Danganronpa: The Animation - Episode 03

Kill Free or Live Hard - #3 (Ab) Normal Days is the second episode of the Dangan Ronpa anime. It first aired on July 18th 2013.

Summary
The students arrive in the underground courtroom. A school trial begins in order to find Sayaka Maizono's murderer. After some discussing and arguing, the students decide on the order of events and deduct that Leon Kuwata was the culprit. Kuwata strongly denies he did it, but Monobear announces he was the one who killed Maizono. Kuwata gets dragged away for his execution in front everyone.

Plot
The episode starts with Makoto Naegi's thoughts explaining how there is only one rule to leave Hope's Peak Academy - To kill someone and get away with it. Scenes of Junko Enoshima and Sayaka Maizono's deaths flash upon the screen.

The scene changes to the classmates standing in the lift to go to the courtroom. Naegi continues, saying how he was suspected for her murder, however he and Maizono know that is not the case. The lift doors open to reveal a courtroom. This is where they begin risking their lives - The Class Trial. The students stand stunned in the court room. Monobear appears on the other side of the room lazing about in a chair. After being asked by Kyouko Kirigiri, Monobear explains how the stands showing pictures of the deceased students were to ensure they weren't excluded. Kirigiri points out that there are 16 spaces in the room when there were only 15 students. Monobear says that it's just so a maximum of 16 students can participate in the school trial.

The students assemble in their places. Monobear announces for them to begin the discussion. Naegi thinks how he definitely cannot afford to make false assumptions when everyone's life is at risk. The words "Classroom Trial" flash across the screen in red lettering.

School Trial Start!

The camera pans around the circle of students, Evidence Bullets that were shown in the game appear on the side of the screen. Kirigiri begins the discussion by trying to figure out the murder weapon. Kiyotaka Ishimaru says that the knife in her abdomen was no doubt the murder weapon. Naegi expands on that point, saying how someone must have took a knife from the kitchen. Leon Kuwata stresses how Naegi must be the culprit. Aoi Asahina begins to recall how she and Sakura Oogami were in the kitchen the previous night drinking tea together. Touko Fukawa interrupts, accusing them of being partners in crime. Monobear explains how even if they were accomplices, only the murderer would be allowed to graduate. Oogami begins saying how while they were in the kitchen, only one other person entered - Sayaka Maizono herself. Naegi reassures everyone on that it must have been for self protection, and Togami states how it must have been taken away from her by the culprit and killed.

Everyone begins to accuse Naegi as the killer. Kirigiri steps in, saying how there was evidence to show he wasn't the culprit. Everyone is surprised. She continues, explaining how the shower room door Naegi's room showed signs of trying to be broken into. Mondo Oowada retorts, saying how if the room was locked from the inside, then the only option was surely to break it down.

Naegi argues back by shouting "You've got that wrong!". An evidence bullet is fired. He explains how only the girl's shower rooms can be locked from the inside. Monobear confirms that. Naegi continues, saying how his door originally had a problem to do with opening. After the culprit believed for it to be locked, they broke it down. Naegi wouldn't have had to do that, therefore he isn't the culprit Kirigiri conducts.

Celestia Ludenberg moves onto another point: Why did the culprit believe the bathroom to be locked if the room belonged to a male? Kirigiri quickly explains how the nameplates on Maizono's and Naegi's room had been switched around, meaning the culprit thought Naegi's room was Maizono's. From this, one could assume the culprit was someone who didn't know she and Naegi swapped rooms for the night - everyone apart from Naegi.

Asahina continues with the discussion, asking how the culprit got into the room. Chihiro Fujisaki suggests the lock was picked but is countered by Kiyotaka Ishimaru who says the locks are protected from picking. Hifumi Yamada induces that Maizono must have let the culprit in herself. Naegi doesn't believe it, recalling how Maizono was shaking in fear and wouldn't have let anyone in.

Kirigiri suggests that she was just acting. Everyone is shocked at the idea. Naegi strongly disapproves of the idea. Regardless,Kirigiri shows him a note found at the crime scene:

"''There is something I need to discuss with you. Please come to my room. Also, to find the correct room, please check the name plates." '' Shocked, he reads the note Kirigiri hands to him. She asks him if he wrote it, and he denies that he did. A signature at the bottom identifies the note as Maizono's. Kirigiri continues to explain how Maizono must have used it to drag someone into the room. She explains how the nameplates had been swapped around so the culprit thought they were going to Maizono's room when it was in fact originally Naegi's. Naegi concludes the only person who could have done this was Maizono.

Togami states that the only reason she did this was to frame Naegi for a murder, and the only reason she failed was because she was counter-attacked by her target. The target defended themselves from her attack with the golden sword in Naegi's room. Naegi doesn't believe she would do something like that but is assured by Celestia Ludenberg that she only did it to try and escape. Some of the classmates begin to argue, but Kirigiri tells them to focus on finding the culprit.

Leon Kuwata says their wasn't anymore evidence, but is quickly contradicted by Naegi. "That's wrong!" He shouts and the evidence bullet 'dying message' is fired. Kirigiri begins to talk about the dying message behind Maizono's corpse; "11037". Mondo Oowada asks the Super High School Level Programmer Chihiro Fujisaki what it meant, who has no idea. Naegi begins thinking over the events. After locking herself in the bathroom, the door was forced open and Maizono was stabbed by the knife which was taken away from her. Suddenly Naegi realizes the message was the culprit's name. He explains to the surprised students; if you flip 11037 180 degrees you get... LEON.

