Manga Battle Royale

[UnemployedNinja]

Okay, well I can't be the only one who has fallen the ways of Battle Royale. (And, besides being addicted to the movie, the novel...we're here to talk about the manga!)

It seems pretty popular, but I've yet to come across any fanart/cospaly/greetings/wallpapers or the like for it on TheOtaku. Could be that because it's only a manga and an anime doesn't exist for it (And, honestly, I hope there never is.) that it's not widespread.

Hum.
So, for those of you who don't know Battle Royale is about the grim future of a parallel Japan (apparently, what would happen if Japan won WWII). There's a television show called The Program, in which 9th graders are sentenced to a secluded area of the country (such as an island) and are forced to kill each other. They are supplied random weapons, are forced to wear collars that track their heart rate and position, and are shuffled off, expected to take their friend's lives so that they will be allowed to survive.
It sounds gruesome, and it is. I mean, it's rated M for a reason. Not for the light hearted. But, in all honesty, it's not about the gore, the bloodshed or the eye-popping action. It takes the human heart and dissects it. Many of the characters are lovable, with heart-wrenching stories and when placed in life or death situations show their true side. I've found myself crying during various volumes of the manga out of my love for the characters and how much it pained me to see them in danger and making decisions that no 15/16 year old should ever be forced to make.
Throughout the story, the main character Shuuya, a rock-n-roll obsessed ditz tries to unite the students to find a way to freedom. He tries to cope with the loss of his friends, his hatred for his government all while remaining cheerful for his two friends as they try to find a way to fight back at The Program.




Eh, enough of me sounding like a commercial.







Does anyone else here share my love?

(And yes, my signature is the cover from Battle Royale volume 2.)

[Kenshin DX]

Battle Royale is a great series. I loved the book and the manga follows it closely. Not a big fan of the movie since the chacters werent as devloped in the movie as they were in the book and manga. The transaltion in the manga is done extremely well. Also it has a very diffrent art style which is alot more realistic looking than traditonal manga. The gore factor is an 11/10. This manga is disturbing especially [spoiler] Mitsukos death where a gunshot literlally rips a giant hole in her face and you see her brains fly out.[/spoiler] Thats not even the worst death in the series. The chacters all feel real and they are all done so well. Every charcter has a background that are so well done they feel like real people. You even get attached to them and even feel bad when they die. At the end after seeing Kiryiama and Mitsukos(the two biggest killers in the program) past you even grow to feel bad for them.

I seriously recomend Battle Royale to anyone with a strong stomach and mature enoguh to handle the strong sexual content.Great series and worthy of the book.

[Cazzilla]

I adore it.
I feel into the film by lucky accident,a nd then got into the manga, the book and the second film even made me cry.
And somehow, the manag always makes me smile. I think its the message of friendship (oh how corny). When shuuya took up guitar even thought rock and roll was banned..thats my fav. moment so far.

The whole thign is amazing.

i got into some serious crap for lending the film to a friend who was 15 at the time, and then got into more trouble for my censorship rant. oops!

I also reccomend it. Its a great bit of social commentary, on how adults will always ruin things for children.

Love it.

[Prons]

Battle Roalye is really good, all thought Tokyopop's interpritation is pretty weird at times, like when Kawada hands the main character a gun and says "Don't go all Marvin from Pulp Fiction on me." and of course, the infamous "Go f**k a duck" line.

[UnemployedNinja]

[quote name='Prons']Battle Roalye is really good, all thought Tokyopop's interpritation is pretty weird at times, like when Kawada hands the main character a gun and says "Don't go all Marvin from Pulp Fiction on me." and of course, the infamous "Go f**k a duck" line.[/quote]
Yeah, I thought that was odd as well, since in isolated Japan, how did they know about Pulp Fiction?
Also, in Pulp Fiction, Marvin never shot anyone he was the one who got shot. ;)
The characters used a lot of "ganster slang" throughout it, but it didn't bother me much, since kids usually do. So, the Tokyopop interpretation worked pretty well, considering most 16 year olds don't talk proplerly and would say things to the extent of "Go f**k a duck".

[Kenshin DX]

[quote name='UnemployedNinja']Yeah, I thought that was odd as well, since in isolated Japan, how did they know about Pulp Fiction?[/quote]


One of two reasons

1-Japan has seen American Movies. I saw an interview with the writer of Gantz and he talked about a couple of American movies like Pulp Fiction, Blade Runner, and Kill Bill.

2-Battle Royale is an [B]ADAPTION[/B] not a direct translation. So theres going to be some refrences to American pop culture.

