Battle Royale

Kill or be killed.

Last week, while I was reading one of my friend's blog, I chance up reading Battle Royale. She didn't really tell the whole story. She was just pointing out that the actress who played Gogo Yubari is also in the movie Battle Royale. I fell in love with the person who played Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama), so I checked out sites that has anything to do with Battle Royale.

After checking out the site, I didn't realize that I was getting hooked on the synopsis. I completely forgot that I was there to check out Chiaki Kuriyama. While reading the synopsis and viewing the scan images, I was getting goosebumps all over. The idea of students killing each other for their own sake to survive "The Program" was kinda disturbing. To be perfectly honest, I had no intention of watching the movie or read the manga. I was not really onto that bloody, gory stories.

Anyway, the day after that. A friend of mine from the office told me that there was this new store in one of the big malls here in Manila. They sell animes and mangas. Btw, most animes that are being sold here came direct from Hongkong or Japan. Anyway, so there, she took me to the store. I was amazed on how extensive their collection of mangas. So I took the liberty of buying one... since it was also payday. heeheh. At first I bought the manga version of "THE RING" or Ringu to some super fanatics out there. It was the same till the end. I didn't know that there was a fourth book called the Spiral.

After reading The Ring, I can't help myself and go back to the store to buy the second part. But by chance, I saw the manga version of Battle Royale. My hands started to itch and something inside me is telling me to buy it. Curiosity perhaps? My mind was going... what's the big deal about the story anyway. So after some hard thinking... I decided to buy the first volume. As I was about to pay, I realized that they were also an anime store. Though Battle Royale is a live action movie, I took a chance and asked if they have one. By luck, they have a Video CD copy of it. After that, I didn't know what took over me. I bought the first volume of the manga AND the Video CD.

We who are about to die: THIRD YEAR-CLASS B, Shiroiwa Junior High School

I can't wait to get back home. I was so excited and at the same time nervous. The reviews said it was brutal and gory. That's both for the manga and the movie. So when I got back home, I decided to play the movie first. To be honest, it blew my mind! The movie was great. Kinda freaky and disturbing... but it was great. After finishing the movie, I jumped to reading the manga. It was also great... though there were some differences in the manga compared to the movie. But they said that the manga was the closest version to the Novel. Btw, Battle Royale was a novel by Koushun Takami (who also happened to be the writer of the manga) and was later adapted to the big screen by the late Kinji Fukasaku. I was kinda craving for more Battle Royale so earlier or should I say last night, I bought volume 2 of the manga. The manga is more brutal than the movie. But seeing it in live action makes it more disturbing.

So to all of you who are reading my blog, try watching the movie or reading the manga. Battle Royale is a very good film. But be warned... it's not for the feint of heart.

Bounce!