DRAMMU BLOG - TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN

INTRODUCTION

First monthly competition that I've entered on the Danganronpa Amino and it's all about music, can you believe my luck? (*insert cheesy Komaeda shriek*). But seriously, I've enjoyed contemplating about what the focus of my entry should be. After much consideration, I felt that the theme of the characters should be... those who fell into or died due to DESPAIR. My favourite part of playing the games and watching the anime is following the stories of characters and relishing their demise to become despair-induced myself. So I thought there was no better way to express this than to relate them to some of the more angsty music I enjoy listening to (though not all the genres listed here covers my tastes). Without further-a-do, I present to you...

(Yes I know this is Papa Roach's album artwork for "The Connection", but it just looks really damn cool. Don't judge :^) )

A TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN!

JUNKO ENOSHIMA - "INFEST" BY PAPA ROACH

Oh boy, it's the Ultimate Despair herself. Now there were various songs that I could've picked for her due to the various schizophrenic states she possesses, but I can fully appreciate that the main focus should be on how she connects all of her tropes together: THROUGH DESPAIR OF COURSE! I could write an entire post on why Papa Roach is one of my favourite bands ever, but that's not related to this :x

Infest is one of the greatest tracks in Papa Roach's most critically acclaimed album. The focus of the track revolves around the theme of being against the norm and encomes the great angsty message of "Screw the system", or rather in this case "screw the Foundation". The first verse features Jacoby Shaddix's (vocalist of PR) certainty of how he will hypnotise listeners through his entrancing vocals and lyrics: "Cock back and unleash with my physical. Wrap you in my thoughts and become indivisible. Centrifugal, forces individuals into my mind as we rock into ritual." This initial statement without a doubt contains the same level of confidence as Junko's certainty in her ability to descend others into Despair through the various schemes she devises through all of Danganronpa (for example, the brainwashing video she utilises to converge the 77th class into the Remnants of Despair). Next, the pre-chrorus conveys how controlling she is over her victims: "You better do just what we say, and if you don't then you will pay." Not only does this refer to her punishments in the games and anime, but also the pronoun "we" refers to either the Remnants of Despair or even just her sister, Mukuro Ikusaba the SHSL Soldier and Despair. To centralise Junko Enoshima's role in Danganronpa, the mesmerising chorus is vital for portraying her intentions throughout the franchise: "We're going to infest, we're getting in your head. What is wrong with the world today? The government, media, or your family." To begin dissecting, the first and second lines represent the insanity that is caused by Despair and the downfall of humanity that is known as The Tragedy respectively. The third line of this bewitching segment asks the rhetorical question "What is wrong with the world today?" which signifies how 'boring' Hope is according to both Izuru and Junko and sounds like they're questioning why it should be left in its Hope-filled state. The question is addressed with the answer "The government, media, or your family", which is what Junko seeks to destroy in the world. She intends to break the sanity of others and use her talents and assets to infest the world with Despair. The final point I can make is how the song itself has a general entrancing vibe played from the instruments used as well as Shaddix's great hooks to catch the listener off guard and make them headbang, much like how Junko uses the technology created by Ryota Mitarai to create Despair inducing videos in order to throw the world into chaos. As a whole, "Infest" demonstrates Junko's demands and wishes for plundering the world and universe into full-on disarray and Despair, making her the Ultimate mastermind in the entirety of all of Danganronpa.

GUNDHAM TANAKA - "CRADLE TO THE GRAVE" BY FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

5FDP are considered to be the 'Marmite' of the heavier genre of the music industry, mainly because their simple ruff 'n' tuff and unholy approach to the music they produce has caused elitists to try and put them down. But of course, this has never worked and I respect them for that. Much like Gundham would apprecaite that they don't relate themselves to the conventional norm and do whatever the hell they want.