[Guest SleepyNin]

Either way, it was a good story. Although I have only seen the Battle royal manga, and it's movie counterpart. I have seen the novel version of it, but to this date have not been able to read it. It may seem sick, but I thought the best part was all of the side stories, where you found out how f**ked up most of the students' lives were. I

[UnemployedNinja]

[QUOTE=Kenshin DX]One of two reasons

1-Japan has seen American Movies. I saw an interview with the writer of Gantz and he talked about a couple of American movies like Pulp Fiction, Blade Runner, and Kill Bill.

2-Battle Royale is an [B]ADAPTION[/B] not a direct translation. So theres going to be some refrences to American pop culture.[/QUOTE]
Still, it's odd because American rock music was banned, so you'd think American (violent) movies would be as well?
Ah well, it really didn't detract or add from the story. ;)

[Kenshin DX]

Ive been rerading the manga and I found the [spoiler] girls in the lighthouse to be the most disturbing thing Ive ever seen in a manga. One girl dieing from poison and bloating up anothers face being blown up and her eyeballsflying out. Finnaly the girl who jumped to her deathand her manglaed body[/spoiler] They really went over the top with it. My stomach was in knots. ANother disturbing thing was [spoiler] Mitsukos death that really shook me up[/spoiler].

[The Unholy Newt]

Hey, I haven't been here in ages, I'm not sure if there's anyone I know still around on here, but I thought it was about time to show my head.

Anyone here read the Battle Royale manga by Koushun Takami and Masayuki Taguchi?

Really awesome manga based of the novel of the same name (by Takami) about 42 9th grade students in an alternate reality Japan who are selected to be part of "The Program" a fight to the death where only one may remain, and if they don't co-operate, they are killed by bombs on steel collars.

Very interesting manga, though quite brutal, probably not for the younger readers. Makes you think a fair bit. I'd recommend it.

[Kenshin DX]

I am a huge BR fan. One of the best mangas out there. The gore is just over the top at times though. Everyones backstory is fleshed a lot more than in the book which is why I prefer it. Best part of the stroy was [spoiler] the fight between Sugimura and Kiriyama.[/spoiler] That was intense.

BTW your Kiriyama avatar is awesome.

[Konata]

I absolutely loved the novel. It's probably one of the only books I'll read over and over again, probably because of its excessive but hilarious violence and characters.

I haven't read the manga though. How is it?

[Kenshin DX]

[quote name='Konata']

I haven't read the manga though. How is it?[/QUOTE]

It's actually better than the book in some cases. Every characters back story is much more in depth then in the book. The writing is much better and the action scenes are also done extremely well. There are also some changes so don't expect the same experience you had with the book. The only thing is it's one of the most gruesome , brutal , grotesque mangas out there. People brains get blown out and drip. People lose ligaments and get cleavers in the face. Their are also some disturbing scenes and since the art style isn't like conventional manga and leans toward realism it makes those scenes a hell of a lot more scary.

If you can handle the gore then by all means grab the series.

[Konata]

Does it beat Berserk when it comes to gore? Not that I've read that either, but~

Also, I love bloodshed. Maybe not the greatest [I]gore[/I] fanatic in particular, but I still like it. I'll check it out =P

[Kenshin DX]

[quote name='Konata']Does it beat Berserk when it comes to gore?[/QUOTE]


Due to the fact that the art style isn't drawn like traditonal manga and emphazies on realism yes the gore is a lot worse.

It's one thing to see a poorly drawn cartoon lose it's head it's another to see an actual person lose their head. Just the shear amount of detail when eyes pop out of the skull and brain drippings. Very gruesome.

[Konata]

This... this [I]interests[/I] me. =3

[Break]

I've seen both films - I was't too phased by the gore in either.

What disturbed me most was the psychological shock of a) the (fictional) government's plan and b) the children actually [i]doing[/i] it. It really makes me think about what [i]I[/i] would do.

It makes me sick lol.

[Kenshin DX]

[quote name='Break']I've seen both films - I was't too phased by the gore in either.

What disturbed me most was the psychological shock of a) the (fictional) government's plan and b) the children actually [i]doing[/i] it. It really makes me think about what [i]I[/i] would do.

It makes me sick lol.[/QUOTE]

You have discovered the core of BR. It is actually pretty terrifying especially some of the deaths that occur. When you see close ups of students who have gone completely insane it sends chills down your spine.

As for gore in the BR movie it is a lot worse in the manga and the book.

[koon]

My friend made me watch the movie and it was INTENSE! I've never read the manga and I want to but I don't want to. It will probably scar me for life! I would be so scared to kill anyone in that position. Props to Battle Royale!