Danganronpa (Japanese: ダンガンロンパ) is a Japanese video game franchise created by Kazutaka Kodaka and developed and owned by Spike Chunsoft (formerly Spike). The series surrounds a group of high school students who are forced into murdering each other by a bear named Monokuma. Gameplay features a mix of adventure, visual novel, and dating sim elements. The first game, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010.
The original scenario was written by Kodaka, who aimed to create a dark adventure game. The original concept was rejected for being too gruesome, but it was later approved after retooling. The series has morphed into a franchise that includes manga, anime, and novels. The franchise became one of Spike's most successful works since they previously outsourced their works.
The series received many positive reviews from critics, praising the series' characters, tone, and atmosphere. Rui Komatsuzaki's character designs became popular for cosplay. Kodaka's work also inspired staff members from the studio Pierrot in the making of an anime titled Akudama Drive. By 2020, the Danganronpa series reached 3.5 million copies sold worldwide.
