Dangan Heights - A Danganronpa Slice of Life Story

2 - From the Top

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Makoto Naegi

My name is Makoto Naegi. Let's take this from the top.

A few years ago, I took part in the first killing game- the killing game of Hope's Peak Academy. I, along with five of my close friends managed to survive and return to the outside world, finding it much more war-torn than when we entered. After our escape, we decided to join the Future Foundation, a group dedicated to eliminating all remaining threats and promoting peace. 

Working with the Future Foundation, we managed to secure a terrorist group known as the Remnants of Despair and create a program to revert the Remnants back to their original states. Unfortunately, one of the Remnants tampered with the program and instead used it to create another killing game. We managed to push through, however, and nearly all of the Remnants reverted to their original selves in no time.

It was around this time that a certain production company got wind of our exploits. They called themselves Team Danganronpa, and they wanted to create a  TV adaptation of the killing games that myself and the Remnants had gone through. Seeing it as nothing more than a harmless documentary series, I signed off on the rights, and so did the rest of my friends. That was one of my biggest regrets.

Shortly after, the pilot of their new series, Danganronpa, released, to immediate popularity. This lead to tons of rushed sequels and new seasons. When I say "rushed," I mean it, too. Within a few years, they had already reached Danganronpa 52. This time, with a grim new tagline.

"These are real people - not actors."

Something about this rubbed me the wrong way. Were they going to fabricate another killing game like the one my friends and I were forced to go through? The answer was a terrifying yes.

I saw droves of poor high schoolers go through what can only be described as intense psychological torture. I watched as they lied, betrayed each other, murdered in cold blood, and did things that no normal high schooler ever would. Furious, I called the director, Tsumugi Shirogane, and demanded an explanation.

"It's simple numbers, Mr. Naegi, viewership had been stagnant, and nothing can punch those numbers up more than a little audience participation, wouldn't you say?"

"How is what you're doing even legal!? You're just broadcasting the glorified executions of children!"

"Not just any children, Mr. Naegi, volunteers."

It was that day that I vowed, if they ever tried to pull another "real Danganronpa," I would be there to stop it.

So, let's start there.

~ One Year Earlier ~

"Makoto! Come downstairs, it's urgent!"