Danganronpa: The Animation - Episode 05

Not Normal Arc: Weekly Shonen Despair Magazine (週刊少年ゼツボウマガジン: #5 (非)日常編) is the fifth episode of Danganronpa: The Animation, the anime adaptation of the video game Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.

Summary
Togami seems convinced that the culprit in this case is a depraved serial killer, but is he merely trying to deceive his classmates? Tensions rise as some of the students' dark secrets are revealed, including an incredible secret about the victim!

Gallery

 * For episode screencaps, see: Danganronpa: The Animation - Episode 05/Image Gallery

Plot
The episode begins on the trial for Chihiro Fujisaki's murder underway, the students placed in their respective stands in the court room. Monokuma prompts them to discuss the weapon of choice first, Makoto prepping himself for the upcoming Nonstop Debate, truth bullets loading at the side of the screen.

Byakuya begins the debate whilst looking at the Monokuma File, stating that the victim suffered a blow to the head with a blunt object, dying from blunt force trauma. Yasuhiro Hagakure, going off that start, claims that the weapon could have been a metal pipe. Makoto shoots down the false statement, pointing out there was no pipe anywhere to be found at the crime scene, Yasuhiro leveling with him. Kyoko Kirigiri continues off that, pointing out how the wound on Chihiro's head matched the shape and size of the dumbbell nearby, causing Aoi Asahina and Hifumi Yamada to recoil in disgust at the implication of Kyoko looking at Chihiro's fatal injury. Celestia Ludenberck dismisses that topic, saying that the blood stain on the carpet means the murder was committed in the girl's locker room.

Byakuya uses that to move onto naming the culprit, stating that he's already known who killed Chihiro. Mondo Ohwada, shocked, asks if he knows who did it. In reply, Byakuya exclaims that Chihiro's killer is Genocider Sho. Yasuhiro and Aoi show disbelief in this claim, but Makoto backs the heir up by stating the two had found a dossier on the murderous fiend in the library, Byakuya matching the corpses assimilation and the message written in blood as calling cards to Genocider Sho. Hifumi states the incorrect phrase, Aoi tiredly correcting him on it. Byakuya then goes on to say that every one of Sho's victims are crucified, therefore Chihiro's murderer must have been the serial killer. Celestia is shocked at the implication, and Byakuya reveals the Genocider Sho's identity is - Touko Fukawa.

Aoi steps in, mentioning that no one who faints at the sight of blood, like Touko, can possibly be a violent serial killer. Byakuya, regardless, claims she is "a sho and a no sho," prompting Yasuhiro to chastise him on badly timed wordplay. Makoto reflects on what he meant by that, and Hangman's Gambit appears to reveal Touko has Dissociative Identity Disorder. He comes out with the revelation, information on the file that Genocider Sho suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Touko, horrified at the reveal, saying that Byakuya was meant to keep it between the two of them. He disregards her feelings and prompts her to let Sho out, in which she screams and passes out from the exertion. There's a moment of concern for everyone in trial, before she quickly awakens as Genocider Sho, horrifying everyone.

With a much more rough voice, Genocider Sho introduces herself as the Super High School-Level Serial Killer, it's shown the killer is much more rowdy and disrespectful than her sorrowful head-mate. Kiyotaka Ishimaru asks what has gotten into Touko, the killer cackling loudly and replying with a sexual innuendo and if Kiyotaka was volunteering. As they all begin to realize just how different Genocider is from Touko, Byakuya closes in on his claim that Chihiro was killer by her, as having a serial killer for a head-mate is reason enough to kill to keep it secret. While Genocider Sho does nod to the clever theory, she claims that he's wrong, and that she's innocent for once. Everyone doubts her rebuttal, claiming that they wouldn't believe a serial killer.

Makoto, however, attempts to keep the suspect list open, saying that it could have been her, but they don't know for sure. Byakuya retorts that Sho has a very specific way of killer her victims, and they match Chihiro's death perfectly. Makoto shoots down his statement with the State of Body truth bullet, much to the heir's surprise. Genocider Sho mocks Byakuya and insists she didn't commit this murder, as she's extremely picky about the details of how she kills. Makoto insists that all her victims were stabbed to death with scissors, and never bludgeoned, and they were crucified to the wall with her scissors, and never tied up by a cord. She questions them this: what was the one thing all her victims had in common?

Makoto recalls that all her victims were male-only, and she never kills women. Genocider agrees, saying she only kills men she finds attractive enough. Byakuya attempts to shut down her behavior, only being met with the killer telling him to shut up. Claiming she always sticks to her style no matter the circumstance, she strikes a pose with two pairs of scissors in each hand. Mondo yells at her to stop, and that crucifixion is her thing, scissors or not. Aoi says that it was the reason all thought it was the real killer and not a copycat. Makoto zeroes in on Byakuya, recalling that the Genocider Sho dossier was the same copy he had in his study at home. This evidence shocks everyone, as it's known Byakuya knew of Genocider Sho's methods before they arrived at the Academy. Celestia and Kiyotaka prompt him to answer, in which he asks for some evidence. Kyoko doesn't allow him to go off the hook, knowing that the extension cord used to string up Chihiro is the same in the library, where Byakuya shared his fair amount of time in.

