Basara Vol 2
This post is huge-a little over 60 pages-because one of the important things about the series is that Shuri, the hero, is actually perfectly primed to turn into the villain of the series, and the only thing that keeps him from walking that path is his love for Sarasa, and some of this volume emphasizes how carefully he's treading that line, and how close he is to crossing it. As Yumi Tamura points out in one of her notes, if you think he's a nice guy underneath, you're naive. As we see in this volume, he hasn't been allowed to be nice since birth. He is, however, a good-if ruthless and ambitious-man at his core, and the bit of that that's been able to survive is what falls in love with Sarasa. I also find the relationship behind Ageha and Shido fascinating(in part because of of Ageha's later relationship with Shido's fiance, Senju) so there's a fair bit of that.
ETA: EEEE!!! Liar Game ep 2 raws are out! *squees over preview pic and DLs in hopes the ep will also get softsubs*
To give the scanslators their due, as I'm flooding my LJ with their hard work:
After the first volume, Sarasa sets off to gather allies, and crosses the desert to arrive in Suo City, Shuri's capital, only to learn there's a bit of a hitch when it comes to getting into the city..
Sarasa joins up with the troupe and experiences the city for the first time, but gets into a little trouble when out shopping with a bratty kid in the troupe who couldn't keep his mouth shut.
And this is Shuri's cousin, Shido, who's rather important to the first leg of the story. First of all, until now, he's the only person Shuri MIGHT consider admitting he cares about as a person. For another, he and Ageha have a serious love/hate relationship(which I'll get to later)
Incidentally, apparently it didn't occur to her to wonder about a 6'+ one eyed white haired woman taking her in...
Meanwhile, Shuri's father is...displeased about the whole Tatara situation and decides to punish him for it. Unfortunately, Shuri never got the memo about not blaming messengers. (Though he does give the guy a chance to buy a clue about how things are going to go)
A pretty good assessment of Sarasa's military skills here: good instincts, but mostly getting by on luck.
(Samurai Deeper Kyo fans, Shuri remind you of anyone with this page?)
(Shido is plotting matchmaking here)
Meanwhile, Ageha takes Sarasa to the ocean, which she's never seen before. There, she sees a slave's brand for the first time. (These next 2 pages are supposed to be a 2 page spread)
(hint at goodness in Shuri #1)
(see? plotting matchmaking)
(digging your own grave pal)
"Oh yeah, the nice guy you you just talking to? He's the righthand man of your mortal enemy, so you'll have probably have to kill him one day."
To elaborate a bit on Ageha's former slave status: Ageha was Shido's father's pleasure slave(which, IMO, has a large part to do with why he tries so hard to NOT believe in anything, and why he seems to literally be incapable of romantic love) As children, Shido did his best to protect Ageha from the worst of his father's abuse, and because of that, Shido is the only person Ageha has ever(platonically or otherwise) loved. At the same time, even though Shido honestly did(and does) view them as friends, he also always saw Ageha as a slave(and, when he was free, a free man...it's simply what he was in terms of social status, as opposed to any deliberate sense of prejudice or superiority) and because of that, he's also the only person Ageha has ever hated. Complicated relationship? Just a touch.
Anyway, stupid brat with the troupe accidentally lets slip that Tatara is with the troupe, and Ageha helps her slip away and tells her about an underground tunnel leading to the island she wants to get to. It doesn't please Shido overly much. Or Kazan.
Pleased about being tricked by Ageha? Urm...no...
After a pretty rough journey, Sarasa makes it through the tunnel, and also hears about another failed rebellion. When she gets through, she gets a pretty rough surprise...
Yeah, passing him off as Tatara. That's Hayato, the great grandson of the leader of the last rebellion. Next bit is her meeting his men, and being considerably less than impressed with what he's doing with her brother's name.
Meanwhile, Ageha is paying the price for helping her(stupid brat who can't keep his mouth shut) Shuri is also less than pleased with subordinates who are TSTL, especially when his own life depends on it, much less his peoples. We also get a good look at how close to villainy life has made Shuri.
*why yes, Shuri is perfectly primed to play matchmaker for his father figure...if only he knew...)
Here's Ageha:
(ok, 6'+, broad shoulders, and people are shocked it's a guy...)
