It's taken a little longer than usual to write a review for the latest issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine, mainly due to the sheer volume of Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi news which keeps distracting me in the last month before the game's release.
My slow pace is certainly not through lack of excitement, as the star is Sarutobi Sasuke this time and Sasuke is awesome. If you happen to be a fan, the new cover artwork, exclusive Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap and feature articles should make this a very tempting issue.
Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 9 was released on 29th June 2015, a month later than originally advertised. Priced at ¥2,500, it can be purchased from all good Japanese bookstores with international shipping including Amazon Japan, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh. There's an official preview article here if you want a look inside.
The new bonus CD is Showgeki Basara Talk! Sakon & Katsuie No Maki Vol. 1 with seiyuu Nakamura Yuuichi and Okamoto Nobuhiko. The CD was actually the very first thing I noticed since it's usually bundled with the magazine in a separate jewel case. This time, the CD has been packaged inside a cheap plastic sleeve tucked into the magazine itself. Fans have the option of downloading the CD jacket artwork and printing their own cover if they want their collection to match - it doesn't feel very luxurious. On the bright side, I guess it makes the magazine easier to ship and store.
Still, the most important thing is the content and the two voice actors have put together a good show for their listeners. Okamoto's naturally sweet personality is a funny contrast with his gloominess whenever he slips into character, and Nakamura has a cheeky attitude which plays off his co-presenter well.
The CD starts off with a candid talk segment where the two actors have to write Japanese kanji on sheets of paper then talk about how they relate to their characters in the game. Their illustrated papers are shown on the last page of the magazine, complete with silly doodles and autographs.
I can't believe that it's already time for another issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine! Shibata Katsuie graces the cover and exclusive Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap to mark the winter issue and indeed, it's a highly recommended purchase for his fans. A selection of preview images can be seen in this official blog post.
Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 8 was released a week later than it's usual month end slot in the schedule, on 2nd March 2015. Priced at ¥2,500, it can be purchased from all good Japanese bookstores which offer international shipping such as Amazon Japan, HMV, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh. The anime-style cover artwork from character designer Ookubo Tooru seems to have worked its magic once again as the book has reached the top of Amazon's gaming magazine charts several times in the last few days.
The bonus CD is Showgeki Basara Talk! Chousokabe & Mouri No Maki Vol. 2 with seiyuu Ishino Ryuuzou and Nakahara Shigeru. I missed their team antics at Basara Matsuri so it's good to hear from them again.
The pair start off by reading their fan mail (several people submitted questions about Sengoku Basara Judge End) then launch into the newest 'Basara Challenge' skit. The task this time is that Motochika and Motonari have to conduct an interrogation - except that they're too busy arguing and undermining one another to get anything productive done. The bad situation gets even worse when Motonari points out that a pirate isn't really in any position to look down on a criminal and the task is eventually abandoned in favour of a battle between the two warriors.
Lastly comes the 'Bonds Game' where they have to answer weird questions and compare their answers. Ishino and Nakahara seem to have a lot in common!
Sumeragi's confusingly-named Mame Sengoku Basara 4 ('Bean Sengoku Basara 4') manga is the spiritual successor to the five-volume Mame Sengoku Basara series, updating the setting to match the latest game and introducing a few new faces to the enormous character roster.
This volume from ASCII Media Works collects the first batch of chapters from the series' serialisation in Dengeki Maoh magazine, as well as two side stories originally produced for Sengoku Basara Magazine. It was released on 27th September 2014 for ¥780 before tax and contains ten chapters of the manga spread over 130 pages. Mame Sengoku Basara 4 volume 1 can be purchased from import stores such as Amazon Japan (also on Kindle), CD Japan or Apple's iBooks Store.
I'll start my review by briefly summarising each chapter since there still isn't very much information about the book out there.
