One of my favourite video game series is Danganronpa, a mystery/thriller visual novel about fifteen gifted students at a special academy who are nonetheless forced to kill each other to escape. It’s rich with lore, and so much of it naturally is not contained to the games. You have the anime series (which takes place before and after the events of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair), light novels, even a stage adaptation. The world is so big, and the characters so fleshed out (even before they canonically die) that you really can see it as a Transmedia masterpiece.
Have you ever played or watched Danganronpa?
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I haven't heard of Danganronpa, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, but I want to check it out. They could make it a live-action movie/movies series.
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It's a really interesting series Maurice Vaughan, but it would be extremely disturbing in live action lol the murders are pretty graphic (softened in the games by the blood being bright pink rather than red).
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Oh okay, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Haha Maybe a mix (animated and live action).
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That would be interesting Maurice Vaughan. I recommend you play the games, though. It's amazing storytelling.
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I'll check it out, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Thanks.
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You're welcome, Maurice Vaughan. Enjoy Danganronpa~
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I haven't played or watched Danganronpa, but everything I've heard about it makes it sound like a masterclass in world-building. The way it expands its lore across games, anime, light novels, and even stage adaptations without feeling diluted is rare. For you as a writer, what do you think is the key to making that kind of expansion feel organic rather than forced, and do you have a favorite piece of the franchise that you think new fans should start with?
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It really is Sam Rivera, its characters are so richly drawn and Hope’s Peak Academy is not at all what it seems and it gets expanded upon with each entry, as well as the world at large. It’s so wonderfully twisted. No matter what, you should start with the first game because that’s where the whole thing starts and each entry builds upon the previous one so you will be locked out of the loop if you don’t do it in the correct order (so Danganronpa 1 and 2, then Ultra Despair Girls, followed by Danganronpa 3 anime [I hear you should watch it alternating between Side: Future and Side: Despair and Side: Hope is the final episode], and then play Danganronpa V3 which is actually the fourth canon entry despite its name. I haven’t read the light novels other than Danganronpa IF and Zero but both should be read after playing the first two games anyway. I also haven’t watched the stage adaptation but I really want to.
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I need to check this out- I am not great at gameplay (Think of me as the strategist who sits behind the player-- that be me), but something like this just makes me go, "Oh yes, please let's do this."
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I think you'll really enjoy it then Cynna Ael, it's a mystery visual novel so it's all about soaking it in and reading the text and paying attention to any and all clues; it's more of a point-and-click in terms of gameplay. Definitely check it out.