Rating: Summary: Doesn't let you put it down... Review: When I bought this book, I was expecting it to be thrilling, suspenseful, and very, very bloody. Well I was right, but it was also so much more.
The book let you get into the minds of the characters...you felt what they felt. You felt sorry for some of the ones that were killed. The drama added with the violence was an even blend that didnt get messy. As I was reading, I didnt want to put it down. The chapters get so interesting you must know what happens next. You will be guessing the ending throughout the entire book, and I recommend this book to anybody. It is probably my favorite book.
Rating: Summary: Not Just A Game.. Review: ..it really isn't. I have watched the movie beforehand, but the novel opened up my perspective so much more.
With 42 students taken to an evacuated island, given a randomly supplied weapon, and wearing collars to blow you up, this is one gory novel. All the students are forced to kill each other till there is only one player left (in other words "every man for himself")
Every character is written about, giving at least some background information about who they are and why they act the way they do. From the main characters to even the littlest ones, everyone has a different death scenario, with a reason behind it. With the lack of trust from each other, no one can be safe.
When I first picked up the novel, I immediately read through it and could not put it down. Each page filled with more details from chapter to chapter. It may be more than 600 pages long, but once you start reading it, you wouldnt even notice it was that big of a book. I also recommend watching the movie after you have read the book. Pick up the book sometime and enjoy!
Rating: Summary: This is the Vol. 11 review page, right...? Review: First, before I say anything else, let me say that I write this review while bearing the ELEVENTH volume in mind, as this page does have the cover of manga volume #11. I don't know why others are reviewing the novel (and why some are moronic enough to rank the movie above the manga/novel)...but whatever.
Have you seen the movie? Or read the novel? Are you willing to pick up only one Battle Royale manga volume among all of the ones you see on the shelves? Then make sure it's this one. Not only because the Kotohiki/Hiroki meeting is a much happier, slightly romantic alternative to the movie/novel one, but because...
Taguchi's art is gorgeously illustrated in these chapters, having some lovely dark and iconic pages of characters, a la Volume 8, to some extent. Volume 8 will still remain as the most chilling book, both in terms of artwork and story, but the word "grotesque" has much more than a minute part to play in this volume as well - it simply carries a less... promiscuous meaning.
This topical, character-focused, gloomy cover art is what all of the covers should be like in my opinion. But the latter ones to the highest degree, seeing as how they're in wind-up, hope-is-gone mode. I've seen the cover art for Volume 13, which is already released in Japan, and it's very disappointing. I was getting sick of constantly seeing boring happy shots of Shuuya - in fact, it's what deterred me from picking up the manga in the first place. However, this kind of cover art is not work that would bring someone completely foreign to Battle Royale into Battle Royale, but it doesn't need to be. Simplistic though this art may be, every little aspect of the front has meaning that is obviously dispersed throughout the book - the cross, symbolizing his "boy scout"-ness, his teardrop-like blood, symbolizing his fight with Kiriyama, his hopeless yet firm look into the light, symbolizing the [self-explanatory], and finally his expression, symbolizing gloom, maybe even repression. That's how I perceived it anyways and while others may not take scrutinize the cover to such a degree, I'm sure many will appreciate this.
Kiriyama easily takes the cake as the coolest (as well as the coldest) character in the manga/novel, despite him being the least developed and the weirdest in the movie. If there's one thing I could have asked more for in the novel it would be more of Kiriyama's backstory. Which we do get, and when you get to the end, there's a cliffhanger that hints at the possibility of there being more...
Kazuo. Kiriyama. He kills, but not out of hatred, odd idealism, sadism, psychosis, stupidity, or the like...but out of a simple and logical willingness to play The Program. No volume released so far makes this clearer, and based on what I've read in the novel, it's not likely to be made more clear in the future; automatically making this and the subsequent book a must-buy for Kiriyama enthusiasts (such as myself).
Giffen's humor also helps a bit. Of course, I'm not entirely positive the guy intended his DBZ, Batman, and Boy Scout remarks&references to be funny, perhaps just a mere "Americanization", but this guy's irreverence towards some of the original lines make me laugh. 'Specially as a longtime DBZ fan.
Here, in this volume, the manga series truly begins the "countdown" segment of Battle Royale. The punks, hoes, conceited morons, and other extraneous (but interesting and fun) characters are gone. They're all gone.
Order this, now. You're a fool if you don't; a fool who deserves his ey-...oops, almost let a spoiler slip =).
