Monokuma

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Monokuma
Danganronpa character
First appearanceDanganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010)
Created byKazutaka Kodaka
Designed byRui Komatsuzaki
Voiced by
In-universe information
Controllers
  • Tsumugi Shirogane

Monokuma (

TARAKO voice Monokuma in Japanese, while Brian Beacock provides his voice for the English dub.[4][5]

In the Danganronpa universe, the robotic bear is not unique and is easily obtainable, allowing others to take up its identity. Monokuma regularly interacts with killing game participants and other targets to taunt or threaten them while using a voice changer that hides its true identity, in addition to executing each "blackened" if they kill another student. In Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, Monokuma transforms Jabberwock Island Operator Usami into a sister figure which he dubs Monomi, while in the spin-off Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, two different characters that are similar to Monokuma, the all-white Shirokuma and all-black Kurokuma, appear, in addition to an army of Monokuma robots. In the third main series game, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, Monokuma is provided "children" with the Monokubs, consisting of: Monotaro, Monodam, Monokid, Monophanie, Monosuke, and the Nanokumas,[6] as well as a mother figure dubbed Motherkuma, responsible for manufacturing Monokuma's robot bodies.[7]

Critical response to Monokuma has been generally favorable, and he has often been listed as one of the best characters in the entire franchise.

Concept and creation

Early unused artwork of Monokuma by Rui Komatsuzaki

The Monokuma robot is one controlled by the main antagonists of the Danganronpa franchise, consisting of a teddy bear with a black left-hand-side, a white right-hand-side, one black right-eye, one red-left eye containing the logo for Hope's Peak Academy, a half-smile expression, short ears and an extruding belly button microphone, with a built-in explosive device in the scenario that a student decides to fight the Monokuma robot. His design is meant to be basis of the black and white morality. His activation in the first game's finale was meant to elaborate on the fact that Junko was still controlling him in the form of a virus.[8]

The character's name originates from a combination of the

Venom"; Komatsuzaki then illustrated the final character design concept art within 15 minutes, which Kodaka then believed to be suitable for the game.[11] Kodaka also cites Winnie the Pooh as an influence for the character.[12]

Referring to the creation of Monokuma by Kazutaka Kodaka and the character's subsequent position as a mascot of Spike Chunsoft appearing in multiple other video game series produced by the company, Danganronpa series producer Yoshinori Terasawa stated that:

[Monokuma] was created with an image of contradictions in mind, like good and evil, hope and despair. These contradicting elements create a sort of highlighting effect. Although it ended up being much darker than expected (laughs). But I think that's just an expression of Mr. Kodaka's nature, as well. It's nice to see Monokuma show up in different games, because I get to see him from a user's perspective. Even within those different game worlds, I think he still exerts his presence. Society these days seems to have a general feeling of hopelessness. So I thought it would be good to emphasize the importance of having hope and just moving forward. — Yoshinori Terasawa[13]

For the English dub of the game, Spike Chunsoft specifically requested NIS America to keep Monokuma's name the same. The team described the character as their favorite to localize, working together to keep the character looking funny and at the same time threatening like in the Japanese version, which led to difficulties in finding a suitable voice actor to embody their "hyperactive psychopath[ic] nature" due to the "beloved[ness]" of the original voice actress, characterizing him as "bossy, condescending, smarmy, goofy, quick to anger, quick to forgive, quick to anger again, devious, and totally lovable".[14]

Appearances

Video games and anime

Junko Enoshima, the original mastermind behind Monokuma

Monokuma first appears in the opening scene of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010) The character, sitting in front of a man tied to a chair, pushes a button that launches the man through the building they are in, up into the sky and then to space, reducing him to a skeleton upon his crash landing. Viewing the man's remains, Monokuma begins chuckling.

Sometime later, Monokuma greets 15 "Ultimate" students of Hope's Peak Academy, introducing himself as the school's

Mukuro Ikusaba as a stand-in, Monokuma's face serves as the symbol
to the group known as ultimate despair.

After the students elect to leave the academy, Junko executes herself alongside Monokuma; however, in a post-credits scene, a sentient Monokuma mysteriously reactivates within the class trial grounds and swears that it will continue its quest to spread despair as "your headmaster."

Monokuma's second appearance was in

Izuru Kamukura under the guise of Hajime Hinata
. After shedding the form of Monokuma, the new Alter Ego Junko reveals their plan to supposedly be to insert copies of herself into the deceased Remnants' bodies on their escape from the Neo World Program in which they have been imprisoned; however, Izuru's Hajime personality instead convinces the remaining Remnants to remain in the program, leading to Junko's deletion by a new manifestation of Usami.

