Danganronpa Another Despair Academy
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is a Japanese
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
franchise created by
Kazutaka Kodaka is a Japanese video game designer, writer, and manga artist. His work is known for recurring themes of contrasting hope and despair, luck and talent, truth and lies, and mixing tragedy with dark humor, as well as using numerous plot twists. He ...
and developed and owned by
Spike Chunsoft is a Japanese video game development and video game localization, localization company specializing in role-playing video games, visual novels and adventure games. The company was founded in 1984 as Chunsoft Co., Ltd. and merged with Spike (compa ...
(formerly
Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (Broderick book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter ...
). The series primarily surrounds various groups of apparent high-school students who are forced into murdering each other by a robotic teddy bear named
Monokuma is a fictional identity adopted by several characters in the Danganronpa, ''Danganronpa'' series, serving as the mascot and main antagonist of the series. Monokuma first appears in ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' as a disguise used by Junko ...
. The gameplay features a mix of
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
,
visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...
,
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
and
dating sim Dating sims, also known as dating simulation games, are a video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. While resembling the visual novel genre in presentation, true dating sims utilize an additional statistical and time manage ...
ulator elements. The first game, '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'', was released for the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
in 2010. The original scenario was written by Kodaka, who aimed to create a twisted adventure game. The original concept was rejected for being too gruesome, but it was later approved after retooling. The series has morphed into a franchise that includes manga, anime, and novels. The franchise became one of Spike's most successful works since they previously outsourced their works. The series received many positive reviews from critics, praising the series' characters, tone, and atmosphere. Rui Komatsuzaki's character designs became popular for cosplay. Kodaka's work also inspired staff members from the studio
Pierrot Pierrot ( , ; ), a stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte, has his origins in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a hypocorism, diminutive of ''Pierr ...
in the making of an anime titled ''
Akudama Drive is a 2020 Japanese cyberpunk anime television series conceptualized by Kazutaka Kodaka and produced by Pierrot and Too Kyo Games. It was written by Norimitsu Kaihō and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi. Set in a dystopian future in Kansai, t ...
''. By 2021, the ''Danganronpa'' series reached 5 million copies sold worldwide.


Premise

The series revolves around an elite high school, , which, every year, scouts , talented high school students who are at the top of their field, along with one "Ultimate Lucky Student" who is chosen by lottery. The three games, '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' (2010), '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'' (2012), and '' Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony'' (2017) have similar premises. Sixteen talented students who stand out in different fields are trapped by a bear-like machine,
Monokuma is a fictional identity adopted by several characters in the Danganronpa, ''Danganronpa'' series, serving as the mascot and main antagonist of the series. Monokuma first appears in ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' as a disguise used by Junko ...
. The cast is trapped for the rest of their lives in an establishment and the only way to return home is by killing another person and avoiding being found guilty during the class trials. The video games's narratives are connected by related media, expanding the story between titles. The first game was ported to
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
and Android in August 2012, with new features such as
retina display Retina display is a branded series of LCDs and OLED displays by Apple Inc. that have a higher pixel density than their traditional displays. Apple has registered the term "Retina" as a trademark with regard to computers and mobile devices with t ...
support,
touch screen A touchscreen (or touch screen) is a type of electronic visual display, display that can detect touch input from a user. It consists of both an input device (a touch panel) and an output device (a visual display). The touch panel is typically l ...
controls, and a new image gallery. Two smartphone games, and , were released for Android devices on April 27, 2012, and iOS devices on May 23, 2012. Following the Japanese release of ''Danganronpa 1-2 Reload'', a
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...
port of the game and its sequel, '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'', NIS America released the Vita version of ''Trigger Happy Havoc'' in North America and Europe in February 2014. Spike Chunsoft later released the game on
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
in February 2016. NIS America also released ''Danganronpa 1-2 Reload'' for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
in North America and Europe in March 2017, and Japan on May 18, 2017. Another compilation for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
titled ''Danganronpa Decadence'' was released in 2021. Besides the trilogy, the compilation offered a new title called '' Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp'', expanded from the two extra modes of ''Danganronpa V3''. The spin-off, '' Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls'', takes place between the events of the first two games, follows series protagonist
Makoto Naegi is a fictional Character (arts), character introduced as the protagonist of the 2010 visual novel adventure game ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' by Spike Chunsoft. A fairly optimistic but otherwise average student who is selected in a raff ...
's younger sister, Komaru Naegi, accompanied by
Toko Fukawa The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...
, as both of them trek through a city overrun by murderous Monokumas, and fighting against a group of children calling themselves the Warriors of Hope. This game was also adapted into the
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
'' Genocider Mode''.


