In Japan there's a fascination with a series of media called "Battle Royale". It got started with a book, then some manga and a couple of movies. Soon, apparently, there's going to be an MMORPG and an American movie based on the same source materiel.
The basic plot of this is that, in an alternate universe, Japan is a police state. As part of the means of controlling the population, bread and circuses and all that, the state institutes a program called "Battle Royale". In the various versions it's sometimes a reality show, but the rules are always the same.
42 middle-school students are selected, apparently at random, but possibly not, and sent to a small island. The 21 boys and 21 girls are all fitted with collars that explode if they break certain rules. They are all given various items, including a few weapons, but some kids don't get any, and told that they basically have to kill one another until only one is left.
It's a bit on the gruesome side.
The novel gives some idea of what the alternate universe is like, but if anyone else has read the novel, or the manga, or seen the movie, I wanted to know what you might think would be the timeline that would lead to a Japan where this sort of thing is tolerated, and a world where the USA and other countries don't try to do something about it.
My best guess is that probably something "went wrong" with World War Two. I could see, for example, the atomic bomb program being delayed to the point where the USA mounts an invaison. At the same time, the USSR attacks from the north. Perhaps by the end of 1946, we end up with a Japan where the USA and USSR both occupy the country. Maybe there's a war there like in Korea in OTL. Perhaps the wrong side wins, and Japan winds up as a police state? Or maybe the joint occupation of the USA and Soviets is nastier than in OTL? I'm thinking that after fighting up across Japan we probably wouldn't be as inclined to be gracious during peace.
Anyhow, ideas?
The basic plot of this is that, in an alternate universe, Japan is a police state. As part of the means of controlling the population, bread and circuses and all that, the state institutes a program called "Battle Royale". In the various versions it's sometimes a reality show, but the rules are always the same.
42 middle-school students are selected, apparently at random, but possibly not, and sent to a small island. The 21 boys and 21 girls are all fitted with collars that explode if they break certain rules. They are all given various items, including a few weapons, but some kids don't get any, and told that they basically have to kill one another until only one is left.
It's a bit on the gruesome side.
The novel gives some idea of what the alternate universe is like, but if anyone else has read the novel, or the manga, or seen the movie, I wanted to know what you might think would be the timeline that would lead to a Japan where this sort of thing is tolerated, and a world where the USA and other countries don't try to do something about it.
My best guess is that probably something "went wrong" with World War Two. I could see, for example, the atomic bomb program being delayed to the point where the USA mounts an invaison. At the same time, the USSR attacks from the north. Perhaps by the end of 1946, we end up with a Japan where the USA and USSR both occupy the country. Maybe there's a war there like in Korea in OTL. Perhaps the wrong side wins, and Japan winds up as a police state? Or maybe the joint occupation of the USA and Soviets is nastier than in OTL? I'm thinking that after fighting up across Japan we probably wouldn't be as inclined to be gracious during peace.
Anyhow, ideas?
