Essay - “The Game Without Exit“
On “Battle Royale” by Koshun Takami
The 20th century was an age of dystopia, where the world survived only by a miracle, and it led to reflection in literature. Japanese writers were not an exception to this rule. In a previous essay, I wrote about "Dojidai Gemu," which was not exactly dystopia but had some elements of it. It reflected the history of Japan, from ancient times to the present, in the language of myth.
"Battle Royale," written by Koshun Takami, is also a kind of reflection on history and modern Japan. But this story does not delve too far into the roots of history, rather it emphasizes the 20th century. The novel tells about an alternative reality, where all the actions take place in the Republic of Greater East Asia, ruled by an authoritarian government and a mythical "great dictator."
I said mythical because such a person does not exist at all, perhaps he existed in the past, but now he is like the Big Brother from Orwell's "1984." The central theme of this novel is Battle Royale - a game where junior high school students are forced to fight each other. What is the goal of this game? Throughout the story, the main characters ask themselves about it, but there is no final answer. It could be the perverted application of samurai principles, which were an important part of the state's propaganda. It could be the wish to alienate people from each other to better control their lives. Lastly, this game may not have any goal and was just a part of the bureaucratic mechanism of the state.
The last moment greatly reminds me of the Road of Dead in Oe’s “Dojidai Gemu”. The meaningless action represents the final collapse of society and life. I don't know if Koshun Takami read “Dojidai Gemu” or not, but there are close motifs, such as a lack of feedback between the state and people, and between generations. The story also tells of the alienation of people from each other, breaking all bounds, which leads to cruelty and inhumanity.
The game is forceful, and the students follow the rules, killing each other, and even alliances are flimsy. You could always expect betrayal, not knowing who is a real friend and who could secretly kill you in your dreams or while you eat. And most importantly, such alienation starts from a young age. What type of personality could become the “winner” of this game?
There have been many imitations of this novel after its publication. “The Hunger Games” was the last one, and all of them borrowed the concept of a death game with young participants. However, none of them put attention on the important social aspect of this story
