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Battle Royale: Enforcers, Vol. 1
High school students battle each other to the death in the original survival game!
Twenty years ago, the fascist government of the Republic of Greater East Asia seized control of Japan. In order to terrorize the citizens and crush any possibility of rebellion, the government set up Program 68, a savage military program where Japanese high school students were sent to a remote island and forced to kill each other—the Battle Royale.
After being banned for two decades, Program 68 is back, now under the direction of a sinister government artificial intelligence. The troubled and misbehaving kids of Daitoa Academy's Class F have been chosen, armed, and divided into squads, and now must fight each other to the death. Friendships and loyalties will be tested, and only the strongest will survive.
Twenty years ago, the fascist government of the Republic of Greater East Asia seized control of Japan. In order to terrorize the citizens and crush any possibility of rebellion, the government set up Program 68, a savage military program where Japanese high school students were sent to a remote island and forced to kill each other—the Battle Royale.
After being banned for two decades, Program 68 is back, now under the direction of a sinister government artificial intelligence. The troubled and misbehaving kids of Daitoa Academy's Class F have been chosen, armed, and divided into squads, and now must fight each other to the death. Friendships and loyalties will be tested, and only the strongest will survive.
200 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2024
9 people are currently reading
5277 people want to read
About the author
Koushun Takami
92 books1,578 followersKoushun Takami (高見 広春 Takami Kōshun) is the author of the novel Battle Royale, originally published in Japanese, and later translated into English by Yuji Oniki and published by Viz Media and, later, in an expanded edition by Haika Soru, a division of Viz Media.
Takami was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture near Osaka and grew up in the Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku. After graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he dropped out of Nihon University's liberal arts correspondence course program. From 1991 to 1996, he worked for the news company Shikoku Shimbun, reporting on various fields including politics, police reports, and economics.
The novel Battle Royale was completed after Takami left the news company. It was rejected in the final round of the literary competition for which it was intended, owing to its controversial content. It went on to become a bestseller when finally released in 1999 and, a year later, was made into a manga and a feature film.
He is currently working on a second novel.
Takami was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture near Osaka and grew up in the Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku. After graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he dropped out of Nihon University's liberal arts correspondence course program. From 1991 to 1996, he worked for the news company Shikoku Shimbun, reporting on various fields including politics, police reports, and economics.
The novel Battle Royale was completed after Takami left the news company. It was rejected in the final round of the literary competition for which it was intended, owing to its controversial content. It went on to become a bestseller when finally released in 1999 and, a year later, was made into a manga and a feature film.
He is currently working on a second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 17, 2024
Dystopia classics are coming back! After Suzanne Collins announced she'd finally give us Haymitch's story, I accidentally found out Takami-sensei had decided to write a sequel to "Battle Royale" too!
(Not that this will help the accusations that Collins plagiarised Takami, uh?)
Of course, I gobbled the first volume up, and I have Opinions about the story. I was caught so off guard that I didn't even have time to create expectations before jumping in and reading this. I didn't know what to expect, I hardly read the blurb, it was the nostalgia from the book (and the excellent manga adaptation) that brought me here. If you, like me, were unaware a sequel was in the making, let me tell you what to expect:
- One, don't expect the same characters from the first Battle Royale. Enforcers is set 20 years later, so you won't see your old loved ones. No Shogo, Shuya, Noriko, Kiriyama, Mitsuko, Shinji, Hiroki... All the characters here are new, even if some might ring a familiar bell. This is more of a brand new story in the same world than a sequel proper.
- Two, there's no one-on-one fight to the death in this game. Instead it's team vs team, and the last team standing wins the deadly games. There are seven numbered teams, called Squads, each with 5-6 members and named after their Squad Leader. This makes the stakes somewhat lower, in my opinion, but at the same time it ramps the suspense up, because in the team format the readers are likely to have a favourite or two (or three!) from a different team, and that'll keep us on edge about which character will die and what team will win.
Now that I think about it, in terms of emotional investment, this might be higher stakes for the readership.
