Mondo Owada and Kiyotaka (Taka) Ishimaru are two teens trapped inside Hope’s Peak Academy and forced to play the Killing Game. There is a scene in the second chapter of the game where Mondo and Taka compete with each other by seeing who can bare the heat the longest in the sauna. Upon waking up the next morning, the player character, Makoto Naegi, finds that Mondo and Taka have grown especially close because of their newfound “manly bond” (found here and here).

Some fans have queerly read this as the two characters engaging in gay/queer activity of some kind.

LGBTQ References in this series:

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010): Chihiro; Genocide Jack/Jill and Toko; Hifumi’s Ending; Mondo and Taka; Monokuma; School Mode

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012): Ibuki Mioda, Island Mode, Mentions, Mikan Tsumiki, Nagito Komaeda, Teruteru Hanamura

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (2014): Tokomaru Ship

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017): K1-B0, Kaede Akamatsu, Kokichi Oma, Korekiyo Shinguji’s Love Suite Event, Love Across the Universe: Dangan Salmon Team, Miu Iruma, Rantaro Amami, Tenko Chabashira

See also QRM’s entry for this game series.

Citations:

1. Kiyotaka (Taka) Ishimaru and Mondo Owada (n.d.) Danganronpa Wiki. Retrieved from http://danganronpa.wikia.com/wiki/Mondo_Owada
2. Noire Blue. “Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc Walkthrough Part 21 No Commentary.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkyDsmrMQNA&index=21&list=PLGKJJhcJXlNw7i05ON_K-zFfvD0zQOboD
3. Noire Blue. “Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc Walkthrough Part 22 No Commentary.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXrco6YD3po&list=PLGKJJhcJXlNw7i05ON_K-zFfvD0zQOboD&index=22