Several times, I couldn't get far when I tried to read this series. The first few volumes absolutely drowns you in death, tragedy, doomed love and the occasional bad decision. The prospect of reading 27 volumes in the same vein felt off-putting, to put it mildly. As a huge fan of 7 Seeds from the same author though, I finally mustered the courage to read through it, and fortunately, it turned out that it wasn't 27 volumes of the tragic lovers adding to one another's list of grievances.

To those of you who initially felt the same as me: don't be put off. There is still plenty of drama, of course, and at times you'd really feel like slapping a character or two. Sarasa and Shuri vow to destroy each other, but must also confront many other challenges along the way. Losses are inevitable. Yet these extremely tall walls become the very stepping stones towards an incredible odyssey of personal development and uprising all across the country, taking the protagonists across numerous regions in Japan, and allowing the readers to enjoy a rich story that explores themes like politics and corruption of course, but also governance methods, trade, irrigation, journalism, art, slavery, plenty of family drama, and different sorts of introspection.

As Sarasa gathers allies and learns more about the world, she is also forced to rethink and look beyond her revenge to what she truly wishes to accomplish for the country. Shuri, meanwhile, is forced to look beyond his ambitions to topple his father and siblings, and truly confront the losses caused by his actions, both to himself and to others. Their romance, which may have felt overbearing at first, actually develops greatly, into something quite touching. Their growth is possible Because they must confront pain and loss, both those they felt themselves and those they have caused others.

And they don't do this alone. The series is supported by an amazing cast, each with unique personalities and backgrounds. There are the brave, the strong, the intelligent and the wise, but also the weak. There are those who fight at the frontlines, those who work in the shadows, those who expose the truth, those who reform or conspire from within, those who lead by example, even farmers, builders and healers striving towards a better tomorrow. These aren't characters that were just sitting around, twiddling their fingers and waiting for a savior. The whole country was ready for change well before Sarasa showed up. Nor do they coddle the supposed 'saviors.' Far from it: they can tell weakness, and they can tell hot air. And they are the ones who force the main characters to think about what it is they truly aim to achieve, as well as what sacrifices they are willing to make.

In the end, the survivors will have to live with scars and burdens, as well as difficulties that are only starting. And yet, they never stop struggling towards a better tomorrow. And somehow, I found that to be the most satisfying conclusion.

I'd like to point out that this is a mostly realistic fantasy, but fantasy nonetheless. There is no magic nor mystical creatures, but there is a strong notion of fate throughout the series, complete with too-well-timed natural events and encounters. Accepting this instead of nitpicking over the coincidences will allow you to enjoy the story more fully. Some people don't like the art, and I didn't enjoy the same artstyle with 7 Seeds at first, but with time I realized how rich and expressive it is.

Speaking of 7 Seeds, I've seen a few people compare 7 Seeds and Basara, but what really surprised me was how Different the two series are. Basara focuses more on romance and personal character development (for several key characters) in a setting of wars, politics, governance and related themes (trade, slavery, etc.). 7 Seeds focuses more on group dynamics (individual character development is more spread out compared to Basara) and psychology (some of the best I've seen anywhere) in a setting of survival (different strategies humanity considered against the impeding doom, differing strategies of survival used by the different teams). The things you love in one may not be present in the other, but both are magnificent works in their own rights.

I started reading this series not really knowing what to expect. After the first volume, I began downloading all the scanlations available and devoured 20 volumes of Basara as quickly as I could. Then I went back to the beginning and read it again. The story FAR exceeded my expectations and has quickly bumped all other romance mangas down several pegs in comparison.

Though you might not like the art at first, I swear it grows on you. By now, I can't imagine Basara drawn any other way; the artist's etherial style is perfect for portraying the intense emotions, the sexy boys and the landscape. Somehow, she is able to make the desert exude both romance and desolation.

You might think that 27 volumes means that the storyline becomes drawn out, repetitive and tedious, but that's far from true. The mangaka has paced the story very well and there are no unnecessary filler chapters in Basara. In fact, I wish the story was twice as long! The battle scenes are just long enough (they don't drag on and on), you get just enough romance (though I wouldn't mind even more Shuri/Sarasa interactions!) and you quickly get a good feel for the very dimensional supporting characters, numerous though they may be.

The romance between the Red King Shuri and the Child of Destiny Sarasa is so poignant and emotional, you can't help but get invested in it, even though you just know it'll result in tragedy when they find out each others' true identities. (And their reactions to this climactic discovery is absolutely heart-rending.) Though their relationship is only made up of several casual encounters and a few letters, this is no shallow love they experience.

Sarasa is the most amazing female heroine I've ever read. Truly brave, ingenious and caring, she also suffers from human weaknesses, like self-doubt and taking too much upon herself. Shuri...well, you wonder how these two can ever love each other after the big reveal, since he starts out as such a violent and, no other word for it, evil man. He undergoes the most character development in the story. However, I think Ageha, the male cross-dressing ex-slave turned dancer is my absolute favorite character, haha.

I've never fallen so much in love with a series. Everyone should give it a try, especially if you're a fan of "forbidden" or tragic love, comedy and epic historical adventures. Though the summary might lead you to believe you're setting yourself up for a world of heartache, don't worry, Basara is still a romance story, so expect a happy ending.

the 1st time i read this when in yr2006. i read it just because i had nth better to do at that time.. the truth is, i just read it to pass some time. but as i read on, things became different. i started to really love this manga! this is surely one of those mangas you wont feel tired or bored to reaad over and over again! when i first saw this, i kind of disliked the art, it wasn't really the type that i used to read. but as i read on, i realized that the mangaka was really awesome! the way the art is. the plot of the story.. i can't imagine anything as perfect as this! really, this is oe of the best! i'm really glad i decided to read it! i would have regretted not reading it..

I agree with everybody, this story is epic no doubt about it. I specifically liked the fact that the last two volumes are short stories about the lives of all the characters after the revolution, including Sarasa and Shuri.. I was hesitant for a long time about reading this manga because it was started in 1991 and to me art is important for a manga. But after I picked it up and started reading it kept getting better and better until it finally ended in one of the greatest endings a manga could have. If you haven't picked this up yet, you really should start reading it.

this story can only be described as EPIC. It is long and super satisfying, and leaves you (possibly) wanting for more. There is action, advventure, a killer story line and LOVE. Shuri and Sarasa is one of my favourite couples of all time. Their romance is soooo addictive: painful, intense and the sloppy, cliche shojo love cannot compare to this one.

And Shuri is too good looking for mine eyes.

The only thing i regret is reading it when i first started out with manga. It has set my expectations too high for all the other mangas and i have not yet found one better than this. fingers crossed to finding one ><

... Last updated on January 6th, 2010, 4:23am

I'll begin this review by stating that I'm wildly biased in awarding it a perfect 10. However, I do recognize that there are various flaws that make this manga not for everyone. Despite these shortcomings I feel that the incredible impact the rest of the work has as a whole far outweighs and goes so far as to negate them.

Basara is an award winning classic for a reason. The story is compelling. The characters are multi faceted. The attention to side characters is astounding--so much that even characters we've known for one or two chapters can make an overwhelming impact both to the plot and emotionally. The themes explored are deep, heavy, and complex. They are also skillfully explored and executed in a way that moves the reader and makes a significant impact. Odious characters that were once abhorred are humanized; like the characters, readers come to assume a grudging respect for them, even mourning with them if misfortune befalls them. The author clearly highlights right and wrong, but paints a picture of a coin with two sides that also has a moral grey zone. The entire story highlights sacrifice, redemption, desperation, destitution, ruination, and the process of navigating, overcoming, and healing through these things.

And all of this has boldly withstood the test of time.

Basara is also for mature audiences. Although it already has the power to command readers' emotions, it requires a degree of empathy and understanding of the hardships of life and difficulty of navigating complex social problems. At times it rips back the skin of political, emotional, and ethical problems and rawly exposes the deep hurt that fuels the misunderstandings and perpetuates the issues at hand. Every time I re-read this work, I find I'm relating to it more and more. And seeing how the characters live out their lives in such trying times and situations is beyond motivating and inspiring.

I think the most life-changing aspect of Basara is that throughout all the deeply relatable themes it explores, it offers a solution of love and forgiveness. Not your typical shoujo style of obstinate friendship conquers all--love and forgiveness that is quietly settled on through grief, suffering, loss, and tenacity.

Say what you want about the art, the pacing, some unrealistic plot points, or even some of the characters. This manga is undeniably the heavyweight champion of epic stories that have the power to profoundly affect the reader.


tl;dr - This manga is absolutely incredible and I highly recommend it. It is for mature audiences though, and if you're not someone looking to get emotionally involved in the story and explore incredibly deep themes then it may drag on. It's not some romantic adventure--it's a heart wrenching life story. So if that's your cup of tea then please, buckle up and enjoy it.

I was not interested in this manga and it was long after I had heard about it that I finally decided to pick it up on a library not a few months ago. One read on the 1st volume and I couldn't drop the comic book anymore. There're so much that each volume tell, and they kept enchanting me to go on reading.

The strength that Basara posses is its storyline. while the art was ok (you can still figure what is going on in the pictures), I will say that Basara's art is poor on term of depicting details especially on crowd scenes. Still it doesn't reduce my fun on reading it. I love the characters, I love the twists, I like the war, I like the romance, and the ending was good too.

Basara is a kind of story that will not fail you till the end. If you like a well written story, mind not the art and keep reading. You'll come to love Sarasa (the lead role) and you are going to cheer her on her journey, through all the suffering and struggles, through her wars and love stories, to finally achieved her goal. You got to love her adversaries too, there were all kind of them: betrayer, pirates, emperor, allies, stranger, vagabond, lover, queen, and they were giving different aura from each other that you will never get bored with them. There were also times when they turned to her side by her unique charisma.

Basara is not neccesarily best drawn manga, the action scenes were quite pathetic, but still well explained. The art style is shoujo, but the story line is even more solid than the best written shonen .

... Last updated on August 2nd, 2015, 7:46pm

Basara is a beautiful work, and the award(s?) it won were well deserved. It has a cuttingly realistic plot, full of burning truths and violent inspiration.

It is dark.

This is NOT, in any way shape or form, a good starting manga. Firstly, because if one starts with the best, there's nowhere to go but down. But also because you will never forget it. Each of the character's stories will be branded into your memory, and each loss will leave scars on your heart. Proceed with caution. This is a work that will stay with you for a lifetime.

This is perhaps the best shoujou, maybe even manga I've ever read. I haven't found a better shoujo that can compete with Basara. It had everything, from adventure, action, romance, betrayal and everything. Even though the art grew on me, despite being annoyed by it at first. It's a wonderful story and told in such a way that captures a reader and doesn't let go.
I love Basara so much, it's wonderful and not your typical shoujo. The characters are beautifully made, it made me cry, something I didn't expect and just the world of Basara itself enchanted me. I would give 15/10 but I can't, so i'll just stick to 10/10.

There's plot, character development, and an a main couple with so much chemestry.
I specially like the main character: the author knows how to despic the inner trouble our MC went through: She had to be Basara, but she also wanted to embraise her feminine side, be a normal girl. Her growth is amazing.