I am glad that, from this review, it sounds like we agree on many things even if we sometimes came to different conclusions. And I have nothing but respect for anyone who decides to write a review of their own when they disagree with one of mine.
Thank you. This isn\'t a true review though, I\'d prefer to delve into the specifics, that\'s not possible on this site though and for that I feel I\'d have to go through the series again, which I\'ve done numerous times (talking of the games, I\'ve read the novels and seen DR 3 only once).
I\'m not sure how this series manages to hook me so much, to the point that I wanna take notes while playing it. I wrote an analysis of Byakuya that went over 3.5k characters and I still feel like I touched the surface only
In the case, might I recommend doing individual reviews of the individual games in sequence? It might let you strike a balance between going in depth and not going overboard.
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A Lazy Masterpiece
There's a lot to say about Danganronpa, so in order to try and condense my general sentiments on it into this review, I'll stay vague, consequently avoiding spoilers.
So, I'll talk about the four main concepts that make up a piece of fiction, I'll start with the biggest strength and go down to aspect that has the most dubious sides to it.
The characters.
Although each of them offers something to the narrative or thematic core in their own right, what truly makes them so great, at least the standouts, is that they're alive. Dialogue, consistency, progression, the backstory, their actions, all of these aspects are tied into one another and ingrained into the character, forming a character that feels complete, a person. Byakuya in particular, I find he's one of the best examples of this from all of fiction. Personally, some of my most beloved characters to whom I'm obsessively attached to, come from Danganronpa.
The atmosphere.
The premise, OST, design, etc, are things that build up the stellar atmosphere that the series has, alongside actual writing. And the atmosphere is just appropriate, it's gloomy, restrictive, claustrophobic, hopeless. But the tone is also dynamic, counteracting the misery with rays of hope and lighthearted moments when characters form bonds, which often are there for further tragedy later on. It's a journey of emotions.
The themes.
While conceptually ideas such as: despair/hope, luck/talent, reality/fiction, might seem shallow or silly, they're tackled rather well, being tied into the story and not stacked on top of it. Unlike some other series they aren't pretentious either and the series presents them with a liberal attitude. It doesn't try to force anything on the audience and it doesn't hold anything as outright righteous, only some very common-sense things. (Side note: common sense is also a thing tackled in this series and it's very thought-provoking) And the the core question of the series: is guilty the one who pulled the trigger or the one who handed the gun and the motive? I'm just bringing it up specifically because it's one of the most well executed themes in a series that I know.
The story.
Blatantly, it's a mixed bag. The concepts are fantastic. Execution can be, too, but sometimes it's riddled with plot-holes, sometimes it's not fleshed out, sometimes it's both. In truth the biggest problem with the series comes from Kodaka's apparent laziness. He's an amazing writer and everything he writes holds potential at the very least, which often comes to fruition when talking about Danganronpa, but not always. Occasionally it might even feel like a first draft.
Gameplay isn't always something to write home about either, especially the mini-games, they can get really exhausting.
To conclude this snippet of a review, it's a series I highly recommend as it's my favourite. There are only few series that have made me go through similar amounts. of emotions and which have managed to talk to me on such a deep level.