Showing posts with label basara. Show all posts

Friday, November 13, 2009

Impression: Basara 27

Well it's finally the last volume of Basara. Another collection of short stories, but in this volume we actually see what happened to Shuri and Sarasa.

Summary

The first short story deals with Sarasa and Shuri right after the war has finished; both have lots of baggage and can't seem to be able to deal with each others issues. Shuri decides to travel with Sarasa and they end up in Huang Empire, which is going through similar experiences as those that happened in Japan.

Slowly they begin to open up about topics the other refused to speak of; Shuri about Shido and his life as the Red King, and Sarasa about Ageha and what the Red King did to her that fateful day. Sarasa realizes she was not helping Shuri with her fears of his frailty and Shuri realizes that he cannot solve everything with violence. The story ends with the two lovingly embracing once more.

The next story is a two page look into Shinbashi, Sarasa's owl. It's short, but adorable. The story following it features Tamon and Masunaga when they were younger and took the rite of obtaining the Genbu sword with two other boys. This story shows a far more interesting side of Tamon, and why he personifies what the Genbu sword stands for, and that is abhorrence to killing.

Then we have two more very short stories. The first features Hachiya, the leader of the Yarogumi, and his motivation for serving the monarchy. The second shows us a typical morning for Sarasa and Shuri in their travels. Sarasa reminisces about everyone with Shuri. His response to certain characters (ASAGI) are funny.

The final story is Walnut and it features a much older Hayato as he struggles to discover what he should be doing with his life. He meets up with two children with an uncanny resemblance to Tatara and Shuri. He is then finally able to realize his country needs him and that he can help Japan, and thus finally accepts the position of leader to be the intermediary between the different regions of Japan.

The appendix also has a short story called Sarasa that takes place before the catastrophe.

My Thoughts

Wow, I cannot believe it is the final volume of Basara. It's been quite the ride and I really enjoyed it. This volumes ties up Sarasa and Shuri's life after the war very well. It ties up loose ends about each one's emotional scars that were never fully closed between the two at the ending.

I was kind of shocked to see a story about Tamon and Masunaga, as well as Hachiya, as these three were rather neglected, Masunaga and Hachiya in particular. But nevertheless I welcomed both stories, because Tamura-san always has interesting character building stories. The friendship between Masunaga and Tamon, which was passingly mentioned in the main story, was given a beautiful dimension in this short story. Not only do we learn that Tamon is not just a goofy fishing fanatic, but actually wise beyond his years, but also that Masunaga was able to appreciate the lesson Tamon taught him and the other two boys and this was the foundation of his friendship with Tamon.

Hachiya's story was very touching and humanized his character incredibly. His sorrow at his parent's wasting away and their unending and unfulfilled hope as well as his inability to understand this hope in the royal family was softly presented as he watched his mother ironing his father's Hakama pants. The real impact, however, is only felt when Hachiya accepting the job in the Yarogumi finally connects with his parents feelings and says he can now love the royal family. My interpretation of this crucial moment is that his love of the royal family stems from the fact that they allowed what his parents have always hoped for and believed to come true. In one of the most touching panels, Hachiya tells his parents that he has finally been admitted into the yarogumi and hopes they are happy. Phantoms of his parents grasp his hands in gratitude. What they hoped for has came to pass before they were able to witness it and Hichiya wants to live their dreams out and this is his the root of his loyalty to the royal family.

Hayato was another character I did not think would get the amount of devoted space for his story that he did. Although, his story also encompassed a lot of other stories as well, the amount of character development that was given to him in his story was well beyond what I would have ever expected. Hayato in essence grew up in his story; he was still a lost young man, but thanks to a few children he was able to come to see that he too can do something for Japan and he does have the ability to accomplish it. One of my favourite aspects of Walnut, Hayato's story, was that we got to see all the children a little older. It was interesting to see how they grew up and whether they were like their parents. Raita, Raizo's son was as impulsive as him, but seemed to be a bit more laid back (since he teases Motomichi). Motomichi was almost an exact replica of Shido, except he isn't training to be a solider, but a civil servant. Ayumu looks like Shuri and seems to have his arrogance but her mother's enthusiasm and spunkiness, while Hikaru looks like Sarasa and seems to have his mother's down to earth personality, but his father's showy but strategic thinking.

Now for disappointments. I wish Tamura-san did another volume to show us more about the characters not mentioned or briefly shown. My biggest disappointment was the lack of Cha-cha. She was a crucial character in the first half of the manga, but during the second half she was rarely shown, and had very little plot significance or character development. I was hoping that Tamura-san would give us another look at the lovely and brash pirate, but she makes gets no appearance, and only a brief mention of her by Ayume in the last chapter. =(
Second, Kikune and Ichimatsu make almost cameo appearances throughout some of the chapters. I wish they would have gotten their own chapter, as well as a look into Lady Purple and the boy she is raising, who was abandoned by the mistress of her former husband. Also I was very curious as to what happened with the Abarashi prison wards; how are they adjusting to life. I also would have liked to see more of Raizo and Izumi, who are also just mentioned in Walnut.
Again, we see nothing about Yuna and Nakijin, they are only briefly mentioned in Walnut like Cha-cha. Well Basara had a really big cast, but I wouldn't have minded if Tamura-san devoted another volume to these characters, especially Cha-cha, I was intrigued with her relationship to Zaki and I would love to see the more of the two of them, and just the pirate life in general, arrr! XD

The bonus story, Sarasa was alright. I figured out as much about what the world was like before the catastrophe. The destiny theme for Shuri and Sarasa is a bit cheesy though. ^^;;; Not cheesy enough to make me dislike this story, but cheesy enough for me to feel it was a bit unnecessary. Overall very good series, loved every bit of it. It's a little strange to see it end, but the ending was well done. I'll be looking out for more of Tamura-san's manga, she has become one of my favourite manga artists.

~Joanna

Friday, September 11, 2009

Impression: Basara 26

This is the second last volume of Basara. I can't believe I am so close to finishing this beautiful manga. Basara is also the longest manga of mine and of which I own every volume.

Summary

Since the main story has already concluded, the 26th volume of Basara contains three stories that are related to the main one which ended last volume. The three stories are titled: Nakama, Dakara, and Katana. There is also a Tam-Tam Extra Story that is very much like the one included in volume 24 titled "Basara Academy".

Nakama, meaning "friend/ comrade" is fittingly titled as it deals with Nachi and Hijiri, two best friends, after the finale. What is nice about this episode is that it not only gives us a look at the two after the finale, but also before. Basically Nachi falls in love and this gets Hijiri thinking about their childhood. After the two reminisce, Hijiri decides that even through they are friends, they won't be able to share all their adventures, and sets out on his own adventure to discover his betrothed. She turns out to be a beautiful young lady with an uncanny resemblance to a mermaid from Hijiri's past and is also a little mischievous. heehee.

Dakara, "because" is a very short (literally a few pages) story about a young Asagi. Basically the present Asagi is explaining to Muratake where his hatred towards Shuri began. It turns out Shuri pushed Asagi, which made Asagi drop his treasured peach that Ginko gave him because he was sick. Shuri didn't do it on purpose, but he didn't really care that Asagi's peach got ruined in the process; he sort of shrugged it off. Ginko saw the peach on the ground and told Asagi that if he doesn't like peaches she won't give them to him anymore. This devastated Asagi because Ginko was all he had and she rarely showed him affection. (The hatred was further developed in other flashbacks in the main story of Basara, where Shuri is often complement by Ginko and Hiigari for his strength and skill, strength that Asagi lacked because of his physical frailness. This hatred was thus later fueled by this new inferiority complex, and Asagi often tries to best Shuri with Sarasa, with kingship, and with Ginko's support.) So this story didn't add anything new to Asagi's character, but rather pinpointed the beginning of his rocky relationship with Shuri and gave us a look at a more vulnerable and tender Asagi.

The final story, Katana, is actually a prequel to Basara, and deals with the four warriors that tried to unite Japan prior to Sarasa and her group, but failed. What is interesting about Katana is discovering each sword wielder's great grandparents, and the basic relationships between them. Little curiosities like why Raizo has blond hair, why Genbu's sword is wooden, and why there was a mechanism made that would cause the whole castle at Kyoto to fall apart are explained here as well.