The first story introduces the setting of the game. The drama of the Battle of Sekigahara from the previous series has been replaced by Ashikaga
Yoshiteru renouncing his status as shogun and plunging the country into war. As the news spreads across the land, Masamune, Mitsunari and the other warriors raise their armies and head out to fulfil their various ambitions. Since the purpose of this chapter is to allow Sakon to make his debut, the main theme is the Toyotomi army coming to terms with Ieyasu's departure.
Autumn's issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine was released a few days ago with Sengoku Basara 4 newcomer Shima Sakon taking the honour of appearing on the cover and on the cuteMame Sengoku Basara rubber strap. For Sakon fans, this book is likely to be indispensible; it's the first time since his debut that he's been the star of an entire publication.
Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 7 went on sale on 27th November 2014 priced at ¥2,500. It can be purchased from most Japanese bookstores which offer international shipping, such as Amazon Japan, HMV, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh. Prices will rise once stock starts to become scarce and the last issue is already out of print; given that this particular issue seems to be quite popular thanks to character designer Ookubo Tooru's anime-style cover illustration, it may sell out more quickly than usual.
With this being an odd-numbered issue it means that there's a new pair of characters featured on the CD. Showgeki Basara Talk! Motochika & Motonari No Maki Vol. 1 features two of the most beloved seiyuu of the series, Ishino Ryuuzou and Nakahara Shigeru. They're both lovely and tend to work as a natural comedy duo even during the unscripted parts of the show.
Their 'Basara Challenge' skit requires that Motochika and Motonari try to look after some children, which ends up being Motochika looking after the children while trying to prevent Motonari treating them as pawns in his army. The whole thing is greatly enhanced with childish background music and prerecorded sound effects of the children cheering at comical moments. No matter how much fun Aniki has trying to instil his values in his young charges, Motonari is always ready with a joyless insult of some kind to darken the mood.
The other special activity on the disc is a quiz where both seiyuu talked about their characters' more challenging lines. Overall, it's a pretty good Basara Talk CD.
My usual run-through of the rest of the magazine's contents follows.
Sengoku Basara Comic Anthology 'Setouchi Chronicle' was released by ASCII Media Works in the Dengeki Comics EX line on 21st December 2013 after a month's delay. Priced at ¥850 before taxes, this 116-page manga can still be purchased from all good import book stores and specialists such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan or CD Japan.
Setouchi Chronicle is the third (and presumably, final) book in this particular series of manga anthologies, following on from Dategun Chronicle and Takedagun Chronicle released the same year. Each volume focuses on a particular army, making them a real treat if you happen to be a fan of the characters being highlighted. I'm still amazed that there was no Toyotomigun Chronicle given the faction's popularity - perhaps Sengoku Basara 4 will provide more spin-off opportunities later on.
Setouchi Chronicle is based on the Setouchi region, so naturally most of its content revolves around the eternal struggle between Mouri Motonari and Chousokabe Motochika. In that respect it's a little different from the previous volumes; the heroes are bitter enemies this time rather than allies working alongside one another. Fans of other characters with links to the Setouchi region will also find a few stories which might satisfy them - Tsuruhime guest stars in several of the strips - but Motonari and Motochika get the lion's share of the pages all to themselves. The stories are mostly comedic in nature.
Regular Sengoku Basara manga readers may notice a number of familiar names in the list of contributors, ranging from regular manga artists to doujinshi creators. There are a few samples on Dengeki's online reader website here.
Cover artist Ashika Nozomu has captured both of the characters' personalities on the eye-catching pink/green dust jacket. Inside, the first two pages are full-colour illustrations: Sasakura Kou has drawn
Motochika and Ieyasu back-to-back while Mizuno Sao chose to depict Motochika and Motonari clashing in battle. Both pieces of art are superb.
The rest of the book is made up of black and white manga as usual. Many of the titles are puns based on songs or popular culture, and the Sengoku Basara 3 storyline seems to be popular - most likely because it offers a rare chance to show both characters working together without having to establish some reason for them to cooperate within the limits of a short story.
