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All You Need Is Kill

by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, 桜坂洋

3.97 · rating details · 185 ratings · 48 reviews

L to R (Western Style). There’s one thing worse than dying. It’s coming back to do it again and again… When the alien Gitai invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many raw recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to find himself reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On the 158th iteration though...more

Paperback, 201 pages

Published July 21st 2009 by VIZ Media LLC (first published January 1st 2004)

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Jan 29, 2011

Budd rated it

This was a great little read. It follows Keiji as he goes “ground hog day” on the day of his first battle against a near unstoppable alien force.

It was actually a pretty refreshing read. A background in mecha anime might help as would some knowledge of Japanese culture, but I don’t think it is necessary to enjoy this book.

You get to know Keiji really well in this book. Besides him really only one other character is fleshed out, but they are all background characters as t...more

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Nov 09, 2010

Paul rated it

“He died in battle . He was reborn in victory“.

In the film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray repeatedly wakes up and re-lives the same 24hrs over and over again. Each time the cycle repeats, he learns another valuable lesson about his life. All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurakzaka has a similar premise but instead of being set in Punxsutawney it is set on the muddy battlefields of Japan in the midst of a future war.

Alien creatures called Mimics have landed and are attempting to i...more“He died in battle . He was reborn in victory“.

In the film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray repeatedly wakes up and re-lives the same 24hrs over and over again. Each time the cycle repeats, he learns another valuable lesson about his life. All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurakzaka has a similar premise but instead of being set in Punxsutawney it is set on the muddy battlefields of Japan in the midst of a future war.

Alien creatures called Mimics have landed and are attempting to invade Earth. Slowly they are attacking each country trying to discover where humanities weak points lie. Keiji Kiriya is a fresh faced solider who is starting to panic at the thought of his first impending battle. He has never experienced war. He has no idea of what to expect or how to react. His worst fears are confirmed and shortly after the battle begins he is killed only to re-awake back in the army base where he is forced to relive the build up to his death once more. Keiji quickly comes to realise he is trapped in time and no matter how he tries to escape destiny he will always end up on the battlefield.

We also get to see the battle from the perspective of an American female soldier called Rita Vrataski, known by all around her as the Full Metal Bitch. Rita is the quintessential warrior. She and her colleagues are battle hardened veterans and seem to be the polar opposite of Keiji and his friends. As Keiji relives the battle over and over again, trying to discover a way forward, Rita becomes the only fixed constant in his world.

Where this novel excels is by taking a concept that many readers will already be familiar with, in this case time travel, and adding an interesting new wrinkle. Instead of going forward or back in time great distances, the main protagonist is trapped in the same time period, forced to continue reliving the same moments indefinitely.

I was really pleased when I heard that All You Need is Kill has had the movie rights optioned. Though the story takes place in a small geographical area it reads as epic in scale, certainly something that would translate as a real spectacle on the movie screen. My initial excitement for a movie was somewhat dampened however, when I then read that the character of Keiji is going to be ‘Americanized’. This is a great shame as some of the central concepts of the novel will be lost due to changes in nationality. There is an old samurai principle that is mentioned in the novel, ‘Kiri-oboeru’ which means to strike down your enemy and learn. This sort of detail will become irrelevant if the character is no longer Japanese.

Another concern, while trying to avoid spoilers, is that the book ends on a bittersweet note. I do hope this isn’t changed for the film adaption. I would much rather see a faithful adaption on screen than a schmaltzy saccharin sweet Hollywood happy ending.

The novel isn’t terribly long, only around two hundred pages, so it’s a quick read. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys their science fiction full of action but with in-depth characterization.(less)

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Dec 03, 2009

Liralen rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 16, 2009

Matt rated it

Shelves: sci-fi, war

I loved this book. I didn't know what to expect when I went into it, but I am very pleased with the results. Keiji is stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the same battle over and over against a race sent to recolonize the earth, creatures called Mimics that look like dead bloated frogs filled with nanobot sand that kills normal humans on contact. Insert the UDF and the Jacket troops. Piloting giant mechanized suits of destruction, Keiji relives the same fight, his first fight ever, over and o...more

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Oct 07, 2009

Kevin rated it

I loved this book.
It is very "ground hog's day," but the Japanese anime version. This should totally be made into an Anime series or movie.
It's based in the future and the main character is just a Joe in the Japanese army who, along with the whole world, is fighting an alien invasion. The soldier dies and is stuck in a 48 hr loop of time, where he dies at the end of every single loop in battle, only for it to start over. The character just uses his time to become a rid...more

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Jul 01, 2011

Alibiserver rated it

For a war novel that comes close to life, All You Need Is Kill hits it at a bull's eye.