The Tam-Tam Extra I mentioned before is basically a very loose take on the beginning of Basara in the world of show business. And when I say loose, I mean loose. There are a few similarities that will make you laugh, but everything else is totally different. For example, Hayato and Tatara are friends and not Sarasa and Hayato, and Tatara doesn't die, he is just sick. It's very funny, and Tamura-san knows what parts to reproduce to humorous effect.

My Thoughts

There is still nothing about Shuri and Sarasa, I guess Tamura-san wants to save the best for last. Yet even with the absence of Sarasa and Shuri, Basara 26 is still great. The prequel, although short and underdeveloped when compared to Sarasa's story was still nice and it explained a few curiosities that I always wondered about. Asagi's little story didn't add much to the mix, but only further explained his dislike for Shuri, and why Ginko's approval became so important to him. It also showed us that Asagi and Muratake are basically traveling through the lands now, although this was already showed at the end of Ginko's story in volume 25. Basically, Asagi's story doesn't give us any new information, but reinforces what was already said. This sounds a bit pointless, but since it takes up only a few pages, it was more of a quick look into his past and what he's up to once more.

Nachi and Hijiri's story on the other hand introduced a lot we did not know about the two of them. For example, we were never told before this story that the two of them didn't get along until a certain incident. We also learn that the two of them are basically settling into their roles of head priest and village leader. Nachi having fallen for a widow is thinking of settling down and Hijiri realizes he has to get on with his own life as well.

Tamura-san's extra was very funny and her thoughts on each of the side stories up till now (including the two from volume 25) were humorous. Her little panel about Ginko's story is exactly what popped into my head when I read that part of the story (must get my mind out of the gutter!) Her thoughts also show how she feels about certain elements in the story and certain characters. The most interesting aspect that she shared was that Nachi and Hujiri's story was modeled on her own experiences with a friend. I personally have never befriended someone who I openly hated and who openly hated me back, so I found it interesting that people have these types of experiences. (I have however befriended people I wasn't especially fond of, but who I did not harbor hostility towards, because I basically never talked to or got to know them.)

Overall, Basara 26 answers a few minor mysteries from the main story and gives closure to two characters, Nachi and Hijiri, yet there is a large cast and we are still left wondering about them. I wonder if Tamura-san can give each character enough closure in the last volume.

~Joanna

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Impression: Basara 25

So I picked up volume 25 sometime in February, but I've only gotten around to finishing it now. The main story ends in this volume, with the other two volumes consisting of side stories about all the characters after the conclusion. This volume has two side stories after the finale, but instead of finding out what happens after the conclusion, we get a look into the past of two characters.

Summary

As Sarasa pleads with Shuri to get up, he sees his mother standing on the ledge across from the window. Shuri yells that she need not die, but his mother only turns to look and jumps off the ledge. Shuri is grief stricken, but Sarasa tells him that she must have loved him, his existence is proof of that.

Meanwhile, Ageha is still in the basement with the Yarogumi, and just as an arrow is about to pierce him, Kagero, his owl, flies in front and takes the arrow in his place. The two share one last moment and Ageha continues his fight with the leader of the Yarogumi. Ageha manages to win, but the leader tells him he is not the most skilled of the Yarogumi, just as Hisoka jumps in and cuts Ageha. Against Hisoka, Ageha seems to be losing, but just as Hisoka is about to cut him one more time, Ageha stops his blade with his hand and pierces him with his own. Then he crawls over to the mechanism and attempts to slow it down, so that Tatara will have enough time to escape.

Everyone is still escaping, but Asagi is standing in the palace as it is falling apart. However, flying on a kite, Hijiri and Nachi come to rescue him and give him a new reason to live. He and Muratake decide to go with them. Meanwhile Sarasa is having a hard time trying to find the exit. Just then she sees Ageha and he leads her out, when she turns around though, he is gone. The scene shifts to Ageha, he now closes his eyes slowly and lets go of the mechanism, thus bringing the whole palace down along with Ginko and Hiragi. Sarasa asks where Ageha is, but when everyone tells her he never came, she realizes that he must be buried under the rubble and begins digging through it; hoping against all odds that he really isn't dead. Meanwhile Princess Senju sees Ageha with her baby and he tells her to go to Kyoto.

Kakuji informs Sarasa that the people of Byakko village are awaiting Tatara to take revenge and kill the Red King Shuri. Sarasa is grief stricken but she takes up the sword as the crowd cheers, yet she has a vacant look in her eyes and is unable to move. As they stand there transfixed, Senju shows up with her baby and asks Sarasa not to kill Shuri since she (Sarasa) was the one who taught her that hate brings nothing. Then Sarasa, with tears in her eyes rushes at Shuri, drops her blade and they embrace. She cries out that she is not Tatara, that she lied and she is really Sarasa, and begs that they let her be Sarasa once more. Everyone is stunned (expect for her close friends who already knew she was a girl), and Kakuji cries asking her whether she intends to die with the Red King. She just looks at Shuri and the two embrace once more as dozens of arrows fire at them.

The scene shifts to a group of children, they ask Nagi whether Tatara and the Red King really died. Nagi says yes and the children get angry at Kakuji and run off. Kakuji, a little irratated, asks whether Nagi intends to make of him the monster in the historical accounts of Tatara's journey. Nagi looks out and says the plants Sarasa planted have grown, and Kakuji asks how far did he see this result. Nagi just response with another question, asking Kakuji when did he devise his own plan.

The scene shifts back to Shuri and Sarasa. Arrows litter the ground around them, but no one is able to shoot directly at them. The others (those not from Byakko) begin to move toward the two, acknowledging that the journey they took was not with Tatara, but with Sarasa. The Byakko villagers give up and acknowledge that they cannot kill the one who means so much to them. Mako's mom (the boy who was first killed in Tatara's place) tells Sarasa that they always knew it was her, but refused to admit it. Nagi, for the first time since Sarasa cut her braids off, calls her Sarasa and tells Shuri he expects great things from him. He tells the two that they are free to go see the world as Shuri and Sarasa. He then turns to Kakuji would agrees and says the Red King and Tatara are dead.

The scene shifts back to Kakuji and Nagi in the present day and he tells Kakuji that it worked out nicely. Then we see Muratake and Asagi wondering in the wilderness. Asagi wonders whether the White Lady was really his mother and asks Muratake if he wants to go to Kumano. When Muratake shows a lot of enthusiasm, Asagi tells him he has changed his mind (oh Asagi you meanie!). We are then showed snippets of the lives of the others, before returning once more to Nagi as he remembers little Sarasa asking if they can make the land greener. As he looks out on a lush new land, he wishes Sarasa happiness. The next page reads "Fin."

We are then treated to two side stories, the first, White Story: Fig, tells us the whole life story of Ginko with a much needed resolution to her story. While the second story takes place in Ageha's past. Both story's are rather somber (a drastic contrast to the very beautiful and happy ending of the main story) and both deal with sexual abuse and rape (rather depressing themes). In Ginko's story, we learn that when she was brought back from Awaji Island she was raped by her drunken father and become pregnant. Hating the child, she asked Hiragi to get rid of it when a boy was born, but later she began asking for her baby boy, so Hiragi brought her another child he had found (this he later regretted doing). She named the child Asagi and told him that he was her brother the true Blue King. After the palace falls on Ginko, we are shown the bloody resolution to her tale. Her father, who escaped with Tachibana, is found by local farmers and both of them are murdered.

In Ageha's story we learn how he coped with being sexually abused and raped as a child slave, where he first heard the prophecy that he would die for the woman he loved, and how he rediscovered his roots as a blue noble of the desert. Overall, a very interesting story and it gives Ageha's character yet another level of complexity. It's basically covers what took place with Ageha right before he saved Sarasa and got his eye cut as payment.

My Thoughts

I loved the finale, it was very heart warming without being overally cheesy. I was worried how Tamura-san would end such a beautiful series off, but I worried in vain because Tamura-san did an exceptional job and one that was much better then I was hoping for. I wasn't expecting Ageha to die until the these last few volumes (where he made his intentions clear). So I raise my glass to Tamura-san once more because usually manga does not catch me off guard as much as Basara has. The story was really well written and much thought was given to it. But even though the main story is finished, I still excited about the last two volumes! I cannot wait to see what happens to the rest of the cast after this volume's conclusion :D

The two side stories were really good and added a lot to the rest of the manga. For one, Ginko's actions don't seem so drastic after we learn her whole story. I have to commend Tamura-san once more because the rape scene was well depicted; it wasn't too graphic and was more of a psychological depiction of Ginko's mind at the moment (she was a doll and her father a beast). The subsequent psychological state of Ginko was also well done, it was very believable. Ageha's story was also a believable depiction of his emotional and mental state. I found his reactions both to making love to Aello and meeting Shido very believable.

