Battle Royale (1999)

by Koushun Takami

The government of a fascist, alternate-history Japan selects a junior-high school class at random each year and sequesters them on an island with instructions to either kill each other or be killed by the explosive collars around their necks. 

This is a good concept that offers plentiful opportunities for action, moral dilemmas, and social commentary.

 

Unfortunately, Koushun Takami blows these opportunities fairly consistently.

 

Koushun Takami

What remains is overheated prose for lovers of manga.

 

"Battle Royale" (Italian)

At more than 600 pages (!), this novel is far too long for this slim premise.

 

"Battle Royale" (French)

Lots of pages are given over to the philosophical musings and moral anguish of the 42 participants, which makes for a lot of repetition.

 

"Battle Royale" (Norwegian)

It doesn't help that the book often reads as if it were written by a junior-high student, though it's not clear how much responsibility for this lies with Takami and how much with his translator.

 

"Battle Royale" (German)

The story often gives up any pretense of believability.

 

"Battle Royale" (Chinese)

When required by the plot, these 15-year-olds can rig explosives and detonators, hack sophisticated government systems, hot wire cars, drive like professional stuntmen, and withstand a tremendous amount of physical injury.

 

"Battle Royale" (Russian)

See Kinji Fukusaku's brilliant film instead.

 

"Compulsory Killing Course" (Thai)

He preserved the novel's high points and dealt with its themes effectively.

"Battle Royale" (Japanese)

"Battle Royale" (Portuguese)

"Battle Royale" (Polish)

"Battle Royale" (Spanish)

"Survival Game" (Vietnamese)

"Battle Royale" (Hungarian)