Danganronpa: The Animation - Episode 05

Weekly Shounen Despair Magazine : #5 (Ab) Normal Days is the fifth episode of the Danganronpa: The Animation. It first aired on August 1, 2013.

Summary
A class trial begins to find Chihiro Fujisaki's murderer. Byakuya Togami suggests that the culprit was Genocide Jack before being contradicted by Genocide Jack herself when it is revealed that Jack is Toko Fukawa's alternate personality. After more discussion,Mondo Owada is decided as the culprit. Kiyotaka Ishimaru defends him. It is revealed that Chihiro was actually a male and that Mondo 'killed' his own brother. Mondo is dragged away for his execution, 'The Cage of Death', which Taka is incredibly upset about.

The episode ends with Monokuma sitting in a room ordering a mysterious figure to kill one of the students.

Plot
The episode begins with the students standing in their respective places in the court room. The class trial to find Chihiro Fujisaki's murderer begins. Monokuma asks the students to discuss about the murder weapon first. Evidence bullets are loaded at the side of the screen.

Byakuya speaks first, looking at the Monokuma File he states that the victim suffered a blow to the head with a blunt object which caused death. Yasuhiro Hagakure says that the weapon must have been a steel pipe. He is contradicted by Makoto with the evidence bullet 'Dumbbell in the Room'. Kyoko Kirigiri continues, saying how the wound on the body matched the dumbbell's shape. Celestia Ludenberg says that from the blood on the carpet, they could assume the murder happened in the girl's changing room.

Byakuya moves on to talking about the culprit, saying that the culprit must have been Genocide Jack, which everyone doubts. Makoto supports the claim, recalling about finding the Police's confidential records on Genocide Jack and their murders. The file shows two continuities between all the murders committed. Firstly, they would always leave a message behind with the victim's blood - 'Bloodstain Fever'. Secondly, Genocide Jack always crucifies the victim, much like the way Chihiro's body was found. Assuming that the serial killer was among them, the one who killed Chihiro was none other than Genocide Jack. Byakuya quickly reveals Genocide Jack's identity - Toko Fukawa.

Aoi Asahina steps in, saying how Toko wouldn't be the culprit because she was afraid of blood. Toko is shocked to be confronted. Byakuya continues regardless, saying how she is and isn't Genocide Jack at the same time. Makoto reflects on what he meant. The missing words scene from the original game appears and Makoto realizes what Byakuya meant. Toko Fukawa has multiple personalities. Toko is horrified, saying how Byakuya was meant to keep it a secret before screaming and passing out. She quickly awakes as Genocide Jack, as everyone is shocked.

Genocide Jack introduces herself as the Ultimate Murderous Fiend. She is much more rowdy and blunt than Toko. Byakuya says her motive was that Toko would do anything to keep Genocide Jack a secret from everyone. Genocide Jack seems to agree with this before revealing that she didn't do it. Everyone doubts this. Byakuya says how she must have done it as Chihiro's and all the other murder's committed by her share the same continuities - a message and crucifixion. However, Makoto quickly objects with the evidence bullet 'State of Body', much to Byakuya's surprise. Genocide Jack agrees, saying how she is extremely picky about the way she kills them. Makoto points out how all of Jack's victims were killed and crucified with scissors, where as Chihiro was killed with a blunt object and crucified with some sort of rope.

Genocide Jack supports it, saying how she uses her very own scissors to crucify, and that all of her victims had one thing in common - they were all male. Makoto suggest that Byakuya did it. Makoto recalls how Byakuya was telling him that the Togami residence's study had the same book, from this, Makoto could assume that Byakuya knew of Genocide Jack's method of killing before arriving at Hope's Peak Academy. Celeste asks if he wanted to frame Genocide jack for his actions. He asks for some evidence and Kyoko states how the rope used to crucify Chihiro was in fact an extension cord from the library which Byakuya spends most of his time in.

Makoto begins to think as to why Byakuya is so calm when being accused as the killer when he asks himself if the murder really happened in the girls' changing room. He remembers Sakura Ogami telling him how the stain on the carpet had disappeared after she spilled protein coffee on it, and how the posters in the boy's and girl's changing rooms seemed to have been swapped around. Makoto tells the classmates how the poster of a boy band was in the male changing room and the poster of woman in a bikini with blood splattered over it was in the female changing room, meaning that the culprit must have switched things round and Chihiro was killed in male changing room.

Hiro asks how Chihiro got into the male changing room in the first place. Kyoko replies that Chihiro must have been a boy. Everyone is surprised at the suggestion and Monokuma confirms it. The culprit must have known about Chihiro's true gender so Makoto clears Byakuya of suspicion after he looked just as shocked at the revelation. Byakuya announces he wasn't the culprit, only wanting to test the classmates' abilities by setting the corpse up that way after finding it in the girl's changing room.

Kyoko says that the culprit was able to get into both changing rooms after using one of the deceased students' handbooks that could be found in the entrance hall, all of which were working apart from Leon's handbook. From this, they could deduct the culprit was male. He remembers Celeste saying how she saw Chihiro that night holding a sports bag with a tracksuit inside, however, they were unable to find that at the crime scene. Kyoko asks if anyone else has anymore clues and Sakura recalls how the tracksuits came in many colours, Hina chips in, saying how Chihiro was to meet up with someone to choose tracksuits. Mondo says how the culprit must have a blue tracksuit just like Chihiro, which immediately catches Kyoko and Makoto's attention. Makoto contradicts him with the evidence bullet 'Celes' Eyewitness Account'. If Celeste hadn't mentioned the colour of Chihiro's tracksuit to everyone except Makoto, just how did Mondo know it? Shocked, Mondo begins to sweat.