Gassantodajou De Himatsubushi ('Killing Time At Gassantoda Castle') from Sengoku Basara 3 Arai Karo
Motochika brings Motonari along to Gassantoda Castle as his ally (i.e. his bodyguard, for players of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes). He is forced to endure an endless stream of abuse and heckling as he tries to keep his attention on the fight with Amago Haruhisa. There are numerous references to the original game in this very funny story.
The summer issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine is devoted to Mouri Motonari, with a brand new CG illustration of him on the front cover and an adorable Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap.
Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 6 was released on 27th August 2014 priced at ¥2,500. It can be purchased from most Japanese bookstores which offer international shipping, such as Amazon Japan, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh. Once new copies have sold out the prices are likely to rise as they have for the previous issues.
The talk CD this issue is the follow-up to the previous one: Showgeki Basara Talk! Ieyasu & Mitsunari No Maki Vol. 2 starring seiyuu Ookawa Tooru and Seki Tomokazu. At close to an hour, it's the longest bonus CD yet! Since the Sengoku Basara Judge End anime has now started its run, they were able to talk about it more freely than before. It's funny how different Seki sounds when he's speaking normally and not using Mitsunari's intense voice. Among other topics, they replied to questions from fans and played a 'Bonds Game' where they had to answer strange questions about the series and compare their responses. Most of their answers were completely different...
The CD's 'Basara Challenge' skit was the 'Children's Telephone Consultation Room'. It parodies a real Japanese radio show called Kodomo Denwa Soudanshitsu where children call in with questions for adults to answer on a variety of topics. The seiyuu had to pretend they were talking on the phone since there wasn't really anyone on the other end during the live recording. Ieyasu was really good at speaking to the children! He tried to guide Mitsunari through the process and prevent him from terrorising the kids, which didn't work all that well - still, the results are very funny.
Having covered all of the bonus items, it's time to take an in-depth look at the contents of the magazine itself!
The Sengoku Basara 4 Dengeki Comic Anthology is a 132-page collection of manga based on the Sengoku Basara 4 setting and characters. It was originally released by ASCII Media Works in the Dengeki line on 25th April 2014, priced at ¥850, and it's still readily obtainable from all good online bookstores such as CD Japan, Yesasia and Amazon Japan. A Kindle version is also available.
With this being the very first anthology to feature the seven new Sengoku Basara 4 characters, it was a real treat for fans who want to see more of them in manga form (outside of the two series being serialised monthly in Dengeki Maoh). The regular cast members show up too, of course, but their roles are far smaller than those of the newcomers.
The cover depicting the game's four leads with antagonist Yoshiteru looming in the background was illustrated by Ayamura Kirihito. Sadly, it doesn't wrap around to the back of the book to depict the rest of the characters; I'd have loved to have seen them drawn in Ayamura's style as well. There are two additional colour illustrations on the first few pages: Satsuki Yuu has drawn an amusing picture of Shingen, Naotora and Yukimura, while Yamada Uiro presents a cool confrontation between Katsuie and Sakon. The pictures make for a stunning start to the book and really set the scene.
The rest of the anthology is made up of short manga.
Matsuri De Chouhan Shoubu ('A Chouhan Match at the Festival') Ashika Nozomu
Sakon goes to visit the festival with the intention of speaking to Keiji and gathering information about Ieyasu. Not long after he arrives, however, Tsuruhime and Magoichi turn up and propose a gambling match, supposedly acting on Himiko's orders. It's a proposition that Sakon can't resist, but with all of the cheating going on it seems unlikely that his original mission will ever be a success...
The fifth volume of Sumeragi's Mame Sengoku Basara ('Bean Sengoku Basara') manga was also its last; after these chapters were serialised the series ended its run in Dengeki Maoh magazine and was replaced by the new Mame Sengoku Basara 4 series.
The final chapters were collected in this book and released on 27th March 2014 by ASCII Media Works. There are nine chapters of the manga spread over 128 pages and priced at ¥780 before tax. Mame Sengoku Basara volume 5 can be purchased from import stores such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan (also on Kindle), CD Japan or Apple's iBooks Store.
