#battle royale review

[agentnico]

Battle Royale (2000) Review

Was watching a video where Quentin Tarantino was ranking his favourite films that were released between 1992 and 2009 (don't ask why specifically between that period but hey ho) and Battle Royale was on the top of that list. Naturally, I had to check it out, and also boutique Blu-Ray publishers Arrow Video had a snazzy special edition of it available, so one thing led to another, the old bank account was squeezed a little and here we are.

Plot: 42 9th graders are sent to a deserted island. They are given a map, food, and various weapons. An explosive collar is fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Their mission: kill each other and be the last one standing. The last survivor is allowed to leave the island. If there is more than one survivor, the collars explode and kill them all.

The best way to put it is Battle Royale is the superior version of The Hunger Games. In fact, judging from the latter being released more recently, Hunger Games straight up ripped off Battle Royale, and shamelessly so. However, Hunger Games, for its big budget and all is actually relatively primitive and bland looking compared to its inspiration. Apologies for the upcoming Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel, but I shall not be tuning it for that obvious Hollywood cash-grab, no matter how adorable Jason Schwartzmann's puppy-dog face is.

Battle Royale isn't an expensive-looking movie. In fact there are a lot of cheap shots and simple set pieces, and even the performances from many of the cast come off as over-the-top and corny, however, it is the collective package that makes it pop. It's a film that features such a shockingly taboo subject, yet because it doesn't shy away from this premise, it results in a very successful Japanese thriller. The hypothetical idea of one of the most traumatic things that could happen to a bunch of teenagers - needing to kill one another in the name of survival. And seeing each character's personality and their response to this awful situation is actually pretty fascinating. There are naturally those who blatantly refuse to partake and, like regular innocent minds should, simply cannot contemplate the idea of wanting to take another human being's life. Then some seem to find the transition into becoming murderers as simple as clicking your own fingers. I say that, however, my fiancee seems to struggle with clicking her fingers part so maybe it can be a difficult feat for some, but for most of us clicking fingers is an easy task. Heck, it's nothing compared to whistling. Now how the hell do some people do that? That's just a whole new level of.... but I digress. Looking at our modern-day youth, with the chavs and whatnot, to be fair seeing them resort to killing someone isn't all too far-fetched, and that is terrifying. However, in the film some of the murderers have their reasons to be so, like for example the class-loner who at school was ignored and bullied, so naturally this situation allows her to free herself and take control of her life. There's also the factor of how the film plays out as a social commentary piece on Japanese youth culture, and as such isn't a surprise that at the time of release, it was hit by a huge backlash from the government who feared riots and that it would incite mayhem from its populace.

As a fan of Tarantino, naturally Battle Royale was an enjoyable watch for me, and you can tell that Quentin himself was inspired by this and other works of director Kinji Fukasaku, as evident from Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2. There were plenty of exciting and shocking kills, and loads of blood and gore that looked like paint, but it was stylistic so that's cool. There were plenty of ace sweeping shots of the island and the waves triumphantly hitting against the rocks, and all this was accompanied by a superb classical score, that added that feel of magnificence. Speaking of music, it was strange how throughout all the gore and brutal madness there were still moments of tenderness accompanied by piano music, and in those moments it was as if I was watching a Studio Ghibli animation, not that I was complaining. There's also a self-aware element of humour, through the way certain characters act to the situations that transpire, it's as if the movie is fully aware of its ludicrous premise and fully plays up to it.

Additionally, in these kinds of films where everyone needs to kill one another, its very common to for there to be a lack of care for any of the characters. However I must say that the movie does go out of its way to make you sympathize with some of them, and I found myself actually caring for some of them and getting upset whenever one I was rooting for bit the dust. Overall Battle Royale is a film that works due to how much it is unafraid of its own subject matter and has no fear of being limited to what is or isn't taboo. And again, if you enjoy Tarantino films then this is right up your alley - an over-the-top violence fest that features artistic filmmaking balanced with moments of cringe. It's a great time and a stand-out amongst Arrow Video's collection.

Overall score: 8/10

[creepercraftguy]

My Thoughts on JOKER VS GIORNO

Once again, we come back to another Death Battle review, where I share my personal thoughts on what we saw.

Unlike Omni-Man Vs Bardock, while I was excited for that matchup, as someone who is a MASSIVE fan of both these characters and their respective franchises, this one was one that I was really looking forward to, even though I knew the fallout for it, regardless of who wins, is probably gonna keep me off the Death Battle internet community for a week at least.

