Battle Royale

Posted by David | Filed under Literature

Based on the recommendation of a coworker, I recently picked up the English translation of Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale, a thriller about 42 junior high students stranded on an island and forced to kill each other until one survivor remains. Consider that premise for a moment, then consider that BR has since been turned into an entire franchise of graphic novels, film adaptations, and even miniature figurines.

As you can imagine, the #1 buzzword surrounding the mass popularity of BR, both here in America and in Japan, is “controversial.”

Though many of the reviews I’ve read compare it to The Lord of the Flies, which no doubt inspired Takami, there are some very distinct differences that clearly separate his intent and motivation from that of William Golding. The key similarity is that both authors hold a rather dystopian view of humanity, presumably a reflection of WWII-era disillusionment and/or the rising popularity of psychoanalysis.

Instead of addressing the natural behavior of youth, BR focuses on coerced behavior: these students are not left to their own devices on the island but rather given weapons, tracking collars, and a deadline for the execution of the program. There is a reinforced ultimatum that more than one survivor left at the end of the ‘game’ will result in the death of every participant. And to top it off, the entire system is government-approved and reenacted 50 times a year. Though the humanistic “survival-of-the-fittest” mentality plays a role, BR is more of a disturbing dissertation on the effect fear, peer pressure, and tragedy can have on teenaged society.

Personally, I find the worldviews and themes of post-WWII Japan intriguing: apocalyptic futures, formal systems of honor and social hierarchy, megapopulation effects… so much of which is foreign to my middle-class American childhood. As such, the appeal of BR comes from a deeper level than the pulp violence and teen angst that attracts the young, rebellious Tarantino demographic. Takami’s portrayal of extremist fascism and individual helplessness constrasts starkly against American capitalism, and I can’t help but wonder what a version of BR set in the United States would look like.

Setting the socio-political aspects aside, the primary source of controversy over BR is its underage violence, and for good reason. Looking back, it’s scary how quickly my mind went from shock and horror over the detailed barbarism of each battle to excitement and suspense over who would survive. In spite of my own liberal views on the connection between videogame violence and teen shootings (Halo 2 fan that I am), reading BR brought on a clear check from my conscience; this is not a book (or film, et al.) for children, teenagers, or even many adults.

Koushun Takami does do a good job of utilizing shock value to get across his message(s), and unlike such immorality tales as Sin City or Kill Bill (their artistic ingenuity notwithstanding), BR has a sobering quality that reminds us how precious our freedoms are and how costly true purity can be. And, to put a spiritual twist on a book whose characters clearly disdain God, I think it powerfully addresses the danger of making decisions based on fear of immediate retribution rather than eternal consequences. But does that justify a book that essentially depicts the brutality of a self-executed junior high massacre?

Permalink | May 5th, 2005

One Response to “Battle Royale”

  1. Josh Says:
    June 12th, 2005 at 10:14 pm

    I liked it a lot…then again I’m sick when it comes to violent movies…I can’t wait to see BR 2!