Gundham Tanaka

Gundham Tanaka is a character from Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair featured in the longterm Danganronpa: Harmony till Dawn. His ticket is #666.

## Personality

At a first glance, Gundham is an intimidating young man recognized for his dramatics that are reminiscent to a stereotypical Saturday morning cartoon villain. He acts overconfident about himself, quick to dismiss those he has contempt for. Gundham lacks an indoor voice due to his theatrical personality, going as far to loudly proclaim his name or laugh uproariously in front of a crowd of people. Gundham frequently talks down on mortals due to his belief that he is the spawn of an angel and demon, thus granting him power both celestial and infernal. It is possible his delusions of grandeur may stem from a simultaneous superiority and inferiority complex. Gundham substitutes simpler terms for archaic ones in his speech. He has a tendency to attribute supernatural interference to his conclusions, referencing phenomenon such as All-Seeing Eye, Will of Causality, and etc. While Gundham's speech generally has a real world meaning, he filters everyday situations through his alternative take on reality.

Along with this, Gundham has a hot temper, not above resorting to hyperbolic threats to emphasize a point. He is not without a sense of restraint however, as he makes sure to maintain a perfect balance between proactivity and prudence. Gundham does not believe in violence without a cause, but harbors the mindset that all living things are born to fight for survival as he commends those who value life through their actions. He is also fairly friendly even if he is intense and difficult to talk to at times.

Gundham prefers to spend time with himself and animals over humans. He also draws a strict line between what classifies as an animal versus human as he despises it when human traits are applied to animals. Gundham is what one can consider a loud introvert. It is implied that his front of being evil in rooted in his fear of intimacy and betrayal. Gundham holds a misanthropic view towards humanity and is afraid to get hurt by others after some unexplained experiences in his past, which may explain why he tries to avoid physical contact from others with the excuse that his flesh is poisoned. In spite of that, he is capable of being empathetic when he wants to be and may care more than he ever wishes to admit.

Despite appearing too absorbed in his own world and detached from his surroundings, there are moments where Gundham demonstrates that he is more grounded than he lets on. At certain points of the Killing Game, Gundham has shown to care more about the circumstances than average (ex: shutting down Flynn's "killing game is a prank" claim, attempting to break up one of the conflicts, and even giving an elaborate albeit long-winded speech about how the others are playing into the host's hands through their actions). He is analytical in regards to matters involving morality, being able to pinpoint the grey in a spectrum of black and white. Gundham believes that no matter the intention, murder is murder. Interestingly enough, Gundham's exaggerated claims are in contrast with his inclination for authenticity over artifice.

## Danganronpa: Harmony till Dawn

### Prologue:

Gundham awakens alongside everyone else, his first instinct being to investigate his surroundings rather than involve himself with small talk. He assumes the mystery room is an observatory upon arrival, claiming it exists to lure people into a false sense of security. This wasn't half wrong knowing what would be announced: The Killing Game. Prior to that though, Gundham participated in trivia with Stan and Muffin. He managed to make good use of his knowledge of zoology to answer the questions competently, earning the respect of Stan in the process. Three people fall from the sky for whatever reason, two of them being the hosts Raccoon and Fennec alongside their associated hostage Hyde. Afterwards, Gundham made his way to the entrance where he would overhear Dante attempting to pry information out of the hosts. Toby tried to attack Raccoon multiple times much to disapproval from the group. After explaining what happened with the trivia game in his usual overdramatic way, Gundham gives a theatrical introduction of himself to the group before entering the academy.

### Chapter 1:

###### Daily life

Upon entering the academy, Gundham goes to the cafeteria firsthand to check if there is anything served on the menu. Dawn accidentally bumps into him, and he defensively asks her to stay back to the point of threatening to destroy her if she got any closer. Gundham recomposes himself after making a bad first impression, making up for it by questioning her if she was also seeking food. Dawn tells Gundham that he reminds her of her old man, which gets the latter curious about how the father may be faring in absence of his daughter. Gundham immediately comes to the conclusion that Dawn father now worries about her current self being cursed due to an experience in her past that is to be expanded on later. After introducing themselves to each other, Gundham ends the conversation to make a fruit salad for him and his Devas. It is unclear what happened from now on until next morning.