The novel has a Promethian concept. The hero, a green soldier thrown into war, gets a chance to relieve his life before he dies and correct his actions and while doing so becomes stronger and abler in the process. In one of the loops, he encounters a woman who knew how he lived and the mess he was into.

Sci-Fi the novel may be, the storyline hits close to the themes of what war actually is- ...more

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Apr 08, 2011

D_Davis rated it

Shelves: science-speculative-fiction

So totally and completely awesome. Next to Haldeman's Mind Bridge, All You Need is KILL has my favorite action sequence I've ever read. Sakurazaka comes up with a neat idea, extrapolates on it and explores what this idea would do to a person, and then spins a thrilling, action-packed, tightly-plotting tale around that idea. However, like with most time travel ideas, you can't really examine the logic of the idea; it is more beneficial to the narrative and the characters to view the idea as an...more

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Feb 18, 2011

Thomas rated it

Shelves: dark, science-fiction

I have to say, All You Need Is Kill has to be one of the most unfortunate names for a novel I’ve ever seen. It sounds like the title of the worst Bruce Campbell movie ever made, and that it also manages to get a Beatles song lodged in your head for an hour or so is just a tragic side effect. What makes it even more embarrassing of a title is that it has nothing to do with the book in question. I mean, the story is a cross between Groundhog Day and Aliens, with a touch of mecha-anime to it, wr...moreI have to say, All You Need Is Kill has to be one of the most unfortunate names for a novel I’ve ever seen. It sounds like the title of the worst Bruce Campbell movie ever made, and that it also manages to get a Beatles song lodged in your head for an hour or so is just a tragic side effect. What makes it even more embarrassing of a title is that it has nothing to do with the book in question. I mean, the story is a cross between Groundhog Day and Aliens, with a touch of mecha-anime to it, written in what’s meant to be a gritty tone, and the best the writer could come up with was All You Need Is Kill?

Regardless, the novel is actually a pretty decent read. I’ve only read a few books (outside of my literature classes) that were translated from their original languages, and a couple of them were very clunky and hard to follow. I’ve never known whether to chalk that up to the original story or the translation, but that wasn’t the case with AYNIK; in fact, it read like it was originally written in English. The dialogue felt natural, and the pacing was well done, and considering that this was a book about futuristic warfare, that was a pretty necessary accomplishment in both respects.

The story itself is pretty straightforward — Keiji Kiriya is a soldier who dies on the battlefield and then wakes up to start the whole day leading up to that point all over again — and it’s very easy to see why it’s easily compared to Groundhog Day. The structure of the characterization even follows a similar pattern, and for the first half of the book, you might find yourself wondering what makes this all that different of a story, aside from the war part of it. By the second half, though, the author starts to look into what’s making things happen the way they are, and that’s where the story started to seem original. It’s a pretty interesting look at that phenomenon, and even if the ending is fairly sudden and anticlimactic, the journey to that point is certainly worth the mild disappointment.

The author’s note tells that the story came from him playing a video game, where he could restart levels over and over again with the intention of perfecting the right steps to get him through the end of it alive, and he wondered what it would be like if real life worked that way. Part of me wishes he had looked at the story from that perspective, but it probably would have come across as farcical, anyway. As it is, AYNIK is a quick, compelling, interesting read that would be just right for anyone looking for a science fictional “beach read.”(less)

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May 04, 2010

Joshua rated it

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy, international-fiction

Why I picked up the book: because I love Japanese science fiction and the book was recently optioned by Warner Brothers for a big budget movie.