The main theme of this track from their highly-rated album "The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Vol.2" has Ivan Moody (vocalist with a great relevant surname) taking the persona of a man who lives not in Heaven, but in the ugly depths of the underworld. Judging by Gundham's character, his general demeanour makes him warn others of his title as the mighty 'Forbidden One' and matches a lot of what is sung or growled in "Cradle to the Grave". This can be evidenced greatly in the hook-ridden chorus: "Been called a monster, called a demon, called a freak (called a freak). I'm not an idol, not an angel, not a saint (I'm not a saint). I walk alone, I always have, I'm not ashamed (not ashamed), A living nightmare from the cradle to the grave." As you can see, it resonates well with Gunham's persona because he declares himself as not being a "saint" or "angel", which we know for a fact he isn't due to his more satanic extra-curricular activities (slaying demons 'n' all). Even the backing growls could be interpreted as his Tanaka Empire, made up of demons and animals he has enslaved/allied into his great army, booming through the underworld. Just the final line of the chorus alone, the declaration that he is both life and death incarnate, would terrify anyone who dares face off with the 'Forbidden One' himself. As he states throughout the second game and Despair Arc those who foolishly challenge him will have to face the wrath of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction and the rest of the Tanaka Empire. The final point I should make is about the interluding solo, which is a spectacle in itself thanks to Zoltan Bathory (guitarist) as well as the accompanying heavy hitting drums from Jeremy Spencer, is a hellish fantasia of blending high-impact hysterics and guitar majesty. This solo alone has various bits of imagery that any Danganronpa fan could associate with the song, such as his general summonings and spells to fighting against demons or innocents in the Tragedy to his execution within the NEO-program in the second game. Conclusively, 5FDP's magnum opus narrates Gundam's title as the master of the underworld as well as illustrates key events such as him being a Remnant of Despair and his execution in the second game.

IBUKI MIODA - "TRAGIC MAGIC" BY FALLING IN REVERSE

Locust, how could you listen to Falling in Reverse you filthy poser?!?! Because Falling in Reverse were a decent band before they started releasing garbage like "Fashionably Late". The reason I say this is because the Great Ibuki would not approve of Ronny Radke's turning to the over-saturated poppy music within rock as he has done in current times. The fact that Radke didn't keep his Escape the Fate influences after "The Drug In Me Is You" clashes against her beliefs of staying true to yourself, especially in producing music.

The song itself is a great example of the band's older comedic side, which can be seen through the onslaught of laughable lyrics. There are many links that can be made between Ibuki's character and the song itself. To start with, the chrous captures her naturally quirky character: "Magically, I turned tragedy into melodies over catchy beats. It comes so naturally, so smooth and casually, that's why they call me king [Queen, before you get triggered] of the music scene". The chorus fully implies how talented and lyrically clever Ibuki is and how she wanted to use her music to spread Hope across the world. As if it couldn't be more obvious, Ibuki's proclamation as the SHSL Musician is embodied through the grand title of "*Queen* of the music scene". To further the portrayal of her joyous nature, the repition of "lalalalala" that interludes the chrous and verses highlights how caught up in with her thoughts in her fluffy head she is. However after the first chorus, the track takes a sudden dark turn. Radke proceeds to sing "I dug a hole 10 miles wide so I could throw all of you inside" and later followed by "You bring a picture of me every time you get your haircut. Impostor!". This could be interpreted as Ibuki's hatred for people stealing her music and tying to claim it as their own, like most other musicians. This is a theory that I have thought of based on why she killed people during The Tragedy. It could also be a reference to Ibuki's backstory where before ing Hope's Peak Academy she left her old band due to 'creative differences', which is exactly why Ronny Radke left Escape the Fate in 2008. Finally, Ibuki's rise against the Hope Foundation with her fellow Remnants is illustrated by the penultimate verse: "We will march, rise against them. From the start, rise against them." These heinous intentions were only brought about by Junko's Despair Video where Chiaki Nanami was cruelly murdered, but the video has corrupted her mental state and thus lead her to taking out her demonic aggression on the rest of the world. As you can see, this song perfectly portrays Ibuki's storyline and personality and proves why she is such a bubbly and unique character in Danganronpa.

RURUKA ANDOU - "YOU" BY BREAKING BENJAMIN

A sweet character for a sweet band, that's the trend here. I think that Ruruka's design is very similar to Celestia's because of the greed and deceptive nature they both possess. What is also similar is how both characters could be portrayed through some of thr songs by Breaking Benjamin.