I'll summarise the stories one by one, as is traditional.
The first chapter of this book is all about Keiji paying a visit to Tsuruhime. He's surprised to find the oracle isn't feeling too good and soon realises that she's lovesick over Kotarou. Keiji convinces Tsuruhime that the best way to deal with her feelings is to try writing a love letter for the mysterious ninja.
There are a few cute 4-panel comic strips with extra punchlines after this chapter as an added bonus.
This season's issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine is a dazzling hot pink to celebrate Chousokabe 'Aniki' Motochika. Just like Mitsunari and Masamune in previous issues, he's received a brand new CG illustration for his role as the cover star. The collectible rubber strap shows a different side of Motochika in his cute Mame Sengoku Basara form.
Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 5 was released on 27th May 2014 priced at ¥2,500. It can be purchased from most Japanese bookstores which offer international shipping, such as Amazon Japan, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh.
The talk CD this issue is Showgeki Basara Talk! Ieyasu & Mitsunari No Maki Vol. 1 starring seiyuu Ookawa Tooru and Seki Tomokazu. I'm not usually interested in the 'Sekigahara duo' but thanks to their funny seiyuu they're hilarious in this kind of informal discussion. The conversations between the two seiyuu have a natural flow, then when they get into character for their 'Basara Challenge' drama Ieyasu always sounds as though he's provoking Mitsunari on purpose simply by being nice to him. The entire 'Basara Challenge' segment is amazing with members of the Toyotomi army cast as the purple, yellow, white and red warriors in a theoretical 'Sentai Hero' team: Sengoku Sentai Basaranger.
Somehow, hearing Ookawa saying the words 'Sengoku Basara: Judge End' in the CD's introduction made the upcoming anime adaptation feel closer than ever.
My rambling summary of the rest of the magazine follows!
The 164-page Sengoku Basara 4 Official Anthology Comic Gakuen Basara: Gakuen Sousei-hen would have been Gakuen Basara 7 if the original numerical order had been retained. Instead of the usual volume number, the creators chose a title this time to give the long-running spin-off series a fresh start.
There's a stronger sense of the overarching storyline in this volume rather than focusing on a single theme. At the same time, some older, less popular characters like the regional warlords are pushed into the background in order to make room for the seven newcomers from Sengoku Basara 4.
Gakuen Sousei-hen was released back on 27th March 2014 priced at ¥980 before tax. The book can be purchased from all good import bookstores such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan (also available on Kindle) and CD Japan.
Nari has drawn another beautiful wraparound cover illustration showing all of the new characters scrambling for attention next to old favourites. Inside there's a textless version as well as colour artwork by regular contributors Kyuugou and ENU. Kyuugou's shows Sakon chasing after Mitsunari with Katsuie sadly watching the Azai couple in the background, while ENU's depicts the ladies of the series together in a cookery class.
The following chapter-by-chapter descriptions contain mild spoilers but I'll try not to give away any endings or jokes.
Gakuen Jihen Ha Totsuzen Ni (Sudden Campus Incident) Sanorin
There's a major shift in the balance of power when school chairman Oda Nobunaga gambles with Ashikaga Yoshiteru - and loses. After being forced to hand the school over to the eccentric man known for ruling the underworld as its 'Emperor', Nobunaga vanishes in search of Nouhime and Ranmaru. Yoshiteru wastes no time in introducing himself to the student body with a inspirational speech, triggering the usual frenzied battles and character introductions.
I don't think it's unfair to call this fourth issue the least interesting volume of Sengoku Basara Magazine so far, primarily because its release comes long after most readers will have picked up their copies of Sengoku Basara 4. There's very little new information left to reveal about the latest game that hasn't also appeared in Weekly Famitsu, Dengeki Playstation and the various books which have been published, and it's apparently still too early for Capcom to share any news about the upcoming stage play or anime adaptation too. I'm hoping that will change next month after the Anime Japan event takes place but there's no way to know for sure.