- Three, the setting of the game is the same (?) island as in the first Battle Royale, but to keep up with the technological advances and the passage of time, there's some updates in terms of equipment provided for the students, and the "supervisor" is an AI. I'm not sure if the students are meant to be the same age as those from the first book/manga, but my impression is that these students are slightly older. Maybe I'm mistaken in my impression, but these characters read older to me personally, a tad smarter and less naïve (so far), too.
As for my Opinions on the plotline, right off the bat, I have to say that I overall liked the story so far. At the beginning, I wasn't much of a fan of the team format, I preferred the individual players format, but as the plot progressed I saw the necessity of this new format. For one, it's original within this world, there's more of an "us vs them" vibe but also more of a "kill your darlings" vibe. The teams aren't from different classes, they're teams of classmates from the same class, which keeps alive the awfulness of the first BR. I keep wondering if they'll kill each other or decide to team up and survive together, because each team is different so far: some want to survive intact and others are more selfish.
Speaking of that, the composition of the teams is also going to keep readers conflicted as to where their loyalties lie. I, for example, already have favourites in 3 different teams, and given the brutal nature of the game, I'm sure I'll lose most if not all of them save the one(s) that remain in the winning team. My bets? Squad Sakamoto (the likeliest to win, for me), Squad Mikabe, and Squad Kogure. I also have a fave in Squad Ozawa, but I don't like that team's chances, so I am not betting on them.
This sequel is, to me, more brutal than the first BR. Or at least the beginning is. Part of it is the new tech, but it's also the format. You can already see some parallels emerging with the characters from the first BR, at least I can already see who is the "Shinji" here, who is similar to Noriko, who is similar to Hiroki, and I can definitely see who has Shogo and Shuya vibes. But . . . I can't see yet who's going to be the "Kiriyama" here, and I'm wondering if this sequel is going to have hyper-competent psychos à la Kazuo and Mitsuko. Is Takami going to omit this kind of character this time? This is a military academy for reprobate teens, after all, so it's a bit surprising that this kind of student is missing. But it could be me who's not seeing it yet.
The names of the new cast of characters are a bit less commonplace as well, at least to me. I don't know if that's meant to reflect the change in time towards modernity or if there are some pop-culture refs I'm missing because I'm not Japanese. And yet, it was still fun to do the guesswork (Naomichi Kurebayashi? Ha! Don't even think I didn't catch the reference, Takami-san).
As this is the first volume, there's lots of unanswered questions, so don't cry "plothole!" yet. I have so many questions myself, like how come the Republic of Greater Asia was able to survive this long without coups and rebellions or civil war, and whether this edition of the games is the military bringing them back or just the psychopathic bastards from Daitoa Academy's council hosting them for the funsies without official approval. Wouldn't put it past the creepy AI to have come up with the idea without gov't permission, either. I mean, after the disaster of the last games, they were verboten for good. I'm so very intrigued by the explanations for why they're happening again, though I have a fairly clear idea of the motives.
I'm also so very curious to learn whether there'll be any appearances by from the last game. They're the Katniss/Peeta of this world (and one reason i have a hard time believing Collins' claim she didn't know about BR before writing HG). I miss them so much! And above all, I miss Shogo. I'd have preferred a prequel with Shogo's story to a sequel with an entire new cast of characters, and this is already threatening to become my very own "Give Us Haymitch's Story" fan crusade. But maybe Takami will take pity on us and throw us a bone...
One bit of warning before I wrap up: Do not pick this up if your tolerance for violence, gore, and shocks is low. This is far, far, far more brutal than Hunger Games could ever be, and very graphic. This game is truly brutal as only Japanese manga can get away with, and pretty much an acquired taste. If you're not up for this type of storytelling, you'll both waste your time and end up thinking it's just useless violence, like some have.
(Not that this will help the accusations that Collins plagiarised Takami, uh?)