Rating: Summary: Ridiculous, Hilarious, Corny, Entertaining Review: Having just read "Battle Royale" last week, I can assure you that it is not the deep, thought-provoking classic novel that some Amazon reviewers have made it out to be. "Lord of the Flies" is still pretty secure atop the "commentary on human nature, using kids killing each other on islands as a microcosm of society" genre. With that said, it's still a highly entertaining read and is definitely worth your time. The novel is about a class of 42 Japanese students, randomly selected by the government to take part in an annual "program" that pits the students against each other in a fight for survival. The last survivor is the winner. He or she gets to appear on the news, and wins an autographed photo of the Dictator, the leader of this fictional Japanese fascist regime. Many have described "Battle Royale" as thought-provoking, and I suppose it is if you're younger and haven't read too many books. This book is clearly trying to make some social commentary, but it does so vaguely and in very general terms. Essentially, we "learn" that people who seem trustworthy and stand-up can turn ugly and vicious in situations where it's them or you, and that fascist dictators are a bunch of jerks who want to prevent you from living freely, loving, and listening to rock n' roll. The only thought this novel inspired in me was the thought of what I would do when faced with a situation like this; this factor alone makes the book highly entertaining. Also entertaining is the brilliant comedy found throughout the novel. A particularly intelligent student finds a computer, gets it running by hooking it up to a car battery, and tries to save himself and his classmates with his hacking skills (and if you think this is completely implausible and preposterous, just wait for the ending). Also keep your eyes out for the class clown's thoughts as he tumbles down a hill, the gay kid (i laughed for about 10 minutes straight at some of the things he says) and the snobby, rich violin player. Four stars for "Battle Royale". Its comedy (intentional or otherwise), violence, simplistic (but oddly charming) attempts at social commentary, and overall ridiculousness and implausibility make it a must if you're looking for a fun read.
Rating: Summary: brilliant. Review: Honestly, you assume with a movie like Battle Royale that the book will pale in comparison. And maybe, for the first 100 pages it does: you have -seen- this happen, and a dully translated description of it feels like nothing. However, the backstories encorporated in the novel Battle Royale really serve to strengthen your empathy with the overall plot and characters. Characters that seemed to have no real emphasis in the movie become three dimensional and not merely gore devices. The background story of the Republic also serves crucially to explain a parable that, while close to a Japanese view of world and government, should serve closer to an American one. While Battle Royale seems to be an unthinkable act of violence to put 15 year olds through for wagers, perhaps this parable is something that in the 21st century we should be considering. How far is too far? Kiriyama in the book, however, I just don't find dreadfully evil and delicious as in the movie, but I supposes sacrifices must be made for a well rounded piece of fiction. Definately worth the read, and the movie is brilliant as well. Perhaps after this encounter with the original book I can justify the ugliness of Battle Royale II.
Rating: Summary: That's right. This book sucks. Review: I had heard of the movie Battle Royale a long time ago, but never had the opportunity to watch it. On a recent trip to a large Japanese book shop I noticed this novel and decided to give it a go.
Ultimately, this was a very disappointing book.
The premise is interesting, but hard to swallow. In an alternative reality where (presumably) the outcome of WWII was different, Japan is a facist dictatorship known as the Greater East Asia Democratic Nation (or similar). The 'Program' is a government initiative where a junior high class is selected at random to participate in a kill or be killed Battle Royale. It is later explained that the Program was created to instill paranoia in the population. After all, if a class of school kids can turn on their best friends in such a violent way at the behest of the government, then how can anyone be trusted?
This premise may have sustained a good read in the hands of a more capable author. Unfortunately Takami creates an unwieldly mess.
Takami's first mistake is having such a large cast of characters. The class size is initially 42 or so and Takami attempts to write a backstory for each student. The end result is that you do not connect with any of the students.
Takami then goes on to create such unbelievable characters that any attempt to suspend disbelief is impossible. These kids are meant to be 15 or 16 years old yet they have the capability to build bombs using amonium nitrate and sophisticated detonators. They can program mobile phones, hack into government websites, hotwire cars and much more. These are pretty smart kids.
Finally the villian (nemesis, or whatever) is a 15 year old t-1000 Terminator, more or less. As a child, Kazuo Kiriyama was involved in a car accident which killed both parents. He sustained injuries including a splinter lodged in his brain. The doctor removing the splinter also removed a cluster of nerves which left him totally devoid of any emotion. Kazuo decides to participate in the game and quickly goes about killing most of his classmates. The thing is, this kid is just about indestructable. He survives torrents of gunfire without sustaining any injuries, can withstand a bomb explosion which doesn't even mess his hair, can dodge bullets like Neo (he can even dodge bullets while driving). The result is simply a disconnection between reader and book.
Also, the writing is poor. I am not sure whether this is due to the author or the translator, but too often sentences begin with 'That's right...' which becomes annoying. And conversation limited to "?" or "..." which is just being lazy.
In all, this book has more style than substance.