Byakuya remains calm, however, despite all the evidence against him, which confuses Makoto, before he realizes that the murder may have not taken place in the girl's locker room. Recalling Sakura's confusion over the missing protein coffee stain on the rug, as well as the odd placement of the posters in the girl's and boy's locker rooms, he points this out, deducting that the killer must have switched around the contents of the locker rooms, and that Chihiro was murdered in the boy's locker room.

Byakuya is shocked at this, which Makoto notices, and Yasuhiro asks how Chihiro could have even gotten into the boy's locker room in the first place. Kyoko comes out with the truth - Chihiro Fujisaki was a boy, backed up by how she knew once she checked his body. Everyone is taken aback at the suggestion, but Monokuma confirms this. Genocider becomes frustrated, wishing she had killed Chihiro then. Yasuhiro brings up that it doesn't change the fact Byakuya still could have done it, but Makoto's rebuttal claims that Byakuya was just as shocked as everyone else at the reveal, and the killer would have had to known Chihiro's true gender, clearing the heir of previous suspicion. Byakuya, although hesitant to admit it, does announce that he didn't kill Chihiro, but still tampered with the state of the body to test his classmate's abilities in trial once he found the programmer's body in the girl's locker room.

Putting that behind them, Celestia begins the new topic on how the culprit was able to get into both of the locker rooms without being shot down. Kyoko brings up that she found the e-Handbooks of the previously deceased students in the foyer, as the culprit could have taken the one they needed to get into the girl's locker room. Celestia suggests that either gender could've used one and gain access to both rooms, but Kyoko disproves this, noting that Leon's e-Handbook was broken, therefore useless. Only a male could've committed the murder. Even if lending a e-Handbook is against the rules, there was nothing against stealing one, Monokuma agreeing to this. Makoto ponders over what he likely isn't seeing, until he remembers and asks that Celestia said she saw Chihiro the night he was killed, heading somewhere with a duffel bag and a jersey stuffed inside. Kyoko realizes that they could find no such jersey at the crime scene and it was likely disposed of early on, and if there are any clues left behind about it.

Sakura recalls that there are many jerseys, and they came in many different colors. Hifumi and Yasuhiro comment on their jerseys, or lack thereof, before Aoi mentions that Chihiro was on his way to meet someone, and that he and the culprit likely picked out their jerseys together. Kiyotaka asserts that Chihiro's jersey must match colors with his killer, to which Mondo responds, saying the culprit will have to have a matching blue jersey with Chihiro, instantly catching Kyoko and Makoto's attention. Makoto contradicts him with Celes' Eyewitness Account, catching the biker off guard. Despite his confusion, Kyoko and Makoto confirm that despite their discussion of Chihiro possessing a jersey, Celestia never mentioned that it was blue. Caught by his own words, Mondo begins to sweat nervously at his mistake.

Kyoko, Byakuya and Celestia are quick to assert Mondo's crime, but Kiyotaka hastily defends the biker, insisting he would never murder someone. Marching up to his friend, he demands Mondo to tell everyone that they're wrong, and says that he had only guessed the jersey was blue. Despite his hesitance, Makoto insists they have to be sure, and goes over the murder once more from the beginning:

During night time, Chihiro was leaving the storage room, duffel bag at her side. Before being able to safely leave, Celestia catches her, and points at a blue jersey was hanging from the opening of the bag. She hastily stuffs the sleeve into the bag and takes her leave, waving Celestia goodbye.

The programmer heads off to the boy's locker room, using her e-Handbook to get inside, as it turns out that Chihiro was actually a boy. He walks in to find someone waiting in there for him, the very person who killed him. Placing the bag into his locker, back turned and not aware of the killer reaching for a dumbbell, before lifting it up over their head and smashing it down on Chihiro's skull, blood splattering across the carpet and hitting the poster.

Dropping the dumbbell, the killer steps back to look at Chihiro's now-limp corpse, before getting to work on swapping the contents of the locker rooms, such as the carpets and the posters. They only had to use the late Sayaka's or Junko's handbooks to get inside the girl's lock room and perform the switch. They finally finished by placing Chihiro's corpse in the girl's locker room, so the murder would seem like it happened there.

As the killer left to dispose of final evidence, the scene is discovered by Byakuya Togami, who decides to use the opportunity to frame the death as one of Genocider Sho's, by using the extension cord in the library to string his corpse up, and write "Bloodbath Fever" on the wall behind him.

Meanwhile, the killer discards Chihiro's handbook in the sauna, as they had been in there before, their own handbook damaged from the heat of the sauna, because... the killer is Mondo Ohwada.