Do you like anime? Are you a fan of dystopian science fiction where humanity fights endless waves of killer aliens? Does the idea of a book from Japan that reads like a cross between Groundhog Day and Aliens excite you? If you're like me then you've checked all those marks standing at the bookstore with a stupid grin on your face as you think ...more

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Sep 08, 2009

Angel rated it

Recommends it for: science fiction readers

Shelves: science_fiction

This was interesting and different. The protagonist is a soldier who fights alien invaders with a suit of armor known as a "jacket." His problem is that he keeps dying and then coming back to battle again. And then he meets the supersoldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Why does he keep coming back? How exactly does it work? What does the FMB have to do with it? A strength in this novel is that the reason why the hero keeps coming back is revealed gradually. Sure, there is action and ...more

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Aug 18, 2011

Rawlins rated it

I enjoyed this book for what it did with the "Groundhog Day" stuck in a time-loop concept, it was said already but I would have to reiterate that it would make for a great anime. My favorite aspect of the story was that the main character Keiji Kiriya who started the tale off as "green" as they come was able to learn from these continuous shifts or temporal rewinds, and better himself. Eventually, he comes across another soldier, (inside an ax-wielding mecha I might add), and...more

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Jun 28, 2010

David rated it

Shelves: scifi

A great addition to the military sci-fi canon. This reminded me a lot of Armor, but with a tighter plot, better writing, and less repetitive descriptions of combat.

The story is basically "Groundhog Day" for space marines. Unlike most military sci-fi, it takes place on Earth for once, as humanity fights a decades long war to rid the planet of a bizzare rapidly evolving alien menace. The story takes place entirely around the protagonist's base and on the battlefield where he...more

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Oct 25, 2010

Martin rated it

My modest score for this (3 out of 5) doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it - I did, a lot - it's merely a reflection on how it's not a complex, thought-provoking tale like a lot of stuff I prefer to read (and a lot of the Haikasoru titles I've read so far). It is however a fast-paced, gritty, unflinching portrayal of futuristic warfare. The prose is straightforward, vivid and, although its aims are simple, it does its job well.

This isn't headscratch-inducing philosophical SF. I suspect it's ...more

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Jul 14, 2010

Tobey rated it

When Hollywood starts kicking up a fuss about an original science fiction novel, I tend to pay attention. And when said novel is translated from Japanese and involves soldiers in mech suits fighting an alien menace, well I kind of feel obligated at that point. With such a blisteringly awesome title, Hiroshi Sakurazaka was setting the bar pretty high. I'm glad to say that All You Need Is KILL did not let me down.

Here's the pitch: Take the time honored tradition of having young Japanes...moreWhen Hollywood starts kicking up a fuss about an original science fiction novel, I tend to pay attention. And when said novel is translated from Japanese and involves soldiers in mech suits fighting an alien menace, well I kind of feel obligated at that point. With such a blisteringly awesome title, Hiroshi Sakurazaka was setting the bar pretty high. I'm glad to say that All You Need Is KILL did not let me down.

Here's the pitch: Take the time honored tradition of having young Japanese boys put on robotic suits (referred to as "Jackets" in the novel) and then send them out to fight invading alien hordes, and combine it with the premise of the 1993 film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. If you have not already grabbed your keys and headed to your nearest book selling establishment based on what you just read, then I'm not sure I care to speak to you anymore.

Untested soldier Kenji Kiriya finds that every time he is killed in his very first battle, he wakes up in his bed on the day before. After getting over the initial shock, Kenji does just what Groundhog Day's Phil Conners decides to do. Exploit the heck out of it. He will train every moment so, even though he isn't building muscle, his body will know how to react on the battlefield. As far as everyone else knows this is his first time facing the alien Mimics. But Kenji has been doing this over and over and over again. He goes from soiling his suit his first time through, to cutting a swath through the nigh invulnerable starfish-like creatures.

I loved all of the little details that went along with Kenji's repetition of the same two days. The cafeteria always serves the same food. If he wants somebody to do something for him, he varies what he says and how he acts until he finds the right pattern and from then on it will always work. He keeps up with his days by writing down the number of times he's been through on the back of his hand whenever it starts. Kenji didn't enlist to save the human race. He just wanted to prove that he could do something that mattered. The "loop", as he calls it, gives him that opportunity.

The other great character of the novel is American Jacket jockey Rita Vrataski, aka The Full Metal Bitch. Rita knows what Kenji is going through because it has happened to her before, and she also used the loop to become a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

To my surprise, everything is fairly well explained and it all actually made sense in a science fictiony sort of way. There is also a pretty healthy dose of social commentary in the book's big Twilight Zone style twist dealing with why the aliens are "invading". At less than two hundred pages this book flies by, and I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't read and enjoy it.(less)

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Nov 16, 2010

Parxyr rated it

I picked up this book at the local bookstore and read the back leaf. It sounded like a Groundhogs Day sort of war novel, which really didn't sound all that interesting. I leafed through and read the first few pages and was hooked.

