Battle Royale, Vol. 02

Battle Royale #2

by Koushun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi

*Battle Royale is a realistic and gritty portrayal of humanity's dark side *Lord of the Flies for a brand new generation *Shrink-wrapped and will have an explicit content bullen in cover art *Part of the Battle Royale franchise including a novel and two movies Shuuya continues his search for friends so he can create an alliance to destroy the government's plans for the 'program'. As Shuuya avoids the attacks of his classmates, he comes across the mysterious transfer student, Kawada. Will Shuuya be able to convince the transfer student to join him or does Kiriyama have other plans?

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Seinen, Dystopia, Thriller

216 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

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

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shuuya and Noriko chosen their path of collaboration in opposing the game, but will any of the other kill-or-be-killed students? I get the intended shock and awe horror intention of this Lord of the Flies on crack approach to this reality, but to me there appears to be three types of characters the shockingly and unrealistically naïve Shuuya and Noriko behaving like they haven't spent their entire lives in this reality; the hard core game planners intent on killing and winning, yet few with any sort of tangible strategy and the sole voice of rational reason so far, Kawada. Despite this weak character realisations the overall impeding and seemingly unstoppable threat of jeopardy sees this volume earn Three Stars, 6 out of 12 from me.

2025 read

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"«È nei momenti terribili che bisogna avere speranza e fidarsi l’uno dell’altro!»"

[Raghad · Rating 4 out of 5]

i find myself liking the people who play the game more than the ones who try to stop it XD
i remember better who is who this time, i think with all the people dying it's easier.
the chapter with Kaz and Sakura (the couples on the hill) was sad and tragic.
some of the characters are very stupid, they make dumb things hoping someone will come and save them, like the ending with yumi and yuki.

[Rocio Voncina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Titulo: Battle Royale Volumen 2
Autor: Koushun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi
Motivo de lectura: -
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Tapa blanda, 224 paginas, Ivrea
Puntuacion: 3.5/5

Se plantean algunas alianzas, entremezclado al miedo y la desconfianza sigue construyendo una atmosfera tensa, incomoda.
Violencia muy grafica unido a momentos tiernos (al estilo una de cal y una de arena).

Pero hay una cosa que no me agrada mucho, y esto es la caracterizacion de Shuya, es practicamente un niño de coro de iglesia que jamas faltaria a misa..demasiado bueno (por lo menos en este volumen). Ya veremos como sigue el desarrollo de este personaje.

[Nico · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's really sort of concerning that when people talk about this they don't complain about how horrible the female characters are. The male child characters act like adults and make all the decisions and the female child characters act like toddlers just learning to walk. The best they can do is cling to the hope that the one good boy in the class (who they're all sort of in love with to varying extents) will protect them.

What's even more concerning is the 14-year-old female character Mitsuko who's a child prostitute who gets drawn in a variety of semi-naked pornographic poses on the covers for decoration.

It's very uncomfortable reading if you're a grown adult. Probably very cool though for fourteen-year-old boys.

And why are there are so many flashbacks? Each murder is proceeded by a flashback to some moment in the murdered person's past and it's monotonous. I'm only at Volume Two but I'm already tired of them. Here's to hoping that there aren't any more.

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delivers a punch just as great as the first and even more shocking. The story begins to develop further in volume 2 and we are given a closer look at our lead characters. The true triumph of the Battle Royale series is that nearly every person is explored intimately until no death (even those of sociopaths) can be taken lightly, it is unique in its startling ability to attach the reader to every character. The girl who one day is killing people mercilessly, is then shown to be nothing but a scared child the next day by showing her life, her parents, her loves and anxieties. For a book all about mass killing and the cold way the announcer declares the names of the dead, it is actually very personal and no death is merely a statistic. I think that's the true beauty of this series amid all the horror.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've figured it out now. Whenever something good or touching happens, I know someone's going to be violently killed in the next page or two. It helps to have an early warning system.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume spends time fleshing out individual students, to no avail. Takami's attention is a death sentence for everyone but Shuuya.

[Javier Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

En este tomo van cayendo jugadores como si fueran gratis, afortunadamente como en los casos del primer tomo los personajes reciben el suficiente tratamiento de su trasfondo mediante flashbacks para que no haya ni una sola muerte intrascendente.