In

Izuru Kamukura
, sparking the chain of events leading to Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.

In

K1-B0 execute them while destroying the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, the pair being crushed by a falling rock while sadly waving to a no-longer-watching audience.[15][16][17]

Anime

In the Future Arc of

Monaca Towa is additionally depicted in the episode "Ultra Despair Girls" to still be wielding an army of Monokuma robots. In the Despair Arc of Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School, Monokuma is shown to have been designed by Junko Enoshima based on the logo for Hope's Peak Academy, serving as the symbol of his red eye. Before organizing the first killing game, Junko has a stuffed toy version of Monokuma made.[18]

Monokuma appears in the second-season episode "Fate ~The Strongest Enemy Appears; A Cruel, Inescapable Destiny; Wooser is Judged~" of Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life, in which he places the protagonists and title character Wooser into a class trial, resulting in him executing him. The episode features a special illustration drawn by Danganronpa series artist Rui Komatsuzaki.

Other appearances

Monokuma appears in the Japanese

TARAKO reprising their roles as Monokuma from the video game series.[24][25][26][27]

In the Japanese edition of

action-adventure sandbox game Terraria, published by Spike Chunsoft, Monokuma is featured as an unlockable costume for the player character.[13]

In the Spike Chunsoft game Maid Paradise Mezase! Maid Number One!, Monokuma is featured in a minigame as a doll that can be held by one of the three titular maids.

The 143rd episode of

crossover event with Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, featuring Sony Japan
mascots Toro and Kuro with the color scheme of Monokuma.

In 2013, to promote the Seth MacFarlane film Ted in Japan, United International Pictures teamed up with Spike Chunsoft in a marketing campaign involving the title character and Monokuma.[28][29]

In a 2013 downloadable content to the Spike Chunsoft role-playing video games Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics and Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars, Monokuma is respectively featured as a playable character and a DLC enemy.[30]

In a 2014 crossover event of the

Byakuya Togami, where their storylines in the event depict the group as they seek to return home to their original universe.[31]

In the 2014

Motto! SoniComi, a Monokuma and Monomi hoodie and pair of hand puppets are made available for Super Sonico in the in-game “Ouka Shop”.[32]

In three crossover events beginning in 2015,

action-adventure and role-playing games Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky and GachiTora! Abarenbou Kyoushi in High School, a Monokuma mascot suit is included as an alternate costume for respective protagonists Kujo Kanata and Torao Kaji, in addition to the 2017 roguelike rhythm video game Crypt of the NecroDancer
.

In a

dungeon crawling role-playing video game Zanki Zero: Last Beginning, Monokuma is featured as a minor antagonist.[34]

In the 2018 action hack and slash video game Attack on Titan 2: Future Coordinates, Monokuma is featured both in a cameo appearance as a Titan, and as an unlockable costume for the player characters Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Levi Ackerman.[35][36][37][38][39][40]

Monokuma is depicted in the 2019

Mikan Tsumiki, and Monomi/Usami.[42]

Promotion and reception

In December 2020, Japanese fashion brand Estryllia Enhillia announced a

Monokuma cosplays are a popular among Danganronpa fans, although a 2019 Whataburger one was the subject of controversy.

Since the release of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc in November 2010, Monokuma (and their initial

Teddie and felt the bear puns and the English voice acting were also outstanding to make Monokuma more popular.[54]

mental illness, which can make you feel like you are caught in all this despair that's ultimately inescapable."[56] GameSpew praised the character as being "brilliantly voiced and written in a way that makes you love to hate him."[57] Kotaku acclaimed the characterisation of Monokuma as "break[ing] free of traditional storyline clichés and offer[ing] an unpredictable and addictive experience, [with] their dark humour mak[ing] even Monokuma compelling and offer[ing] a fascinating look into the motives behind human behaviour.", in addition to their presence as "a constant source of nonsense [who] will make you crack a smile, [while being] absolutely abhorrent but unhinged and nutty with it.", while praising "the black and white design of the character [a]s both cute and fearsome".[58] The Gamer listed him as the best Danganronpa character based on their cute and cuddly yet sinister physical appearance, praising them as "[p]erhaps the most fascinating, and most frightening character of the Danganronpa series."[59] Polygon complimented how the character's "words teeter between mischievous and psychopathic in the same breath",[60] while Manga News lauded the deviations in the character's monologues in the manga adaptation of the series.[61]

In November 2019, a Monokuma costume created controversy in Austin, Texas after drag queen Erika Klash was denied entry to a Whataburger while dressed as the character, after performing in-character at the Austin International Drag Festival at the club Elysium for five years. Klash later received an apology from a Whataburger representative over the incident, both in-person and on Twitter.[62][63]

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External links