Basara

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Basara is a roller-coaster from start to finish. I'm actually shocked that they never made a full anime adaptation of this series, because it was very popular in Japan and it has broad appeal. There's slowburn romance, an ensemble cast, fantasy worldbuilding, war, politics, and it can get dark and light hearted at times. It has a strong female protagonist that isn't a shallow girlboss, and the themes are relevant to current events today. I think if this series had a good remake, and was marketed properly, it could be a big thing. It stands the test of time. ... Maybe the art is a bit outdated, but it has that cool retro vibe going on.

I highly recommend this series and the anime adaptation. Even if the anime is just 13 episodes, it's a good series to watch. I definitely recommend the manga, because it's a masterpiece.

I had a great time reading this. It ended up being my 3rd favourite manga I’ve read after Yokohama Kaidaishi Kikou, and Hunter x Hunter. Some thoughts:

1. I was surprised at how intricate the world building was. First off, I loved the desert settings throughout the manga. I have a certain attachment to the desert and its iconography due to my background. I’d go as far to say it’s a good manga for someone who’s interested in a middle eastern/Arabian themed manga.

2. I also learned a lot about Japan. As I was reading I would frequently be on Google maps looking up cities in ... Japan mentioned in the manga and where they’re located and how they look like. This manga gave me a deeper knowledge and appreciation of Japan and its culture.

3. Another thing I enjoyed was the depth of politics in the manga. It felt very “Game of Thrones” like, and anyone who is looking for that sort of setting would enjoy Basara. It honestly got a little confusing at times, but Tamura gave a few explanatory extras at the end of a few volumes to clear stuff up.

4. The wide and very diverse cast of characters who all got highlighted and developed was another really awesome aspect to this manga. From villains to comrades, it seemed the vast majority of characters got their just due. You come to care about the characters and understand them at a deep level. I am sad to see them go. I loved how even later in the manga, she was introducing characters I came to love (like KIKUNE 😊).

5. It was surprisingly brutal at times! There were certain scenes that actually made me sickened and disturbed. But these scenes were never for shock value or anything. They were use to emphasize the brutality of what the world of Basara was at that time and how much it needed to change. These scenes were always depicted tastefully and with tact but they definitely gave you a punch to the heart.

6. I was never turned off by the art. I always thought it was solid and frankly I’m not really a snob about art in general (must be the Hunter x Hunter fan in me 😅). Some panels were a little hard to decipher at times but nothing major. I do know it’s a common complaint but I don’t think it took away from the story at all. Honestly, the 90s art style made me feel nostalgic and cozy in a way. It’s a big reason why I prefer 90s/2000s manga in general.

Basara will always be one of my favourites and I’m glad it was my introduction to the works of Yumi Tamura.

I didn’t expect to do this, but I went straight into 7Seeds immediately after finishing Basara. A review of 7Seeds and it's comparison to Basara will soon follow.

Art: 7/10. The art is definitely that 90s shoujo vibe. If you like Fushigi Yugi, Red River, etc type art, you will like this one as well.

Characters: 2/10. I could not stand the FL in this one. At some points during reading, I kept hoping the author would remove the female lead and introduce a new likeable one. 90s shoujo manga tend to write the most aggravaging, annoying, headache-inducing female leads in the world of fiction. Honestly, I found most of the characters to be annoying.

Plot: 7/10. I will say the political aspect of the story was done quite well. Honestly it was ... more of a political manga than a shoujo romance manga which isn't a bad thing, but I just wanted more romance though.

Overall: 6/10. It wasn't terrible but for how long it was written, the romance aspect was too little for me. Honestly I felt like it was a waste of my time but I can understand why others would like it.