DANGANRONPA / First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「DEAD OR LIE」 by 黒崎真音 feat.TRUSTRICK (Maon Kurosaki and feat.TRUSTRICK)

 

「Third time’s the charm」

In case you haven’t read my preview synopsis (which was very hard to write in a concise manner by the way), DANGANRONPA 3 is meant to be a sequel for the visual novels and not the actual anime. Why you might ask? Well that’s the question we all want answered… but in short, I think it’s mainly to appeal to the visual novel fans of the franchise rather than the anime-only viewers. There IS a DANGANRONPA 2 but only in visual novel form and this IS intended to be a sequel for the novel. DANGANRONPA 3 is however, an anime-original so it’s weird that they would “reward” fans with a sequel but not in the medium that they’re used to… while also “penalizing” the anime-only viewers because they’ve never read the visual novel… so yes, I’m confused but let’s go ahead and spoil what happened in DANGANRONPA 2 so if you’re watching Mirai-hen, you have some context.

What happens in DANGANRONPA 2 is that a new cast of characters (whom all have no recollection of their past) get trapped on an island and forced to kill one another in order to get off. Sounds familiar right? One by one, someone dies and after each death, there’s a trial to see if the main character can guess who murdered whom. As the game goes, you learn that the “island” is actually a virtual reality created for everyone inside it and in fact – the students playing the game are all the Ultimate Despairs who work for Enoshima Junko. They were captured and forced into this virtual reality which was hacked by the virtual version of Junko. Naegi Makoto contacts the main character in DANGANRONPA 2, Hinata Hajime, to ask for help to purge the virtual version of Junko. The good ending results in Hajime “refusing to graduate” from the program and instead, Makoto is able to delete the virtual Junko. However, at the same time, the students who “died” in the program remain in a coma in the real world. The survivors of DANGANRONPA 2 come out of the program and decide to change their view on life while finding ways to revive their comatose friends. In the end, Makoto allows them to live on the island as a result of all they’ve been through.

At the end of DANGANRONPA 2, Naegi Makoto (Ogata Megumi) is fully aware of what’s he’s done and even tells his friends that they will have to work hard to cover-up the glitch in the system and what’s happened to the remaining Despairs. Now that we’re in DANGANRONPA 3, we find out that he’s pretty much caught and apprehended by the other members of the Future Foundation. All the top-ranking members have decided to come together and decide on Makoto’s fate… and little did they know, they’re now all trapped inside their own tower, forced to play another kill-or-die game orchestrated by Monokuma (Tarako) . The rules are the same (I’m assuming) and after each murder, there’s going to be a time for everyone to investigate and then a time for the trial. If you guess the right person, you escape and if you don’t, you die and THEY escape. The kicker here is that there are members here that have already been through the first terrifying game: Asahina Aoi (Saito Chiwa), Kirigiri Kyouko (Hikasa Yoko) and Hagakure Yasuhiro (Matsukaze Masaya) and of course, there’s a mole amongst them. Bum bum bum…~ There’s a ton of new characters whom I would introduce but I’ll do so after the next episode. Some of the notable ones so far are Munakata Kyousuke (Morikawa Toshiyuki) who is the VP of the Future Foundation and Yukizome Chisa (Nakahara Mai) who appears to be the closest to Kyousuke but also a very warm and friendly person in general. Obviously that means that Chisa is the first to go though and we see that at the end.

So what does this mean? Well as an anime-original, I actually think the series has started very well. It’s not AS confusing as I thought it was going to be and honestly, you don’t really NEED to understand what happened in DANGANRONPA 2 to enjoy this sequel. You DO need to have watched the first anime, but that’s probably about it so far. There are no references that are too difficult to understand without context and given that all the new players are new (except the returning handful), the audience can really start fresh with this sequel. I don’t want to guarantee anything (because who knows what might happen), but so far, I’m enjoying it and I’m speaking from an anime-only POV. Given that it’s also not based on a visual novel, the anime does have a different feel and I hope that’s reflected in the trials as well. One thing that I didn’t really care for in the original prequel was how the trials were executed because there’s no interaction from the audience and you’re just watching things unfold while being told what happened. I hope there’s a bit more mystery this time around to really get the audience engaged. Of course, there are some bits and pieces that might feel very convenient for the sake of creating the story – I’m talking about you, “hidden island” for all the top Future Foundation members that “just happens” to be discovered at this moment to capture everyone. Well then… there goes the world’s last hope right? Asides from this little “coincidence” in the episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it really brings back what the original DANGANRONPA was like.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: #Danganronpa premieres better than I thought it would. There’s still some gaps in the story but for the most part, still interesting. A lot of new characters and without a lot on the previous game, I’m surprised that it still works. #Danganronpa

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「Recall THE END」 by TRUSTRICK

36 Comments

  2. I’m a little confused, I don’t remember who survived from season 1, and there was a lot of exposition, which as to be expected. And it looks like they’re just gonna use the same format from season 1, rinse and repeat? I hope not. If so, I might not have the patience for this this time around. Def 3 episode rule is in effect.

    Bamboo Blade Cat
    Reply

      2. Actually, you can watch it without playing DR2. It’s just that the Despair Side will lose its emotional impact if you haven’t been through the journey with the cast already. I just watched it, and it’s the best I could hope for. I think it might be awkward for the anime-only audience as it is the first time you get to see those characters. How about you see the Despair Side, and then tell us how you feel when Randomc posts the review for it? I think it would be pretty interesting to know how different it is for anime-only watchers.

