Every end has a beginning.
What They Say:
Welcome back to Hope’s Peak High School! Attending class is optional, right?
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Kodaka had mentioned before that Future Arc and Despair Arc are designed to be watched back-to-back, and there was plenty of speculation about why this might be, but this episode wastes no time in explaining, opening with Yukizome watching and commenting on her own death from the previous episode. She’s rather nonchalant about the entire thing, too, which is just a tad bit suspicious. We can easily assume that this sequence is meant to be metaphorical, that Yukizome has simply become a narrator of sorts now that she has been eliminated from the killing game. Things don’t tend to be that simple in the world of Danganronpa, though, so a seed of doubt has definitely been planted already.
That is the only overt tonal carryover from Future Arc 1, though. After a very cute and bittersweet opening sequence, we are sent right into a much happier past, when Yukizome was first assigned to be the assistant homeroom teacher for the 77th class. We find her in a much more bubbly state than in Future Arc, utterly excited and pleased to be given the opportunity to mentor a class of her own. We also learn more about another Future Arc character – the fedora-wearing Kizakura, who was mysteriously silent for the entire last episode, turns out to have been the actual homeroom teacher for class 77 and on good terms with the principal, Jin Kirigiri. Yukizome takes over for him because he was too hungover, apparently, and it would be pretty funny if it turns out he didn’t talk during the Future Foundation’s meeting for the same reason.
Those of us familiar with the games surely remember Free Time Events. Arguably the most important aspect missing from the original game’s anime adaptation, Free Time Events are the optional hanging out and exploring the player can do between deaths and investigations, and they did a great amount of work in fleshing out and humanizing the characters so that the more serious events could pack real punches. Without the time to include even a little bit of these moments in the Danganronpa 1 anime, many viewers felt the heart of the franchise that makes it so special was lost. Luckily, they seem to have learned from their mistakes, as the rest of the episode is mostly a lighthearted reintroduction to the Danganronpa 2 characters from the perspective of a flustered but dedicated Yukizome attempting to round them up and get them to actually attend class. Unlike Future Arc so far, there is almost no sense of self-seriousness to be found here; instead, the franchise’s staple sense of humor takes the wheel, as we watch Gundham reject his own name, or Nagito win way too much soda, or Chiaki lose herself in her video games. We even have some “free time” with Future Arc’s stoic Kyousuke, as we find him overseeing the creation of an overseas extension of the academy. From the looks of it, this is actually what ends up being the Future Foundation’s base that they are ironically now trapped in during Future Arc, which is yet another cool way Kodaka has managed to weave these stories separated by years together.
Of course, the real treat here is that all of these happy sequences are underlined by an implicit levity, making them both more fun and somehow sad at the same time. We know that these kids eventually become the Remnants of Despair, that they end up trapped inside the virtual world of the island. When Chiaki explains to Hinata that his lack of a talent actually provides him with more freedom, it stings because we know he doesn’t properly learn that lesson. Even as an extension of that, Yukizome tells the class that her goal is to help them become well-rounded people and not just vessels of “talent,” but we can’t help but assume that her lesson doesn’t play out as she planned. Still, these are strong themes that define the franchise as a whole, so I am very much looking forward to seeing how this show plays out a “corrupted” version of those themes – and perhaps a simultaneous celebration of them in Future Arc.
And indeed, the post-credits scene doesn’t bode well for how long Despair Arc will keep up its fanciful charade. A large round table of suits (presumably the Steering Committee from Danganronpa Zero?) looks over a file on Hajime, foreshadowing the offer he receives to participate in the Hope Cultivation Plan. Things are looking up for the kids right now, but it’s just a matter of time before they come tumbling back down.
In Summary:
A good break from the oppressively serious tone of Future Arc, this first episode of Despair Arc is a real treat for anyone who wanted to see their favorite Danganronpa 2 characters animated and happy. Despite being a prequel whose broad strokes events have been relayed over and over, it still manages to feel fresh and exciting, mostly through the clever interweaving of themes and characters with Future Arc. It’s hard to say how long it will keep this light tone up, but Danganronpa as a franchise lives and dies on that delicate balance of comfort and uncertainty, so I can only call this a success.
Episode Grade: B+
Streamed by: Funimation