Anyway, the magazine was released on 27th February 2014 for the usual price of ¥2,400. At the time of this review it is still available for order internationally through Amazon Japan, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh. All of the previous issues sold out reasonably quickly (the prices for used copies of the first issue are ridiculous) so it's best to place an order swiftly if you plan on adding this to your collection someday.
Ishida Mitsunari is the fourth warrior to feature on the magazine's cover and Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap. Like Masamune last year, he's received a new CG illustration - I hope that the other cast members (along with Yukimura and Ieyasu who missed out) will receive new artwork in the coming months now the game has been released!
The bonus talk CD is Showgeki Basara Talk! Yukimura & Sasuke No Maki Vol. 2 with seiyuu Hoshi Souichirou and Koyasu Takehito. I had a quick listen as I worked earlier and they were both adorable as they navigated topics about the Sengoku Basara 4 characters; Koyasu muttered that he liked Nouhime at one point and lamented her absence in the latest game. The popular 'Basara Challenge' segment involved Yukimura and Sasuke visiting an amusement arcade and trying out a crane game. Yukimura's tortured howls of disappointment made it very funny.
The first 28 pages of the magazine are devoted to tips and information about Sengoku Basara 4. Every single playable character gets some coverage, though since most of the space is devoted to the various story routes those with just one don't get as much attention as those with several. The gameplay tips don't include anything that hasn't already appeared in previous publications (we have to wait for the Complete Guide book for that). The article analyses each story (with occasional comments from the creators too) and small CG pictures of everyone posing in their alternate outfits provide a taster of the kind of content the Official Complete Works book will be presenting in the next few weeks.
Today's manga review covers Sengoku Basara X (Cross) Official Anthology Comic, a manga anthology released way back on 13th September 2008. It's 112 pages long and priced at ¥950. Unlike most of the newer books, this one was published in-house by Capcom and is now long out of print. Used copies can be found cheaply at sites like Amazon Japan, and individual bookstores might still have old stock on their shelves.
With this being based on the PS2 beat 'em up game rather than the main series, the stories are arranged around one-on-one fights without any attempt to incorporate a coherent plot. Sadly, there are no extras or colour pages at all aside from the lovely cover drawn by Nari.
One thing that a collector will swiftly realise is that a great deal of the contributing artists are also regulars from the Gakuen Basara series. This means that as well as similarities in the artwork, the stories tend to be crazy too. I've written very brief summaries of each individual manga below.
Suriagehara [De Komando To] No Tatakai ('The Battle Of Suriagehara [With Button Commands]') Yanagi Batoshirou
Masamune mocks Yukimura mercilessly as he struggles to learn how to use the new button inputs to perform moves in the game (Masamune's useless explanations are no help at all). Fortunately for Yukimura, it doesn't take long for Sasuke and Oyakata-sama to turn up and try to help him out.
Now that the New Year holiday is over in Japan, things are starting to heat up ready for the release of Sengoku Basara 4 in a few weeks. Fans are flooding to Lawson already to try to gather points to win silly Date Masamune items (as they listen to Nakai Kazuya's announcements), and this Thursday will see the start of the in-store event at Animate Shibuya, some more coverage in Weekly Famitsu magazine, the commencement of digital PSN preorders and the next live broadcast.
I've written about all of those things already (to the extent that one can write about future events, at least). Let's see what else we have to look forward to…
The Sengoku Basara 4 opening video and fourth promotional movie are on display in shops
While fans around the world continue to wait with bated breath, game shops all over Japan have been attracting customers by playing footage from the game along with the opening video and fourth promotional movie ('PV4'). Capcom producer Kadowaki Aki tweeted a picture of a display at Nipponbashi's prominent Joshin Denki store which offered a small glimpse of the fun.
Fortunately, the fourth PV is now available for viewing on the Capcom Channel:
The opening is still exclusive to stores. I can confirm a little more about it (or at least, with a little more coherence). The action begins with Yoshiteru seated in his throne at the top of a huge castle in space, as we've seen before. He rises and shatters the castle beneath him, and then there are various scenes of the most popular characters battling; most of them in established groupings (e.g. Tsuruhime and Magoichi together, and Masamune clashes with both Yukimura and Mitsunari during the course of it all). Keiji appears towards the end with one of his big shouts. It's really awesome and I want to see it properly as soon as possible.