Before I do or say anything on this matchup, I know this sort of thing goes through one ear and out the other, but can we please be respectful in the chat? It's super lame to start a war and to hate on the DB creators just because their opinion on a matchup isn't the same as yours. Let's just try to be good people, please?

Everything is under the cut as per normal, because I will be spoiling the episode:

In case it wasn't obvious how my previous review ended, this was a matchup that I was very excited for. But on top of my excitement, I was also...kind of scared.

I won't comment on my personal opinion of the JoJo fanbase and the Persona fanbase, but one thing that I cannot forgo talking about is that both sides are...intense.

Which is to say they love their franchises and their characters deeply, so while I, as someone who likes both Joker AND Giorno, and their respective series (though I do have a preference for Persona 5 and Joker) am not looking forward to the fallout that this episode brings, because Death Battle are probably about to make half their fanbase very, very angry.

Well, I mean, what else is new? But this time in particular, even more than Omni-Man and Bardock could have.

The analysis portions were actually very good. They touched on a lot of stuff, some of which I even forgot about, but I do have two pretty big qualms with them.

First of all, for Joker's segment especially, though Giorno's suffers from a similar problem, I'm pretty sure I could have made a bingo card of obvious jokes they could make about the Persona series and Joker and the Phantom Thieves, and...yeah, I would have definitely gotten a bingo.

Akechi's pancakes, Mara, the fact that you can date your teacher in the game and that Joker likes older women (although admittedly when I saw that in his intro card, it did make me chuckle), and the idea of never hanging out with your friends again once you max them out are all very commonly appearing jokes in the Persona fanbase, and Death Battle would not have missed an opportunity to mention pretty much all of them.

And then Giorno as well, though not as common, does have the drinking piss joke and the like. Although, I will admit, I think Boomsticks point about Jesus being a JoJo was done in a way that was pretty funny.

My other big issue with the analysis, and this carries on in the post analysis, is showing that Golden Experience Requiem could counter Pucci's stand, and then later, be negated by The World Over Heaven. Feats that come from video games that aren't exactly canon.

In the end, I don't think it really matters that much, because the points they made still stand, but can we maybe get a fact check on whether or not we can use these abilities? Because I'm pretty sure you'd have to take into account the feats of other JoJo's in past matchups, specifically Jotaro, who has the same ability by the end of that game.

Maybe Eyes of Heaven didn't come out when Jotaro Vs Kenshiro did, so I guess I'll give it a pass? Either way, it bothers me, and I really don't know why, because it doesn't amount to much; just that it's used to explain a point they were trying to make.

Other than that, pretty well-stylized analysis portions, and I don't have any complaints. They did well to sell the characters, and honestly? Up until I saw them, I was pretty ready for Jokers loss. Leading up to the fight, I started to change my tune. And after them, I changed sides completely and went back to supporting my boy.

I do somewhat feel guilty for how it ended though. Speaking of which, the fight.

I'm gonna be honest, the fight was cool, but it wasn't perfect. The teaser that was shown on the DB cast looked fire as fuck, but then when the actual fight started, it didn't live up to what it was selling.

Which is not to say that the fight didn't fuck, because it did. The sprites of the characters, Giorno especially, are just a little clunky, static, and very obviously a sprite puppet rig, that's all.

It also felt...a little fast paced? It's weird because the buildup to GE:R and Satanael was well-handled and cool, but for most of the fight, it just feels like the abilities are being thrown around rapid fast, and there's not much time to soak all of it in.

Also, I'm pretty sure Die For Me is an instant kill move, so maybe they should have saved that for when Requiem came out. Just my opinion though. I mean, Die For Me isn't 100% accurate, and doesn't work on bosses, so hell, maybe Giorno either dodged it, or is a boss.

I mean, he IS a boss, but...Well, whatever.

But again, my overall issue is that despite the similar framing, the animation budget just...hasn't quite hit yet. Maybe that's the price of being independent, but I'm REALLY holding out for Moro next week to absolutely smash the next match.

And again, this fight was NOT POORLY animated. Just that there have been sprite fights that were WAY better. Like Dio Vs Alucard for instance.

Speaking of which, this fight is actually pretty similar to that fight in that the penultimate winner of the fight spends...quite a lot of the match just getting bodied by their opponent until they're successfully able to turn it around. Dio did it against Alucard, and Joker did the same to his son in the end.

