Comics / Manga

Basilisk Volume Two

By Julie Gray
December 17, 2006 - 20:33

Basilisk Volume Two Cover

“Love and Death…”

This manga is a love story but this is no ordinary love story, not by a long shot. Set in feudal Japan in the time of Ieyasu Tokugawa’s rule as Shogun, this manga tells the story of two feuding ninja clans; the Kouga and the Iga. What makes the story so interesting is that the leaders of these two clans have fallen in love even though their respective clans are now at war.

Basilisk was originally a novel written by Futaro Yamada who passed away in 2001. Leaving behind the legacy of a great story, we are now able to read all about the trials and tribulations of the Kouga and Iga ninja clans in manga format!

The presentation of this manga is really beautifully done. The cover is exceptionally striking with incredible detail and color. What we really liked about the animation in the manga is how much it matches the characters in the anime. The style of the drawing is very unique with the male characters drawn with stronger lines to represent strength and the female characters are drawn with a lot more subtlety and grace.

The two main characters in this manga are obviously the focus of the story but it’s the inter-relationships between all of the other characters that really give the story momentum and direction. Without a strong character base, this manga would be just another love story and the characters in this manga are so wonderfully developed. The story itself is also emotionally charged from the very first page and we get the feeling that the struggle between the two ninja clans is nothing compared to the fate that awaits the two ninja leaders; Gennosuke-sama and Oboro-sama. That is enough to keep us interested and wanting more.

The power struggle between Oboro-sama and Tenzen is also a sub-plot that’s interesting enough to mention. At times we couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Tenzen was suddenly given an opportunity to be rid of Oboro-sama. It’s obvious early on that Tenzen is capable of carrying out ruthless tactics to beat the Kouga and we’re pretty sure that he views the relationship between Oboro-sama and Gennosuke-sama as an abomination and a disgrace to the Iga ninja clan. This is another character we’re very keen to see more of.

The struggle between life and death, the honor and pride of the ninja clans and the forces of good versus evil make for an incredibly interesting manga. Once we started reading, we just couldn’t put it down and we can’t wait for the next installments to arrive.

Will the star-struck lovers pull through this battle to the death or will Gennosuke-sama pull away and avenge the deaths of his village and clan? It’s nail biting stuff. Until the next book arrives, you can visit the Del Rey website here for more information on this awesome manga; Basilisk Volume Two.

Art Work: 9/10
Story: 10/10
Overall Rating: 9/10

Contact the author: Julie@thecomicbookbin.com

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12