Ranked #119

Basara (Manga)

Before I begin, I would like to say that I have read the first six volumes over ten times and the entire series twice-- and I have loved it as dearly as the first time I picked up a volume.

Basara is definitely an epic to consider if you are seeking an escape from today's world. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this tale begins with the birth of two twins, Tatara and Sarasa, and follows the latter's journey to create a better world for her people.

The first thing I would like to address is the art. Despite the seemingly haphazard lines that initially deterred me, I grew to love it. There is a certain elegance in these pages that takes a little time to notice. It is very much an easily acquired taste, and I am now enchanted by this style.

The storyline seems a little simplistic-- overthrow the king and create a new country. Yet the simple sentence above implies so many complications-- gathering the trust of men, getting close to the king. Sarasa starts practically from scratch and works her way up-- she does not have it easy, and she knows it, yet she works her hardest to improve her situation as well as others', thus gaining their trust. The story, though it can a little slow when gathering reconnaissance about a certain place, stays intriguing for almost the entire series-- and with a whole 27 volumes, that's quite a feat.

As others have stated, the real gem in this series lies in the cast of characters. It is very difficult to stay organized with a large, fully-developed army of characters, but Tam-tam doesn't just stay organized-- she utilizes all of these characters to the fullest, and shows their development. They're not stagnant characters who never change their ways.

The most prominent example I can give of this is Shuri, the Red King. In the beginning, Shuri is pompous, overconfident; he is very reckless and cares little about the value of life-- especially those of individuals whom he knows nothing about. However, Sarasa and other situations teach him that every qlife is valuable, and by the end of the series, he has changed almost completely. No longer is he the reckless, overconfident, I-am-going-to-run-you-over-to-get-what-I-want sort of man; he has become a mature individual who acknowledges the things he has done but wants to help make it better.

Sarasa's development was quite beautiful as well. She started off her journey being a crybaby, constantly relying on others for help. As she moved on, as events forced her to separate from those she relied on, she became more and more independent-- so much so that she was afraid to lean on anyone for a while. She was most definitely human-- she was constantly in conflict with herself over her actions, she is afraid, she is still quite a crybaby. Yet she looks forward with a solid resolve to accomplish what she set out to do. At the end of the series, though still a crybaby, she is very much independent, very accomplished, very confident, and no longer the younger sister who was cast aside.

I must say, I really enjoyed all of the series, even though volumes 19-24 kept leading me on false hopes (both times, at the end of every chapter, I kept thinking, "Are they going to meet again?! What's going to happen? CRAP, THEY'RE NOT MEETING YET? GODDAMNIT, WHY?!"), it's a sign that Tam-tam definitely had a firm grip on the skill of keeping the reader hooked and on the edge of her or his seat.

In conclusion, Basara's intricate plot and full-fledged army (literally) of characters should not be turned away by the seeming messiness of the art. This manga's brilliant plot and well-rounded characters provide the majority of this manga's fanbase. Definitely a must-read epic, Basara has won over my heart-- and as I did last time, I shall be thinking of Sarasa and Shuri for weeks on end! read more

Basara is an epic tale about Sarasa who replaces her twin brother; prophesized to be the boy of destiny and unite Japan; after he falls in battle. That in itself is more or less a cliched setup for a show, but Basara pulls it off incredibly well.

The whole first volume deals with Sarasa's taking up of Tatara's name. After that, things get pretty deep. Each volume (of 7 that I have read thus far) seemingly add another layer of complexity to the story. I much more than a simple "Unite Japan after an Apocalypse" type story, which has much to do with its amazing characterization and their drive.

The characters are plentiful, and wonderfully diverse. Even stock characters somehow breath uniqueness either do to an interesting back story or the party around them in which they interact with. But for me, the best part about the characters is that both good and bad characters are given the same treatment. A character who is truly evil is few and far between. Most of the"bad guys" are just following a different path than Tatara is in order to unite Japan. Nonetheless they are provided with a full backstory early on along with their motives and relationships and inner thoughts being revealed which really makes them feel human rather than an arbitrary obstacle or goal. This makes it hard to root for "good" or "evil" to triumph, as well as adds pain when either actually does. However there are some truly evil characters in the story thus far, and I truly hate them; loathe them even, as I suspect was intended.

New characters never stop entering the picture, and old characters dissapear, reappear, and die often, keeping things fresh and really unpredictable. Not so unpredictable though that an event comes off as alien or out of place, or that deus ex machina is being used. Just unpredictable enough to be lead around by the manga-ka's story.

The only part of Basara I can really find fault in is the art. I am not going to complain about style or character design because, really, it is quite wonderful. There are just many pages in each book where I have no idea what I am looking at. The most recent example I can name comes in volume 7, where a whale leaps out of the water. I wouldn't have been able to identified it as a whale if the speech bubbles hadn't said so. To be honest, I didn't even see anything, I only saw a wave. But after really close inspection, there was a whale, it just happened to have the exact same shading as the water. It may just be that Viz messed up in printing Basara, but whatever the reason is, there are a few moments per book where I have to strain myself in order to understand whats happening.