Por un lado tenemos personajes que quieren jugar y ganar el juego, por otro tenemos un grupo que se va formando con el objetivo de buscar una salida alternativa a matar a sus compañeros, y por último, los que dan más juego a la hora de morir... los que tienen dificultades para lidiar con el estrés y terminan haciendo cosas inesperadas, pero que hasta cierto punto tienen lógica según su forma de pensar.

Sigue siendo un manga muy divertido, con sus momentos de gore salvaje y su intensidad constante es una lectura que atrapa.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one contained many many many unhinged characters XD I'm definitely very confused as to who is who, and with people just dying all over the place, I've given up trying to keep track. I just hope the important people stick with me.
Definitely sad though, what happened on the top of the hill :(
Shuuya is just too naive, and Noriko too trusting. Little annoying!

[Eve Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good part two, we get more killing and advance in the story. At times it's really childish; the naivite of the characters and such but it doesn't get under my skin. . . Yet

[Sakebushippo · Rating 4 out of 5]

LEER RESEÑA COMPLETA EN MI BLOG: https://www.blogdivergente.com/2023/1...

“Battle Royale” de Kōshun Takami y Masayuki Taguchi es una obra maestra del manga que presenta una historia intensa y provocadora en un entorno distópico. Publicado por primera vez en 1999, el manga es una adaptación del libro homónimo y ha dejado una marca duradera en la cultura pop.

La trama gira en torno a un oscuro y siniestro programa gubernamental llamado “Battle Royale”, que selecciona a una clase de estudiantes de secundaria para participar en un juego mortal. Los estudiantes son transportados a una isla desierta, se les proporciona armas y se les da una misión: luchar hasta la muerte hasta que solo quede un estudiante en pie.

El protagonista, Shuya Nanahara, y sus compañeros de clase se ven atrapados en este juego macabro sin entender completamente sus razones. La historia se sumerge en la psicología de los personajes mientras luchan con la moralidad, la lealtad y la desesperación. La lucha por la supervivencia lleva a relaciones complejas y a decisiones difíciles que desafían la ética y el sentido común.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just continuously abuses your emotions, filling you with dread and guilt, making you feel as helpless, scared and morbidly hopeful as the characters.

Every single character in this series is given just enough time to properly develop, making us feel sympathy for even the cruelest and most merciless of the bunch.

The level of emotional intensity delivered with each chapter is absolutely brutal. When we receive the backstory of a character, we pretty much know that they’re going to die. Predictability is a bit of a problem here, but the delivery and impact of the stories are so good that I’m able to forgive it.

[edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one even more than the first one. Excited to see what comes next!

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so invested

[kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/28/17: I think I'm giving this one 8/10 & 4/5.
---
Another good installment in the series. I liked this one just a little bit less than the first one, but it was still good!

Just so I remember what happens in each volume, I'm going to write a quick summary in spoiler text: The volume opens on on of Kiriyama's henchmen headed to meet him at a pre-determined location. Flashback to when they first became friends. He meets up with Kiriyama, only to promptly be killed after realizing that Kiriyama has already killed the other two henchmen. Next, we switch to the couple sitting cliffside. We get a backstory on their relationship. Then, they see someone heading toward them with a gun and instead of playing the game, they jump off the cliff together. Cut back to Shuuya & Noriko, who get attacked by a classmate. While defending them, Shuuya and the classmate take a tumble off a ledge and the classmate's machete gets lodged in his face, killing him. Immediately after, Shuuya runs into the class pres, who is about to shoot him, but he's saved by Kawada, who kills the class pres when he refuses to back down. Shuuya, Noriko,
and Kawada all decide to team up. Next, we see Yukiko & Yumiko, who have decided to try to rally people via loudspeaker on top of a summit. Backstory on them & Shuuya. Cut back to Shuuya &
co., who are making plans. They hear Yuki & Yumi & Shuuya tries to leave to help them with Kawada trying to keep him there. Eventually, Yuki & Yumi get killed before Shuuya can go to them.
Volume ends in a flashback (not in the novel? I think?) to when Noriko & Mimura became friends with Shuuya & Shuuya discovered his love of rock & roll.