Suddenly, an influx of people arrive at the cafeteria, beckoning his arrival back there. After Fennec reveals the situation, Gundham walks off to the kitchen, where he would stumble upon his fellow trivia participant, Stan Mochizuki. They cook together, with Stan making cat-shaped cupcakes and Gundham making avocado toast. Gundham reveals himself to be a vegan due to his question on whether the cupcakes had any eggs. Stan offers one of his cupcakes to Gundham, the latter accepting the tribute for it would be rude not to. They have a civil conversation and formally introduce themselves to each other. Afterwards, they deliver breakfast to the cafeteria together.

Later in the day, an announcement summoned the group to the lobby, albeit only several arrived. Dante was once again seen trying to pry information from the hosts as much as feasibly possible. After the hosts failed to answer Dante’s inquiries, the rest of the group parted ways.

Not much sooner after, Gundham has overheard the news of a fire in the kitchen just as he came out of his dorm to make breakfast. He attempts to inquire Stan, Dawn, and Randy whether the kitchen was still accessible, but to no avail. Sighing to himself in resignation, Gundham decided to find out the answer for himself by heading to the cafeteria. The kitchen was indeed locked. After getting himself a Japari Bun, Dawn arrives with signs of difficulty navigating around the academy. Gundham starts the conversation by claiming this is because of Dawn's current self. Gundham reassures Dawn about her past, reminding her that she can still make the most of the present as he allows her to help herself with a Japari Bun to take her mind off of the trauma. Without warning, the FDDoD come out of Gundham's scarf to nom on his Japari Bun. Gundham saves the rest of the bun for them as he explains to Dawn about why they rest in his scarf. Gundham bids Dawn adieu as he returns to his room to work on personal affairs.

The same person he recently talked to in the cafeteria knocks on his door the other day, and Gundham lapses into a paranoiac breakdown due to having overheard about attempted murders from the sides of his room. Unknowing of the source behind the knock, Gundham threatens whoever is trying to enter to come forth with their identity before he annihilates them on the spot, but quickly settles down after realizing that it could be one he is familiar with. He opens the door and greets Dawn. Gundham is questioned on what is up with his ritual in-progress, but refuses to elaborate on its purpose due to his plans to have it be utilized sometime in the future. Dawn offers to help, but Gundham teases her that assuming he out of all people needs help is the height of arrogance. Dawn then makes the claim that Gundham is actually kind, but he vehemently denies this due to his belief that his existence is cursed and that being kind isn’t befitting of a Dark Lord. Asked about his Devas, Gundham proudly introduces her to them and explains through a dramatic exposition why they were named the way they are. There is a vague reveal of what Gundham's family was like in their conversation, but due to his manner of speech, it may seem easy to dismiss it as another of his delusions. Dawn on the other hand admits to having an abusive mother, who Gundham claimed he would be willing to destroy if not for the situation. The conversation did not have its proper closure due to the Gundham player passing out.

After Gundham's talk with Dawn, he proceeds to enter Yonaka's dorm. Here, Gundham arrived out of a curiosity of why Yonaka arrived at the academy later than the rest. He questions what Yonaka's cause is, which is revealed to be along the lines of vigilante work in his introduction. Yonaka reveals himself as the co-leader of a group that specializes in taking down criminal organizations. Near the end of their conversation, Gundham informs Yonaka about Hyde's existence and asks him to talk with said hostage soon to get more information.

