What do you think?
Rate this book
Battle Royale #14
Battle Royale, Vol. 14
The beginning of the end!
Shuuya, Kawada, and Noriko fight for their lives against Kiriyama, the psychotic student who decimated most of their class. While Kiriyama strives to eradicate the other kids' futures, we get an insider's view of Kiriyama's past... and what forces shaped this bright, talented young man into the unfeeling killer he is today.
Shuuya, Kawada, and Noriko fight for their lives against Kiriyama, the psychotic student who decimated most of their class. While Kiriyama strives to eradicate the other kids' futures, we get an insider's view of Kiriyama's past... and what forces shaped this bright, talented young man into the unfeeling killer he is today.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Koushun Takami
100 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 26, 2015
I couldn't have been more happy with Noriko shooting Kiriyama. It made it slightly more badass that the weakest link of the trio took him down... but then NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, it had to be ruined because even after being shot, Kiriyama STILL remained invincible...and then apparently turned into some sort of demon thing from a Japanese horror movie with his weird twitching getting up and flying all over the place.... wtf....but really, his back story was super lame. A car crash caused him to become an emotionless killing machine? Really? REALLY!? At least Mitsuko's crazy totally made sense.... Kiriyama's was so anticlimactic and stupid he lost a lot of his bad ass cred. I was really disappointed.
Of course, Shuuya to save the day... maybe... knowing him, he'll probably miss -_-
Of course, Shuuya to save the day... maybe... knowing him, he'll probably miss -_-
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2017
Genial persecución automovilística, al mejor estilo John Woo, montones de balas y autos destruidos. Ahora, tiene que estirarse tanto la muerte de un personaje? Van como cinco veces que lo dan por muerto y cual Fénix resucita para seguir tirando. Un tomo más y ya.
August 9, 2019
Ma questo Kiriyama oltre a essere un genio e un atleta è anche uno zombie? e ovviamente non poteva mancare il passato tragico...
January 26, 2025
So uhm.... You can survive being shot in the head?
Kiriyamas backstory could have given a little bit more. Maybe it explains part of him and his emotional outlook, but not the way he literally is bullet proof and unkillable.
Also rare Nori slay.
Kiriyamas backstory could have given a little bit more. Maybe it explains part of him and his emotional outlook, but not the way he literally is bullet proof and unkillable.
Also rare Nori slay.
February 7, 2017
Finally we get to see Kiriyama's backstory!
August 28, 2022
Se acerca el final y sólo quedan 4 personas. Estoy casi segura que Kawada al menos va a morir.
A este punto no puedo parar de leer.
Me ha gustado el pasado de Kiriyama, sólo que creo que no se le ha dado suficiente protagonismo durante todo el manga, osea podemos deducir que no está bien de la cabeza por lo que hemos visto en las otras historias, y no estoy diciendo que esté mal hecho, pero me esperaba que me impactara más.
No estoy segura de si Shuuya y Norikko van a sobrevivir tampoco, y en el caso que lo hicieran si podrían ir a América.
Por no hablar del tema del gobierno, que todavía no me ha quedado muy claro cuál es el propósito del Programa, si matar por pura diversión y espectáculo o para demostrar el poder que ejerce sobre los ciudadanos, quizá los dos.
A este punto no puedo parar de leer.
Me ha gustado el pasado de Kiriyama, sólo que creo que no se le ha dado suficiente protagonismo durante todo el manga, osea podemos deducir que no está bien de la cabeza por lo que hemos visto en las otras historias, y no estoy diciendo que esté mal hecho, pero me esperaba que me impactara más.
No estoy segura de si Shuuya y Norikko van a sobrevivir tampoco, y en el caso que lo hicieran si podrían ir a América.
Por no hablar del tema del gobierno, que todavía no me ha quedado muy claro cuál es el propósito del Programa, si matar por pura diversión y espectáculo o para demostrar el poder que ejerce sobre los ciudadanos, quizá los dos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2019
Este tomo me gustó...y ya.