[Anusha Narasimhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of blood and gore. Action - I like. Violence - not my cup of tea. So, it's a given that I don't appreciate most part of this manga. What I hated about this was the way women/girls are portrayed. There is unnecessary vulgarity, the art is tasteless, the 'Teacher' is a pervert, a girl is dragged in for some guy's amusement. I can't take it anymore. I'm not inclined to read the next volumes.

On the plus side, I did like the back stories, though they dragged on a little. The couple who didn't want to kill anyone jumped into the sea together. Their scenes were sweet and sad.

On to the confusing parts. Shuuya assumes his best friend likes a girl. Later he gets to know that he doesn't like that girl. So, after his friend dies, he wants to protect her, just because he once incorrectly thought that she was his best friend's crush. That makes no sense at all. I liked Yumi and Yuki, but what kind of idiots announce their location when they are being hunted?

I'd recommend it to people who like violence and don't mind some plot holes and bad characters. As for me, I'm off to start The Hunger Games.

[Dexter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll start by saying this really isn't my type of manga. I'm not big on needless gore, so it was never like this would become my favorite series.

But I don't like it. I almost set it down during the first chapter because I just did -not- care. But when that plot finally ended, I decided to go ahead and finish it. The only reason I'm going to try to continue the series is because I'm slightly curious as to how the whole thing ends.

But there's only two (living) chars I even like, and it's not like I'm in love with them. I never get into it enough to feel any suspense or tension, and my only strong emotion is revulsion at all the graphic violence in a style of art that I don't particularly like.

So no, I'm not a Battle Royale fan.

[Argona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this volume 4 stars since I didn't like some of the little differences between the novel and the manga. Certain scenes and events had more depth and impact when I was reading them in the novel. For example, Yumiko and Yukiko's friendship as an example of true friendship between girls, is better depicted in the novel, from their history and their affection for each other to how far they are willing to go to ensure the other's happiness.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este segundo tomo la historia en la isla avanza poco, se tejen alianzas y traiciones, hay nuevas formas de morir y matar y los flashbacks son más largos. También se agrega más info del contexto nacional. Y ya son más de una docena los muertos.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good manga series. A great adaption with wonderful art work.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Stavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okey, este tomo da demasiado de que hablar.

Me gustaría empezar con la introducción que se le da a uno de los principales antagonistas, "El Jefe" Kazuo, y la historia que hay detrás de él, y del grupo social en el que se desenvuelve.
En general, su pasado me sigue pareciendo una incógnita, pero prefiero eso, antes que el típico cliché del bad boy con pasado horrible.
La banda de criminales que formó, me pareció muy interesante, ya que ellos van más haya, pues de verdad son criminales, y no solo niños jugando a ser malvados.
El papel que jugaron estos chicos en el juego, fue totalmente desperdiciado, pero a fin de cuentas, representaron una gran construcción en el personaje y carácter de Kazuo.
Al ser este, su propio jefe, el que los maté a todos, nos muestra la amenaza a la que están por enfrentarse los protagonistas, y que Kazuo no tiene una sola fibra sentimental en el cuerpo.

Después tenemos la historia de amor entre Sakura y Kazuhiko, que en términos generales, me pareció muy tierna.
Estos dos, por lo que nos dan a conocer, eran polos totalmente opuestos, ella parecía querer tener todo controlado, y el parecía dejar fluir las cosas.
Los flashbacks de su primera cita me parecieron muy lindos, y ver que decidieron suicidarse, antes de matar a sus compañeros, o matarse entre ellos, me pareció una forma muy adecuada de terminar con los personajes.

Posteriormente, nos presentan a Yumiko, y Yukiko, unas chicas que han sido amigas desde muy pequeñas, y a decir verdad, los flashbacks que mostraron sobre ellas me parecieron súper adorables, y solo podía pensar en que quería darle un abrazo a Yukiko.
Yumiko era una gran estudiante, con muchos rasgos de líder, mientras que Yukiko, era una estudiante más pasiva, temerosa y sin mucha confianza.
La amistad que desarrollan ellas dos, ha sido de mis partes favoritas, sobre todo el tema de "Súper Baron One" una clase de superhéroe, en el que se convertían al "fusionarse".
Yoshitoki y Shuya fueron los que le dieron esta idea, y desde entonces, un enamoramiento empezó a crecer en Yumiko y Yukiko hacia Shuya.


