Danganronpa – 13 [END]
Hope or despair?
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I had vague plans to fill this post full of stupid hope puns, but then I realized that “hope” doesn’t exactly work well in puns to begin with. …And neither does despair, really. I could have done a bunch of terrible bear puns, but Monokuma was kind of secondary this episode (aside from the fact that he’s like the apocalypse’s official mascot or something). |
As much as I’m fond of Enoshima’s character, I see it as a very, very good thing that she was only an end reveal. Her personality(ies) dominated the episode and make the ending great, but imagine her being present the entire show. …She would have completely taken over every scene, and that (probably) would get tiresome after a while. The fact that she stands out that much makes a good contrast with Naegi though, since his character is pretty boring when it comes down to it (and it adds to the plot point that the two arch enemies/complete opposites, aside from the established plot point that Naegi is “hope”, where Enoshima is “despair”). Long story short, watching her here was super satisfying, since she was everything she was in the game, and even more since this had movement to it (being animation and all).
I don’t know how well this was explained, but Enoshima’s motives for this entire thing was basically just for the despair. All those deaths and everything else was all just because she really, really just likes watching despair (or sharing despair, or feeling despair, …or really, just despair in general). No, there’s no real reason behind her being like this either. I believe the game’s words were just “she was born that way”, and that’s the only explanation they ever gave. Anyways, the whole broadcast thing too was to show the student’s despair as kind of a message. The students were a worldwide symbol of hope, so watching them go through all of this and purposely kill one another was a way of spreading the despair (since apparently it’s contagious, as Enoshima said). It also accomplished two things at once, since it brought some of the “hope resistance” out of hiding. They never really explained this, but at the very beginning of the game, one of the characters noted that they thought they heard noises from the outside. There were people outside trying to help the students, but they were gunned down just trying to even approach the school. Enoshima was pretty efficient in her planning here.
They never mentioned this either, but this entire thing went just as expected for Enoshima, up until the final trial. She planned from the start to have this final trial with the students, and thus why she let Alter Ego hang around for a bit to give out clues. . …Maybe having everyone turn to hope was unexpected, but who knows how Enoshima’s brain works. The fact that she had her own personal execution all set up means that she must have been expecting her own death possibly somewhere down the line, right?
Let’s take a moment to admire Danganronpa’s “plot”.
I guess despair was her motive for killing off Ikusaba as well. …Or something. The game gave more of an explanation that Enoshima felt like her sister wasn’t portraying her as well as she would have liked (there was more interaction with “Junko” in the game, where she came off as a more down-to-earth girl), and she killed Mukuro off on a whim. The original plan was for Ikusaba to lash out at Monokuma and then be taken away to a dungeon, where she would ditch the Enoshima costume and work behind the scenes. …Obviously, this didn’t happen. Thus why her dying words were something along the lines of “why me?” In the IF scenario, it’s explained that Enoshima treating Ikusaba like this (like, how she talked about Ikusaba in the explanation of why she was dressed as Enoshima here) is her way of caring, so in a way, her killing her sister here is caring too, I guess.
So what the whole plot boils down to is the idea of “Hope VS. Despair”. …To be honest, the whole formula at the end with Naegi going “don’t give up hope due to these incredibly vague reasons!” and the characters going “WHOA, you’re absolutely right!” felt a little lacklustre, but I guess the important thing here is that it worked. Plus Naegi’s speeches to to Togami and Kirigiri were considerably more convincing than what he said to Haragakure and Asahina (ahaha Syo only agreed because of Togami). Thanks to Enoshima’s personality, it feels like they overcame something rather large. So in the end, the students are left to a rather ambiguous future. …Though Fukawa missed the entire thing due to Syo taking her place. If you’re wondering why Syo didn’t answer more about the apocalypse that happened, it’s because Fukawa was the one present during all of that. Syo just knows what came afterwards.
