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Battle Royale #7
Battle Royale, Vol. 07
Unwilling to bow down to the oppressive confines of The Program, basketball star Shinji develops a plan to deliver his hand-made bombs directly to enemy HQ. All that's left is to put that plan into action. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done—mistrust and betrayal runs high in the world of Battle Royale and it could mean the end of Shinji’s playing days!
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Koushun Takami
100 books1,578 followersKoushun Takami (高見 広春 Takami Kōshun) is the author of the novel Battle Royale, originally published in Japanese, and later translated into English by Yuji Oniki and published by Viz Media and, later, in an expanded edition by Haika Soru, a division of Viz Media.
Takami was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture near Osaka and grew up in the Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku. After graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he dropped out of Nihon University's liberal arts correspondence course program. From 1991 to 1996, he worked for the news company Shikoku Shimbun, reporting on various fields including politics, police reports, and economics.
The novel Battle Royale was completed after Takami left the news company. It was rejected in the final round of the literary competition for which it was intended, owing to its controversial content. It went on to become a bestseller when finally released in 1999 and, a year later, was made into a manga and a feature film.
He is currently working on a second novel.
Takami was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture near Osaka and grew up in the Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku. After graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he dropped out of Nihon University's liberal arts correspondence course program. From 1991 to 1996, he worked for the news company Shikoku Shimbun, reporting on various fields including politics, police reports, and economics.
The novel Battle Royale was completed after Takami left the news company. It was rejected in the final round of the literary competition for which it was intended, owing to its controversial content. It went on to become a bestseller when finally released in 1999 and, a year later, was made into a manga and a feature film.
He is currently working on a second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 29, 2022
This is the 15-year-old villain of the series, Kiriyama. The true blue psychopath who has no emotions and just kills for the sake of killing. Typical Gen Z behaviour. 😅 He's a 6th dan black belt or something like that, ran a high school Yakuza gang, and uses his school jacket as a cape that is always billowing dramatically in the wind.
In the image above, he has just survived an explosion by hiding in a pickup that was blasted by a bomb and sent flying. After that, he dodged a close-range bullet to the face, all without so much as mussing up his hair and cape.
Like, I get that the author isn't even trying to be realistic at this point as he tells his dystopian shounen jump story, and I get that he probably thought Kiriyama was a cool villain, but he's just... not cool. At all. The whole thing is very try-hard. I'm honestly starting to feel like the author never met an actual 15-year-old high school student before doing this.
He spent two volumes developing Shinji and this bomb for absolutely no payoff. Why?
It's a short quick read and I'm halfway through so I might as well persevere until the end of the series, but this is starting to seriously feel like a waste of my time.
January 20, 2017
Debe ser el tomo que menos tiene para leer hasta el momento. Las situaciones se estiran mucho más, se centra más en los pocos personajes que van quedando. Las muertes son tremendas,, un tipo corriendo con las tripas afuera!? Muchos más sesos desparramados. Los flashbacks ya son más recientes con situaciones dentro de la isla. En fin.,. manteniendo el mismo esquema de supervivencia, situaciones extremas, violencia sádica es una lectura adictiva.
January 15, 2018
Another solid 4/5 installment in the series. I really should've written down what happened in each volume, because they're starting to run together and I'm having trouble remembering how the story is divided up (and therefore having trouble comparing the volumes). Either way, this was definitely a solid one, but not up to the level set by the best volume so far (vol 4), so it's about 8.5/10 or 8/10. Not 100% sure. Somewhere around there, though.
Spoiler text is here for me to remember how the story is split up between volumes
Spoiler text is here for me to remember how the story is split up between volumes
June 6, 2015
Holy crap! I was at the edge of my seat for this one!
I am getting over Kiriyama a bit now... he's getting to be too indestructible and it just makes things less exciting when he's around. You pretty much know he's never going to die and he'll always win... so a lot of the excitement is lost during those moments, which sucks.
Aww man, I'm so bummed about :-(
What's next!!? Can't wait to find out!!
I am getting over Kiriyama a bit now... he's getting to be too indestructible and it just makes things less exciting when he's around. You pretty much know he's never going to die and he'll always win... so a lot of the excitement is lost during those moments, which sucks.
Aww man, I'm so bummed about :-(
What's next!!? Can't wait to find out!!
June 14, 2012
4.5 stars
One of my favourite volumes so far. I devoured this one pretty quickly.
