mini-Takako!

Music: Shine Your Light on Me

I just think she's probably the cutest six-year-old ever. Or something like that.

Uhh. I'm going to post something more worthwhile before the night ends.

(I hope.)

could you kill your best friend?

Music: Take Back the City by Snow Patrol

This is the first of the many posts I will be transferring from my old blog that crashed before, but was restored days after I made a new one.

I swear, technology hates me.

This is an entry I wrote for Battle Royale March of this year. I updated it a bit, though.

From the back cover:

Koushun Takami's notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided with weapons and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing.

Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan, where it then proceeded to become a runaway bestseller, Battle Royale is Lord of the Flies for the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world.

From mangafox.com:

In the future, random Jr. High School classes are chosen to compete in a game called Battle Royale. The rules: only one student can survive after 3 days on an island or else they all perish. Weapons are handed out and each student is sent out into the field alone and unprepared for the horror that awaits them. The classmates turn upon themselves in a battle for survival, treaties are made and broken, and former friends become foes as the relentless countdown continues. Amid the betrayals and rising body count, two classmates confess their love for each other and swear to survive this deadly game together.

(A note: Shuya did not confess her love for Noriko during the game, at least not explicitly. To be fair, I'm certain that he did not harbor any feelings for her prior to the game either, and if he had any sort of romantic inclination for anyone in the class, it would be with Yukie Utsumi [refer to quote at the bottom of the page]).

Basically, it's the ancestor of international bestseller The Hunger Games trilogy. Yey. (Speaking of Hunger Games, anyone read the trilogy and thought that Mockingjay disappoints REALLY bad? I did. Heck, I still do.)

Warning: spoiler alert for those who have not seen or read Battle Royale yet. (And if you haven't, then what the heck are you waiting for?)

For some weird reason, I've been obsessed over Battle Royale for close to six months now (more like a year now, actually). I've seen the movie in YouTube a few years back and immediately recognized Chiaki Kuriyama (Go Go Yubari in Kill Bill) in the cast. She played Takako Chigusa, the track sprinter who killed her classmate by stabbing him in the nuts (oh the horrible mental images) after he threatened to rape her (and accidentally wounded her pretty face). Then I found out that she was one of two girls Hiroki Sugimura were looking for, and I fell in love with their characters there and then (I still think the scene where Hiroki found the dying Takako is one of the best and most heart-wrenching scenes in the movie). Of course, it helped that I found the actor playing Hiroki (Sousuke Takaoka) uber hot (in every sense of the word). (My obsession for Sousuke has not ended, not in the least. I searched high and low for the series Rookies [and the movie, afterwards] because of him. He is also the main reason why I spent hours downloading Blue Spring, and streamed Crows Zero.)

And then two years ago, I tried searching for an online copy of the manga version, and lo and behold, found one in mangafox.com. I was hooked; I finished ten volumes in roughly a week's time (I know, I scare myself sometimes). For weeks after that all I could think of was how kick-ass Takako was, and how sweet and tragic her relationship with Hiroki was (yeah yeah, Hiroki didn't like her that way, he liked Kayoko instead, but it is my strong belief that if their pretty asses weren't dragged off to that island, he would have eventually seen the light of day, or at least, Takako would have made sure he did).

And then I accidentally found a copy of the novel during last year's Manila International Book Fair in SMEX. I almost squealed out loud (or I think I did, but I hope no one heard me) when I saw the book. Not even thinking twice, I purchased the copy (along with four other books, making me bankrupt for the rest of September), excited to finally read the original version and maybe understand better my weird fascination for the gore and kinky that is Battle Royale.

Oh, was I hooked.

If someone would ask me what my favorite version is, I'd answer "the novel" in two seconds flat. Oh, the movie was okay (lots of eye candy, i.e., Chiaki Kuriyama, Takashi Tsukamoto [girlnumber13, a co-BR fangirl, claimed ownership over him already, so...]) but because of time constraints, it wasn't able to really flesh out the students' characteristics and personalities (maybe except for Shuya, Noriko and Shogo, and I don't even like the first two, okay, so maybe I like Shuya a tinsy, winsy bit, but Noriko just about destroyed him for me [Shuya is growing on me recently, but it's mostly Jenipunch's, another co-BR fangirl, fault). The manga was better, and the drawings helped a lot in depicting the emotions and thoughts going on in each student's head. But then there's that annoying volume focusing on Hiroki and Kayoko, and I wanted to throw the laptop against the wall when I read it (bite me, I hate that pair). That, and I've proven that Noriko is the most annoying female character a seinen manga could ever produce (not that I read a lot of those anyway).

