Review: BASTARD!!

 Let's escape the stress of the everyday world (if just for a bit) with some fantasy manga.  We could all probably use the break.  To begin, we'll look at some classic western-style fantasy, viewed through a heavy metal lens.

BASTARD!! (Basutado!! Ankoku no Hakaishin), by Kazushi Hagiwara.  First published in 1988 and first published in North America in 2002.

PLOT:

The fantastical kingdom of Metallicana has long been at war not just with other kingdoms but also with powerful wizards set on conquest.  It's here where young Yoko lives with her high priest father and her darling, innocent adopted brother Lucien.  When their kingdom is threatened, she and her father must perform a dark ritual upon Lucien, transforming him into the reincarnation of the tall, strapping, foul-mouthed sorcerer Dark Schneider.  Dark Schneider has no interest in saving anyone but himself, but his love of the ladies and his connection to Lucien allows Yoko to hold some control over him.  Their kingdom is saved, but Dark Schneider's resurrection draws forth opponents from his past seeking revenge (and who are unafraid to use those around him as bait).

STORY:

Where do I begin with Bastard!!? It's the sort of story that seems to have sprung fully-formed from a teenage mind.  It's dated and yet weirdly timeless.  It's juvenile, crass, pulpy, and horny as hell but also incredibly entertaining in its audaciousness and cheesecake.  It is all these things and more.

Much of its appeal lies in its self-proclaimed main character: Dark Schneider.  He's a smart-ass, self-aware, barely-dressed vulgarian who demands the audience's attention from his first appearance and never lets it go.  He is this story's unrestrained id, and it's hard to not get swept up in him.  To be fair, he doesn't have much competition from the rest of the cast.  Most of them are plot devices or cannon fodder, while the villains are one-note monsters and egomaniacs.  The only other character of note at this point is Yoko, who divides her time between nagging Dark and getting captured and threatened by others.  She's clearly got a bit of an attraction to him, but it's complicated by her genuine, chaste affection for the boy who had been used as his vessel.  Meanwhile, for all of Dark's bluster it's clear that some of Lucien's fondness for Yoko still lurks within him, as he will obey her when she commands him.  It's not deep and at times it all gets a bit ridiculous and indulgent, but I was absolutely never bored.

ART:

The look of Bastard!! is firmly rooted in the late 1980s.  The character designs are surprisingly stubby, with short torsos, long legs and small heads.  OK, maybe that last part is more of a optical illusion because everybody has such enormous poofy hair.  The only exceptions to this are Dark and the villains, who are just towering masses of muscle.  With Dark in particular we see damn near everything, as he has no problem strutting around butt-naked after his release and Hasegawa has no issues about hinting at Dark's not-so-little Schneider.  Surprisingly this is the most fanservice you get from this first volume, as Yoko (and the few other women who show up) have lots of cleavage and skimpy costumes but show nothing more beyond that.

Meanwhile, the expressions are big and bold.  Dark in particular is always shouting, sneering and leering and it's clear that Hasegawa is having the time of his life drawing him.  As for the monsters we see, let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if he had a TTRPG monster guide sitting nearby for reference as he drew them.  It's clear that a lot of effort went into drawing them, which is why it's a shame most of them are obscured with dark, murky screentones most of the time. 

I do have to say that the cover art is brilliant.  It looks like something that could be the cover to a fantasy paperback or a heavy metal album.  It's the sort of image that people used to get airbrushed on the side of vans.  It rocks!

RATING:

Bastard!! is great fun to read, so long as you're willing to accept it on its own cheesy, cheeky, and deeply retro terms and let it take you where it may.

This series was published by Viz.  This series is ongoing in Japan with 27 volumes available.  20 volumes were released and are currently out of print.