Top 10 Favourite Songs in Video Games

Introduction:

Music, it is an integral part of our daily lives and as such we like to listen to it every day - from movies,radio and of course video games which is the topic we will be talking about today - Top Ten  Favourite Video Game Songs and i have a couple of rules that i would like to put into place. First - One Video Game Song per franchise. Secondly - Songs that come from video games that are based on a particular anime do count for this list as long as they were made exclusively for the video game. Thirdly - this list is going to be my personal, if you disagree with this list then - fair enough. Now with that out of the way it’s time to get the music playing as we count down.

Top Ten Favourite Songs in Video Games:

Number 10:

We are Finally Cowboys from No More Heroes:

Youtube Link: We are Finally Cowboys

When it comes to character themes - it is extremely important that the personality of the character is conveyed well from the music and one of the best examples of this that i can find is the final boss theme of No More Heroes - We are Finally Cowboys. Now what makes this song great in my eyes - well first of all the use of guitars. The Guitars convey one simple fact - Henry Cooldown absolutely rocks - he is a cool motherfucker who will not hesitate to beat your ass down in a flash. The guitar along with the beat make this song extremely addicting to listen to - it is designed to give you a rush as you face down an Irish Lightsaber Using Badass voiced by Quinton Flynn. I especially like when the song brings in other instruments like the drums and flute - it gives the song an extremely unique quality to it. This song is great at hyping up for the fantastic final boss that is Henry Cooldown. As for why it’s at the bottom of the list - well i simply like the other 9 Songs more. But overall this is a great song from a great soundtrack. Let’s hope No More Heroes 3 doesn’t disappoint.

Number 9:

Get Pimpin from Madworld

Youtube Link: Get Pimpin

Ah MadWorld - what a underrated game you are, as much as i love the No More Heroes Franchise - Madworld has a special place in my heart - sure it can be a bit repetitive and some of the boss fights can go suck the dick of Satan but Madworld also has extremely fun gameplay as well as some fantastic boss fights but the crown achievement of Madworld has to be the final boss of Madworld - the Black Baron and his first boss theme - Get Pimpin (don’t get me wrong i like So Cold but it can’t touch Get Pimpin). When it comes to conveying a character's personality there are few songs that do it better then Get Pimpin. The Black Baron has a very eccentric personality and this is conveyed extremely very well through the song. While i am not the biggest fan of Rap with the character like the Black Baron - it fits extremely well. This song basically the Black Baron telling Jack that he is going to destroy him and look swag while doing it. I mean look at these lyrics:

You see my swag

Now you wanna come and give me all this drag

I think you better back, back

Because my hand is itching to give you a smack

What's your name again Jack?

It's the end of the road ain't no turning back

Don't let the fly taste fool you

Mater fact it's about time that I school you

These lyrics come from someone who knows they are the coolest and they are not afraid to show off their swag. It also encourages the player as both while fighting and in the song - the Black Baron is constantly smack talking you - not believing that Jack has a chance against the Black Baron but with your skills as a player - it’s time to prove that pimp wrong as you get in the lack smack. Everything about this song is just incredibly fun to listen to - from the extremely catchy song to the upbeat but scathing lyrics that convey how much of a threat the Black Baron is. This song works in contrast to the much darker and sinister - So Cold. Overall this song is the complete package in terms of being a final boss theme but there is 1 or 2 final boss themes that i like over this song. Overall you better watch out or the Black Baron will school ya.

Number 8:

Scott Pilgrim Anthem from Scott Pilgrim: The World: The Game

Youtube Link: Scott Pilgrim Anthem

I recently became a fan of Scott Pilgrim through playing the excellent video game - Scott Pilgrim: The World: The Game (wow that is a mouthful). In terms of 2D Side Scrolling Beat em ups. I would definitely put it in my personal Top 5 of all time and one of the aspects that made me really like SPTWTG was the soundtrack which was by the excellent band - Anamanaguchi - i seriously recommend listening to their music if you haven’t had the chance to. Now why did i pick this song out of all the others in this excellent soundtrack - well personally this song was always the catchiest and the best song to convey the adventure you are about to embark on with Scott Pilgrim and friends. The Intro of the Song is fantastic build up and then after 10 seconds the song erupts into 8-bit glory. The song is extremely fast paced - conveying the rush and adventure you will have while playing this game but it also makes sure that it slows down to show off how good a band that Anamanaguchi are. Despite being an 8-bit skilled song - it is an extremely complex and multilayered song - which is extremely difficult to do for an 8-Bit song like this one. But personally the best part of this song is the main section which is extremely catchy (seriously this song will be stuck on your head). While there are plenty of fantastic songs in this soundtrack - this is a personal favourite of fine and i will be listening it in the years to come.