Gameplay

Gameplay in the main ''Danganronpa'' games is split into various chapters which each consist of three sections: Daily Life, Deadly Life, and Class Trial. Daily Life follows a standard
visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...
style as players explore the school grounds, converse with characters, and progress the story. During designated "Free Time" sections, players can interact with a character of their choice, learning more about them through intimacy events and earning new skills that can help them in the Class Trial. Deadly Life is the post-murder investigation part of the story, in which players search for clues and gather evidence for the Class Trial. The Class Trial is the main section of the series, in which the students attempt to determine the culprit. This involves various types of mini-games, the most common of which is the Nonstop Debate. Here, the characters discuss the case in real-time, and the player must spot contradictions in their statements and shoot them using "Truth Bullets" containing the corresponding evidence. These sections are broken up by assorted minigames including spelling out clues, rhythmically fighting against suspects, and piecing together comic books depicting the case. The spin-offs '' Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls'' and '' Danganronpa: Unlimited Battle'' use different types of gameplay. The former is a third-person shooter in which the protagonist, Komaru Naegi, uses a megaphone to issue commands at most of the electronic objects in-game, including Monokuma Robots and switches. ''Unlimited Battle'' is an action game where players use touchscreen controls to fling a team of four of the ''Danganronpa'' characters at enemies.


