BTOOOM!

Btooom! starts with a well worn premise: a random group of individuals are torn from their normal lives and forced to play a game to the death. It's a concept that has been reused endlessly in SF novels and movies for decades, with Battle Royale, The Hunger Games and The Running Man being some of the more famous examples. The twist added here is that the rules are based on a video game at which some of the participants are highly skilled. While adapting to living out the game is difficult for them, their fore-knowledge of appropriate tactics makes the battles believable once they start trying to kill each other.

An unusual aspect of the show is how it portrays its characters. Stories where people are in constant peril usually rely on making the characters sympathetic to inspire tension. Here, the writer goes out of their way to make the characters as obnoxious and unsympathetic as possible. As learning about them is the focus of the early episodes, this makes it a difficult show to get into. It's hard to say what the writer was trying to achieve by doing this. Was it an attempt to ape the similar format of Gantz? Or is he playing some metagame with the viewer by trying to inspire the bloodlust to see certain characters meet a 'just' death, thereby making us less humane than the protagonist who spares their lives? The point doesn't come through clearly.

The result is that the show only starts to pick up once the focus switches from dredging up the sewerage of the characters' former lives and spends more time on the present conflicts. It's here where Btooom! starts to shine. We hear the inner monologue of every character, revealing the gulf between their pretenses and their true intentions. Mind game piles atop mind game as the survivors try to outwit each other and figure out who, if anyone, can be trusted. With each character only having a limited number of bombs with short range and specific uses, battles are intense, tactical affairs. It pulls the old cliffhanger of "the main character got blown up...oh wait, he didn't" too many times, but aside from that the show does a good job of making each battle distinct.

Without giving anything away, be aware that this 12 episode run doesn't have a definite ending. This is typical for anime based on an ongoing manga series. It does resolve some major conflicts, but leaves enough others hanging to make the prospect of another season enticing. If there is one, I'll certainly be watching.

個人的にはなかなか面白かった
内容はざっと未来日記やバトルロワイアルのような人殺しのゲームに勝ち残っていくみたいな内容。
原作を知らない人もわかりやすい
ネトゲの設定が現実に用意され、リアルでそのゲームをやらされるという、何種類かある爆弾を駆使して戦うのが面白いと思った

主人公について
主人公の成長物語も良い。
ニートだった自分を苛烈なサバイバルの中で見つめ直し、
確実な成長が見れて良かった。
そして肩力。。。家であれだけ暴れれば投げたコントローラーが壁にめり込むくらいの肩力つくさ
主人公の声優がはじめてにも関わらず、それなりにうまい。叫び声が気に入った。マジイケメン…普通の人だったらあのデブみたいにヒミコ襲うというのにｗｗ


ヒミコちゃんについて。
酷い目に遭いすぎで、見てて可哀想になった
性格に関して、やたらと好戦的だったり、あっさり死を覚悟したり。
どうもヒミコの性格がさっぱりわからない。
第11話…おっぱいリフレクｗｗｗ　さすがヒミコの胸力弾力すごかったｗ
ヒミコ おっぱいマウスパッドがあったら買いたい（笑）


【良い点】
・平さん:最終的に裏切ったがそこに至る理由は同情
・ヒミコさんのお胸についていらっしゃる2つの爆弾
・乳首にピンポイントで投げられる伊達さんの能力
・OP　（気に入った）
・設定

1クールのまとめ方としては素晴らしかった
最後の平さん…そしてニヤニヤものの交際申し込みw
このアニメ化は成功！将来２期楽しみ

I originally wrote this on my MAL. Im re-posting it here with better grammar and other shenanigens. Enjoy~ :3

Among the Fall 2012 anime list's gleaming gems is Btooom!, the seinen manga adaptation done by Madhouse Studios.

Story: 6
The story is fairly decent with its battle royale format. The pacing never gets too slow or too fast, and feels "just right" for a 1 cour show.
HOWEVER, the questions left unanswered at the end of the show begs for a second season, which Madhouse should get working on ASAP.

Characters: 6
Just like any other battle royale out there, the cast is pervaded with a very interesting set of characters, including psychos, rapists, and badasses.
However, only the main characters Ryouta and Himiko are the only ones that have extensive development, and even so, it is not much. Many questions are left up in the air with them and we, the viewers, can only wonder what the answers to these questions could be.
While the final credits roll, they show glimpses of even MORE characters. I hope they get more depth added to them in season 2...if there is even going to be a season 2.

Art: 9
Btooom!, I feel, is best enjoyed in HD.
Madhouse is known for their amazing animation. The lighting effects are beautiful, the colors have a strong and vivid feel to them, and the background scenery is nothing short of amazing with its high attention to details. Their use of gradients in the animation also provides a more "realistic" depth to the art.
There are a few hiccups here and there, but they do nothing to detract from the experience.

Sound: 8
From the ambient music to the sounds to the explosions, the sounds are awesome. The music plays at just the right times and makes each scene stand out from the last, and those explosions could really pump you up.

Enjoyment: 9
I typically enjoy all of Madhouse's stuff, and this is no exception. All of the combined attributes listed above has led me to give this an enjoyment rating of 9.

Overall: 8
While not perfect and complete, Btooom! is definitely a great anime. It's amazing visuals, decent story, and interesting characters will keep you entertained for all 12 of its episodes, but take heed, you will thirst for more.
I hope there will be a season 2, so all the questions left behind would be answered. But for now, all I can do is hope.

Thank you for reading my review!
Good day, and good night!

After watching the first episode I was pulled in. Ryōta Sakamoto is one of the players of BTOOOM!, the video game. He along with several others are put into a real life version of the game. On a tropical island in the middle of nowhere, you can see the insanity unfold as the players try to survive each other. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves insanity and doesn't mind blood. There is also a hit of romance in this anime. If you watch this anime I sure you enjoy it.
Enjoy!

This anime is astonishing. They're so many cliffhangers that make you want to know more! The anime somewhat resembles Sword Art Online. The characters throughout the anime all kinda show the insanity of mankind. But overall this anime is amazing I'm hoping for another season... However there are low chances atm... But this is a must watch if you like video games, action, bombs, heros, and a hint of romance.