Of course, I gobbled the first volume up, and I have Opinions about the story. I was caught so off guard that I didn't even have time to create expectations before jumping in and reading this. I didn't know what to expect, I hardly read the blurb, it was the nostalgia from the book (and the excellent manga adaptation) that brought me here. If you, like me, were unaware a sequel was in the making, let me tell you what to expect:
- One, don't expect the same characters from the first Battle Royale. Enforcers is set 20 years later, so you won't see your old loved ones. No Shogo, Shuya, Noriko, Kiriyama, Mitsuko, Shinji, Hiroki... All the characters here are new, even if some might ring a familiar bell. This is more of a brand new story in the same world than a sequel proper.
- Two, there's no one-on-one fight to the death in this game. Instead it's team vs team, and the last team standing wins the deadly games. There are seven numbered teams, called Squads, each with 5-6 members and named after their Squad Leader. This makes the stakes somewhat lower, in my opinion, but at the same time it ramps the suspense up, because in the team format the readers are likely to have a favourite or two (or three!) from a different team, and that'll keep us on edge about which character will die and what team will win.
Now that I think about it, in terms of emotional investment, this might be higher stakes for the readership.
- Three, the setting of the game is the same (?) island as in the first Battle Royale, but to keep up with the technological advances and the passage of time, there's some updates in terms of equipment provided for the students, and the "supervisor" is an AI. I'm not sure if the students are meant to be the same age as those from the first book/manga, but my impression is that these students are slightly older. Maybe I'm mistaken in my impression, but these characters read older to me personally, a tad smarter and less naïve (so far), too.
As for my Opinions on the plotline, right off the bat, I have to say that I overall liked the story so far. At the beginning, I wasn't much of a fan of the team format, I preferred the individual players format, but as the plot progressed I saw the necessity of this new format. For one, it's original within this world, there's more of an "us vs them" vibe but also more of a "kill your darlings" vibe. The teams aren't from different classes, they're teams of classmates from the same class, which keeps alive the awfulness of the first BR. I keep wondering if they'll kill each other or decide to team up and survive together, because each team is different so far: some want to survive intact and others are more selfish.
Speaking of that, the composition of the teams is also going to keep readers conflicted as to where their loyalties lie. I, for example, already have favourites in 3 different teams, and given the brutal nature of the game, I'm sure I'll lose most if not all of them save the one(s) that remain in the winning team. My bets? Squad Sakamoto (the likeliest to win, for me), Squad Mikabe, and Squad Kogure. I also have a fave in Squad Ozawa, but I don't like that team's chances, so I am not betting on them.
This sequel is, to me, more brutal than the first BR. Or at least the beginning is. Part of it is the new tech, but it's also the format. You can already see some parallels emerging with the characters from the first BR, at least I can already see who is the "Shinji" here, who is similar to Noriko, who is similar to Hiroki, and I can definitely see who has Shogo and Shuya vibes. But . . . I can't see yet who's going to be the "Kiriyama" here, and I'm wondering if this sequel is going to have hyper-competent psychos à la Kazuo and Mitsuko. Is Takami going to omit this kind of character this time? This is a military academy for reprobate teens, after all, so it's a bit surprising that this kind of student is missing. But it could be me who's not seeing it yet.
The names of the new cast of characters are a bit less commonplace as well, at least to me. I don't know if that's meant to reflect the change in time towards modernity or if there are some pop-culture refs I'm missing because I'm not Japanese. And yet, it was still fun to do the guesswork (Naomichi Kurebayashi? Ha! Don't even think I didn't catch the reference, Takami-san).
As this is the first volume, there's lots of unanswered questions, so don't cry "plothole!" yet. I have so many questions myself, like how come the Republic of Greater Asia was able to survive this long without coups and rebellions or civil war, and whether this edition of the games is the military bringing them back or just the psychopathic bastards from Daitoa Academy's council hosting them for the funsies without official approval. Wouldn't put it past the creepy AI to have come up with the idea without gov't permission, either. I mean, after the disaster of the last games, they were verboten for good. I'm so very intrigued by the explanations for why they're happening again, though I have a fairly clear idea of the motives.
I'm also so very curious to learn whether there'll be any appearances by from the last game. They're the Katniss/Peeta of this world (and one reason i have a hard time believing Collins' claim she didn't know about BR before writing HG). I miss them so much! And above all, I miss Shogo. I'd have preferred a prequel with Shogo's story to a sequel with an entire new cast of characters, and this is already threatening to become my very own "Give Us Haymitch's Story" fan crusade. But maybe Takami will take pity on us and throw us a bone...
One bit of warning before I wrap up: Do not pick this up if your tolerance for violence, gore, and shocks is low. This is far, far, far more brutal than Hunger Games could ever be, and very graphic. This game is truly brutal as only Japanese manga can get away with, and pretty much an acquired taste. If you're not up for this type of storytelling, you'll both waste your time and end up thinking it's just useless violence, like some have.
September 7, 2024
A decent intro back into the world where Battle Royale occurs. Although nothing completely groundbreaking, the addition of AI plus a twist that a squad of 5 can survive by the end, I'm certainly excited for the volume.
Read
July 19, 2024New canon Battle Royale content???????? In this year of 2024????????? I’m shitting myself.
July 6, 2024
This one take a trip back to the dystopia that started the death game trend and it doesn’t feel out of touch at all. My biggest worry was that it would feel stagnant or it would feel overdone but with the new additions and plot twists this felt like a fresh story. I’m eager to see where this one goes going forward.
July 30, 2024
As someone who loves this genre of manga this one was so disappointing. It was super fast paced and i felt like there should have been more added to the story explaining things. There were a lot of times in this book where i was like "huh 🤨" only part i enjoyed of this book was the art style
July 29, 2024
This is just a redo of Blitz Royale. Something about it feels off and isn’t grabbing my attention in the way that the original works did, but I’ll still read as the next volumes release. Maybe it would have benefited from a few more drafts.
June 2, 2024
"Battle Royale: Enforcers, Vol. 1" by Koushun Takami marks a gripping return to the brutal, dystopian world fans of the original series know well. After being banned for two decades, the notorious Program 68 is reinstated, this time overseen by a sinister government artificial intelligence. This new iteration promises to be even more chilling and relentless, setting the stage for a thrilling read.
The narrative follows the troubled and misbehaving students of Daitoa Academy's Class F, who find themselves thrust into this deadly game. Armed and divided into squads, they must now fight each other to the death. Takami masterfully explores the psychological and emotional turmoil of the characters, as friendships and loyalties are severely tested. The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable from start to finish.
The introduction of the government AI adds a fresh and menacing twist to the familiar premise, amplifying the sense of dread and unpredictability. The AI's cold, calculating nature contrasts sharply with the raw, human emotions of the students, creating a compelling dynamic that keeps readers on edge.
Takami's storytelling is as brutal and unflinching as ever, with well-paced action scenes and poignant moments of introspection. The artwork complements the narrative perfectly, capturing the intensity and desperation of the characters' fight for survival.
Overall, "Battle Royale: Enforcers, Vol. 1" is a worthy continuation of the Battle Royale legacy. It successfully combines the gritty, high-stakes action of the original with new, thought-provoking elements, making it a must-read for both longtime fans and newcomers. The only downside is that the story can sometimes feel overwhelmingly bleak, but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise stellar manga.
The narrative follows the troubled and misbehaving students of Daitoa Academy's Class F, who find themselves thrust into this deadly game. Armed and divided into squads, they must now fight each other to the death. Takami masterfully explores the psychological and emotional turmoil of the characters, as friendships and loyalties are severely tested. The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable from start to finish.
The introduction of the government AI adds a fresh and menacing twist to the familiar premise, amplifying the sense of dread and unpredictability. The AI's cold, calculating nature contrasts sharply with the raw, human emotions of the students, creating a compelling dynamic that keeps readers on edge.
Takami's storytelling is as brutal and unflinching as ever, with well-paced action scenes and poignant moments of introspection. The artwork complements the narrative perfectly, capturing the intensity and desperation of the characters' fight for survival.