One more point I want to make on the fight itself is the voice acting. Kieren Regan, who voiced Giorno, is someone who I'm actually familiar with. He's the voice of Shikanoin Heizou in Genshin Impact, and this is his first time working with Death Battle. Honestly? His voice for Giorno is pretty good, even if his tone is a little more whispery than Phillip Reich's rendition of the character.

But OH MY FUCKING GOD, I swear, during the build up to this episode, I seriously thought that Xander Mobus himself was the one doing the voice of Joker! He's actually voiced by Kevin Rivera (Who most would know from the dub of Undead Unluck) who previously voiced Alex Mercer and Dimitri in the last season, but my lord, his impression is SPOT ON! 10/10, no notes!

If I had to give an overall highlight of the fight, well...It'd probably have to be the beginning portion of it that was shown in the cast. The intro to this fight was solid as hell, and if I had to pick another moment in the fight that I was pretty pumped about, it was the sequence when Giorno uses his ability to turn Joker's grapple shot into a snake, and then Joker shoots the snake which reflects the damage back on him. Then the bullets that Giorno turned into bees earlier returned to Joker, destroyed his gun, which gave passage to the ultimate climax of the fight.

That portion was pretty sick.

And then the way the fight ends, while stunning, I do kind of wish it had been more climactic than a single bullet, but...then again, a single bullet put down Jaldabaoth, so there's no need to oversell that, and neither Joker, nor Giorno, are really known for anime screaming or fighting tooth and nail (well, Giorno is sort of) so I can't exactly claim it to be out of character to end this way.

And as for my last note, I think I'm gonna have to give the fight track by Therewolf and Brandon Yates a listen on it's own when it drops, because it's hard to analyse the lyrics and tune while the fight is going on, because it very rapidly changes with each side's sporadic moves.

BUT the vocals in the track are done by Saoirse, the same person who did the vocals for Phantom's Game, the track that Brandon Yates made for a Joker Vs Neku commission he did, and...yeah, that's brilliant, because I loved the vocals of that song, and she's a brilliant singer on the same level as Lyn Inaizumi for these tracks, so yeah.

Final score for me? I give it an 8.5 out of 10. Not perfect, and not quite a 9, but definitely close.

Next week is Eggman Vs Bowser, as I suspected it would be, so let's get pumped for this match, because it's been a long time coming.

[sour-facedsaints]

Book Review: FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven

⚠️ Given the recent hurricanes in Florida (and across the Southeast) there is the potential for this book to hit a little too close to home for some. Proceed with caution. ⚠️

art by John Bergin

Year: 2016

Genre: Thriller; Isolation Horror

Format: audiobook

Length: 10hr

Stars: 3

Summary: A devastating hurricane hits the coast of Florida, and roughly 300 theme park employees willingly stay behind in storm shelters on FantasticLand property to maintain the park once things move from emergency to aftermath. It should be easy money, right?

But as things quickly get out of hand, some take advantage of the absolute freedom that comes with isolation from the outside world, and others are forced to defend themselves. Tribes form, alliances are struck, and by the time rescue arrives, a wholesome American landmark has turned into a scene from a horror movie.

The tale of the warring tribes that formed over a breakneck 5 weeks of isolation is presented as a series of interviews with the survivors.

Thoughts: This book was a fun, wild ride. I listened to the 10 hour audiobook over the course of just two days, and enjoyed myself thoroughly the entire time. The performances were great, and the whole thing had the appeal of a well-narrated NoSleep story or creepypasta. That is to say, cheesy, and maybe a little unrealistic, but a really good time, especially to the right audience. I loved the ShopGirls and the Freaks sections, and the Warthogs chapter was a massive standout. That could stand on its’ own as a fantastic short story.

My biggest criticism is that the main justification for how things devolved to murderous tribalism in a matter of hours is a very one-note take on social media addiction. This is despite systemic failures, combined with one charismatic psychopath’s efforts to escalate the situation, being so clearly the real villains, in my opinion.

Hockney and management and all the rest do get acknowledgments for the role they played, but the final blame is placed on the bored minds of college students who were trapped without Facebook for a few days. It’s giving…

and was a constant distraction. I kept waiting for the author to arrive at some greater conclusion or explore the other causes more but, nope. It’s because they’re always on that damn phone, apparently. As such, it required a major suspension of disbelief for me to get through.