Quiet, Mondo doesn't look up at Kiyotaka as he shamefully admits that he did kill Chihiro, much to his friend's disbelief. The biker prompts Monokuma to start the voting already, the bear gleefully agreeing despite Kiyotaka begging him not to. The votes are cast, and Mondo is correctly vindicated as the culprit. The bear announces that the students were correct, although Kiyotaka's one vote against himself as "noble, but stupid." Despite the correct voting, Kiyotaka refuses to believe that Mondo had committed a murder. Although, he begins to break down after Mondo apologizes, yelling and demanding for Mondo to explain why he killed Chihiro, only met with regretful silence.

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, admitting 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."

Moving on from Chihiro's secret, Monokuma brings up Mondo's own, which had lead him to kill Chihiro in the first place, and it was that... he had killed his own brother. This causes everyone to gasp in shock, and Mondo grits his teeth, staring shamefully at the floor, before he reveals that his older brother had formed the greatest biker gang in Japan, and how he'd been like a God-like figure to him. Once his brother had to retire, he was supposed to take his place as the leader, but he didn't feel like he could ever live up to his brother's name. On the night his brother was supposed to retire, Mondo challenged him to one last street race. In a desperate attempt to win, he begins recklessly driving on the road and into the path of an oncoming truck. About to be hit, his brother is kicked out of the line of fire and results in his death. Mondo recalls his brother's dying words that he wouldn't let the gang fall apart, a promise between two men that can't be broken.

Mondo muses on how pathetic he is, and how he couldn't live up to his brother's promise, and yet Chihiro came to him, intent on changing himself and living up to an image he can be proud of. Mondo quickly grew jealous of him, as Chihiro facing his fear had made him stronger than Mondo ever could been. The biker ends up lashing out in fury, picking up a dumbbell and murdering Chihiro for it.

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 Kiyotaka. That was when Mondo learned to destroy an e-Handbook, and quickly disposed of Chihiro's after killing him. Mondo begins crying out of shame, along with Kiyotaka, and everyone is silent as they process the truth of Chihiro's death.

Monokuma mocks their sadness, and quickly announces that it's punishment time, causing Kiyotaka to stop crying as he realizes what's about to happen. Monokuma continues to explain that he simply believes "despair is [their] birthright," prompting Sakura to ask what he meant. The bear angrily admits that it doesn't have any deeper meaning, and it was the first thing that came to his mind.

Byakuya begins to say that once he survives the killing game, he will destroy Monokuma, which only amuses him and demeans Byakuya's threat and status, which angers him. By this time, Kiyotaka has become incredibly emotional and desperately tries to stop Monokuma from beginning the execution. Despite all his desperate screams, Monokuma continues regardless and hits the red button and commences Mondo Ohwada's execution.

Monokuma walks by and drags Mondo to his execution, before it transitions into a pixelated fade in as the execution begins. Cheering and clapping is heard from an unseen audience as a black and white spiral slows to a stop until Mondo is seen strapped to the seat of a colorful motorcycle with tiger designs on it, Monokuma at the front. The setting of a fairground pops up around a large motorcycle cage, the entrance slowly sliding open.

The music comes to it's dip as the title card Motorcycle Death Cage is shown, music building up as Monokuma revs the bike to life, tires screeching as it quickly begins speeding forward towards the cage. The mascot momentarily abandons his seat, leaving Mondo to drive straight into the cage by himself, the gate slamming shut. He's left helpless as the bike spins in fast circles inside, Monokuma hula-hooping to the speed of the bike. The cage glows to life, and the bike reaches max speed as Mondo becomes incredibly dizzy, the light filling up the area until everything is white.

The music stops until it's an ominous ambience, Monokuma is seen sweating and exhausted as the bike slows down, clattering against the floor of the cage without Mondo strapped to it. The camera pans to a machine next to the cage, beeping thrice before something springs out of the small doors, and it's revealed that Mondo has been condensed into a small tub of butter, before it shows a paper-cutout scene of Monokuma happily enjoying a stack of pancakes.

Monokuma informs Kiyotaka on not having to mourn Mondo, making a joke at the expense of the biker's death. Kiyotaka is curled on the ground, crying and screaming in agony at the loss of his best friend as everyone solemnly looks on at the scene.

As the camera pans across the student's faces, Makoto thinks to himself that Monokuma is cruel and uncaring, and he's not sure how much more of the killing game he can take, especially with Kiyotaka's screams, he realizes how powerless they all actually are.

Over the credits, Monokuma is congratulating himself on his success at the murders, and to someone the camera doesn't show at how they haven't had to kill a single person yet. He offers that they can ask him any question he likes, but after a moment of silence, he says "who's the sixteenth student hiding in the academy? I can't tell you that!" Leaving the statement a mystery as the episode ends.

Opening & Ending
This episode features no opening or ending theme. Instead, the opening and ending credits are displayed over the episode itself.

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