Basara 4
Posted: February 8, 2009 Filed under: Basara 23 Comments »This volume had one of the most epic death scenes I’ve ever seen. The impact was lost a bit since I wasn’t all that emotionally invested in the character that died, but the entire scene, from the earthquake to the determination shown by both characters to the shock one expressed after finding a secret to the method of their actual death was FANTASTIC. Even the follow-up with one or two significant others and friends was great. It compares favorably to other epic death scenes, like the ones found in Trigun or X.
And in case I wasn’t totally happy with that, much of the second half of the volume is just Shuri and Sarasa having fun together while each is secretly on a covert mission. This was totally unexpected, and since I love seeing the two together more than anything else in this series, it was more than I could have asked.
The cliffhanger at the end was also excellent. I’m kind of enjoying the new area Shuri and Sarasa are in, if only because it seems like a terrible place, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their situation pans out.
I really must restart reading Basara one of these days… I’m glad you enjoy this manga! ^_^
“And in case I wasn’t totally happy with [the death scene]…”
“I’m kind of enjoying the new area Shuri and Sarasa are in, if only because it seems like a terrible place”
Now you’re sounding like me. I can appreciate light-hearted stuff like anyone else, but the stories I *really* love always involve a lot of trauma. One of my friends mocks me about how I smile when I describe the horrible things which happen to my favorite characters.
And I love Princess Senju. Though she never becomes a lead, she does stick around, and I simply love her interactions with Sarasa. While they aren’t friends, they are important to each other. And that is one of the things which makes me love Basara so hard. It’s not just Shuri and Sarasa who have a love/hate dynamic going on – there are a lot of love/hate dynamics, yet each one has a different variation, and in sum it’s a great kaleidescope of human feelings.
Yay yay yay. I’m so happy you’re loving this. :)
It’s really, really fun. Plus I’m a pushover when it comes to fantasy series, which I think helps my enjoyment a lot.
I’m rushing to get the rest of it now so that I can read it. I think I have up to volume 7, then a huge chunk of the end of the series, but I’m going to be sad when I run out and don’t have the middle volumes.
Ooh, it’s very interesting that Princess Senju sticks around. I figured she would at least reappear later (if not in the promised context of her child being the killer of Tatara), but I’d like to see how her loss affects Sarasa down the road.
And yeah, I don’t know what it is about seeing characters I like suffer. Also, for whatever reason, I genuinely love seeing the main characters of series die, even if it’s a series or character I really like. I think there’s a certain joy I get from seeing a writer who isn’t afraid to do something like that. Part of it may also be that I watched too many cartoons growing up and/or read too many comics for little kids, which are sort of shy about making people suffer in meaningful ways, if that doesn’t make me sound like some sort of sadist.
You are no more a sadist than I. As I like to put it “A good character deserves a good death”. I am flexible about what constitutes a “good death”. Done well, it spells closure like nothing else.
I took a playwriting class, and one of the many maxims went something like “make the characters suffer. The more you make them suffer, the more the audience is going to care about them.”
I’m also a dedicated Lois McMaster Bujold fan, and her motto is “What is the worst thing I can do to my characters?” Speaking of which, her books would make awesome seinen manga (I know they’ve been translated into Japanese, and I think they are trying to adapt one of her books into a French comic book).
Riyoko Ikeda manga has the best death scenes. Not quite as epic as the death in this volume of Basara, but they are sublime in their own fashion. I hope you’ll see some for yourself soon.
One of the many benefits of Princess Senju sticking around is that she serves as a crude calendar for the story. Thanks to her, I know that the main story takes place over the course of approximately one year (well that and Shuri’s birthday party, since he only has one birthday during the course of the story).
Oh! I remember my roommate trying to tell me about “Paladin of Souls” a couple years ago. I haven’t read anything by her, but I remember my roommate trying to get me interested in that series. It must be good, because it doesn’t sound like the type of thing he’d read. I have to say, The Sharing Knife sounds more like my thing.
On that subject, I would dearly love to see the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey as a shoujo manga, though that book and shoujo manga don’t necessarily go together well aside from the girly factor. That series is also probably a good example of the author pulling punches since truly tragic things are always avoided. I loved the epic journeys, though.
I was also going to say something about how I liked having characters suffer because it meant they were really well-written, but I think the maxim you quoted is probably more accurate.
And… all of Basara takes place in one year? That’s pretty amazing.