I would also classify the book as more thriller than horror. The events are brutal and gripping, but not particularly scary.

I would recommend this book to: fans of Yellowjackets and similar stories, fans of NoSleep stories/creepypasta, anyone looking for a fun but brutal thriller.

[freshthoughts2020]

[kindledspiritsbooks]

My Month in Books: November and December 2023

Why We Get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman I spend a lot of my time at work thinking about the UK’s political system (and to be honest way too much of my free time as well) so I was excited to get a slightly more outside perspective on the workings of Westminster. While the book is probably a little bit basic for hardcore politics nerds (though I was thrilled to see a whole section…

[quino7]

Finished battle Royale and woo do I have some things to say. First off 3-4/10, the manga is bad there’s no getting around that It suffers from a lot of the same problems Shigurui does, which is interesting with them both being book adaptations. Honestly just watch the movie it’s a lot better.

For the good things the manga does there’s a decent bit of stuff, the art is pretty good, with a notable exception with the characters, the quality ranges from just bad and kinda awkward looking, to stuff that is very stereotypical of it’s time but not offensively bad. The manga also does a pretty good job with action scenes, especially when Kazuo is involved. Speaking of Kazuo, he’s one of the saving graces, serving as an excellent villain.

And now for the Bad. First off pacing, it’s kinda a given when adapting a novel, but time is all over the place and it doesnt flow well at all, it starts out noticeably pretty slow but ends up going really fast as the game draws to a close. And now for by far the worst part, Sex. The Battle Royale manga is really bad with sex, there’s a bunch of tone deaf at best fanservice. And istg like half of the important girl characters have some sort of backstory that makes sex a major part of their character. Like there’s this girl who plays a major role in the story who’s major plot point is her having experienced CSA and how it plays into her current personality and actions, which could be great if handled gracefully, but calling it non-graceful would be putting it mildly, there’s just so many problems with her. And there’s a bunch of other girls who have similar backstories and interactions with sex and sexual abuse/assault during the story that are just handled so incredibly poorly. Couple that with all of the panty and boob shots omfg. Like age usually isn’t a big matter for me in manga but like one of the main points of this story is how they’re just kids, and how putting them into a horrible situation has horrible outcomes, and it’s just super creepy. Final thing, it’s gay representation is about as horrible as you’d expect, like it’s worse than one piece ffs.

That’s pretty much it, it’s so incredibly bad but it also has some great moments. If you want to experience it just watch the fucking movie it’s good

[luxshine]

#War in her throne. This is a piece I made for my third video of #Morechainsawsneeded, before I started making images related to the movies and not with my original characters. Still, you can watch the video of how #Squidgame is not #Battleroyale here! (And let me know if you want me to talk a bit more about Win or Die movies!) https://youtu.be/OCO3gcKnGlA?si=V9NNPgmpXPA0M7c8

And remember! The Creator of Squid Game don't get residuals from Netflix, so given how they are trying to take advantage of international creators during the strike? It's perfectly fine to go and get the series from your Uncle Stede and Uncle Tatch's library! ARR and hoist the colors high!

[esportopedia]

Respawn opens a third studio and plans to develop Apex

Renaissance Entertainment has grown steadily since its inception 12 years ago. New company led by Vince Zampella opens a new studio in Madison, Wisconsin.led by industry veteran Ryan Burnett. Burnett has been in the video game industry for almost 20 years and was previously associated with Raven Software, where he worked with Call of Duty, and with Epic Games, where he led engine development. So…

[squidthoughts]

wait battle royale would have been so much better with some toxic yuri

[atthequillsmercy]

Lenni Reviews: "Battle Royale: Enforcers" Vol. 2, by Koushun Takami & Yukai Asada

(Image Source) *This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. In this volume, more characters are revealed as are more rules to the game as the battle for survival creeps into it’s first night. When I saw the fanservice naked woman, I had immediate concerns that this series was going to devolve into the uncomfortable sex scenes that were present in the first manga series. I’m no…

[canyonmooncreations]

I can’t stop thinking about bratty princess reader x bodyguards 141

Something something your life is ruined now that your father has hired four broody body guards to be with you at all times. They usually rotate shifts, one staying with you at all times.