Number 7

Danganronpa/Super Danganronpa 2 Theme - Danganronpa/Super Danganronpa 2

Youtube Link: Danganronpa 1 Theme,Danganronpa 2 Theme

Considering - i am a huge fan of Danganronpa as a franchise i needed to put at the very least one Danganronpa song on this list and i had an extremely hard time choosing which song i wanted to put on the list (originally i was going to put the 3rd Execution Theme of Danganronpa V3 on the list but as i listen to this song more i decided to choose this one instead - i mean this is the main theme of the game after all, they have to put their best forward at the start of the game). This song is really good at conveying the tone and atmosphere of the Danganronpa games.  What i especially like about the first Danganronpa Theme is the fact that it uses vocals in an interesting way - the vocalist is not saying words but rather saying haunting sounds and words that really convey a sense of dread which is especially appropriate considering the dark tone and nature of the Danganronpa series. The first half of the song mixing the haunting vocalist with a interesting almost electronic beat that conveys a sense of dread but man the second half when the guitar starts kicking in is simply sublime - i could listen to that for hours. The Danganronpa 2 version is also pretty damn great - while it’s not as haunting as Danganronpa 1 - the use of guitar plus rock makes it so satisfying when you get to the end of the game and this song plays. Honestly i kinda prefer the DR2 version though they do have their own strengths and weaknesses. Overall both versions of this song are great and while i do prefer DV3’s soundtrack - i will freely admit that for me this song is the best song in the Danganronpa Franchise.

Number 6:

Reign - Yakuza 0

Youtube Link : Reign

One of the most underrated video game franchises - at least here in the west would definitely be Yakuza Series and like some underrated video games “cough” Madworld “cough” - it also has a fantastic soundtrack. It was an extremely difficult choice narrowing it down to which Yakuza song i would put on the list but at the end of the time i had to go with the charcter theme of the best character in Yakuza 0 - Goro Majima’s Reign. Now why did i pick this song out of all the songs - well personally i think this character perfectly conveys the struggles that Goro Majima as well as his desires. Remember when i said that character theme’s should convey information about the character's personality through song - Reign does that wonderfully.

“I heard in midnight someone screamed into the dark” - in the crime ridden city - anything could happen at night to a victim. “Gonna choose someone to backstab by a spin of the wheel” - Goro Majima may have his good points but he also is not afraid to get down and dirty and backstab anyone who he feels like. “I know that, this era is gonna make no sense” - this line conveys the insanity that was the 80s which had a huge impact in the next generations. “BANG! BANG! Went the gun but you know the show must go on!” - this shows that Majima is fine with doing some morally bad things or it could convey the risk that Yakuza and former Yakuza face as they could eventually end on on the barrel of a gun. “No time to lose.So I’ll find my path.No time to lose　So I’ll find my path.Before anyone else…” - this shows how dedicated Majima is at finding his own path in life and not relying on anyone else.”I am rolling in piles and piles of bills” - This especially is apporiate considering during the 80s in japan there was a lot of money.

My personal favourite lyrics would have to be this line:

I would fight for my belief

I would temper your grief

I would defend my precious

I would reach to the top

As this perfect convey Majima’s role in the plot. “I would fight for my belief” - Majima in the story fights for his own beliefs and code. He doesn’t kill Makoto since it goes against his beliefs. “I would temper your grief” - Makoto is currently dealing with the death of a close family member and Majima has to help her cope and eventually recover from all the shit she encountered. “I would defend my precious” - this one is pretty obvious. Majima wants to protect Makoto from the people going after her. “I would reach to the top” - Majima wants to become the top dog in crime.

Even beyond the significant lyrics - the song is extremely well done  using multiple instruments as well as guitars to get you pumped up when you are kicking some serious ass with Majima. Overall this song is extremely well down in both the lyrics and the instrumentation and even if you are not a fan of the series - i would highly recommend giving this a listen.

Number 5

Caesar Zeppeli’s Theme - JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven

Youtube Link: Caesar Zeppeli's Theme

I talked about this song a year ago when i stated that this song was my favourite ever fighting game song and a year later i still stand by that assessment. This song is so good as both as a song and conveying the character of Caesar Zeppeli - whose life had numerous tragic moments and was full of hardship. This song is extremely different from most fighting game theme - a lot of fighting game themes  are meant to get the player hyped to kick some ass and that’s the case with a lot of Eyes of Heaven songs but this song has a another objective in mind - it shows off the tragedy of the character.

