Kazutaka Kodaka (小高和剛) is a Japanese video game creator and writer. Best known for creating and writing the Danganronpa series, he co-founded Too Kyo Games, the studio behind Akudama Drive, and is credited as its scenario writer.
Biography
Early Life
Kodaka was born on July 8th, 1978, and lives in Tokyo, Japan[1]. As a child, he attended a private boys' junior high school where he made very few friends, instead spending all his free time away from school watching anime, watching movies, and playing video games[1]. He was very studious in high school, but became tired of studying for his college entrance exams in his third year, until he learned that he could study film at the Nihon University College of Art. He majored in and graduated with a degree in film studies[1].
While at university he worked part-time in Chameleon Club video games store, during what he feels was a turning point in the video game industry since they were having a huge surge of popularity with the increased availability of home consoles. He was able to play a lot of games because he got them at a discount from working at the store, and his interests changed from being focused on movies to heavy interest in video games. Kodaka explained to his professor that although he was majoring in film, he did not want to become a film director like his classmates, and instead intended to apply his film degree to making video games. The professor helped him get the opportunity to work as an assistant director to Kinji Fukasaku during the production of Clock Tower 3, where he contributed to the cutscene videos featured in-game. Kodaka's first post-graduate role was writing for the Jake Hunter (known in Japan as Tantei Jingūji Saburō) mobile game series in 2008, contributing to 6 of the games, and several tie-in books, and was later hired by Spike (now Spike Chunsoft) to write the scenario for the Nintendo DS game Meitantei Conan & Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbou[2].
Too Kyo Games
After the completion of the last Danganronpa game Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony and the Danganronpa spin-off anime series Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School, Kodaka approached his Danganronpa character designer Rui Komatsuzaki and composer Masafumi Takada to discuss his plans to create his own independent development company. Along with other industry veterans and fellow Spike Chunsoft employees such as Kodaka's long time friend, the Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi, the group founded the studio Too Kyo Games in 2017 and officially left Spike Chunsoft.
Works
Video-games
- Clock Tower 3: Video Assistant Director (2002)
- Jake Hunter series: Scenario Writer(2008)
- The Six Sheets of Crime (6枚の犯行)
- Search for the Dying Smoke! (亡煙を捜せ!)
- The Night of Quito (キトの夜)
- The Square Trap (四角の罠)
- The Man Who Was Called a Dog (イヌと呼ばれた男)
- Bakuso Dekotra Legend Black (2008)
- Meitantei Conan & Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbou: Scenario (2009)
- Danganronpa series: Creator and Scenario Writer
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010)
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012)
- Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (2014)
- Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017)
- School of Ragnarok : Scenario Writer (2015)
- Death Come True : Scenario Writer (2020)
- World's End Club : Creative Director (2021)
Anime
- Danganronpa: The Animation: Scenario Writer (2013)
- Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life : Scenario/Screenplay (2015)
- Detective Wooser's Final Problem (名探偵うーさー、最後の事件)
- Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School : Scenario/Screenplay (2016)
- Akudama Drive : Scenario Writer (2020)
Books
- Detective Saburo Jinguji: The Ghost of Shinjuku (探偵 神宮寺三郎 新宿の亡霊): Novel (2006)
- Detective Jinguji Saburo Shining Mirai (探偵 神宮寺三郎 輝かしいミライ): Novel (2007)
- Danganronpa/Zero (ダンガンロンパ/ゼロ): Novel (2011)
- Guren 5 (グレン5): Manga (2013)
- Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer (ダンガンロンパ害伝 キラーキラー) : Manga (2016)
- Gamblers Parade (ギャンブラーズパレード): Manga (2018)
- Akudama Drive Comicalize: Manga (2020)
External Links
- Twitter: Kazutaka Kodaka
- Facebook: Kazutaka Kodaka
- Instagram: 小高和剛/kazutaka kodaka
- Kazutaka Kodaka on Miraheze
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sai Zen Sen Interview 1: サイコポップ”が『ダンガンロンパ/ゼロ』に至るまで--.
- ↑ Gamer Interview: ゲームコレクター・酒缶のスーパーリコレクション第11回:ゲームでオリジナルを作りたい「ダンガンロンパ」シリーズ 小高和剛氏
Characters | |
Akudama | Swindler • Courier • Brawler • Doctor • Hacker • Cutthroat • Hoodlum |
Execution Division | Master • Apprentice • Junior • Boss |
Other | Black Cat • Brother • Sister |
Locations | |
Anime | Kansai • Kanto • Shinkansen • Absolute Quarantine Zone • Expo Park |
Akudama Drive Anime | |
Episodes | Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 |
Media | |
Manga | Akudama Drive Comicalize |
Corporate | |
People | Kazutaka Kodaka • Rui Komatsuzaki • Cindy Yamauchi • Rokurou Ogaki |
Companies | Too Kyo Games |