Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT ¿ a page-turner and instant Japanese pulp classic!
Review: I'm not the type who likes extreme violence, guts, and gore (which this book is filled with, but for good reason), but I really, really enjoyed this book. It is the best pulp fiction I've ever read. Keep in mind, though, that it is no masterpiece along the lines of Shakespeare and Fitzgerald in terms of language usage (it was translated from the Japanese language, and I thought the translator still did a fine job). However, "Battle Royale" is a very memorable book; you will be surprised how all the events stay in your mind. Despite there being some 42 kids with difficult Japanese names, I remembered each character, how they lived, and how they died. And this book is literally impossible to put down-it's v. v. compulsive reading. I finished it in one sitting. You probably already know what this book is about, but here's a quick plot summary anyway: the Japanese government institutes "Battle Royale," and randomly selects 50 ninth-grade classes for the program. Each class is left on a deserted island, supplied with different weapons, and forced to kill each other until there is only one survivor. Most are unsure of each other's intentions and cannot trust anyone; this is what the government wants: for no one to trust each other well enough to form a group against the government. "Battle Royale" has understandably been criticized as violent exploitation (esp. since these kids are 14-15 and some are more than willing to hack each other up), but there is something much more deeper than that. The book explores tricky relationships between people, and there are many questions asked in the film, like "Who can I trust?", "Can I trust my best friend?", "Can I trust my boyfriend/girlfriend?", "What is right/wrong?", "Can we fight the system?", "Since we're dying anyway, should I tell you I have a crush on you?", etc. These are all v. interesting questions and the author does a fabulous job of answering them, showing the devastating results. The description of violence is v. graphic as to be over-the-top and distracting sometimes, and the writing is sometimes corny and painful, but as a whole, the book moves extraordinarily well. On the whole, most of the characters are developed well and we understand why they are doing what they are. In every page, we find teenage angst, lust, love, treachery, betrayal, goodness, jealousy, suspicion, hatred, and all those goodies. Although many of the characters do unspeakable things to their classmates (either willfully or out of fear), we feel for them. We understand them and therefore, feel pity for them when they die or are wounded. Only good books can elicit that kind of feeling for 42 different characters. I highly recommend the book. Don't expect to be blown away by the writing style, but do expect to be blown away by an interesting and irresistible premise, thoughtful ideas, and a GREAT story of friendship and other human relationships. (If you enjoy the book, you should definitely watch the movie "Battle Royale", which is the best movie coming out of Japan in years. I read the book before I saw the movie, and although I think the book is better, the movie is also incredible. Some of the scenes in the movie, especially the lighthouse scene with Yukie, even outdo the book. Of course, some characters aren't as well developed, but that's expected and understandable. With excellent acting, great direction, fantastic use of classical music, and a superb story, the movie is definitely a must-see.)
Rating: 
Summary: Irresistable
Review: In an alternate Japan, a fascist government rules. Ever since 1947, it has annually run "The Program", a brutal exercise where a class of 9th graders are selected to be taken to an isolated location and forced to kill each other until only one survivor remains. From the first time I heard of Battle Royale's concept, I was intrigued and wary - while the concept holds a strong potential for psychological terror it could also turn out to be little more than a novel premise for a standard gore fest. Thankfully writer Koushun Takami manages an addictive, fast-paced thriller that meets its potential. Clocking in at over 600 pages, Takami delivers a character driven thrill ride that succeeds by virtue of the personalities that drive the story. Takami fills Battle Royale with the high school archetypes we've become accustomed to seeing. They would be clichés in any other setting but their familiarity brings the reader closer to empathizing with the students. We may have seen these characters a million times before, but never in a setting like this, giving the audience a glimpse into the uncertainly they doomed classmates feel for each other. There's more to the novel than a well-plotted thrill ride. The story is set in the present of an alternate history. Presumably, the Japan of this universe did not lose in World War II because its militaristic government is reminiscent of the Japan that invaded China in the early twentieth century. This government implements Coming out a few years after novels like Haruiki Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, which confronted Japan's attempts to ignore its brutal past, Takami creates a world where nationalistic cruelty turns inwards for lack of other easy victims. Best known for the gory DVD import that it inspired, Viz tries to give Battle Royale a literary sheen by calling it a "Lord of the Flies for the 21st century". Thankfully, that doesn't turn out to be empty marketing-speak, as an engaging, thought-provoking story lies within Battle Royale's covers.
Rating:
Summary: A Game of Death
Review: Originally submitted for a literary competition, Koushun Takami's *Battle Royale* was hotly contested and eventually rejected in the final round, condemned for its caustic blend of violence, satire and pulp-extravagance. If anything, this reaction helped assure its bestseller status in Japan - uproar always sells copy - and the novel's shelf-life was then immeasurably augmented by the ensuing film-adaptation and comic serialization (...I saw issues of it crowding manga-bins in Thailand). Stateside, however, *Battle Royale*, in any form, existed as a media-indefinite, praised throughout the cyberverse by those 'in the know' but unavailable through any mainstream outlet. Thankfully this has changed, with the primary text now translated and sleekly packaged for round-eyes, and the movie slated for a `special edition' Region-One release date.
