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Danganronpa Kibō no Gakuen to Zetsubō no Kōkōsei (Japanese: ダンガンロンパ 希望の学園と絶望の高校生^?, lit. " Danganronpa: Academy of Hope and High School Students of Despair")^[3] is a murder mystery visual novel developed and published by Spike. The game was released for the PlayStation Portable handheld video game console exclusively in Japan on November 25, 2010. The game was later ported to iOS and Android OS devices as well on August 25, 2012, once again, only in Japan. Danganronpa is a coined word composed by bullet (弾丸, dangan^?) and refutation (論破, rompa^?).

Plot[link]

The game is set at a special, elite high school called Kibōgamine Academy (希望ヶ峰学園, Kibōgamine Gakuen^?, lit. "Hope's Peak Academy") which only accepts students of the highest caliber in various fields. To this effect, each student has a title in akin to "Super High School Level" (超高校級, chō-kōkō-kyū^?). However every year it accepts one average high school student chosen by raffle.^[3] The events of the game are shown through the eyes of the protagonist Makoto Naegi, one such average student.^[3]

When Naegi arrives outside of the gates of the Academy, he loses his consciousness and wakes up inside the school. Naegi ends up meeting other newly picked Super High School Students who also ended up going unconscious outside of the school gates.

It is revealed that they are trapped inside the school for life by a sadistic toy controlled black and white bear called Monobear. The only way to get out is by 'graduating'. In order to graduate, a student needs to commit a murder without any of the other students figuring it out. If the culprit succeeds at committing the perfect murder, then the rest of the students are sentenced to death while the culprit gets to leave the school.

A school trial is held when a murder occurs, so students can share information and debate about who is the culprit that committed the murder. They decide on who is the culprit by taking a vote. If the students pick the right suspect as the culprit, the culprit is put at a gruesome execution 'for disrupting the order of the school'.

Gameplay[link]

The gameplay is similar to the Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney series but with an emphasis on faster gameplay.^[3][4][5]

Characters[link]

Makoto Naegi (苗木 誠, Naegi Makoto^?)

Voiced by: Megumi Ogata

The protagonist. An ordinary high school student who was accepted to the academy by raffle. He has no spectacular talents apart from his optimism and was given the title of Super High School Level Good Luck (超高校級の「幸運」).

Mono Kuma aka Mono Bear (モノクマ, Monokuma^?)

Voiced by: Nobuyo Ōyama

A strange teddy bear who proclaims himself to be the principal of the academy and initiates a life of mutual killing amongst the students.

Sayaka Maizono (舞園 さやか, Maizono Sayaka^?)

Voiced by: Makiko Ōmoto

A cheerful girl who is the leader of a five member nationally popular idol group. Makoto and Sayaka went to same junior high school. Her title is Super High School Level Idol (超高校級の「アイドル」)

Leon Kuwata (桑田 怜恩, Kuwata Reon^?)

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai

A brash teenager who is exceptionally good at baseball. His title is Super High School Level Baseball Player (超高校級の「野球選手」)

Kyōko Kirigiri (霧切 響子, Kirigiri Kyōko^?)

Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa

A mysterious female who seemingly has amnesia but also possesses a cool head and reasoning skills. The skill for she was accepted into the academy for is unknown, so her title is Super High School Level ??? (超高校級の「???」)

Byakuya Togami (十神 白夜, Togami Byakuya^?)

Voiced by: Akira Ishida

The successor of a highly successful family corporation who considers himself superior to all the other students in the academy. His title is Super High School Level Elite (超高校級の「御曹司」)

Aoi Asahina (朝日奈 葵, Asahina Aoi^?)

Voiced by: Chiwa Saitō

A well meaning air-headed student who excels in athletic sports especially swimming. Her title is Super High School Level Swimmer (超高校級の「スイマー」)

Kiyotaka Ishimaru (石丸 清多夏, Ishimaru Kiyotaka^?)

Voiced by: Kōsuke Toriumi

An enthusiastically straight laced student who is a stickler for rules and order. His title is Super High School Level Discipline Committee Member (超高校級の「風紀委員」)

Tōko Fukawa (腐川 冬子, Fukawa Tōko^?)

Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro

A gloomy girl with a persecution complex who is a best selling novelist. Her title is Super High School Level Literature Girl (超高校級の「文学少女」)

Mondo Ōwada (大和田 紋土, Ōwada Mondo^?)

Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai

A hot-blooded student who is a head of the largest bōsōzoku group in the country. His title is Super High School Level Delinquent (超高校級の「暴走族」)

Sakura Ōgami (大神 さくら, Ōgami Sakura^?)

Voiced by: Kujira

A fearsome student who is a world class fighter and is nicknamed "The Ogre". Her muscular appearance and deep voice means that she is occasionally mistaken for a man. Her title Super High School Level Martial Artist (超高校級の「格闘家」)

Hifumi Yamada (山田 一二三, Yamada Hifumi^?)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi

An otaku student who is a popular dōjin manga artist. He proclaims that his interests are solely in the "2D World". His title is Super High School Level Dōjin Creator (超高校級の「同人作家」)

Celestia Ludenberg (セレスティア・ルーデンベルク, Seresutia Rūdenberuku^?)

Voiced by: Hekiru Shiina

A student in Gothic Lolita costume who is a famous gambler and known as the "Queen of Liars." Her title is Super High School Level Gambler (超高校級の「ギャンブラー」)

Yasuhiro Hagakure (葉隠 康比呂, Hagakure Yasuhiro^?)

Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze

A laid back student with dreadlocks who is a rising star in the fortunetelling community. His title is Super High School Level Fortuneteller (超高校級の「占い師」)

Junko Enoshima (江ノ島 盾子, Enoshima Junko^?)

Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi

A charismatic gyaru fashion model who has modeled for many popular magazines. Her title is Super High School Level Gyaru (超高校級の「ギャル」)

Chihiro Fujisaki (不二咲 千尋, Fujisaki Chihiro^?)

Voiced by: Kōki Miyata

A shy, retiring student who is a skilled programmer. Her title is Super High School Level Programmer (超高校級の「プログラマー」)

Development[link]

The game uses a special graphics technique, termed "2.5D Motion Graphics", used to blend 2D character and item art within a 3D explorable environment.^[3] The game used "pop art", a bright and colorful style, as a way to contrast the dark subject matter of murder.^[6] Scenario writer Kazutaka Kodaka stated he desired to "...shake user's heart by showing a devastating accident in not devastating ways. But, by some measure, it might be more shocking than showing a devastating scene."^[6]

Release and reception[link]

Prior to release, a free demo version containing the first chapter of the game (with a different victim than the final game) was made available. A bonus key chain with a figure of Mono Kuma on it was given to people pre-ordering the original PlayStation Portable version.^[7] The game sold 25,564 copies in Japan in its first week,^[8] making it the top selling PlayStation Portable game of the week, and eighth across all platforms.^[9] After three months of sales, the game had sold over 85,000 copies, a number Spike CEO would label a success.^[10]

The game was ported to iOS and Android in August 2012, with new features such as retina display support, touch screen controls, and a new image gallery.^[11] The game could be purchased either separately by chapter, or as a whole like the PlayStation Portable release.^[12]

Legacy[link]

In December 2012, Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype magazine announced that there would be an anime television series adaption of the game.^[13] Set to release in 2013, it will be directed by Seiji Kishi, who directed the adaption of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 into Persona 4: The Animation.^[13]

Another Spike game developed for the PlayStation Portable, Gachitora: The Roughneck Teacher in High School, allows the player to wear a Mono Kuma costume if a Danganronpa save file is present upon playing Gachitora.^[14]

Sequel[link]

On July 26, 2012, Super Danganronpa 2 Sayonara Zetsubō Gakuen (スーパーダンガンロンパ2 さよなら絶望学園^?, lit."Super Danganronpa 2: Farewell Despair Academy") was released for the PlayStation Portable, with a similar premise, except the game takes place on a deserted tropical island called Jabberwock (ジャバウォック島, Jabawokku-tō^?).^[15] The second game debuted higher than the original, peaking at number 5 and selling over 69,000 copies its opening week.^[16]

Characters[link]

Hajime Hinata (日向 創, Hinata Hajime^?)

Voiced by: Minami Takayama

The protagonist who was attracted by the academy from childhood. He losts his memory about the skill for he was accepted into the academy for, so his title is "Super High School Level ???" (超高校級の「???」)

Nagito Komaeda (狛枝 凪斗, Komaeda Nagito^?)