Overall, Basara continues to remain my all time favourite manga since I picked it up a few years ago. I cannot wait to read the last to volumes of this beautiful epic.

~Joanna

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Impression: Basara 24

I picked up Basara 24 with 23, so I didn't have to wait long to read this. I also already have 25, so the impression will be done after I finish this one :)

Summary

Just as the last volume left off, Sarasa is making her way to Kyoto to see Asagi, and Shuri is determined to follow after her, so Nakijin agrees to go with him. Ageha, who also notices her, decides he need to discover what Hiragawa was plotting at the base of the palace.

When Sarasa storms the palace, Ran and Umi of the four virtues confront her. However, Kikune shows up and helps Sarasa out, she tells her that this is her fight, so Sarasa leaves her. Ichimatsu also shows up, but Kikune also tells him this is her fight. He tells her he will wait for her to finish.

Sarasa makes it to Asagi and asks him to come home with her. But it appears that Asagi isn't willing to do so, just then Shuri comes to the door and asks Sarasa to open it. Sarasa decides she must charge at Asagi if she cannot change his decision just as Nakijin breaks the door open and Shuri storms in. However instead of piercing her with his sword, Asagi embraces Sarasa. But the embrace doesn't last long because Shuri tears Sarasa away from Asagi. While Asagi is insulting Shuri, Hiiragi comes into the room, he survived the fall, but is now missing an arm like Shuri. Asagi makes his intentions clear, he will kill Hiiragi, he also became the King so that the people would despise the monarchy and never wish to return to this form of rule.

Sarasa is ashamed of her lack of trust, so she decides to trust him now and leaves Hiiragi to Asagi, while she and Shuri go see Ukon the king, or Shuri's dad. King Ukon is a desecrate old man, who steps down after trying to shoot Sarasa with his bow. Sarasa, however, does not want him to step down, because then the burden of the monarchy falls on Shuri, and she knows that the price he will have to pay is one of blood. But when she tries to urge the King to face his people, Shuri stops her and lets his father go with Tachibana.

Meanwhile, Asagi has killed Hiragii and he now confronts Ginko. Ginko tells him that he isn't really from the royal family and that she found him and took him in like the four virtues. She muses that his name Asagi means a cheap blue color used in prisoner's clothing, a name that fits him well, and that he was a fool to believe her when she said he was the real blue king. Asagi enraged lowers his sword on her, but stops before he can hurt her. Saying that he's had enough, he leaves. Ginko calls back to him and tells him to kill her, but when he doesn't come back, she sets the contraption that Hiragawa discovered in motion.

Ageha, who is underground, finds the contraption just as Ginko sets it in motion. Realizing that the whole building will collapse, he sends Kagero to Sarasa to warn her of the danger as he looks for a way to stop the contraption itself. However, the Yarogumi show up and Ageha has to fend off the attacks of their commander as well as arrows.

Meanwhile Kikune has managed to keep herself alive, but just as she is about to overpower Ran, Umi prepares to strike back, but Ichimatsu stabs him before he can do anything. Kikune is a little annoyed, but also happy that Ichimatsu helped her. Kagero then delivers to them Ageha's letter, and they realize they must flee.

Finally, Kagero brings Sarasa the letter, and she and Shuri begin to leave, but Sarasa notices that Shuri is very weak and isn't moving as fast as he can. Shuri then tells Sarasa to leave him and go ahead. When she asks what about him, he tells her that he will be right behind, but just as he says that, Sarasa remembers Nagi's words and realizes that he won't be able to follow her. This volumes closes with a shunned Sarasa, realizing Shuri is going to die if he doesn't start moving again.

My Thoughts

This volume feels a bit rushed, but it's still really well done. I can tell Tamura-san is trying her best to close up loose ends before the finale next volume. In particular, I wish Kikune's struggle was a bit more fleshed out, as well as Asagi's fight. But I guess I'm not too upset about the fight because fight scenes are not what Basara is about XD And Asagi's large single panel fight scene was very poetic and pretty, so I'm pretty satisfied. =D Other then that, it's another satisfying volume. Please look forward for my impression of 25 some time in March =D

There are a lot of extras this volume, including a few pages of Tamura-san's thoughts and illustrations, a single page strip featuring Shuri and Shido before he had died (hence taking place sometime in volume 3-4ish; chronologically) And two comedic one shots about Basara: the first titled "Basara Academy" is what basara would look like if it was a romantic comedy. I actually found it really funny, especially seeing the alter egos of the main cast. XD The second is titled "If they Played Games" and it's basically about dead Taro going around and observing what kind of games the cast of basara likes to play. Overall, they were a nice diversion from the main story's more somber tone.

~Joanna

Friday, February 6, 2009

Impression: Basara 23

After many months (actually almost a year!), I was able to find a comic store that preordered this volume for me. yuppie! So without further ado, I'll start the summary section.

Summary

Volume 23 starts right where 22 left us hanging. Shuri, with one less arm, pleas with his remaining soldiers and voices his decision to side with Tatara. Sarasa hears his emotional plea and as Tatara accepts his help. Kaku and the villagers are shocked, but Shuri and his soldiers, who side with him, are welcomed into the rebel army.

Meanwhile, Asagi is called back to the royal palace by the White King. Torn, he asks Sarasa if she had to choose between him and Shuri who would she choose. When Sarasa tells Asagi it would be him, he doesn't believe her, but Sarasa just replies that her friends are more important to her than Shuri. A little shocked, Asagi pulls in Sarasa and gives her a kiss before running away. Sarasa is rather stunned, but notices Asagi left a blue earing in her mouth.

When Tatara's army moves in to occupy a fortress the next day, they are attacked, and discover that Asagi has become the new King of Japan. Forced to assault the fortress, Sarasa sneaks in and confronts the leader, in order to convince him to side with her. When he turns on her, Hayate shoots an arrow and kills him. He tells Shuri, who was there, that he killed Shido in the same manner; Shuri just replies that he would have done the same.

Meanwhile in Kyoto, Councilor Hiragawa returns and meets his end by Ageha's hands. Asagi, now king, realizes that Tatara will storm Kyoto in a matter of days, so he orders the Yarogumi to round up all the citizens around the castle and use them as a human wall. Muratake delivers the message to Tatara, but she is not about to give up and sends a letter to Ageha requesting his help. Ageha is able to evacuate all the villigers with the help of councilor Sakurada and later Ichimatsu. Asagi realizes that the people have been replaced by the buddha statues and only laughs. However, Sarasa, just as she has said, takes Yota and glaps toward Kyoto, intent on seeing Asagi. As she gallops away, Ageha takes notice.

Volume 23 has two side stories included, the first deals with Ageha and his past as a slave. It's very depressing, but also inspiring (I know this makes no sense, but I won't spoil anything :P). The second deals with the night before the battle with Shuri in volume 22, and it has a cute Asagi and Sarasa moment :3

My Thoughts

Another amazing volume (my summary doesn't show it, but the story telling is amazing!!)=^___^=
Plot and character development is top notch as always. I cannot wait to find out what Asagi meant by "please god" followed by "there is no god" and what he's trying to accomplish, as well as what Ginko is planning. And of course I cannot wait to see the resolution of the story :3

The two extra side stories were very well done. Ageha's story developed his character more and was very powerful. The other side story had a cute Asagi x Sarasa moment. It was funny and adorable. =3

I just adore Basara and I cannot wait to read the next volume! (Which will be happening very soon, because I already have it.) :D

~Joanna

Friday, July 11, 2008

Comparison: Tohru & Other Kind Hearted Heroines

Alrighty, I've stated in my previous post that I wanted to do this, so here it is, my comparison of Tohru against other female leads in manga. I will start out with Tohru, the perpetrator, who has strayed away, well at least in my eyes, from the female ideal of a kind female and has become the male ideal of a female. Yes, yes, this is going to be a rant and its subject will be Tohru. =P Afterwards, I will showcase other females; why they should be considered kind, and why they are not weak and submissive like Tohru.

Why I care and why you should too-
Its not just about a fictional character in a manga, it's about the portrayal of females in general, which are seen by other females and males. And this is very important because the portrayal of females is basically the written rules of society on females. These rules are easily picked up by children, who will either internalize them or rebel against them. I happened to fit with the latter group of children. Furthermore, such characters serve as role models for young girls, if we have weak and submissive role models, we will have weak and submissive females. I truly believe girls should see themselves as active persons, no matter what they decide to pursue in life, be it a motherhood or a career life style.