Anyways, back to the ending, things ended on a pretty good note. Sure, more than half of the students died, but a lot more got out alive than you were probably expecting for an anime with the “kill each other or be killed” premise. I don’t think the numbers would have gotten too much lower either, considering that Enoshima was totally planning a full reveal at some point, complete with the vote between total hope and total despair. I imagine she left Kirigiri alive and in the game (it’s not like anyone would have noticed if Kirigiri was dead from the beginning like her father) for the purpose of making the killers lose and drawing out the game as long as possible. I’d also say that it’s safe to assume that the despair apocalypse was a real thing (why would Enoshima lie?). If you’re curious about the unexplained “Most Despair-Inducing Incident”, that plays a rather large part in the second game, and was left as a loose thread in the game here too.
Finally, AHH!!!!! THE ENDING!!! No, I’m not talking about Monokuma miraculously being alive despite Enoshima definitely being dead. Who cares about that. I’m more interested in the rabbit. I really, really hope that Monomi’s appearance here means that an anime adaptation of Danganronpa 2 is on the way in the future. Despite the problems this anime had, I wouldn’t mind seeing the second game animated.
Maybe this wasn’t the best of the games-turned-anime genre, but seeing Enoshima in animated glory was more than satisfying. Actually, as I said in the comments in a past post, I think this worked better with the 13 episode formula as opposed to drawing this out. Maybe one or two more episodes for things would have been nice, but I also like where they ended the episodes each week. Also, there’s a huge difference between playing a game and watching a game’s plot unfold. Maybe they could have spent more time on solving the trials, but where the game forces you to be an active participant and think for yourself, watching people talk endlessly without interaction from the viewer can easily be boring. The thing I wouldn’t have minded them expanding on though, is character interaction. I really missed some of the character quirks that the game went into more detail with, and the fact that practically everyone died before the ending would have had more impact if we knew them better beforehand.
I feel like I complained a lot on the first episode about how similar the anime was to the game, but overall, I ended up appreciating it. Sure, I would have liked to have seen the punishment time animated differently (and maybe the trials in general), but aside from that first episode, I guess I got used to the fusion of game material and animation. Using the same ED from the game from the anime worked well here. …Or maybe that’s just seiyuu bias. That’s right. You finish the game, only to be greeted by that creepy sun thing and flowers. No, I have no idea if it actually means anything, but it’s weird. And in the end, it’s that weirdness that makes Danganronpa what it is.
…Don’t worry, they don’t all die from air poisoning 5 steps outside or anything.
I wish I could say why I know this, but there are still a ton of things I could potentially spoil from other Danganronpa-related projects~.
About Karakuri
University student and the one at Metanorn who's known for wearing glasses. Likes blood, insanity and plot twists, but also plays otome games and adores cute romance anime. It balances out... somehow.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Super-Duper World Despair could happen though,
especially if Kyoani fails to deliver Free! Season 2 next summer as promised to the fangirls(and boys) ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉPOWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Nuhhh! Don’t say such despairing things! I don’t know how I will survive if there are no swimming boys next summer!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So you’re trying to keep hope alive, eh? I think there was a quote for something like that.
Man, it’s annoying how true that is.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ugh, that might be true despair right there.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
As part of the OP in Blood-C goes: “Despair is the only truth I’ve got”.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
Okay, now THAT would make even Junko squeal in delight/despair. U sure you’re not related to her? 😀
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
I’m more despair at the thought of ANOTHER endless forum war that is known as Log Horizon, Kyoukai no Kanata, Kill la Kill or Nagi no Asakura.
DR/Railgun/Free anime staff, you guys better deliver your teases! (/ﾟДﾟ)/
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Another Summer anime bites the dust. If I had live in the outside world in that state, I’d despair and want to take shelter in the school as well.
