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Title (English) Basara

Title (Japanese) Legend of Basara

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Fantasy Novel

Notes From a manga by TAMURA Yumi, published in Bessatsu /Shoujo Comic.
As well a the TV series there is a 30 min Video Image Clip of the manga.

Classification shoujo

Synopsis Set several hundred years in the future, in a Japan ruined and made desert by some man-made disaster. The country is ruled in medaeval style by three Kings (Red, Blue and White), all sons of the Emperor. There is a legend that a hero will be born of twins and free the people from oppression. The hero (Tatara) is duly born in a remote village, and feted by the inhabitants. His twin sister, Sasara, feels neglected. On reaching manhood, Tatara is killed by the Red King's troops as are many other people and the village is destroyed. Sasara takes her brother's place in the 'Tatara' legend and vows revenge.

Review The manga, of which I have seen excerpts, seems to feature drama, romance and plenty of gender ambiguity and pretty-boy stuff.
The TV series starts in a rather unpromising way, with a plot that would embarrass a fan-fiction author. It has the kind of future setting that makes one suspect the writer couldn't be bothered to do research for a medaeval barbarism story set in the past. The story is full of implausible features, for instance there is no sense that there is any infrastructure of government between the King and the villages. So the King has to go and oppress some unimportant village in person, with a handful of soldiers. And after the destruction of the village, Tatara/Sasara, the leader and bright hope, is allowed to cross several kilometers of desert almost alone, to bathe at a hot spring.
Now I've rubbished the plot and setting, on to the good bits. By episode #4, when Sasara, travelling alone, makes her way to a coastal city, we meet, or re-meet, some interesting and satisfyingly urbane and androgyne characters, and it seems that Sasara's hated enemy the Red King may not be so bad after all (considering the barbaric state of affairs, anyway) and that he may be Sasara's secret admirer.
Verdict: Don't give up on it until you hae seen at least 4 episodes; it promises to deliver on the common shoujoplot elements, and has a strong and interesting heroine.
By all accounts, the anime was axed rather than written as 13 episodes, and stops just as it gets to a plot turn, making it a trailer for the manga. Having seen all 13 episodes I can say that the anime is gorgeous and ludicrous by turns, with exotic drama as well as incidents that stretch one's powers of suspension of disbelief.

Credits Series Director: Noburu Takamoto

Episodes 13

Release

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 1998 April 2 - 1998 June 28

Production KSS

Broadcaster Sun TV

Animation

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

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Information
Title (English)	Basara
Title (Japanese)	Legend of Basara
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes	From a manga by TAMURA Yumi, published in Bessatsu /Shoujo Comic. As well a the TV series there is a 30 min Video Image Clip of the manga.
Classification	shoujo
Synopsis	Set several hundred years in the future, in a Japan ruined and made desert by some man-made disaster. The country is ruled in medaeval style by three Kings (Red, Blue and White), all sons of the Emperor. There is a legend that a hero will be born of twins and free the people from oppression. The hero (Tatara) is duly born in a remote village, and feted by the inhabitants. His twin sister, Sasara, feels neglected. On reaching manhood, Tatara is killed by the Red King's troops as are many other people and the village is destroyed. Sasara takes her brother's place in the 'Tatara' legend and vows revenge.
Review	The manga, of which I have seen excerpts, seems to feature drama, romance and plenty of gender ambiguity and pretty-boy stuff. The TV series starts in a rather unpromising way, with a plot that would embarrass a fan-fiction author. It has the kind of future setting that makes one suspect the writer couldn't be bothered to do research for a medaeval barbarism story set in the past. The story is full of implausible features, for instance there is no sense that there is any infrastructure of government between the King and the villages. So the King has to go and oppress some unimportant village in person, with a handful of soldiers. And after the destruction of the village, Tatara/Sasara, the leader and bright hope, is allowed to cross several kilometers of desert almost alone, to bathe at a hot spring. Now I've rubbished the plot and setting, on to the good bits. By episode #4, when Sasara, travelling alone, makes her way to a coastal city, we meet, or re-meet, some interesting and satisfyingly urbane and androgyne characters, and it seems that Sasara's hated enemy the Red King may not be so bad after all (considering the barbaric state of affairs, anyway) and that he may be Sasara's secret admirer. Verdict: Don't give up on it until you hae seen at least 4 episodes; it promises to deliver on the common shoujoplot elements, and has a strong and interesting heroine. By all accounts, the anime was axed rather than written as 13 episodes, and stops just as it gets to a plot turn, making it a trailer for the manga. Having seen all 13 episodes I can say that the anime is gorgeous and ludicrous by turns, with exotic drama as well as incidents that stretch one's powers of suspension of disbelief.
Credits	Series Director: Noburu Takamoto
Episodes	13
Release
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	1998 April 2 - 1998 June 28
Production	KSS
Broadcaster	Sun TV
Animation
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.