He looks at Leon Kuwata who begins to get angry. Naegi expands, saying how she was lying on her back when she wrote it, so the message was from her point of view. Leon begins strongly denying that he was the culprit, but Kyouko contradicts him with the evidence that he tried to get rid of: the remainder of a bloody shirt sleeve and a smashed crystal ball which were found by the rubbish incinerator. Yasuhiro Hagakure mentions how he couldn't find his crystal ball.

Naegi starts going over what must have happened: after killed Maizono, the culprit hurried to get rid of the evidence. However, they couldn't get to the incinerator due to there being a shutter gate in the way. So the culprit used Hagakure's crystal ball to open the incinerator by throwing it at the on button through the shutter gates. For a normal person, this would have been a near impossible feat, but the culprit knew they could do it, because they must have been Super High School Level Baseballer. They threw the bloodied shirt into the incinerator and quickly left the garbage room. However, a part of the shirt which was not completely burnt fell to the ground, and thus had been used as evidence. Naegi confronts the culprit.

"Isn't that right, Leon Kuwata?" By this time, Leon is shaking with anger. Kyouko asks if he has anything to defend himself, by which Leon begins to chant "Idiot" over and over again. Naegi begins to list the evidence against him, which he all strongly denies. Naegi says that there was one way to get into the bathroom, and Leon strongly denies there is. The evidence bullet 'Toolkit' is fired. Naegi asks to see Leon's toolkit which Leon is unable to show. Leon stands shocked and horrified, unable to speak.

Monobear announced that it's time to vote on culprit. A fruit machine is shown with the student's faces on. The machine stops with all three rows with Leon's face. Leon has been voted of being guilty. Monobear happily confirms that the person who killed Maizono was Leon. Leon shakily admits it. Everyone is horrified at the revelation. Mondo Oowada demands to know why he would do something like that. Leon slowly replies:

"...Then what else should I have done? I was about to be killed myself! That's why I had no choice but to kill her." He breaks down and sinks to the floor crying. Monobear exclaims that because they successfully caught the culprit, Leon will be given a punishment. Leon begins saying excuses that he only killed her for self defense however Monobear continues, saying how if you brought disruption, you had to be punished and that it was rule of their own society. Leon screams and begins to beat the walls with his fists, yelling for someone to get him out of here.

Monobear announces a special punishment had been made for Leon. A red button appears in front of Monobear. The bear hits it with a hammer and the scene changes to a red, black and white pixel scene where Monobear drags Leon away.

GAME OVER. Leon Kuwata has been decided guilty. Let's start the punishment

The execution starts with Leon looking nervously around at his classmates, who are all staring at him. The camera shows this scene from different angles. Leon's mouth is wide open as a metal clamp closes around his neck. He grips the clamp with one hand and stretches out for help with the other. Suddenly, he gets dragged away by a chain the clamp is attached to and is hurled through the school corridors. The corridor door shuts and a red warning sign saying "In Use" lights up. Leon get's slammed upon a pole in a baseball pitch and chained to it. The baseball pitch gates, which are covered in warning signs slam shut. A canon pops up. Baseball balls are loaded into it. The rest of the classmates watch from the other side of the gates. The canon starts up. Monobear appears wearing a baseball cap and carrying a baseball bat. The words "Million Fungoes" Flashes across the screen. The canon begins violently firing balls atLeon in all directions. A scene of Leon screaming as a dozen baseballs flying towards him are shown just as they smash into his face. The gates open and the rest of the students horrified faces flash upon the screen. The remainders of Leon's limp body are shown silhouetted against a light.

Monobear seems to find the execution incredibly adrenaline pumping and amusing while everyone else is aghast. Monobear says that if they don't want this to happen again, then they should just simply live inside the school walls peacefully for the rest of their lives. Naegi clenches his teeth and Monobear tells him he knows he's despairing after being betrayed by Maizono. Naegi angrily confronts the bear, saying how it was all it's fault and lunges for it, only to be stopped by Kirigiri telling him to calm down.

The scene changes to Naegi lying on his bed. Kirigiri comes into his room, wanting to talk to him about something. He asks if it's about Maizono. She confirms it.

''"Surely, it is without a doubt Sayaka Maizono tried to lead you into a trap, that is the inevitable truth. However, what would she have been thinking before she died?... Even if we don't ask directly, we can reason. It's likely that the very last thing she thought about was; what should she do in order to save you. If she didn't care about about the consequences you would have to face, she would not have left that message. ...I believe that she hesitated in tricking you, and trying to kill someone. Her hesitation is what caused this outcome, unfortunately." '' Naegi says that she probably left the message to avenge her death and asks why Kirigiri is saying this. She answers:

"You are definitely someone who can go beyond, someone who can go beyond their friend's death and move forward. If you weren't that type of person, you wouldn't have been able to overcome this horrific situation."

Naegi says that it is a difficult situation for him so he won't go beyond, he will carry the burden of Maizono and Kuwata's deaths and move forward.

"To go beyond a friend's death...That's...That's difficult for me! That's why...I won't go beyond! I will carry the burden and move on. Maizono's death and Kuwata's death! I will keep carrying it and move on! I will carry it and move on! To go beyond while forgetting such thing...I will not do such thing! I will carry everyone's deaths and hearts, move forward and leave this place!"

Kirigiri smiles and looks at him, saying how it was a difficult path, but she looked forward to it. She asks Naegi one more thing.

"Just before, how did you know I was going to talk about Maizono's case>" Naegi replies

"That's because I'm psychic." The screen goes black.

"Just kidding, I just have good intuitions"