HEWWO:3

In the first scene, we get the text “Kettle of Fish”. In Japanese, it’s “釜中之魚”, it means the same thing, but is also a Chinese metaphor referring to someone who is in danger and about to die. It is also foreshadowing what’s to come in his execution, that being him in a kettle.

Korekiyo drops from the ceiling in a traditional Japanese style room. The floor is tatami, to the left there is a window, and to the right there are wooden doors. Behind him, there seems to be an opening in the wooden wall, possibly room for a shrine.

To the left there is a Daimyo, a feudal lord who employs samurai and works under the Shogun (military ruler), holding a katana, a Japanese sword. Monophanie sits on a pink cushion, called a zabuton. To the right, there is another Daimyo, who has his katana sheathed. Monotaro sits on a red cushion.

Korekiyo is tied up with red ropes, undergoing a torture method called “Surugadoi” or “Bondage Torture”. Based on the setting, this execution is set in the Edo Period of Japan. The art seems reminiscent of ukiyo-e, a genre of art during that time.

The title card shows. The background is wooden with Korekiyo’s ritual circle on it, as well as cracks that seem to have eyes peering through. There are also red ropes around. The white pieces of paper are streamers typically attached to gohei, staffs used by shrine maidens for purification rituals. The tan pieces of paper with writing seem to be talisman, used for warding off evil spirits. The Japanese title is “Picture Scroll of Punishments Past and Present” (今昔仕置絵巻). The English title is “Cultural Melting Pot”.

Monophanie and Monotaro both spin Korekiyo around while Monodam watches. After the two Monokubs are tired, they stop spinning him. The Daimyo with the unsheathed katana cuts the top of the rope and Korekiyo falls into an opening that appears on the ground.

He falls into a kettle of hot water. The waves seem to be a reference to a famous painting “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Hokusai (shown on the right).

Korekiyo emerges from the water and there are dancers shown around the pot. This is an execution method called “Kamayude” or “Kettle Boiling”. I am not sure why there are dancers, but I have two theories. It could be part of the cleansing ritual, or it could be in celebration.

The translation for kama (釜) is kettle, but Japanese kettles do not look the same as Western kettles. What Korekiyo falls into in a Japanese style kettle.

Monophanie and Monotaro begin adding firewood to increase the temperature. Monodam considers running into the fire, and he eventually does.

Korekiyo can be seen bleeding from his eyes, and he is eventually submerged under the water again. This time, he dies, and his spirit is seen leaving the kettle.

Korekiyo’s spirit rises and changes to resemble his body more. He sees who seems to be his sister coming down to embrace him. He goes to do the same to her.

Monokuma appears in the attire of an Onmyōji, a job dealing with divination and prayer. There is a lot more to it, but that’s what’s important right now. As can be seen, they are also meant to deal with evil spirits, hence the salt.

Korekiyo begins to melt, as salt was believed to cleanse evil spirits. His sister begins to throw salt at him as well. She is wearing a glove, so she doesn’t melt herself.

Eventually, Korekiyo is completely gone. His sister and Monokuma are on top of a building. Monokuma is holding a gohei, which I mentioned earlier.

Since Korekiyo’s sister here seems to support cleansing him, but the sister in his body supports his murders, it’s not clear if this is actually his sister’s spirit. She might be controlled by Monokuma. It’s also possible that Korekiyo’s depiction of his sister is not true to reality.

I tried to draw Sister in a traditional japanese wedding attire But!!! All the folds are going from right to left to showcase that she's DEAD (apart from a literal decomposing matter as her face)

Kiyo is praying at her feet like at the altar and thats the reason she is so big, shes like a buddah statue she is his main god

I usually choose a cover I know I can tackle in under 2 hours. However, both picks for Korekiyo were complicated so I instead decided to gamble with both the timing and the composition in general (I didn't know if my skills were up to par)