No, Shido really doesn't like having that brought up. It's interesting, really. To him, it's pretty much irrelevant now that they met when Ageha was a slave...Ageha isn't a slave now, and Shido views him as a person, not a number. Ageha, however, is unable to separate the two in his mind which pisses Shido off. How he's treating him now has nothing to do with their past, and everything to do with the fact that Ageha took advantage of their friendship to help his enemy escape. They both know that it was a flatout betrayal, and that that's part of why he did it.
(note: scaring Ageha or even making him nervous means you are one scary guy, as virtually nothing gets to Ageha)
Back to Sarasa and Hayato, Sarasa, still EXTREMELY displeased, calls his bluff and wants some answers.
She gets his sob story about what it's like to be descended from a traitor and that he's been promised rare medicine for his ill mother if he pretends to be Tatara, and she tells him the truth and leaves, after warning him that it's just a trap of Shido's, but goes back to save him when she realizes he still walked into the trap.
Acquired: one sidekick(I'm actually not a big fan of Hayato, but, as he points out, he's pretty useful and turns out to be very loyal, so I have no real issues with him, he's just not as interesting as other characters)
But before he goes, he stops to visit his fiance, Senju.
At roughly the same time, Sarasa ditches Hayato a bit so she can go take a bath...
(that's what you think about not seeing him anymore)
not exactly...
(do I tend to "EEEEE!!" over this part? Just a bit...)
("prophets? ruined my life and got me branded as a slave. not big on them.")
Back to Shido and Senju:
(listen to your girl Shido. trust me.)
Anyway, she worries a bit that the only reason he's marrying her is because their fathers arranged it. His father really doesn't have any influence over him unless he wants him to.
Shido spends too much time thinking about dying for others, can you tell? Both the people he talks about dying for would really rather he focused on staying alive than on any noble ideas of dying for them.
And here's the very short version of that "hasn't been allowed to be nice since birth" thing, and the hating prophets.
(note that daddy spent over a decade letting all the scum in the gates and assigned Shuri corrupt officials in hopes that it would make him seriously crash and burn)
Hmm...forgot to upload a page and I'm too lazy to go back and do it now. But basically, he tries to make a move on her and this is the result...
hey, most girls are all "oooohhh.the Red King...make me your mistress so I can gloat and maybe I'll pretend to like you." Sarasa's like his bright new shiny. Never met anyone like her before.
(oh yeah, she acquired a pet owl, Shinbashi, along the way...it's the runt of Ageha's owl's chicks)
Angsty epic romantic drama translation: She's pregnant and they're never going to see each other again.
ETA: EEEE!!! Liar Game ep 2 raws are out! *squees over preview pic and DLs in hopes the ep will also get softsubs*
To give the scanslators their due, as I'm flooding my LJ with their hard work:
After the first volume, Sarasa sets off to gather allies, and crosses the desert to arrive in Suo City, Shuri's capital, only to learn there's a bit of a hitch when it comes to getting into the city..
Sarasa joins up with the troupe and experiences the city for the first time, but gets into a little trouble when out shopping with a bratty kid in the troupe who couldn't keep his mouth shut.
And this is Shuri's cousin, Shido, who's rather important to the first leg of the story. First of all, until now, he's the only person Shuri MIGHT consider admitting he cares about as a person. For another, he and Ageha have a serious love/hate relationship(which I'll get to later)
Incidentally, apparently it didn't occur to her to wonder about a 6'+ one eyed white haired woman taking her in...
Meanwhile, Shuri's father is...displeased about the whole Tatara situation and decides to punish him for it. Unfortunately, Shuri never got the memo about not blaming messengers. (Though he does give the guy a chance to buy a clue about how things are going to go)
A pretty good assessment of Sarasa's military skills here: good instincts, but mostly getting by on luck.
(Samurai Deeper Kyo fans, Shuri remind you of anyone with this page?)
(Shido is plotting matchmaking here)
Meanwhile, Ageha takes Sarasa to the ocean, which she's never seen before. There, she sees a slave's brand for the first time. (These next 2 pages are supposed to be a 2 page spread)
(hint at goodness in Shuri #1)
(see? plotting matchmaking)
(digging your own grave pal)
"Oh yeah, the nice guy you you just talking to? He's the righthand man of your mortal enemy, so you'll have probably have to kill him one day."