So it's only understandable why I love the novel the most. The narrative style usually works best for me anyway. And Koushun Takami (yes, he's the author) succeeded in writing the story in a not-so-melodramatic way, well, compared to the manga. He was able to describe most of the characters (save for two or three who died too early in the game) just enough for the readers to get an idea who they were prior to the game, and maybe let them understand a little bit their reasons for playing or not playing.

Now I want to say a little something about my top 3 favorite characters in Battle Royale, which are as follows:

1. Takako Chigusa. Oh, I already knew she kicked ass ever since I saw her chase Kazushi Niida with her weapon. Then she totally did a whacked job out of him in the manga. The novel version was something else though (words fail me right now, so you will just have to read the chapter for yourself). But more than her fight scene with Kazushi (and her death scene with Hiroki), I think I loved her pre-death interaction with Mitsuko Souma the most. I could retell the whole scene, but I think quoting from the book would be better.

"Say," Mitsuko said. "You never went out of your way to impress me."

Still unable to tell what Mitsuko's intentions were, Takako stared at her. (The two most beautiful girls in Shiroiwa Junior High were staring at each other. Nice jewelry and a boy's corpse. Oh, you're so pretty.) <--- This will always be one of my most favorite lines in the novel's entirety

*jumps a few paragraphs about Takako's flashback about her crush in school (no, not Hiroki)*

"I was always a little envious," Mitsuko continued. "You were so pretty, and you were a better girl than me."

Takako listened quietly. She immediately realized there was something wrong. Why was Mitsuko referring to her in the past tense?

"But," Mitsuko's eyes twinkled playfully. Now she was back to the present tense. "I really like girls like you. Maybe I'm a bit of a dyke. So it's..."

*jumps a few more paragraphs about Mitsuko shooting and Takako running a respectable sprint for the track star that she was, despite the injuries in her right leg*

Mitsuko put down the gun and said, "It's too bad."

This has got to be one of my favorite parts in the entire novel. Two pretty girls pitted against each other in a game of survival, with only one of them emerging victorious. Unfortunately, Mitsuko, with her automatic pistol, won the round. Still, I admire Takako for not giving up until the last second, even when Mitsuko showered her back with bullets. She endured for another half an hour, just to be able to see Hiroki one last time.

And now I am going to quote my all-time favorite part in the novel (and the manga, and the movie too):

She felt like she could say one more thing.

"You have to survive, Hiroki."

Dear God, can I have one more word?

Takako looked into Hiroki's eyes and grinned.

"You've become quite a stud."

Hiroki said, "And you're the most stylin' girl in the world."

Takako smiled faintly. She wanted to thank him, but she was out of breath. She just stared at Hiroki's eyes. She was grateful. At least she wasn't going to die alone. The last person to stay with her ended up being Hiroki. And she was grateful. She really was.

Kahoru, thanks, I heard you.

Takako Chigusa remained in this position as she died approximately two minutes later. Her eyes remained open. Hiroki Sugimura held her limp, lifeless body and wept.

Even after all this time, this scene, whether it be from the novel, the manga or the movie, never fails to tug otherwise unused strings in my heart.

2. Hiroki Sugimura. Yes, yes. He doesn't love Takako that way. Who cares? I still love him, and I most likely will for years to come. And not just because of Takako, but she sure as hell plays a big enough role in it. It's his shy, boyish nature that made him endearing, in a way. He is so open about his concern about his other classmates, especially about the two girls he cared for deeply. And yes, he cared for them equally. It says so in the novel. So die haters, die.

When I think about it, Hiroki's fate is one of the worst in the manga. He spent his entire time on the island looking for Takako and Kayoko Kotohiki, and he found them both, but he couldn't save either girl. Takako died in his arms because he couldn't get to her fast enough to save her from Mitsuko, and Kayoko, well, depending on which version you saw/read, she either shot him because she thought he was going to kill her, or he watched as Kiriyama shot her in the head while he lay there, helpless to protect her. Two girls he loved equally, and he couldn't protect either. It was probably one of the worst tragedies in the entire story, and I'm not even romantic by nature.

I just have to show one of my favorite panels in the entire manga. Like Takako's death scene, this panel never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

Okay, so Manga Hiroki is not really visually appealing. But he was more endearing there, so it's all good. I will just continue to pretend that Manga Hiroki does not exist physically, and it's the Movie Hiroki that matters the most.

3. Shinji Mimura. The Third Man. A Harry Sue of epic proportions, and probably overrated, but I still love him with all my little heart can take. The smartass hacker, basketball ace and playboy who almost beat the game, had not one kickass Kazuo Kiriyama gunned him to death first. He had a plan to escape the island, and unlike his other classmates who either tried to kill each other off or hide in the bushes in fear of death, he actually did something he thought was worthwhile with his remaining hours.