Bujold is indeed great. I’m about to start reading The Sharing Knife series, actually, now that volume four (the final one) has come out, so you can watch my site for reviews. :)
“Also, for whatever reason, I genuinely love seeing the main characters of series die, even if it’s a series or character I really like. I think there’s a certain joy I get from seeing a writer who isn’t afraid to do something like that.”
I fully agree. Too often, at least in Western literature and film, nobody ever dies. They can be in great peril, and they don’t die. You start not to believe that the stakes are truly high. This is why I love manga and Joss Whedon. :)
I have also heard quite a bit about the Kushiel series, but have never found the time to pick one up.
Paladin of Souls is, in my opinion, the best the Chalion books (with lines like “Lord *****, how long have you been dead?”), but I do prefer the Sharing Knife series (and one of them just came out – yay!) However, the best stuff is in the Vorkosigan saga. Those books are so full of witty lines, such as -
“I can’t believe this. Trapped in Ryoval’s basement with a sex-starved teenage werewolf. There was nothing about this in any of my Imperial Academy training manuals…”
or
“I don’t want power, I just object to idiots having power over me.”
If you don’t have time to take on a full novel, you can try one of the short stories available online (and it’s legal, since the publisher is trying to hook you)
http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200308/0743435583___1.htm
And yes, Basara’s main story takes place in about a year. The side stories expand the timeline quite a bit (and I think the side stories are essential, since they explain a lot, and make the ending a lot more complete).
Michelle: I missed the whole Joss Whedon phenomenon, even though what he does sounds exactly like my kind of thing. I may not be able to take the teasing from my roommate if I start watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is the only reason I have not watched it in its entirety at this point.
And even better for Sharing Knife, the series is complete! For whatever reason, having to wait for the next novel in a series drives me crazy (moreso than with comics), and I like to wait until the series is over, or let a couple volumes build up before I try things or continue with something. Being caught up always depresses me.
Sara K.: See, I had skipped over the Vorkosigan Saga because I tend to dislike sci-fi novels. But the whole sex-starved teenage werewolf thing sounds like something I can get behind. Looking closer… Mutants? Quaddies? Dead princes and whatnot? These are all things that appeal to me.
I think I will try that short story, thank you very much.
[...] Boyfriend (Extremely Graphic) Lissa Pattillo on vol. 11 of Air Gear (Kuriousity) Connie on vols. 4 and 5 of Basara (Slightly Biased Manga) Connie on vols. 21 and 22 of Berserk (Slightly Biased [...]
I may not be able to take the teasing from my roommate if I start watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is the only reason I have not watched it in its entirety at this point.
I find that’s a common reason for not watching it, and it was mine, too. It seemed every time I caught a glimpse of it on TV, something dumb going on, like Buffy in a homecoming gown beating up a guy in a rubber-headed demon suit. I promise, however, that despite a silly name and occasionally silly bad guys, it is anything but stupid. It has extremely funny moments, extremely sad moments, extremely shocking moments… It has everything. The twelve-episode season 1 isn’t the best, by far, but if you can make it to the end of season 2, you’ll be hooked for good.
What science fiction novels have you tried? I love science fiction, and when somebody says they don’t like science-fiction, I usually figure that they haven’t tried the right book. It’s almost like somebody saying they don’t like manga.
(On the other hand, I dislike a lot of science-fiction manga because I have really high standards for sci-fi, and most mangaka can’t reach them. In fact, the only sci-fi manga I can think of which is on the same level as the good sci-fi writers is “They Were Eleven”)
Bujold’s books belong to the “space opera” sub-genre of sci-fi (the best known examples of space opera are *Star Wars* and *Star Trek*). However, something about her stuff is just different from other space opera. The best comparison I can make is that she is the Fumi Yoshinaga of space opera.
Anyway, I would like to know what you think of the story :D
I didn’t know it involved rubber demon suits. I think I like it better, but I’d have to see it in context now. It’s true that the name alone kept me away for years, that and the fact that I didn’t know anyone who watched it while it was on. But I’m pretty positive if I tried it out, I’d like it. I’ll probably see if I can get the first season off Netflix the next time my roommate leaves town.