Development

While at Spike, Kodaka proposed an idea to the company that was known as ''Distrust''. The concept was similar to that of ''Danganronpa'', a
battle royale Battle Royale may refer to: * Battle royale, or battle royal, a fight among many combatants ** Battle royal (professional wrestling) Fiction and literature * Battle royale genre, a narrative genre of films, manga, anime and visual novels inspire ...
style death game in a closed environment between high school students, but the idea was too gruesome and was consequently scrapped. After tweaking the concept, Kodaka successfully pitched it to the company and the game went into production, becoming ''Danganronpa''. The word "Danganronpa" originated from character designer Rui Komatsuzaki which was first written in
kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
but it was later taken to
katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
for the logo. Kodaka cites
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...
as a major inspiration when making the games. He stated "As opposed to being about death, these are games about playing for your life, since killing is much less purposeful without a motive to justify it. This is something you can really see with all his titles.". The first game in the series, titled '' Danganronpa: Kibō no Gakuen to Zetsubō no Kōkōsei'', was produced by Yoshinori Terasawa, who was inspired by movies such as ''
Saw A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chainsaw, chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws. Saws began as serrated materials, and when man ...
'' and ''
Cube A cube or regular hexahedron is a three-dimensional space, three-dimensional solid object in geometry, which is bounded by six congruent square (geometry), square faces, a type of polyhedron. It has twelve congruent edges and eight vertices. It i ...
''. The game uses a distinct "pop art" style featuring fluorescent pink blood. The game's scenario was written by Kodaka, with character designs by Rui Komatsuzaki. In February 2014, Kodaka revealed on his
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account that the story of ''Danganronpa'' was inspired by the
Sega Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
game ''
Illbleed is a survival horror game developed by Crazy Games and released for the Dreamcast in 2001. It was published by Crazy Games in Japan and Amusement Interface Associate (AIA) in North America. The game follows Eriko Christy, a high school studen ...
'', as he loved how "crazy" it was. The game was originally conceived as a basic visual novel but, as visual novels were growing less popular, new gameplay elements were added to make it stand out. Due to budget issues, some lines were not given voice acting which left voice actress
Megumi Ogata is a Japanese actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi in the Toei version of ''Yu-Gi-Oh ...
with the desire to make some important lines in retrospective. She felt a similar feeling with the anime adaptation as she felt it was too trimmed. Kodaka claimed some lines were not befitting to protagonist
Makoto Naegi is a fictional Character (arts), character introduced as the protagonist of the 2010 visual novel adventure game ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' by Spike Chunsoft. A fairly optimistic but otherwise average student who is selected in a raff ...
such as when the player is exploring an area. As a result, he also felt they would have added more fitting lines if Spike had the budget for the game. The game was originally released on
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
in Japan on 25 November 2010, and was later ported to
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
and Android devices on 20 August 2012. Prior to the game's release, the company released various promotional material, including a playable demo and trailers, which depicted a different victim from the final game. Two smartphone applications, and , were released for Android devices on 27 April 2012 and iOS devices on 23 May 2012. After the making of the first ''Danganronpa'' game, there were no plans for a sequel. However, the team split up into different groups to make other projects. Initially reluctant, Kodaka was attracted by the idea of creating the novels ''Danganronpa Zero''. Terasawa approached Kodaka with the idea of a sequel in a few months. Kodaka wrote both ''Zero'' and ''Goodbye Despair'' at the same time. In retrospect, Kodaka considers the novels as needing more structuring work when comparing it with the game. He wrote elements he was doubtful from the first game into the novel as well as more hints towards ''Goodbye Despair''. As a result, Kodaka recommends gamers first read ''Zero'' before playing the sequel. A sequel, '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'', was released for PSP in Japan on 26 July 2012, featuring various gameplay additions. On 10 October 2013, Spike Chunsoft released , a compilation of the first two games, for the
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...
. Along with higher resolution graphics and touch-screen controls, the compilation added an additional 'School Mode' to the first game, based on the second game's 'Island Mode'. On 6 July 2013,
NIS America is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was founded in 1991 and has developed several role-playing video games, most notably the ''Disgaea'' and '' Marl Kingdom'' series. Its mascot is the penguin-like ''Disgaea'' charact ...
announced they would be releasing the Vita version of the first game in English under the name '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'', featuring both English and Japanese audio. This version was released in North America on 11 February 2014, and in Europe and Australia on 14 February 2014. The Vita version of the second game, titled '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'', was released in North America and Europe in September 2014. Both games were later ported to
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
in 2015 and were released for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
in 2017. On 9 September 2013, Spike Chunsoft announced a spin-off title of the series, '' Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls'', which was released on Vita on 25 September 2014 and was released in North America and Europe in September 2015. A free-to-play spin-off game, '' Danganronpa: Unlimited Battle'', was released for
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
in Japan on 7 January 2015. In March 2015, writer Kodaka Kazutaka revealed that ''Danganronpa 3'' was in early development. The game was revealed in September 2015 as '' Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony'' for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
and Vita, which was later released in 2017. A
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
port of '' Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony'' was also in 2017. The game was developed at the same time as the production of the anime series '' Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School'', which Terasawa and Kodaka described as being difficult; they still try to develop both projects without making any compromises, as such an opportunity does not arise often. The "V3" in the game's title was chosen to differentiate it from the anime. Terasawa and Kodaka described the game's production level as being much higher than that of previous games in the series. With ''Killing Harmony'' completed, Kodaka claimed that he would take a break from the franchise in a similar fashion to the ''Back to the Future'' film series, which consists of three installments. A free
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
technical demo based on the first game, titled '' Cyber Danganronpa VR: The Class Trial'', was released for
PlayStation Plus PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
users in Japan for the
PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. The headset works with the company's PlayStation 4 video game console and is forward compatible with PlaySta ...
on 13 October 2016. A
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...
prequel with ''
Otogirisō is a 1992 visual novel video game developed and published by Chunsoft for the Super Famicom. It is about an unnamed protagonist and his girlfriend Nami who are lost down a forest road. After having to make an emergency stop, they find themselv ...
'' to the first game, titled ''
Kirigiri Sou is a visual novel game developed by Spike Chunsoft for Microsoft Windows. The game is the second spin-off of the ''Danganronpa'' series of visual novel games following '' Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls'', set between the events ...
'', was released for PC users in Japan on 25 November 2016. In 2017, Spike Chunsoft started hiring staff for a new ''Danganronpa'' game. In July 2020, it was announced that the franchise's publishing rights outside of Japan will be transferred from NIS America to Spike Chunsoft. As part of the 10th anniversary celebration, enhanced ports of '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' and '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'', titled ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition'' and ''Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition'' respectively'','' were released on smartphone on November 25, followed by Nintendo Switch in December 2021. ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition'' was also ported to Xbox One and Microsoft Store on January 17. These versions contain a gallery where players can listen to character voices, as well as view character expressions, in-game illustrations, and character references. On Nintendo Switch, the publisher also released an Anniversary Edition of '' Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony'', as well as ''Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp'', a brand new exclusive game for the Switch. ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition'', ''Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition'', ''Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition'', and ''Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp'' were also collected and sold as a bundle titled "Danganronpa Decadence on the Nintendo Switch.


