The Danganronpa series, created and written by Kazutaka Kodaka and developed by Spike Chunsoft, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year since the release of its first title, "Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc." To mark the occasion, an official anniversary exhibition is set to kick off in late February at Matsuzakaya Ueno.
The official reveal of the exhibition's merchandise recently sparked quite a buzz, thanks to one particular item: the "Oowada Butter Pouch." This deep-cut, dark-humor merch had many netizens gasping and exclaiming, "Does anyone at the official team even have a heart...?!"
For those scratching their heads, here's the lowdown on this infamous dark meme: In "Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc," Mondo Oowada, the "Ultimate Biker Gang Leader," tragically succumbed to jealousy in Chapter 2. Envious of Chihiro Fujisaki's desire to overcome weakness, Mondo murdered Chihiro with a dumbbell. After being exposed as the killer during the class trial, Monokuma executed him via the "Motorcycle Death Cage," which famously turned him into a literal block of butter. Fans have since affectionately (and darkly) dubbed this "Oowada Butter"—a meme that's pure, unadulterated dark humor.
Naturally, the official 15th-anniversary exhibition couldn't resist a nod to this iconic moment. They've immortalized the signature "Oowada Butter" as a handy pouch, ensuring fans can carry this dark meme with them wherever they go, always ready for a chuckle (or a cringe).
Unsurprisingly, the official post was flooded with comments—many echoing the sentiment of a certain popular "Jujutsu Kaisen" character, Naoya Zenin, exclaiming that the official team truly has no heart!
Despite (or perhaps because of) the controversy, this item instantly catapulted the anniversary exhibition into the spotlight. It just goes to show that even after all these years, "Danganronpa"'s "Oowada Butter" still holds a special (and darkly humorous) place in fans' hearts!