Compare this song to pretty much all of the Songs in Eyes of Heaven and you will see a noticeable difference. A lot of songs in Eyes of Heaven are fast paced rock songs while this song is a much more slower paced affair that uses the piano to convey the loneliness as well as the sadness of the character of Caesar Zeppeli. The combination of Piano and Violin makes for a wonderful classical peace. Using these two instruments was perfect for a more sad/melancholic theme. It conveys what Caesar had to go throughout his live and wow he never truly found true happiness he did mind friendship in a young man named Joseph Joestar. I personally feel that this shows shows the weight of expectations and his family’s legacy that Caesar had to bear - Caesar throughout his journey is never truly happy. He not only has to bear the cross of his constant  failures but also his family’s legacy. I feel that this song emphasis this really damn well.

This is song is very fleeting,beautiful  but at the end of the day it does not last like a bubble. Overall this is my favourite fighting character theme (though for some reason it reminds me a lot of Undertale - i wonder if that’s future foreshadowing to a future entry “cough”

Number 4

Dark Star Core - Mario and Luigi, Bowser’s Inside Story

Youtube Link: Dark Star Core

Believe you me i had an antagonising time choosing which Mario Song i wanted to put on the list - there were so many to choose from but at the end of the day i decided to go with my gut and choose the song that i feel is the best from the Mario and that would be the song - Dark Star Core from Mario and Luigi,Bowser’s Inside Story.l am not the biggest fan of Bowser’s Inside Story but even i can’t deny just how climatic and complete this song is as a piece is. There has been plenty of great Mario Final Boss themes but i feel none of them quite matchup to the sense of climatic finale that this track does for the finale of Bowser’s Inside Story. There are multiple aspects of this song that i really like but one of those aspects is the extremely effective use of the piano. Unlike with Caesar Zeppeli’s theme - the use of piano in this piece is meant to convey a sense of foreboding - this is the final battle, the battle for the Mushroom Kingdom is reaching it’s climax and Fawful is not messing around. Before he was just a henchman to the main villain and wasn’t that much of a threat but now he’s back and ready for action - he has fused with the Dark Star and become Dark Bowser and now Bowser has to team up with Mario and Luigi have to team up to take him down.

This song really conveys that sense that if Mario/Luigi/Bowser don’t stop him them the world is doomed. This song expertly conveys the sense of dread and the possible consequences that could happen if you lose this fight. However, while the song also has a sense of dread to it - it also has a sense of epicness to it - this is the final battle, you can’t give up here - you must press on and finally put Fawful in his place.All the instruments work together in perfect combination - i would argue that in terms of instrumentation this is the perfect Mario Final Boss Theme. It combines everything i look for in a good boss theme - sense of dread,pushes the player to keep on fighting against impossible odds, a sense of finality. This song has it all - the only question is what songs can top Dark Star Cour.

Number 3:   

Wally’s Boss Fight Theme from Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Youtube Link: Wally's Theme

Like Mario - i had the toughest time choosing which Pokemon Song - originally i was going to put Primal Dialga from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2 on the list but when i thought about it - i decided to go with Wally’s Boss Fight Theme from Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Now why would i choose this song out of all the different unique songs in the Pokemon series. Well first of all quite simply - this song rock hards. Like out of all the Pokemon Songs i have listen to (and i am a huge Pokemon fan by the way) i listen to this song the most. This use of extremely fast paced guitars make this song extremely catchy and awesome to listen (the word kick ass is appropriate to use for this song). But the main reason why i chose this song out of the other many Pokemon Songs is because it exceptionally captures the character arc of Wally).

In Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire - Wally was pretty much a non character having very little time to interact with the other members of the cast and was kinda pointless (the only purpose was to give the main character another rival) but with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire - Wally’s character changed for the better. We got to understand his character more and why he wants to become a trainer so badly and not been seen as the sick week kid anymore. The main character encounters him numerous times throughout the story and every time he gets stronger and stronger. Once we get to victory road it’s clear that Wally has changed for the better - he is no longer the weak kid he once was. Now he is truly ready to beat you and prove his strength. This song expertly conveys this as it is an extremely kickass rock song that shows that Wally has truly gone from a young kid to a true hero and trainer who loves his pokemon. Honestly this entire boss fight is one of my favourites from the series but i have to give props to Wally’s battle music that shows how much he has changed as a person and showing he is no longer messing around - he wants to beat you. In terms of showing how much a character has developed - this song shows this really damn well. Overall because of the kick ass instrumentation to the symbolic meaning of this song, this song has become one of my favourites.

Number 2:

Last Surprise from Persona 5

Youtube Link: Last Surprise

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5

If Pokemon and Mario were extremely difficult choices - then choosing which Persona song i wanted to put at Number 2 was almost impossible - i had multiple candidates that could take this spot but in the end i decided to go with my favourite song from Persona 5 - Last Surprise.

