Quotes from Battle Royale

“Loving someone always requires you to not love others.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“By then she was dead. In fact, she may have been dead a while ago. Physically, several seconds ago, mentally, ages ago.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“It's not a bad thing to be loved.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“We're still on the run. That's for sure.
Right on. This time we're on.
And we won't stop till we win.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“You all have your own distinct personal backgrounds. Of course some of you come from rich families, some from poor families. But circumstances beyond your control like that shouldn’t determine who you are. You must all realize what you’re worth on your own.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“To memorize something, it's best to write it down.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“As he ran next to Noriko, a thought suddenly occurred to him. The screaming, their hasty footsteps, and the officer warning them to stop all receded as his mind was occupied with this thought.
It might have been inappropriate. And besides… he'd ripped it off. Oh, man.
But still he thought this:
Together Noriko we'll live with the sadness. I'll love you with all the madness in my soul. Someday girl I don't know when we're gonna get to that place. Where we really want to go and we'll walk in the sun. But till then tramps like us baby we were born to run.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Now, once again, 2 students left. But of course they're a part of you now.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Yes, just like those flowers. There's something strained, but there's beauty in that. Something like that”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“You're so kind, Kazuhiko. That's what I like about you."
I like you, too. I love you so much."
If he weren't so inarticulate, Kazuhiko could have said so much more. How much her expression, her gentle manner, her pure untainted soul meant to him. How important, in short, her existence was to him. But he wasn't able to put into words. He was only a third-year student in junior high, and worst yet, composition was one of his worst subjects.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Shogo. I know I'm repeating myself, but I have to say it. If I were Keiko, this is what I'd say. Please Live. Talk, think, act. And sometimes listen to music... Look at paintings at times to be moved. Laugh a lot, and at times, cry. And if you find a wonderful girl, then you go for her and love her.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Nice jewelry and a boys corpse. Oh you're so pretty.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“You wear nice clothes, you seek respect, you make a lot of money, but what's the point? It's all pointless. Of course, this kind of meaninglessness might suit this crappy nation. But, you see, we still have emotions like joy and happiness, right? They may not mount to much. But they fill up our emptiness. That's the only explanation I have.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Sometimes you need to lie make the world go around”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Fucking bastard, I'll stab you in the chest with this pencil.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Hey there. Here's something familiar, a bat. Hope you like it.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Furthermore--though it was quite irrelevant now--he had no idea his killer, Kazuo Kiriyama, had, in his mansion that was much larger than Toshinori's home in Shiroiwa-cho, mastered the violin at a level far superior to Toshinori's a long time ago--and then tossed his violin into the trash.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“What I mean is, even a dumbass like me can think everything’s pointless. Why do I get up and eat? It all ends up shit anyway. Why am I going to school and studying? Even if I happen to succeed I’m going to die anyway. You wear nice clothes, you seek respect, you make a lot of money, but what’s the point? It’s all pointless. But… but, you see, we still have emotions like joy and happiness, right? They may not amount to much but they fill up our emptiness.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Takako looked into Hiroki's eyes and grinned.
"You've become quie a stud."
"And...you're the most stylin' girl in the world."
Takako smiled faintly. She wanted to thank him, but she was out of breath. She just stared at Hiroki's eyes. She was grateful. At least she wasn't going to die alone. The last person to stay with her ended up being Hiroki. And she was grateful. She really was.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Kazuhiko could have taken his gun and aimed it at the person behind them. But Sakura wouldn't want that. What she wanted was to leave this world quietly before they got sucked into this horrible massacre. Nothing was more important to him than her. There was no room for compromise. If this were what her trembling soul wanted, then he would follow her. Had he been more eloquent he might have described his feelings as something like, "I'm going to die for her honor."

Their two bodies danced in the air beyond the cliff, their hands still clasped together, the black sea under them.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“I didn't realize it until now, but I don't really know anything about them, or what kind of people they are, really. You can't see inside a person's heart.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“‎"Someday I'm going to marry someone like my mom and I'll be smiling all the time the way my Mom and Dad are.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“She looked up at the sky, now tinged with orange. "Please live. Talk, think, act. And sometimes listen to music..." She stopped briefly. "Look at paintings, allow yourself to be moved. Laugh a lot, and at times, cry. And if you find a wonderful girl, then you go for her, and love her.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“And so Yoshimi heard the dry pop one more time. Her forehead felt as if it were being crushed by a car. That was all.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“All of a sudden Yutaka realized he had created a cloud of dust all around him. Oh no! No! This sucks. This blows more than your mama! Hey, now's not the time to come up with stupid jokes!”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Cowards can't be faulted for being shy. They can't be held responsible for anything.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“We must defend ourselves according to our opponents' ability, not their intentions.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

“Shogo looked at Shuya and Noriko. "The winner's forced to transfer to another school where he or she is ordered not to mention the game and is instructed instead to lead a normal life. That's all."

Shuya felt his chest well up inside and his face froze. He stared at Shogo and realized that Noriko was holding her breath.

Shogo said, "I was a student in Third Year Class C, Second District, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture." He added, "I survived the Program held in Hyogo Prefecture last year.”
― Koushun Takami, quote from Battle Royale

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