I did like the story. I’m not quite finished with it (I read about half of it at work today), but I liked it a lot even after being a little put off by getting dropped in the middle of things. I don’t really like to start things unless I know everything first, but the weirdness of having the main character wander around naked through a domed prison with someone who thinks their a Christ-like figure got me over that pretty quick. I’m still probably more likely to try out the fantasy series first, but I do like her writing style a lot.
You know, I thought about it, and realized I haven’t really tried any sci-fi since I was younger, save for manga. It might actually be that I was put off by Star Wars and Star Trek from when I was younger. I later wound up liking Star Wars okay (I’m still not the biggest fan), but I never really got into Star Trek save for the fourth movie, which was really awesome. I might have liked it better if I had started at the beginning with the campier episodes, though. My roommate reads a lot of sci-fi, and my dislike might also come from his copious and confused descriptions of everything that he reads.
As far as manga goes, They Were Eleven is probably the only sci-fi manga I really, really liked, so describing the writing in terms of that story is a good thing. The only other series that are occurring to me right now (To Terra, Andromeda Stories, A A’, New Galaxy Express 999) were vaguely dissatisfying in some way for me… maybe because they were over-dramatic without developing the characters enough to make me like them? They were also all short, so it could also be that there was too much detail crammed in the small space, or that I didn’t like having to learn about a whole new world and technology for the purpose of those short stories. Something like that would work itself out in a really long series, though.
“The Borders of Infinity” was originally published in a magazine, so it’s written for an audience which might not be familiar with the Vorkosigan saga. Actually, I think it’s a little better if you don’t know too much about the other stories … I would like to know what you think of the ending.
Of the sci-fi manga you mentioned, I have read all of To Terra and A A’, and one volume of Andromeda Stories. I really liked the first story in A A’, and was underwhelmed by the other stories. To Terra is a nice yarn, but mediocre science fiction. I finished it because I admire Takemiya’s art and intensity, but the plot is all stuff I’ve seen done better elsewhere. And the fact that I never tried to read more of Andromeda Stories speaks for itself.
Star Wars and Star Trek is only a small part of science-fiction. Please tell me that you’ve at least read Orwell’s 1984 in high school or something.
Since you like “They Were Eleven”, you might want to try The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Actually, “They Were Eleven” made me think of Ursula K. LeGuin, and I know that Moto Hagio has read her stuff.
I did read 1984, but it was a long time ago. It wasn’t for school, but I also don’t remember particularly enjoying it. I may have been too young to read it. And I do know that Star Wars and Star Trek are just a small part of sci-fi, but I just wanted to mention my affinity for them since they were examples of space operas.
Give me another day with that story, I couldn’t finish it at work today and will probably polish it off before I go to bed tonight.
I had meant to try Ursula K. LeGuin, actually. Left Hand of Darkness and Lathe of Heaven were the two I wanted to try out. We had both in stock a couple summers ago, but I passed on them then and meant to get them when we restocked, but we haven’t had the chance to buy her titles back in. I need to special order them, I’ll be more likely to read them if they’re on my shelf here.
The Lathe of Heaven is very good. Not as good as The Left Hand of Darkness, but it’s only about half the length of Left Hand of Darkness, if you want to start reading LeGuin with a quicker read.
I might start with Lathe of Heaven only because it seems to be the one everyone recommends by her, but Left Hand of Darkness sounds like it deals with gender identity, which is a favorite topic of mine. Regardless of what I think of Lathe of Heaven, I’ll probably read both.
Lathe of Heaven is the one everyone is recommending? I find that a bit surprising. It seemed to me that her most popular science fiction book is Left Hand of Darkness (with good reason). I’ve read most of her science fiction, and I would say that her best sci-fi novels are The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed (I can’t tell you which of the two I love more), with Lathe of Heaven in third place.
I’ve heard from a few people who are big fans of Left Hand of Darkness, but I’ve met more than a few who are big fans of Lathe of Heaven. I think it was actually the LeGuin novel that my roommate had to read when he took a class in sci-fi and fantasy fiction a few years back (some of my other friends also took the class, which may explain why I’ve heard more about that book). It seemed like an odd fit, because a lot of the other novels they covered were things like The Worm Ouroboros and Dune.
So, did you ever finish “The Borders of Infinity”. Because the ending … I’m curious what somebody who knows nothing about the Vorkosigan saga would make of it. Since I had read “Brothers in Arms” before “Borders of Infinity”, I already knew the outcome, but I imagine it would have been quite shocking if I didn’t even know about Miles’ profession.