Why Tohru?
Because she is the female lead of one of the most popular manga in both the States and Japan, making her one of the best known fictional heroines. It is she who is being seen as a role model and it is also she who is a weak and submissive female. This does not mean she is the only perpetrator, there are a few others in shoujo manga. I will make a brief mention of them at the end.

What about Shounen Manga?
Although shounen manga has its fill of weak and submissive female leads, it is written by males (and a few female authors) for males, so it is not at the top of my priority list. Furthermore, there are a surprising amount of shounen manga that actually have strong and positive female leads. In my counter examples I will mention some shounen examples of kind but active female leads. The shocking and ironic thing is, that the main perpetrator is from a shoujo title that is written by a female for females. So one would think that there should only be positive portrayals in this genre, but alas that is not always the case.

The Perpetrator: Honda Tohru

*From: Fruits Basket
*Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Fantasy
*Role: Main Character
*Female Archetype: Mother & Innocent/ Childlike Female
*Personality: Naive and Optimistic, Clumsy and Overly Kind
*Best Personality Trait: Optimistic, I have to say, her optimism is her only good point.
*Worst Personality Trait: Overly Kind, she apologizes for EVERYTHING, even when she doesn't need to do so.
*Weak? yes. no athletic skills, nor any brains, she apologizes even when she is the victim. She never asserts herself, or makes a claim.
*Independent? Nope. she needs someone to be there, she can't be her motherly self without them, now can she. But in all fairness, she seems to be able to take care of herself.
*Submissive? yes. she takes all abuse and apologizes even when she has no reason to do so, she is constantly making sure everyone around her is happy, but never thinks about herself.
*Other: To clarify what I mean head over to this site

[Why?]
-because she is a doormat, plain and simple. She is portrayed as someone who is always worrying about others, but never herself, which would be fine, but it is taken to the extreme where she apologizes for other people's actions, when it is she, who should be apologized to. Every time someone appears to be in trouble, she runs after them, which is fine, but she does it ALL the time, and it's quite annoying, so much so, that she appears to be doing this ultimate mother figure act; I'm pretty sure that sometimes people need time for themselves. Furthermore, she not the sharpest knife in the drawer, since she needs Yuki's help to answer even the majority of the questions on her exam. Not only does she lack intelligence, but also common sense; she doesn't seem to understand that by acting especially nice to both Yuki and Kyo, she will break their hearts in the end. She should be nice, but she goes out of her way for the two of them, which would make anyone think she has romantic interests in them. Finally, she has no athletic talent at all, and the only talents she does have are all related to the domestic sphere, such as cooking and cleaning. Its nice that she can take care of herself, but the author should have given her more talents, not just things related to the house.

[Final Verdict] -- Tohru is the perfect submissive wife, she will take care of all your needs, while submerging her own, and of her own free will too! Wow, boys I bet you've been searching your whole lives for this little lady, and ladies, doesn't Tohru's life sound so satisfying, to have your whole life revolve around a select few! But so sorry to burst your bubbles, ladies and gentlemen, she is but a fantasy. No one is so perfect of a wife, nor can there be someone with so little regard for themselves that has had a normal childhood. Not only this, but don't expect not to be taken advantage of, soon you will realize that such excessive kindness is self-destructive.

First Counter: Nausicaa

*From: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
*Genres: Seinen, Political, Apocalyptic
*Role: Main Character*Female Archetype: Mother
*Personality: Strong-willed and courageous, empathetic and compassionate
*Best Personality Trait: She loves all life, from the smallest mold to the largest insect.
*Worst Personality Trait: None, I love everything about her.
*Weak? no. she has the whole world on her shoulders and she, herself made it so.
*Independent? yes! she does everything herself and doesn't ask for help, but she does accept it when it is given to her without her having to ask for it.
*Submissive? no. if she thinks what you are doing is wrong, she will tell you and even stop you by ending your life.
*Other: What I find ironic and amusing is that Tohru was created by a female and Nausicaa by a male.

[Nausicaa vs. Tohru]

Where do I start? Nausicaa is the antithesis to Tohru, she has all the kindness of Tohru, but minus all Tohru's weakness and submissiveness. Nausicaa loves all life, including humanity. Her closest archetype is the mother figure, since she is often portrayed as a mother, who saves and protects all life. The best example of this I find, is her saving the life of a soldier who breathed in miasma by sucking up his poisoned blood. All Nausicaa's actions are portrayed as active choices she has made, not passive decisions she accepts. She chooses to save people's lives, but she also isn't a one sided character, she has her darker side, where she kills those who threaten her, those close to her, and her ideals. Furthermore, she is multi-talented, being both a skilled warrior and very intelligent; she also has many mysterious powers, like reading the wind and hearing into the hearts of all living things. As a warrior, she is exceptionally skilled with the sword, as she proved by winning a duel with a bigger and better armored solider. As for intelligence, she is one of the few who realize the sea of corruption's true purpose and she is the only one to realize its true origin.

[Final Verdict]-- Compared to Tohru, Nausicaa is a lot stronger, both physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Nausicaa is also a lot closer to reality then Tohru; where Tohru is a one sided character with only goodness, Nausicaa has both positive and negative tendencies, she saves lives and she destroys them. She also has a bigger heart then Tohru, for it extends beyond a few people to the whole of nature, yet she also feels anger and despair, something the one sided Tohru lacks. Nausicaa is one of the best female portrayals I have had the pleasure to see. She has not only emotional strength, but also physical and intellectual strength, and her compassion extends to everything; she saves both human and insect babies alike. Yet even with such a big heart, she also has the same negative emotions that the rest of us have, making her someone we can look up to and aspire to be like. Although Nausicaa is probably a hard ideal to achieve, she is not impossible, as long as you share the same ideals as she does. Tohru on the other hand is an impossible ideal, for she has no negative human emotions, the exception being sadness, which she displays once, and it is impossible for a person to only have positive emotions and never feel anger, fear, or jealousy.

Second Counter: Sarasa

*From: Basara
*Genres: Shoujo, Epic, Political, Apocalyptic
*Role: Main Character
*Female Archetype: Tomboy
*Personality: Strong-willed and courageous, kind and compassionate
*Best Personality Trait: Her growth as a character, she starts out very self centric and emotionally frail, but she grows as a person and becomes so much more stronger.
*Worst Personality Trait: None, I love everything about her.
*Weak? no. she has weaknesses, but she is not weak. She has moments of weakness, but ultimately overcomes them.
*Independent? yes. she carries her burdens on her own shoulders, even when her allies ask her to rely more on them. She eventually comes to rely more on others, but is still very much independent, often facing tough choices on her own.
*Submissive? no. she stands up for what she believes, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty, or raise up against the preconceived notions of female and male.
*Other: She is a lot like Nausicaa in certain respects, but she is also a lot different.

[Sarasa vs. Tohru]

Sarasa is another fine example of a kind female that doesn't have to be weak and submissive in order to show some compassion. Sarasa is also a great example of a realistic, yet positive and strong portrayal of a female. As you read through the manga, you see Sarasa grow as a person; she isn't a one dimensional character at all. She makes mistakes and grows stronger as she realizes the proper course she should have taken. She even has moments of depression, where she cannot momentarily overcome the mistakes she has made. Sarasa is strong physically, she can handle a fight or two. She is also intelligent; coming up with plans to outwit her enemies, when she at a disadvantage. Emotionally, however, she is a lot more frail, but ultimately, she matures and becomes stronger emotionally. But best of all, she has a deep sense of compassion; she quickly realizes that the people she slays have families and loved ones too, and as a result, she eventually tries to kill as little people as possible. She is also very concerned with the wellbeing of her companions, often risking her own life to save theirs. Also, she is trusting and forgiving, as seen with Asagi and many of the mislead villains she meets, yet she isn't naive. She knows that Asagi isn't who he says he is, but she still decides to trust him. She can also be said to see the good in people, as with Shuri, Asagi, and all the misguided 'villains'.

