Danganronpa Re:Birth (ダンガンロンパ -Re:Birth-) is a fake Danganronpa game concept created as an April Fool's joke by Miwashiba
, later developed into a one-chapter video series.
The popularity of the fake series became so massive that a YouTube group called danganrebirth-voices has created their own unofficial English dub for the series along with its own original storyline. However, it was forced to shut down on July 22,2019.
Tropes in Danganronpa Re:Birth for both Miwashiba's original version and the unofficial English dub include:
- All There in the Manual: Miwashiba has a Tumblr page that contains all the events and backstories for the Rebirth story. Be warned though, it contains major spoilers for his story.
- Likewise, the English dub page on YouTube also provides an FAQ regarding their own take on the series and how it will differ from the original. The two biggest differences they have publicly confirmed are that Akira Tsuchiya will not be the mastermind and that Mikoto's true talent will not be the Ultimate Secret Agent.
- Ascended Meme: The motive for the dub's Chapter 3 is based on the popular talentswap concept where Monodora gives new talents to each of the students.
- Big Bad: In Miwashiba's version, Akira Tsuchiya is the designated mastermind of the killing game.
- In the English dub, Narumi is the new mastermind while Akira becomes her second in command.
- Birds of a Feather: Kasumi and Misuzu get along quite well in the English dub based on their shared interest of spiritual connections.
- In the Ultimate Talent Development Plan video series, or UTDP, Seishi and Nico have formed a friendship because of their similarities as writing prodigies in the field of literature.
- Zigzagged with Narumi and Akira. While they both worked together as co-masterminds and are driven to avenge their deceased family members, they didn't get along since Akira was driven by despair while Narumi was fueled by hope.
- Breaking Old Trends: For starters, unlike past lucky students, Ayumu is introduced as the Ultimate Unlucky Student.
- The Rebirth cast is the first to not have a character that's significantly larger in appearance.
- As of now, the dub features the first time where an Ultimate is murdered during a class trial.
- Call-Back: The setting for both the original and dub version takes place within a high school building with no exits and with the windows completely covered.
- In the original version, Monodora gives the students video pads that show the people they love and care about as a motive to kill, similar to V3.
- And just like DRV3, there's the twist about how the audience was teased with the promise of a female protagonist.
- In Chapter 2 of the English dub, a party is held to bring the group together with good food. It unfortunately ends with someone being killed.
- There are still two victims for the third trial. But as a twist, the second victim dies while in the middle of the trial.
- Chapter 5's motive features the theme of exposing the student's past sins and darkest secrets. Just like in DR1.
- In relation to DR2's Chapter 5 execution, the main female lead is executed alongside the mascot.
- Continuity Nod:
- In The Stinger of the dub's Chapter 2, Mikoto mentions how the Former Ultimate Detective is still telling the story of how she stuffed her hand down a dead guy's pants to solve their murder.
- In Chapter 3 of the dub, the MonoMuseum contains exhibits that are based on the events of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School.
- Driven to Suicide: During the third trial, Ayumu comes dangerously close to convincing everyone to give up on the case and commit a mass suicide. Thankfully Mikoto is able to knock some sense into everyone.
- False Friend: In the original version by Miwashiba, Seishi acted as one of Ayumu's closest friends in order to gain their trust. When in reality, he was hired to kill Ayumu since he was seen as a danger for his unlucky talent.
- The Family That Slays Together: When Narumi decided to kickstart her killing game to avenger her father and fight for the rights of Ultimates, her entire family chipped in by bringing in different resources and information to ensure that her endgame goals came true.
- Fancy Dinner: In Chapter 2 of the dub, Narumi holds a dinner party to liven the spirits of the other students. Too bad someone decided to take advantage of the situation by drugging the food with sleeping supplements resulting in another murder.
- Fanservice: As per tradition, Chapter 3 of the dub features Ayumu unintentionally walking in on their female classmates bathing together. As a bonus, the night afterwards features him taking a bath with his male classmates.
- Frame-Up: In the original version, all of the major accidents that Ayumu believed were a result of his bad luck were actually created by Akira as a means of framing him.
- For the second case of the dub, the killer used an unconscious Narumi to gain access to the ice rink while also framing her for Kego's murder.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Regarding the English dub, the original survivors have become this after the public learned that Junko Enoshima originated from Hope's Peak Academy. Along with Hope's Peak being shut down, Future Foundation was given the same treatment when the public learned that one of it's officers allowed Junko to get away. The core 6 plus Komaru still continue their activities of preserving talent and hope under the alias Phoenix Foundation.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: In Miwashiba's version, a majority of the students entered the Talent Removal Program, either on their own accord or by their parents, in the hopes of removing their talents and getting to live like ordinary teenagers.