Themes

According to Kodaka, the first two games focus prominently on the ideas of hope and despair. The cast from the first game suffers the latter theme when being forced to kill each other in Monokuma's battle royale. Kodaka stated that the games were intended "to portray the disparity faced when someone has killed another person while at the same time portraying the hope of one day achieving salvation." Although the game shares traits with
Koushun Takami is a Japanese author and journalist. He is best known for his 1999 in literature, 1999 novel ''Battle Royale (novel), Battle Royale'', which was later adapted into two Battle Royale (film), live-action films, directed by Kinji Fukasaku, and fo ...
's 1999 novel ''
Battle Royale Battle Royale may refer to: * Battle royale, or battle royal, a fight among many combatants ** Battle royal (professional wrestling) Fiction and literature * Battle royale genre, a narrative genre of films, manga, anime and visual novels inspire ...
'', Kodaka aimed to provide different ideas when writing the script. Originally, the idea was to use adults as protagonists but he instead found high school characters as more suitable leads due to their immaturity through the usage of character development and how would they react to a killing game. Voice actress
Megumi Ogata is a Japanese actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi in the Toei version of ''Yu-Gi-Oh ...
who voices
Makoto Naegi is a fictional Character (arts), character introduced as the protagonist of the 2010 visual novel adventure game ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' by Spike Chunsoft. A fairly optimistic but otherwise average student who is selected in a raff ...
also commented on these themes; Ogata felt Makoto embodies the philosophy of hope as he brings this to the narrative and the setting. Analyzing these themes further, Ogata said ''Danganronpa'' often touches on the conflicting elements of despair and hope. The characters experience despair while they are trapped in the school and Makoto provides more emotional support to the cast across the story, giving the actress a far more optimistic message that the students are going to survive. In ''Goodbye Despair'' a new character named
Nagito Komaeda , also known as , is a fictional character introduced in the 2012 Spike Chunsoft visual novel action adventure game '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair''. Nagito is a high school student from Hope's Peak Academy, holding the title of "Ultimate L ...
was introduced with the same Lucky Talent as Makoto. However, the staff considered them opposites based on their ideals of hope. In contrast to Makoto's heroic ideals of obtaining hope, Nagito instead embraces the idea of despair, believing that from any corrupted work the cast can find salvation. The anime ''End of Hope's Peak Academy'' introduces a rival to Makoto named Kyosuke Munakata who shares similar ideals but is corrupted due to his friends' death, and thus contradicts Makoto's ideals. Across the story, Makoto carries the "burdens of hope" in the face of persistent obstacles, allowing him to redeem Kyosuke. For the third and latest game, '' Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony'', Kodaka decided to focus on a new theme: lies. Dishonesty is represented through mysteries and surprises the player gets while playing the game. Kodaka claims that games would understand the ideals of lies when presented with the culprits. He was inspired by a mafia-like game where the answers are not provided to the player, and thus wanted ''Danganronpa'' to go through this style in terms of writing. This mostly manifested in the new gameplay elements in ''Killing Harmony'' as the player can enter hidden routes throughout the class trial by lying at a specific juncture. However, Kodaka had mixed feelings about it, finding that it would come across as forced storytelling. Kodaka also refrained from expanding the theme of romance in the game, as he felt the cast would look weak if this was implemented.


Localization

The games were localized by NIS America. Due to the poor popularity of outsourced games by the Western studio-like '' DmC: Devil May Cry'' or ''
Dead Rising is a series of action-adventure games created by Keiji Inafune. It was originally developed by Capcom in 2006 until Capcom Vancouver took over developing the franchise and Microsoft Studios took over the publishing rights. As of December 31, 2 ...
'', Spike wanted the ''Danganronpa'' to remain true to its Japanese release, with Spike Chunsoft CEO Mitsutoshi Sakurai saying that Western fans seemed to embrace Japanese games like the ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
'' series. Due to delays with it being made, fan translations of the first game were present on the internet before NIS America handled the project. Minor changes were made to the characters' names but the team felt that the team aimed the project to be as faithful and accessible to the Western gamers. Spike's single request to NIS America was keeping the Monokuma's names intact. Due to the premise involving mystery, NIS America was keeping clues and at the same making the Class Trials as challenging as the original ones from Japan. While the English cast did not cause difficulties,
Toko Fukawa The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...
's English voice actress was the most challenging to find as the character has a speech impediment. Monokuma was kept intact to make him look funny and at the same time threatening, something the team enjoyed. ''Goodbye Despair'' was more challenging to localize than the original game due to how much longer the narrative is. The original team tried to work together again on the project to keep themselves familiar with the concepts of the series. In regards to changes NIS America made, Spike Chunsoft was supportive of the ideas they provided. The producer and assistant producers were in direct contact with the original creators of the series, making the interaction between the team to be done quickly. Sonia Nevermind's traits were altered due to how in the Japanese version she was using terms from the 1980s and 1990s in Japan. The team was concerned if her catchphrases should be kept intact for the Western version. Fuyuhiko was also challenging to dub as a result of his initial harsh personality. The casting was made with the help of Bang Zoom!. Similarly,
Nagito Komaeda , also known as , is a fictional character introduced in the 2012 Spike Chunsoft visual novel action adventure game '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair''. Nagito is a high school student from Hope's Peak Academy, holding the title of "Ultimate L ...
was difficult to dub as a result of his multi-faced personality. Since in the Japanese version both Makoto Naegi and Nagito were voiced by
Megumi Ogata is a Japanese actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi in the Toei version of ''Yu-Gi-Oh ...
, in the English version they decided to also use the same actor:
Bryce Papenbrook Bryce Papenbrook, sometimes credited as Bryce Rothstein, (born February 24, 1986)Birthday reference: * * is an American voice actor. He typically provides voices for English versions of several Japanese anime series. Early life Bryce Papen ...
.