During Gundham's birthday, he celebrated it alone with his FDDoD, doing his own thing until Dawn sent him a gift. After retrieving it from the outside, he secures it in a safe spot and leaves his dorm due to the scent of blood. Figuring out another murder attempt was afoot, Gundham proceeds to follow the blood trail leading to the therapy room. An injured Stan and a red-handed Randy was already inside, and Dante is heard threatening to kill Randy for his actions before just before Gundham dramatically storms into the room to break up the conflict. Gundham gives an impassioned speech on how everyone's murder attempts are only encouraging the Killing Game to continue. He goes as far as to call Randy out on his cowardice being part of the problem. Refusing to listen to reason, Randy tries to attack Dante only to get knocked out in successive blows to the head. Hyde walks into the aftermath, Gundham explaining how it went down. Dante requests Hyde to get the janitorial and medical supplies. Gundham and Dante help take care of Stan's injuries, with Gundham planning to return Stan to his dorm and Dante planning to tie Randy up. Toby arrives not much sooner, and Gundham once again explains as succinctly as possible. Gundham and Dante do their roles afterwards.

Prior to Stan becoming conscious once more from his bed, Gundham seals the room in case anyone was planning to attack Stan again. Here, Gundham questions why Stan was attacked. Stan gives a vague explanation but Gundham was not satisfied with it, sensing something off with how he worded certain things. It was then revealed that the two attacks Stan received were because of his assailants becoming paranoid of his actions in the therapy room. Understanding how they came to this conclusion, Gundham expresses his worldview that anything that can talk can betray you, and in spite of his grudge against Toby, takes his point about Stan's politeness being a facade into consideration. Still disappointed with the group's actions, Gundham states that he will want to have a talk with Toby or Randy sometime in the future, irritatedly saying under his breath how feral the group is. Gundham claims he understands that Randy's emotional state has got the best of him, but doesn't forgive him for his actions regardless. Gundham states how he has enjoyed indulging Stan each and every time, before abruptly questioning his true self. With the heightened senses of the Devas on his side, Gundham was able to piece together who Stan truly was, but accepts him regardless. He performs the naming ritual and assumes the true form of Stan's cat to be "Asteroid Sun Monkey Rhur-T." Gundham even encourages Stan to confide in him, indicating that his help earlier had no ulterior motives.

Upon entering the academy hallway, Gundham would find a particular magician deciding on what magic tricks to pull off through as he shuffled through his cards. Gundham states that while he has sensed Lyney's presence since the prologue, he never actually recalled ever hearing him. Lyney, who stands before Gundham's sight, respectfully greets him. Gundham watches Lyney perform illusions that were special to what he has shown to his homeland, finding merit in them albeit commenting that they could do with striking a bit more fear in the intended audience. After the spectacle, Gundham discloses to Lyney about who was attacked and who attacked as for the latter to have an idea on who not to trust in the future. They share conflicting perspectives towards knowledge, Gundham pulling the unknown by its horns and Lyney being apprehensive about it. Aside from Gundham relentlessly talking down on Randy's actions with Lyney, the breeder expresses interest about visiting Fontaine one day given that both survive the Killing Game and suggests the magician to have the hosts help him with hosting magic shows in hopes of bringing the group morale back up after all those attacks.

## Relationships

**Kristina "Dawn" Partridge** - Gundham finds Dawn's backstory intriguing. Dawn's "current self" makes him wonder what truly shaped her to be the way she is. Gundham has gratitude for the birthday gift Dawn gave him.

**Stan Mochizuki** - Gundham views Stan as the "Scholarly One" due to his analytical nature and being one of the only people to willingly participate in trivia. Gundham is the only participant who knows about Stan's "true form," yet they remain in good terms regardless.

**Yonaka Moreno** - The sane scarf bros rejoice! /j No but really, Gundham finds Yonaka's vigilante cause commendable, Gundham should keep this in mind, for it could serve useful for halting the progress of the killing game.

**Dante Lucchietti** - Gundham could find use for Dante... perhaps. It's refreshing that Gundham has met someone who can keep up with him, and he commends Dante for his strong will to live.

