Battle Royale (manga)

[Shine]

Just picked up the first issue of the manga and I'm loving it so far. I remember reading the first chapter way back when it was being scanslated, though they only got that far, I knew that I needed to read this. I scooped it up instantaniously when I saw it at Suncoast. Anyone else get this yet?

[Ashen Victor]

the 2nd novel's been out for a few weeks now, so if you loved the first book, you'll probably like this one as well. i think the bulk of it is when shuya and noriko meet up with kawada in the woods.

the art is a real mixed bag for me still. while i like some of the designs, i can't help but hate most of it. on one side you've got these heroic, muscular types, then on the other you've got the goofy ass looking bunch and it clashes IMHO. i guess it works though because a character like Nobu is kind of like a joke. but for anyone looking to get into it, i think it's a real low selling point. i know people that love the movie and such and want to get into the manga, but when they look at the art, they get turned off quick.

but even though i'm mixed on the art, i can't help but want to see what happens next. i don't think the translation is all that great, but it's tolerable for the most part. seems to follow the movie more than the novel too.

so far, i like it, but i'm also a BR nut so i think i'd end up liking it regardless of whether or not it really blew.

[jiji]

I really enjoyed the movie, but I'm not a fan of the manga at all. I don't mind the English "adaptation" - it's the content that gets me. The movie's violence wasn't all that explicit, but it was very effective and emotional. The manga seems to delight in extremely detailed and explicit killings (and other nasty events), to the point that it takes away from the story. Also, yeah, I didn't much like the art style in general (Nobu reminded me too much of that nasty, annoying little girl from Airmaster), and the characters seem to fall too easily into standard anime cliches. Part of why I enjoyed the movie so much is that it seemed to portray the characters as normal, believable people doing horrible things to each other. The manga just seems to stick to shounen manga conventions while going too far in the shock direction - maybe to make up for its cliches? I dunno. It's just not for me.

[negitoro]

but even though i'm mixed on the art, i can't help but want to see what happens next. i don't think the translation is all that great, but it's tolerable for the most part. seems to follow the movie more than the novel too.

Really ? Because I've been reading it too and for me, it seems it deviates pretty far from the movie. I haven't actually read the novel, but I did have a discussion with my friend (who hadn't seen the movie) about the differences and it thought the manga had a number of things that he mentioned were in the novel.

As for the art style, I really have no complaints about it. Really, if anything, I think it's great that it looks absolutely painful even to read the book... the mixed artstyles isn't really that detracting IMO... in fact the whole series feels more "adult manga" (as in manga for adults, not hentai!) than it does shonen...

[icepop]

I just finished reading the novel. How does the manga compare to the novel?

I'm undecided as to whether or not I should pick it up. Is it very gory and graphic? I imagine it must be ...

[jiji]

I'm undecided as to whether or not I should pick it up. Is it very gory and graphic? I imagine it must be ...

Incredibly so. It's probably the goriest thing I've seen in manga/anime...it's downright medical at times.

I suppose some might say that that level of gore is necessary to cause the right amount of horror in a still medium, but I still prefer the movie's approach.

[negitoro]

Incredibly so. It's probably the goriest thing I've seen in manga/anime...it's downright medical at times.

I suppose some might say that that level of gore is necessary to cause the right amount of horror in a still medium, but I still prefer the movie's approach.

It IS gory... but still... I think I've seen similar stuff in Bastard! or 3x3 Eyes even....

[Ashen Victor]

Really ? Because I've been reading it too and for me, it seems it deviates pretty far from the movie. I haven't actually read the novel, but I did have a discussion with my friend (who hadn't seen the movie) about the differences and it thought the manga had a number of things that he mentioned were in the novel.

it's written by the author that wrote the novel, but i somehow feel it's closer to the movie because of how fast paced things are moving. maybe that's the only reason why i think it's closer to the movie than the novel itself. but sure enough there are parts of the book that happen in the manga and novel that don't happen in the movie like Kawada noticing the gas, and the scene where Kiriyama does the flip of the coin and kills off his henchmen. i guess it is closer to the novel instead...

I just finished reading the novel. How does the manga compare to the novel?

I'm undecided as to whether or not I should pick it up. Is it very gory and graphic? I imagine it must be ...

the manga is similar to the novel now that i've noticed the few bits that i mentioned up above. but maybe it's more of a mixture? like a combo of the movie's pacing with the extra details and scenes in the novel. for now i'll say it's close, but the translation of the two aren't going to agree at times. i don't recall the novel calling the BR Act "the Program", but it's been a while since i last read the novel so...

and jiji's got it about the gore and graphicness. it's pretty damn graphic with the up close details after someone's been done up (and even in some other scenes). at first glance it's a bit hard to take in, but after a few scenes of seeing it, it's just a regular thing. it's pretty extreme though.

[icepop]

Hrm. I don't really know if it's my thing. I read the book but I haven't seen the movie. I'm not sure if I can handle the graphic images + my vivid imagination. I'm still convinced the shadows in my appt. look like 15 year old students at night. *shudder*

[Shine]

The manga came before the movie.