Other media


Printed media

The first ''Danganronpa'' has received two manga adaptations. The first adaptation, illustrated by Saku Toutani, was published in
Enterbrain , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on January 30, 1987, as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strate ...
's ''Famitsu Comic Clear'' web magazine between June 24, 2011, and October 18, 2013, and is told from the perspective of the other students. The second, illustrated by Samurai Takashi and based on ''Danganronpa: The Animation'', began serialization in
Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines ...
's '' Shōnen Ace'' magazine from July 2013. An official fanbook and comic anthologies based on both the game and the anime have also been published. A mini
light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...
written by Ryohgo Narita, titled , is unlockable in ''Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'' after clearing the game once. The story takes place in an alternate universe where Makoto manages to find an alleged escape switch. The prequel, ''
Danganronpa Zero ''Danganronpa Zero'' is a Japanese light novel written by Kazutaka Kodaka and illustrated by Rui Komatsuzaki. It was published by Seikaisha from September 16 to October 14, 2011, and has been collected in two volumes. A prequel to '' Danganr ...
'', takes place in Hope's Peak Academy shortly before the events of "The Tragedy", following an
anterograde amnesia In neurology, anterograde amnesia is the inability to create new memories after an event that caused amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long-term memories from before the event remain intact. Thi ...
c protagonist,
Ryoko Otonashi The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...
, while detective
Kyoko Kirigiri is a fictional Character (arts), character from the Spike Chunsoft visual novel action-adventure game series ''Danganronpa''. She was introduced in the 2010 game ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' as a high school student and the "Ultimate ??? ...
searches for its perpetrator, the mysterious
Izuru Kamukura Izuru may refer to the fictional characters: * Izuru Kira This is a list of featured in the manga and anime series ''Bleach'', created by Tite Kubo. Soul Reapers are a fictional race of spirits who govern the flow of souls between the human wor ...
. The light novel series '' Danganronpa: Kirigiri'', which takes place before the events of the first game, follows a young Kyoko Kirigiri and her assistant Yui Samidare over the course of several years as they set out to become private detectives, rising through the ranks of the . ''
Kirigiri Sou is a visual novel game developed by Spike Chunsoft for Microsoft Windows. The game is the second spin-off of the ''Danganronpa'' series of visual novel games following '' Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls'', set between the events ...
'', which takes place before the first game and after the events of the
light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...
series '' Danganronpa: Kirigiri'', follows college student Kouhei Matsudaira and Kyoko Kirigiri, as both of them investigate a mysterious mansion ruled by the influence of a
plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...
doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...
of Kyoko (known as Kyoka) created by
Santa Shikiba Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christm ...
and her "siblings", the Rhinogradentia. The light novel trilogy '' Danganronpa: Togami'', which takes place before and during "The Tragedy", follows
Byakuya Togami The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...
and his secretary and biographer Blue Ink after he is stranded naked in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
with her by the
Ultimate Despair Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Ultimate'' (Bryan Adams album) * ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album) * ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album) *''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds *''Ultimate Prin ...
organization, as the Ultimate Imposter takes over the Togami Conglomerate and announces worldwide that lest he (the real Byakuya) be assassinated within the following 24 hours, the Ultimate Despair group will "end the world." The second volume also focuses on a younger Byakuya and the Imposter as they compete against fifteen of their siblings in the Togami family competition for the position of Togami heir, which quickly devolves into a killing game. The manga series ''Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer'', which takes place between the events of the first two games, follows rookie and veteran Future Foundation agents Misaki Asano and Takumi Hijirihara, the latter of whom leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
obsessed with
Mukuro Ikusaba The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...
, who only kills other murderers. A short story booklet titled , written by Kazutaka Kodaka, was included with special editions of the first Japanese Blu-ray and DVD release of ''Danganronpa: The Animation'', serving as an origin story relating how Makoto came to be selected as the "Ultimate Lucky Student" of Hope's Peak Academy. Alongside the next anime, a manga spin-off illustrated by Mitomo Sasako, titled ''
Killer Killer , originally known simply as ''Killer Killer'' for its first volume, is a Japanese manga series written by Kazutaka Kodaka and Yōichirō Koizumi and illustrated by Mitomo Sasako. It was published by Kodansha in the magazine ''Bessatsu Shōnen ...
'', began serialization in
Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...
's ''
Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Kōdansha. The magazine was started in September 2009 as a spin-off of another Kōdansha magazine, '' Weekly Shōnen Magazine''. Currently running manga series Past series * '' ×××Hol ...
'' from March 9, 2016. Initially released as ''Killer Killer'', in its third chapter, published on May 9, 2016, the manga series was revealed to be a side-story of ''Danganronpa 3''. The series focuses on Misaki Asano, a young woman assigned to the Future Foundation's sixth branch. She specializes in murder investigations, and is teamed up with fellow investigator Takumi Hijirihara, who, following "The Tragedy", has secretly become a serial killer, known as the "Killer Killer", obsessed with killing other serial killers the pair are tasked with apprehending. Two comic anthologies were released on September 9, 2016, and another was released on October 25, 2016, by
Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines ...
.


