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The drawings are heavily detailed. The effect of weaponry on the human body is shown explicitly, so be prepared.

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Battle Royale

Review by: Jane D.

Author: Koushun Takami

Artist: Masayuki Taguchi

Translator: Keith Giffen

Publisher: TOKYOPOP

Pages: 192 pages, eight chapters.

Rated: NC-17 (Graphic violent imagery, nudity, rape, harsh language)

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS ONE OF AN ADULT NATURE. PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

EXTERNAL EXAM

In a dystopian Japan of the near future where a military dictatorship rules and rock music is illegal for its subversive effects, a game called The Program is played. Each year, a ninth grade class is randomly selected and forced to participate in a televised, government sponsored blood sport where the prize is the life of a single victor. The rest die.

Abducted during a bus trip and abandoned on an evacuated island, forty-two students of Shiro Iwa Junior High School, Class B are given weapons and instructions to kill off their classmates every twenty-four hours, over a three day period, if they want to live. Some choose to hunt actively determined to win. Others ensconce in hiding places too terrified to play, in this fierce action story that pits morality against survival.

DVD VISION TEST

ARTWORK: The drawings are heavily detailed. The effect of weaponry on the human body is shown explicitly, so be prepared. Facial features of some characters look more or less realistic and are distinguishable from one another. Many faces however, retain the large eyes commonly found in anime and manga, though almost never have unnaturally pointed chins. There are some pose shots to ogle over including martial arts stances and skirts lifted high enough to reveal laced panties. (Worn by a girl). The poses convey the salient qualities of those characters.

SOUND EFFECTS: Loud action scenes are often punctuated with kakimoji floating across the page. Some other tones like the strumming of a guitar, and the ringing of a cell phone are expressed in English.

EDITS: Nothing has been blacked out for the weak-hearted. Japanese names of people and places are all intact, though recognizably American slang and colloquialisms have been inserted throughout the dialogue. There was a minor editing oversight on page 123, wherein a male student was referred to by the number five, instead of three, which was his designated number. Also, girl number four had her name changed from Sakura Ogawa, as featured in the novel this manga is based on, to Sakura Ogawai, for no reason.

EXTRAS: At the beginning of the book, there is a two-page spread of the two main characters, as well as five noteworthy others. A student roster of the entire class is featured later on, along with the picture and number assigned to each character, so you can cross off who dies. At the end of the book, there is a map of the island, with landmarks, routes different characters have taken, and important scenes marked off, next to a miniaturized recapitulation of those events. There is also a synopsis of the next novel along with the cover art.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: This is reality television drama without restraints in comic book form. Present-day entertainment mingles with ancient as the game is reminiscent of gladiatorial-style battles of the past. Koushun Takami brings an accurate understanding of human nature into the story without oversimplifying characters into all-good or all-bad categories.

TRANSLATION: It is apparent from the Americanized dialogue that this is not a literal translation of the text. The translator, Keith Giffen, stated in an interview with Newsarama.com that he took some liberties with the story to make it more suitable for American audiences. It is an adaptation of the original work without being too radical a departure from the material.

FAN SERVICE: A Gameboy is played by one of the students in several scenes. Also, male student number fourteen, Sho Tsukioka, bears a vague resemblance to Elvis. As I have mentioned before, there are also some panty shots to keep you interested.

THE 2 VIEW

Battle Royale caused a great controversy in Japan and the reasons are obvious. This story does an excellent job of exploring the role environment plays in violent behavior. Certain characters would probably never have become murderers if it had not been for the game. The essences of some are revealed in brief background scenarios, so you get a good idea of who they are before they play.

Put simply, The Program is, among other things, a brutal initiation into adulthood, so the story is a coming of age tale in one sense. It is also about honesty. Characters are forced to see people as they are because their lives depend on it. This is an important work because of its treatment of bold subject matter and the questions it will leave you asking. Is killing purely for the sake of survival exculpatory? Should you remain moral in a society that has largely abandoned morality? Do you value your life over the life of a friend? Is there really such a thing as winning in this game?

Battle Royale is a manga everyone should read at some point in life. It is an incredibly powerful story that will stay with you forever. It is meant for adults, and comes with a parental advisory sticker. The worst thing about this manga is the translation, which is not always faithful to the original, and which contains poor dialogue revisions. This will alienate some older readers, the audience this manga is meant for, though a holistic appreciation of the plot can still be had.

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