[Final Verdict]-- Sarasa shows a lot of the kindness that Tohru does, like risking her life for the people she cares for, seeing the good in people, and being very trusting and forgiving. But the key difference is that Sarasa is a lot stronger then Tohru and has many talents that the latter lacks; such as swordsmanship, a sharp intellect, and a large pool of knowledge about many things, but in particular, plants. Nor is she trusting and forgiving out of naiveness as Tohru is, but rather out of the goodness of her own heart. But most important of all, Sarasa is neither weak nor submissive, and she is portrayed as an active, not passive female . In fact, she eventually accepts her feelings for Shuri, even through this is against the will of the people in her village, and in particular Kakuji. She also actively accepts, later on, her female aspects and her role as a savior, and not just as a fake Tatara. If you want to see a positive portrayal of an overly kind female, Sarasa is the one to look for, Tohru, on the other hand, is to be avoided.

Third Counter: Tenjou Utena

*From: Revolutionary Girl Utena & Adolescence of Utena (movie)
*Genres: Shoujo, Surreal, Psychological
*Role: Main Character
*Female Archetype: Tomboy
*Personality: Strong-willed and honorable, compassionate and innocent
*Best Personality Trait: Her strong will, this is what brings about the conclusion that we see at the end.
*Worst Personality Trait: Her innocence, it blinds her to the truth.
*Weak? no. even when psychologically wounded, she finds the strength to be herself.
*Independent? yes again. just see the ending. Also it is implied that she has been alone for quite some time, & she doesn't let the school's regulations stop her from wearing the boy's uniform.
*Submissive? no. she stands up for what she believes and her love for Anthy.
*Other: Utena is the female prince, the whole show is a metaphor for feminism.

[Utena vs. Tohru]

Utena is yet another example of a female that has a lot of kindness, yet is strong physically, emotionally, and is intelligent. First, her physical strength is pretty apparent; she becomes the reigning champion until she reaches the final duel; thus meaning she can out duel anyone, and don't think that this is due to the help of Dios. His ghost entering Utena is more of a symbolic image of her becoming a prince (this is clarified in the movie where Dios doesn't enter Utena, but rather, Utena's fencing match reminds Anthy of Dios, so much so, that she momentarily sees Utena as Dios). Emotionally she is also very strong, even stronger then she is physically, and we see the extent of this strength twice, first when she duels Toga for a second time, and then again at the conclusion of the show. The first time she duels Toga, she is emotionally weakened prior to the duel, as he used his underhand ways to confuse the innocent Utena into thinking he may be her prince. Her loss and the subsequent actions of Anthy shake her to her core, and she momentarily gives up and accepts her biological destiny as a female; in short she becomes submissive. She eventually realizes, thanks to Wakaba's words, that this type of female isn't really her and challenges Toga to another duel. In this duel, Toga pulls out all the tricks and continues to try and hurt Utena psychologically like before, however, Utena shows the true extent of her inner strength and defeats him. The second time is much more profound, and it not only shows her strength, but also her kindness. In the finale, Utena, deeply wounded, stumbles towards the door to revolution and with the sincerity and strength of her heart is able to open it. What takes place after she opens the door is a big spoiler, so I will only mention that the scene is very moving and shows the full extent of her inner strength and the goodness of her heart. Finally intellectually, Utena is also exceptional, in her first duel, it took her superior intellect to outwit the better armed Shouji. Furthermore, in one of the episodes, it is made apparent that Utena is very good at math; as she normally gets As, but in that particular episode, she got a horrible mark due to her preoccupation with duels. Now finally, how is Utena kind? Firstly, when she sees both her best friend and later Anthy being bullied, she confronts the bully (both times it was Shouji). Furthermore, after she realizes that Anthy really has no will, she doesn't stop caring for her or trying to reawaken her will. The distance she will go for her loved ones is made apparent in the final episode, but I won't spoil that for any of you who have not watched Utena (and you really should, it is a really good and thought provoking show!).

[Final Verdict] -- Once again, Utena is both emotionally and physically stronger then Tohru, not to mention a whole lot smarter. Really I don't see the appeal behind Tohru unless one is a misogynist; since Utena is a lot more honest and innocent with her feelings, not to mention she really cares about other peoples' problems and after she looses her innocence, she is a lot less patronizing and a lot more genuine. Oh and by honest I mean that Tohru is in denial that she is bouncing around Yuki and the other Sohma family members for reasons that are less then selfless. She herself even states in volume three that she is happy to be blessed with the wonderful and kind princes of the Sohma family, which basically means she likes the attention they give her. Utena, on the other hand, knows and admits that what she does with Akio is causing a rift between her and Anthy. Sure she doesn't do much at first, but she has the courage to admit to herself that what she is doing is selfish, unlike Tohru. Yes I do enjoy picking out the flaws in Tohru, because, she is one of the most flawed character creations and I just hate her little innocent act when she harbors such thoughts, but recreates them in her mind as something much more innocent.

Fourth Counter: Oscar Francois de Jarjayes

*From: Rose of Versailles
*Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Historical
*Role: Main Character
*Female Archetype: Tomboy
*Personality: Righteous and Compassionate, Courageous and Intelligent
*Best Personality Trait: Courage, she looks so cool in her duels, so much so that I want to start fencing! Also she isn't afraid to state what she thinks, even if it puts her in danger.
*Worst Personality Trait: None, I love everything about her ^^
*Weak? no. she is strong intellectually, physically, and emotionally. She can handle her own in fights, she uses her intelligence to solve crimes, and she is able to overcome her unrequited love. In one word, she is awesome.
*Independent? yes. she does what she wants and does not let anyone control her.
*Submissive? never. she tells you what she thinks. She even leaves the french army and stands on the side of the revolution because she thinks that is the right choice.
*Other: This is the inspiration for Revolutionary Girl Utena.

[Oscar vs. Tohru]

I must be getting very repetitive, but I hope by doing so, I drill it into someone's head that Tohru is a horrible portrayal of the female gender, and she really ruins what could have been an average but enjoyable manga. Ocsar on the other hand, is what makes Rose of Versailles such a good manga and anime; she is just so darn cool. Not only is she strong physically, emotionally and intellectually, but she does everything in style. It's hard not to fall for her charm and enjoy her awesomeness, especially when she is being righteous. ^^ Now her physical strength is pretty apparent as she always wins duels, but its not just her physical strength that allows her to capture villains; she uses her intelligence just as much to figure out how to capture them most efficiently, and to outwit the smarter villains. Emotionally, the best portrayal of her strength lies in the unrequited love she feels for Fersen. She indulges in it once, but afterward when she realizes they can only be friends, she accepts it with grace and strength. Nor does she hate Marie Antoinette for loving Fersen, which takes great wisdom and strength, and in fact, her love (not romantic, but a friendly love) for Marie is constant throughout the series, even when Oscar deflects from the French Guards and later the French Army. She isn't stuck up either, even through she comes from a very wealthy family; Oscar is very much aware of the plea of the French peasants, and at first she believes that Marie and her husband will be able to overcome and fix the problem, but she gradually comes to believe that more drastic action is needed to remove all the corruption that the monarchy cannot. The care and compassion she shows Rosalie, in particular, showcases her kindness very well.

[Final Verdict] -- Oscar is the opposite of Tohru, where Tohru is a doormat, Oscar is an awe inspiring sword dueler. Oscar just oozes awesomeness, if you don't think she is awesome, then you must be a misogynist, because Oscar is the female version of the traditional hero. She is righteous, but not to a sicking point; the fact that she has a big heart full of compassion really helps balance her as a character with a good sense of justice, yet the compassion to understand why others commit wrongs. Seriously, who is the better role model: the awesome yet virtuous Oscar, or the weak and passive Tohru, my vote is on Oscar =)

Fifth Counter: Kinomoto Sakura

*From: Cardcaptor Sakura
*Genres: Shoujo, Magical Girl, Romance
*Role: Main Character
*Female Archetype: Innocent/ Childlike Female
*Personality: Athletic and Honest, Innocent and Sweet
*Best Personality Trait: Innocence, she is just so beautifully innocent, so much so that she doesn't realize certain things, like Ruka's love for their teacher, and Syoaran and Tomoyo's love for her, ect.
*Worst Personality Trait: Also innocence, sometimes I wish she wasn't as oblivious as she is about Syoaran's feeling for her. Although I find it cute nonetheless.
*Weak? no. she good with everything: sports, school, cooking, and magic, not to mention she is the sweetest little girl ever. And she always does what she believes is right.
*Independent? yes. there are quite a few times that she has to rely on only herself. Plus she is able to take care of herself when both her older brother and father are at work.
*Submissive? a little. sometimes she gets intimidated by Syoaran, but thankfully she always rises above that intimidation to shine again.
*Other: Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the most popular manga in the states, which warms my heart.

