves, instead, they have to entrust another student with this currency...even one of the potential traitors. KARMA decisions and whom MV is given to is strictly secretive and only known between two opposing students involved. If one student attempts to learn this info, all students are set to be tortured in some form or fashion relating to their sin. By the end of the climax all students who make it to the end of Dread are expected to figure out their sin through clues left around Dread, or else they are forbidden from leaving for all eternity and give up their existence... This begins the story of a new tale: Oblivia - Drowned in Dread

Now, I know there are a lot of questions...allow me to tackle most of them before you ask...

(Q) You said that you wouldn’t make a sequel to Oblivia III, what made you change your mind?
(A) Correct, I did say that I would never make an Oblivia IV, because III has a definitive end. This fact still stands true. Oblivia - Drowned in Dread is NOT a sequel to Oblivia III NOR a main series Oblivia. This is Oblivia’s very first spin-off concept.

(Q) If this is true, where on the timeline does Oblivia - Drowned in Dread take place?
(A) Oblivia - Drowned in Dread will take place between Oblivia II and the end of Oblivia III. The story will be happening at the same time from a different perspective.

(Q) This is an Oblivia spin-off...Does this mean I have to see yet ANOTHER Ame, Hanako, or Aya cameo..? Will there be more shoved in children characters..?
(A) Absolutely NOT. Oblivia - Drowned in Dread will feature a 100% ORIGINAL cast not relating to ANY characters from the main Oblivia series. In fact, Oblivia - Drowned in Dread will take place fully on Earth’s spectrum of the Universe and NOT Oblivia. There will be no cameos from the main series characters in person.

(Q) Even though Oblivia - Drowned in Dread is a spin-off, the Oblivia series has a confusing plot line...Will I HAVE to experience Drowned in Dread to understand the plot of a major Oblivia series and vice versa?
(A) No, my goal with Oblivia - Drowned in Dread is to be a completely original story ASIDE from the mainline Oblivias occurring in the SAME UNIVERSE. You will not have to read ANY of Oblivia I, II, or III to be caught up with Drowned in Dread’s story, nor will you have to read Drowned in Dread to understand the main series.

(Q) Okay, but Oblivia’s genre is generally more adventurous as the main characters usually travel the world of Oblivia. It’s not really a mystery novel per se...How does Drowned in Dread fray from the usual Oblivia norm..?
(A) As stated above, Oblivia - Drowned in Dread will not take place on Oblivia at all, but Earth while Ame is away. Additionally, the entire story will take place within Dread itself, a mysterious mansion where the characters somehow end up. Drowned in Dread will feature many more suspenseful moments and gruesome challenges as the characters are all Earthbound. There will be no Oblivions, though the story will center around these scared individuals waking up with Oblivion Marks and using them to help maneuver the horror land through terrifying puzzles thought to be provided by Magique.

(Q) If this is a story non-relevant to the main series and does not share the same genre with the original titles...what makes Drowned in Dread an Oblivia..?
(A) Drowned in Dread will use various terms from the original series, such as Anomalies, Oblivion Marks, as well as the names of magic (Umbra, Lux, Ignis, Aqua, etc.) and will feature some bonus info on Nightmares. Drowned in Dread, like the original series features seven characters punished by the Seven Sins (Usually in the original series these are the Nightmares) however the twist to this series is that the MAIN cast are the accused sinners.

(Q) The main Oblivia series separately are aimed to be very long. Will Drowned in Dread be a full fledged series?
(A) No, Drowned in Dread is set to be a very small one-shot idea with 13 chapters at most.

(Q) Does this mean Oblivia - Drowned in Dread is officially apart of the Oblivia Universe?
(A) Not exactly...This is a very experimental project and can get purged at any time. I am awaiting to see the feel I get of the characters and story as well as any reception from viewers. Your opinion matters greatly on whether this project gets green lit or flops, so any and all comments are appreciated.

(Q) Why the title and what other inspirations were spliced in to think of this idea?
(A) The concept originally started as Project Dread with the song “Burn My Dread” from Persona 3 in mind. The characters in this project will have to band together and face their challenges in a similar manner to those of Persona 3. Dread in a way is very similar to Tartarus in that game. Though the immediate moment I decided to make a mystery series Danganronpa came to mind. I wanted students who have never met each other before to band together and grow wiser as they solve a difficult puzzle that was presented to them so suddenly in the act of fear and hope. I wanted to use Ame’s hometown of Shibuya, because it is a staple to the Oblivia series and Oblivia’s style and I felt that Shibuya’s style fits the characters I have planned fully. Because the story takes place strictly in such an urban part of Tokyo, I wanted modern society and norms to play a part in the series and that is where the phone app known as KARMA came from. I want KARMA to be a darker version of “Would You Rather?” that Shibuya teenagers are addicted to which at first seems like harmless fun only in the mind, to become real and essential to survival in the blood lust hell that is Dread. The idea of these teenagers using a phone game as an essential crutch obviously is a nod to The World Ends With You, which also takes place in Ame’s home of Shibuya. 
© 2017 - 2024 animangaemo
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In