Me refiero a que, gracias al Señor, Kiriyama ya fue asesinado pero me pareció un poco ridículo que por más que ha recibido balazos y todo, no muere. Quiero decir, no es Terminator. Además su historia de el de por qué no siente y cómo es me pareció muy X. No hay en sí explicación de su forma de ser, bueno sí la hay pero no es suficiente. Me gustó más la historia de Mitsuko Souma, eso sí explica el por qué ella es así mentalmente y su forma de actuar.
Ya estamos casi en el último tomo.
Me refiero a que, gracias al Señor, Kiriyama ya fue asesinado pero me pareció un poco ridículo que por más que ha recibido balazos y todo, no muere. Quiero decir, no es Terminator. Además su historia de el de por qué no siente y cómo es me pareció muy X. No hay en sí explicación de su forma de ser, bueno sí la hay pero no es suficiente. Me gustó más la historia de Mitsuko Souma, eso sí explica el por qué ella es así mentalmente y su forma de actuar.
Ya estamos casi en el último tomo.
June 19, 2013
The whole final battle with Kazuo was ridiculous. Yes, he had an accident when he was young, but how does that makes him bullet proof? explosion proof? car accident proof?
It makes me mad. I didn't complain when others characters didn't wince while taking multiples gunshot, i didn't rolled my eyes when nori was gamboling even after taking a bullet in the leg, but that's just too much.
It makes me mad. I didn't complain when others characters didn't wince while taking multiples gunshot, i didn't rolled my eyes when nori was gamboling even after taking a bullet in the leg, but that's just too much.
October 15, 2022
Such a good manga series. A great adaption with wonderful art work.
December 9, 2015
So... Kirayama backstory time.
Eso y una persecución en autos, because fuck you.
Eso y una persecución en autos, because fuck you.
July 18, 2025
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.
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.
October 5, 2018
Even after getting his backstory, I still hate Kiriyama with a passion. Compared to Mitsuko, his back story was very lame and didn’t make me sympathize with him at all. He got brain damage from a car accident and this is what turned him into an emotionless serial killer that’s damn near invincible. Really? That’s it?
Mitsuko had an incredibly sad backstory about extreme sexual abuse from her stepfather as a child that completely damaged her mentally and emotionally to the point of her developing severe personality disorders. Despite being a cold killer, I felt absolutely horrible for her and was sad to see her go. Kiriyama just doesn’t give me that vibe.
This volume certainly had its moments though. Shu’s speech about moving to America after the death game is over and the intense shootout between the last surviving contenders. I pray Kiriyama meets his end in the final volume without any of the others dying along with him. Don’t let me down Shu.
Mitsuko had an incredibly sad backstory about extreme sexual abuse from her stepfather as a child that completely damaged her mentally and emotionally to the point of her developing severe personality disorders. Despite being a cold killer, I felt absolutely horrible for her and was sad to see her go. Kiriyama just doesn’t give me that vibe.
This volume certainly had its moments though. Shu’s speech about moving to America after the death game is over and the intense shootout between the last surviving contenders. I pray Kiriyama meets his end in the final volume without any of the others dying along with him. Don’t let me down Shu.
February 12, 2025
2.5
Shuuya es el protagonista más exasperante que he visto. ¿En este punto de la historia vas a seguir llorando porque no quieres dispararle al chico que no solo mató a tus amigos sino que atenta contra tu vida y la de la chica que llevas todo el manga prometiendo cuidar y sacar de ahí?
No, amigo. Hasta Noriko estuvo más cerca de matar a Kiriyama que él, así van las cosas.
No tengo nada contra los protagonistas idealistas y sensibles, pero siento que Shuuya nunca enfrenta la realidad realmente y la verdad es que si no fuese el protagonista y esto fuese más realista, habría muerto hace rato.
Kawada es demasiado buena persona, de verdad. Teniendo su fuerza, su inteligencia y su capacidad para crear estrategias y manejar armas, podría haberlos dejado a su suerte y asegurarse de salir con vida de ahí una vez más. Gracias a él es que han llegado tan lejos.