[Sakura vs. Tohru]

Sakura is a lot closer to Tohru then the previous examples, since both are childlike, but unlike Tohru, Sakura is childlike because she is a child, and she is far more of an active character then Tohru can hope to be. Sakura is the sweetest little girl I have ever met, (or read about. hehe.) but that doesn't mean she is a pushover, or lacks a more spunky personality. True, she does get intimidated by Syaoran when they meet the first few times, but she eventually musters her strength and shows him that she too can capture cards using her own wits and powers. And her spunk is best shown when she is interacting with her brother (they are such cute siblings). Physically, Sakura is in top form; her best subject is gym and she often impresses her fellow classmates with her physical fitness and flexibility. Magically she is the star of the show and hence has the strongest magical power, and if not (since it debatable), then she is at least on par with Eriol. Emotionally she is your typical young girl, albeit a little oblivious, with a very cheerful demeanor and a sugary sweetness; it's almost difficult to resist her charm. And finally, she has some brains, often solving tricky puzzles involving Clow cards (remember Watery to see what I mean). She is a much better choice if you happen to like innocent and childlike females, because she is more assertive then Tohru. Although, I am not a big fan of the childlike females, I do love Sakura, since she is a child and she is very much an active character.

[Final Verdict] -- If you read the above, you know that Sakura > Tohru. Both are childlike, but Sakura is active, while Tohru is passive. Furthermore, Sakura actually has an excuse for being childlike, since she is a child; Tohru does not. I'm a big fan of CCS, but if Sakura had turned out like Tohru, I would probably hate it just as much as I hate Fruits Basket. And although Sakura is naive, a trait that I really hate, it is excusable since she is still a child and is a lot more assertive and active then Tohru.

Sixth Counter: Princess Sakura

*From: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
*Genres: Shounen, Fantasy, Epic, Romance
*Role: Main Female Lead
*Female Archetype: Princess in Need
*Personality: Kind and Sweet, Innocent and Genuine
*Best Personality Trait: Genuine, she genuinely worries about syaoran and the others and tries her hardest to help them in some way, even when she knows that she can't do much.
*Worst Personality Trait: Innocence, this is partly due to the loss of her feathers and the price syaoran pays to travel to different worlds with her. She is cruel without meaning to be, thus in a sense innocently cruel. She begins to change as the manga progresses and looses some of her childly innocence. I personally believe this is a good change.
*Weak? she is physically weak, but is emotionally and magically strong. She seems to have some common sense. At first she is really frail, but this is due to the lose of her feathers, and she will become a stronger character.
*Independent? somewhat. as with everything else about her, she gradually becomes more independent.
*Submissive? no. she always protests and tries to change what she feels is wrong, at the beginning, she doesn't have much strength and is usually unsuccessful in her endeavors, but as the manga progresses she gains more strength and is able to do more.
*Other: At first I hated this incarnation of Sakura, but she grows up and gains more strength as a character.

[Princess Sakura vs. Tohru]

Of all the examples I give, Princess Sakura is the most like Tohru, both are soft spoken and physically frail, but they differ in the fact that Sakura-hime isn't a doormat like Tohru, even if at first this seems to be the case. When we are first introduced to Sakura-hime, she seems to be very much like Sakura-chan from CCS: both are cheery and have a bit of spunk. But then the plot starts moving and our poor Sakura is left as nothing but a lifeless dummy (or doll if you prefer). When she does awaken, the majority of the time she is off looking into space and doesn't really give a rat's ass about what is happening around her. Oh yes, I was very upset about what they did to one of my favourite characters! By then slowly, almost without notice, there comes change. At first it is only a little: Sakura begins to show some concern and wants to do the work herself (but Syaoran won't let that happen, he is too devoted). Then a breakthrough happens in Jade country, Sakura actually does something without the help of the others! Yes, it's nothing too big, but its still a step forward. Then again in Puffle country she takes the cake by actually doing all the work necessary to gain a feather. All this builds up to the Tokyo arch, where the flood gates open and Sakura shows a iron will unlike anything before; she gets dirty, she kills, she hurts herself and comes back as a mess, but ladies and gentlemen, she gets the job done and oh boy, by the time this rolled around, Sakura had already left behind her frailty and became the Sakura I knew once more.

[Final Verdict] -- If you like your heroines to be feminine, then TRC Sakura is the better choice. She is feminine, yet strong and independent. Tohru is feminine, but weak; not the ideal choice for a positive role model. Sakura is also very kind, as her interactions with the characters, and flashbacks prove. What is great about Sakura is that she eventually sheds the innocent and weak girl image she is made to bear. Its a nice twist, and I like it a lot. Sure, it is pretty hard to stomach the earlier parts of the manga, but my CCS nostalgia helped me through that a lot, and Syaoran is so beautifully in love and devoted to her that I can't bring myself to hate him for rescuing her as much as he does. Plus he isn't domineering like a lot of the male leads that save females are; he lets her do as she wishes, and only watches from the shadows. I actually quite enjoy the unconditional and understanding love he gives her, and the pain that comes with it. I think it is one of the reasons I love Tsubasa so much, and why I don't mind the princess in need motif. The fact that she starts becoming more active soon after her awakening is also a nice bonus, even through I had to wait till volume 4 for something more concrete then worried pleas. The bottom line? It is a shounen manga, and it is a nice change for Syaoran to now be the main character. Sure it takes time for Sakura to develop, but the wait is worthwhile, and I love it when manga have evolving characters. And it doesn't hurt that the plot is so interesting and complex that it keeps me coming back for more. Sakura is a good female character, even if she is a little more tame then her CCS counterpart.

Seventh Counter: Makino Tsukushi

*From: Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango)
*Genres: Shoujo, Romance
*Role: Main character
*Female Archetype: Tomboy
*Personality: Fierce and Strong-willed, Compassionate and Spunky
*Best Personality Trait: Spunky, she has an attitude and she will tell you what she thinks. Her spunky personality is why is a favorite of mine.
*Worst Personality Trait: Nothing, well maybe the fact that she is a bit indecisive, although it really isn't annoying like with some characters. It has more to do with the fact that she likes someone she can't have and she starts falling for someone she is suppose to hate with every fiber of her soul.
*Weak? nope. she doesn't run, she stands up to the bullying. She is weakest, physically, but she still has a lot of physical strength. Her core strength is the strength of her person, which allows her to stand up to the bullying, instead of running away.
*Independent? yes. she works to pay for her own needs, she overcomes the bullying usually on her own.
*Submissive? also no. she stands up to the bullies and anyone who tries to buy her off or intimidate her.
*Other: Tsukushi, in my humble option, is the closest to a real female, she isn't exceptionally strong physically, but she isn't weak either. She is bright and she is strong-willed. She is your average Jane, but with a lot of spunk. And she has her flaws too, she is quick to anger, and a bit indecisive.

[Tsukushi vs. Tohru]

If only Tohru was like Tsukushi, a spunky girl with a big heart, then fruits basket would have won me over and I would most definitely be another loyal fan, but alas we can't have everything we want. I am thankful however, that there are still female authors out there that consider Tsukushi a worthy ideal and leading character. Thank you Kamio-san, I really love Hana Yori Dango, it is a pure pleasure to read. I even like the parts where Tsukasa saves Tsukushi, and I usually don't like the princess in need of rescue, so that's saying a lot. But now on to Tsukushi's assessment; physically, she is average, she isn't afraid of fights, but she isn't super strong either. I really like that about her, because it makes her much more human then those super heros or heroines. Emotionally, she is very strong, she does have moments of weakness, but again these only make her more human. Intellectually, she is also bright, it is implied that Tsukushi must have had good marks to get into the elite school since her family is very poor and doesn't have any connections. Also, she often comes up with ingenious ways to avoid the bullies or get back at them. Now, Tsukushi doesn't seem like a candidate for a kind female, but she is, and much more then you would expect. The earliest and best example comes in the form of Sakurako, who engineers a really mean prank in order to weaken Tsukasa's feelings for Tsukushi. After her prank fails and Tsukasa believes in Tsukushi, rather then the photos Sakurako shows him, a rumor about Sakurako gets started. Tsukushi still defends Sakurako, even after what she has done to her, and the two are on friendly terms, even if Tsukushi is a bit weary of Sakurako.