All you Need is Kill is a very fast paced and enjoyable read through a futuristic sci-fi-Japanese-anime inspired genre. And in reading the afterward, the book resonated with me even more. Hiroshi Sakurazaka drew me in quickly and I tore through this book e...more

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Jan 15, 2012

Henry Legg rated it

All You Need is Kill is best described as Groundhog Day meets Sci-Fi and it does not disappoint. I won't give any of the plot away but I will mention that this book is a pretty quick read that is nonetheless gripping and contains all the elements any Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan will love, aliens, war, and the cliche yet necessary trope of doomed love. It is rumored that this book will be made into a movie to be titled "Mortals Are We" with a pure "Caucasian" cast and though I do belie...more

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Oct 22, 2011

Alex Sheldon Savva rated it

Shelves: science-fiction

Ever wonder what Groundhog Day would be like on a battlefield? Lots of dying, over and over and waking in a bunk bed every time; going through the same training routines and making do with the same standard military issued meal, before going through the familiar main carnage some few hours later, again.
For a story so simple on the surface, it's original in its own right and packs plenty of panache, losing nothing in translation; moving along expertly and swiftly as an action-packed story sh...more

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Jul 17, 2011

Joem rated it

Pretty fun. A fairly quick read (I read most of it in one Saturday). Lots of action, a fun scifi time-loop issue. At times, it felt like it was written for a younger reader (especially in regards to the role that women play), but those parts are not too many. Also, the book in general was not as 'deep' as most of the other scifi I've been reading. Those issues aside, the action (which there is a lot of) is fun, and the unraveling of the time-loop mystery is fun, too, even if the ending leaves a ...more

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May 02, 2010

Jason (FNORDinc) rated it

Shelves: read-but-unowned, reviewed, reviewed-on-fnordinc

Released as part of VIZ-Media’s recent fiction line, Haikasoru, All you need is Kill was a very fast but great read. Though technically considered a light novel, you do not find any of the watered down elements a LN would normally bear. The characters are clear and enjoyable. the story is descriptive and vibrant. The novel could very easily be triple the length, but it would not make it any better. Instead, you would risk watering down its power, like small punches to your gut turning to love ta...moreReleased as part of VIZ-Media’s recent fiction line, Haikasoru, All you need is Kill was a very fast but great read. Though technically considered a light novel, you do not find any of the watered down elements a LN would normally bear. The characters are clear and enjoyable. the story is descriptive and vibrant. The novel could very easily be triple the length, but it would not make it any better. Instead, you would risk watering down its power, like small punches to your gut turning to love taps.

Though originally written in Japanese (2004), it was recently translated by Alex Smith and pushed out to the English market.

if you read AYNIK, you will definitely be reminded of Robotech, Groundhogs day, and general anime/manga. This book is much more than any of those things however, so you will see no further references to them.

FNORDinc’s overview-

The planet earth is in the midst of a ground war. We fight alien machines sent to our planet to reform the atmosphere and land to the needs of their creators. Their blood is sand, electrically charged and poisonous to all earth life. Nanites mixed about inside them make them mobile bio-hazards, eating dirt and emitting toxic waste. These machines, called Mimics (not to be confused with giant mutant cockroaches) fire 1600 meter per second spikes into their enemies and destroy all they come in contact with. There is more to them, but i will let those who want more info read the book. These secrets are not mine to disclose.

Protagonist Keiji Kiyira is prepping for his first battle. As a virgin in the bed of war, he is clumsy and nervous. he knows his training but has no idea what he is REALLY doing. This becomes evident two pages into the book as he is bleeding out. Torn nearly in two by enemy fire, he is in shock. Enter Rita, the “Full Metal Bitch”. Clad in red armor, wielding an axe, she is a vision of hope and absolute bad-assery. Sh is like the battlefield messiah, brute force putting the enemy into an the mood to absolve their sins through death. Her just being near Keiji is enough to get him back on his feet fighting. with out these two character, this story would be a waste of paper, detailing our own demise.

Everything it stops an instant after he meets Rita. Keiji wakes up 30 hours earlier, in his bunk at the barracks. He is stuck in a loop, repeating the same battle every day. Talk about the perfect way to lose your mind. perpetually fighting a never ending battle, honing your skills and carrying them forward into the next day.