Anime

In December 2012,
Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines ...
's ''
Newtype is a monthly magazine originating from Japan covering anime and, to a lesser extent, manga, voice actors, science fiction, , and video games. It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985, and has since been released in ...
'' magazine announced that there would be an
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series adaptation of the first game, titled '' Danganronpa: The Animation'', produced by Lerche and directed by
Seiji Kishi is a Japanese animation director. Works Anime series *'' Yugo the Negotiator: Pakistan Chapter'' (2004) – Director *''Ragnarok the Animation'' (2004) – Director, Storyboard *'' Magikano'' (2006) – Director, Storyboard *'' Galaxy Angel II' ...
. The series aired between 4 July 2013 and 26 September 2013 on
MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed Ben Sulayem (born 1961), president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepales ...
' Anime-ism programming block. The final Blu-ray/DVD volume, released on 26 February 2014, features an extended final episode.
Funimation Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...
simulcast the series as it aired and released it on
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
/DVD in North America on 10 November 2015, while
Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1991, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyr ...
released the series in the UK on 9 November 2015. The anime is licensed by
Muse Communication Muse Communication Co., Ltd. (also known simply as Muse) is a Taiwanese distributor and licensor that specializes in the distribution of Japanese animation. Based in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, the company also distributes Asian and E ...
in Southeast Asia and aired on
Animax Asia Animax is an Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The channel was originally owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and took its name from the Japanese satellite TV network; which was then-majority owned by subsidiary Sony ...
in Japanese audio with English subtitles. A second anime series, titled '' Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School'', aired between July and September 2016. The series is split into two simultaneously airing parts: ''Side: Future'', which serves as a conclusion to the "Hope's Peak Academy" storyline, and ''Side: Despair'', which serves as a prequel to the first two games, ''Trigger Happy Havoc'' and ''Goodbye Despair''. Seiji Kishi once again directed the series at Lerche, while
Norimitsu Kaihō is a Japanese light novel writer and translator. Born in Kanagawa prefecture. He is from Keio University Fantasy Study Group. When he was a college student, he posted a coterie translation of an English tabletop RPG "TORG" supplement to Shinkig ...
wrote the screenplay. The ''Danganronpa'' development staff have stated that, while difficult to work on both titles simultaneously, they are giving it since the opportunity to do something like it does not come up often. Initially, an anime adaptation of ''Danganronpa 2'' had been planned, but in the end the development staff opted for making an anime that takes place after ''Danganronpa 2'' instead, as Kodaka felt that the ''Danganronpa 2'' characters' story had ended within that game and that he could not write another about what happened to them afterward very easily. While class trials had originally been considered, it was thought that it would have been too painful for the characters to sit through another one, which was what led to the decision to make the conclusion into an anime. The series was licensed for simulcasting by Funimation. Despite episodes alternating between the Future and Despair arcs when it originally aired, Funimation groups the episodes by arc on its streaming service. An
original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
titled ''Super Danganronpa 2.5: Komaeda Nagito to Sekai no Hakaisha'', was bundled with ''Danganronpa V3'' in Japan on 12 January 2017.