[Final Verdict] -- I wonder how Tohru would handle herself in Tsukushi's place hmm? I don't think I need to say anything else.

Eighth Counter: Sakura Mikan

*From: Gakuen Alice
*Genres: Shoujo, Fantasy, Romance
*Role: Main Character
*Female Archetype: Innocent/ Childlike Female
*Personality: Spunky and Kind, Innocent and Understanding
*Best Personality Trait: Her spunk, I just love to see her get angry at being called ugly or a hag, she is so cute when she talks back.
*Worst Personality Trait: Kindness, sometimes she seems to care a little too much, and it just makes me cringe a little, but it has only happened once, so its not too big of an issue.
*Weak? at first, but she grows up, and does not whine and ask for help as much later on. She isn't particularly strong in any one area (emotionally, physically, or intellectually), but she isn't portrayed as weak either, she is just average.
*Independent? not at first, but she grows up and takes all the hard balls gakuen alice throws her; she can take care of her own room and seems to be able to get through the day without needing help from Hotaru or anyone else.
*Submissive? never. if she is being bullied or called names she talks right back. She does get intimidated by Natsume on a number of occasions, but that does not stop her from talking to him later.
*Other? I've only seen the anime and read the first volume, so keep that in mind when you read my comments about her. She reminds me of a more mouthy Sakura, both are favourites of mine.

[Mikan vs. Tohru]

I thought including Mikan would be a good idea, since both Tohru and Mikan's smiles heal the hearts of troubled boys. However, unlike Tohru, Mikan has a lot more personality; I guess Mikan is what Tohru would have been, if she was given more spunk and portrayed as a more active character. Mikan isn't portrayed as especially strong in any one regard, but she isn't portrayed as weak either, so in a sense, she is average, both physically, and emotionally, and has an average level of intelligence. I am fine with this portrayal, because, unlike Tohru, Mikan has some attitude! She is also quite innocent, which is also all right with me, as she is still a child, and I find I don't mind when little girls are portrayed as innocent, as long as they are not helpless. As stated before, Mikan's overally nice disposition and optimistic outlook slowly defrosts Natsume and Ruka's hearts, making her a nice direct comparison to Tohru.

[Final Verdict] -- Mikan doesn't wait passively for Hotaru to come back to see her, like Tohru would probably do in her place, she goes out and finds Hotaru herself. Nor does she take the abuse Natsume and his classmates give her, she talks back and accepts their challenges. Sure she gets intimidated by Natsume at times, but since she is a little girl, it's more believable, and that doesn't stop her from talking to him later. Mikan is what I would have liked Tohru to be, someone with some backbone and spunk, but alas that is not the case.

Other Noteworthy Kind but Strong Heroines:

*Ahiru from Princess Tutu
*Nakajima, Youko from The Twelve Kingdoms
*Shidou, Hikaru from Magic Knight Rayearth
*Haneoka, Meimi from Saint Tail
*Bellmont, Sherry from Konjiki no Gash Bell!!

Some Other Weak Female Leads According to Me:

(1) Narita, Hatsumi

-From: Hot Gimmick (Shoujo)
--she had potential to grow, but is left as a weak, air headed, and indecisive female lead. One of the worst offenders, she is even worse then Tohru, because she knows better, but let's the guys overpower her. Stay away from this manga if you hate weak female leads.

(2) Yu

kimura, Aine
-From: Sensual Phrase (Josei)
--I haven't read this manga, but based from what I can gather from summaries and reviews, Aine is VERY submissive. I guess it lends well to the erotic feel of the manga, but I for one really hate these types of female leads. The good news? Its a title for older women, so Sensual Phrase is more of a guilty pleasure then anything else really.

(3) Mikage, Aya

-From: Ceres: Celestical Legend /Ayashi no Ceres (shoujo)
-Alright so Aya isn't the weakest leading female out there, but boy is she annoying! Yes, she has some spunk to her, but she is awfully weak against those of the opposite sex. Which seems to be a trait of Watase-san's heroine's. But don't get me wrong, Ayashi no Ceres is very entertaining, just Aya is not. And her whole fixation on Toya, who is still a total stranger, is not cute, it's very annoying and rather naive of her. Now Ceres, on the other hand, is pretty cool.

(4) Mizuno, Suzume

-From: Konjiki no Gash Bell!!(Shounen)
-I love Konjiki no Gash Bell, which should not be mistaken for the dub titled Zach Bell. The original is a lot more fun, since it has a lot of devious humor that the dub cuts out. Suzume is the shounen version of Tohru, air headed and just plain dumb, her fate is what Tohru's should be in reality: the boys put up with her, but no one in their right mind would actually think of dating her. Thankfully, the anime (and manga) give us two other female characters that are A LOT better then Suzume: Megumi and Sherry (the latter which I have already mentioned under 'other noteworthy kind but strong heroines'). Both of these characters have a lot of inner strength, especially Sherry, she is just plain awesome! And both of them are A LOT more intelligent then Suzume. Thankfully, Suzume doesn't have too much air time after Megumi is introduced.

And that concludes this week's extra long rant. As a closing statement, I will say I am not adverse to kind females in manga (I really like both Sakura and Mikan) as long as they aren't helpless and dumb individuals who can't do anything for themselves. Thankfully since I couldn't think of as many weak female leads as strong ones, I am happy to say that the majority of manga has decent leading females, that or I just seem to skip over a lot of the ones which don't have decent leads.

~Joanna

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Manga Profile [V: 1.0]

Manga Profile: Basara

For my first ever manga profile, it feels only right to begin with Basara, my all time favourite. Especially since it seems to be rather obscure, I hardly ever find volumes of it in any book stores or comic shops and if there do happen to be a few, they are always random ones. Currently I own and have read 22 out of the 27 volumes, and I'm waiting for 23 to come in, but its taking exceptionally long for some reason.

The first volume's cover, shown on the left is very deceptive. Making the manga look rather boring and action oriented. Yet, the opposite is true, Basara is one of the most entertaining manga I have ever read and although it has action, the primary focus is on the relationships between the characters. This is one gem that should not be over looked.

Basic Information:

Title: Basara

Author: Tamura Yumi

Volumes: 27

Publisher: Shogakukan (Betsucomi)

NA Publisher: Viz

The Story

The tale of Basara takes place after a catastrophe has halted human civilization and sent it back to a time of monarchical kings. Japan itself, is divided into many regions, each governed by a son of the current emperor. They are the red king, blue king, black king, and the white king. Sounds cliche so far, but Basara turns this cliche beginning into something very wonderful. Unlike other post-apocalyptic tales, Basara does not focus on the hopelessness of a broken world, or the stupidity of human beings, who brought about this demise. But rather, it focuses on the efforts of human being to change their miserable surroundings. If anything, Basara is a trip into state building, as the main struggle of the manga is about creating a new Japan.

Yet, the emphasis is never solely on building a new Japan, many other themes and sub-plots are woven together into one experience known as Basara. And the beauty of this work is that no one part over powers the other, every single tale is relevant and important. And every single tale connects at some point to the bigger goal, the creation of a new nation.

From this setting, we are introduced to a set of twins, Sarasa and Tatara who are born under the prophacy of liberation. Everyone assumes that Tatara is the child who will liberate them and Sarasa grows up in his shadow. She resents it at first, but gradually she grows to accept it and directs her efforts at cultivating the barren land. But as in all stories, tragedy strikes and her family along with her brother is killed by the Red King, as rebels who threaten the stability of the current regime. Her village is then set on fire and the villagers are in chaos and despair. It is from this moment that the heroine's journey truly begins. She decides to take her dead brother's place in order to protect her people. We see a beautifully symbolic scene, where she cuts off her hair and says she is now Tatara. If anything, it was this scene that won me over and infatuated me with this manga.

As Tatara, Sarasa seeks, at first, ways to avenge her family and protect her people. She begins her journey, not seeking the greater goal, but seeking to kill the one that tore her life to shreds. And slowly along the way, she comes to the realization that what she has to do is so much more.

One of the primary tasks she must accomplish is to gain allies. So along her journey, we are introduced to many different regions and characters , each with a story of their own. The majority of characters you will meet are given sufficient development, but there are a few that are not.

What starts out as a simple tale of Sarasa and her journey to revenge evolves into something very different. And early on one can see, through the introduction of Shuri, that the road Sarasa travels down is one that is never as it seems.

A truly beautiful tale, written with the uttermost of care. It truly is Tamura-san's master peice.