The last volume literally left us with a cliff hanger. There was a showdown between Shuuya and Kiriyama. Shuuya narrowly misses death if it had not been for Sugimura and the pair escape off a cliff. Things can only get worse and we find them next surrounded by a group of armed contestants. Meanwhile, Shinji Mimura and Yutaka are in the midst of their plan to bomb the school (the Program command center).
The story continues and I just could not put this volume down. I wanted to find out what happened to Shuuya and Sugi, but more importantly, I wanted to know whether Mimura and Yutaka succeed in their plan. Shinji Mimura is definitely one of my favourite characters in this series. Although he appears to be your typical jock who is so full of himself, he isn't. I love this guy. He has issues trusting people and in this volume he grows the most. Seriously, if you ever find yourself stranded on an island, he would be your best bet to get you off. Come on, which 16 year old do you know who can create a bomb using manure and gasoline? It was a shock to see him die. Did he have to be brutally murdered like that?
Favourite Quote:
"Shooting for the moon, Mim. Nothing less...Gotta shoot as high as you can. That way, even if you miss, you're ahead of the game. Sure, I may miss, but when I hit...Watch out!"
One of my favourite volumes so far. I devoured this one pretty quickly.
The last volume literally left us with a cliff hanger. There was a showdown between Shuuya and Kiriyama. Shuuya narrowly misses death if it had not been for Sugimura and the pair escape off a cliff. Things can only get worse and we find them next surrounded by a group of armed contestants. Meanwhile, Shinji Mimura and Yutaka are in the midst of their plan to bomb the school (the Program command center).
The story continues and I just could not put this volume down. I wanted to find out what happened to Shuuya and Sugi, but more importantly, I wanted to know whether Mimura and Yutaka succeed in their plan. Shinji Mimura is definitely one of my favourite characters in this series. Although he appears to be your typical jock who is so full of himself, he isn't. I love this guy. He has issues trusting people and in this volume he grows the most. Seriously, if you ever find yourself stranded on an island, he would be your best bet to get you off. Come on, which 16 year old do you know who can create a bomb using manure and gasoline? It was a shock to see him die. Did he have to be brutally murdered like that?
Favourite Quote:
"Shooting for the moon, Mim. Nothing less...Gotta shoot as high as you can. That way, even if you miss, you're ahead of the game. Sure, I may miss, but when I hit...Watch out!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2015
Current Mood: listening to "Everybody Hurts" on repeat
I know how this part in the manga goes. As soon as Iijima showed up, I knew what was going to happen, because Iijima in the manga/novel is not that cute mechanic kid. He's a slimeball. And that sucks, really, because why can't we have the one who got a personality upgrade?
But either way. This one.
This is one of my favorite volumes in the manga because not only does it showcase Yutaka and Shinji, but it also shows Shinji in such a way that he so very rarely is seen in. It shows him vulnerable. It breaks him down. And normally he's the cool guy (he's 'staying frosty'), and when you have him in this volume freaking out a little bit, it's great. It gives him as a character a little bit more depth, and it shows just how much he does rely on Yutaka, which was also great.
As always, the art is fantastic, the gore is also very mention-able, in this volume especially. I do really like the almost cringe-worthy way these characters seem to be vastly different ages - you've got some that could pass for fourteen-fifteen (Mim being one of them), and then you've got Yutaka the eight-year-old and Kawada the forty-year-old, and that's always something fun.
But, yeah. I'm glad I picked this manga up again, and I do want to get my hands on the rest of the series.
I know how this part in the manga goes. As soon as Iijima showed up, I knew what was going to happen, because Iijima in the manga/novel is not that cute mechanic kid. He's a slimeball. And that sucks, really, because why can't we have the one who got a personality upgrade?
But either way. This one.
This is one of my favorite volumes in the manga because not only does it showcase Yutaka and Shinji, but it also shows Shinji in such a way that he so very rarely is seen in. It shows him vulnerable. It breaks him down. And normally he's the cool guy (he's 'staying frosty'), and when you have him in this volume freaking out a little bit, it's great. It gives him as a character a little bit more depth, and it shows just how much he does rely on Yutaka, which was also great.
As always, the art is fantastic, the gore is also very mention-able, in this volume especially. I do really like the almost cringe-worthy way these characters seem to be vastly different ages - you've got some that could pass for fourteen-fifteen (Mim being one of them), and then you've got Yutaka the eight-year-old and Kawada the forty-year-old, and that's always something fun.