So in a way, thanks to her multiple personalities, Enoshima is more screwed up than Genocider. From what is shown, she rotates between personalities that switch at opportune times because one is there just in time to match a temporary setting in the trial, whether it revealing what’s going and why or pressuring the survivors to do exactly what she wants. The one with the glasses looked a lot like Gatchaman Crowds’ Rui but at least Enoshima is actually a girl. And like the Joker, her reasons were pretty simple: She loves to make people despair and doesn’t present herself as the type who’d waste her time explaining an unnecessarily complex plan or deep meanings for her motives. She’s a genius and doesn’t have to prove it. Despair is contagious as it would spread faster and gnaw deeper than hope would. By nature, people gravitate easily to negativity. Her endurance is a mystery. How’d she live through so many executions that would have killed others right on contact?
I had to roll my eyes now and again at how cheesy and over the top Naegi was trying to instill hope in everyone else to make sure save his own skin. If it wasn’t for the fact I wanted to know what happens next, I might have skipped it but the frame of that giant bullet and him pointing out the target was cool to look at.
So apparently, there may be another Danganronpa series. First a Monobear and now a Monobunny. Weird… Overall, this was an alright series to pass the time. However, sometimes I feel it would have been better if there were more than 13 episodes. I haven’t played the game but definitely felt the pacing was too rapid at times.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
And just when you thought no one could top Syo… But yeah, her motives are pretty easy to figure out. Uhh, Maybe it was just “despair power” that kept her alive until the end. …Yeah, that’s it.
Well, Naegi was saving his own skin, but there’s the fact that he’s anti-despair by nature. I believe one of his very first lines was that he was “a bit more optimistic than most people”
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
About Genocider. I guess nobody has thought about it because they were wrapped up about staying alive and resisting despair. But when you give it some thought, you realize they are letting a serial killer walk away free and they’re nonchalantly walking side by side with her. I’d be on my guard at all times.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ahaha I’ve always found it rather funny that the serial killer didn’t actually end up killing anyone. …And killing people was the whole point of the anime.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That gives a new perspective on the word “Irony”. Genocider didn’t kill so much as a single person in that entire ordeal.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Well, this was a fun anime! 😀 I’m surprised how much I ended up liking the game aspects of this. In the beginning I didn’t like it at all but it gave the show character.
I definitely know I am getting the game when it is released in English so I will be able to learn about all of the stuff that the anime did not touch on.
Crossing my fingers for a DR2 possibility! 😀
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
…Yeah, this show put a lot on mimicking the game. It worked out well in the end though, luckily for them.
DR2 would be awesome (as would them bringing the game over here), but for now I guess we have the English version of Danganronpa to look forward to~
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I never played any of the games, but damn this series was a lot of fun! I mean playing guess the murderer was easily the best part <3
That said the final episode was a bit crazy! Junko has what five or six personalities or something? Also the random fanservice wasn't bad but really distracting from the whole "we could die" if we screw this case up...
Hope bullets makes me laugh! That is basically a friendship powerup ripped from Fairy Tail xD
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
Imagine actually playing a game like that! That would be totally awesome
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Honestly, I had to roll my eyes at the Hope bullets. I usually find this brand of over the top, cheesy speeches of hope in Naruto Shippuden.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Murder is certainly one of the many great things about this series~
FRIENDSHIP SOLVES EVERYTHING.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
Not always
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
SORE WA CHIGAU YO!
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
–reaction shot–
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
*cue the designated character’s look of surprise and desperation*
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
I sure wouldn’t mind to see the 2nd season and get to see all those other characters I’m really interested in.
Other than that, I liked this show. It wasn’t great, but it was still decent. And fairly original.
The tongue thing started to get on my nerves, though. Why? O_O Why make such a huge tongue?
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
By saying “secong season” do you mean an anime on the 2nd game?
I would love to see that. It has awesome characters too. Show ▼
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
…I can see absolutely everyone fangirling over Komaeda now.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
XDDD I’m not fangirling, I just like the character.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Definitely not me :/ Komaeda is creeepyyyyy when he not being helpful.
Mioda/Nidai on the other hand…. =)
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
…this show made such a “Shiro like” ending
it was almost as if “i didn’t actually killed anyone, because: people die when they are killed…so everything was a lie…teehee”