The Art

As much as I love to rave about Basara, I have to admit, the art is the manga's weak point. The art is not bad, but its not spectacular either. Its average, and it gets its job done. Never the less, the art does improve slowly. So near the end, it is of a better quality.

But, I would like to emphasize that the art is but a small issue and does not distract away from the beauty of the story.

The art may not be as beautiful as the story telling, but it gets the job done well.

The Characters

I could write pages and pages about the characters of Basara. The characters are the life of this manga and they are both interesting and human. Almost all the characters get a good background story and their actions are justified. They do not do things for the sake of being evil or just wanting power. They have a reason behind all their actions. As I will go into the characters eventually on their own I won't focus too much on them here. But I will just give a few examples and these contain spoilers!!!!

(1)SARASA- the heroine of our tale, she is strong willed with a deep loyalty to her comrades. Nevertheless, Sarasa is easily put into doubt. Early on in her journey, after her rash actions cause the deaths of her grandfather and friend, she is unable to go on as a leader and sinks into a state of depression. This happens again after she realizes who the Red King really is, but this depression and psychological trauma is explored in much more detail than in the other instances. Sarasa also grows from an individual fueled by revenge, to an individual who seeks to build a country where there is no violence and oppression. She has weaknesses, like all human beings, but the strength of her character is derived from the fact that she faces these weaknesses and becomes a better and stronger person as a result.

(2)SHURI- the hero and antagonist, shuri is really an interesting character to watch develop. He is rather twisted and has an interesting, to say the least, view of the world. Much of his actions are the result of his childhood, where he was branded a slave because it was foretold he would bring his father ruin. His father kept him alive as the shark that would keep his other sons in line, hence he is given the title of Red King. Shuri is very arrogant, but we slowly see him change for the better, not just because of Sarasa, but also because he looses everything that had once been his as the Red King.

(3)ASAGI- Just as interesting as shuri, asagi is the real blue king and he joins Tatara's rebel army for reasons unknown. He remains a mystery in the early volumes of the manga, but slowly his story is revealed and does it sure explain a lot. Let's just say he has a inferiority complex ;)

(4)SENJU- a far less developed side character, nevertheless, she does get some development and even shows a strength of her own. Her tragedy makes Sarasa realize that the soldiers in the red army are not demons, but men with families of their own. I grow to like Senju because of the decision she makes with regards to her child.

& there are so much many more characters, Basara has a large cast!

Themes

***I am using the term 'theme' in a very loose sense, meaning it can be anything from something the story focuses on, to an aspect of the story, or the actual meaning of the word in its literary sense. Nor am I going to go into too much detail, this blog entry is already really long ;) ***

1. Political Change

Basara's central theme is political change, why it is undertaken and how it can be undertaken. Basara portrays a very romantic image of political change, where a group of oppressed people band together as rebels to overthrow the corrupt regime and institute a regime of freedom (or as it is popularly known, democracy). This does not mean that everything is rosy, but rather that Basara never explores the other side of the story, where rebellions do more harm then good. So that in Basara, rebellions are portrayed as something good stemming from the people's accurate assessment of the situation and their commitment to a truly free regime. I myself, in fact, am very fond of this portrayal and fully enjoy this aspect of Basara.

The method of change is very romantic in Basara too, it is the stuff which legends are made of, which, I find, is not a bad thing. There are four swords and four rebellion leaders, each from different areas of Japan. So that when the four swords are united, so are the people of Japan. It really fits the feel of Basara and I find I really like the concept.

2. Gender

Not as prominent as political change, but it is present nonetheless. The first volumes set the premise, and the subsequent volumes slowly undermine it. Basically, in the world of basara, like our own, gender determines what you can do and cannot do. Because Sarasa is female, no one ever thinks that it is in fact she who will liberate Japan and not her brother. There are quite a few scenes in the frist volume where gender discrimination is shown in all its glory. We are shown that men are the leaders and warriors. And then we are shown Sarasa taking on the task of leader and warrior. All subsequent volumes, through the story itself, work to disprove that only men can be leaders and warriors. Through Sarasa's success, the gender specific roles are demolished. Likewise at the beginning, Sarasa becomes Tatara, she rejects her femininity and dons on a male appearance. But subsequent volumes slowly undermine this; they not only blur the distinction between male Tatara and female Sarasa, but we also see Sarasa regaining her image as female. Especially in later volumes, where she reveals her identity to her comrades and accepts Shuri as the Red King, Sarasa makes the final leap in bridging the gap between what is male and what is female; she accepts both aspects as herself.

There are other points in the story that touch on this too, Chacha like Sarasa, is a successful warrior and leader. Ginko, the white king, is tried of her life being set up for her and seeks to destroy the very society and political structure that has forced her to live a life that is not hers. These subtle instances all work together to discredit the stereotypical view of gendered roles and of submissive females. I see no submissive females in Basara. Even the very feminine Senju, is portrayed as active, not passive; she actively seeks Shido's love, rather then passively wait for it. She actively seeks the aid of others in order to protect her child, rather then passively waith and hope for the best. Yes, Basara is one of those rare shoujo titles that disregards the accepted steritypical view of what is female and makes an attempt to redefine femininity in an image that is more proactive and strong.

3. Good vs. Evil

Being the epic it is, Basara includes the theme of good versus evil. Yet, it's presented in an unconventional way, almost abolishing the distinction all together. It would not be incorrect to say that rather then good versus evil, we have good methods versus twisted evil methods. The protagonist seeks the proper method, often herself stumbling onto methods that are not so good. The antagonists use evil methods, but for good reasons, and often they are either aware of this or they become aware and correct themselves.

Sarasa and Shuri both seek to rebuild Japan, but Sarasa because of who she is, will not use methods that result in evils being done to her allies. Nevertheless, there are instances where she makes mistakes and causes pain and death upon others. Two examples of this include her rash desire to kill the Red King resulting in two deaths, and her plan to defeat the Red King by cutting off his city's water supply resulting in the justified anger of the people of Suo. Both her methods are done for something that is good; the liberation of Japan, but the methods themselves cause death and suffering. Likewise, Shuri is determined to change Japan for the better, his city is living proof of that, but the method he uses in order to produce change leaves a trail of blood.

There are many other misguided villains (if we can call them that), including the guardsmen of Abashiri Prison, Momonoi, the temporary ruler of Suo, and Ginko, the white king. The only villains, in the real sense of the word, appear to be Emperor Ukon and Higiwara. As of yet (volume 22), we are not given much information about Ukon, and while Higiwara has his reasons, they are selfish ones.

In Basara, the ends do not justify the means

Conclusion

Basara is my all time favourite manga, and I really feel it deserves to be recognized. It has a beautifully powerful story with interesting characters that anyone can relate to and art that conveys what is required. If you read manga for art only or don't like shoujo, then Basara is probably not for you. But to everyone else, I recommend you at least try Basara out, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was the first time I gave it a try.

Because this is my first manga profile, it will probably undergo some changes until i standardize the sub sections and the like. I'm still not sure how long I want the character and theme sections to be. I plan on doing character profiles and I may start theme discussions on manga too. Other then that, I am quite satisfied with the outcome, and to whomever is reading, I hope you enjoyed my long rant, and do I just love to rant. If you have a suggestion, feel free to comment :)

~~Joanna.

My Incomplete Manga Series:

.Hack//Legend of the Twilight (1/3)^
Alice 19th (1/7)
Aria (1/??)
Beauty Pop (1/10)
Boys Over Flowers (12/36)
Cardcaptor Sakura (4/12)
Ceres: Celestial Legend (5/14)
Chobits (1/8)
Clamp School Detectives (1/3)^
Claymore (1/??)
Corrector Yui (1/9?)~
Death Note (2/12)
Forbidden Dance (3/4)~
Fruits Basket (1)**
Full Metal Alchemist (2/??)
Fushigi Yugi (9/18)
Gakuen Alice (2/??)
Hot Gimmick (2)**
Inuyasha (5/56?)
Kare Kano (1/21)
La Corda d'Oro (1/??)
Magic Knight Rayearth (2/6)
Maison Ikkoku (4/15)
Marmalade Boy (1/8)~
Nana (1/??)
Naruto (15/??)
No Need for Tenchi! (1)**
Peach Girl (1/18)
Please Save My Earth (10/21)
Pretear (3/4)~
Saint Tail (2/7)~
The Queen's Knight (3/17)
Tokyo Babylon (1/7)
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle (6/28)
Wedding Peach (1/6)