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Battle Royal ~ just saw manga of them here

PostPosted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 11:37 pm
by IfIWereAnAsian
BR, or Battle Royal is the only movie in Japan that has a rating~~~
only people older than 15 can watch it. (and BR2)

The plot is roughly that, in the future when many many kids have banned school and hate adults, (in Japan) the adults pass the BR act. A Freshman class in High School is then taken to an island; they get gear, and 1 weapon each, and in 3 days they have to kill each other off until only 1 survives. If more than 1 person survives, they all die.

The sequal just came out in Japan this Summer if I'm not mistaken, and is a bit different, but~ I recently saw 3 mangas on this *

I was wondering if anyone else has seen this/these movies, and what their views are on them~ and if the manga is the same or better/worse.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 11:53 pm
by Orange Kitten
To my surprise, there was actually a really good moral story to it. At one point in the movie I got pretty sad. I went in expecting a mindless - shoot everyone up - lots of blood- type movie, but saw a dramatic film with a message to society underneath it all that makes you think.

I haven't seen the sequal, btw. This is just off the first movie.

I was expecting a lot more blood than I saw. I bet many of you will be sickened by it, but to me there was a fair amount of blood considering all the deaths.

I think it's a great movie, I recommend it.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 1:05 pm
by cbwing0
I have seen the first movie, and I enjoyed it. There probably was a moral to the story, but I can't remember it. :sweat:

I am going to read the book at some point, but I doubt that I will read the manga, since I don't read any manga ever.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 3:20 pm
by Twilly Spree
So sorta a la Lord of the Flies?

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 3:35 pm
by IfIWereAnAsian
~lol, I was waiting for someone to say that it's like Lord of the Flies*
Actually, it's different~
Sure there are 'kids' killing each other on an island, but they were set there purposefuly, and only have 3 days.
These kids have been in classes together through most of their years in school, there are friendships that are followed through flashbacks, and whole groups of best friends end up killing each other.
It's interesting to think about what you would do~ some commit suicide so that they wont kill anyone, but most don't.

Is this from a book? and not actually a manga? It is an acted movie~

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 3:38 pm
by cbwing0
There is a book, a manga series, and a movie. I don't know which came first, but I would guess that the book was first.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 5:16 pm
by Michael
I want to see it just because of its premise. It sounds to hyperbole to be serious.

EDIT: Yes, there's a live action movie of it. I've seen pics.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 5:23 pm
by Locke
saw a pic of the manga in a anime mag an it freaked me out

maybe u guys have seen it? its one were a girl is holding a gun to a guy whose holdong a gun to someone

u get the picture...

read the manga HAD NIGHTMARES!!

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:37 pm
by Twilly Spree
*shudder* Lord of the Flies man THAT was a creepy weird book. All that symbolism too, makes the Ninja's head hurt.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 7:44 pm
by Haibane Shadsie
Where would anyone rent this movie if they wanted to see it?

I've seen a small portion of the manga, in a Tokyopop sneak peaks thingy that Tokyopop was giving away to advertise their manga titles at Anime Expo. The manga, as far as I know, is based on the movie, and rated mature readers only. The snatch I saw was just the first few pages of the first volume - the setup of the plot, but none of the goriness promised by the premise to come later.

Also, though I didn't know what they were portraying at the time, I saw a lot of Battle Royal cosplayers at Anime Expo this year (only year I've been so far, my first con), but yeah... I saw these people with fake blood on them...fake guns... looked like they were from some particularly violent anime... saw photos of them on archives online later, under "Battle Royal" on the cosplay sites.

From what I know, it is a live action movie, though. I don't know where to get it for rent or buying. I think I *might* like to see it.. just because the premise seems so interesting - like... "Survivor" - The Evil Version.

Hmmm... if I were thrust into a situation such as that... I'd probably be one of the suicides. I'm just... not a killer in personality... really more of a pacifist... I don't think I'd have much hope with plans to "run, hide, find a way off the island".

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 8:34 pm
by Benu
Sounds interesting but I haven't heard that much about it or seen it anywhere.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 9:51 pm
by IfIWereAnAsian
Oh, it IS acted, ;) I've seen the first one a couple times, and half of the second. The second one changes it to be more like a war. ~


I don't think it's not supposed to be in the US, but I have like 3 friends who went to Japan this summer~ You can try to buy it on ebay too. There are illegal ones online too I think... but like I said... that's illegal... Yeah, that's why I was surprised to see anything at all in the US, mangas about it. I'd ask around though~ maybe one of your friends... maybe one that used to live in Japan... would have a copy of the first one.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 10:40 pm
by Orange Kitten
Alrighty, for those of you who do not know:
Battle Royal is a live action film. A sequal was just made. I "believe" that the manga is based upon the movie.