But, yeah. I'm glad I picked this manga up again, and I do want to get my hands on the rest of the series.
September 27, 2018
The most emotionally intense volume to date. My favorite pairing in the series so far met their end in a horrifically brutal yet respectable way. It’s sad to see them go, but even sadder that the one that killed them walked away completely unharmed after such a crazy confrontation. It gives him this unrealistic sense of invincibility that makes him more annoying than intimidating. He needs to die soon, especially for killing my favorite characters.
May 20, 2024
mim, no! :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2022
Entiendo que como hay muchos personajes han decidido que mueran rápido para no estancarse, aunque eso no quita que algunas muertes se me han hecho predecibles. Los personajes principales están bien, pero hay otros que sólo están ahí para ir muriendo.
Parece que hemos terminado con Mimura y Yutaka (si no hubiera quedado herido, Mimura tenía posibilidades de sobrevivir un poco más, incluso podría haberse reunido con el grupo de Shuuya), que consiguieron llevar a cabo su plan, lo cual no les gustó nada a los de El Programa. Me hace pensar que van a abrir una investigación para averiguar cómo lo hicieron.
Parece que hemos terminado con Mimura y Yutaka (si no hubiera quedado herido, Mimura tenía posibilidades de sobrevivir un poco más, incluso podría haberse reunido con el grupo de Shuuya), que consiguieron llevar a cabo su plan, lo cual no les gustó nada a los de El Programa. Me hace pensar que van a abrir una investigación para averiguar cómo lo hicieron.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2015
So this guy survives a bomb and getting shot in the face just misses him? I feel like this author is pulling a Game of Thrones. It really bothered me. The bad guy wins all the time because it's just so edgy...ugh
June 6, 2022
So this guy survives a bomb and getting shot in the face just misses him? I feel like this author is pulling a Game of Thrones. It really bothered me. The bad guy wins all the time because it's just so edgy...ugh
October 11, 2022
Such a good manga series. A great adaption with wonderful art work.
April 2, 2017
Quick Thoughts
That character shouldn't have survived. Totally unrealistic. I almost lemmed it, but since I'm on 7 of 10 and manga is a quick read anyways, I'll probably just finish it.
That character shouldn't have survived. Totally unrealistic. I almost lemmed it, but since I'm on 7 of 10 and manga is a quick read anyways, I'll probably just finish it.
March 16, 2017
I can't even tell you how many feelings this gave me. I was crying my eyes out at 2 am while reading this. The scenes between Yutaka and Shinji broke my heart.
March 30, 2019
The deaths in this volume! I couldn’t put it down and there’s so much action going on.
July 18, 2025
This manga is not that different from the original Battle Royale novel except for a few minor differences.
It's not perfect but it was awesome.
My feelings for this manga are about the same as the original novel except there is more drama and the characters are fleshed out a bit more.
The story is about a class of 42 junior high students that are transported onto an island where they are placed in this program where the students have to fight to the death and there can only be one winner. Similar to the book, the program has no time limit, however a student has to die within a 24-hour time zone, or the collars explode on all the students and there are no winners. In both scenarios, it forces the students to kill each other and try to survive. The tension from that is still there and you can feel it.
The dystopian theme is strong in the manga as well as the book, but it's slightly overshadowed by the drama of the characters and their own self conflicts.
Now, unlike the novel where some characters don't have much of a backstory, the manga takes it's time to explore the characteristics and backstories of all the students. Granted, some more than others. And it gives a new perspective.
However, this manga is definitely for adults. You have sexual themes and more brutality of the gore and violence the students participate in. If you want a more visual storytelling of the original book and don't mind extra violence, the manga is not bad.
It's not perfect but it was awesome.
My feelings for this manga are about the same as the original novel except there is more drama and the characters are fleshed out a bit more.
The story is about a class of 42 junior high students that are transported onto an island where they are placed in this program where the students have to fight to the death and there can only be one winner. Similar to the book, the program has no time limit, however a student has to die within a 24-hour time zone, or the collars explode on all the students and there are no winners. In both scenarios, it forces the students to kill each other and try to survive. The tension from that is still there and you can feel it.
The dystopian theme is strong in the manga as well as the book, but it's slightly overshadowed by the drama of the characters and their own self conflicts.
Now, unlike the novel where some characters don't have much of a backstory, the manga takes it's time to explore the characteristics and backstories of all the students. Granted, some more than others. And it gives a new perspective.