I highly suggest this book.

- FNORDinc.com
http://www.fnordinc.com/2010/05-01/revie...(less)

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Oct 27, 2009

Jason Seaver rated it

A pretty darn nifty tale of alien invasion and time-travel. The premise is kind of familiar - man dies in battle, only to reawaken the previous day with an opportunity to put what he has learned into practice. It's well-told, though, with plenty of good action, reasonable science, and more than enough ideas to fill out its 200 pages. As much as I've been enjoying the relatively short, quick-paced volumes in the books with the Haika Soru label, I might have liked this one expanded a bit; it tu...more

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Oct 25, 2011

Alex rated it

Recommended to Alex by: Adam

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Such a fast, entertaining read you have no reason not to give it a shot.

Keiji Kiriya is fighting a war with these unusual creatures we call the Mimics. He is killed in his first battle and wakes up two days before confused and convinced it was just a vivid dream. As it becomes clear that Keiji is about to experience a much more action packed Groundhogs Day for himself, he becomes acquainted with a woman named Full Metal Bitch who may be able to help him.

· see review

Nov 01, 2010

Michaelt rated it

Shelves: scifi

Groundhog's Day (Bill Murray movie) crossed with extreme violent military science fiction. The protagonist of the story dies in his first battle, only to keep restarting the day before. Eventually he figures if he can't escape the die by dying, maybe if he can get good enough he can win the battle and stop the restarting.

The author even provides a fairly plausible reason for the restarts, at least in science fiction way.

· see review

Aug 23, 2010

Jacobmartin rated it

Shelves: light-fiction, light-novels, japanese-literature, sci-fi

I really liked this one, a little salty for my taste but what do you expect from a light novel about war? Original premise, a guy keeps dying over and over and wakes up the morning before battle each time. Dude's gotta find out why he can't die proper, so he's flippin', and he meets The Full Metal Bitch who may or may not be trippin' balls. Recommended as a Japanese answer to Starship Troopers.

· see review

Oct 23, 2011

Jason Bergman rated it

· review of another edition

Calling this book an anime Groundhog Day is completely accurate, and not even remotely insulting. That's what it is. If that idea sounds cool to you, you'll like it. It's short, and translated from Japanese, so the language isn't always great. But the concept is fun, and it's got lots of aliens and dudes in robot suits, and it moves very quickly. The ultimate reason for the time loop never quite sat well with me, but I had a blast with All You Need Is Kill nonetheless.

· see review

Jan 29, 2011

Phillip Hall rated it

I absolutely loved this book. It was rough and had some harsh language but it was amazing. It was fast paced and very interesting. I loved the action and the world it was set in. Lots of interesting characters, technology and scenes. Once finished it was instantly on my top 5 favorite books. Again it's rough, has harsh language but if you don't have an issue with that this was an amazing book that I fell in love with.

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Jan 10, 2011

Derek rated it

Don't think it gives too much away to describe this as Armor/Starship Troopers meets Robotech meets Groundhog Day. Enjoyed it very much as a light, fun, quick read. I waffle between 3 and 4 stars - about 2/3 of the way through I found myself sucked in completely, and had that "must finish!" sensation, however. So - 4 it is.

· see review

May 30, 2011

Noah rated it

'All You Need Is Kill' is a fantastic piece of Sci-Fi. It's short and sweet and has a really interesting premise that makes me even more excited to see it on the big screen.

Though it may not be for everyone, I think 'All You Need Is Kill' is a must-read for any Sci-Fi reader.

· see review

Nov 03, 2011

Jake Mccrary rated it

Shelves: non-tech

An extremely fast read, it really only took 4 sessions to read it, with most of that time being spent on a bus.

The book keeps a quick pace the entire time. I found myself not wanting to stop reading. An interesting mix between groundhogs day and starship troopers.

· see review

Sep 16, 2009

Lynda rated it

I didn't know what to expect from this novel, so was pleased to find it fresh, funny and exciting. Sakurazaka doesn't pull any punches regarding the horrors of war, but utilises sci-fi plot devices to delve deeper into what it means to be a hero.

· see review

Jul 05, 2010

Renee rated it

Not bad for my first taste of Japanese sci-fi. Even though the intended audience appeared to be adolescent boys, I enjoyed the female protagonist =- a highly skilled killing machine with the nickname "The Full Metal Bitch"

· see review

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