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_pandachi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Such an addicitng read. It's one of those few books I look forward to read every single night. It was so hard to put down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
bookishfaye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
🍃 positives:
- I loved this way this was written!! Each chapter ending on how many were left alive made it super intense!
- I loved the darkness & grittiness of the world/characters/battle royale
- unexpected duos (in this case trio) is my favourite trope so I absolutely adore Kawada, Shuya, & Noriko
- The impact this must have had at it’s time when it came out in Korea must have been wild. I appreciated the boldness the author had in writing this at the time & stirring up some drama. The dedication made me say though, I appreciate your story sir
- the Modern, adult, asian inspired, dystopian Lord of the Flies/Hunger Games vibes were immaculate
-I loved the ending & the plot twist was really good
🍃negatives:
- I have to say I was uncomfortable with how sexualized these 8th graders were at times. It felt like in making this an adult Sci Fi, the author wrote children very adult, & I wish he just made the characters adults to avoid the uncomfiness of sexualizing children.
- Also the focus all the kids had on crushes when they were literally in a life or death battle Royal was kinda silly to me, I feel like they would have different priorities lmao
- some comments that were kinda sexist & outdated, however this did come out in the 90’s so maybe proceed with caution
- I loved this way this was written!! Each chapter ending on how many were left alive made it super intense!
- I loved the darkness & grittiness of the world/characters/battle royale
- unexpected duos (in this case trio) is my favourite trope so I absolutely adore Kawada, Shuya, & Noriko
- The impact this must have had at it’s time when it came out in Korea must have been wild. I appreciated the boldness the author had in writing this at the time & stirring up some drama. The dedication made me say though, I appreciate your story sir
- the Modern, adult, asian inspired, dystopian Lord of the Flies/Hunger Games vibes were immaculate
-I loved the ending & the plot twist was really good
🍃negatives:
- I have to say I was uncomfortable with how sexualized these 8th graders were at times. It felt like in making this an adult Sci Fi, the author wrote children very adult, & I wish he just made the characters adults to avoid the uncomfiness of sexualizing children.
- Also the focus all the kids had on crushes when they were literally in a life or death battle Royal was kinda silly to me, I feel like they would have different priorities lmao
- some comments that were kinda sexist & outdated, however this did come out in the 90’s so maybe proceed with caution
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence
thegr8estangell's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I'm glad this author wrote only one book. I really liked the premise of this book. I think they were way more brutal in this book than in the Hunger Games (a series with a similar plot). I liked the way that some of the deaths were from the 1st person POV of the person being killed and other deaths were from different POVs. I wished we got more POV time with Kiriyama.
The pacing of this book was all over the place. Sometimes it was fast and tense, other times it was slow and arduous. There were so many flashbacks to stupid elementary school grudges and stuff like that. It got old pretty quick. I skimmed alot of those since they had little to nothing to do with the actual plot of the story.
What really bothered me about this story was the sexism and causal homophobia. Do I expect anything different from a middle-aged Japanese man in the 90s? No. Does that mean I have to look over that to enjoy this book? Not really no. I can still criticize it and still think the book is okay. Noriko was about as useless as Sakura during the Zabuza arc in Naruto. She was written as a damsel in distress and that was all she played the entire time. Just a helpless little school girl who just wanted to survive and was content with letting her big strong men of Kawada and Shuya protect her. Shuya was this weird, white knight character that felt like every girl had a crush on. He was so popular but didn't know it. That was really annoying. He was always this, ethical person during the whole thing. He never had to make a bad or hard choice about killing someone. There was no morally grey with him like there was with Kawada. He was in this situation where he had to kill people but he never had to make that tough decision without weighing the consequences. Kawada was a cool character. I liked him. He was the only rational one in the whole book. I know it's because this was round 2 for him, but still. Good character.
The BIGGEST plot hole was the GOD-TIER status of that stupid bullet proof vest. After one bullet, those things are done. They don't last 14 other bullets to the chest, a shot gun blast, and 300+ rounds of an UZI. They don't. That's not how they are made. That was plot device that got tired real quick.
Overall, I think the violence and stakes were done well. But the actual plot needed some work. Would I read this again? No. Would I recommend this book to someone? Maybe, depends on the person.
The pacing of this book was all over the place. Sometimes it was fast and tense, other times it was slow and arduous. There were so many flashbacks to stupid elementary school grudges and stuff like that. It got old pretty quick. I skimmed alot of those since they had little to nothing to do with the actual plot of the story.
What really bothered me about this story was the sexism and causal homophobia. Do I expect anything different from a middle-aged Japanese man in the 90s? No. Does that mean I have to look over that to enjoy this book? Not really no. I can still criticize it and still think the book is okay. Noriko was about as useless as Sakura during the Zabuza arc in Naruto. She was written as a damsel in distress and that was all she played the entire time. Just a helpless little school girl who just wanted to survive and was content with letting her big strong men of Kawada and Shuya protect her. Shuya was this weird, white knight character that felt like every girl had a crush on. He was so popular but didn't know it. That was really annoying. He was always this, ethical person during the whole thing. He never had to make a bad or hard choice about killing someone. There was no morally grey with him like there was with Kawada. He was in this situation where he had to kill people but he never had to make that tough decision without weighing the consequences. Kawada was a cool character. I liked him. He was the only rational one in the whole book. I know it's because this was round 2 for him, but still. Good character.
The BIGGEST plot hole was the GOD-TIER status of that stupid bullet proof vest. After one bullet, those things are done. They don't last 14 other bullets to the chest, a shot gun blast, and 300+ rounds of an UZI. They don't. That's not how they are made. That was plot device that got tired real quick.
