Battle Royale: Enforcers, Vol. 3

Battle Royale: Enforcers #3

by Koushun Takami, Yukai Asada (illustrator)

Genres: Manga

200 pages, Paperback

Published March 18, 2025

About the author

Koushun 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.

Reviews

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"were going to break your legs...
just a little"

the madness continues.

[Jason M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review covers chapters 12 through 17 of Battle Royale: Enforcers. The story is still moving slowly. Barring flashbacks, the main action takes place over two hours on the first night of the battle. The artwork is appropriately moody with lots of different camera angles and shadows (it's nighttime). The stories focus only on squads 1, 2, 6, and 8. The tension drives each featured squad in dark directions: the teens are turning on each other with leadership challenges, threats of harm to unpopular members, and... well we're not up to the bloodbath yet (presumable later volumes will kill off dozens) but it's hardly a spoiler to say that not everyone alive on the page 1 checklist is still alive at the end. Each chapter contains a flashback, and there are glimpses into the lives of the Student Government leaders monitoring the battle... some of whom harbor very un-altruistic ulterior motives.

If you're waiting for everyone to just die already, this is not the book for you, but as with the best parts of the original novel, there are some very good character studies and slow-burn tension. I'm excited for Volume 4.

[Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as previous vols imo. We mainly focus on squads 1,2, and 6.

[sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left off with a cliff hanger, I wonder if someone is going to start eating people it’s already getting nuts

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a slow volume for me. Graphics are great and the overall story is thrilling!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm hooked on the mystery behind the return of Battle Royale, the motives of the student government, and the will they/or won't they challenge given to the students - kill or be killed. Volume 3 exposes hidden, tough guys and girls that have the potential for heroics, and government plants in the game. I'm chomping at the bit for the next installment.