Por otro lado me sigue pareciendo ridículo como Kiriyama es aparentemente invencible hasta el final, pero bueno, es de esperarse.
Shuuya es el protagonista más exasperante que he visto. ¿En este punto de la historia vas a seguir llorando porque no quieres dispararle al chico que no solo mató a tus amigos sino que atenta contra tu vida y la de la chica que llevas todo el manga prometiendo cuidar y sacar de ahí?
No, amigo. Hasta Noriko estuvo más cerca de matar a Kiriyama que él, así van las cosas.
No tengo nada contra los protagonistas idealistas y sensibles, pero siento que Shuuya nunca enfrenta la realidad realmente y la verdad es que si no fuese el protagonista y esto fuese más realista, habría muerto hace rato.
Kawada es demasiado buena persona, de verdad. Teniendo su fuerza, su inteligencia y su capacidad para crear estrategias y manejar armas, podría haberlos dejado a su suerte y asegurarse de salir con vida de ahí una vez más. Gracias a él es que han llegado tan lejos.
Por otro lado me sigue pareciendo ridículo como Kiriyama es aparentemente invencible hasta el final, pero bueno, es de esperarse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2023
Creo que nunca había dado una puntuación tan baja a una serie regular estando tan cerca del final.
No es solo que ya lo de Kiriyama es irreal al punto de ser molesto, sino que además sacando las prosecuciones en auto, el tomo en general me resultó aburrido. El discurso de Shuuya es soporífero, los sueños de ir a EEUU que obviamente se caerán a pedazos me parecen ridículos, que Noriko a esta altura todavía tenga vergüenza o miedo de matar a alguien... No sé, siento que este manga se alargó hasta ser una parodia de sí mismo.
Doy lo mejor de mi para intentar sorprenderme en el último tomo. La lectura de este manga no fue una mala experiencia, pero definitivamente el nivel decayó muchísimo desde que arrancó.
PD: Esas visiones oníricas de Shuuya con Mimura... Ya dejen a los muertos en paz...
No es solo que ya lo de Kiriyama es irreal al punto de ser molesto, sino que además sacando las prosecuciones en auto, el tomo en general me resultó aburrido. El discurso de Shuuya es soporífero, los sueños de ir a EEUU que obviamente se caerán a pedazos me parecen ridículos, que Noriko a esta altura todavía tenga vergüenza o miedo de matar a alguien... No sé, siento que este manga se alargó hasta ser una parodia de sí mismo.
Doy lo mejor de mi para intentar sorprenderme en el último tomo. La lectura de este manga no fue una mala experiencia, pero definitivamente el nivel decayó muchísimo desde que arrancó.
PD: Esas visiones oníricas de Shuuya con Mimura... Ya dejen a los muertos en paz...
June 15, 2023
Oh god, Shuuya is so annoying. this is one of the worst protagonists i have ever seen, terrible writing. the romance is so weak, the villain is so boring and indestructible.... what a bad manga.. At this point, I hope no one survives. (especially the presenter, entertainer, Frontmann, whatever, that ugly rapist fuck. I hope, at the very least, that his death is as gore as possible - that is, if he dies.......)
August 7, 2019
I had such high hope for the background of Kiriyama, the reason why he became what he is, yet the answer given here is not on par with my expectation. But I guess it is what it is, esp when the author always did a good job with giving you hope (and love) then CRUSHED IT with this series.
February 22, 2018
Another good volume. Almost done. Only a few left alive.
June 4, 2020
KIRIYAMA Y LA CON....
¿CÓMO MIERD* ES TAN INMORTAL?...PD: aquí debo darle un punto a la novela, prefería que lo hubiera matado Noriko, pero ñe
¿CÓMO MIERD* ES TAN INMORTAL?...PD: aquí debo darle un punto a la novela, prefería que lo hubiera matado Noriko, pero ñe
October 14, 2021
No me gustó el final y tampoco el personaje principal, pero hay personajes por los que agradeces haber encontrado este manga, vale la pena, no perderás el tiempo.
