Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: T+ (Older Teen 16+)
Price: $8.99
Takiko has found another Celestial Warrior - in a house of ill repute! But the proud, bitter Inami has no interest in following the priestess, and she intends to rest Takiko's mettle in a duel. Can Takiko's skill with the naginata withstand a full Celestial attack? And when a dark force engulfs the women of the brothel, can Takiko and Inami join forces to save them?
Then Yuu Watase presents a special side story set in the world of her hit series Ceres: Celestial Legend!
I never read Fushigi Yugi, the series that this one is a prequel to, though I have read some of Watase's other works. While I'm not impressed at all with her modern romance Absolute Boyfriend that's been running in Shojo Beat, I found Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden entertaining and easy to get into.
Takiko continues her search for the 7 Celestial Warriors that will help her release the god Genbu and save Bei-jin. She has five with her now. The sixth, Inami is found working in a brothel, as the temporary madam. Inami has a lot of angry feelings toward the world, and doesn't believe Takiko can do anything to change it. It takes Takiko's reckless disregard for herself and compassion for others to convince Inami to join her. They then all go in search of the seventh warrior, who's recruiting will be much more difficult, as he is working in the service of the Lord Bo-Hui, who seeks to conquer Bei-jin.
Even though this volume starts off in the middle of a fight between Takiko and Inami, I found it fairly easy to get the swing of things. The relationships between the main characters were straightforward, and with the introduction at the beginning, I was able to figure out what was going on with little difficulty. What really made things easy was the lead Takiko. I found her likable immediately. She's the kind of lead character I prefer in a shojo. She knows what she needs to do, and she is committed to seeing it done. There is no hemming and hawing with her. She needs to find the seven Celestial Warriors, and will do whatever it takes to convince them to join her. Inami was a refreshing addition as well. She's an older woman, and not another bishi.
The romance element of this title wasn't readily apparent in this volume either. There was no wistful scenes with Takiko, conflicted over the Warriors with her. It was good, quick pacing, going from convincing Inami to join, straight to finding the next warrior. And even though Takiko's capture seems to be a distraction from the search, it actually leads straight to the discovery of the last warrior. There is also some character development with the "villains" of the title, and we are shown that there are valid reasons behind what they are doing. These are not cut bad guys. That's one of the things I've really liked about manga (and anime by extension). The villains aren't evil for evil's sake. They have reasons, however misguided they are, for what they are doing.
An added bonus and real treat to this volume was the bonus story from Ceres. Titled "Mother", it tells the tale of how Ceres and Mikage met. Shown as only short flashbacks in the original series, this story shows how Ceres came to Mikagi's village, and chose Mikage to be her mate. Mikagi refuses at first, choosing to court Ceres by bringing her flowers everyday in order to "see her smile from the heart". Ceres doesn't have any human emotions, and it is through Mikagi, the villagers she's lived with, and a former mate of hers that has been searching for Ceres for 50 years that makes her finally understand. I wish this story had been available when Ceres was coming out, as it really puts the past into perspective. But, I'm glad we did finally get it.
Yuu Watase is at her best when writing about protagonists with strong wills and clear objectives. This volume is a good example of that. Even though she has the comfort of working a in universe she knows intimately, she doesn't slack off with the writing or characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this volume and can recommend it without reservation.
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