Wolfgang became my favourite Eden's Garden character during the prologue trial. He spoke so passionately; there was something very compelling about him! I was fascinated by the way he seemed to think he was the protagonist. He gave me 'Phoenix Wright gone terribly wrong' vibes.
My choice of favourite character did not go well for me.
I was so tense in the leadup to the first-chapter body discovery; the atmosphere was excellently done. And the victim managed to take me by surprise. Wolfgang was a significant character, of course, and becoming too significant in any Danganronpa-like game means painting a target on your back, but it really felt like there was more to be explored there. I was sorry to see him go so early; he was interesting!
My biggest suspect for the murder was actually Kai. He claimed to Damon that they'd both slept through the morning announcement; what were the odds? He could have met Wolfgang, knocked him out, somehow set up his death to occur later, then returned to Damon and stuck with him to ensure he'd have an alibi. Plus he was really insistent that Diana had done it!
It turns out that I am not great at solving murders.
One thing that fascinates me about this case: Diana entered the boiler room at 8.45. Wolfgang died at 9.35, fifty minutes later. The story Diana tells cannot possibly account for these fifty minutes. How long did they spend just holding hands and looking into each other's eyes?
In an attempt to explain this discrepancy, I actually wrote a short work of fanfiction about what could have happened between Diana and Wolfgang in the boiler room: Unaccounted For (2,200 words, rated M). Be aware, though, that this fic is extremely dark and miserable; it's tagged with 'drugged kissing' and 'fear of sexual assault', and it has those tags for a reason.
In addition to the timing issues, I don't really like that Eva was told she'd die if she didn't kill someone. It fits with the Garden of Eden theming: Eve (or, rather, Eva) indulges in knowledge and, as a consequence, is doomed to die. But I think 'you have to kill, or you'll die' is never an interesting motive in a Danganronpa story; it's much more interesting to see what will push people to kill when their lives aren't immediately on the line.
All that said, though, I think this is a strong first case overall, with some nice emotion to it! Even though Eva was pushed by fear for her life, she has enough personal issues surrounding Wolfgang for her choice of victim to say something interesting about who she is. It's also a great case for Diana. Well, it's a terrible case for Diana, because she has an absolutely miserable time, but it's a great case for her character.
I love that Damon is in tears by the end of the execution. It's a nice little detail for a character who tends to be on the cold side.