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I am a Battle Royale addict! Literally I fiend for every precious tankoubon (volume)! I wish the series came out weekly, and as the series draws to an end, the addiction is only gets worse. Battle Royale, the saga featuring school students forced in a reality show and forced to fight for their lives while taking others, is the hottest manga I have ever, or may ever read!
Before I got the opportunity to read through the latest volume, it was volume six that kept me on the edge of my seat. It began with our trinity of heroes; Shuuya Nanahara, Noriko Nakagawa and Shogo Kawada trying to maintain an alliance and looking for a way to escape the island without having to kill each other to win. However, the trio runs into the honorable, angst ridden kung-fu fighting Hiroki Sugimura, who ends up battling Shogo in an intense fight that is beautifully depicted. Will the two fighters come to their senses and realize that they are both fighting for the same cause or will they become victims for the villainous Kazuo Kiriyama?
At the same time, Shinji Mimura continues his plan to blow up the school and free everyone from their oppressor’s control. Yutaka Sato is still his ally, but his bumbling nature may leave Shinji with several options: kill his friend, leave him behind or risk both himself and comrade? And what will happen when a third party gets involved? My only gripe with this volume of Battle Royale was the childish banter between Noriko, Shuuya and Hiroki, because it seemed out of place in this tale of survival and strategy, but other than that, volume six contained some great action with wonderfully depicted fight scenes and a chase that just flowed from frame to frame, giving the reader a perfect description of the terror.
But just when I thought it couldn’t get better, volume seven came along and proved me wrong! Battle Royale Volume 7 diverts attention away from the trinity, focusing on Shinji’s plan. Instead of the tried and true, the story focuses on the psychological aspects of having to kill and not being able to trust anyone. Shinji has just about had enough and his past comes back to haunt him, with flashbacks of time spent with his uncle and a situation between Shinji and a fellow student that changes how he plays the game. The drama of it all effects Shinji and he must gather his thoughts, redevelop a trust that is broken and get it all together in time to confront the biggest obstacle in his plan, when Kazuo, our sub-machine gun toting survivalist who will do anything to add to his already impressive body count, shows up at the worst time.
In short, Volume 7 was a phenomenal, well crafted, exciting and thought provoking. The end of this volume totally shocked me with something I was not expecting to happen so soon. Everyone is game! But I will not linger too long in the past; it is time to savor my anticipation for Battle Royale Volume 8, which will focus on the seductive villainous Mitsuko Souma. The sweat is pouring, my head is pounding and I am suffering from Battle Royale withdrawal once more!!!!
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