"Battle Royale" Manga

[Rashid]

Today as I was looking through the mail, I noticed a flyer from the "Science Fiction Book Club" so I looked through it. And it really shocked me when I saw a manga called "Battle Royale" as Battle Royale is the most popular diary in EWB history. I searched for the manga online and on http://www.tokyopop.com this is what it said:

"In the future, random Jr. High School classes are chosen to compete in a game called Battle Royale. The rules: only one student can survive after 3 days on an island or else they all perish. Weapons are handed out and each student is sent out into the field alone and unprepared for the horror that awaits them. The classmates turn upon themselves in a battle for survival, treaties are made and broken, and former friends become foes as the relentless countdown continues. Amid the betrayals and rising body count, two classmates confess their love for each other and swear to survive this deadly game together.

Based on the live-action feature film that became a cause celebre and polarized much of Japan."

I must say, I always thought CSAMH created up the idea of the diary, I never knew it was a manga or a movie.

Basically the reason I posted this, is 1: I'll probably look up the manga online and see if I can read it anywhere to see how good it is. and 2: If CSAMH sees this topic, I'm wondering, did you base the diary off the manga or the movie, and at the beginning of each BR diary, when you have pics of a japanese girl giving the instructions, are those pics from the movie?

[SeanDMan]

Actaully, both the movie and the manga are based on CSAMH's diary. If you can read Japanese, his name is in the credits for both.

[NobBe Nobbs]

He goes under the guise 'The Creator', but has said simply 'Your Overlord and Eternal Majesty' will suffice.

[Skummy]

But what a lot of people don't realise is that CSAMH's diary was based on a true story.

[Rashid]

CSAMH was the original creator then, thats cool. Did they get money out of this, for people using his idea for a manga and a movie?

And has anyone seen the movie?

EDIT: Ummm....when did ChrisSteel create Battle Royale?

Cause according to IMdB, Batoru rowaiaru was made in 2000 and Batoru rowaiaru II: Chinkonka was made in 2003.

I thought CSAMH created Battle Royale 2 like in 2004...

this is confusing me, can someone please help me out here?

Edited June 6, 2006 by Rashid

[Summers]

He turned them into diaries a long time after he first wrote down the ideas as stories. And yes, he made a fuck load of cash from it all.

[Gongsun Zan]

Why'd you think his trip to Japan was for?

[Plubby]

it's like pokemon in that way - that was written in 1970's but never hit the screens until late 1990's or something.

btw: the pics used in the diary are from his own personal collection - he was present during filming to ensure no one fucked with his creative genius.

the BR series is why i'm a hamster-fan, y'see.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I had nothing to do with Battle Royale 2. I was massively pressured by the studio to produce a follow up after BR's underground success in the cinema and on DVD. I basically had to allow them to make another but did none of the writing or anything.

[Bigal]

Are the rumours about a Battle Royale 3 true, Hammy, and will you be involved in that?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Hmm I can't really talk about it cos negotiations are taking place at the moment but I do worry about the purity of the original being sullied even more.

[Bigal]

Yeah, that's understandable. Maybe we should petition the creators in an attempt to keep the movie true to your vision?

We might not be able to do much, but it's worth a shot, right?

Edited June 6, 2006 by Bigal

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

For BR2 they took the idea I had of chaining people together (that was used in my BRIII diary) but relly messed up the execution of it.

[IAceI]

You know, Rashid, there's a book too. It's awesome.

Hammo did the author, Koushun Takami, run anything by you on that front?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

We worked together on it after he heard about my concepts. Being Japanese he knew that it would work so well with the Japanese psyche causing both anger and a real shocked excitement.

Let's just say I could live on the royalties of all the book sales alone!

[Bigal]

He did a great job. I think I remember you saying his characterizations and events were closer to what you wanted than the film was.

[Kaney]

A third entry in the series would really need a handsome scotsman in it to boost sales, don't you think?

It's been proven to work in the past, so the film should follow suit, if it wants to make up for the dud that was BR "Norros Game" 2.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

The thing is, with a diary concept you can encourage 30-40 people into writing characters they care about. When you have someone who is writing 40 characters HIMSELF he really has to nail it. He's a great author though so carried it off.

With the movie the fact we had to squeeze the contents of a diary idea into under 2 hours was always gonna cause serious troubles but the direction was good in the end and I am happy with it. Getting Takeshi Kitano to star in it was a massive personal thrill for me though and visiting the set and getting to meet the great man was everything I coulda wanted. Kitano starring in a film based on my idea.....Unbelieveable!

[Plubby]

If i buy a copy of the book and/or manga and send it you (inside a stamped self-addressed envelope etc so it gets back to me) will you sign it for me, CSAMH? please?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Course I will. I've done it for Sean and Kaney