Sometimes events call for three of them or all of them. So when it’s time for a royal ball and three of them are needed, Simon opts to sit this one out in hopes to avoid the uncomfortable socialization.

After the ball, John stays at the palace with you and Kyle and Johnny join Simon back at their residence. Simon is absolutely baffled when the boys don’t shut up about how bratty you were and the major attitude adjustment you need.

Talking about how you refused to follow directions, even when they were for your safety. Refused to buckle up in the car and struggled so much that Johnny had to hold you down while Kyle buckled you up. Pouting the rest of the way home. Refused to eat dinner at the ball and insisted they stop at a drive through even though that wasn’t on your itinerary. Threatening to get them fired if they don’t take you.

The boys go on and on about your behavior and Simon just listens, dumbfounded.

“What’s that face for Riley? She even worse with you?” Johnny asks with a frustrated tone.

Simon shakes his head. “No attitude for me.”

The boys both start laughing. There’s no way that’s true. You’re truly a spoiled rotten brat, they think. There’s no way that he’s serious.

They never believe him until there’s an event that calls for all four of them. Simon’s with you at the palace while you get ready. The three boys pull up out front ready for you to join.

They watch as you walk nicely to the car and climb into the middle settling in next to Johnny. Simon climbs in after you. The boys are ready for the battle of asking you to buckle up.

“Buckle, princess” Simon grumbles.

“Yes, Mr. Riley.” The car goes silent. Johnny and Kyle look like their eyes are about to pop out of their head. John doesn’t miss the way your cheeks blushed red.

The car ride is silent. The boys are too shocked to say anything. Since when did you have manners and the ability to follow instructions? John drives with a grin on his face. Simon is unphased as you rest your head on his shoulder.

At the event, you are on your best behavior. You eat your food, move when instructed to move, and smile the whole time. The boys are genuinely so shocked at this new side of you. They watch in awe as Simon approaches you and the ever present feisty look is no where to be found.

“Ready to go?” Simon asks softly.

“Can we please stay a little longer?” You ask so kindly. Simon nods and finds his protective position.

“Did she just say please?” Johnny asked exasperated.

“She doesn’t even know what that word means!?!?” Kyle is just as shocked. John just chuckles and shakes his head.

They then watch as minutes pass and you gently tap Simon and tell him you are ready to leave.

When you get to the car, Johnny decides to put this to the test. Simon gets you in the car and closes the door to talk to the event staff before leaving.

“Buckle up sweetheart.” Johnny instructs.

You give him a polite nod and buckle up quickly. John lets out a chuckle and before Johnny can’t say anything before Simon is joining them in the car. “Bloody hell.” is all that is heard as the car falls silent.

On the way home, you lean over the Simon and ask if you could stop for ice cream. He replies with a simple “No, princess” and is met with no reaction from you. A slight nod and your head falls back against his shoulder.

Kyle is about to lose it. You threatening to get them fired if they didn’t take you through the drive through the other day. What the fuck has Simon done to you??

Something something and now it’s the end of the night. Simon has got you settled into bed and walks into the castle living room to review how tonight went with the security team.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” Johnny and Kyle stare at him as if he’s accomplished the impossible.

“Told ya, no attitude with me.”

John chuckles and pats Simon on the back as he grins.

Masterlist

A/n: is this dumb?? It’s been eating my brain for a four hour car ride 😭😭

[imperotenebre]

Concord open beta PS5 gameplay 4K - prime impressioni

Proviamo la beta

[beneaththetangles]

Helck vs. Claes, Class F vs. each other, Kurumi vs. herself, and Mirai vs. the expectations weighing on her? Challenges for the characters in the series that Twwk is reviewing this week are both external and internal, but in all cases, they come with a heavy weight. Join us as he reviews several premiere volumes (including possibly the sweetest romance of the year) and a couple of series further on down the line, including the latest installment of Helck.

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Battle Royale Enforcers (Vol. 1) • Black Summoner (Vol. 2) • The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity (Vol. 1) • Helck (Vol. 10) • Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate (Vol. 2) • Naruto: Konoha’s Story—The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Manga (Vol. 1)

[freshthoughts2020]

[fauxfigmentfox]

ALRIGHT NEW VIDEO IS OUT! Pac-Man Chomp Champs is OUT! What used to be a Google Stadia exclusive has been repurposed for all platforms and brings some new changes! Some good some.. not so good. Should you get the game? Is it fun? Check out the video! Enjoy!