Fanboy Moment

While I'm in the mode, more on Battle Royale.

"Battle Royale" was first a Japanese novel written by Koushun Takami. It was - thankfully - translated into English, but I digress. It's also been a manga and, of course, a movie.

I've enjoyed each and have to say, they're not all the same.

I first saw Battle Royale, sans subtitles, when I picked up a DVD on one of my trips to Japan. I have a Region Free DVD player at home so I watched it.

I was a bit surprised at the level of violence and watched it again. Then I searched the Internet and found a Korean version that had (excellent) English subtitles. I bought that and watched the film and actually found out what was going on.

I later found an English translation of the novel at a book store. I read that cover-to-cover and found the manga had recently been translated. I got that and read it as well.

That's a lot of psychotic material. Just so you know.

So, if you're worried about spoilers, you might want to stop reading. Otherwise, I'm going to go ahead and summarize a bit. The summaries will have spoilers.

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You were warned.

Overall, the three versions are very similar. In an alternate Japan, a class of schoolkids, including the protagonist - Shuya Nanahara - are selected for the BR program in which schoolkids are abducted, put on a deserted island, fitted with collars that contain and explosive, given some supplies and weapons, and told to kill one another.

To quote Highlander: "There can be only one."

The details differ by medium.

The Movie
The kids are "selected" through the influence of a former teacher - Kitano - and set loose on the island. They're each given food and water for three days as well as a map of the island. They're told about their collars:
- the collars will detonate if tampered with
- the collars can detonate by remote
- the collars will detonate in random "dead zones" that move around the island, forcing the kids to constantly move about
- the collars will detonate at the end of three days if there are more than one survivors

The collars also, of course, monitor the kids so the people running the game can tally the kills.

Each kid is also given a random weapon, ranging from an assault rifle to a pot lid.

In this version, Shuya Nanahara is far less-capable and a much softer character. Further, some of the antagonists differ.

The Book
There's more back-story in the book. The Kitano character doesn't exist. A corrupt administrator - Kinpatsu Sakamochi - briefs the kids. It's clearer that the BR program is really just a corrupt "reality show" that government officials use for gambling (betting on the survivor, stuff like that).

Kazuo Kiriyama is a prominent character in the book as one of the amoral antagonists. That character doesn't exist in the movie.

The Manga
The manga follows the book more closely but goes into a few more side-trips (and, of course, adds grisly visuals to the fight scenes). There's a lot more sex and obligatory nudity in the manga.

I'm not going to go into specifics about the story as a whole. In all three versions there's a number of characters - some interesting, some not. Most are doomed.

It's a fascinating story. If you have a reasonably-high tolerance for violence, I recommend the movie. I recommend the book regardless.

I'm not inclined to recommend the manga unless you really like hard-core manga that crosses into hentai territory.

Battle Royale

WTF Japan, Seriously reminded me by posting a trailer.

Battle Royale.

Comparing it with The Hunger Games is likely unfair, but also inevitable. On one level, they're very similar. Kids are forced to enter a contest to kill one another at the behest of a corrupt administration of some sort.

Battle Royale, however, takes it much further than any American-made movie would go.

* Explosive collars
* Psychopaths
* Spraying blood
* Horrible betrayal

Did I mention explosive collars?

This is one of my ten most favorite movies ever.

That does not say good things as to my character, but such is life.

Hashing the Sling

Okay, WTF is up with all the slingshots lately?

First there's the Montie Gear one that's suddenly so popular that it's on a month backorder (okay, it looks REALLY COOL... but I digress).

Now the Gadgeteer has a post for the Pocket Predator, another kind of uber-slingshot of some kind.

I'm not complaining, mind you. It's all just a bucket of awesome in my corner of the world, but it does seem a bit weird.

More things for me to crave. *sigh*

Yeah.... um...

I've seen far too much hentai to ever look at this and not think... well, why go there, huh?

One of many reasons why I'm not a Jedi

Yoda used to bitch to Luke about his lack of patience in The Empire Strikes Back.

I think Luke is a whiny punk and a bit pathetic, but I'm kind of down with that personality flaw.

I also lack patience.

Unlike Skywalker, I wouldn't hesitate to succumb to the Dark Side. There's just something about being able to throw lightning that appeals. Besides, I love wearing black.

Wait. This wasn't what I planned to post.

Back up.

So, I've posted a few times about the Eon Extreme Floodlight by Iain Sinclair.

Waaaaaaay back in late 2011, I placed an order for one to replace (or back up) the one I purchased earlier in the year. I previously indicated a bit of a problem with my first purchase of said light.

Since then, the ship date for the Eon Extreme has been a constantly-moving target. It's now been shifted to March 31, per their occasionally-updated FAQs. I think I'll cancel the order and move on if the date slips again. There's just so much nonsense a body can handle.

Wait. What was my point? Oh yes. Patience.

So this is a case where I've been remarkably (indeed, uncharacteristically) patient. I mean, I placed that order in October of 2011...

Sadly, it looks like delays in shipping are a common theme in the Internet these days. That Montie Gear slingshot is on a month's backorder as of the day Uncrate ran their post.

And the glory of Black Blood of the Earth is delayed at least a month due to overwhelming demand for that awesome elixir.

Can't say I blame folks for wanting a bit of awesome.

Doesn't help me with my patience issue, but as I can't Force choke or throw lightning yet, I don't see that this is anyone else's problem thus far.

Epiphany

I blame the sleep issues. It took a while but I finally got it.

Conclusion: I've been fighting a bug. Again.

I swear, I've been at-war with illness (or allergies?) more times this year...

Hang on. Let me back up.

Yesterday was pretty much a disaster. I was constantly struggling to stay awake. My Black Blood of the Earth supply is tapped out and more people discovered the awesome, preventing me from resupplying in the foreseeable future.

I digress.

I was wiped the hell out yesterday. My sinuses were giving me that throat tickle and I had just enough energy to drive home, make dinner, and turn into a houseplant.

I went to bed and slept - without the assistance of Nyquil - from 7pm 'till about 4am this morning.

I feel vaguely human now. So far.

zzzsnerkurg....

Ever since the abomination that is known as Daylight Saving Time... oh, I should be honest, even before the latest time-change... I have been having trouble with my sleep cycle.

I don't really have a problem going to sleep, so much. I have a terrible problem waking and getting going.

I suppose I should just bite the bullet and have my blood supply completely replaced wtih coffee.

That might help in the short-term.

So tired...