As for why i picked this song out of all others considering all the excellent songs in the Persona 5 Ost. Well personally i feel this song perfectly represents the tone as well as the Phantom Thieves themselves. For example - “You it's not quite what you foretold”, this line is extremely interesting for plot reasons as i could be wrong on this but spoilers for Persona 5 - to be this is the protagonist telling Igor/Yabaldoth that the future is not what he foretold which is true since the P5MC manages to defy fate and defeat Yabaldoth despite the impossible odds stacked against him.

“You think you got your game

Planned out

To a T

Yet I'm two

Steps ahead yeah

So... you step into my way

Stand down”

To me this shows how the Phantom Thieves are always two steps ahead of the government/police who were not able to figure out who the members of the Phantom Thieves. They are basically trying to get into the Phantom Thieves way.

“Clear blue skies

But now lightning's struck your last resolve

It's not an accident that no one

Hears your cries

As your last strength seems to dissolve”

This could foreshadow Goro’s role at the story and after his boss fight - he loses his resolve the fight the Phantom Thieves. This is also fitting because Goro is a person who is clearly in a lot of pain due to the nature as a Bastard and his father so the line “It’s not an accident that no one hears your crimes is extremely fitting.

“Better think

About your game

Are you sure

Your next move's the right one for you?

Are you sure

You won't get outmaneuvered again

And again my friend?”

This foreshadows the relationship between Goro and P5MC - Goro thinks that he has everything figured out but the Persona 5 MC always outmaneuvers him - especially when concerning the fact that P5MC tricks Goro into thinking that he is dead.

The lyrics of this song perfectly represent and foreshadow moments in the plot but what about the song itself. Well i love how this song just oozes so much style. Considering the Jazz inspired soundtrack for Persona 5 this song is just so smooth and stylish which could pretty much sup up the entire game now that i think about it. The beat of the song is extremely pleasing to the ears and the vocalist perfect conveys the style of the song through the lyrics.

This song is the absolute complete package in terms of conveying the tone of the story, the style of the gamer and is such an enjoyable song to listen to that i will play it when i have nothing bet to do because it always puts me in a great mood. I love Persona 5’s soundtrack (it’s in my Top 5 favourite soundtracks of all time) but personally this song just pushes it over the edge for me.I highly recommend you give it a read.

Before i reveal what my Number One Favourite Song is - i have a few..

Honorable Mentions

• Life will Change from Persona 5
• Answers from Final Fantasy 14
• Dancing Mad from Final Fantasy 6
• The 1st,3rd and 4th Execution Themes from Danganronpa V3
• Vs Champion from Pokemon Leaf Green/Fire Red
• Fate of the Unknown from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
• A Stranger i Remain from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance

Now with that out of the way - it’s time for..

Number 1:

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR UNDERTALE

Remember when i mentioned a little game called Undertale - well good news, Undertale has taken the Number One place - now which song will i choose to be at Number 1. There’s a bunch of songs i could pick like Battle Against a True Hero,Megalovania,etc but as i debating which Undertale song should be at Number 1 - i came to one conclusion - the World is about Hopes and Dreams.

Hopes and Dreams/Save the World  from Undertale:

Youtube Link: Hopes and Dreams/Save the World

I love Undertale’s soundtrack i truly but man this song out of all impressed me the most - so much song that i consider it to be my favourite video game song of all time and that’s quite a feat considering how many songs i have listened to in my 10+ years as a gamer. So why did this

song make number 1 - well let’s tackle this song in segments to show why i like this song so much.

Instrumentals/Beat: The instrumental work as well as the chiptune style displayed in this song is fanfreakingtastic. Seriously listen to this song - the work that was put into making this song sound as good as possible surely must have been a considerable amount of work and yet this song pulled it off in spades. This really does feel like a fantastic final boss - showing both the emotion as well as as the kick-assery. You got this far not taking out a single life and no you are going to convince Asriel that he is not alone anymore through the power of determination.

Symbolic Meaning: This song has great symbolic meaning. Asriel who has been alone and has now become a being of supreme power who is a threat to the multiverse and now you have to stop him. The thing that separates you from here is determination - the fact that no matter what hardships the player has come across and going down the more difficult path by sparing everyone you still move forward being of your determination to win and prove Asriel that there is something worth fighting for and that he doesn’t have to be alone anymore and this song perfectly represents - when you listen to it you feel determined, throughout your journey you have many friends and allies along the way and now it’s your job to bare their hopes and dreams on your shoulders as through the power of determination you break through Asriel’s despair and finally reach him.

