BASARA
Author: Yumi Tamura (Tam-Tam).Volumes: 27 (106 chapters).Serialized 1990-1998.Warnings: SA, violence, death, nudity, mature themesHow did I stumble across a manga that I would rise above the other mangas I've read? A Google search and a click on a forum.
Most shocking of this discovery is that I don't hear people talking about it. Never heard of it before. Friends who read manga didn't recognize it. But it's somehow the best enemies to lovers romance I've ever read, with some of the coolest characters on the cast.
Adapted into an anime aired locally in Japan: "The Legend of Basara", a thirteen episode airing in 1998 that covers volumes 1-5. I was hesitant to read it because I don't read a lot of manga with an older style of artwork. I'm very glad I went beyond the doubts. I haven't watched the anime, but I will. I hear it's pretty loyal to the manga.
Themes:
Unity, Betrayal, Loyalty, Morality, Revolution, Politics, Gender + more...
Summary: Sarasa, a young girl living in a Japan reduced to barren lands, leads a revolution disguised as her brother Tatara. The prophet Nagi had declared that Tatara was the one to lead Japan's revolution and bring down the monarchy. The lands are divided between the Red King, the Black King, the Blue King, etc. So when Tatara is beheaded by the Red King's army in the first volume, and the enemies see him alive in the next minute, they are fully convinced the prophecy is true and Tatara is a crazy serious threat. But Tatara is in fact, Sarasa, his twin sister, utterly distraught over her brother's death. Amidst the madness of battle, she takes up his name and tries to lead everyone to safety, beginning a journey for revenge against the monarchy and a hatred for the Red King, while simultaneously creating a friendship with Shuri, a stranger who appears and declares himself a wanna-be merchant (He's literally the Red King). They keep crossing paths with each other, exchanging letters, and little do they know for almost the entire series that the other is their nemesis. Actively trying to desperately kill the other and their allies.
Sarasa begins a quest to collect the four treasured swords divided across the lands of Japan. Only with the swords and allies gained from their retrieval will she become successful. The story has characters you hate, love, kind of hate but you're rooting for, characters with disabilities, intense revenge-fueled dreams, and more.
Japan's state of a nation doomed without intervention, and the characters often philosophize about government, democracy, freedom, prejudice, and personal legacy (including characters that are forced to choose between love and country, face enslavement, loss of family, tarnishing of reputation, and more.
It's got everything: undercover Mulan-figure fighting under her brother's identity, one-eyed roaming dancer who somehow is everywhere and no where all at once, spoiled Zuko character who hates his dad (and also goes through a bald phase), cute messenger owls you're always worried about, grand prison breaks, pirates, deserts, an intense scholar who tries to document the entire thing happening all around, and more.
I especially love that all characters from all sides of the fray either accidentally barely miss the people they're looking for OR come in contact with someone they don't know but we do (Game of Thrones style). One of my favorite dynamics in story telling, actually.
Overall, I loved Basara. The camaraderie reminded me of Avatar the Last Airbender, which didn't even exist at the time of publication; stellar character backstory, growth (or decline), humor, including cute panels where the character expression turns into the most basic of shapes...the art style itself is aesthetic, majestic, not altogether confusing--which is a struggle for any manga reader or artist when crazy battle scenes are happening.
Notably, Tam-Tam introduces characters and very quickly you realize you have a connection to that character, even if it's a minor character or they are barely there. (Then they die. Just kidding). (Only sometimes). And she can establish empathy for even the worst people in some cases...
I would find myself waiting to see the continuation of one character's journey and annoyed at a newly introduced character, and within a few panels I wouldn't mind at all because I'm interested in this new one. A rare talent in my opinion. Some people online critiqued the large amount of characters and quick changes of place and circumstance. It can get confusing since there are so many people involved and since they can show up in different regions from when they were introduced, or with different people around them, but it's still amazing.
Tam-Tam supports a commentary that anything can be accomplished, even the impossible, as long as there is unification and teamwork, sometimes selflessness, acceptance, and good morals. Trust leads the way, and love conquers. Even if people die and their lover is left alone and vows for revenge, they have a continuing story beyond that loss that shows the power of forgiveness and the sorrow of bitterness.
Rivalries can be misunderstandings that CAN be rectified, both sides CAN be fighting for their own justice, believed to be the better cause. Good people fight good people, sometimes for the wrong reasons, but also sometimes because they jump too fast into revenge rather than forgiveness.
I loved the main characters, their dynamic, their romance, but mostly their conviction and growth when faced with responsibility, loyalty, and war.
I loved the side characters, the people you only see once, the people you hate, I loved them all. Some were too evil to actually love, but I think they were well created.
I commend the plot twists, as I adore when characters reveal their hidden agendas through action, and sometimes the author would keep something hidden until the right moment of reveal, and a character's actions became clear while upping the stakes.
Mostly, I loved the portrayal of gender and women in the story. Sarasa was a character the likes of Jo in Little Women, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice--I do not even have the words to describe how she battles the dynamics of responsibility caught in between leadership and responsibility, expectations as a man and woman, while staying true to herself and those around her...The women in the story were victims of war, greed, or station, powerful wives or powerful weapon-wielding girls with dreams and complex stories.
And I don't have words for Ageha at this time. He is by far one of my favorite characters to date. A man of the wind...
Once you get to the finale, there are extras:
-characters side stories/history
-events after the finale
-events preceding the first volume, generations ago, with the first insurgency of Japan and the meaning behind the title Basara...
10/10. Thank you Tam-Tam.