Overall, "Battle Royale: Enforcers, Vol. 1" is a worthy continuation of the Battle Royale legacy. It successfully combines the gritty, high-stakes action of the original with new, thought-provoking elements, making it a must-read for both longtime fans and newcomers. The only downside is that the story can sometimes feel overwhelmingly bleak, but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise stellar manga.
February 24, 2025
I'm a sucker for dystopias and battle royales, but I wish there had been more worldbuilding. The lack of worldbuilding is a massive damper on what otherwise appears to be an intriguing story setup -- I get that it's a sequel/spin-off to an existing series, but because it's also marketed as an entry point to the universe in its own right, I would have liked some more context for why the battle royale is occurring, what kind of country/school the students attend (aside from it being a totalitarian one, of course), and why these specific students were selected for it. The fact that I still have those "big picture" questions after reading the first volume is a strike against it, as is the fact that the art is sometimes difficult to figure out, especially in terms of seeing past the blood to actually see what is going on, and some of the early deaths seemed pointless and out of nowhere, but overall I liked it and am intrigued to see where the series goes.
June 10, 2024
This is a new spinoff series from battle Royale. It takes place 20 years later. The beginning is a little confusing. All you know is there are students in multiple classes, and class F is the worst. Each class is made up of multiple squads between five and six people. Originally Class is to clean up the island but after an earthquake, they’re all sent to a basement for their lesson. It’s while locked in this basement they find out that their goal is to kill everybody and only the survivor gets to win. What do they win? No idea. The beginning of the books a little shaky but when you get into the action and what’s going on, it moves rather quickly. If you liked battle Royale or Alice in Borderland, or Squid Game you might enjoy this book.
July 6, 2024
Koushun Takami is back with a another story of Battle Royale. Taking place after the events of the first story, the BR had been eliminated but returns for some reason (maybe I missed it). The BR was instituted to fight juvenile delinquency, so I'm guessing that's why it's back, this time run by a malicious A.I. system. I personally am a fan of this change. It's very current and removes the human aspect of the deplorable acts, emphasizing the brutality with the program's cold indifference. The first volume sets things up nicely, introducing the characters you will following through the story. We haven't met most of the class yet, but just like the first story, we shouldn't get too attached.
Thank you Netgalley for access to the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for access to the ARC.
October 9, 2024
I’m a huge fan of the original battle royale manga series and since it’s no longer in print I was definitely quite excited to see that the new series “battle royale: enforcers” had been released by the same author.
However, i’m not quite sure how I feel about this. it was okay. The beginning was a little confusing and I felt like the novel fell flat but it definitely has potential as further volumes release.
I do recommend it for fans of the original, I do think it’s a worthy continuation of the original battle royale series just hopefully there will be more engaging backstories and dialogue.
However, i’m not quite sure how I feel about this. it was okay. The beginning was a little confusing and I felt like the novel fell flat but it definitely has potential as further volumes release.
I do recommend it for fans of the original, I do think it’s a worthy continuation of the original battle royale series just hopefully there will be more engaging backstories and dialogue.
March 14, 2025
An extra star because of pure nostalgia value.
I'm interested to see where this story goes- I already plan to buy the next volume. I hope it doesn't mimic the original Battle Royale where two students manage to escape.
I found the art wasn't as wholly fleshed out as the first manga series, and several students look similar enough that I had to keep flicking to the squad guide. Without a full novel to explain the setup and the relationships between each student, I do find it a little difficult to grow attached to any of them.
The premise is unique enough to keep my interest, and while it can absolutely be compared to the film sequel, it's not enough to be a bad thing.
I'm interested to see where this story goes- I already plan to buy the next volume. I hope it doesn't mimic the original Battle Royale where two students manage to escape.
I found the art wasn't as wholly fleshed out as the first manga series, and several students look similar enough that I had to keep flicking to the squad guide. Without a full novel to explain the setup and the relationships between each student, I do find it a little difficult to grow attached to any of them.