Besides Determination if there was a word i would use to describe this song it would be Hope - everyone has their Hopes riding on you as well as you the player hoping you can reach out to Asriel and stop him from making the situation. This song gives you hope - when i having an off day i will listen to this song because it always brightens my day.

Now matter how bad things get - there is always hope and that is why this song is my favourite video game song.

Thank you for reading and now since i am back i will be making more blogs in the future. Bye :D

Analysis Blog: The Executions of Danganronpa V3 Part One

Before I analyse the executions of Danganronpa V3 I will say this right now. MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR DANGANRONPA V3

Introduction:

Ahh, Danganronpa V3 - what an odd, odd game you have been for the fanbase. Thanks to a certain twist you have pissed off your entire fanbase. While I could make a blog on the ending twist and why it’s less than ideal I decided to talk about something that Danganronpa V3 does extremely well - the executions. For those who don’t know the Danganronpa Series - The main mechanic of the Danganronpa Series that once every chapter 1 or 2 character are found dead and then the rest of the cast who are still alive must find out who done it. Once they find the culprit and explain how they did the murderer the murderer is treated to an execution by Monokuma. Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the executions in Super Danganronpa 2 because they were too much on the goofy side but with Danganronpa V3 they really did the right balance between goofy and painful and they all have at least some symbolism that is worth taking a look at (I won’t be doing Chapter 6’s execution because there’s little to analyse about it). So, I am The Gaming News Guy and I will analyse the executions of Danganronpa V3

Execution 1 - Kaede Akamatsu: The Ultimate Pianist. - I Had Stepped on A Cat

Well...this is a surprise. For those who don’t know Kaede was promoted in the advertising heavily as the main protagonist of Danganronpa V3 but that was all a lie made by Kodaka - Saihara the Ultimate Detective is the true protagonist of Danganronpa V3. In the middle of the first chapter - Kaede realizes that she is the culprit behind the death of Rantararo - The Ultimate ??? and you switch to Saihara who has to prove Kaede is the true culprit. Once you prove it was Kaede that did it - she is proven guilty of the murderer and Kaede herself says a tearful goodbye to the rest of her cast as her execution starts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71sxROWTdqk

Description:

It starts off very similar to Leon and Teruteru's executions (who were the first executions of D1,SD2) in that she is dragged off by a chain that goes around her neck. Unlike Teruteru and Leon she is dragged upwards with Saihara desperately trying to grab her - then it cuts to her falling onto a piano killing machine. Turns out that Monokuma has set up an orchestra arena complete with giant clock in the background, stage equipment and even viewers consisting of an army of Monokumas. The Stage is all set for Kaede’s final performance. Monokuma and the Monocubs hang Kaede by the neck. The Monokuma cubs use a pulley system to force her to play the song Flea Waltz on the Piano with her feet constantly swinging her around all the while the rope gets tighter and tighter around her neck. Kaede is struggling trying desperately to breath until face goes redder and redder. Monokuma doesn’t try to have her get a quick death - he wants to make her suffer. The Audience then starts throwing rocks at Kaede and the music gets faster and faster. Monokuma then does his final motion and Kaede’s body is not moving - likely died from having no air to breath. Once the show is over and, the iron maiden style keyboard cover slams shut on her and Monokid, reducing her body to unrecognizable paste with all her blood bleeding out of the keyboard and getting rid of Monokuma thanks to the efforts of Monodam one of the Mono Cubs and to play the scene out the song that was used in Leon’s first execution was used.

Analysis:

First thing to analyse is the Piano Killing Machine that Kaede is put on - The Piano symbolises her talent - that being the Ultimate Pianist as well as Monokuma’s love for twisting things that bring great happiness and joy to people and making them sinister - combining:

A Piano:

The Iron Maiden Execution Device:

So basically, Kaede is on an Iron Maiden Piano. So..what about the Thorns and the Rose and why the Hanging. Well the Thorns and why Kaede was hanged is twofold - the first thing that this is referring to which should be very familiar to people who play the Persona Series or have watched Stardust Crusaders - The Hanged Man Arcana:

Let’s get the obvious thing out of the way - Kaede is getting hanged - looks like she is more the Hanged Women then the Hanged Man..haha, get it. In all seriousness, there is a reason why I believe that Kaede’s Execution is referencing the Hanged Man. Other than the whole Hanged Man thing - often the Hanged Man Arcana has having buses and thorns on the tree and if you notice on the piano there are thorns and roses which based on their appearance look like the White Camellia Flower as well as the Rose - The White Camellia Flower also known as the Tsubaki symbolizes death and grief in Japan.

