Book or movie better?

It seems to depend on which you experience first. People who read the book first tend to feel that the movie is rushed and superficial. People who watch the movie first tend to say that the novel is clumsy and crude.

I'm with the second group. I saw the movie first, got hooked, then read the novel. While the novel certainly fleshes out a lot of the students' backstories and adds a few strong scenes, it is very clear that it is the debut of a novelist who wasn't really sure what kind of story Battle Royale was supposed to be. All the elements that make it great are there, but it also contains a lot of poorly conceived characters, ham-fisted politics and over-the-top scenes that make it harder for the reader to take it seriously.

The director of the movie seems to have had a better grasp on it. He took out the silly bits and worked hard to reinforce its potential as social commentary and its emotional power as a microcosm of teenage life. IMO, a few story-writing masterstrokes (mainly the addition of Kitano and his bond with Noriko) and a more subdued style (instead of the novel's splatter horror) brought out the best of the story and made the movie the superior version.

I liked the book better, the movie felt too rushed and a lot of the pacing in the book was perfect for creating suspense. It's been over a decade since I read it last, I just started the bluray again and am inspired to re-read this gem. The movie was a good movie, don't get me wrong, just the book was fantastic.

I saw the movie a few times, then read the book. The movie is good, but after reading the book, it just doesnt seem as good anymore. Same thing happened to me with "Rising Sun". On the plus side, if you read the book after watching the movie, you can imagine it a lot better.

Basically, I think the movie would have needed 4 - 6 hours to do the book justice. It doesnt fail to do so, but especially the crazed gunmen in the movie isnt just some crazy killer...he has a whole backstory and a rare condition that may explain some of his behavior.

Movie, I think, though only marginally so. The film was a tad more realistic in some regards. Movie Kiriyama was superior to the book one, in my opinion. And Kou Shibisaki's unearthly beauty and haunting performance as Mitsuko could never be done justice on a black and white page.