Basara 20
March 12, 2009
This will be short.
Let’s see. In Kyoto, there is some sort of martial law in effect, and people are being slayed by the local police, the Yarogumi. The Yarogumi are only upholding the strict laws set up by the nobility, which are things like curfews and bans on different things. Apparently the higher-ups and other tyrants are slowly being eliminated by some sort of large, one-eyed ape. Of course, this one-eyed ape is working in the best interest of Tatara, so… it’s pretty clear what’s going on.
A lot of the focus of the volume is on Taro and his efforts to try and figure out what sort of conspiracy may have set up for Tatara and the Red King. He does this by traveling in the heart of the mountains to try and figure out what is being built in secret there. He is successful, but of course the conspirators are after him, and it become a race to get the information to Tatara.
Taro is a good character, though I don’t give him much thought. There are probably over 40 characters in this series, so some of them are going to be lost in the shuffle no matter how good they are. I sort of set him aside since he’s the self-declared observer, but he’s got his own role to play, and it’s sort of unfortunate where it leads him. I think I would have preferred him as a simple watcher, but he turns out to be just as much an ally to Tatara as anyone else in the end.
There’s also a lot about Asagi in this volume. He works with Ginko, who managed to make me feel more uncomfortable than Asagi. She sounds like she’s against King Ukon, despite being his daughter, but in her case, I think it’s safe to ask the question “Is the enemy of my enemy really my friend?” And… well, I didn’t think it could be done, but I like Asagi more and more between this volume and the last. I still can’t tell if he’s on Ginko’s side or Sarasa’s or his own, but he’s been playing nice with everyone lately, and everyone seems to really like him. It’s hard for me to believe he’s putting on an act when he’s in camp at this point, especially around Sarasa… though that’s certainly not out of the question.
There’s a battle against King Ukon’s army, a small but key one for Tatara. The best moment in the volume was probably when it was revealed that the battle would be won or lost based on whether or not Asagi took a leap of faith down a cliff. It’s really this scene, combined with the stuff about his feelings for Sarasa last volume, that make me think he… might not actually wish the Tatara camp bad luck.
Oh, Shuri. I just can’t tell what he’s thinking. One of his father’s most loyal advisors sought Shuri out to try and help the King against Tatara’s invasion of Kyoto. It’s clear that his opinions have shifted drastically since he spouts off the line “the same red blood flows in kings and slaves alike,” but on the other hand… he’s King now. King of Japan. Because… because he went back and decided that’s what he was going to do. I don’t know where this is going. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. It’s maddening.
Well, okay, not so short.
March 12, 2009 at 11:07 am
[...] (Tangognat) AstroNerdBoy on Ai Yori Aoshi (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog) Connie on vol. 20 of Basara (Slightly Biased Manga) Connie on vol. 2 of Classical Medley (Slightly Biased Manga) Julie on vol. [...]
March 12, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hee, I remember that Shuri part and thinking, “Did you learn nothing?! I thought you were rehabilitating!” :)
March 12, 2009 at 4:31 pm
“And… well, I didn’t think it could be done, but I like Asagi more and more between this volume and the last.”
See, I told you that you would fall for Asagi’s sneaky plan. Almost everyone hates Asagi in the beginning, so they’re all surprised when his sneaks his way into their good graces. It takes some potent storytelling skills on Tamura’s part to pull it off.
I also like the fact that there are appearances by Sarasa’s mother, Shuri’s mother, and … somebody else’s mother. Even though Shuri’s mother is the most minor character of the three, she always gets my attention. The scene where Shuri meets his mother for the very first time stays with me more than almost any other scene in Basara.
March 13, 2009 at 6:52 am
I can’t figure it out. It’s upsetting, to say the least.
March 13, 2009 at 6:59 am
You were right about Asagi. I couldn’t believe his character could be made likable. It did take some really clever manipulation on Tamura’s part to make it happen too, and I’m still not entirely sure how he slowly became (relatively) good after all this time after I literally did not trust a single thing he did. Maybe it’s the fact that he was so two-faced that after doubting his intentions for every good deed time and again, it became a little easier to swallow that the good deeds may have good intentions behind them, at least sometimes, but especially recently.