His humor, wit and charm, not to mention street-smarts, won me over the first time I read the manga. I didn't notice him too much the first time I watched the movie (Takashi Tsukamoto played the part) because I was so busy ogling Sousuke Takaoka, but damn, he is one hot Japanese actor. Ehem, anyway.

Shinji's death was painful for me, so painful that even when the novel closed the Second Part with his demise, I still couldn't take my eyes off the page, and kept reading and rereading the last line over and over again in the vain hope that it will change:

And so the boy known as The Third Man, Shinji Mimura, was now dead.

It was stated so matter-of-factly, as if it was as normal as the changing weather or my sister wearing laundry clips in her hair (inside joke, sorry, couldn't resist). "Shinji Mimura was now dead." And it took me a whole day before I could go back to reading the novel again, because his death just about ended everything for me. Thank God for Hiroki and Shogo Kawada.

Then there were the hints of a one-sided love in the making. It was never mentioned explicitly in the manga or novel, but girlnumber 13 and I firmly believe that Shinji had a crush, or had at least noticed, Takako Chigusa before the game even started. He had considered her pretty, even calling her the prettiest girl in the class, according to his tastes, when most of their other classmates consider Mitsuko as the prettiest. He even went out of his way to call her a Grade-A babe in the manga, just to tease Hiroki about his silly crush on Kayoko. But then again, this is the fangirl in me talking. Mind it not, because I can talk about it for hours.

Other characters I liked were Shogo Kawada (the bad boy aura just about did it for me), Yukie Utsumi, and Hirono Shimizu. And maybe cute, clueless Yuichiro Takiguchi. But really, I'm just spouting names here. You need to read the novel or manga to have an idea who these people are. The movie just glazed over Yuichiro, but gave Yukie and Hirono just enough screen time for you to remember them. And well, Shogo is on a different level. You'll just have to see for yourselves.

A word of caution though. The movie is all about gore, so expect ketchup-based blood spurting everywhere. The manga is R-18, so be prepared to see naked Mitsuko every few chapters. The novel? You will just have to use your imagination on that one.

* Hints of ShuyaxYukie in the novel:

1. ...at the time [Shuya]'d said to Yoshitoki, "Then there's Utsumi, who's on the volleyball team. She's pretty cool. That's my type. You know, real outgoing."

2. He thought, how impressive, Representative. You'll be a wonderful wife someday, no, a wonderful woman. No, you might in fact be a wonderful woman now. I've actually thought that for a while.

3. Did that mean that...she also thought there was something special about them ever since that time at the elementary school gym?

4. She wasn't breathing anymore. "Ahh," Shuya cried. He reached out his uninjured right hand to her peaceful face. He felt tears welling up for the first time ever since the game began. Was it because they'd just talked minutes ago? Or was it because of what she'd said: "I just wouldn't know what to do if you died...Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you?"

Boomerang, a Battle Royale AU

Music: Annie Use Your Telescope, Jack's Mannequin

Okay. So I haven't written anything angsty in like forever, but it's my baby Taka's first birthday today (Taka is my oh so wonderful and sassy laptop), and since she was named after the equally wonderful and sassy Takako Chigusa from Battle Royale, I thought I'd give writing a shot once again.

Inspired by MAE's Boomerang, because this song has haunted me for weeks. Damn you MAE. No, I take that back. I love MAE. Damn you boomerangs instead.

Warning: Unbeta-ed, with glaring tense-related errors, because I'm lazy to proofread my own work. Bite me.

Title: Boomerang

Universe: Battle Royale (novel version)

Characters: Takako Chigusa, Shinji Mimura, Hiroki Sugimura (mentions of Mitsuko Souma and Chisato Matsui)

Category: Angst(?)

Link for Battle Royale's synopsis (for those who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Royale

Links for the featured characters: Takako Chigusa, Shinji Mimura, Hiroki Sugimura, Mistuko Souma, Chisato Matsui

---

The first time it happened, it only lasted for two hours.

She never even saw it coming. One minute she was throwing a litany of curses at him, foul curses that no sixteen-year-old girl should know, and the next minute he had her pinned against the wall, kissing her senseless. She never even got the chance to react properly. He was gone before her brain could properly comprehend what had just happened.

Two hours later, she found him standing in front of her locker, three small buds of pink roses in his right hand. She still could not explain what had come over her, but the minute she saw him smiling that unusually shy, uncertain smile of his, she walked over to where he was and returned the kiss he stole earlier that day.

The second time around, it took him two days.

They had a stupid argument about his inability to not be a chick magnet, as if it was his fault that girls swoon whenever he passed by. She accused him of being a manwhore (but it was really just jealousy getting the best of her), and told him to screw Mitsuko Souma for all she cared, since they were both sluts anyway.

