The anime Danganronpa has managed to accumulate quite a formidable fan base among the community of gamers and otakus. The unique premise of the story, is one of the main reasons for its popularity.
Interspersed with elements of murder mystery and survival horror, the anime does a brilliant job of highlighting the thrill and excitement of speculation.
Many gamers who’ve played this game complained about certain aspects of the anime. However, even they have noted that the anime still does a decent job of instilling horror and thrilling adventures to the viewers.
1. Quick Review
The anime Danganronpa is a thrilling roller coaster ride. It has its own peculiar way of progressing the plot. Every episode covers the murder of a fellow classmate or inmate, followed by the search for the criminal.
There is the right amount of gore, violence, and mystery in it, which makes the viewing experience a very exciting one.
If you like gore and violence, you will like this anime. If you don’t, be warned. Even if it doesn’t explicitly show the violence, it hints at the very disturbing and gory deaths of many characters.
2. Is it worth watching?
The anime does have many good points that make it worth investing time into, however, it can be tedious too. Also, the ways they come to a conclusion over the murderer’s identity can feel slightly too abrupt and, thus, divorced from reasoning.
I. Plot
The plot revolves around the trials and tribulations that fifteen students face as they try to escape their school, which has been turned into a prison chamber. The only hope for them to get out is by murdering each other.
Even that condition comes under strict sub-conditions that they cannot get caught in the act. If one of them is found to be the culprit, that person would be publicly executed. If not, everyone else is murdered, and the murderer goes free.
They are rigorously under surveillance from the anthropomorphic robot bear Monokuma. The whole setting of the anime is quite sombre and dreary, which helps in cementing the hopelessness of their school, Hope’s Peak Academy ironically.
Even the events that take place in the plot always have to do with the murder of someone, and that can get quite repetitive. However, due to the anime’s creativity in adding fresh, unique elements into every new episode, it does not get boring and dull.
The anime also does a very good job of maintaining a steady pace of excitement and mystery. Thanks to said pace, finishing the anime took me barely a day. Also, one amusing aspect of this anime is its portrayal of blood as a pinkish hue instead of the usual crimson red.
II. Characters
Each of the characters is unique and has their own talents and specializations. This is due to the school’s desire to admit students who are the best in their respective fields. In fact, the entire character list of the Danganronpa Universe is the most diverse in all the animes I’ve ever watched.
The depth of each of the characters is explored fully. Their pasts and motivations are revealed to us and help complicate the plot of the anime in beautiful ways. While they either murder someone or are murdered, they are never villainized but instead portrayed as victims of their circumstances.
The theme of the anime is quite similar to that of the gory Saw Franchise. The characters in both series’ are locked up and subjected to cruel games of mental torture.
Also, Danganronpa packs a lot of good punches and plot twists that you wouldn’t even have thought possible. It also dwells on some philosophical themes about hope and despair (“zetsubo”)
3. Final Thoughts
The anime does have a lot to offer to even the most experienced anime veteran. It takes you through very intense psychological turmoils while also giving us enough action, strategizing and violence to keep us on our toes.
Also, I really liked the idea of some high schoolers getting at each other’s throats amidst their friendships. While it was very morbid, it also throws light on many crucial moral issues through that plot.
4. Grade
Story: A+
Cinematography/Animation: A-
Art: A
Music: A-
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