However, this manga is definitely for adults. You have sexual themes and more brutality of the gore and violence the students participate in. If you want a more visual storytelling of the original book and don't mind extra violence, the manga is not bad.
Read
November 14, 2024enjoyed this one but that's mostly because I love shinji. his entire emotional narrative in this volume was really well done. his friendship with yutaka is so wonderfully depicted. thought that keita was so fucking creepy in this and I love when the art style reflects a character's emotional turmoil or the perception from another character causes reality to become warped.
only complaint is that everything always has to come back to the same shit. like these novels really take like a line or a motif and fucking beat it to death. the whole 'stay frosty' thing and the 'winning shot.' or even how much these volumes INSIST on sucking shuya's dick by making everything abt him. like just let it be about yutaka and shinji's friendship (yes, I know shinji and shuya are friends but I hate shuya and I can say whatever I want).
only complaint is that everything always has to come back to the same shit. like these novels really take like a line or a motif and fucking beat it to death. the whole 'stay frosty' thing and the 'winning shot.' or even how much these volumes INSIST on sucking shuya's dick by making everything abt him. like just let it be about yutaka and shinji's friendship (yes, I know shinji and shuya are friends but I hate shuya and I can say whatever I want).
August 17, 2019
Another great volume in the manga adaptation of Battle Royale.
It's main focus was the fantastic and cataclysmic head-on collision between Shinji and Kazuo! Which was a very exciting moment, and they VERY MUCH SO did it justice.
Fantastic visual interpretation of the events of the book... especially the scene when Yutaka got killed and the artist drew the moment when there are a whole stampede of bullets from Kazuo's uzi flying through the air at Shinji and Yutaka as they embrace in a hug... the moment of peace before the storm when they realize they are being fired upon, and bullets are already tearing holes into Yutaka's face! Such an awesome drawing for that scene! Loved it! And the subsequent fire-fight/bomb run between Shinji and Kazuo was fantastic.
Kazuo definitely gives off an overwhelming T-1000 from T2:Judgement Day vibe... even moreso than in the book because of how the artist always draws Kazuo with that glassy-eye, dead-pan, emotionless, expressionless face of his... Amazing job of the artist to really ramp up the threat of Kazuo.
Can't wait for more! :D
It's main focus was the fantastic and cataclysmic head-on collision between Shinji and Kazuo! Which was a very exciting moment, and they VERY MUCH SO did it justice.
Fantastic visual interpretation of the events of the book... especially the scene when Yutaka got killed and the artist drew the moment when there are a whole stampede of bullets from Kazuo's uzi flying through the air at Shinji and Yutaka as they embrace in a hug... the moment of peace before the storm when they realize they are being fired upon, and bullets are already tearing holes into Yutaka's face! Such an awesome drawing for that scene! Loved it! And the subsequent fire-fight/bomb run between Shinji and Kazuo was fantastic.
Kazuo definitely gives off an overwhelming T-1000 from T2:Judgement Day vibe... even moreso than in the book because of how the artist always draws Kazuo with that glassy-eye, dead-pan, emotionless, expressionless face of his... Amazing job of the artist to really ramp up the threat of Kazuo.
Can't wait for more! :D
April 2, 2023
Creo que es de las pocas veces que voy a dar una puntuación basándome en lo que pasa en el manga y no en como está realizado, y es que... ¿de verdad? ¿Me preparas tanto a un personaje para esto? No solo es completamente anticlimático, sino que además se siente como una completa puñalada por la espalda...
Entiendo que quizás sea un paso necesario, pero incluso la realización se siente completamente irreal. Tiene un grado de fantasía e irrealidad impropia de la saga. Son personas normales, no pueden caminar, correr, saltar o disparar con los intestinos afuera... Por más cinturón de seguridad que te pongas, si tu auto salta por el aire debido a una explosión mínimo tenés que salir disparado por el parabrisas o romperte la cabeza... No puede ser que salgas como si nada...
En fin, no me quiero extender demasiado. La verdad que disfruté este volumen, pero a su vez no me gustó. Me involucró en la historia y me hace sentirme uno más odiando al antagonista.
Entiendo que quizás sea un paso necesario, pero incluso la realización se siente completamente irreal. Tiene un grado de fantasía e irrealidad impropia de la saga. Son personas normales, no pueden caminar, correr, saltar o disparar con los intestinos afuera... Por más cinturón de seguridad que te pongas, si tu auto salta por el aire debido a una explosión mínimo tenés que salir disparado por el parabrisas o romperte la cabeza... No puede ser que salgas como si nada...
