Danganronpa – 03
“Everyone stand around awkwardly and let Naegi do all of the work!”
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…Or that’s what I thought the trial would mostly be, but Kirigiri, Asahina, and Togami were fairly helpful as well. As a fun fact, every single screenshot here minus the one above, I could have substituted a screenshot from the exact same scene from the game and you probably wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. |
This episode of argument was… interesting. I feel like they could have done it better at some parts, but at the same time, I’m not quite sure how else they could have done it. I know for sure that I wish the Climax Interference had actually been animated as opposed to still being in comic form. Though I did like how they put it in the middle of the trial as opposed to the end, since the visuals helped keep things from being too monotonous. I’m sure it helped clarify some of the events as well (as opposed to telling and not showing). The Bullet Debate part seemed kind of silly too (you know, where the text showed up with the target), but the game has ‘bullet’ (dangan) right in the title and it’s a huge theme to the trials. It might be even weirder if they didn’t include some sort of shooting in there. I was totally expecting the “SORE WA CHIGAU YO” cut in, so I’m not going to comment on that much, aside from:
AHAHAHAHA they actually included this.
…Actually, when you’re not solving the case yourself, you kind of have to marvel at the character’s deductive skills. If Kuwata had done things differently, or if the characters hadn’t picked up on some of the clues, they would have all been screwed. Though of course, there’s not going to be such a thing as a perfect crime in a mystery game/anime and of course they pick up on everything. Plus there’s another particular reason why they’d have a hard time losing a trial (circumstances providing), but let’s wait until the plot gets to that before I talk.
As for other things that might not have made sense in the trial because they weren’t explained, in regards to the trash burner, Yamada was the only person who could have gotten in there. Monokuma picked a random student to give the garbage duty to, and only they had the key for the gate. Thus, why Kuwata had to throw things in there when the gate was down (and he couldn’t have asked Yamada, as that would have been suspicious). As for the fact that Kuwata was able to throw things accurately, keep in mind that in the Danganronpa universe, these students are the absolute best of the best. They’re super elite for one reason or another, thus why they were invited to the school. The anime has never mentioned it, but all of them have great achievements they’ve accomplished. …Like for instance, Fukawa is a best selling, award winning romance novelist (which I find hilarious, considering her character), Asahina was a swimmer in the Olympics, and Togami is the heir to the richest company in the world (and has already made a fortune on his own, aside from his family’s ridiculous amounts of money). So these characters can do some ridiculous things regular people couldn’t. Even Naegi’s good luck is actually a thing (though it doesn’t manifest obviously). Like, with the door. He got the room that has the broken door, which is bad luck on his part, but at the same time, it’s the fact that the door was broken that led them to solving the case. He’s lucky in things like that.
I thought for a minute that they were actually going to bust out the rhythm game portion of the trials. Basically at this point of the arguments, there’s a pointless rhythm game where Leon (or whoever is guilty) loses his shit and Naegi shoots down all of his arguments. …That obviously didn’t translate well here. It worked in the game (kind of) since there was player interaction going on and didn’t really have a time limit, so the character arguing would recycle the same 5 or so lines while the player took down their ‘health’ at their own pace depending on difficulty level. …Where in the anime, screaming “IDIOT” a thousand times doesn’t exactly make for a good argument. …Nor does it make one look any less suspicious. At least we got a feel for how desperate Leon was though, I guess. The moments before the execution were nice too.
I have to say though, the execution felt waaay more shocking in the game.
Maybe because I knew exactly what was coming in the anime, and maybe because it actually showed Leon getting hit by the baseballs as opposed to just showing where they were shooting from. Damn censoring. Actually, there’s a wonderful irony in this execution that the new people to this series missed because the anime didn’t go into Leon’s character that much. You see, he was super talented at baseball, but was notorious for the fact that he never went to practice (he even said himself that he never attended practice once). So being locked in a batting cage and the fact that baseballs were the choice of weapon was totally intentional. …Because Monokuma is a sadist like that. I think Celes had a line about how Kuwata could have never murdered Maizono and just warned the rest of them about what happened too, so it’s not like her death was a complete accident on his part.
