The Student Room Group

The Hunger Games or Battle Royale?

I've tried to find this discussion on the internet for quite some time now but I always just end up finding threads/sites about whether or not Suzanne Collins ripped off Battle Royale. But that really is a different discussion entirely. Anyway, which one do you prefer and why?

Personally, I have to go with Battle Royale. For me it had more emotional depth, all of the 42 contestants are at least given some development and I often felt as though I was there with the characters when they died, perfectly understanding what they felt. I also feel as if Takami understands human psychology more as well, the reactions of all of the contestants seem like things real 15 year olds would do if they were thrown into the game as well and besides, the lighthouse scene has got to be one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever read. One thing which kind of frustrated me was the number of romances between the characters, there seemed to be a few too many for it be realistic but then again I adored the romance between Shuya and Noriko, Takami made me believe that despite all of the atrocities happening around them that their romantic feelings for one another could still develop.

I did enjoy the film version of The Hunger Games, but I didn't care for the book at all. I felt that Collins kept shoving into our faces how awful the government are. I also felt that we never really got to see Katniss as a 16 year old in the game, reacting to deaths of humans around her which frustrated me a little. There was also no where near as much character development as there should have been. Aside from Katniss, Peeta and Rue, many of the others are literally just numbers. No background information, no development and they aren't even given a name so I couldn't care at all when most of them died. For me it felt as if Collins just expected us to be sad because they were children being killed. I understand this has much to do with it being written in the first person, but I wanted to see how other contestants were reacting to the Capitol and the games as well because for me, this would have made it a much more compelling read.

Finally (sorry for the lengthy post) Battle Royale stuck with me for a very long time after I had finished reading it, but after I had finished The Hunger Games I just put it down and moved on to the next book. Anyway, what do you all think?
Reply 1
I've only watched Battle royale, but I do agree with you about it being more realistic in a sense with how teenagers would react to being put in an area where you have to fight to the death to survive. The only characters in the arena who seemed truly phased by the whole ordeal were Katniss, Peeta and Rue (possibly fox face). The rest who got enough screen time to see their feelongs seemed fine with this (possibly because they have grown up knowing of the Hunger Games unlike the students of the battle arena in Battle Royale).

Battle Royale does have some horrible scenes from what I remember when I watched it. As you mentioned the lighthouse part was crazy but in a sense realistic in an arena like the one portrayed. And there was fair bit of background information about most characters in Battle Royale wheras some characters seemed very minor in the Hunger Games such as the boy who kills Rue as far as I remember and some that were killed early on like the young boy in the cornacopia. Also the gore in Battle Royale was ridiculous, in a strange way I loved it like that.

Of course I haven't read Battle Royale so I don't know the whole of it, just know some stuff from what I have saw in the film I guess. Just wondering how accurate is the book to the film?
Reply 2
I'm not going to lie I want to say Battle Royal is better, but I much prefer Hunger Games.
The first Hunger Games wasn't that great, but the second one was amazing with all its effects.
Downsides?
It needs more gore and violence and not appeal en mass to some stupid teenage girls who have never even felt real physical pain before, only want some sobby love story with a bit of action. In that sense Battle Royal had much more violence and more fun.
Reply 3
Original post by ozzie2
I've only watched Battle royale, but I do agree with you about it being more realistic in a sense with how teenagers would react to being put in an area where you have to fight to the death to survive. The only characters in the arena who seemed truly phased by the whole ordeal were Katniss, Peeta and Rue (possibly fox face). The rest who got enough screen time to see their feelongs seemed fine with this (possibly because they have grown up knowing of the Hunger Games unlike the students of the battle arena in Battle Royale).

Battle Royale does have some horrible scenes from what I remember when I watched it. As you mentioned the lighthouse part was crazy but in a sense realistic in an arena like the one portrayed. And there was fair bit of background information about most characters in Battle Royale wheras some characters seemed very minor in the Hunger Games such as the boy who kills Rue as far as I remember and some that were killed early on like the young boy in the cornacopia. Also the gore in Battle Royale was ridiculous, in a strange way I loved it like that.

Of course I haven't read Battle Royale so I don't know the whole of it, just know some stuff from what I have saw in the film I guess. Just wondering how accurate is the book to the film?


It's quite faithful but a few things are certainly changed. The character of Kitano isn't obsessed with Noriko in the book and so he doesn't try to fix the game so that she will win, in fact the class instructor doesn't know any of the kids before the game starts. A part from that I think it's what you'd expect really. The characters are given more information in the book. Some of the deaths are switched around and are slightly different. For example, the fight between Takako (yellow track suite girl) and Niida is much longer in the book and much more violent.

If you liked the film though, you'll definitely like the book as it's far more detailed (over 600 pages I think)
Reply 4
Original post by CCH0705
x


Yeah might get it, what were the films (or books?) after the first one like? (I think there are 2 other ones if I am right)
Reply 5
Original post by kumon
I'm not going to lie I want to say Battle Royal is better, but I much prefer Hunger Games.
The first Hunger Games wasn't that great, but the second one was amazing with all its effects.
Downsides?
It needs more gore and violence and not appeal en mass to some stupid teenage girls who have never even felt real physical pain before, only want some sobby love story with a bit of action. In that sense Battle Royal had much more violence and more fun.


Yeah I agree the second book was amazing, much better than the first. The third was good but I feel it rushed over things too quickly. Hopefully it won't happen much in the movies as it is coming out in two parts. I wanna watch Battle Royale again now :P
Reply 6
Original post by ozzie2
Yeah might get it, what were the films (or books?) after the first one like? (I think there are 2 other ones if I am right)

There was a sequel to the film, I haven't seen it but apparently it's not very good. There's a manga series as well but good grief it's graphic, although overall it was good but not as good as the book and film. I don't think there's novelised sequel though :O
Reply 7
Original post by CCH0705
There was a sequel to the film, I haven't seen it but apparently it's not very good. There's a manga series as well but good grief it's graphic, although overall it was good but not as good as the book and film. I don't think there's novelised sequel though :O


Well the sequel is not on Netflix so I'm not watching it

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Reply 8
Original post by ozzie2
Well the sequel is not on Netflix so I'm not watching it

Posted from TSR Mobile


I don't think you'll be missing much XD
Reply 9
Original post by CCH0705
I don't think you'll be missing much XD


Haha yeah I'll just watch the first one later cuz that's the best one :smile:
Reply 10
Original post by kumon
I'm not going to lie I want to say Battle Royal is better, but I much prefer Hunger Games.
The first Hunger Games wasn't that great, but the second one was amazing with all its effects.
Downsides?
It needs more gore and violence and not appeal en mass to some stupid teenage girls who have never even felt real physical pain before, only want some sobby love story with a bit of action. In that sense Battle Royal had much more violence and more fun.

This is one of the main things I didn't like with The Hunger Games, the books and the films seem to be trying to appeal to teenage girls who were obsessed with Twilight (to a limited extent). In fact, the whole love triangle thing was a bit too melodramatic for this kind of story I thought.


Original post by ozzie2
Haha yeah I'll just watch the first one later cuz that's the best one :smile:

It always will be you can't beat Mitsuko and Kiriyama XD
Can we just not?

Battle Royal.
Reply 12
Battle Royale by far.

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