Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

In 1999 Japanese author Koushun Takami gained global notice for his novel Battle Royale. In this ultraviolent, 600-plus page dystopian novel the Japanese government holds an annual competition where Junior High students must kill each other. The last student to survive is the "winner."  The book has been released multiple times in English, been the inspiration for the Battle Royale film series, and had a manga adaptation.  And Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has been accused of plagiarizing Battle Royale for her hit trilogy.   Is the novel worth the fuss?  Join Stuart in L.A. now for this review of the English translation of Battle Royale.   Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie review crew's thoughts on the film!  Those movie reviews are only available during the Fall, 2015 donation drive, so donate today!