Rating: Summary: The best book ever written! Review: I have read so many books, but this has to be my favourite. The author almost makes you feel sorry for the deaths of the students, and you almost feel as though you are there. If you were on an island, forced to kill maybe a twin brother or sister (Not that anyone had to) or maybe a girlfriend, your best friend, someone like that, what would you do? You can bet your life someone in the book did it. Whether you'd kill your friends (Kazou), hide out (Megumi), or try to stop the violence (The lighthouse girls) someone did it. There may have been a few problems with translation, but you can't help liking it. Everything is described in detail, and some would feel as if the character is a friend. You can cry, you can laugh, or you can wish you'd never payed the $10.85 + p&h, but you need to read this book!
Rating: Summary: Good story, but worst translation ever seen... Review: I knew that Tokyopop's translators have been mistranslating their mangas for years, but this one, Battle Royale vol. 8 is the worst one I have ever read!! Before I bought this volume, I had bought Tokyopop's other mangas like Vampire Game, Petshop of Horrors... Each of them has same problem. OK, I can understand that a lot of Americans might not find the jokes in the mangas funny because of the cultural differences, so they had to change characters' conversations in order to satisfy the readers. But if Tokyopop does samething too often, I will say Tokyopop are disrespecting original authors' rights. In this volume, the translator changed almost 95% of all the conversations, even the most slightest detail. Although the "new" content is not "that" different from the original one, but these modifications already spoil the whole story. For example, in the last page, after Souma Mitsuko raped(?) and killed Yuichiro, what she said to Yuichiro's corpse in the original version was, "If I am pregnant, I will give birth to your child." In Tokyopop's version, the translator changed it to, "Thanks, guys. It was fun while it lasted. Sorta...Hmm...I wonder how many people saw me naked?" All right. "If I am pregnant, I will give birth to your child." Is this sentence that hard to understand? Do readers have to know Japanese culture well in order to understand it!? The translator totally changed Mitsuko's personality by modifying her mumble. I can't see why the translator had to do this! I suggest those who like this story and haven't read volume 8, take Japanese version or French version if you can read in Japanese or French. This volume will piss off anyone who has read other versions before.
Rating: Summary: Its a crime not to read this book. Review: I would have to say that Battle Royale is one of the greatest books of our time. Koushun Takami weaves an enchanting tale of violence, love, hate, drama, and mistrust better than any other author. He puts authors like Dean Koontz and Stephen King to shame. Battle Royale's characters are very real. They show fear, hurt, and ruthlessness as they are forced to play this horible game of kill or be killed. Some hide out until the end when they are slain, while others go out and play. The main characters (Shuya, Noriko, Shogo, Kazou, and Mitsuko) are all very diffrent and add variety to the book. Shuya is a popular boy who doesn't want to hurt anyone, but does want to get off the island. Noriko is a quite girl who follows Shuya around, trying not to get shot in the process. Shogo is a mysterious exchange student who wants to help Shuya and Noriko escape. Kazou is a ruthless killer who has no heart of emotions. And Mitsuko is a child prostitute/porn star who will do anything to win, including shooting her friends, manipulating people, and even suducing people. (she's my favorite character :p, so evil) With a deverse cast of characters and a well spun story with plenty of action, and drama I would give Battle Royale 10 out of 5 stars. No one should not read this book, it is simply a crime.
Rating: Summary: Simply wonderful Review: I'm an avid reader and a shopaholic(of books) at Amazon(and I'm from the Philippines even) but I've never written a single review for a book no matter how I deemed it wonderful.
Battle Royale is different though; it compelled me to start typing here. This books is simply wonderful and I want my testimony to add to the ever growing list.
Granted, the text was a bit poor; whether or not the Japanese version was originally like that or was corrupted by translation, I don't know. The emotions, reactions and details weren't that specific and seemed rush. There were times that the descriptions would simply bore and I would skip all these.
What's then is so great about Battle Royale? Frankly, I don't know. I just feel lightheaded and satisfied whenever I'm reading it.(I even threw aside the growing pile of homeworks just to be able to finish it.)
One is probably the characters. The class is brimming with different personalities, from a perfect robot, to a porn-star to a queer. There are characters you would feel attached with that reading them die would feel so sad.
Another is the logic in the novel. I probably wasn't that critical, but I deemed there were barely any flaws in the entire system. Ideas came in and went, almost none being far-fetched. The connection from one event and location to another would simply bring you to say "Ah!"
The third one is human relations present in this film. Especially the last chapter, but I'll not get into detail :)
The last one is that there are instanced when I expected something which I thought was "sneaky" and expected very few to notice it. This event happens, and then another thing turns out!
There are probably more reasons, but I couldn't articulate them quite well. One thing though: the story isn't that deep.
But then, I don't really care ^^. So to you reading this review, but this book immediately. It'll truly be worth it.
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