DRAMAtical Murder

Video game fandom
Video game fandom
Name	DRAMAtical Murder
Developer(s)	Nitro+chiral
Release date	2012, 2013 and 2014
External link(s)	at Wikipedia; at MyAnimeList (anthology); at MyAnimeList (visual novel); at MyAnimeList (manga); at MyAnimeList (OVA);
	Related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 Plot 1.1 Setting; ; 2 Main Characters; 3 Fan Activities; 4 Anime reception; 5 Archives & Resources; 6 References;

DRAMAtical Murder is the stylized form of the Japanese science fiction BL visual novel developed and published by Nitro+chiral also called Dramatical Murder (ドラマティカルマーダー, Doramatikaru Mādā).

Plot

Setting

Dramatical Murder is set in the near future on the fictional island of Midorijima (碧島), Japan. At some point in the game's recent history, the island was privatized by the powerful Toue Konzern (東江コンツェルン, Tōe Kontserun) and turned into a resort called Platinum Jail (プラチナ・ジェイル, Purachina Jeiru), with the island's original residents being forced to live in the Old Residential District (旧住民区, Kyū-Jūmin-ku). Protagonist Aoba Seragaki lives on the island and works at a store named Junk Shop Mediocrity (平凡, Heibon), hoping to live a simple life. However, after being forcefully dragged into the popular cyber game Rhyme (ライム, Raimu) with its virtual world and its use of Allmates (オールメイト, Ōru Meito), mobile devices that usually appear as if they are the owner's pets, and hearing rumors about disappearances involving Ribsteez (リブスティーズ, Ribusutīzu), turf wars between groups, all semblance of a peaceful life for Aoba ends.

Main Characters

Seragaki Aoba (瀬良垣蒼葉) is the primary protagonist of the game. He is 23 years old, and works part-time at a junk shop called Mediocrity, and lives with his grandmother, Tae.
Ren (蓮) is Aoba's Allmate, who resembles a dark blue Japanese Spitz. He takes a human form in Rhyme. Ren has a mature, patient, and pragmatic demeanor. Despite being an older Allmate model, Aoba considers Ren to be his important partner and cherishes him like family.
Kōjaku (紅雀) is Aoba's childhood friend, and the leader of a Ribstiez group named Benishigure. He is 27 years old, has many tattoos and scars on his body, and works as a hairdresser. Koujaku is compassionate and strong-willed, and he cares deeply for his loved ones.
Noizu (ノイズ), real name Wilhelm (ウィルヘルム, Uiruherumu), is an information broker for Rhyme, a skilled hacker, and the founder of his Rhyme group, Ruff Rabbit. He is the youngest main character at 19 years old. Since he was a child, Noiz suffers from CIPA,^[1] causing him to accidentally hurt others.
Minku (ミンク) is the leader of Scratch, a Ribstiez group of former prison inmates. Mink hails from a Native American tribe that grew special herbs that affect a human's body odor to give them a sense of peace.
Clear (クリア) is an android that previously served under Toue as a prototype for Scrap before being discarded. Clear was saved by a man who was in charge of the disposal, who treated Clear like a son until he died. Clear addresses this man as his grandfather and speaks about him fondly to Aoba.

Fan Activities

Fans would upload playthroughs of the game without any commentary for fans of the game that either couldn't or couldn't figure out how to torrent it because for most of it's existence the game had no official English release.

A notable piece of fan work is the Aoba cake. Fans have remixed this fanwork into fanart, memes, cosplay, a plush toy, jewelry, a minecraft skin, and fan merch. People have also made cakes of other characters in the series in the same style as the original one.

There have been fanworks like MEP's or "Multiple editor projects" using a mix of official art, fanart and animations, and scenes from the anime adaptation. Sometime playfully changing what the lyrics are when they're written on the screen.

Fans have made multiple different songs remixing the audio from the game of Aoba moaning, into songs.

Anime reception

Many fans poked fun at the quality of the anime adaptation that was produced, making fun of the off model characters in screenshots.

Archives & Resources

DRAMAtical Murder (all media types) at Archive of Our Own
DRAMAtical Murder (visual novel) at Archive of Our Own
DRAMAtical Murder at FanFiction.Net
DRAMAtical Murder (crossovers) at FanFiction.Net
DRAMAtical Murder Episode 3 Discussion at myanimelist.net
Original Aoba cake post at tumblr.com

References

^ Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of the nervous system which prevents the feeling of pain or temperature, and prevents a person from sweating. See more information in Wikipedia page

[1] Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of the nervous system which prevents the feeling of pain or temperature, and prevents a person from sweating. See more information in Wikipedia page

[1]