Aquí es donde Shuya se empieza a mostrar como un "superhéroe, un protagonista ideal y prototipo del mejor hombre del mundo".
Tienen que parar.
Shuya es un chico agradable, y muy divertido (como se ha mostrado en algunos flashbacks)
El problema es que te lo quieren vender como lo mejor de lo mejor, la crema y nata.
Entre más intentan venderte a Shuya como un protagonista honorable, más cae de mi gracia.
Todas las chicas se encuentran enamoradas de el, y el mundo y sus historias giran en torno a el. Stop!

Por otro lado, nos mostraron un poco de ma política y costumbres de este mundo distopico, como sus deportes y sus gustos musicales, ¡y era justo lo que quería leer! Un poco más de construcción social.

Le voy a quitar una estrella por dos motivos:
1.- El temita de Shuya siendo lo más
2.- La hipersexualizacion que se ha dado al dibujar a una de las estudiantes desnuda
Aun no entiendo el motivo de hacerlo, no aportó absolutamente nada a la trama, y le resta credibilidad al personaje, pésimo.

[Cam]

Ignore the fact that not even 24 hours ago I said I was done with this series for a while.


After reading this series it's become pretty clear to me where these books will go right and where they will go wrong. One of the most interesting changes from the novel version is the dimension added to Shuya's character. In the novel, he's mostly told to be perfect but no clear examples are given. In the manga, however, it's very obvious why Shuya is someone that everyone should love, the audience included. However, the issue with this is that Shuya falls into this boy scout-esque character that is then put in a narrative hole where any suggestion or desire for violence coming from him would seem like a betrayal to his established character. Also, his optimism comes off as stupid and unrealistic because he's already been given two very clear examples of people he knows aggressively playing the game. It doesn't narratively make sense for him to hold onto his fairytale-esque beliefs because unlike in the novel, the people trying to kill him were not doing so in self-defense/panic.

Because of Shuya's status as a cut-and-dry hero character, any person who attacks him becomes a very evil and cold killer. To me, this lessens the shock of the two actual maniacal killers because murderous insanity becomes normalized. This is where I think the manga misses opportunities. In the book, one of my favorite aspects was that even if you weren't directly told so, you understand that most people attacking others were doing so out of fear or a kill-or-be-killed mindset. In the manga, they're reduced to psychopathic ugly characters in order to elevate Shuya's saint status. Their aggressiveness takes away from the tragedy of children being forced to kill one another. It doesn't help that their character designs immediately become fucking nasty and revolting.

The saving grace of all of this is that the characters minus the two with Shuya are given amazing backstories that elevate the impact of their eventual deaths. Sakura and Kaz's scene was beautifully done and it made their relationship feel genuine and innocent. Yumiko and Yukiko's backstory was super sweet as well. I do like that there was a reason given for Yumiko's crush on Shuya rather than just him being hot (I still think that the crush thing could've been scrapped, I prefer Yumiko and Yukiko having their scenes be about them and their friendship).

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga is not that different from the original Battle Royale novel except for a few minor differences.

It's not perfect but it was awesome.

My feelings for this manga are about the same as the original novel except there is more drama and the characters are fleshed out a bit more.

The story is about a class of 42 junior high students that are transported onto an island where they are placed in this program where the students have to fight to the death and there can only be one winner. Similar to the book, the program has no time limit, however a student has to die within a 24-hour time zone, or the collars explode on all the students and there are no winners. In both scenarios, it forces the students to kill each other and try to survive. The tension from that is still there and you can feel it.

The dystopian theme is strong in the manga as well as the book, but it's slightly overshadowed by the drama of the characters and their own self conflicts.

Now, unlike the novel where some characters don't have much of a backstory, the manga takes it's time to explore the characteristics and backstories of all the students. Granted, some more than others. And it gives a new perspective.

