Battle Royale is one of those mangas you'll either love or hate. A manga that relies heavily on a combination psychological horror, gore and eroticism with an encompassive theme of man's diverse nature. Is it possible to pull a worthwhile experience out of this? Well, certainly.
Story 8/10:
The setup of BR's story isn't very complex, nor too original. In a totalitarian version of Japan, a random 9th grade class is picked each year to kill each other in a remote location. Winner takes all, only one survives. The whole ''Program'', as it is called, is broadcasted in the country as a means of ultimate entertainment. Various precautions have been installed to ensure the students will actually feel forced to murder each other.
As simple and perhaps unoriginal as this sounds, this simple structure works perfectly for a tale that thrives on character development and the transcription of various personalities from their basic setting into one of great tension and peril, accompanied by the occasional gore and eroticism. While very explicit, such scenes add to the characters and the merciless atmosphere outlines in the manga as a whole.
As a minor complaint, pacing tends to come and go from time to time, with some chapters displaying an adrenaline rush of suspense and action, while other chapters revert to an elaborate setting and matching text walls.
Art 9/10:
You either love or hate it. BR exudes a unique style, displaying disgusting gore, pornographic displays and the suspense of a bullet in highly stylized panels. Having run from 2000-2006, the art undergoes slight evolution throughout the chapters, with characters assuming slightly more realistic appearance and overal less messy art.
One of the major merits of this style is that it succeeds exactly in what it intends to do; capture the horror, madness that pervades the manga, as well as the character's non verbal responses to the various predicaments they find themselves in. Whether it's the sheer madness in the face of a girl who's lost her mind to fear or the expression of shock, sorrow or even happiness in the eyes of the recently deceased. The art allows the characters to live and die according to their mindsets, enhancing the impact their struggles and imminent deaths have on the reader.
Another excellent compliment should be made for the way the mangaka drew action sequences. Whether it's bullets captured in slow-motion, driving through someone's face or a car in mid-air, the stylish drawing style of the mangaka captures it beautifully. The results often resemble Matrix-esque action, giving depth to otherwise fairly fast-paced and mostly short-lasting fights.
The art is also primarily a reason why those with a feeble mind or of young age are not recommended to read this manga. Death, mutiliation as well as adult themes such as sex/rape are incredibly graphic and a constant reminder of that what happens in the manga is serious business.
Characters 9/10:
Perhaps the most important aspect of BR is the elaborate cast and their individual involvement in the story. As soon as the story kicks off, you are introduced to a whole class of 42 students as well as a few side characters. This may be a bit much to swallow all at once, though the story handles this excellently by introducing the characters often individually during the Program.
The majority of these characters have at least some of their background and personal motives revealed over time, with the main characters obviously undergoing more character development. A small problem may present itself with the sometimes long and prompt way flashbacks and character backgrounds are revealed. On the other hand, however, these sidestories tend to contain deep, psychological, moral or philosophical messages that are both thought provoking in general and provide you with an explanation for why these characters became the people they are and why they handle situations the way they do.
Everyone can die in BR is what the story wishes to portray and it does an excellent job at doing so. Character development is by no means a ticket to safety and as a result, you will find yourself rooting for well-developed characters to survive, only to find out that some of them meet with a tragic fate. It certainly makes for impactful deaths.
The only problem that arises with this is that such a variation in character types typically has every reader pick their favourites. As such, going through some of the flashbacks/backgrounds/developments of the characters you may not like all that much, can be tedious.
Enjoyment 9/10:
The manga provides an enjoyable read for those who can latch on to the tense atmosphere sketched. The realistic way in which characters and their trials and tribulations, all according to their personalities, are portrayed throughout the course of the manga forces you into picking favourites. As characters either grow on you or earn your antipathy, you'll find yourself rooting for your favourites to survive a crazed killer attempting to gun them down and for those horrible backstabbers to get what they deserve. Suspense and tension keeps you reading and if you're into psychology/philosophy, you may pick up a number of life lessons and some understanding of human nature up along the way.
Overal l 9/10:
Despite minor complications, an excellent psychological thriller/horror manga, making no effort in obscuring the severity of its content. A must read for fans of survival horror and psychology/philosophy. As a rather graphic manga, with adult themes, it is recommended that the reader is of age and/or resistant to graphic horror/eroticism.