You will NOT find it in America (in a region 1 dvd, that is). You will only find it online or if it's being sold here, it most likely is an HK copy.

Nobody in America owns the rights to the movie yet; and I don't expect anyone to for a loong time. Let's think about this one....kids killing kids. What's the big thing happening in the past couple years that's getting everyone so uptight about? School shootings.
I don't think any distibuting company wants to get involved in that conversial subject right now.

However, this is only a rumor, but I "heard" that Quentin Tarantino was supposedly trying to get the rights to distribute it here in the US.

But anyway, the only copies you will find will be Region 2 dvds (The official japanese dvds; and if you got a region 2 dvd player) or a Region 0 dvd and that will most likely be an HK copy. Your number one source to buy B.R. is the internet. Try Ebay for best deals.

And as a quick note: The premise of B.R. is a class of children are thrown onto an island, each given a backpack. Each pack is different...they get food, supplies and some sort of weopon. The point is to kill each other, the last survivor wins. They have 3 days to do so. At the end of the 3 days if more than one person is left alive, then the neckbraces strapped to their necks will blow up...if they try to remove the brace, it will blow up. (By the way, these children were put their against their will)

It's the basic idea of Kill or Be Killed. Which would you choose?

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 10:59 pm
by Bobtheduck
Yeah, if this movie came out in the US it would have gotten a lot of controversy...

Too bad this movie exists... Now if I ever want to make a book with a similar premise, people will think I'm ripping it off... Though, my idea wasn't about children, it was about people in General... Basically it was like the roman colleseum, only more widespread. But, in any case, anything I make, whether I came up with the idea myself or not, will be labeled a ripoff in some way by someone... "There is nothing new under the sun" as long as I stay loyal to my story and don't feel the need to worship the "warring gods" of public approval and originality, I should be fine...

I may have to rent this film when I go to Japan.

PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 1:51 am
by mechana2015
WARNING

I do not recommend this manga to anyone. I read the Battle Angel Alita series, and didn't flinch, saw Saving Private Ryan and had issues with only one scene, and only minorly. Wrote severe deaths in my story I'm writing and didn't have issue.
I picked up the manga for this series and read the first one and a half chapters and vowed never to read it again. This is one disturbing manga. Graphic murder sequences. A storyline that tells you a charachters life story, then brutally destroys them before your eyes. Graphic sexual situations. Emotional brutalization. Obcenitys and foul language up the wazoo. Every page is more disturbing than the worst of Saving Private Ryan, or Hellsing. Ninja Scrolls worst is the best of this series. Utterly non-christian, disturbing, disgusting material. I literally was physically ill after reading it.

PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 11:15 am
by Straylight
I haven't read the manga, but I've seen the film... which has been released in Europe. I've got a copy of it on DVD.

I thought that the film carried a good message, and delivered it in an interesting way. The violence in the film is nothing spectacularly scary... especially if you've watched lots of other violent films before. It's the situations that are designed to make it disturbing.

The film is definately NOT for kids and if you have any doubts, don't bother watching it.. mainly because of the violence. You either love it or hate it. However if you have a fairly good stomach for films and like stuff that makes you go "Hmmm", you will probably love it. There's little in the way of sexual content in the film.

I haven't read the manga yet but I do know that the manga was produced after the film was released. However after reading some of the stuff on here I don't think I want to read it..

PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 3:55 pm
by Bobtheduck
Hmm... Well, if it's all like that, I may not want to see/read it... I was bothered by End of Eva for similar reasons... I don't want to grow to like these characters then have them go psycho monkey poo on me, and all the stuff you just said...

I was physically ill for 3 days, with residuals after that, when I finished watching "End of Evangelion" I really don't feel like repeating that... (oh, and I've seen akira and SPR and Full Metal Jacket and Golgo 13 and Blair Witch Project (ok, so it's not violent or sexual or anything, but it sucks so bad it is pretty disturbing, hehehe) and out of all the movies I've seen, EoE is the ONLY one that did that to me... Since I was a little kid, I mean...)

PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 5:47 pm
by Locke
i was ill after seeing the ending to 8th MS team,...........

PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 3:23 pm
by Bobtheduck
Really? I didn't know any of the Gundam shows ever got that bad... I thought it was always pretty much a low PG-13... (Though there is nudity in one of the shows...)

Pray for your souls

PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 8:56 am
by Chapel
I picked up the manga for this series and read the first one and a half chapters and vowed never to read it again.

If many of you have read my reviews before you know I'm kinda leiniant when it comes to nudity and violence. However if you want to lose your lunch then this book is a good way to start bulimia. THe deats in this are so graphich they really make your stomach turn and the thing that really stuck with me was the rape of the orphange mother. I still see that image in my head and I got rid of that book monthes ago . You can't read this and not be affected and if you can I pray for your soul. THis manga is absolutely horrible, gross, sexual situations that are past black market porn. Stay away and warn others to do the same. On a plus the art is good, the story is very good and the LA movie was fine. I realize to tell a story like that and have it really sink in you might go that far, but I really won't be able to forget that manga for a long time and I'm trying to.

-chapel-

PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:35 pm
by Iapetus
I agree with mechana2015 and Chapel. This is NOT a manga for the weak-of-heart. This is also NOT a manga for Christians. I thought that I had a stomach for violence and slightly suggestive situations. I was not expecting outright gore and porn. The only thing I'm glad about is that it was my friend's magna, and I didn't waste any money on it.

And, if for some reason you read a random volume of the story, STAY AWAY FROM VOLUME 3. *steps off soapbox*

-Iapetus

PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:44 pm
by IfIWereAnAsian
~wow, there wasn't any porn in the movie- just one time that was just sick. Nothing shown, no orphans or multiple gross sexual situations. I'm glad to know that the manga is so awful so that I wont be getting them. (not glad that it's bad though)

On the other hand~ I don't think you should bann the film itself. Maybe the manga...

PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 6:47 pm
by PotBelliedCow
Ah yes...the touchy subject of Battle Royale...

This was the first manga I found at my local Borders and started flipping innocently through it (I had been such a newbie to anime I had no idea there was even a rating) and those first few pages totally freaked me out--nudity, graphic violence, not to mention gore, and a LOT of sex. It reminded me of how my former classmates and I were biting at each others' necks back in middle school.

Being a teenager myself, I found the plot to be intriguing--a whole class of kids, most who've known each other their entire lives, being forced to kill each other. That does blow the mind, especially at an emotional level. If not for the gore and the extreme amount of adult content, I would be reading it.

I wouldn't mind the expressing of nonchristian values if it supported Christian morals. My friend just got obsessed with BR (she loves gore, don't ask me why) and keeps me up with the story. From what I've heard so far, BR is really a criticism of our current society, and what we might lead to if we're not careful. I'm looking for the novel, and maybe when I finally get my hands on it I can get a little deeper into the whole message.

But I've got to admit, Battle Royale scarred me for life.

And I never looked at Survivor the same way again.

The movie isn't that bad

PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:34 pm
by Chapel
The movie isn't bad it conveys all the points in a none extremely horrible, the manga oh yeah stay away.

-chapel-

PostPosted: Thu Feb 05, 2004 4:51 pm
by PotBelliedCow
Just wondering...

...has anyone read the novel? And can you buy it in bookstores, or do you have to order them from the Internet?

PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 1:19 am
by mechana2015
Ive seen it in an anime store, so its out there... but it'll be easier to find online.

PostPosted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 5:24 pm
by PotBelliedCow
I just ordered the novel from my local Borders and it'll probably arrive in one to six weeks...it seems you can't get it without special ordering it, at least in my area (SF, CA) I find it amusing my Borders has the manga but not the novel, with it being so controversial and all.

PostPosted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 6:21 am
by cbwing0
It might be easier (and quicker) to get it from Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156931778X/qid=1076250046/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-5241578-9350555

Price: $11.17

I definitely want to read it at some point, although I don't know when I will have the time. :sweat:

PostPosted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 8:13 pm
by PotBelliedCow
cbwing0 wrote:It might be easier (and quicker) to get it from Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156931778X/qid=1076250046/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-5241578-9350555

Price: $11.17

I definitely want to read it at some point, although I don't know when I will have the time. :sweat:


The little problem is that I can't buy stuff online b/c of my age...hehe :hits_self...i feel so juvenile

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 6:23 am
by cbwing0
That's too bad, but don't forget that you will be flooded with credit card offers in a few years. :lol: