I really had high expectations about this mangas regarding the very positifs reviews. But in reality it let me without any special feelings. Yes i can see that there was a good potential for the story and the characters but i dont know why at the end i couldn't be attracted to anyone... and the story, even if the author tried to pass meaningful messages through this work but the way he did it didn't touch me at all.

Anyways it's different from the other typical shoujos and we see that the main girl isn't weak at all (she may cries a lot but she can also be a kick ass ) so you should give it a try it's not a total mess

... Last updated on December 30th, 2008, 8:48pm

This is one of the best mangas I ever read. The main character is very strong not like some silly shoujo characters and it's not very dificult to distinguish them. They have all diferent storys and personalitis. Even have something much of the storys doesn't has. A character who we can think "I really really like him"
A character we could see the story only because of him... *cough* ... *Asagi... *cough*.
Puting this in part this is a story for all people who love read a something interesant and very deep not like some light brainless mangas.
You must read it...

... Last updated on December 17th, 2008, 4:10am

Like the previous reviewer, I too read this manga after seeing all the wonderful reviews it got, only the word that came to mind once I got into this manga wasn't so muc WOW as it was WTH? Seeing how I am now following and thoroughly enjoying the mangaka's other work 7Seeds, I was seriously expecting this manga to be one more gem in the ruff. Boy was I ever mistaken. Don't get me wrong, this isn't by far the worst manga I have read, but its not the best, not even good. Just mediocre. I suppose the resolution is what killed it for me. It was too simple an answer to everything characters had gone through. Love wins out but not always, and I think this manga called for that time where love didn't win out! An ending of this nature would have been proven more accurate considering the history between the hero and heroine. Don't get me wrong, hate isn't the answer either, but I think the ending was too fan geared, which made what could have been a great manga crash and burn. Oh well. because of this small detail the manga gets a 5

... Last updated on December 15th, 2008, 6:25pm

i started reading this when i saw the good reviews it got but i have to just say
WOW!!!! this is such a good manga! love it it is now one of my favorites!!!!!

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..

No need for me to say but this manga rocks! I read every single volume of it. I've cried, laughed and basically loved this manga all the way through. Yeah I have Skip Beat and Vampire Knight, but seriouslly, I think this is like ranked all the way up there. It is, in one word, perfect!

... Last updated on November 10th, 2008, 2:44pm

I agree with everyone. Basara is just amazing. The story telling and all makes you want to have more and more, althou it was hard for me to read it at first because of the art. I love the forbidden relationship between Shuri and Sasara and the rest but I wish that Ageha would at least have a happy ending... well he does...in a way... Anyway it's a must read. It's the greatest and best manga and one of my most favorites.

... Last updated on October 31st, 2008, 6:31am

Yeah, the story is very good and makes you want just more of it. This story is just like From Far Away. In a way that is. Still it was kind of disappointing when they stop the anime. I wanted more of it. Yeah, but the ending of the manga was good since it starts out like the beginning of the book and makes you go and reread it. Like I've said to myself, not ever in my life have I read a manga as good as Basara, even Red River cannot compare and that manga got me into it to.

... Last updated on July 25th, 2009, 8:56pm

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.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this series. The art style is kind of...old...and the story seemed cliched from the description. I'm glad I still decided to give it a try, though! This work reads like a fantasy novel...it contains very deep character development, fascinating plotlines, and a rich fantasy world! Perhaps not a series for everyone, but definitely worth a try!