Basara, Vol. 1

Basara is not your typical shoujo manga, and Sarasa is a very atypical shoujo heroine. I was initially attracted to this series through the anime. I had read a review in which someone mentioned that it was a shame that not all of the manga volumes were animated. Having seen the anime, and now having started on the manga, I find that I am in agreement. When Sarasa and her twin brother Tatara were born in their village, the prophet Nagi declared "here is the child of destiny". Of course, everyone assumed they meant Tatara. Sarasa grew up in his shadow, with nobody expecting very much from her, and everyone expecting Tatara to lead them to salvation.When Tatara is killed and Byakko village decimated by the forces of the Red King, Sarasa takes up Tatara's name and guise to exact revenge. This volume chronicles her attempt to reclaim the sword of Byakko, which had belonged to Tatara and which her female hand was previously never allowed to "defile", as well as a couple more attempts to strike at the Red King's forces.The supporting cast, particularly Ageha and Shuri, is interesting, and the secrets concerning their histories are doled out very sparingly. The art is sometimes a little odd (I find the blurry eyes rather distracting), but I completely adore how Tamura-sensei draws little kids. This series (and the anime if you can find it) is highly recommended.

Kindle it. That's what I plan on doing for the later volumes. I went in initially put off by the art of the first few chapters - that's volumes 1/2. Eventually the art picks up steam and the huge-sparkly eyes re-proportions itself to be less jarring. Action scenes are a little bit hard to follow. Maybe because I'm steamrolling through the story. I am hooked. This is genre bending for a "shoujo" manga. This is not your typical high school uniformed will they won't they shoujo genre. Think Avatar the Last Airbender if it were a manga. No kidding. I am seeing parallels. Zuko & Katara: Shuri & Sasara. Sasara witness the Fire King (...Fire Nation anyone?) and his troops destroying her village and killing her family, minus her mom who survives. Sasara, who in this story is just like the Avatar, the chosen one, destined to bring peace to 4 warring nations within Japan. She is destined to recover the 4 swords (Elements anyone??) in order to do so. Shuri who, like Zuko undergoes a 360 (I'm not there yet...) and later joins forces with Sasara and her Gaang to confront his father, the emperor (Fire Lord Ozai anyone???) who is in control of their entire country. I felt the writers working on that show were totally aware of this epic saga. This isn't just your romance: that's only a small part of it. This is some good ass writing. Characters are totally self aware. They aren't just cardboard cut outs. There is traveling. No they don't have an Appa. They have horses and ships though. You don't know where the story is headed. It reminds me a lot of ATLA's season 1 where Sarasa, like Aang grows from being naive and idealistic to being the Avatar.Look I like Shoujo, but I'm sick of the goody-goody-sugary nausea inducing tropes of your typical shoujo. This isn't it.I'm blown away at the "genre" this is categorized as. This feels like ATLA. ATLA totally had some connection to this. Red flags, flames... I think Fire Nation.

I had a recommendation from a friend for this series. I had issue with the illustration style, it was just outside my flavor circle. I know weird, but I really don't care for the exaggerated shaped faces and the eye work in this series. I read anime and comics more for the art then the story usually. As I was reading along I stopped noticing the face distortion and got involved in the story. Who was this child of destiny ? What is the Red Kings goal ? Who is this man or that one ? The I was "omg" wait till she finds out who that was !This was a fun read with so twists that left me wanting the next in the series asap. I'm sold, I have to know what happens.

Sometime far, far in the future, the land of Japan as we know it is gone. For a young girl named Sarasa, her land is a brutal sun shining over a vast desert, divided into the control of the Emperor and his sons. For Sarasa's land, the tyrant that controls her desert is the Red King, who has been a constant malevolent presence in her simple village.Sarasa's twin brother, Tatara, has an incredible destiny before him, as he was predicted to be a child of light that would lead their people to revolution. However, Sarasa is ignored in favor of the one who holds the hopes of the people. However, the brilliant and cruel Red King - a teenage boy only a few years older than herself - is well aware of the prophecy, and has Tatara brutally killed. Sarasa thus momentously declares that *she* is Tatara, and that now is the time to rebel against the Red King.Here, the story begins: Sarasa must unite the people of Japan under the name "Tatara", and rebel against the Emperor and his sons. Her own particular demon is the Red King, the personal cause of her tragedy. At the same time, she is a fifteen year old girl, after all, and she comes to love a handsome and capricious young man named Shuri. Sarasa is, unfortunately, ignorant of the fact that the name of the Red King is Shuri, just as he is ignorant of the fact that the intriguing young woman he loves is the wearer of the robes of Tatara. The emotional seesaw here is enough to shred my heart into small pieces.The epic (for this is can only be called epic) series begins with the definition of Basara: "a free but noble spirit who disavows established authority and rejects the restrictions of convention." Derived from a word meaning diamond, this series surely is that - a diamond that is unconventional, beautiful, and true. The story runs through 25 volumes, and is finished up with two volumes of side stories that detail character moments and such.I can't say how wonderful this manga is. In romance, adventure, human emotion, fighting, politics, art, humor - in every category I can think of, it's brilliant. There is something about Basara and its timelessly elegant story, its fresh comedy and painful romance that strikes me every time I read it. Some complain that the art is rough and unusual - and it is, but it's beautiful. Whether it is in SD-form or reminescent of old Japanese paintings and scrolls, it is unsurpassable.As for plot, it's already intriguing - but the diamond of Basara lies in the characters. Sarasa is passionate, honest, and determined, with a nearly unbreakable will to succeed. And she is normal, as we see in her caring for her loved ones, her love and confusion for Shuri, and the undiluted rage she has against the Red King. The supporting characters are wonderful as well, in a myriad of personalities, goals, and desires.The cast, the plot, the art, the dialogue, all culminating in a beautiful ending that made me weep: there is no manga series that I can recommend more.

After reading these online, I wanted the paper versions in my shelf. A lovely story about a girl growing up to be a leader of people and her many adventures on her way there. Lots of fights as well, so might be that some guys would also like the book, yet it is best enjoyable by a gal. Teens are probably the intended audience, yet it liked it in my twenties as well.

Delivery time was pretty long. But I just love this series. The book was in perfect condition when it came. Just go for it