        Problem Child
        Reply

      1. I disagree strongly with this suggestion. I have faith that people here are intelligent enough to have a basic understanding of the story regardless. Also, anything important will be explained anyways. You forget that this is only the first episode of many, there’s only so much you can fit into one episode 😉

        Lyfe
        Reply

      2. Yeah, I don’t think it’ll be that hard to catch up on what happened eventually. It’s sort of like I watched DBS without ever having watched DB/DBZ and after a few episodes, I was able to follow along fine. And if the producers really made it that hard, then it’s not worth watching for those who never saw/played DR2, and that means it’s for niche audience pretty much, which doesn’t seem all that practical for a show’s demographic. Anyhow, we’ll see how the next episode goes.

        Bamboo Blade Cat
        Reply

      3. Sure, If anything by the end of either show I can’t imagine there will be any anime only viewers confused about the story. But really, if some people want to believe that you absolutely won’t be able to follow the story without playing Super Danganronpa 2, then that’s their own choice I guess. 😉

        Lyfe
        Reply

    3. Well there were a handful of people that survived season 1… I DEFINITELY recommend that you re-watch or at least read the ending of season 1 if you don’t remember it. There’s no way that people should watch the 3rd installment without having seen the first at least.
      I’m still in the camp of NOT having to fully watch Danganronpa 2 to enjoy this sequel. Honestly, I don’t know how much they’ll refer to it (if at all) because this looks like an entirely new cast right now and new challenges etc. You probably need to know why Makoto is in cuffs? And that’s about it (which I’ve already explained in my write-up). I’d give it a few more episodes before judging and if you have any more specific questions that need to be answered, ask away!

      Cherrie
      Reply

      1. I just remember that of those that survived, let finally left the school and the world was a wasteland. I kinda wanted to see that show! But I guess that was in DR2? I’ll give this another episode or two.

        Bamboo Blade Cat
        Reply

  4. As far as content and continuity goes, DR3 is off to a great start and is making its way to completing the Hope’s Peak story.

    Also, I believe Kodaka mentioned that it was his decision to make this into an anime since as far as the narrative goes, making another death game no longer makes sense (thus, Ultra Despair Girls). And honestly, the story is really best told through a gaming medium under the class trial format. If this will be the end, then a Future Foundation attack makes perfect sense.

    Can’t wait for Despair arc!

    The Meep
    Reply

    1. Exactly. This isn’t about rewarding or punishing anyone. It’s more about Kodaka using the medium that best suits the story he wants to tell. For DR1 and 2, it was a game/VN. For UDG, it was a TPS (3rd person shooter). And for DR3, it’s anime

      bassgs435
      Reply

  10. I wasn’t that thrilled at first for this one (compared to the Zetsubou arc), as I liked the cast from DR2 way more than the first one. But it was a good first episode. You NEED to watch an LP or play DR2 as there are massive spoilers on the first minutes. There is also an small Ultra Despair Girls cameo but so far that game isn’t relevant, aside from explaining two of the original survivors absence and showing one of the DR2 cast in his UDG appearance. Maybe that will change though.

    I was a bit puzzled why the blood wasn’t pink, but probably it is because it gives more of a “real” atmosphere, compared to the first and second games. The “traitor” theme is back again. Animator guy seems the most fishy of all of them Show Spoiler ▼

    but it is DR, I’m betting it will be someone else that is totally unexpected, like the farmer guy (hearing Tsundere Queen voice a muscular man with an afro was hilarious). Waiting for Zetsubou-hen now! Show Spoiler ▼

    haitechan
    Reply

  11. You should seriously consider putting a spoiler warning for those who haven’t yet played the first two games. Looking at main page, I nearly thought that was Asahina who died there, my favourite doughnuts eater.

    Ebisu
    Reply

    1. Isn’t knowing Asahina is alive a huge spoiler if you haven’t played the first two games because you know she’ll be alive till the third installment?

      In fact, what are people doing here if they haven’t seen the previous two, because the first few minutes of this is a really big spoiler to the events of Part 2. I really hope people don’t make the mistake of skipping ahead.

      Giorno Giovanna
      Reply

      2. I’m just saying that asking for a spoiler warning is pretty silly because even the most subtle things like knowing who stays alive would ruin the tension of the 1st arc, as well as this being a discussion post for the 3rd arc.
        Also, luckily the despair group from part 2 have their story told, backstory at least, in the other Danganronpa 3 anime for anyone interested.

        Giorno Giovanna
        Reply

  12. Yu Narukami is the new Ultimate Hope, he’s obviously the MC thats going to survive till the end :3

    Im kinda bummed that they are basically making all the Future Foundation Leaders kill each other in this. All of them are a big deal and even a few of them dying is a huge blow to the war against despair. Just feels like such a waste to kill off such important and major characters.

    And if anyone from DG1 dies in this I’ll be really pissed, lol.

    YanDaMan
    Reply

  13. Good intro episode to the series, great opening (not sure which of the two openings I prefer as of now), and I’m looking forward to seeing these guys (mostly Kirigiri) find answers to all of my questions!

    Emictavice
    Reply

  15. After watching the first episode of the Despair Arc, I can definitely say that they should have not only played that arc first, but also should have shown this arc next season instead of simultaneously. Watching this episode first, I really didn’t feel anything when Chisa was found dead (unless she pulls a Junko later) since all we saw was that she was a nice person, but that’s about it, but after seeing the first episode of the Despair Arc a couple days ago, I would have felt bad here because her character is actually fleshed out a bit with just that first episode and now I really like her, but the impact of this episode is already lost because of not seeing the first episode of the Despair Arc first…

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

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