I guess I should talk a bit about Maizono’s character as well. They never went into it, but she was so desperate to leave because her idol group was her life. Like 99% of parents seem to be in Japan, her father was never home and basically, Sayaka’s only friend at those times was this idol program. So she decided that she wanted to become one too and give others strength no matter what (and with that, to stay one no matter what), and that DVD that Monokuma gave to her was definitely what pushed her into attempted murder. And she probably would have gotten away with it too. Not that they mentioned it here, but I think I remember Togami (or someone) pointing out in the game that Naegi would have been too nice to point out that Maizono was lying about switching rooms and would have let himself (and everyone else) die in order for her to escape, provided that she had succeeded in murder and gone to trial. Everyone suspected Naegi right away, so it wouldn’t have been that difficult. Plus, when he promised her that he would do anything for her in episode 1, he meant it (and Maizono knew from the past that he would have kept his word). Despite depicting Maizono like this, I always liked the end part with what Kirigiri tells Naegi though. I really do want to believe that Maizono spent her last moments worrying about Naegi and trying to clear his name, despite trying to frame him. Especially since he takes her death with him for the entirety of the story.
Danganronpa isn’t even close to the perfect game adaptation, but it’s doing about as well as I thought it would. So I’m not too disappointed overall. I knew what I was getting into. I can see people having problems with the… ridiculousness of this all though. Monokuma is always over the top, which was definitely an atmosphere breaker after Kuwata’s death and some of the events (like the fact that Monokuma had a baseball-themed cage of death all set up in a school) really need you to suspend your disbelief. Oh well, this should be a good run, now that I have an idea how things will go. I can’t wait until some of the reveals that will happen in the next trial~!
So they know the price for failure now, and yet you just know that someone’s going to die again. Any guesses as to who?
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: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Nice game of “Who done it?”. I liked the mystery feel of trial. While they were debating the clues, they found new clues in the process which suggests if things went another way, the participants would have done nicely as investigators. Seeing Naegi and Kyouko backing each other was great. Too bad they’ll eventually have to slit (figuratively or I could be wrong) each other’s throats.
So
Takahiro SakuraiLeon is the first one executed and in a rather cruel way if you ask me. Getting killed in a fashion of something you love is quite the insult. The sequence was amusing but I think it would have been more brutal if we could have actually seen Leon being pummeled alive.Damn that Monokuma. It’s bad enough two people are dead but he just had to go and further desecrate their memory by having pictures of them plastered throughout the court room and some sitting in the empty stands. Sick, twisted bear! When is he going to get his? However, I had to laugh at the Winnie the Pooh reference with him and that honey pot.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Its also kinda cruel tht Maizono and Leon got killed off because the character designer got sick of their designs ^_^;
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
Really? was that why they wete killed first? lol, I had no idea.
I thought this was to piss of the main character. He promissed to get her out and then she’s the first one who dies.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
Well, this was alright, although it did feel like they pulled a lot of the information out of thin air, rather than giving those of us who didn’t experience the game at least a tiny hint of who it was. The little comic things were nice, I liked them. I didn’t really get the point of the bullets and typed-out quotes, though…
Kuwata’s death was interesting, Monokuma really thought out how to kill the culprits with whatever they’re pro at, although I have to wonder what that would be for some of the characters. I don’t have a problem with how ridiculous it is, I’m just having issues believing that Nagei is really going to be lucky enough to solve all the trials. I kind of want some of the other characters to get some explanations.
That honey jar Monokuma had, though, I feel like it was aimed at the people who grew up with Winnie the Pooh. Just in case the voice wasn’t enough.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
In the game you literally need to shoot the evidence bullet to the correct quote.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
Okay then… wow. That’s creative, I guess. That makes more sense if that’s how it goes, then.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
I won’t try to guess who will die next, since if they’re going as in the game, then I already know the next victim.