July 24, 2022
No me dio tanta emoción como el libro aah.
September 1, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can’t keep them down!
You can’t keep them down!
September 23, 2022
Ultra violent, ultra disturbing, ultra resonating, this is epic volume is totally building toward an unforgettable climax.
April 24, 2023
Story dragged on.
Read
June 28, 2023only one left wohoo
August 14, 2023
Impresiones:
Qué fue ese background? Jajaja
¡No sé muere más !
Shuuya no da más de idiota
Qué fue ese background? Jajaja
¡No sé muere más !
Shuuya no da más de idiota
Read
November 21, 2024he’s embarassing himself
February 27, 2025
Buena pelea final en la línea de toda la acción vista hasta ahora. Justifican la psicopatía del villano con un pasado innecesario.
May 26, 2025
Caaaaramba, que luta / perseguição FRENÉTICA!!!!
January 6, 2021
I wanted to read the Battle Royale manga 10 years ago but did not have the necessary employment to fund the expensive volumes. Flash forward to 2015, and the price had only increased as the series became rarer and out of print. I eventually managed to obtain a complete set in good condition on eBay, but was the long wait worth it? Not only is this is the first manga series I will review, but it is also the first I have read, and as such, the format took quite some getting used to. Despite being spread across 15 volumes, the self-contained story, cumulative chapters, and fast reading pace influenced me to review the series as one book. It was originally serialised from 2000 to 2005, based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Koushin Takami, which I haven't read yet. I was however, a fan of the film adaptation, which formed my introduction.
Set in a dystopian future, each year the Japanese government randomly selects a class of high school children and forces them to compete in a survival deathmatch for reality TV known as 'The Program.' The teenagers are equipped with explosive collars that detonate if more than one combatant is left alive at the end of the time limit, randomly assigned weapons, and a map of the area with designated danger zones that change periodically. After a brief prelude which introduces the main players, this year's crop of unlucky teens are kidnapped and sent to a deserted island where all but one will meet a grisly end. The manga does a good job of exploring each of the 42 students and providing them with varied back stories, although most fall under classic stereotypes. The main protagonists are Shuuya Nanahara, a pacifist would-be rock star and his dull love interest, Noriko Nakagawa. Other characters include previous program survivor and hardened combatant, Shogo Kawada, the sensitive kung fu artist, Hiroki Sigumuru, and basketball ace and computer hacker, Shinji Mimura. The two main antagonists are Kazuo Kiriyama, an emotionless killer with brain damage, and the deranged femme fatale, Mitsuko Souma, also a psychopath.
Without revealing too much of the story, which is mostly bouts of action scenes with gratuitous violence and sex, interspersed with melodramatic soul searching and flashbacks, I would like to say a few words on the English adaptation by Keith Giffen, which can be appalling at times. I understand the need to slightly alter things for a translation, but substituting Japanese figures with American equivalents was a step too far. For instance, why on earth would Japanese school children know who Donald Trump and Polyanna are? In a manga of over the top splatter violence, this criticism may appear rather trivial, but it was nonetheless jarring and very ill-advised. (I hope Giffen reads this one day so he can see how ridiculous it was.) My other complaint is that some of the characterisation is utterly bizarre. There is a cross-dressing homosexual, who looks and acts like a 40 year old sleaze queen, yet whom we're supposed to understand is the same age as his teenage classmates. Mitsuko and her constant nudity is also a problem, definitely overstepping the line into full blown hentai every time she makes an appearance. I noticed with suspicion that the perverted volume 8 was noticeably more worn than the other books.
