Battle Royale

Well I have been on a HUGE Battle Royale kick as of late. I've read the manga and the book years ago and also watched the movie a good 100 times in the past too but I managed to tell a friend about how amazing BR novel was and she went out and bought it and since she has used me as a library all year I decided to borrow it and my god it's just as fantastic as I remember.

And trust me that it's an awesome kind of writer who makes you want to re-read his 2 inch thick book of normal sized text. His style is so easy to read and once you get past the ten odd pages of waffle and get to the actual story it's very hard to put it down.

So this review we will cover the manga, the movie and the novel.

Now as with everything there are difference in novel to movie and there are for the most part some big changes in the movie but nothing that takes away from the beauty of this awesome story. The manga follows the novel pretty well from what I remember [I can't remember great shakes about the manga] only VERY over sexualised I am sick of hearing the term 'pink' and other sexual things.

Yes someone does get raped in the novel and I do think there is a sex scene later but they are not over glorified they are mentioned and moved on, he is detailed in his setting the scene and gore details but doesn't focus on the more dirty side of things where as the manga drowns the story in it.

Despite the two being very close to each other the manga is very shit, the over sexed bits and I find the art ugly as sin I also think the way they do Shuya and Nobu is abit.. off not how I mentally see them in the novel and for some reason a boy who is only a year older then them IE Kawada looks like he's 30 and joined the marines.... what.

Everyone is far too 'bishi' for my liking too. Oh and Shinji doesn't do back flips and ninja stunts in the novel. That I think was a big change from novel to manga. Like I said re-reading the novel now and was ages since I saw the manga.

They draw girls and gore really, really well but the men? nope.

The novel as I said is about 2 inch's thick but it goes by so fast when you into it. He paints a very good picture in your head as you read it, the setting the scene, going into the raw emotions the people feel, something that isn't half as good in the manga but admirably done in the movie.

His gore is classic, it's gross, well detailed but not corny or over done. You really like characters in this book and feel for them.

Also something I love about this book is that it is easy to keep track for what is going on and after each little bit that might focus on a different person or different group there is a '_ students remaining' which is a grim reminder but also a good add on so you know how the story is progressing.

I'd say to anyone that this book is worth buying. Buy It Here

I think the movie is what started my love for Asian cinema and to this day I think it is one of the best movies I have ever seen let alone best Asian movie I have ever seen. It's not corny like alot tend to be but it's ageless. It's a classic in my eyes. The cast are fantastic I even love the changes they made from the book as it didn't take away from the story it added it's own charm to it.

People die at different times in the movie to the book like Shinji comes 15th in the book and manga but comes 5th in the movie. Some people even change looks. But this story is a masterpiece. One of the big changes other then some weapons and relationships with the people is very much the teacher Kitano doesn't appear in the manga or the novel he is 'Sakamochi' who seems to LOVE being a dick and his place of power where as ther is something very different about Kitano and he has this really odd thing for Noriko which isn't anything sinister.

He seems to be a lonely man who's hated at school and hated at home and shoes loneliness he also taught the selected class before the BR act in year 6. The emotional connection to people in this movie is just as strong as in the novel I love Shinji to death and Kawada.

It's a great movie to see gore [well done gore] and to see how these kids deal with the issues at hand. If you have seen the movie please read the novel and vice verse the normal snobbery of 'never as good as the book' should be put aside for this because the changes aren't a bad thing.

The only thing that should be avoided about Battle Royale is the manga.

As you can tell Battle Royal is a massive love of mine so please excuse the gushing. But yeah, go buy it, read it and watch it.

Battle Royale Movie

2000

9/10

Battle Royale Novel

1996

10/10

Battle Royale Manga

2000 to 2005

5/10

XJigsawX