Review Corner: Red
Aug. 21st, 2008 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jukebox_csiTitle: Red
Mangaka: Sanae Rokuya
Publisher: June Manga
Rating: A
From the back cover: One is a prince, born to rule an empire; the other is destined to kill him. When their paths collide, who will be left standing? Yasuharu, unwilling to assume the responsibility of successor to the throne, escapes from the castle and assumes a peaceful, anonymous life. But can one really escape his fate? One day, he saves the life of a foreigner named Jiei. Asked why he has come to this land, the foreigner places a hand on Yasuharu's throat and whispers, "I have come to kill you." Will the two play out the roles destiny has set for them, or can love change the course of history? Set in feudal Japan, political intrigue, civil unrest, assassination plots and a budding love story all unfold in the pages of "Red".
The book is one long story, with a two-page cartoon strip extra at the end. The tale begins with the villain of the piece, the inner minister, actually plotting his rise to the throne, once the current lord succumbs to a lingering, incurable illness. The one thing that stands in his way is the rightful heir and successor, Prince Yasuharu. The prince is an obstacle that must be overcome, and so two assassins are dispatched to quietly take care of the problem. The scene then shifts to a small village where a young man named Taichi lives with a brother-like servant named Yoichi. Years before, Yoichi had tried to rob Taichi, who proceeded to soundly best him in a fist fight. When Taichi asked for his name, Yoichi told him that he had no name and no home. He didn't even know is own age. So Taichi adopted Yoichi, of a sort, giving him a name and an age of one year younger (so that Taichi will always be the oldest). From that point forward, Yoichi has served Taichi as housekeeper and cook. He also mothers the 'older' man. Adding to the mix of protective keepers is the local police officer, Yasuda, who consistently drops by to check on the two. But there is more between Yasuda and Taichi, and the reader comes to learn that Taichi is actually the long lost prince, who has been missing from the castle for years. Yasuda was the guard who helped him escape as a boy, and now watches over him as a police officer in the village. It is Yasuda who informs the prince that the current ruler has collapsed. But Taichi is firm in his belief that it has nothing to do with him. In his anger, he storms away and stumbles across an execution that has taken place. The poor victims were guilty of nothing more than being foreign, a fact that saddens Taichi. During the crowd gathering, a stranger bumps into him, and that stranger's hair reveals him as a foreigner. But, thinking quickly, Taichi manages to cover up the slip and keep the crowd from seeing, thus saving the man from his own potential execution. He brings the foreigner home, much to Yoichi's dismay. While the younger 'brother'
is busy preparing water for a bath, the foreigner introduces himself as Jiei and begins to question Taichi as to why he rescued a foreigner, to which Taichi has no answer. The questioning intensifies until suddenly, Jiei pushes the prince down and informs him that he is aware of the true identity, and that he has come to kill him. With a hand around the young man's throat, instead of squeezing, Jiei leans down and kisses Yasuharu. Thus begins a slow, developing relationship between the assassin and the prince in the midst of political turmoil.
Yasuharu does not want to assume his place on the throne. He is scared; scared that he can not protect the people. But, it is his lack of courage to accept the throne that threatens the people the most. Likewise, Jiei is an assassin with a past shrouded in rebellion and war. He must decide between his duty to assassinate the prince, and the growing love that he feels for the young man. With a determined inner minister doing everything in his power to destroy the one obstacle to the throne, even Yasuharu's closest friends are not safe from treachery.
Most of the books that I purchase are rated Mature 18+. It's not often that I'll acquire a softer title. When I do, however, there is usually something about the book that will initially capture my interest. In the case of "Red", it was the cover art combined with the fact that it involved an assassin and his target. To me, that almost guaranteed some sort of intriguing plot and engaging action. I wasn't disappointed. It, also, doesn't hurt that all the beautiful characters in this story are wearing period clothing, representative of feudal Japan. That, in itself, is drool worthy enough. But, then there is the added bonus of those handsome men. I'm a sucker for a beautiful, yet manly face. The book is presented well by June. I continue to be thankful for the size of their volumes. The Japanese sound effects remain in tact within the pages, with the translations following nearby. The manga sports a nice, glossy book jacket.
If you like a drama that contains action, angst, betrayal, and romance, then this book may peak your interest. It was a worthwhile and engaging story, in my humble opinion.
