Hello Readers, it’s Co-editor Gail.
You know those pieces of media that your friend has seen that they insist you will love but you just don’t check it out for the longest time for no good reason but when you finally do you realize your friend was absolutely right and now that thing is your new obsession?
Well recently for me, that thing has been the video game series Danganronpa. Though I am not a gamer myself, I have at this point watched let’s plays of each game on Youtube and I loved them all so much.
Danganronpa is a series by the Japanese developer Spike Chunsoft. There are three main visual novel style games, one story driven shooter spinoff game and even an anime series!
I do not want to give too many secrets away as one of the best parts of these games are their mysteries, but I will give you the main premise to entice you to play or watch if you haven’t yet.
To briefly summarize all three:
16 talented high school students are trapped in an isolated location and forced into a killing game by an evil robot teddy bear.
Do I have your attention now?
I assure you; it is just as wild and chaotic as that sounds and so much fun. Each game has so many new people for you to meet and the writing gets better from one game to the next. Some characters you will love and some you will love to hate! The art style is original and fun to look at and while the game play sometimes can be difficult or illogical, it is for sure a 100% unique experience.
I will warn you that the games feature death sequences and scenarios that some viewers may find disturbing or triggering so please keep that in mind for yourself if you think you would be someone sensitive to that. It would be irresponsible of me to recommend something that could be traumatizing to others.
The games are also a bit outdated in terms of political correctness. There are plenty of things in all of them that do not hold up to modern western standards of appropriateness and it is basically up to you as the player/viewer to decide if it is too off-putting for you to enjoy the rest of these games.
I personally do not agree with every thesis these games come to in their conclusions, but during these horrible times we are going through, I appreciate that they are trying to uplift their audience with stories that are ultimately about overcoming despair, creating your own future, and the power of truth and lies.
It was cathartic to watch these characters struggle through the turmoil of a world that is not as far off from our own as one might at first suspect. These games really made me think as well as laugh and cry. It was just the right kind weird that acts as candy for my brain. Honestly, it has gotten me through these past few months. It came into my life when I needed it most and still do. All I really have left of it to consume is the anime and I am hesitant to start because that means it will be over!
So, I encourage you all to give these games a look. I hope you find at least one character that latches onto your heart and that you are just as blown away by the plot lines as I was my first viewing.
Gail Bello is a poet and playwright from Waltham, Massachusetts. She graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Creative Writing and a minor in Theatre from The University of Maine at Farmington. Find her previous publications at https://thaumaturgedramaturge.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter @AquajadeGail