But with that being the only real problem at least for me) I can safely recommend this manga to anybody who enjoys fantasy or adventure stories. I am sure you wont be disappointed. read more

Before I begin, I would just like to say that this is my first ever review, so please bear with me. thanks.

Story:
The short synopsis of Basara here on MAL, of one brave girl liberating Japan from tyrannical kings, is the basic gist of the story. But I want to stress that the story is also so much more then just that main conflict. There are many stories, each dealing with characters that we come across on the journey that the main character takes. And these characters' stories are interwoven with that of the main character to bring about a breath taking epic. And it is an epic with a total of 27 volumes. But unlike some series that seem to be going on and on for no apparent reason, Basara fills her volumes with stories that continue to build toward the dramatic finale. Even with a fair share devoted to telling the stories of side characters, the tale of Basara itself does not stray from the main tale it is written to tell. All this I believe, is the result of the genius and power of the story teller, Tamura-san. The story of Basara is really one of its strongest points, and I can't express enough how beautiful it is. Also I feel that the story has a bit of everything, so that almost everyone will be statisfied with this little jewel.

Art:
Art is the weak point of Basara, but that is not to say the art is bad per say. Rather the art is unique and a bit unpolished, but it does improves as the story goes on. I, myself, find the art average, it is not bad, but it is also not superb. Basically, it gets the job done.

Characters:
The characters of Barasa are by far the manga's strongest point. Characters are given ample room to be developed and most of the main characters undergo changes along with the manga, and in a sense they grow with the manga. The characters are also given realistic personalities, they have both strengths and weaknesses. Even the villains are given realistic personalities, and often you may find yourself sympathizing with their plight or their goals.

Conclusion:
I highly highly recommend this manga, it has a beautiful story with engaging characters. Tamura-san shows the extent of her story telling abilities here; the story will keep you yearning for the next volume as soon as you finish the last, and the characters will stir your sympathies (well maybe there is one exception) and you will actually care as to what happens to them. Basara will be one manga that you can really take pleasure in reading and I find that it has a bit of every genre to keep everyone satisfied. With all that said, Basara is not everyone's cup of tea. Although it has action and fight scenes, these take a back seat to character interaction. The primary focus of Basara is character interacts and for those who do not enjoy such manga (or shoujo in general) will probably find Basara to be a disappointment. Likewise, the art of Basara is unique and a bit unpolished, so for those who read manga primarily for its artistic value will also be disappointed. Other then these two reasons, I really do believe that anyone who tries it will enjoy it. So if you are up for a 27 volume long manga series, give Basara a shot. :) read more

Basara is, in my opinion, one of the more underrated, yet still excellent, manga out there. Is it a bit dated, unfortunately yes, but the story and characters definitely stand the test of time.

Story: 10
No the story is not perfect as the 10 may lead you to believe, but nonetheless I feel it is deserved. I won't summarize the plot (that's already done above)but I will say that the author uses an interesting concept in combining aspects of Historical fiction with the post-apocalyptic genre. In terms of the plot, the author knew where she was going with this story and went there and was able to create a marvellous adventure that kept me wanting more after each chapter.

Art: 8
The art in Basara is both dated and different. I'll admit that when I was deciding whether or not to continue reading, the rather strange art deterred me as I'm sort of an art snob when it comes to manga. However as the story progresses it's easy to get used to the art, hell, by the end it actually looks good. It works well with the story and gets better as it goes along.

Character: 10
I loved the characters. They were really well done as in they grew as the story want along and were well rounded. Sarasa is actually one of my favourite heroines because she was a strong character and she, even through her struggles, was still a character that I could relate to. She wasn't some fake, flat hero fighting for a cause with simple motivation and no complexities. She often questioned her identity, her morals, and her femininity as the story went on, and was by no means perfect, making her more human. Even the villains were characters that one could sympathize with.

Enjoyment: 10
I freaking loved this manga and would strongly recommend it for anyone looking for a long somewhat deep adventure; i.e. a good, long read.

Overall: 10
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The first I landed on this story I was abit anxious and was asking myself do i need to read it or not, is it interesting, or will the story will drag itself!? No Basara from the first time i read it had captured me wholly!? The characters, storyline and art everything was perfect!?

I loved the story so much I couldn't stop myself from reading!? The suspense and the surprises and twists in the storyline keep on capturing more and more!?

The story is about Japan during the end of the monarchy!? The child of destiny who is a girl (thats definitely a huge merit for having a strong female lead) will change the destiny of a whole nation!? The story takes you through the trails and tribulations of the characters!?

It is just a beautifully written story I strongly recommend it for people who like to live with the characters and feel their emotions throughout their lifelong trials in the story!?The storyline and characters just come out to life, you will experience everything!?

I truly recommend this story read more