To elaborate a bit on Ageha's former slave status: Ageha was Shido's father's pleasure slave(which, IMO, has a large part to do with why he tries so hard to NOT believe in anything, and why he seems to literally be incapable of romantic love) As children, Shido did his best to protect Ageha from the worst of his father's abuse, and because of that, Shido is the only person Ageha has ever(platonically or otherwise) loved. At the same time, even though Shido honestly did(and does) view them as friends, he also always saw Ageha as a slave(and, when he was free, a free man...it's simply what he was in terms of social status, as opposed to any deliberate sense of prejudice or superiority) and because of that, he's also the only person Ageha has ever hated. Complicated relationship? Just a touch.
Anyway, stupid brat with the troupe accidentally lets slip that Tatara is with the troupe, and Ageha helps her slip away and tells her about an underground tunnel leading to the island she wants to get to. It doesn't please Shido overly much. Or Kazan.
Pleased about being tricked by Ageha? Urm...no...
After a pretty rough journey, Sarasa makes it through the tunnel, and also hears about another failed rebellion. When she gets through, she gets a pretty rough surprise...
Yeah, passing him off as Tatara. That's Hayato, the great grandson of the leader of the last rebellion. Next bit is her meeting his men, and being considerably less than impressed with what he's doing with her brother's name.
Meanwhile, Ageha is paying the price for helping her(stupid brat who can't keep his mouth shut) Shuri is also less than pleased with subordinates who are TSTL, especially when his own life depends on it, much less his peoples. We also get a good look at how close to villainy life has made Shuri.
*why yes, Shuri is perfectly primed to play matchmaker for his father figure...if only he knew...)
Here's Ageha:
(ok, 6'+, broad shoulders, and people are shocked it's a guy...)
No, Shido really doesn't like having that brought up. It's interesting, really. To him, it's pretty much irrelevant now that they met when Ageha was a slave...Ageha isn't a slave now, and Shido views him as a person, not a number. Ageha, however, is unable to separate the two in his mind which pisses Shido off. How he's treating him now has nothing to do with their past, and everything to do with the fact that Ageha took advantage of their friendship to help his enemy escape. They both know that it was a flatout betrayal, and that that's part of why he did it.
(note: scaring Ageha or even making him nervous means you are one scary guy, as virtually nothing gets to Ageha)
Back to Sarasa and Hayato, Sarasa, still EXTREMELY displeased, calls his bluff and wants some answers.
She gets his sob story about what it's like to be descended from a traitor and that he's been promised rare medicine for his ill mother if he pretends to be Tatara, and she tells him the truth and leaves, after warning him that it's just a trap of Shido's, but goes back to save him when she realizes he still walked into the trap.
Acquired: one sidekick(I'm actually not a big fan of Hayato, but, as he points out, he's pretty useful and turns out to be very loyal, so I have no real issues with him, he's just not as interesting as other characters)
But before he goes, he stops to visit his fiance, Senju.
At roughly the same time, Sarasa ditches Hayato a bit so she can go take a bath...
(that's what you think about not seeing him anymore)
not exactly...
(do I tend to "EEEEE!!" over this part? Just a bit...)
("prophets? ruined my life and got me branded as a slave. not big on them.")
Back to Shido and Senju:
(listen to your girl Shido. trust me.)
Anyway, she worries a bit that the only reason he's marrying her is because their fathers arranged it. His father really doesn't have any influence over him unless he wants him to.
Shido spends too much time thinking about dying for others, can you tell? Both the people he talks about dying for would really rather he focused on staying alive than on any noble ideas of dying for them.
And here's the very short version of that "hasn't been allowed to be nice since birth" thing, and the hating prophets.
(note that daddy spent over a decade letting all the scum in the gates and assigned Shuri corrupt officials in hopes that it would make him seriously crash and burn)
Hmm...forgot to upload a page and I'm too lazy to go back and do it now. But basically, he tries to make a move on her and this is the result...
hey, most girls are all "oooohhh.the Red King...make me your mistress so I can gloat and maybe I'll pretend to like you." Sarasa's like his bright new shiny. Never met anyone like her before.
(oh yeah, she acquired a pet owl, Shinbashi, along the way...it's the runt of Ageha's owl's chicks)
Angsty epic romantic drama translation: She's pregnant and they're never going to see each other again.