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As someone who has neither played the video game nor even seen the novel versions of Danganronpa, let me just start off with a disclaimer that this review is based solely on the anime itself, without any comparison or reference to other versions.
I think Danganronpa is a masterpiece within itself.
Every single word in this anime is worth hearing, and every single scene is important, so to call it a fast-paced anime would be an understatement. I understand how some people may think the anime progresses too quickly, and that vital scenes such as the trial scenes are rushed too much for the viewer ... to follow adequately, but I had no such problems, and honestly think it differs from person to person, depending on the person's interest in the anime itself.
Danganronpa never fails to drop as many questions as it answers, leaving the viewer in a constant chase for more; more to know, more to see, and more to discover. Every single episode is brilliantly written so that the show itself is a complex web of characters, plots, secrets and twists that leave you wondering about it for hours on end.
There may be arguments that the general theme of the anime is overdone with Battle Royale and the Hunger Games and the like, and that the idea of people killing each other in a game is overrated, but Danganronpa is nothing like either of these examples because it focuses on something that shifts the focus of the entire show; the investigations. As thrilling and exciting and amazing as the murders themselves may be, the trial scenes and investigations are a thousand times better. As a viewer, I found myself debating with myself over possible suspects and trying to pick up on the clues that this show so subtly drops over everything like dew. And though solving many mysteries filled me with absolutely inexplicably strange satisfaction and joy, the show gets more complex as it progresses, and with it, the mysteries and questions get more difficult to solve.
The characters of the show are perhaps my favourite part of the entire series. Throughout the show, every character is designed intricately and with enough care so that not one of them can be deemed "boring." The characters surprise the viewers again and again as new traits surface along the way, and to call them predictable wouldn't be accurate in any way.
Overall, this show has quickly surmounted my list as one of my favourite animes, and I absolutely recommend it to everyone who enjoys fast-paced, clever, genuinely well-written mysteries and thrillers.