Capcom reveals details of some in-store events for Sengoku Basara 4
To increase awareness of the game Capcom has chosen ten different game stores across Japan to display Sengoku Basara 4 standees and flags. They should make for some fun photo opportunities for customers who pass by!
Fans who live farther away can enjoy in-store demo events to mark the run up to the game's release. Participants will be able to receive the special bags which have been given away at a few events in the past. Tokyo is conspicuously absent from the list of venues which makes me think that a few launch events are going to be mentioned in the next few days...
More details about the upcoming Ichiban Kuji lottery
It's been confirmed that the Ichiban Kuji lottery will commence on 18th January 2014 with the amusement centre prize campaign following later on 28th January 2014.
Via the posters which have started to appear advertising the lottery in stores, we also have a picture of the Last One prize of a Date Masamune 'Kyun-Chara' figure (drawn sword version).
The Double Chance campaign prize for 100 winners who submit the codes on their lottery tickets is still the Azure-Crimson 'Kyun-Chara' special colour figure set but now we have silhouettes confirming that they'll be simple recolours of the two original prize figures pictured below.
It seems likely that they'll either swap colours or both go with a neutral colour like the white versions of the Revoltech figures, though anything is possible.
Sumeragi's Mame Sengoku Basara manga is to end this month
I was very sad to read that the preview for March's Dengeki Maoh magazine (to be released on 27th January 2014) had a note that it will include the final serialised chapter of Mame Sengoku Basara. I had no idea that it was ending! It could be making room for the Sengoku Basara 4 manga which also runs in Dengeki Maoh; perhaps the editors didn't want the series taking over the entire magazine for too long?
Whatever the reason, I hope that Sumeragi will be back again soon with another super-deformed take on the Sengoku Basara 4 world. Preorders for the issue containing the final chapter are now appearing on various websites - it comes with special badges for Gotou Matabee, Yamanaka Shikanosuke, Sanada Yukimura and Ishida Mitsunari so it's a must-have if you're a merchandise collector.
Capcom posts a bunch of exciting Sengoku Basara 4 screenshots on Twitter and Facebook
The new videos might not be available online yet, but in the meantime the official Capcom Facebook and Twitter accounts for the series have been posting some interesting pictures for everyone to enjoy.
The most exciting of these is obviously Matabee's costume because it looks as though he has a proper sakayaki hairstyle to go with the promised topknot. I am extremely pleased.
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I'm putting the final two stories after a jump so they don't appear on the main blog page, to protect people from the mild Sengoku Basara 4 spoilers they may contain.
They're both short manga reviews, so aside from them that's all for now! Don't forget to watch the next episode of the Nico Nico Live broadcasts this Thursday at 10pm Japan time.
No matter how quickly the postal services work and how much information Japanese fans shared online, waiting for my copy of Sengoku Basara Magazine vol.3 was hard. Released on 27th November 2013 priced at ¥2,400, the magazine is still available through Amazon Japan, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh at the time I'm writing this post. The two earlier issues are now quite rare (and expensive) so fans who didn't preorder are advised to pick up their copy as soon as possible.
Tokugawa Ieyasu is the cover star this time, featuring on the Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap freebie and also in a special profile and interview within the magazine. Yet Sengoku Basara 4 fans are perhaps more interested in the magazine's surprise announcement that Mouri Motonari will be appearing in the upcoming game. I've already summarised a large portion of the other gossip from the magazine in an earlier post.
Ieyasu has to share his cover issue with another distraction too since the bonus disc is a talk CD starring Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura) and Koyasu Takehito (Sarutobi Sasuke). The pair of them are in fine form and their chatter was full of energy; it made me want the new game even more so I can hear their new frantic mid-battle conversations!