- This becomes a core plot point in the dub. After the Despair Wars, the general public developed bitter feelings for those with Ultimate style talents and wanted nothing to do with them. This resulted in the birth of Precept's Peak Academy: a school system which specialized in apticide or the removal of talent. Despite this norm, there are still highly talented individuals who continue to fight and protest the right to showcase their talents without fear or prejudices.
- Inferred Holocaust: In-Universe. During the third chapter of the dub, the group comes into contact with another student via radio who informs them that he's partaking in his own killing game. And if that wasn't enough, Monodora confirms that more than thirty killing games are taking place alongside the main one.
- Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Roughly 5 years after the Tragedy and the world was restored to normalcy, the general public vowed to never teach the new generations of the Tragedy or Junko Enoshima in fear that her destructive influence would rise again.
- Loony Fan: The mastermind of the original version, Akira Tsuchiya, is revealed to be a fanboy of Junko Enoshima. Inspired by her ability to change the world with her despair talent, Akira decided to follow in her footsteps by recreating the killing games.
- Lotsa People Try to Dun It: In chapter 4 of the dub, Seishi receives multiple blows and assassination attempts from his classmates. Most of it was warranted given his reveal as the Ultimate Hitman who got away with murder in the last trial.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: In the English dub, Maiko and Saiji have this dynamic.
- Painting the Medium: The second trial for the English dub incorporates elements found mainly in the V3 game.
- Recurring Element: Just like the canon games, many of the characters fall into various recurring archetypes.
- Ayumu is the Ridiculously Average Guy protagonist.
- Mikoto is a main female lead with a serious, no-nonsense attitude.
- She's also introduced as the Ultimate ???
- Kasumi is the 'magical weirdo' of the group.
- Narumi is the token dark-skinned girl of her class.
- Kego has the Non-Standard Character Design.
- Kazuomi is the Hot-Blooded manly guy of the group.
- Saiji ends up being the Chapter 3 killer who showcases a disturbing personality after being exposed.
- Rule 63: For April Fool's 2019, the English dub crew released a trailer promoting a new game called Danganronpa Birth:Right featuring the Rebirth cast with opposite genders. They even gained new sprite designs, voices, names and everything.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: In the dub, Akira is shown to have uncovered a data file based on Junko Enoshima's AI after breaking into Future Foundation's database. He and Narumi intended to unleash the AI onto the government system as part of their revenge scheme.
- Secret Path: In the second trial, Ayumu reveals that the well in the garden is a secret passageway to the ice rink.
- Smart Ball: At the start of the second trial of the English dub, Kazuomi suggests that Kasumi channel the ghost of Kego so they can know who the killer is. It's a good idea, but Mikoto points out one big hole.Mikoto: " Kego...hit...back of head.... He...no see...who...killer...is."
- Shout-Out: In Miwashiba's version, the Chapter 1 culprit Maiko's execution, "Red Shoes", is a Shout Out to the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale of the same name. The story is about a girl who is given a pair of red shoes that force her to dance uncontrollably, no matter how much she wants to stop, until finally she has her legs chopped off... and that's exactly what happens to Maiko.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: In the English dub, the dinner party is held while calm piano music plays in the background. The music continues to play even after the drugged food kicks in slowly knocking everyone in attendance while their weakened voices can be heard fearing for their lives.
- Swapped Roles: In Chapters 4-5 of the original version, Seishi and Mikoto end up switching roles as the solitary protector and antagonistic rival respectively after the reveal of their true identities; Seishi being the Ultimate Hitman hired to assassinate Ayumu and Mikoto being the Ultimate Secret Agent hired to protect Ayumu and capture Seishi.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The epilogue for the English dub goes over what became of each of the survivors after they escaped the Killing Game.
- Kasumi visits Misuzu's shrine and decides to work there.
- Keigo visits the graves of Akira and his grandmother and tries to kill himself. Thankfully the gun jams preventing him from doing so.
- Kazuomi has begun entering Aruma's dog into dog competitions and the boy now sports a more effeminate appearance.
- Narumi is tried for her crimes and is sentenced to life in prison.
- Ayumu reunites with his family and vows to continue what Narumi started.