While the Rose is usually a rather positive image thanks to the fact that there are thorns all over it could have a different meaning. I feel like the roses with the thorns represents loss which makes sense considering what is about to happen to Kaede. But the reason why i feel the Hanged Man Arcana represents Kaede’s execution is the symbol meaning of the Hanged Man.The Hanged Man Arcana is associated with self-sacrifice for the sake of enlightenment, the bindings that makes one free, paradoxes and hanging between heaven and earth and that very much fits Kaede. Kaede isn’t truly sure if she was the one that killed Amami but she tries to put up not much resistance the reason why is because she is willing to sacrifice herself for the group to move forward even though she is the team leader of the group. The Hanged Man Arcana is also very fitting in a meta sort of way as Kaede through her death broke her binding to the Danganronpa TV Show.

While this one I am less sure about - i think Kaede’s execution is also somewhat a reference to an execution that was commonly used in the olden times - that being hung on a tree and then stoned to death. When the Monokumas are throwing things at Kaede originally, it’s tomatos but as the song goes if you notice those tomatoes slowly turn into rocks. Like the old punishment Kaede was hung and stoned.

What about the clock imagery - well there’s a big giant clock in Kaede’s execution as well as several clock gears. What I think the giant clock is referencing is the Edgar Allan Poe’s story The Masque of the Red Death - In the story there is a big clock that is symbolic of death - as well as being a symbol of “time that flies” and the inevitability of death. How does this relate to Kaede’s execution you may ask well notice as the execution goes on the clock gets faster and faster as Kaede gets closer and closer to death. The clock represents the fact that Kaede’s time is running out and when she dead the clock stops completely since Kaede is already deceased. Kaede’s death was inevitable - she had no way to escape and Monokuma was prolonging her suffering. Finally there are a bunch of musical references in the execution which makes sense considering Kaede’s talent of the SHSL Pianist.

The first is the song that Kaede is trying to play with her feet and that song being Der Flohwalzer otherwise known as Flea Waltz. It is one of the simplest piano pieces you can learn and often one of the first for beginners which plays into Monokuma’s ironic sense of humor - The SHSL Pianist known for her skill on the Piano is being forced to play one of the simplest and easiest songs to learn on the piano. The second musical reference is the outfit Monokuma is wearing during the execution is based on a Conductor's Outfit:

Which makes sense considering Monokuma is trying to conduct a symphony complete with baton. Music Notes are constantly played throughout the execution and they match to the actual notes used in the song Flea Waltz. The stage that Monokuma is conducting the execution is based on the 18th Century Musical Arenas complete with large room for the viewers and upper areas that people can watch the execution from above. Finally, there’s the name of the execution itself - “I Stepped On a Cat”. At first this name may seem dumb but “I Stepped on a Cat” is actually a piece of music. Der Flohwalzer is known in Japan as Neko Funjatta( I Stepped on the Cat).

Overall Thoughts:

Personally, this is one of my personal favourite executions in the series not only because it contains a ton of references that you pay not originally get but it also pays fitting tribute to a classical piece of music while also having elements of Monokuma’s dark humor. The execution itself is easily one of the most brutal the series has to offer and i think it’s up there with Leon. Leon’s may have been brutal but being slowly choked to death is a much more slow and painful demise personally especially considering that Kaede really didn’t deserve that brutal of an execution (along with Chapter 4’s murderer which we will get into later). Overall this execution is my new favourite execution and honestly I think it will end up staying that way.

Rest in Peace - Kaede Akamatsu – you were truly were best waifu

Execution 2 - Kirumi Tojo: The Ultimate Maid - Thread of Agony

Most of the Danganronpa Fans who had kept up with V3 correctly assumed that Kirumi would be the culprit in the case considering her name symbolises "slicing/beheading beauty". So most of the Danganronpa Fans weren’t really surprised that she was up for the chopping block. What we were surprising was the execution - a lot of people assumed that this execution would go the next culprit but nope it terms out the Spider’s Thread Execution was for Kirumi. So, let’s take a look at it and see if it has symbolic meaning.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4toyDcDUgQ

Description:

Kirumi tried to escape away from Monokuma and her fate. Kirumi gets surrounded by an angry mob who are telling her to quit her job because of her actions. She is then is given the option of climbing a rope to safety but in typical Monokuma fashion the rope is actually a thorny vine that cuts her hand everything she tries grabbing it. Monokuma has something special planned for her - giant buzzsaws that whirl around the rope. These Buzzsaws shred her clothes as well as make several deep cuts on her body. Barely holding on she escapes except the rope is a thorny vine that cuts her hands every time she grabs it. And that's not even getting into the buzzsaws whirling around the rope, shredding her clothes and her body as she climbs. Kirumi narrowly survives the experience and just nearly reaches the escape hole - only to realize she never had a chance of making it out alive. Turns out the hole was just a childish drawing taped to the ceiling. The rope snaps and Kirumi falls several stories to her death crushing Monosuke.

