Apologies for missing the usual Friday upload, but don't worry, I had this already on deck before I set plans for my evening. BACKGROUND:
Once again, I don't know anything about this manga, but the fact that the creator of Full Metal Alchemist (an anime I've seen a bit of) is involved certainly raised my eyebrows. I also did a bit of reading and learned that this manga is itself an adaptation of a Japanese novel. SUMMARY: Arslan is the crown prince of the kingdom of Pars (meant to be equivalent to the real-life kingdom of Persia), a prosperous land with a fierce, unstoppable army and a ferocious warrior king. It seems like he's living the best life, but between his self-doubt regarding his ability to be a warrior and his parents not seeming to care for him all that much, that doesn't seem to be the case. Arslan's world view is changed after his father Andragoras III returns victorious from a battle against the Lusitanians. In that battle, they captured a number of soldiers to be sold as slaves, with one of them being a young boy the same age as Arslan. This boy manages to escape and holds Arslan hostage, and as the two are chased around the city, they get to talking. In these talks, it becomes quite clear that Arslan's privilege has shaped his perception of slavery, while the other kid, despite possessing the religious fanaticism of his people, is well aware of how unfair Pars's treatment of slaves is. After that harrowing experience (which ends with no casualties), the story skips ahead three years later. Arslan, now 14, is now about to head to his first ever battle. During this time, Lusitania has managed to amass power (managing to conquer Maryam, an ally kingdom to Pars, in the process), and is now planning to invade Pars. King Andragoras III personally oversees the conflict at the plains of Atropatene and assembles his army, but his hubris ends up leading everyone into a trap. The Lusitanians manage to slaughter a significant portion of the Parsian army (though not without heavy losses), while managing to separate many of the named characters. Andragoras is forced to retreat, which further demoralizes the Parsian army (who look to their king as a fearless leader). It becomes clear that the Lusitanian victory didn't just happen by chance, and when the truth is revealed, Arslan and Daryun are forced to flee. Daryun suggests they seek out an old friend of his in hopes of getting back to the capital city. The book ends just as this new character is introduced, but his history as a skilled tactician and the circumstances of his exile are laid out a little bit on the way. There are plenty of interesting tidbits that I was intrigued by as I read the book. I found myself most curious about seeing how later chapters handled the themes of slavery (as Arslan's correlation of the kingdom's prosperity with this system is challenged) and religious fanaticism (which is challenged when one Lusitanian soldier in a later chapter questions their methods). King Andragoras III is also an interesting way to explore topics like the desire to maintain a certain image trumping common sense or the welfare of your people. Most of the other characters don't get as much to do in terms of exploring the manga's themes, but they do have strong personalities that make them stand out otherwise. The most prominent to me are Daryun (who loyally serves Arslan) and Vahriz (who patiently tutors Arslan in swordsmanship), as they get to interact with the main character a lot. There's also the mystery of who's leading the Lusitanian army during their critical victory, but apart from a single line that hints at their connection with the kingdom of Pars, there's not much to go on from their presence. It's certainly something I'm curious about. For the most part, the art keeps the tone and shading on the lighter side (making darker elements stand out as a result), while finer details are more prominent in elements other than character faces (e.g. clothing, elements in the environment). Action scenes look pretty intense between linework that gives a lot of weight to moving elements, a heavy serving of blood splatters, plenty of grimacing facial expressions and aggressive stares, and onomatopoeias in striking bold letters. There's also an impressive sense of scale to the big battles, with wide shots of the battlefield that show how massive each army is. Although I've only really seen the anime for Full Metal Alchemist, I definitely noticed some similarities in the art style for that here. That said, that might just be because Arslan's design reminds me of Edward Elric. VERDICT: Vol. 1 of The Heroic Legend of Arslan sets the stage for a fantasy epic that I'm more than willing to read more of. I want to see how Arslan's views on how to be king are changed as his father's leadership and learning of the truth behind slavery challenge what he grew up learning, and I'm curious about whether the fanaticism of the Lusitanians will be explored further. Of course, I am wondering about how the kingdom of Pars will be reclaimed by the main characters and who the Lusitanian's leader really is, but for me, the reason to keep reading is seeing how the overall themes are explored through the characters and the imminent war. As far as fantasy epics go, this didn't shy away from the uglier sides of war and monarchy, and if you like serious stuff like that, I recommend checking out this manga. It does have epic battles and such, but that's mostly secondary to the political drama and the exploration of the aforementioned themes. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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