Basara

One of them is my favourite character. Can you guess who?

Mangas are the zanny first cousins of dramas. They have all that jazz and can be just as addictive as the most crack-tastic drama. Just like dramas, my love and enjoyment are based on its concept and the execution, though the two are not always equally weighed. For instance, I am always, always a sucker for any sort of gender bending storyline even if I know I'm heading into a shitty production with cringe-worthy acting and convenient character inconsistencies. But when it's on the money, it's a goldmine of entertainment! And right now, Basara is golden.

I know, I promised a Basara recap from the last post, but I can't do it. Why? Because I had to finish the manga in a frenzy and I'm sorry to say that many of the details have been lost in my mind. Plus, recapping every single detail will take an entire month perhaps. But most importantly, a few words here and there from yours truly will not do justice to such a fantastic great work of art. I can't wait for the time when I should have the leisure to savour every frame of Basara.

So after some thought as to what I like most about Basara, I've come to the conclusion that it's the characterization. I can feel the mangaka, Yumi Tamura's love for her characters. She didn't want to tell just any story about one girl's quest for life, love and liberty, Tamura-san wanted to tell the story of every character because they were all important to her. I mean, Tamura-san devotes two full volumes of epilogue so as to give some form of closure to the supporting characters. I think that's the greatest distinction between Basara, the masterpiece, and all the other manga I have read to date. Tamura-san doesn't merely create characters in order to further the plot or to serve a specific function, she creates them because she recognizes the void that exists when such a character's presence is missing. Because every single one of her characters had their own quest to partake. The story just wouldn't be the same without even the most seemingly minor of characters who appears in just one frame. An integral part of this is because the web of relations between all the characters is crafted with so much care and detail. The ripple effect of each character on the others is truly believable. I want to sincerely thank Tamura-san for showing so much love for her characters. In the future, if ever I were to be able to muster up all that it takes to be a storyteller, I hope I can be as good as Tamura-san.