Analysis:

While at first this execution may not seem that symbolic - there is a bunch of references to both her talent and a certain famous Japanese story.

First of all, Kirumi is chased by an angry job - this represents the shame of her actions putting her own selfish actions over others. In a lot of fiction Maids are meant to help others as well as their masters at all cost and prioritise others over themselves. Kirumi’s motivation for killing is the most selfish - driven by revenge against Ryoma so it makes sense that the mob is telling her to quit for her actions.

Then a thorny vine comes down - the thorny vine is often seen as a symbol of both beauty and death which makes sense considering Kirumi is a beauty but also has a darker side to her considering she expresses little remorse for the actions she has done.

She then climbs up the vine, which hurt her hands in the process. Something very noticeable is the spider motif in both the execution along with the thorn theme.

This was intentional by Spike Chunsoft as Kirumi’s execution references the "The Spider's Thread" is a 1918 short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. I won’t go into extremely detail about it but basically - a sinful man named Kandata who is currently in hell for the actions he committed the Buddha takes the silvery thread of a spider in Paradise and lowers it down into Hell. Kandata grabs the thread with all his might and climbs up it Kandata quickly tires and glances downwards realizing how far he had come. However, this was short-lived as others started to climb the thread. Fearing that the thread will break from the weight of the others, he shouts that the spider's thread is his and his alone. It is at this moment that the thread breaks, and he and all the other sinners are cast back down into the Pool of Blood.  In the end, Kandata condemned himself by being concerned other himself rather than others. Fun Fact - this story was referenced in the Legend of Zelda Game: The Skyward Sword through the four dungeons of the game - the Ancient Cistern.

This story is very much referenced in Kirumi’s execution though twisted in typical Danganronpa fashion. Kirumi tries climbing up into freedom on the thorny vine which Monokuma “offers” to her. This is likely a reference to the fact that Buddha gave Kirumi the chance to escape. As she climbs up the rope she thinks that she may finally get to freedom like Kandata first but unlike Buddha who gave no room for salvation for Kandata - Monokuma tricks Kirumi into thinking there is freedom. During all of this she is attacked by buzzsaws which could be a reference to her battle maid personality as well as in terms of personality she is an extremely sharp person.

The childish drawing that Monokuma uses to block a reference may be symbolic of Ryoma considering his main motive had been to help a children’s orphanage so it’s almost like Ryoma has come back from the grave to give Kirumi her due. The thorn then snaps which makes Kirumi fall like Kandata did in the story and she falls to her death unlike Kandata who simply fell back into hell. She smacks to the ground - her body beaten and broken and roses (which is often seen as a symbol of death) all around her as well as a spider’s web completing the execution.

Overall Thoughts:

While I don’t think, this is quite as good as Chapter 1,3,4’s executions this is definitely in the top tier of Danganronpa executions - containing a good amount of symbolic references as well as being extremely brutal which is a theme for this game. Kirumi is one of the most least sympathetic murderers in the series so honestly I feel getting an execution as brutal as this one was very fitting for someone who prioritized their own selfish desires over everyone else. So overall great execution but I feel like there are other ones that are better.

Rest in Peace - Kirumi Tojo

Execution 3 - Korekiyo Shinguji: Ultimate Anthropologist -Past and Present Execution Photo Scroll

Everyone’s favourite sisterfucker (wait..what). Most people accurately guessed that he would be one of the killers in this game but a lot of people thought that his execution would be the Spider’s Thread Execution which turned out to be for Kirumi. Alongside Kaede - Korekiyo’s execution has the most symbolism in it and is glazed with Japanese Lore and Culture which is appropriate considering that his talent is basically Japanese Folklorist. Personally, I am a huge fan of this execution so let’s take a look at it and see what info we can get from it.

https://youtu.be/C3pVwd_2Aq8?t=3m49s

Description:

Korekiyo is spun around by both after being spun around really fast by Monotaro and Monofunny, a samurai slices the rope that binds him - Korekiyo falls from a great height and drops into a large cauldron that starts to boil - Monokuma and Monofunny throw in more logs in order to make the boiling pot boil quicker. As it goes quicker and quicker - Korekiyo’s face starts heating up and up as he sinks further into the boiling pot. Monodam decides to kill himself by running into the fire surprising both Monodam and Monofunny. As Korekiyo goes deeper into the burning pot he dies from being boiled alive. As his spirit flies up into the sky reaching towards his sister Miyadera the one whom his whole entire murderer plan was dedicated for, as he wanted to murder people to please her deceased sister. Before these two star crossed lovers can reunite Monokuma pulls a fast one of Korekiyo denying him the chance to be reunited with the one by spraying salt on him - this makes sense considering the theory that Ghost do not mix well with salt - Then the his sister starts to sprinkle salt on him which causes him to melt - erasing him from this world entirely - both spirit and body. There’s one final shot of the Fake Sister and Monokuma overlooking a Pagonta.