Taka quickly defends him saying that his friend wouldn't ever murder someone, and walks over to him. He demands Mondo to tell them that they are wrong and that he wouldn't ever do anything like that. Makoto begins looking over the murder again from the start:

That night, Chihiro takes a sports bag with a blue tracksuit in it from the store room. She gets spotted by Celeste, but quickly continues his journey to the boy's changing room. However, how did she get in if she was girl? This was because Chihiro was in fact a boy. The one Chihiro had went to meet in the changing room was the culprit. While putting his sports bag into a locker, the culprit takes a dumbbell and strikes Chihiro from behind. The blood gets onto the poster and mat and the culprit decides to switch things around in the two changing rooms. By using the electronic ID of a female deceased student, he was able to get into the girl's changing room and arrange things as if Chihiro had been murdered there instead. Makoto then confronts Mondo.

Mondo slowly admits he was the murderer, much to Taka's disbelief. Monokuma tells the students to vote who they think the killer is, and of course, most of the students end up voting Mondo as the culprit. Monokuma anounces that the students are correct. The one who murdered Chihiro Fujisaki was Mondo Owada. However, Monokuma reveals that Taka voted for himself in a desperate bid to save his friend.

Taka still refuses to believe Mondo was the murderer and begins to break down after Mondo apologizes.

Monokuma begins a presentation on why Mondo killed Chihiro.

"A long time ago, there lived a boy. His name was Chihiro Fujisaki. Ever since he was a child, Chihiro-kun was very sensitive about his weakness. "You're a guy, you know." He had been forced to hear those words since his childhood. After failing to overcome his weakness, he instead sought in an even greater one. He became a girl. That was how he chose to escape reality. It was a secret he wanted to keep from everyone at all costs. If people had found out, they would surely give him an even harder time than he had suffered. He'd be plunged into deep despair. Annoyingly, however, the threat of having his secret exposed drove him to change himself instead."

A scene of Chihiro is shown telling himself that he has to become a stronger person. Monokuma continues.

"From that day on, Chihiro-kun started to work out, and the one he chose to help him with that was..."

Everyone turns to face a defeated Mondo who says that he was the one Chihiro told his secret to. Monokuma continues.

"An outlaw punk who'd die before breaking a promise between two men. And who reeks of manliness, Chihiro-kun wanted become a strong man just like Mondo."

Monokuma then moves onto another subject, something which Mondo didn't want anyone to find out about...the fact that killed his own brother. Everyone gasps in surprise. The scene changes to a biker gang. Mondo reveals how his brother had formed Japan's greatest biker gang, and how he was always shadowed by his brother's greatness. He talks about how once his brother had retired, he would have to lead the gang, and the great expectations thought of him put him under a lot of pressure. He recalls how on the night of his brother's retirement, he decided to have a show down between him and his brother. He began driving recklessly in a bid to win, but had driven straight into the path of an oncoming car, only to pushed to safety by his brother, which resulted in his death. He promised his brother he wouldn't let the gang fall apart. Mondo continues to talk that when Chihiro started talking about wanting to change himself and become stronger, he couldn't help but feel envious and ended up killing him.

Kyoko begins speaking, saying how Mondo destroyed Chihiro's electronic ID in order to keep his secret safe, and the broken ID found at the entrance was not Leon's, but in fact Mondo's, which overheated and broke after the sauna battle with Taka. That was when Mondo learnt to destroy an ID, and quickly disposed of Chihiro's.

Byakuya begins to say that once he wins in mutual-killing, he will kill Monokuma. By this time, Taka has become incredibly emotional and desperately tries to stop Monokuma from punishing Mondo. Monokuma continues regardless and hits the red button which appear before it.

The scene changes to a pixel form of Monokuma dragging away Mondo. The execution begins. Cheering is heard as swirling black and white spiral reveals Mondo on a motorbike with Monokuma. A fairground like setting is seen folding out behind a motorbike cage of death. The words 'Motorcycle Death Cage' flash upon the screen. Monokuma revs the motorbike up and drives the motorbike straight towards the death cage. At the last minute Monokuma quickly jumps from the bike, leaving Mondo driving it around and around the cage. Monokuma is hula-hooping happily in front of the cage An electric current is sent through the metal cage and Mondo is seen with his eyes swirling and his mouth open. Everything gets hectic and faster until the screen fades to white and Monokuma is seen exhausted from the hula-hooping with the bike slowing down in the cage in the background, Mondo seems to have vanished. Clunking and beeping is heard from a machine which opens to reveal Mondo had been turned into a tub of 'Owada Butter'. The scene changes to Monokuma happily eating pancakes.

Taka is screaming in despair and agony from behind the gates from his friend's death. The camera pans the students concerned faces. Makoto's voice can be heard.

"The lives of everyone here are incredibly fragile. So fragile I can feel myself going crazy. While listening to Taka's anguished wails, I was painfully reminded of that once again."

The scene changes to Monokuma sitting on a seat in front of a wall of screens. He seems to be talking to someone on the opposite side of the table.

"My, my. I have to say things are moving rather quickly. Yes, things are moving very quickly. We owe so much to the girl who triggered the first murder before any stalemate could occur. But the unfortunate thing is, it took away your chance at the spotlight, even though I worked so hard to sneak you in with them. What, you have a question? I'll tell you anything other than my 3 sizes. Huh? Who's the sixteenth student? I can't tell you that!"

Appearances
The following are in order of appearance.

Debut

 * Genocide Jack
 * Daiya Owada (Minor role)