Shuri’s mother? I’m a little unclear on the lineage of the King’s children, is she the Queen, or is she dead? Hm, I forgot Shuri was the youngest, so I guess she stands more of a chance of being alive than the Black King’s mother (if it isn’t the same person), but I can’t remember her being mentioned before.
March 13, 2009 at 5:14 pm
The queen situation is pretty confusing, however in Volume 20 Shuri’s mother is called “the former queen” for whatever that’s worth. Her current title is Lady Ama, and she’s the one who tells the adviser where to find Shuri. Lady Ama is also Ginko’s mother, which makes Ginko and Shuri full siblings. She is definitely not Asagi’s mother, and probably not the Black King’s mother.
If I recall correctly, Shuri meets his mom in Volume 24. Keep in mind that, while he’s seen her from the distance, he’s never been within ten feet of her since his birth.
March 14, 2009 at 7:00 am
Hmm. I don’t think I realized that Ginko and Shuri were siblings. I wonder how Asagi fits in, though. I’ll have to go back and read the whole thing about the Blue King needing to be someone who was no threat to King Ukon. Maybe there’s some details there that I forgot. I guess it’s not that important, but now I’m curious.
March 14, 2009 at 4:34 pm
When it was revealed that Ginko and Shuri were full siblings, I went “what?!” Not that it’s a big deal, but I was just surprised since Ginko is 17 years older than Shuri.
I’m under the impression that King Ukon has multiple queens/mistresses. I don’t think Lady Ama was ever the “high” queen, but she was apparently high enough in the hierarchy that her children could inherit the throne. Actually, I think the reason why she was demoted from her ‘queen’ status was because of the prophecy around Shuri’s birth.
March 15, 2009 at 3:54 am
Yeah, I was under that impression about King Ukon, too, but I’m not sure if it’s ever discussed in the story. 17 years is a huge age difference between siblings, though. I didn’t think Ginko was that much older than Shuri. I wonder how old King Ukon is now, and the Black King, because I was thinking he was the oldest. Or was Ginko the oldest?
March 15, 2009 at 9:55 pm
I don’t know how old the Black King is. I guess that King Ukon is 50-60 years old. We never hear again about King Ukon’s mistress who is rumored to be pregnant around volume 6-7 … if his mistress really is pregnant, then that would be another huge age difference between Shuri and his new (half) sibling.
March 17, 2009 at 6:28 am
Hm, I don’t remember that at all. It is kind of weird that something like that would have been dropped, because that really could be worked into something significant. Or a sequel, even.
March 17, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Basara is so ripe for a sequel, even just following the main characters (who survive). Even the characters who don’t survive could use some more short stories … based on the glimpse we get of the non-surviving characters, Shido seems to like hell.
Of course, even with all the possibilities, Basara is a hard act to follow, and I don’t blame Tamura for moving on to something else.
March 18, 2009 at 5:12 am
True. And I imagine there are very few people that feel like starting a similar series after spending so many years on the same thing. I often wonder how the artists maintain the interest to do a series for 10+ years.
April 26, 2010 at 5:31 am
It took me some time but volume 20 is on paper and now I can read the book again (except volume 22). Useless to mention that I’m still hooked. Probably the best shojo fantasy I’ve ever read. And deffinitely one of the best fantasy comics. Well, Berserk is still on the first place, gomen Basara ^_^
May 1, 2010 at 1:01 am
It never occurred to me to compare Berserk and Basara, but you’re right, they’re both fantasy series. Great for different reasons. I think I like Berserk a little better, too.
Thinking about them both at the same time is throwing me off a little. Scenes from Berserk are creeping into my Basara memories, and it’s a little scary. Demon orgy sacrifice mixing with the little battles in Basara and all that.