A few months ago, I was praising Battle Royale: Enforcers for being a fresh take on the Battle Royale franchise. I still stand by my accolades of the first volume, though this next one might be a little mixed.

Now that the game’s afoot, each of the remaining students are in a fight to survive. To force squads to move, Sister introduces orienteering, which means that all members must check into designated checkpoints. Meanwhile, we get a look at some of the other squad leaders, which are all in different mental and physical states. They’re all introduced quickly, with a few of them getting more than a few pages of exposition and characterization.

This volume has the unfortunate problem of making me care for every other squad other than Rion Sakamoto’s… you know, the main protagonist. From Kenji Kogure’s near-death experience dealing with gender identity and losing most of squad 5 to Ryoto Makibe’s militaristic past, there’s no shortage of interesting characters.

Again, Rion’s squad feels the most undercooked in the cast (which includes a squad who is two-thirds eliminated). I’m thinking the story might pull a decoy protagonist twist, but in order to do that, you have to have a main protagonist that’s likeable.

Also, a quick note, this manga is M-rated for good reason, and the original Battle Royale manga had multiple scenes of depravity. Subjects like rape are explored here for drama and may be unsettling for those picking up the previous volume (as it didn’t have more graphic depictions). It’s a brutal tale and not for the faint of heart.

I am optimistic for the next volumes of Battle Royale: Enforcers, but it isn’t looking good for the time being.

It was interesting to see how original Battle Royale creator Koushun Takami was taking the concept in this new manga during volume 1, as the idea evolved into a squad-based survival game amongst a class at a school for social deviants. However, this second volume falls back on some pretty heavy handed tropes (including a fan-servicy femme fatale, an ex-military squad leader who brainwashes his squad with drugs, etc) and some shallow characterization. It's still fine, but this volume especially doesn't stand out amongst other seinen (men's magazine) manga of the same style.

This second volume of Battle Royale: Enforcers digs deeper into the dark premise of Program 68, amplifying the tension as the students confront their brutal reality. The narrative expertly balances action with psychological depth, showing how fear and desperation twist alliances. Some students attempt cooperation, holding onto a shred of humanity, while others give in to ruthless instincts, heightening the internal conflicts within the squads.

The standout character here is Squad 2’s leader, whose unpredictability keeps readers on edge and adds complexity to the story’s stakes. This volume is filled with intense scenes, making it a gripping read for fans of high-stakes survival stories. It leaves you wondering who will emerge with their humanity intact—or at all.

This didn’t go in the direction I was expecting. Many unredeemable characters were introduced in this volume.

In vol. 2 we get to know more of the characters and have a sense of which ones are going to be villains and which ones we want to see win. In comparison to the first one it's much more developed -- I felt like I had no idea what was happening in vol. 1 but since it was the kick off to the series that makes sense. I really like squad 8 and seeing how their characters are developing and working together. They all seem pretty well balanced and good especially compared to a few of the other squads. It's pretty quick moving with action and strategy, while still developing skills/traits for the main characters. The squads all have a little something to set them apart and make them memorable, which is nice to differentiate them and try to determine which squads are the strongest/smartest. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that I hope will play out the right way but who knows. I'm more invested in the series now and recommend it to anyone who likes action manga or books/movies like Hunger Games but with more gore.

Thank you VIZ Media for the DRC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.