LEGEND OF BASARA
This legend has not yet been fully realized
Review by: Craig “The Chosen One” Norris
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Action, drama
Watched: All, subbed
I was mildly intrigued by the description of this anime, and picked it up on somewhat of a whim. I was expecting it to be something along the lines of another “group of heroes must save the world from destruction” plot line. Even though the actual story isn’t as far reaching as that, in my opinion it is far more involved, and gave me many more reasons to actually care about what happens. Too bad the series didn’t care in reciprocation; otherwise, it wouldn’t have stopped so abruptly.
Plot synopsis: Early in the 21st century, Japan became torn apart by war, and over hundreds of years regressed into a feudal state. On the day of his birth, it was prophesized that Tatara would become a savior that would lead the country into a new era of freedom. However, when Tatara is slaughtered by the troops of the Red King, his twin sister, Sarasa, decides to take his place. She must fill the shoes of a savior in order to destroy the Red King and his armies, and lead her people to peace.
Artwork: It’s okay in some spots, and it’s disappointing in others. The backgrounds are where the show seems to struggle the most. However, I admit that, since the series takes place mostly in the desert and in ruined cities, there isn’t that much room for detail and creativity. Still, they are noticeably rough in spots. Character designs are about average for the year of its creation (1998), and aren’t remarkable. The artwork may even be considered slightly below average among its contemporaries, but it still gets its point across.
Music: Well, the opening and ending theme songs are sung by people who sound like their foots are stuck in a bear trap. Aside from that, expect average instrumentals with a couple of decent vocal tracks. All in all it’s a soundtrack that successfully helps set the mood, but calling it truly good would definitely be a stretch.
Characters: This series makes a concerted effort to develop characters very thoroughly, so that their struggles and sufferings are easier to relate to. Of all the struggles presented, Sasara’s is easily the largest. For the sake of her people, she poses as her murdered brother, even knowing that she will never be able to lead the quiet, peaceful life she desires. She seeks to become stronger so that she can truly take her brother’s place, which was that of a savior of all of Japan. Nevertheless, her hardships sometimes overwhelm her, and she once again becomes a meek little girl. Sasara is aided by a host of people: her grandfather, the village elder; Kaku, an ex-soldier and Tatara’s trainer; Nagi, a prophet and jack of all trades, including a doctor and a teacher; and Ageha, a desert nomad with a pet owl. These people all lend their knowledge and strength to Sasara, and are the few who know that she is not Tatara. The Red King, Shuri, is a young man who has studied war extensively, and is very knowledgeable in both military and diplomatic matters. He seeks eventual control over all of Japan, in order to break from under the thumb of his brothers and his father, the emperor. Shuri falls in love with Sasara, not knowing that she also acts as Tatara, and without Sasara knowing that Shuri is the Red King. Somehow, I can’t see that relationship working out in the long term. Shido is Shuri’s cousin, and has the most insight into Shido’s true personality since they grew up together. He is very gentle in times of peace, but is ruthless in combat, and is unquestioningly loyal to Shido. Hayato is a young archer who is discovered by Sasara after he begins posing as Tatara. He began the ruse because he was promised by Shido that he would receive medicine for his sick mother. However, after his mother dies, Hayato joins up with Sasara to take revenge on Shido. Chacha is the leader of a band of pirates that kidnap Sasara and Hayato. She is extremely well-respected by her followers, and deals with her enemies harshly. Of course, all the characters have many more nuances that cannot be effectively discussed in a few sentences, so I’ll simply leave the viewer to fill in the finer points on their own. All I will tell you now is that they are all worthy of at least some degree of interest, whether they are the good guys or the bad guys.
Plot: Things were getting really good! Plots were being uncovered, kingdoms were being plunged into revolution, and the extremely convoluted relationship between Shido and Sarasa was really heating up. And then, BAM! It stops after episode 13. I wondered if I had made a mistake and only downloaded the first half of this series. I hopped on Google, and found out that indeed there were only 13 episodes made, that covered the first five volumes of the manga. Apparently the creators were only testing the waters with these 13 episodes. Unfortunately for us, the waters were apparently very cold, and production ceased. That, in my opinion, is a damn shame. This was a truly epic story that I was looking forward to seeing until the end. I don’t throw the word “Shakesperian” around lightly, but this anime is just that. The rating surely suffers due to this series quitting on us when it seemed to just be warming up.
CHICKS!: I haven’t seen this much gender confusion since Fushigi Yuugi. The main character, a girl, masquerades as a guy, while Ageha, a guy, often impersonates a girl (and an exotic dancer at that). Sarasa pulls off the tomboyish look rather well, but can also be a very cute girl, especially with her hair done up in pigtails. Being only 15 during the time of the story shouldn’t deter you; apparently the age of 12 is considered the entrance to adulthood, so you would be well within the society’s established age limit by propositioning her. Chacha offers up a far more sultry beauty for our edification. She’s pretty tough, and is also a heavy drinker. Anyone who is either strong or crafty enough to win her favor would gain a very loyal companion. Unfortunately that is the extent of the available chicks in this series, unless your tastes cross over into men who dress like women. I’ll pass on that, personally.
Overall: This story is far too good to stop at 13 episodes. Watch them, and you’ll see what I mean. If you can, track down the manga and read that to finish up the story. Of course, the fact that we have to do that is to the anime’s discredit. But I liked what I saw, and will actually put forth some effort to find a way to figure out what happens next. Who knows? Maybe the term “Shakesperian” is about to be supplanted by “Legend of Basarian.”
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Interesting characters
+ Truly epic plot
- Unfinished
Rating: 7/10
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