``The Hunger Games'' junior high and high school students dream of becoming a pop star revolutionary

The Hunger Games as a reality show

When Katniss arrives at the Capital, she is greeted like a star by the tastefully dressed residents. The room I was given was like a royal suite at a hotel. A luxurious three-meal menu will be provided. A personal stylist and trainer are always there to take care of them, and in the lead-up to The Game, they are forced to focus on training in murderous techniques and promotional activities aimed at gaining sponsorship.

The ``The Hunger Games'' are both a sanction and demonstration of the rebellion that took place in the past, and are also entertainment for the wealthy people living in ``Capital'', so they are staged as a huge spectacle.

The situation of Katniss and others who were treated as stars overnight is similar to the "Cinderella Story" of Susan Boyle, who changed her life dramatically through an audition program, and Justin Bieber, who rose from YouTube to become a top idol. It can also be called an adaptation. Also, the reality show ``Survivor'' probably has a big influence on the hard scenes.

"The Hunger Games" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

``Survivor'' is a game in which participants isolated on a remote tropical island or in a jungle compete in The Game to win 1 million dollars (US version: approximately 100 million yen in Japanese yen). What is noteworthy is that the losing side is forced to hold a voting meeting called the ``Expulsion Council,'' and elect an ``expelled person'' from among the members. In other words, not only winning or losing The Game, but also the character and looks that can be glimpsed during The Game are factors for survival.

Even in The Hunger Games, Katniss' background story of ``participating to protect her sister,'' her appearance of thinking about the death of her comrades who were fighting together, and her decision at the end are seen as ``good actions'' and help her. To go.

These can be said to be a radicalized theory of ``impressiveness,'' which prioritizes ``how it looks'' even if it ignores the essence when making decisions. This theory of ``appearance'' continues to trouble Katniss as an important element in the subsequent ``The Hunger Games'' series.

To children who have passed through Harry Potter