This episode was not that bad, even though I felt a few times that I’m playing and like “ahh, I need to press something! Oh, wait, this is not my psp…” haha
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 95 comments
No Maizono was suppose to be a decoy heroine.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Then I take it that Kyouko is the true heroine?
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 95 comments
Dangan ronpa is a linear route game until, of course, you get the answer wrong and get everyone killed of course.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Talk about a severe drawback. An extreme version of “the innocent pays for the guilty”.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
I wonder why Leon, after being attacked by Maizono didn’t run away and scream for help? Why did he open the door to the bathroom and kill Maizono? Was he affraid that nobody would believe him, since she’s just a weak girl?
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
And there’s your answer for the reason why his “self-defence” plea does not hold.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 95 comments
He wanted to kill her. As Celes pointed out in the game, it is not self-defense because he had time to think about it before he killed her.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
Really? I guess I forgot.
Thanks.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
He had the effort to go back to his room, fetch his screw driver, come back to Naegi’s/Maizono’s room to break the door with the screwdriver.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
I wonder if it was his anger, that she attacked him. Or perhaps fear? Thoughts that if anyone found out about this accident, Maizono would blame Leon, that he attacked her.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
That’s one of the things that bothers me about this show. She “locks” herself in the bathroom, yet he goes back to HIS room to get the tool set? Not look in the drawers in ‘her’ room to see if there’s one to use there?
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
Girls rooms have needles. Boys rooms of toolsets. Leon thought the room was Maizono’s therefore he figured that there’s no toolset in the drawer and went to fetch his in his room.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
He thought the room was her room. Girl’s room doesnt have toolsets.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Was that mentioned and I didn’t notice it? I did get distracted with the toolset in Naegi’s room, I thought he was supposed to fix his bathroom door with it, so maybe I missed where they said that it was only boy’s rooms (I did hear that only girl’s rooms have bathroom door locks, tho).
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think I might be about done with the show. I just don’t find it intriguing, just exploitative and gratuitously sadistic. I don’t see why Monokuma’s videos for each of them to get out is motivating, since I take it that that stuff already happened. Why should anyone believe it hasn’t? So what good would it do to murder at least one person, and be responsible for the deaths of others, so that you can get out to a world where the ones you loved are also already dead?
It’s not like Btoooom! where all the characters were irredeemably broken and all deserved to die. Most of them seem ok. I dunno, it just seems like Monokuma’s sick revenge fantasy, and I’m not really interested in that.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Most people just watch shows like this purely for its sadistic tendencies. They enjoy watching stuff like this happening to others as long as it doesn’t happen to them and personally, I think they just want to be shocked. This could be some of the reasons why people willingly go to watch horror movies.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, I think that’s the thing. I never watch horror movies either. 🙂
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I sometimes go to watch horror movies. Only if they seem interesting to me.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
You are really flaunting your hipster card 😛
The reason I like the game/anime is:
1) The weird/bizarre as hell atmosphere it gives off
2) The characters
3) The whodunnit and whydunnit
4) OST done by Masafumi Takada
5) The twists
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought I was being anti-hipster. 😉
I don’t mind other people liking the show, it’s just not for me. You mention the characters, and I think I might like it better if there was more characterization. But right now, (in the anime) there are just too many characters and not much time devoted to any of them. For instance, I didn’t remember at all that Leon was a baseball player. Was it ever said besides that 3 second card that they threw up in the forest of introductions in the first episode? Basically, we knew nothing about him.
I think this is just the way it is if they have to get through the whole story in 12 episodes (I think everyone would consider it a cheap out if someone actually got away with a murder with, say, 8 people left, and they all got killed). But it does leave a huge understanding gap.
POWUH: 600-699 and Wingman with 655 comments
i dont think, as the pace that is right now, the anime wont be able to accommodate all the episodes ;( 3 episodes per chapter aint gona do! wish this had 2 seasons