Battle Royale Vol. 8
by Koushun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi

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Book Reviews of Battle Royale Vol. 8

Book Review: Good story, but worst translation ever seen...
Summary: 3 Stars

OK, I can understand that a lot of Americans might not find the jokes in the mangas funny because of the cultural differences, so they had to change characters' conversations in order to satisfy the readers. But if Tokyopop does samething too often, I will say Tokyopop are disrespecting original authors' rights.

In this volume, the translator changed almost 95% of all the conversations, even the most slightest detail. Although the "new" content is not "that" different from the original one, but these modifications already spoil the whole story.

For example, in the last page, after Souma Mitsuko raped(?) and killed Yuichiro, what she said to Yuichiro's corpse in the original version was, "If I am pregnant, I will give birth to your child." In Tokyopop's version, the translator changed it to, "Thanks, guys. It was fun while it lasted. Sorta...Hmm...I wonder how many people saw me naked?"

All right. "If I am pregnant, I will give birth to your child." Is this sentence that hard to understand? Do readers have to know Japanese culture well in order to understand it!? The translator totally changed Mitsuko's personality by modifying her mumble. I can't see why the translator had to do this!

I suggest those who like this story and haven't read volume 8, take Japanese version or French version if you can read in Japanese or French. This volume will piss off anyone who has read other versions before.

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