Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games has reached nearly worldwide fame. Even if an individual has never read the popular series, chances are that they will see the film or will be well-informed about it due to friends and family.
While the series has received critical acclaim for both the books and now the film adaptation, word has spread of a similar novel (and later film), Battle Royale, written by Koushun Takami and published in Japan in 1999 (perhaps a link to bio here).
If one does not already know the plot of Collins’s brutal tale, the plot is easy to get into and understand. In the not-so-distant future, North America, now called Panem, has been rebuilt after a rebellion by one of the thirteen districts that make up the nation. This rebellion leads to the destruction of the thirteenth district and the start of the Hunger Games by the highly advanced and tyrannical Capitol. By the start of the story, the Hunger Games are on their 74th year and 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen finds herself thrown into the arena in which twenty-four tributes (two from each of the twelve districts ranging from the ages 12 to 18) fight to the death until there is one victor.
In an interview with the New York Times, Collins said that she got the idea from “channel surfing and [flipping] from a reality television competition to footage from the war in Iraq.”
Fans of the Japanese cult classic Battle Royale had other thoughts on the American series. They were quick to draw comparisons between the stories and were angered that the film adaptation for Battle Royale was not released in the United States. Akiko Fujita of ABC News explained that, at the time, the plot was “too gory” for American audiences after such tragedies as the Columbine Shootings.
Because it was not released in the U.S., Battle Royale quickly faded from the collective American mind. In 2008, when Collins released the first book of her series, debate about similarities between the plots sprang up.
Through social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, fans of the Japanese novel and film claimed that without Battle Royale there wouldn’t be The Hunger Games. Collins said she was baffled at the backlash on these social networking sites.
Fans even created pages warning against her series, such as “The Hunger Games is a rip-off of Battle Royale!” on Facebook. This page is still regularly updated and states that limiting the popularity of Collins’s novel is one of its main goals. While the creator of the page encourages fans to read the The Hunger Games and “know your enemy,” numerous negative comments and pictures are still posted about the series, such as the one below.
In an interview with New York Times, Collins said, “I had never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in. At that point, it was mentioned to me, and I asked my editor if I should read it. He said, ‘No, I don’t want that world in your head. Just continue what you’re doing.’”
Some fans of The Hunger Games responded to criticism of the series as a “rip-off” by making videos stating the differences between the two books.
Despite fans’ defense of Takami’s work, the author said he was not bothered by the similarities between his and Collins’s work. Takami said he was simply happy that people were taking the time out of their day to invest in literature.
While both stories deal with a controlling government pitting children against each other to show dominance and quell rebellion, the tales are told in different styles. Collins narrates through the eyes of Katniss, while Takami gives a third-person perspective for each of the characters.
Collins puts emotional appeal into her story with the use of love triangles, family, and revolution. Takami introduces readers to a cold and unforgiving world where the government simply scares the population into obedience.
Robert J. Gannon, head of the entertainment website Sketchy Details, wrote in an article about the two novels, “What shouldn’t be the driving force of discussion is claiming The Hunger Games rips off Battle Royale. It’s an oversimplification of two tightly-executed novels that deserve better. Comparative analysis would be appropriate, but not diatribes on who stole from who or why you refuse to read one because of the fans of the other.”
Aside from the fact that both books include fighting children, tyrannical governments, and details such as all the children get duffle bags full of supplies, the stories are dissimilar.
Each book was meant for a specific kind of reader. Takami reached out to a grittier audience who could stomach gory scenes, while Collins sought out the younger, more romantic, adventure-seeking readers.
Takami summed up his goal as an author in an interview with ABC News.
“I think every novel has something to offer,” he said. “If readers find value in either book, that’s all an author can ask for.”
Sources:
Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hunger-Games-is-a-ripoff-of-Battle-Royale/…
Koushun Takami Bio – http://chuckpalahniuk.net/recommended/author/koushun-takami
‘The Hunger Games,’ a Japanese Original? – http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/the-hunger-games-a-japanes…
Suzanne Collins’s War Stories For Kids – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/magazine/mag-10collins-t.html?_r=3&pag…
Comparison Article – http://thesketchydetails.net/2012/03/20/battle-royale-the-hunger-games-a…