Danganronpa: The Animation - Episode 05

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

Summary
A school trial begins to find Chihiro Fujisaki's murderer. Byakuya Togami suggests that the culprit was Genocider Syo before being contradicted by Genocider Syo herself when it is revealed Syo is Touko Fukawa's alternate personality. After more discussion, Mondo Owada is decided as the culprit. Kiyotaka Ishimaru defends him. It is revealed that Chihiro Fujisaki was actually a male and that Mondo Owada 'killed' his own brother. Owada is dragged away for his execution, 'Motorcycle Death Cage', which Ishimaru 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 school 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 Togami 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 Naegi with the evidence bullet 'Dumbbell in the Room'. Kyouko 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.

Togami moves on to talking about the culprit, saying that the culprit must have been Genocider Syo, which everyone doubts. Naegi supports the claim, recalling about finding the Police's confidential records on Genocider Syo 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, Genocider Syo 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 Genocider Syo. Togami quickly reveals Genocider Syo's identity - Touko Fukawa.

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

Genocider Syo introduces herself as Super High School Level Murderer. She is much more rowdy and blunt than Fukawa. Togami says her motive was that Fukawa would do anything to keep Genocider Syo a secret from everyone. Genocider Syo seems to agree with this before revealing that she didn't do it. Everyone doubts this. Togami 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, Naegi quickly objects with the evidence bullet 'State of Body', much to Togami's surprise. Genocider Syo agrees, saying how she is extremely picky about the way she kills them. Naegi points out how all of Genocider Syo's victims were killed and crucified with scissors, where as Chihiro was killed with a dull object and crucified with some sort of rope.

Genocider Syo 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. Naegi suggest that Togami did it. Naegi recalls how Togami was telling him that the Togami residence's study had the same book, from this, Naegi could assume that Togami knew of Genocider Syo's method of killing before arriving at Hope's Peak Academy. Celestia Ludenberg asks if he wanted to frame Genocider Syo for his actions. He asks for some evidence and Kyouko Kirigiri states how the rope used to crucify Chihiro was in fact an extension cord from the library which Togami spends most of his time in.

Naegi begins to think why Togami is so calm when being accused as the killer when he asks himself 'Did the murder really happen in the girl's 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 boys and girl's changing rooms seemed to have been swapped around. Naegi 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 Fujisaki was killed in male changing room.

Yasuhiro Hagakure asks how Chihiro got into the male changing room in the first place. Kyouko Kirigiri 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 Fujisaki's true gender so Naegi clears Togami of suspicion after he looked so shocked at the revelation. Togami 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.

Kyouko Kirigiri 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 Kuwata's handbook. From this, they could deduct the culprit was male. He remembers Celestia 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. Kirigiri asks if anyone else has anymore clues and Sakura Ogami recalls how the tracksuits came in many colours, Asahina chips in, saying how Chihiro was to meet up with someone to choose tracksuits. Mondo Owada says how the culprit must have a blue tracksuit just like Chihiro, which immediately catches Kirigiri and Naegi's attention. Naegi contradicts him with the evidence bullet 'Celes' Eyewitness Account'. If Celestia hadn't mentioned the colour of Chihiro's tracksuit to everyone except Naegi, just how did Owada know it? Shocked, Owada begins to sweat.

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

At night, Chihiro takes a sports bag with a blue tracksuit in it from the store room. She gets spotted by Celestia but quickly continues his journey to the boys 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 handbook 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.

Naegi confronts Owada.

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

Ishimaru still refuses to believe Owada was the murderer and begins to break down after Owada apologizes.

Monokuma begins a presentation on why Owada killed Chihiro Fujisaki.

"A long time ago, there lived a boy. His name was Chihiro Fujisaki. Ever since he was a child, Fujisaki-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 eascape 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, Fujisaki-kun started to work out, and the one he chose to help him with that was..."

Everyone turns to face a defeated Owada 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, Fujisaki-kun wanted become a strong man just like Owada."

Monokuma then moves onto another subject, something which Owada didn't want anyone to find out about...Mondo Owada killed his own brother. Everyone gasps in surprise. The scene changes to a biker gang. Owada 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. Owada 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.

Kirigiri begins speaking, saying how Owada destroyed Chihiro's handbook in order to keep his secret safe, and the broken handbook found at the entrance was not Leon's, but in fact Owada's, which overheated and broke after the sauna battle with Kiyotaka Ishimaru. That was when Owada learnt to destroy a handbook, and quickly disposed of Chihiro's.

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

The scene changes to a pixel form of Monokuma dragging away Mondo Owada. The execution begins. Cheering is heard as swirling black and white spiral reveals Mondo Owada 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 last minute Monokuma quickly jumps from the bike, leaving Owada 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 Owada 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, Owada seems to have vanished. Clunking and beeping is heard from a machine which opens to reveal Owada had been turned into a tub of 'Owada Butter'. The scene changes to Monokuma happily eating pancakes.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru is screaming in despair from behind the gates from his friend's death. The camera pans the students concerned faces. Naegi's voice can be heard.

"The lives of everyone here are incredibly fragile. So fragile I can feel myself going crazy. While listening to Ishimaru'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. It 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!"