This song is overshadowed by more well-known songs such as The Diary of Jane, but what it lacks in popularity it makes up in quality and Danganronpa prominence. "You" is a short but punchy tune that allows Benjamin Burnley (lead vocalist and guitarist) to melodically describe about his abhorrently driven desire to survive to the listener. The bass guitar and drums seem to be a lot more prominent on this track, which matches the heavy topic of betrayal. This, I feel, resonates with the character of Ruruka Andou, since she is the one of the characters in Danganronpa who makes it very clear to people that she despises being betrayed. There is one particular line that insinuates her hate for betrayal: "The only way out [death] is letting your guard down." This line is key to linking Ruruka's personality because she is pretty manipulative thanks to her greed (which was brought up by her high and sweet standard of living) and fears for being betrayed after the incident that led to her being expelled from Hope's Peak Academy, which is ed in the Despair Arc of the anime. The easiness of her life can be inferred by the first verse, where Benjamin sings that Ruruka has "lived all that life that [she's] taken all for granted." The incident in the Despair Arc of the anime in Episode 4 causes the rift between her and Seiko's friendship to widen, which can be expressed by the second verse: "I stand here all alone, and I can see the bottom." This suggests that Ruruka only cares about herself because she fears being hurt by others and by declaring this, it also refers to Ruruka's betrayal of her romantic partner, Sonosuke Izayoi, where she kills him by breaking his NG Code through their love. It can be justified that the toxic and selfish nature of Ruruka Andou is perfectly portrayed by this lesser known track through its heavier sound and tone of lyrics.

CHIAKI NANAMI- "ALPHA" BY PERIPHERY

And now introducing one of the coolest bands you will hear today: Periphery. Djent within the metal community, as repetitive as it sometimes sounds, is by far the sickest sounding sub-genre of metal due to its technical wizardry and riff enchantment. In my opinion, this only suits the character of Chiaki Nanami because the technical sounds could easily be played in one of her beloved video games.

The uplifting 8-bit introduction of the song "Alpha" is a great reminder of her SHSL talent of being the Ultimate Gamer. The track itself counts as one of Periphery's more cheery tracks due to the lyrics being so positive and the bass and guitar being pitched quite highly, which reflects Chiaki Nanami's positive and optimistc outlook on life in Danganronpa. The chorus itself features emotional pop punky vocals from Spencer Stoleto reflect Chiaki's purpose as the Class Rep in the 77th class of Hope's Peak Academy: "Stop bleeding on the inside. We are alive and it's more than enough to paint the walls that are white. Can we show the ones who are blind?" By "painting the walls that are white" we can interpret this to be Chiaki guiding and protecting her classmates throughout the second game and Despair Arc of the anime because 'blindness' is a metaphor for being lost or afraid and not wanting to make friendships, which Chiaki tries to solve in the beginning of the Despair Arc as well as her AI in the second game. Additionally lines such as "It's always better on the other side of it", "It's never greener inside the mess we're in" and "It's envy eating away at the core of us" are proverbial statements that exhibit Chiaki's kind words that glue together the gang. The penultimate verse before the finale act like orders from a Class Rep to stay together and live life to the fullest: "Step out in the rain. Feel life in our veins. Step out in the rain. Feel life in our, feel life in our veins" Finally, the repition of the rhetorical question "How did we get like this?" is a testament as to how the situation in the Despair Arc escalated into finding their teacher Chisa and then becoming trapped in Junko's lair located in Izuru Kamukura's experimental chambers. It also foreshadows her own video gamed themed executions both in the anime and games, which are quite possibly the most tragic and saddening one to watch at the sidelines and the rest of her classmates being helpless under Junko's control. There you have it, the cheerful and bright outlook on life that Chiaki has is efficiently played out in this song.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

MONDO OOWADA - "BORN TO BE WILD" BY STEPPENWOLF

CELESTIA LUDENBERG - "WASP" BY MOTIONLESS IN WHITE

DAISAKU BANDAI - "BLACKBIRD" BY THE WURZELS

THANKS FOR READING ^_^/

#DRAMusicMashUP

#DRAMMUBlog