Before you ask, yes, the song title in the video is different but I’m calling the song by its name listed on the iTunes release. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let me quickly explain why Monokuma, the mascot of the Danganronpa series (which I wrote a personal retrospective about here), is an asshole.

This twisted teddy bear is not only responsible for forcing innocent teenagers to betray one another and commit murder, he also remains consistently cheerful about it. He’s openly gleeful about the dire circumstances and is always ready to mock someone’s emotions. He’s a great ‘love to hate’ villain; every time he pops up, I’m filled with a weird mixture of dread and joy, which is something I think is highlighted by this music.

Aside from fitting with the rest of the soundtrack’s techno vibe, it just sounds really bizarre and borderline unnatural – a perfect fit for someone like Monokuma. At the same time, it has this underlying, almost threatening feel to it. As goofy as it sounds, there’s a sense of danger to it which, again, fits Monokuma to a tee.

I always get a kick out of listening to this music thanks to its rather funky beat, but it also remains a sign that Monokuma is still in control and he has something awful planned. Who’d have thought you could enjoy the sound of imminent despair?