I appreciate that I am no longer the target audience of this series, having arrived at it too late, but I retain a soft spot for the film I loved as a teenager and Taguchi is an astounding illustrator, if a little too disgusting at times. I cringed at the frequent eyeball gouging and finger nail tearing. To try and analyse the manga in terms of anything deeper would be nonsense, yet I'm sure many younger readers have done so. The broad stabs at authoritarian regimes and the cliched Lord of the Flies tropes are of course clumsily present, but the true purpose of the series is to sate the gore lust of teenage boys. I cannot really recommend the series to anybody due to the difficulty in getting hold of a complete set, but I hear the novel is good. As an introduction to manga, I couldn't have wished for anything better, and although I'm not sold on the genre in general, it was nice to vary my pattern of reading weighty classics. Battle Royale has had a huge influence on popular culture, spawning the inferior series of books, The Hunger Games, and inspiring many of Quentin Tarantino's action films. The story can be repetitive and angsty, but the absurdity of the plot and its dynamic illustrations earns it a space on my bookcase.
Set in a dystopian future, each year the Japanese government randomly selects a class of high school children and forces them to compete in a survival deathmatch for reality TV known as 'The Program.' The teenagers are equipped with explosive collars that detonate if more than one combatant is left alive at the end of the time limit, randomly assigned weapons, and a map of the area with designated danger zones that change periodically. After a brief prelude which introduces the main players, this year's crop of unlucky teens are kidnapped and sent to a deserted island where all but one will meet a grisly end. The manga does a good job of exploring each of the 42 students and providing them with varied back stories, although most fall under classic stereotypes. The main protagonists are Shuuya Nanahara, a pacifist would-be rock star and his dull love interest, Noriko Nakagawa. Other characters include previous program survivor and hardened combatant, Shogo Kawada, the sensitive kung fu artist, Hiroki Sigumuru, and basketball ace and computer hacker, Shinji Mimura. The two main antagonists are Kazuo Kiriyama, an emotionless killer with brain damage, and the deranged femme fatale, Mitsuko Souma, also a psychopath.
Without revealing too much of the story, which is mostly bouts of action scenes with gratuitous violence and sex, interspersed with melodramatic soul searching and flashbacks, I would like to say a few words on the English adaptation by Keith Giffen, which can be appalling at times. I understand the need to slightly alter things for a translation, but substituting Japanese figures with American equivalents was a step too far. For instance, why on earth would Japanese school children know who Donald Trump and Polyanna are? In a manga of over the top splatter violence, this criticism may appear rather trivial, but it was nonetheless jarring and very ill-advised. (I hope Giffen reads this one day so he can see how ridiculous it was.) My other complaint is that some of the characterisation is utterly bizarre. There is a cross-dressing homosexual, who looks and acts like a 40 year old sleaze queen, yet whom we're supposed to understand is the same age as his teenage classmates. Mitsuko and her constant nudity is also a problem, definitely overstepping the line into full blown hentai every time she makes an appearance. I noticed with suspicion that the perverted volume 8 was noticeably more worn than the other books.
I appreciate that I am no longer the target audience of this series, having arrived at it too late, but I retain a soft spot for the film I loved as a teenager and Taguchi is an astounding illustrator, if a little too disgusting at times. I cringed at the frequent eyeball gouging and finger nail tearing. To try and analyse the manga in terms of anything deeper would be nonsense, yet I'm sure many younger readers have done so. The broad stabs at authoritarian regimes and the cliched Lord of the Flies tropes are of course clumsily present, but the true purpose of the series is to sate the gore lust of teenage boys. I cannot really recommend the series to anybody due to the difficulty in getting hold of a complete set, but I hear the novel is good. As an introduction to manga, I couldn't have wished for anything better, and although I'm not sold on the genre in general, it was nice to vary my pattern of reading weighty classics. Battle Royale has had a huge influence on popular culture, spawning the inferior series of books, The Hunger Games, and inspiring many of Quentin Tarantino's action films. The story can be repetitive and angsty, but the absurdity of the plot and its dynamic illustrations earns it a space on my bookcase.
July 6, 2022
AAA I FORGOT HOW INTENSE THIS IS
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews