The design and animation is filled with high contrasts and exaggerated ideas bordering on the cartoonish, pink-colored blood and extravagant execution-scenes being two examples. Being based on a visual novel game, the show borrows visuals from the source-material diligently to the point where you’re looking at bits of gameplay in certain parts. In that sense Dangan Ronpa can look like a jarring mess, or like a buffet of intersting visual choices.
The soundtrack is as varied and random as the gallery of characters and their personalities. Relentless rock n’ roll and erratic electrical instruments play up the quirky and unstable atmosphere, somber tunes from pianos and keyboards lend themselves to some sadder moments as well as the almost dream-like setting.
As a detective-story surrounding a death-tournament, one should go in expecting numerous character-deaths. Combine this with the fact that the series is only thirteen episodes long, and it becomes apparent that very little time is spent on character-development and fleshing out. Thankfully the many quirks and the style of the show make every character distinctive. In the show's defense, if you have more than a dozen characters to play detective with, and an equal number of episodes to do it with, then making the cast into caricatures is the best approach. There simply is no time to develop them beyond a few bonding scenes. Despite not having deep characters, their personalities are entertaining, and more often than not the show is self-aware of the clichés it uses.
The mysteries are truly the main focus and the greatest selling-point of Dangan Ronpa. An episode will usually start off by showing a murder and the clues left behind, and then have the mystery solved in the next episode. The show succeeds on this point by giving the audience time to think for themselves about each murder-case, giving a fair chance to untie the knots of an eccentric world, some solutions being simple while others are more far-fetched.
Dangan Ronpa's greatest strengths and flaws are in its contrasting presentation and premise. It is a series that most will either love or hate while watching it. Recommended to fans of murder-mysteries who also enjoy the crazier and more chaotic side of anime.
