Week 3: Asian Horror

When considering Japanese Horror vs. Western horror, the distinction between good and evil is not as clearly as defined, in fact it is arguable that Japanese horror that there isn't such a thing as good or evil but that bad things happen can happen to anyone regardless of their "goodness" or "badness". This is true in Battle Royale by Takami, a high school class is selected by random to fight against each other; they did not choose these students because they were the rowdiest or for their poor marks. In western horror there is a clear definition of the hero and villain, and more than not the hero, which is the embodiment of "good", triumphs over evil. In Battle Royale, the students brought together to kill each other engage in brutal acts in order to survive, acts that one would consider "evil" but because it is for the sake of survival etc, it becomes a grey area. Even when the survivors triumph and beat the game, they face uncertainty and haven't necessarily won anything or gained anything except their lives whatever that may mean for their futures.