Analysis:

It is clear by both the method of the execution and the theming that Korekiyo’s execution is drenched in Japanese Mythology and Lore so let’s put on our Japanese Hates and take a dive into this thing.

The Art Style that the Samurai Man and the Women are depicted in greatly resemble ancient Japanese Paintings such as this one:

  

Which makes sense considering Folklorist. The rope that types up Korekiyo is known as a Shrimp Tie

The reason behind why Monokuma uses a Shrimp Tie to tie up Korekiyo is clear. Turns out that - In Japan the Shrimp Tie was used as a form of torture as well as making people suffer in order to force them to tell secrets. The reason why the Shrimp Tie worked so well as an effective torturing method is because many victims of this torture would feel a extremely painful burning sensation which is pretty appropriate considering what’s going to happen to Korekiyo. But this method of torture may have an interesting meaning as this method is used by people today who practise BDSM (short for Bondage Dominance Sato-Masochism). Considering how messed up/sexual his relationship with his sister is I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a reference to his sister and the things he wanted to do with his sister.  

Even the way that Korekiyo’s rope is cut (via a Samurai with a Katana) is reflective of something. Another torture killing method that you may have heard of - Seppuku, specifically after the victim has already died as usually there will be someone with a Samurai sword who will cut the dead body’s head off as part of this Ancient Japanese Ritual as shown here.

What about the method of death itself - death by boiling - well that’s another reference. Death by Boiling was an actual execution method used by the Japanese (it was state approved). People would be boiled alive as they wanted to make people suffer as long as possible - it was used at the Edo Period and the most famous example of when death by boiling was the extremely notable outlaw samurai Ishikawa Goemon who was executed via boiling. The Samurai in the opening section of the execution may be a reference to Goemon. Since Korekiyo deals with ancient Japanese legends and tales this makes sense.

Finally, after Korekiyo dies by boiling his spirit ascends to the heaven. This is probably a reference to the fact that the Japanese place a great importance on the sprit and after a spirit dies it ascends to heaven. Korekiyo is finally reunited with the one he loves so much - his sister. This references to his obsessive love towards his sister (so much so that he gained a split personality that was based on his sister) but it was all a trick by Monokuma as Monokuma throws salt at him. If you have watched Mob Psycho or are knowledgable when it comes to Japanese Folklore - Throwing handfuls of salt as a means for expelling evil spirits (considering Korekiyo’s motive for method and his actions he would classify as an evil spirit) is a tradition in Japan originating in ancient history effectively erasing his existence. The outfit that Monokuma wears is based on the Onmyōji which were Japanese cosmology, who are traditionally said to have been capable of communicating with and controlling spirits.

The final shot is Monokuma and Korekiyo's sister overlooking a city with a Pagoda - the city that they are overlooking is Ancient Kyoto which was the capital of Imperial Japan until 1869.

Thoughts:

This is absolutely one of my favorite executions in the series - while it’s personally not my favorite execution in the series that still goes to Kaede’s Flea Waltz I still love how they put so many references in it from old school Japanese Torture Methods to ancient Japanese Folklore. This is probably the most reference heavy execution and it’s perfect for someone like Korekiyo who deals with Japanese Folklorist. I really like the method of execution as while fire based executions have been used before with Celes - this makes the suffering of the execution even worse as Korekiyo is literally being boiled alive. I also like the small amount of Black Comedy used in this execution and i especially like how Monokuma denied Korekiyo the one thing he wanted most - to reunite with his sister lover in the afterlife so overall this is easily in my Top 5 maybe Top 3 of favorite executions. This absolutely redeemed Super Danganronpa 2 Chapter 3’s execution - Mikan which was terrible.

Rest in Peace - Korekiyo Shinguji - You Beautiful Sister Fucking Bastard

I have decided to split this into two parts. In the next part, we will be covering Executions 4,5,6 and my final thoughts on which executions I think are the best. Bugs will die, a Hero goes to Space the place they most wanted to go, A Traitor who dresses as others will be executed and Robot will save everyone but I will cover that in the next part.