En fin, no me quiero extender demasiado. La verdad que disfruté este volumen, pero a su vez no me gustó. Me involucró en la historia y me hace sentirme uno más odiando al antagonista.
February 10, 2025
No existe ningún medio por el que está historia sea contada que haga que Shinji me duela menos. Había estado trabajando tan duro para escapar y lograr que todos tuvieran una oportunidad, y todo se vino abajo en cuestión de segundos.
Desde el momento en que Kiriyama le disparó ya su destino estaba sellado, y aún así (de una manera solo posible en la ficción) resistió hasta hacer su último intento que tenía TODO para acabar con Kiriyama de una vez por todas.
Es muy frustrante como Shinji quedó como un colador mientras el otro no tuvo ni un rasguño, es increíblemente frustrante que Shinji haya muerto y todo su esfuerzo fuera en vano. ENCIMA, ¿ERA NECESARIO QUE MURIESE DE ESA FORMA TAN CRUEL?
So, si alguien lee esto y conoce un fanfic donde Shinji sobrevive y sigue con su plan, dígame por favor.
Desde el momento en que Kiriyama le disparó ya su destino estaba sellado, y aún así (de una manera solo posible en la ficción) resistió hasta hacer su último intento que tenía TODO para acabar con Kiriyama de una vez por todas.
Es muy frustrante como Shinji quedó como un colador mientras el otro no tuvo ni un rasguño, es increíblemente frustrante que Shinji haya muerto y todo su esfuerzo fuera en vano. ENCIMA, ¿ERA NECESARIO QUE MURIESE DE ESA FORMA TAN CRUEL?
So, si alguien lee esto y conoce un fanfic donde Shinji sobrevive y sigue con su plan, dígame por favor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2021
Necesito que alguien sane mi corazón porque acabo de perder a alguien importante en este manga, solo me pongo a imaginar todo ese dolor que tuvo que aguantar mientras arreglaba la bomba para tirarselo al bastado y tras eso ver que estaba vivo y luego aguantar más dolor y sufrimiento por parte del bastardo... Ha sido demasiado duro para mi verlo morir de una forma tan horrible y dolorosa.
Estoy orgullosa de él por no rendirse nunca, hasta el final lucho con todo, Mis respetos S. yo te seguiré queriendo aunque ya no estés.
Estoy orgullosa de él por no rendirse nunca, hasta el final lucho con todo, Mis respetos S. yo te seguiré queriendo aunque ya no estés.
January 24, 2025
Ohhhhh, this is the one.
So much intense action, so much hope, so much shattered hope. The heartbreak, the betrayal.
And Mim was fighting to the very end with everything he got. He was a dead man walking and still he kept going. Only for it all to not pan out.
Can't believe our little psychopath is still alive! We almost had him twice. But I guess he needs to be kept around a bit longer for the suspense.
And oh, Midget. Was also said that Mim and the main gang never got to link up. They would have been too unstoppable.
So much intense action, so much hope, so much shattered hope. The heartbreak, the betrayal.
And Mim was fighting to the very end with everything he got. He was a dead man walking and still he kept going. Only for it all to not pan out.
Can't believe our little psychopath is still alive! We almost had him twice. But I guess he needs to be kept around a bit longer for the suspense.
And oh, Midget. Was also said that Mim and the main gang never got to link up. They would have been too unstoppable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
Well.... The most interesting character is dead. And he didn't even kill the boring villain. Meeeeeh, that's shit.
Now I'm rooting for the buff doctor guy. But I bet he's s going to die, also, and only the boring elvis protagonist and maybe his boring girlfriend will survive. Meeeeeh.
Now I'm rooting for the buff doctor guy. But I bet he's s going to die, also, and only the boring elvis protagonist and maybe his boring girlfriend will survive. Meeeeeh.
December 14, 2017
This volume was better - not just because a couple more people died, but we are getting to know certain characters a little better, their true sides.
February 1, 2018
Another good volume.
July 27, 2018
Wow!!! I hated Shinji and Yutaka’s deaths!!!!! Very gory! Can’t wait to read the next volume lmao
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2019
Odio a Kiriyama y a Souma...
May 22, 2020
Hablemos de muertes épicas please...
March 1, 2021
Some serious Game of Thrones season 8 vibes here.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews