Kazutaka Kodaka facts for kids

Kazutaka Kodaka (Japanese: 小高 和剛, Hepburn: Kodaka Kazutaka, born July 8, 1978) is a Japanese video game designer, writer, and manga artist. He is famous for creating the Danganronpa game series. His stories often mix hope and despair, truth and lies, and serious moments with dark humor. He also loves to add many surprising plot twists.

Kodaka worked at Spike Chunsoft (which used to be called Spike). In 2017, he left that company. He then started a new company called Too Kyo Games with other developers.

About Kazutaka Kodaka

Early life and education

Kazutaka Kodaka was born on July 8, 1978, and has always lived in Tokyo, Japan. He went to a private junior high school for boys. He has said that he did not have many friends when he was young. After school, he spent his time watching anime.

Even though he wished he was more popular, he studied hard. He found his passion when he learned about studying film. He went to Nihon University College of Art. There, he studied film and earned his degree.

Discovering video games

Some of the first video games Kodaka played were Wrecking Crew, Clu Clu Land, and Pac-Man. He really enjoyed playing games. While at university, he even worked part-time at a video game store.

Kodaka first wanted to write screenplays for movies. But he later decided to work in video games. He wanted to "make something original." He felt it would be easier to do this with games than with movies. He applied for jobs at two companies: Atlus and Spike. He chose Spike because he thought he would have a better chance to create his own unique game there.

His career in games

Working at Spike and Spike Chunsoft

While at Spike, Kodaka had an idea for a detective game. He called this idea Distrust. It was a bit like Danganronpa, where high school students were in a battle royale-style death game. This first idea was too dark, so it was not used.

After making some changes, Kodaka successfully presented his idea again. The game then went into production and became Danganronpa.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was released for PlayStation Portable on November 25, 2010. It sold well, and the CEO of Spike Chunsoft called it a success. Because it was so popular, the game got two sequels: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. There was also a side story game called Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. The series also became an anime show, Danganronpa: The Animation, and had many novels and manga. Kodaka left Spike Chunsoft in 2017.

Starting Too Kyo Games

After leaving Spike Chunsoft, Kodaka and six other developers started a new company. They named it Too Kyo Games. Kodaka said their goal was to create new game ideas. They also wanted the team to make their own indie games. He mentioned that the company feels like a club activity as much as a business.

Kodaka has also said he would like to work on the Danganronpa series again someday. The first game released by Too Kyo Games was Death Come True in June 2020. Kodaka wrote and directed this game. In November 2021, a new game called Master Detective Archives: Rain Code was announced. This game is a team-up with Spike Chunsoft. Kodaka worked on the writing for it.

How he creates stories

His creative ideas

Kodaka says that writing characters is very important to him. He cannot write about characters he does not like. He does not start a story by thinking of characters first. Instead, he first creates an exciting situation or plot. Then, he builds the characters around that idea.

He believes that games need players to be very involved. So, the story's situation is key to getting them hooked. Kodaka wants to create fresh and new stories. He also thinks about why he is writing a story and what meaning it should have. He once said that everything he wanted to tell can be found in Danganronpa.

Kodaka's stories often include dark themes, like murder. He has said he likes how lighthearted killing can be in a story, comparing it to a very dark joke. His characters often have amnesia (memory loss). This helps them connect easily with the player.

What inspires him

Kodaka's works often have references to other authors. This shows how much they influence his creative process. When he gets stuck while writing, he watches movies, anime, and reads manga. He pays attention to what interests him in those stories.

Kodaka has named David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, and the Coen brothers as his main inspirations. Another big influence is Kunihiko Ikuhara, whose writing Kodaka really admires. Kodaka also likes games by Goichi Suda. He even included one of Suda's games, Twilight Syndrome, in Danganronpa 2 as a tribute.

His works

Video games

Books and stories

Anime shows

See also

In Spanish: Kazutaka Kodaka para niños