Battle Royale Vol. 3by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 First and foremost, readers should be warned, there is adult content in book three. And when I say adult content I mean very graphic, relatively hardcore sex. For those that that would offend, there is some sex within the main story, but the really hardcore stuff you do not have to read this to follow the story — in fact, it is a side-story separated by a couple of pages from the main story and located at the end of the book. For those of us that like a little hentai Battle Royale just got that much better. There's a reason this series comes shrinkwrapped!Now that that's out of the way I can talk about how great this issue is — sex and all. Shuuya, Noriko, and Shogo are still working together, but now Shogo's secret is out — this is not his first time playing the game ... which means he knows how to win. To the guys running the show, it seems Shogo's up to his old winning tricks, but is he really playing the game or is he on Shuuya's side for real? Only time will answer that question, but for now he's a good guy with some much needed knowledge and expertise. Meanwhile, Mimura seems to be trying to outsmart the game as well, and has a partner (albiet a guy who wont be much help, but still, someone else not playing). But Mitsuko Souma is their "angel of death", using her looks and body to get the guys in close before unleashing her scythe. The side-story is also about her ... using her body to get what she wants is nothing new; she's an expert at playing games and winning! This series is truly amazing! Violence that's unbelievable coming from high school teenagers, combined with sex, insanity, and the concept itself — a televised "game" in which a class picked at random from a school has to kill each other till only one is left. This is the most real and most controversial of anything depecting reality TV. Even when the students think they're being sneaky about something, the guy in charge is way ahead of them and having fun manipulating them at his leisure. He wants a good show, no matter what. You might be disgusted at the very idea this manga presents, or shocked at what the students do (and have done), or you might be sick and twisted enough to love it (like myself), but either way you will be captivated by Battle Royale and wont be able to put it down! Written: January 7, 2004
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