The story itself is a *Lord of the Flies*-style update, cynically embellished with the hallmarks of tech-dystopia. In essence: forty-two schoolchildren are shipped to a remote location, provided weapons, and ordered to kill or be killed, thrive or die, until the last is standing. In Takami's alternative universe, Japan has devolved into a totalitarian dictatorship; the 'game' of *Battle Royale* keeps the mainland inhabitants in line and also provides an exciting gambling venture for those in power. As for the children involved? The author employs the pivotal theme of William Golding's mid-20th century masterpiece, in that under extreme circumstances, human beings face a psychological choice: to become the beast (or at least to ~mimic~ it), or to rise above. *Battle Royale* thus chronicles the individual decisions of these schoolchildren. Some choose the beast. Others struggle to retain their basic human dignity. Some choose death, others love - and damn the consequences. And the rest do their best to simply survive, as the clock ticks down and the territory of the killing ground diminishes every six hours. For in this game of death, there is only one possible survivor.
The premise of *Battle Royale* is irresistible, with great potential...almost too much potential. In the hands of a lesser author, the story could easily spin out of control, descending into bloodbath extremes and overt melodrama; and in the very least, losing its focus among the multitude of players and total range of situations. Takami's overall control of his concept - establishing the rules early on, and concentrating primarily on a select group of characters, with brief digressions for the minor players - is commendable on a sheer technical level; and the skill in which he develops, and disposes, of these schoolchildren makes it easy to see why *Battle Royale* sparked controversy and gained a strong following upon its release. The concept of children murdering children, and some gleefully and/or efficiently at that, is uncomfortable to those who envision peace and prosperity as the principal goal of the human race: it's not surprising that *Battle Royale*, for some, inspires a knee-jerk reaction of negativity before a page is turned. Yet there is more here than typical grindhouse exploitation. The concept of love under extremities is the primary thematic nucleus of the novel, developed carefully and powerfully; and Takami wisely sets the protagonist view on Shuya, who feels the exact same way as most (sane) people would. "They won't do it... impossible..." he constantly reflects at the beginning, honestly believing it so until graphically proven otherwise; and for the remainder of the contest he strives to survive without playing the game, as much out of spite for the evil propagating it as his own moral code.
There are several aspects that elevate *Battle Royale* above the genre of pulp. The first and foremost, IMO, is the masterful development of the characters. It has been six months since I read this novel, and I still have vivid images of the main players: battle-scarred Shogo with his shotgun; the chillingly psychotic Kazuo Kiriyama; prey-turned-predator Mitsuko (perhaps the saddest character of the lot); the stoic and utterly focused martial-arts master Hiroaki Sugimura. And Tahara Sakamochi, of course. I've rarely seen a more villainous portrait 'come to life' from the printed page. The environments and action, although only adequately described, do take hold the mind's eye, and I can correlate these characters with some very poignant - and brutal - moments, attaining the hallucinatory power of the inner-cinema.
Another aspect is developed more powerfully in the film, being a satire on the repressed, media-drenched, violence-devouring Japanese culture. Although *Battle Royale's* 'game' is inconceivable, at least for the present, let us reflect on the state of modern television: how many murders occur on a primetime night? How many children are watching CSI and/or any number of its clones/competitors at this moment? Rape, exploitation, death - these are primal triggers for easy cash - and it's only going to get more explicit. This book barely hints at competition-as-entertainment satire, but inspires enough internal thought about the matter that, when coupled with the psychological trauma/adaptation that this sort of situation might create, makes *Battle Royale* a worthy read in its own right.
Along with the violence, of course - there is enough triune-stroke here to satiate even the most rabid gore-hound.
The translation suffers from grammar-errors and awkward transitions, and I think they were going a little too much for the 'punchy' effect, but Takami's raw material more than makes up for the occasional blunder...and the ending, in a word: incredible. *Battle Royale* is powerful, compelling material, some of the best pulp on the market.
Four and 1/2 Stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Putting the Pulp back in Pulp Fiction
Review: Thanks to the likes of Vincent Vega and Mr. Wolf pulp fiction has become a completely acceptable art form. Unfortunately, the high level of violence is really the only thing that Takami's dismal book and Tarantino's brilliant movie have in common.
Based on the premise of an annually returning event in which a school class is transplanted to an evacuated area for a mutual killing spree that will leave a sole survivor, the author has produced 600 pages of pulp that has very little in the way of a redeeming value.
On top of the premise of a fictional dictatorial post-World War II Japan, this battle royale would be staged to remind its citizen's to live in mutual fear. Makes sense doesn't it.
Yet, while a proper execution upon these far-fetched ideas could have yielded an interesting novel in better hands, the author's creativity ended with finding this novel's basic premise. All is predictable, devoid of any sense of imagination and on top of that poorly written/translated.
A number of other reviewers have commented upon the brilliance of this work and made comparisons with "The Lord of the Flies" and "Brave New World". I am sorry, but I am afraid that this is just another sign of the inadequacy of the current "no child left behind" program.
Rating:
Summary: soooooooooooooooooooooooo good!
Review: This book couldn't have been pried from my hands once I started reading it! I read the English version which was very well translated. Wish there were more books like this!
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