The premise is unique enough to keep my interest, and while it can absolutely be compared to the film sequel, it's not enough to be a bad thing.
January 26, 2025
3.5 stars
Set 20 years after the Battle Royale program this shakes things up a bit by having the class split into squads and all given rifles and a handgun instead of the random weapons/items from the original.
This was a good introduction to the new games and technology and real world parallels ( North Korea esq dictatorship).
Looks no forward to seeing how the relationship dynamics progress in the next volume.
Set 20 years after the Battle Royale program this shakes things up a bit by having the class split into squads and all given rifles and a handgun instead of the random weapons/items from the original.
This was a good introduction to the new games and technology and real world parallels ( North Korea esq dictatorship).
Looks no forward to seeing how the relationship dynamics progress in the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2024
I received a review copy from Viz Media via NetGalley. A worthwhile manga-based modern day follow-up to the noteworthy Battle Royale. It’s always hard in a first volume to introduce 42 characters, but some unique traits in illustration made for remembering the main characters well. Let the dystopian fight to the death commence. I’ll continue the series.
August 28, 2024
Pretty interesting shake up of the Battle Royale formula. Some key changes to the game, as well as a few twists to the world keep things fresh. Only thing that knocked a star off is a few confusing panel layouts, as well as some weird typos. Art is okay, and the designs are all distinct, which is useful with such a large cast. Looking forward to vol. 2.
January 26, 2025
So far, there's not a lot that's new about this story. The kids are implanted with a toxin rather than rigged to explode, they're in teams rather than fighting alone and they're aided by / spied on by devices with apps to support them in the program (radar, weapons guides, the map). But enough has changed that I'm going to stick with it.
May 28, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
I requested this manga because I loved the Battle Royale book and movie. This is set after the original program is shut down. It was a good start with some good modern updates. I'm curious as to where it is going to go.
Rating: 4/5
I requested this manga because I loved the Battle Royale book and movie. This is set after the original program is shut down. It was a good start with some good modern updates. I'm curious as to where it is going to go.
Rating: 4/5
Want to read
July 21, 2024Guess I'm gonna have to reread Battle Royale 🙄😏
August 30, 2024
We are back baybeeeeeee
September 6, 2024
Looking forward to volume 2 in January 2025.
November 16, 2024
Enjoyed, but did notice a few gramatical errors
December 2, 2024
I can’t believe there’s new Battle Royale media. I’m so excited!!
January 8, 2025
It didn't immediately grab me the way the original did. I'll probably keep reading it though. Also, another protagonist obsessed with rock music?
April 5, 2025
Seems to be a great series...I can't wait to read the rest. Slow to start, but once the action started, I was impressed.
April 22, 2025
A solid continuation of the Battle Royale universe. Unique enough to launch a new series but faithful enough to remind reads of the danger and brutality of the original
May 27, 2025
Was honestly shocked to find there’s new Battle Royale manga when I still haven’t finished the old one yet 🥲
June 25, 2024
Having only seen the original Battle Royale movie (which I really enjoyed), I was excited to see that another story in this universe was being released. While I did really enjoy this book, I missed that this was only Vol. 1 - not an entire story in itself. So I was a little disappointed that we didn't get a lot of action. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of action and a few deaths, but I was thinking it would be complete story. Instead, this book serves as an introduction to all of the characters that will be having a role in the larger story. Now that I know what to expect, I am really looking forward to Vol. 2 and seeing where the story goes.
Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2024
This Magna was a good read. It takes place in a world with a fascist government of the Republic of Greater East Asia seized control of Japan. To make sure that the people did not rebel against the government they created a military program 68-A. This is a program where teenage students are sent to an island and forced to kill each other. The program was banned for 20 years but now it is back under the direction of the sinister government. They are put onto teams given technology to kill and track the other teams. This is known as the Battle Royale. The teenagers are of different personalities and popularity and some have been on the island for a long time. I honestly can't wait to read the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews