The iconic Japanese movie that inspired Squidward

In less than a week, the second season will be aired squid game — a show about desperate people taking on deadly challenges for money — has been viewed nearly 70 million times, becoming The most popular Netflix shows in 92 countries. part squid gameThe success is do something new Using a tried-and-tested formula. But the equally important part is that there was the “Deadly Game” formula in the first place, created by Battle Royale.

Originally a 1999 novel by Yukiharu Takami and later adapted into a manga and two movies, it tells the story of middle school students forced to kill each other by the fascist government. battle royale The series may be a quarter of a century old, but it remains a beloved standard for stories about people caught in a game of life and death. squid gameFounder Huang Donghyuk publicly acknowledge draw inspiration from battle royale, Its origins are actually as fascinating as the Korean drama itself.

The birth of Battle Royale all started with a dream

Some of the greatest stories start with a dream. Not “dreams” as in “thoughts”, but the little movies we see in our minds while we sleep. James Cameron came up with the idea Terminator although Nightmares due to fever 1981 in Rome. So Takami is a very unique club because he also has this idea battle royale From a dream.

in a 2000 Promotional Guide In the film, the author writes that one tense night, when he was not feeling well, he saw a dreamlike vision in which the fictional teacher Sakamoto Kinpachi smiled and said to his students: “You guys Gotta kill everyone else. “

Mr. Jinba from Class 3B yes a famous tv show The show ran from 1979 to 2011. Tetsuya Takeda plays Mr. Kinpachi, a dedicated educator who helps students cope with life’s many challenges, from pregnancy to suicidal tendencies. Today, this character has become the archetypal “caring teacher” in Japan and is quoted everywhere Gintama arrive The great Onizuka teacher.

The idea of ​​such a man forcing his students to kill each other is extremely disturbing. To understand the impact of this vision on Takami, American readers should imagine Mister Rogers standing in for Sakamoto Kinpachi (older British readers might imagine Tony Hart).

Takami cited his experiences in novels and comics, referring to the sadistic overseers of student murder marathons Jinpa Susakamochi. After Takeshi Kitano played the character, he was renamed “Kitano” in the film version.

From professional wrestling to dystopian horror: Unique inspiration for battle royale

heart battle royale Having to watch 42 teenagers navigate an impossible situation. Many people do not want to kill, but are forced by the rules of Combat Experiment 68. Even those who managed to avoid active participation in the massacre by forming alliances only delayed the inevitable.

In the end, there can only be one survivor (a rule enforced by exploding collars around characters’ necks), meaning no friendships or romances can survive the show. This is a haunting, devastating idea that the author got from professional wrestling.

In the introduction to the 2003 edition of the book, Takami briefly rants about a professional wrestler who “deliberately calculated his elimination to allow his partner to win, a disappointing show of camaraderie.” He added: “Oh, you can also team up with a player who was once your enemy. But just when you think you’re going to join forces to take down someone else, that cunning friend might suddenly betray you and defeat you.”

As the saying goes, creatives write what they know, and since Takami knew professional wrestling, he cited it as one of his major inspirations Battle Royale. That’s why the novel, while entertaining, isn’t very deep. And, when it feels like this, it’s mostly by accident. This movie, however, is a different story.

this battle royale Movie inspired by true horror story

battle royale It was brought to the big screen by director Kinji Fukasaku and screenwriter Kenta Fukasaku, who incorporated many of his personal experiences and beliefs into the film.

In a 2000 companion book Battle Royale Insider, director Fukasaku says: “When I read the original story, I felt I had to make a serious movie about people dying because it reminded me of my own experiences in ninth grade.”

This refers to the time during World War II when Fukasaku and his middle school classmates were drafted to work in a munitions factory, where he and his friends survived an air raid that resulted in many casualties. Had to help clean up. “When I lifted the broken arm and the broken leg,” he recalled, “I had a complete awakening… Adults can’t be trusted.”

this battle royale The novel was fun to read, but felt like it was lacking in places. With 42 student characters, most of whom have only one sentence description and are fairly identical, the violence inspired by professional wrestling is the focus of this dystopian horror novel.

This film takes a different approach, aiming to deliver a more nuanced anti-violence message, featuring more complex children exploited by a pathological authoritarian system. This is pure Fuka, a master of social commentary, especially when it comes to the subject of a country failing its citizens and shattering their hopes and innocence, as If you are young: angry, He produced, directed and co-wrote.

The reason for the movie version battle royale Being seen as having one more gratuitous bloody battle is mainly due to Fukasaku.

So as we approach the anniversary of Kinji Fukasaku’s death on January 12 this year, please think of the talented director who used his own traumatic experiences to create a film that made audiences both think deeply and cringe, and who, without him, would have been There will be movies like this squid game Probably never existed.

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