The very first page of Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 3 includes the picture of Motonari and Sourin in a vast round-up of the latest Sengoku Basara 4 developments. There's a very clear statement next to a picture of the roster (with Mitsuhide and Tenkai shown separately) which confirms that there will be 40 characters in the new game with 32 among them being playable characters. A huge article highlights each character introduced since the previous issue (including Motonari) and incorporates snippets of background information from series director Yamamoto Makoto and producer Kobayashi Hiroyuki.
Sengoku Basara 3 ~Kijin No Gotoku~ ('Sengoku Basara 3 ~Like A Fierce God~') is an official Sengoku Basara spin-off penned by Higuchi Daisuke, best known for her hit sports manga Whistle!.
Originally running in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Asuka magazine from May 2012, the four chapters of Sengoku Basara 3 ~Kijin No Gotoku~ were compiled into a single 141-page volume under the Asuka Comics DX label in 22nd September 2012. This book is priced at ¥588 and can still be purchased today from all good import stores such as CD Japan, Yesasia, HMV or Amazon Japan.
For those who want to see more of the art style before purchasing, there's a free 16-page preview here on the manga's official website along with character profiles for Motochika, Motonari and Tsuruhime. The simple storyline is very similar to Motochika's Sengoku Basara 3 scenario.
The 164-page Sengoku Basara Series Official Anthology Comic: Gakuen Basara 6 was released on 28th September 2013 priced at ¥1,029. Gakuen Basara 6 can be purchased from all good import bookstores such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan (also available on Kindle) and CD Japan.
Although Yoshimoto, Xavi, Shingen and Kennyo are missing from the character introduction pages they're present in the book itself from the outset; the cast is just so big that they can't fit everyone in at the beginning any more. Everyone from the first game through to Sengoku Basara 3 Utage is included somewhere, even down to Kanetsugu and the Miyoshi Sanninshuu.
As usual, the cover artwork is provided by Nari and it's very colourful, especially on the back of the book where contrasting pastel shades give the picture a stylish feel. The colour illustrations inside were drawn by series regulars Kyuugou and ENU. They're accompanied by the textless version of the cover illustration so that it can be appreciated properly.
The theme of this issue is school tests.
Haran No Makuake (A Turbulent Curtain Rises) Arai Karo
There's panic in the Gakuen Basara staff room when the latest test results arrive; they're dreadful, and it looks as though both the pupils and the teachers themselves are going to be in a lot of trouble when chairman Oda Nobunaga finds out. That is, if he finds out. Unfortunately, vice principal Matsunaga Hisahide wastes no time in reporting the news to Nobunaga to stir up trouble; it's only thanks to Magoichi-sensei's quick thinking that the school isn't destroyed on the spot, and if the students don't pass the next tests everyone will be punished! This is the usual quick-fire introductory chapter which sets the scene for the rest of the book.
The fourth volume of Sumeragi's Mame Sengoku Basara ('Bean Sengoku Basara') manga was released on 27th September 2013 by ASCII Media Works. It includes ten chapters spread over 128 pages priced at ¥780 (¥819 with taxes).
The physical edition is available online from import stores such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan or CD Japan; the Kindle version doesn't seem to have been released yet. It's worth mentioning too that a set of adorable character illustrations is included between the chapters. I don't think they were part of the series' original serialisation in Dengeki Maoh magazine, so they're a nice little bonus for readers of the books.
The first story in this volume of Mame Sengoku Basara is about Mitsunari. It's time to celebrate Tango No Sekku, the Japanese celebration better known today as Children's Day. Gyoubu presents Mitsunari with a huge Hideyoshi-shaped display, and the pair of them then set off on a trip to find a kabuto helmet grand enough to adorn Hideyoshi's head.
Along the way they encounter Kingo busily gobbling his way through traditional Children's Day snacks. Will his kabuto be suitable for Mitsunari's quest..?