Mangaka: Sanae Rokuya
Publisher: June Manga
Rating: A
From the back cover: One is a prince, born to rule an empire; the other is destined to kill him. When their paths collide, who will be left standing? Yasuharu, unwilling to assume the responsibility of successor to the throne, escapes from the castle and assumes a peaceful, anonymous life. But can one really escape his fate? One day, he saves the life of a foreigner named Jiei. Asked why he has come to this land, the foreigner places a hand on Yasuharu's throat and whispers, "I have come to kill you." Will the two play out the roles destiny has set for them, or can love change the course of history? Set in feudal Japan, political intrigue, civil unrest, assassination plots and a budding love story all unfold in the pages of "Red".
The book is one long story, with a two-page cartoon strip extra at the end. The tale begins with the villain of the piece, the inner minister, actually plotting his rise to the throne, once the current lord succumbs to a lingering, incurable illness. The one thing that stands in his way is the rightful heir and successor, Prince Yasuharu. The prince is an obstacle that must be overcome, and so two assassins are dispatched to quietly take care of the problem. The scene then shifts to a small village where a young man named Taichi lives with a brother-like servant named Yoichi. Years before, Yoichi had tried to rob Taichi, who proceeded to soundly best him in a fist fight. When Taichi asked for his name, Yoichi told him that he had no name and no home. He didn't even know is own age. So Taichi adopted Yoichi, of a sort, giving him a name and an age of one year younger (so that Taichi will always be the oldest). From that point forward, Yoichi has served Taichi as housekeeper and cook. He also mothers the 'older' man. Adding to the mix of protective keepers is the local police officer, Yasuda, who consistently drops by to check on the two. But there is more between Yasuda and Taichi, and the reader comes to learn that Taichi is actually the long lost prince, who has been missing from the castle for years. Yasuda was the guard who helped him escape as a boy, and now watches over him as a police officer in the village. It is Yasuda who informs the prince that the current ruler has collapsed. But Taichi is firm in his belief that it has nothing to do with him. In his anger, he storms away and stumbles across an execution that has taken place. The poor victims were guilty of nothing more than being foreign, a fact that saddens Taichi. During the crowd gathering, a stranger bumps into him, and that stranger's hair reveals him as a foreigner. But, thinking quickly, Taichi manages to cover up the slip and keep the crowd from seeing, thus saving the man from his own potential execution. He brings the foreigner home, much to Yoichi's dismay. While the younger 'brother'
is busy preparing water for a bath, the foreigner introduces himself as Jiei and begins to question Taichi as to why he rescued a foreigner, to which Taichi has no answer. The questioning intensifies until suddenly, Jiei pushes the prince down and informs him that he is aware of the true identity, and that he has come to kill him. With a hand around the young man's throat, instead of squeezing, Jiei leans down and kisses Yasuharu. Thus begins a slow, developing relationship between the assassin and the prince in the midst of political turmoil.
Yasuharu does not want to assume his place on the throne. He is scared; scared that he can not protect the people. But, it is his lack of courage to accept the throne that threatens the people the most. Likewise, Jiei is an assassin with a past shrouded in rebellion and war. He must decide between his duty to assassinate the prince, and the growing love that he feels for the young man. With a determined inner minister doing everything in his power to destroy the one obstacle to the throne, even Yasuharu's closest friends are not safe from treachery.
Most of the books that I purchase are rated Mature 18+. It's not often that I'll acquire a softer title. When I do, however, there is usually something about the book that will initially capture my interest. In the case of "Red", it was the cover art combined with the fact that it involved an assassin and his target. To me, that almost guaranteed some sort of intriguing plot and engaging action. I wasn't disappointed. It, also, doesn't hurt that all the beautiful characters in this story are wearing period clothing, representative of feudal Japan. That, in itself, is drool worthy enough. But, then there is the added bonus of those handsome men. I'm a sucker for a beautiful, yet manly face. The book is presented well by June. I continue to be thankful for the size of their volumes. The Japanese sound effects remain in tact within the pages, with the translations following nearby. The manga sports a nice, glossy book jacket.
If you like a drama that contains action, angst, betrayal, and romance, then this book may peak your interest. It was a worthwhile and engaging story, in my humble opinion.