However, this manga is definitely for adults. You have sexual themes and more brutality of the gore and violence the students participate in. If you want a more visual storytelling of the original book and don't mind extra violence, the manga is not bad.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What strikes me most about Battle Royale is the effort the creators go through to get into the psychological aspects of The Program. From tragic suicides to stupid attempts to beat the system, it's fascinating to see people deal with stress in such unique and compelling ways. They really keep you guessing, with nothing being sacred. Sure, there are a few lead characters who survive (through at least two books), but I was floored when Yoshi, whom I thought was one of the two main leads, was the very first character to die. There's a lesson there- take nothing for granted. Not in life and certainly not in Battle Royale.

It is a graphic book, certainly not for the squeamish or those who want happy endings, but it you want a really twisted, scary and compelling book, Battle Royale is a great series. The art is very strong, emotive, graphicly disturbing and completely unique.

[Ronan Barradas · Rating 5 out of 5]

No primeiro volume, foi posta a situação inimaginável de que 42 alunos estariam numa ilha deserta e venceria aquele que sobrevivesse, obrigando a matar seus colegas de classe e criando um clima de eterna desconfiança e possibilidade de morte. Nesse segundo volume o mote é acompanhar alguns dos alunos no primeiro momento depois de estabelecido o jogo.

Nisso, vimos o surgimento de um personagem bad ass, mesmo que nada tenha feito até o momento mas a narrativa o põe como pic* das galáxias. Também acompanhamos alguns dramalhões em forma de reação de alunos ao acontecido. Mas o mais interessante do volume é acompanhar Shuuya e Noriko que além de viver o drama da situação, estabelecem diretrizes éticas para agir durante o programa. Logo os personagens que surgem desafiam justamente essa linha ética da dupla, além de também confrontarem o sentimental e o estratégico.

[Aria · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Aunque Shuuya Nanahara terminó siendo un "protagonista extremadamente optimista", la idea inicial era muy diferente. Originalmente era un típico personaje impulsivo y calentón, y aunque si bien encajaba como protagonista, creo que esa veta ingenua e idealista era mucho mas efectiva."
-Koushun Takami.

Es bastante frustrante el desarrollo de la historia. Shuuya es un completo idiota, simplemente no comprende la situacion en la que se encuentra y simplemente se niega a aceptarlo. Hasta cierto grado Noriko es más realista.

Creo que me empiezan a gustar más los antihéroes que los principales de la historia.

*Spoiler*
Las historias que van alrededor de los protagonistas en realidad los siento mas interesantes que lo que les sucede a Shuuya y Noriko, con la añadidura de el chico que repite el juego (aún no soy buena con los nombres).

[Saraa_00 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Por ahora va un poco lento y, como en el tomo anterior, siento que hay algunos personajes que sólo los han puesto ahí para que los maten, sin darle tiempo al lector de encariñarse con ellos. Ni si quiera se han molestado en darles un backgraund interesante, y espero que haya los demás que no sean así, porque en cierta parte siento que un mal desarrollo de éstos arruinan la historia o la entorpecen.


Sí estuvo bien que empezaran a buscar aliados, y sí creo que tengan posibilidades de sobrevivir, al menos Shuuya y Kawada,.
Por otra parte, veo que Shuuya tiene potencial para ser una persona que se siente culpable por ver a todos sus compañeros morir y no poder salvarlos, demostrando así que es propenso a ser más empático que otros quien han matado sin pensárselo dos veces, lo cual me hace sentir que él va a hacer todo lo posible por no seguir las reglas de El Programa y hacer lo correcto.

[Kristin ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed how much deeper the manga goes into the different characters back stories. Obviously it's hard to give too much insight into every single character, when there's 42 of them even tough it is a 600 page novel.

So it is nice that we have a bit of a deeper focus here, where characters we knew quite little of in the novel get's more flashed out.

However there seem to be a formula of backstory and then tragic death immediately after.

And I am not a fan of how they keep displaying the one female character in beyond suggestive poses. She's a 9th grader, that is disgusting. The females arcs in general could be more fleshed out, but I guess it shows it's time considering it was first published 20+ years ago at this point.