Next, Sasuke and Yukimura rush to assist when they hear an anguished cry nearby. It turns out that it's only Kanbee moaning about his wretched fate as always, but that doesn't dampen Yukimura's eagerness to help. Unfortunately, Yukimura's enthusiastic support might be too much for the miserable Kanbee to handle.
Sengoku Basara 3 Utage Comic Anthology was a 142-page manga anthology released by ASCII Media Works in the Dengeki Comics EX line on 27th January 2012. It costs ¥850 and can be purchased from all good import book stores and manga specialists such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan or CD Japan.
The content inside the book is all themed around the scenarios from the Sengoku Basara 3 Utage game, so characters who didn't appear don't show up here either outside of a few brief cameos. The list of contributors contains names pulled from all over the Sengoku Basara universe, and no less than a third of the pages is composed of 4-panel gag strips. That fits with the theme of the game, I suppose.
The cover illustration depicting the leads from both Sengoku Basara 3 and Sengoku Basara 3 Utage was drawn by Satsuki You. There's additional colour artwork inside from Kyuugou, Yuupon and Katagiri Ikumi. I particularly loved the Yuupon drawing showing Mitsunari and Ieyasu clashing with Hisahide in the background; it was a nice surprise back when I originally bought the book. Here are some very brief summaries of the standalone manga which follow the illustrations.
Inochi ('Life') Sakura Maro
This manga tells Tenkai's story from the moment Hisahide took away his identity to his original encounter with the crybaby Kingo (via Sourin's unsuccessful attempt at recruitment). Though the story is told in a silly way the themes are still quite serious, so Sakura Maro ends the story with a few pages of 4-koma jokes about the female characters with the heading Oiroke Taiketsu ('Sexy Confrontation') to lighten the mood.
Ever wondered what a romantic shoujo manga version of Sengoku Basara would be like? Me either, but fans in Japan had the chance to find out for themselves when Capcom oversaw the production of this single-volume shoujo story about Azai Nagamasa and his wife Oichi, sister of the terrifying 'Demon King' Oda Nobunaga.
Sengoku Basara 2 ~Rakka Ryuusui No Shou~('Sengoku Basara 2 ~Chapter of Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water~') was originally serialised in Kadokawa Shoten's now-defunct Beans Ace magazine between November 2007 and May 2008. Its release coincided with the Sengoku Basara 2 Eiyuu Gaiden (Heroes) game in which the two leads had a starring role.
The manga was subsequently compiled into a single 140-page volume under the Asuka Comics DX label on 26th June 2008. Priced at ¥520, the book can still be purchased today from all good import stores such as Yesasia, HMV Japan or Amazon Japan.
Sengoku Basara 2 ~Rakka Ryuusui No Shou~ was illustrated and written by Ayase Mana with supervision by Capcom and scenario cooperation with Doi Sachiko. Describing itself as being about the 'awkward love between Azai Nagamasa and Oichi', the manga is a classic romance story told over four chapters.
It didn't take quite as long as last time for my copy of Sengoku Basara Magazine issue 2 to wing its way from Japan to my letterbox. The magazine was released on 27th August 2013 priced at ¥2,400, and it sold out quickly at many online stores. Japanese vendors seem to be the best option for securing a copy if you haven't already; HMV Japan, Amazon Japan and Manga Oh are still accepting orders at the time I write this post. As previously reported, a brand new CG render of Sanada Yukimura is on the cover this time.
To give some backstory for the benefit of readers who come across this review in the future, Sengoku Basara 4 was announced back in March and one major character from the history of the series was particularly notable for his absence in the line-up. Capcom had been teasing that Yukimura would be the cover star of the second issue of the magazine for months, but after its release date had slipped by a month and the cover artwork still hadn't been confirmed, even the most optimistic fans had started to become concerned about the Takeda's 'young tiger'.
Consequently, the final unveiling of the magazine's cover late at night on the Sunday before its Tuesday release date was big news, finally confirming that Sanada Yukimura would be appearing in the newest game. A flood of relief and delight swept across the Japanese fandom when people finally saw his face on the cover with the announcement right beside it.