Voiced by: Megumi Ogata

An optimistic, subservient student who was accepted to the academy by raffle and called "Super High School Level Lucky", the same as the previous protagonist. He always pursues "absolute hope".

Teruteru Hanamura (花村 輝々, Hanamura Teruteru^?)

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama

A fattish student who is a good cook but likes dirty talk. He often claims himself to be an urban chef. His title is "Super High School Level Cook" (超高校級の「料理人」)

Mahiru Koizumi (小泉 真昼, Koizumi Mahiru^?)

Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi

A strong-minded, commonsense girl who is good at taking portrait photographs. Her title is "Super High School Level Photographer" (超高校級の「写真家」)

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryū (九頭龍 冬彦, Kuzuryū Fuyuhiko^?)

Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio

A loner student who is the successor of the largest yakuza family in the country, despite his boyish face. His title is "Super High School Level Gangster" (超高校級の「極道」)

Ibuki Mioda (澪田 唯吹, Mioda Ibuki^?)

Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu

An inspiring student who was a guitar member of a popular all-female band. Her title is "Super High School Level Light Music Club" (超高校級の「軽音楽部」)

Chiaki Nanami (七海 千秋, Nanami Chiaki^?)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa

A sleepyheaded student who is inexperienced in the ways of the world except to play video games. Her title is "Super High School Level Gamer" (超高校級の「ゲーマー」)

Nekomaru Nidai (弐大 猫丸, Nidai Nekomaru^?)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto

A sturdy, passionate student who is good at supporting athletes, but is a dyspeptic. His title is "Super High School Level Manager" (超高校級の「マネージャー」)

Akane Owari (終里 赤音, Owari Akane^?)

Voiced by: Romi Park

A free, voluptuous, gluttonous student who excels in athletic sports especially gymnastics. Her title is "Super High School Level Gymnast" (超高校級の「体操選手」)

Peko Pekoyama (辺古山 ペコ, Pekoyama Peko^?)

Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi

A severe-looking, but girlish-hearted student who is a master of kendo. Her title is "Super High School Level Kendo Fencer" (超高校級の「剣道家」)

Hiyoko Saionji (西園寺 日寄子, Saionji Hiyoko^?)

Voiced by: Suzuko Mimori

A cute, but malicious and selfish student who is a popular performer of nihon-buyō dance. Her title is "Super High School Level Nihon-buyō Dancer" (超高校級の「日本舞踊家」)

Sonia Nevermind (ソニア・ネヴァーマインド, Sonia Nevāmaindo^?)

Voiced by: Miho Arakawa

An overseas student who is a noble princess of a European small monarchy called Novoselic. Her title is "Super High School Level Princess" (超高校級の「王女」)

Kazuichi Sōda (左右田 和一, Sōda Kazuichi^?)

Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya

A gaudy, but timid student who is familiar with mechanisms and has a crush on Sonia. His title is "Super High School Level Mechanic" (超高校級の「メカニック」)

Gundam Tanaka (田中 眼蛇夢, Tanaka Gandamu^?)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

A self-confident student who always behavior exaggeratedly, but is a good breeder. His title is "Super High School Level Animal Handler" (超高校級の「飼育委員」)

Byakuya Togami (十神 白夜, Togami Byakuya^?)

Voiced by: Akira Ishida

The successor of a highly successful family corporation and called "Super High School Level Elite" as before, but gains a strong sense of responsibility and weight.

Mikan Tsumiki (罪木 蜜柑, Tsumiki Mikan^?)

Voiced by: Ai Kayano

A devoted student who is familiar with nursing. She once suffered cruelty and still takes a servile attitude. Her title is "Super High School Level Healthcare Staff" (超高校級の「保健委員」)

Usami (ウサミ^?)

Voiced by: Takako Sasuga

A strange stuffed rabbit who proclaims herself to be the academy's teacher and conducts a safe school trip to a tropical island. However, she could not stop Mono Kuma's plot and was renamed Monomi (モノミ^?) by him. She speaks with a lisp and her favorite phrase is "love, love".

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website (Japanese)
  • First (Japanese)
  • Second (Japanese)
• Anime official website (Japanese)ko:탄환논파 희망의 학교와 절망의 고교생

ja:ダンガンロンパ 希望の学園と絶望の高校生 zh:槍彈辯駁 希望學園與絕望高中生