Okay so for those of you who watched Dangaronpa The Animation, Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Mirai-hen will seem very much like a sequel, which I suppose in a way it is. For first time viewers of the show it may seem a tad bit hard to follow, but I think the pilot episode does a pretty good job of explaining the overall plot. The story centres around the Future Foundation members and their final bout against Ultimate Despair. Ultimate Despair is the same nemesis that appeared at Hope Peak High School in Dangaronpa The Animation, but at the end of the series we are led to believe that Ultimate Despair - represented by the bear character Monokuma - is defeated by none other than Hope's Peak High School's symbol of hope, Naegi Makoto, who's speciality is Super High School Level Luck (all the students have a Super High School Level speciality of some kind).
Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Mirai-hen follows the same narrative pattern as its predecessor; however, it features three of the original members' from Hope's Peak High School from the original series and also stars characters from Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Zetsubou-hen. In addition, it also introduces a bunch of new faces to the show. In Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Mirai-hen Makota Naegi is accused of being a traitor for helping Remnants of Despair (Monkuma's followers and former Hope Peak's High School students) and is about to be arrested for treason before Monokuma's shocking reappearance interrupts the proceedings.
Monokuma's presence can only signify one thing: complete and utter devastation. Just like in Dangaronpa The Animation, the former students from Hope Peak's High School and members of the Future Foundation are forced to participate in a vile and cruel game that primarily involves the murder of a comrade.
The episode opens rather dramatically with Naegi Makota being told to sacrifice himself after Monokuma unveils the rules of his sick and twisted game. All the members of the Foundation have bangles attached to their wrists and with these bangles come the rules of the ominous game. Rule one is known as 'the time limit,' whereby the members are injected with a sleep inducing drug whenever the time on their bangles run out. The second rule is known as 'the attacker' and is put into effect while the members are asleep. One member is awaken and expected to play the role of 'the attacker,' effectively killing one person in the allotted time limit. But if the time limit runs out and nobody is dead, then they win the game.
Simple right? If only. The final rule is known as 'forbidden actions'. On each person's bangle is a single action that they are not allowed to perform. Performing the action causes the bangle to administer a lethal poison. I wish I could say that it is as bad as it could possibly get, but I know that the worst is yet to have come. The members are already divided and out for blood, Naegi Makoto's blood to be exact, and the time on their bangles has just about run out.
True to its nature, the episode ends with another shocking yet sad death. The death of Former Super High School Level Swimmer Aoi Asahina; friend of Naegi Makoto. But it does not stop there, because Naegi Makota wakes up not only to find his former classmate and colleague dead, but with potentially her blood on his hands.
I'm stunned and in doubt. I have no idea who is responsible, but I just know that I'm in for a shock.
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