Music

The original soundtracks for both the games and the anime are composed by
Masafumi Takada is a Japanese composer and sound designer, best known for his work on the soundtracks for '' killer7'', '' God Hand'', '' No More Heroes'', and the '' Earth Defense Force'' and ''Danganronpa'' series. Takada has worked on multiple projects for ...
. The soundtrack for ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' was released in Japan by Sound Prestige Records on 14 February 2011, with the ending theme, , performed by
Megumi Ogata is a Japanese actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi in the Toei version of ''Yu-Gi-Oh ...
, which is also used as the anime's final ending theme. The soundtrack for ''Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'' was released on 31 August 2012. The soundtrack for ''Danganronpa: The Animation'' was released by
Geneon Universal Entertainment (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise that is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, owned by American telecommunications/media company Comcast headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo ...
on 28 August 2013. The opening theme for the anime series was "Never Say Never", performed by TKDz2b with Jas Mace, Marchitect and Tribeca, the single of which was included with the first Blu-ray/DVD volume of the anime released on 28 August 2013. The ending theme is by Susumu feat. Soraru, the single of which was released on 4 September 2013. There have also been drama CDs, as well as bonus soundtracks included with limited-edition releases of the games.


Appearances in other games

Monokuma is a fictional identity adopted by several characters in the Danganronpa, ''Danganronpa'' series, serving as the mascot and main antagonist of the series. Monokuma first appears in ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' as a disguise used by Junko ...
appears in some
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
for Spike Chunsoft's role-playing game, '' Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars''. Costumes of Monokuma and Monomi also appear in the Japanese
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
and
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...
versions of ''Terraria'', which are published by Spike Chunsoft in that region. Another Spike game developed for the PlayStation Portable, ''Gachitora: The Roughneck Teacher in High School'', allows a player to wear a Monokuma costume if a ''Danganronpa'' save file is present upon playing ''Gachitora''. Downloadable outfits based on Monokuma and Monomi also appeared in the ''Super Sonico'' game, ''Motto! SoniComi''. Characters from ''Danganronpa'' appear as downloadable content in ''Fushigi no Chronicle: Furikaerimasen Katsu Madewa''. The roguelike Rhythm game, rhythm game ''Crypt of the Necrodancer'' features remixed music from the ''Danganronpa'' series, as well as character skins of Makoto Naegi, Monokuma, Monomi, Hajime Hinata, Junko Enoshima, Chiaki Nanami, Ibuki Mioda and Sayaka Maizono. Costumes of Makoto, Kyoko, Junko, Monokuma, Hajime, Chiaki, Nagito and Mikan, as well as a pet of Monomi appear as part of a crossover in the NetEase survival mobile game ''Identity V''.


Theatrical plays

The franchise had a theatrical play dubbed . The play follows Makoto Naegi as he and his classmates must kill each other without being caught by the other students. The play features all the characters from the anime and game. The game is localized to Japan only. A stage play based on the anime ''Future Arc'' was made with InnocentSphere's Hideyuki Nishimori directing and writing the scripts. It premiered on 20 July 2018.


Reception


Sales

The series was a commercial success. As of 7 November 2018, the game series had sold over of 930,000 units in Japan. The best-selling Danganronpa game in Japan is '' Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'', which sold a total of 258,250 units on the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
. In Europe and the United States, combined sales of the first two games on PlayStation Vita, ''Trigger Happy Havoc'' and ''Goodbye Despair'', have surpassed 200,000 copies sold as of April 2015. Spike Chunsoft reported in March 2018 that the two games each sold an additional 200,000 units through
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
. By 2021, the series reached 5 million copies sold worldwide.