**Toby** - Gundham seems to look down on Toby for whatever reason, but hearing the news that he attacked Stan and set the kitchen on fire were final straws pulled regarding any hope of redemption.

**Randy Bridgers** - Gundham holds Randy in disdain, even going as far as to deem him a "pathetic creature." The fact Randy has attacked someone two times and even attempted the third time in the same day immediately paints him as unforgivable in Gundham's eyes.

**Hatsune Miku** - Not much to say. Gundham sees Miku as dim-witted, but her goodheartedness makes up for it. His opinion remains neutral but he has no use for her.

**Phoenix Wright** - They never talked to each other, but Phoenix's profession proves him worthy of Gundham's respect.

**Rena Ryuugu** - Not enough information about her to make a proper judgment. Gundham does scoff at Rena's name assignment for Stan's cat though.

**Lyney** - Gundham expectedly has respect for Lyney due to their shared interest in magic.

## Quotes

*"An observatory, is it not? I must commend our puppeteer's attempts to create an illusory landscape, yet those illusions prove futile in the grand scheme of things. They clearly exist to lure us into a false sense of security, yet the Evil Eye sees beyond the veil!"* - Making an observation of the mystery room.

*"This dreadful silence calls for the Dark Sorcerer to make himself known to you fiends. Feel your flesh melt and your bones shatter as I reveal to you my name! My name is GUNDHAM TANAKA!! Heed it well, for it shall be the name to conquer this world and plunge it into a darkness like none other. I am the Taboo King of Destruction and Supreme Overlord of Ice! Not even the hosts can stop me! Fwuhahahahahaha!”* - Introducing himself to the group before leaving.

*“Hmph, you are one contradictory creature. I suppose this is the cards fate has laid out for us.”* *-* To Fennec after she reveals her stance towards the Killing Game as a host.

*"...It is complicated. I exist as a result of a union between an angel and a demon, granting me power both celestial and infernal. Nothing else could match such potential. In a desperate attempt to contain my powers, the two races clashed with each other to prove their worth. Expectedly, one could only remain victorious, for it is the course of natural selection."* - Explaining his family life to Dawn.

*"My Mind's Eye caught no trace of you since the very first days we awakened in a vast land of emptiness. What strikes me as peculiar is that you were the only one who recently arrived. So then, what cause do you fight for? Why were you selected to arrive later than the rest?"* - Expressing curiosity about Yonaka's belated appearance.

*"The lot of you fiends here. Cease this at once and listen to the decree of Gundham Tanaka. Once more, you succumb to your inbred vices and demonstrate yourselves as the very antithesis of evolution. In what world, let alone universe would you consider murder to be a valiant sacrifice? Murder is still murder, no matter the intent. Do not think your attempts have gone unnoticed by the unrelenting scrutiny of the Underworld. You fools are playing into the hands of the Killing Game, are you not? Consider that."* - Chastising the group for their attempted murders.

## Trivia

* Gundham is typed as an ISFP 4w5 according to Personality Database.
* Gundham's birthday is December 14. This makes him a Sagittarius.
* The names of Gundham's four hamsters are: San-D, Jum-P, Maga-Z and Cham-P. All of the names are references to shōnen manga magazines (Sunday, Jump, Magazine, and Champion).
* Gundham has been shown to possibly possess magical abilities in the games, but has never shown an actual work of his magic. However, in many other games which Gundham has appeared in, he has been shown to use magic symbols. Another possible magic ability is his power upon animals. As in Danganronpa 3's Hope Arc, Gundham miraculously summoned the eagle from one of the Super High School Level Elite Task Force Members.
* The kanji in Tanaka means "rice field" and "center". Together this may mean "central rice field". The kanji for Gundham use irregular readings, though can roughly mean "snake eye dreams."
* In Island Mode, Gundham states that he isn't very effective against "water-types", possibly hinting that he can't swim. This is a Pokémon reference.
* Gundham's distaste for anime containing anthropomorphic animals is a hilarious irony given the theme of the KG: Kemono Friends.