Basara Vol 26-27

[meganbmoore]

The main story of Basara wrapped up in volume 25. These two volumes, the last ones (Which is why they’ve been on the shelf for a few months…I don’t want it to be over. Expect trauma if Blade of the Immortal ever ends.) are collections of various short stories and novellas. The main things here, of course, are the novellas. Two are set post series,

Comments

[swanjun]

Hooray, Basara! My favorite bit of the musical contest is Senju singing while wearing Motomichi as an accessory. :)

Here's what I wrote in my review of Vol. 27, which echoes what you said in your first spoilery paragraph:

What I like about how Tamura envisioned these appendices is that they feel like natural extentions of the main story. She didn’t have to manufacture some conflict for Shuri and Sarasa that was insulting to them, like inserting some new vixen who’s a threat to their relationship. Instead, it’s a story about guilt and atonement, adjusting to the needs of another person, and making amends by doing something with one’s life."

[meganbmoore]

That's always been one of the charms of Basara: no need to manufacture problems like most (and,sadly, more popular) shoujo to keep things "interesting." (In ways that always end up borig or annoying me.) I was sad we didn't get to see Shido reacting to Motomichi.

ETA: *finally finds where HTML was broken and fixes* And now I have to find a new shoujo to be as obsessed over. Night of the Beasts is over, and Kaori Yuki and Higuri You are different kinds of shoujo altogether, ditto for Skip-Beat and Wallflower. Maybe once Kaze Hikaru takes off...

[swanjun]

Yeah, I'm reading lots of other shoujo that I really like, but nothing is like Basara, really. Not even 7SEEDS, which still feels like it's ramping up.

[meganbmoore]

It's sad, really. Basara was (rightly) one of the most popular shoujo in Japan while it was running but the art (which I've never really seen the problem with) and lack of making it easy for the readers to justify everything.

[dangermousie]

I really really wish I could like Basara. So much of the story hits me right where it counts, i.e. is something I normally would love.

But I am afraid my Shuri dislike just interferes too much (I understand there are reasons for his behavior, but the problem is there are certain acts I don't find forgivable no matter how tragic a character's background.)

Oh well...maybe I'll try it again some other time when I am feeling more mellow towards him.

[meganbmoore]

Shuri's saving grace is that, unlike other characters, neither he nor the mangaka ever make excuses. There are a lot of fictional "heroes" I might be able to like if the texts were telling me they were great and to forgive them because of their angst.

[lotuseyes]

i really wish more of Tamura's works would come here. I mean she's had 3 (Basara, WildCom and Chicago) but the last two were very short (and Wildcom was short stories anyhow). I would like to see 7 Seeds come to these shores...or even some of her older works of short stories.

Then again I have this complaint for Fuyumi Soryo as well--only Mars and Eternal Sabbath have come to these shores! I would love to see Boyfriend or Three3 come to the shores as well. or the one-off Tamara.

Difference isn't bad publishers! I'm so sick of syrupy shoujo!

[meganbmoore]

Unfortunately, the less generic shoujo is, the less likely it is to get licensed. Most manga buyers only want the all-romance (and sometimes laughs) focus on the boys angstfests.

[lotuseyes]

you know I had high hopes for Viz and Del-rey and CMX at one time. especially CMX since they seemed to want the older mangas...and i've always approved of Viz's translations, quality and time management skills...sadly I think I will just read my scanlations.

though Yen Press is pleasing me with their Yen+ mangazine. It at least has diversity. I approve heartily of Soul Eater, Jack and Sarasah. Pig Bride is also rather fun and so is Nightmare School...here's hoping it lasts.

[meganbmoore]

I think Del Rey and CMX are still doing fairly well with diversity. Viz still dips it's toes in the more interesting ponds, but does mostly stick to the more generic stuff. Go! Comi is doing pretty well, though, and ther's also Dark Horse. Tokyopop is rather...random, it seems.

[salimbol]

Hello Megan; it's been a while (and I'm late in posting yet again, but Basara should always be commented upon). I have to admit to having this tiny moment of hesitation myself before I picked up the last volume. But the side stories are a great way to ease us out of the story (actually, I'm fairly certain that I started re-reading the whole thing from the start after finishing Vol 27, so maybe it just re-kindled the flame of Basara-love?). The Sarasa-Shuri story was a very fine one (not to mention downright sexy in places); this is the story that I've re-read the most. And Tara's story had this great epic feel to it; it almost felt like it could support a whole series itself. Hmm, what else happened? I kind of liked seeing Asagi and Muratake doing the 'odd couple' thing *grin* (and how typical of Shuri that he deliberately tuned out during this part of the letter, heh). Little Nachi and Little Hijiri were so ... Nachi-and-Hijiri-like it; that was a cute story, alright! The pop star showdown was good silly fun. Tatara is

[meganbmoore]

Sadly (in terms of popularity), Basara doesn't cater to the general needs to have things nicely tied up in easy to understand boxes with pretty wrappings to make them look more complex than they are, but strips the romantic excuses away.

Tatara just suffers. Forever. Though at least he gets to live in AUs!

(And hey! I'd been wondering where you were.)

[salimbol]

Yeah, that about sums up Basara vs the average reader (or perhaps what the publishers think the average reader wants). Such a shame, because hot damn, it's such an awesome series. (It's not even that I don't like some of the more popular mainstream stuff, because I think things like - for example - Fullmetal Alchemist and Fruits Basket have a lot to say and plenty of complexity to them. But it makes me sad to think that few people will ever be exposed to Basara.)
And the last six weeks or so have involved me frantically writing and re-writing (and re-writing...) a 20 000 word research report to finish my degree, hence my absence from Livejournal. All done now, and real life can finally recommence :-)