Critical response

''USGamer'' claimed that the popularity behind ''Danganronpa'' not only comes from the plot and gameplay but also the "zany, multifaceted characters" who are both expressive and distinctive. The tension provoked by the trials was said to be the most important part of the gameplay,, as the player feels confused about what character could have been the murderer of a case. ''Hardcore Gamer'' said the game has an "uncanny ability to leave its players slack-jawed at the sights of the unraveling plot points." ''Destructoid'' praised its art style and well thought out story. The media focused on the art style and character designs, which they felt helped to easily tell apart characters and enjoy their interactions with leads.2014-04-01
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Review
Cubed3
A major praise in regards to the narrative are the twists revealed through class trial like Nagito Komaeda's true character in ''Goodbye Despair'' or Kaede Akamatsu's last action in ''Killing Harmony''. This also led to articles focused on the game's strongest characters based on intelligence or major role in the series. However, the trials have often received criticism for being easy to solve. The latest game, ''Killing Harmony'', attracted divisive comments from fans due to its ending which involves the characters being aware of their fictional nature and the emotional catharisis they have suffered as a result of the series' popularity. The cast in general was well received with several of them often being the subject of cosplay based on their distinctive designs, with multiple favoriting Junko Enoshima and series' mascot
Monokuma is a fictional identity adopted by several characters in the Danganronpa, ''Danganronpa'' series, serving as the mascot and main antagonist of the series. Monokuma first appears in ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' as a disguise used by Junko ...
. In November 2019, a Monokuma costume created controversy in Austin, Texas, after drag queen Erika Klash was denied entry to a Whataburger while dressed as the character, after performing in-character at the Austin International Drag Festival at the club Elysium for five years. Klash later received an apology from a Whataburger representative over the incident, both in-person and on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. The reveal in the first game of one characters' gender, who had been cross-dressing, received mixed reception from some critics, who called the discovery "a cheap plot device". The series has won multiple awards, including the first one: ''GameFan'' as List of Game of the Year awards, Game of the Year, Best Sony Portable Exclusive Game, and Best Adventure Game. ''Game Informer'' awarded it Best Vita Exclusive, Best New Character (Monokuma) while RPGFan gave it the "Best Story", and "Best Graphic Adventure", while ''Goodbye Despair'' received ''Famitsu''s List of Game of the Year awards, Game of the Year (Readers), ''Hardcore Gamer''s Best PS Vita Game, "Best New Character" (Monokuma), and "Best Adventure Game", while in the Japan Game Awards it won the "Award of Excellence". In 2017, ''Famitsu'' readers voted ''Danganronpa'' among the top four adventure games of all time, along with ''Steins;Gate'', ''428: Shibuya Scramble'' and ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''. ''Killing Harmony'' won the Excellence Prize at the Famitsū scores, Famitsu Awards and the award for "Best Plot Twist" in ''Game Informer''s 2017 Adventure Game of the Year Awards. In a ''Famitsu'' poll celebrating the franchise's tenth anniversary, the series remained more popular within female players than male players. The survey also included the fact that ''Danganronpa'' is mostly popular within young adults despite the magazine claiming the game were created to appeal to older gamers. In 2014, The 19th Animation Kobe committee chose
Seiji Kishi is a Japanese animation director. Works Anime series *'' Yugo the Negotiator: Pakistan Chapter'' (2004) – Director *''Ragnarok the Animation'' (2004) – Director, Storyboard *'' Magikano'' (2006) – Director, Storyboard *'' Galaxy Angel II' ...
to receive their Individual Award for the stretch of his career including '' Danganronpa: The Animation'', ''Arpeggio of Blue Steel'', and ''Hamatora''. ''GamesRadar'' writer Kenneth Shepard acclaimed the ''End of Hope's Peak Academy'' series, stating that despite the franchise changing media from games, the narrative was appropriate for the television series. He added that he felt that the anime managed to bring closure to Makoto's story arc and felt his story easy for newcomers rather than just returning players. The finale of the series' ''Hope Arc'' earned positive reception for how it handled the respective finales of Makoto's and Hajime's/Izuru's journeys, despite lacking the appeal the original games had in the usage of antagonists. According to Kodaka, ''Ace Attorney''s success in North America was due to how it distinguished itself from most visual novels with its gameplay mechanics, which ''Danganronpa'' later built upon and helped it also find success in North America. He further noted that the team behind the games were surprised by the popularity of the three games, claiming they were not expecting ''Danganronpa'' to become popular games. As a result, he found that the franchise was so successful that it approached Atlus's role-playing game series ''Persona (series), Persona'', although ''Persona'' still being vastly more popular. Anime director Tomohisa Taguchi was so impressed by Kodaka's work on ''Danganronpa'' that he collaborated with him on the anime ''
Akudama Drive is a 2020 Japanese cyberpunk anime television series conceptualized by Kazutaka Kodaka and produced by Pierrot and Too Kyo Games. It was written by Norimitsu Kaihō and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi. Set in a dystopian future in Kansai, t ...
''.


Notes


References


External links

* {{Kadokawa Dwango Danganronpa, Fiction about death games Detective video games Kadokawa Corporation franchises Murder mystery video games Post-apocalyptic video games Seinen manga Shōnen manga Spike Chunsoft video games Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2010 Video games adapted into comics Video games adapted into novels Video games adapted into television shows NIS America games