Overall, I think the violence and stakes were done well. But the actual plot needed some work. Would I read this again? No. Would I recommend this book to someone? Maybe, depends on the person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
that_chick26's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit
enobong's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual violence
nandakandabooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Blood, Murder, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Child death, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Vomit
aqsa_ayman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I've been meaning to read this for years, and it did not disappoint!
I was worried it'd feel exploitative, and in the beginning it did, in the first meeting with Sakamochi, where there is brutality before the students have had a chance to even try to absorb what game they have been thrown into. I can't tell if his light tone makes it even worse than if he'd treated this introduction more seriously, and I don't really understand the point of it, except to perhaps make it clear to the students that there'll be no mercy here.
As the game begins we shift perspectives from student to student, and insignificant or not, the author takes care to create unique personalities. It makes it easier than I thought it would be to remember so many names, and there are a lot of strangely pure, heartfelt moments in the stark horror of it all. In a few paragraphs of background the author makes more interesting characters than in entire books I've read in the past.
With the two most deadly competitors you have this stark contrast of someone who has become the way they are through intense trauma (quite exploitative again though), and one who seems to be a true psychopath in his apathy. Not maniacal, but methodical.
There is a showdown towards the end of the book that is thrilling but the actual ending of the book feels weakerShogo just going about his business for that long with a fatal wound...very confusing All in all, it really made me think about human nature, trust - the alliances are unpredictable and not easily made due to the stakes of the game - and how brave an everyday person would or could be in a dire situation.
I was worried it'd feel exploitative, and in the beginning it did, in the first meeting with Sakamochi, where there is brutality before the students have had a chance to even try to absorb what game they have been thrown into. I can't tell if his light tone makes it even worse than if he'd treated this introduction more seriously, and I don't really understand the point of it, except to perhaps make it clear to the students that there'll be no mercy here.
As the game begins we shift perspectives from student to student, and insignificant or not, the author takes care to create unique personalities. It makes it easier than I thought it would be to remember so many names, and there are a lot of strangely pure, heartfelt moments in the stark horror of it all. In a few paragraphs of background the author makes more interesting characters than in entire books I've read in the past.
With the two most deadly competitors you have this stark contrast of someone who has become the way they are through intense trauma (quite exploitative again though), and one who seems to be a true psychopath in his apathy. Not maniacal, but methodical.
There is a showdown towards the end of the book that is thrilling but the actual ending of the book feels weaker
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
thefoxyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A group of children are selected annually by a totalitarian government system to participate in a deadly game where the victor is the last child alive.
Sound familiar? Yes, this is the Japanese version of The Hunger Games, but what might surprise you is that Battle Royale was published in Japan in 1999 and translated and sold in America in 2003.
So, did Suzanne Collins know of its existence? She says she didn’t, but it is beyond obvious that there are many similarities between the novels.
I read Battle Royale back in 2004/2005, so this was a reread for me. At 16/17, I was blown away by the shocking content and loved the characters and their rebellious natures and utter hopelessness in a cruel situation.
At 33, I mostly feel the same way, which I think speaks to the quality of this story. I have some gripes and criticisms that I certainly didn’t care about as a teenager, but overall, the story still feels shocking, the tension is palpable, and I was surprised at how vividly I still remembered several key scenes in the novel.
Honestly, this could also be called Trigger Warning: The Novel. It is violent and disturbing. It does not hold anything back at all and is not for the faint of heart.
The most interesting aspect of Battle Royale is that several classes of students are selected to participate in the Battle Royale program throughout the year, so the students in this book all know each other. I feel like that adds a layer of emotional depth to the novel as a lot of the students struggle with having to kill their friends in order to survive.
There’s not a ton of depth to the characters, but somehow this works for a lot of them. There are a lot of characters that I liked in this book. Shogo Kawada is a teenage John McClane, and Takako Chigusa has a badass female empowerment moment. I also love Shinji Mimura, and I was still so gutted when he died. He had such a good plan to escape, and it all just fell apart in the most surprising and heartbreaking way possible.
While the Japanese government and the program director are the main antagonists, I love the secondary antagonists in this book. There was enough reason given to their actions that you can understand their motives without having to dismiss their horrific actions.
The main negative of this book is that the translation that I have is not very good. There were many instances where you could tell it was a direct translation because the simile kind of made sense but it is a comparison that no English speaker would make. Here are some examples:
“Her body temperature, which he sensed from her hands and through the shoulder area of the sailor suit, felt abnormally high, as if she were nursing a chick underneath her clothes.”
“Shuya had a dim image of the faces of Megumi Eto and Yukiko Kitano. Just a little, though. Like, two teaspoons each.”
“Mitsuko’s face was twisted with dismay and horror--at the very least it looked contorted. She was priceless.”
“...he was most likely beaten to death. With the gear of his sport--a baseball bat.”
My book is the very first translation. I know they have a much newer translation so hopefully it’s better than my copy.
Because the translation isn’t great, I will not judge this book on the writing quality. The pacing is great, though, and the 600 pages flow by quickly. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still felt the tension and anguish just as if I was reading it for the first time.
I can see how this book would be polarizing. The intent is to shock the reader, and Takani does just that.
With its shocking plot and horrific imagery, the most disturbing thing about Battle Royale is that its themes about violence towards children and loss of innocence still feel so relevant today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Child death, Gun violence, Blood, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Child abuse
jamesflint's review against another edition
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, and Gore
lackadaisical_ally's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Child death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Blood
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