The next day, she saw hardcore Souma flirting with him, and it took all of her willpower not to march over to where they were and scratch Mitsuko’s eyes out. Instead, she grabbed Hiroki, who was the nearest person to her (thankfully), and dragged him out of the classroom, in the false pretense that she needed something to drink.

After two days, she found him with three small buds of white roses in his right hand, waiting for her outside the track and field common room. She had wanted to smack him hard on the head, but for some weird reason, she allowed him to apologize, and to explain that nothing had happened between him and Shiroiwa’s infamous whore (he didn’t want to risk getting STDs anyway, but that’s beside the point), and wonder of all wonders, she actually forgave him.

It took him two weeks to come back to her the next time.

They were fresh out of high school and in their third week of college, and she felt him slipping away. She wasn’t too surprised; she knew that college was a different environment, and it was only natural for someone like Shinji Mimura to want to take a look-see if he had other options. She broke up with him, told him that she’s setting him free, so that he wouldn’t have to feel guilty in the event that he set his eyes on someone he thought was more worthy of his time.

Two weeks later, she found him waiting outside her Math classroom, with three small buds of red roses in his right hand. He told her that he tried, oh he tried looking at other girls—other more pleasant, less aggressive, less sadistic girls—but he could see her face in each and every one of them, could hear her voice in each and every laugh. She threw her arms around him and apologized for breaking his heart.

The fourth time, it lasted for two months.

They were in their third year in college, and he asked some time to cool off, to sort out things, and she let him go, not wanting to suffocate him. A few days after that, he came back to her and told her he would like to date someone else, if she would allow it. She told him she wasn’t his mother, and he could go screw anyone for all she cared. She was hurting inside, but she’ll be damned if she would show how vulnerable she was at that point.

She was walking home with Hiroki when she saw them—him and Chisato Matsui—holding hands, like they were the happiest couple in the world. She felt her heart constrict, and Hiroki had to support her to the nearest bench, because she suddenly felt her knees give way, and only Hiroki’s strong arms prevented her from crashing down the cold university sidewalk. It took her two hours of nonstop crying on Hiroki’s shoulder before she finally had the strength to curse Shinji Mimura to death.

On the second month, she found him with half a dozen peach tulips, standing in front of her house’s gate. At first she tried to ignore him, walked right past him and fumbled with her keys, but when she dropped the whole bunch and he had to pick it up for her, she knew she was done for. Minutes later, she found herself nestled in his arms, cursing him for leaving her and then coming back and why oh why won’t you let me move on for real?

It was two years after that.

Fresh out of college, he got a job offer out of the country. He made no promises, and she expected none. She went with him to the airport, kissed him goodbye, and told him to have a safe trip and a happy life abroad. He didn’t tell her that he’ll be back, or asked her to wait for him. He simply kissed her a second time, thanked her for being just the way she was, and reminded her not to start fights that might land her in jail.

They kept in touch for the first few months, and then the calls became less and less, the emails got fewer, until all communication stopped. She waited for another six months before she told herself that she had to move on, because he was not coming back this time. She needed to spread her wings and fly, just like he had.

Two years later there was a knock on her door, and she left what she was cooking in the kitchen to see who it was. There he was, standing in her doorway, with a bouquet of white tulips and the happiest smile on his face. Tears fell down her eyes, and he thought they were tears of joy. It was only when Hiroki appeared from behind her, carrying a little bundle of a baby girl in his arms, that he understood what the tears were for. Hiroki seemed happy enough to see him, even invited him inside the house, but he felt it was too awkward, and declined the invitation, and instead handed over the bouquet to her and wished them all the happiness in the world.

She cried to sleep that night, Hiroki holding her close. He wasn’t accusing, because he knew their history, knew of their past, knew that Shinji Mimura will always hold a special place in her heart. The following day, she cooked her husband a hefty breakfast, apologized for the way she had acted the previous day, and promised that she will never be affected by his appearance again. She had chosen him, and that was all Hiroki needed to hear.

The last time it happened, two decades had passed.

She was past her prime, with two grown up children, and a deceased husband who succumbed to cancer five years past. She was content, and had accepted everything that had happened in her life, believed that everything happened for a reason, and that the lessons she learned along the way helped shape who she was today.

She found him in front of Hiroki’s grave when she drove over for her regular visit, with a bouquet of red and pink carnations in his arms. He turned around when he felt her approach, and smiled that charming smile of his. She smiled back and walked over to where he was, and they both looked at Hiroki’s tombstone, both of the mourning the loss of such a wonderful man. A few minutes later, he placed the bouquet on top of Hiroki’s grave, and gently took her wrinkled but still firm hand. They said no word, but as they walked away from the cemetery, hand in hand, they both felt that everything was finally in its proper place, that there would no longer be any throwing and catching to do.

The boomerang had finally found its way home.

END