Sometimes destiny is a choice. Born under a prophecy that will liberate and unite Japan, Sarasa has had to take her brother Tatara's place as the "Boy of Destiny." Fighting for the oppressed, Sarasa journeys across Japan to gain allies and defeat her enemies--all while keeping her identity a secret! Basara is a post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure series and one of the most popular shôjo manga of the 90s in Japan. It is the story of how a young girl becomes "the child of destiny" and finds the strength to free her people and seek revenge for the death of her brother.

Sarasa's quest for freedom has ended, but Basara isn't over yet! In this volume of special side stories, Yumi Tamura goes deeper than ever before to explore the characters and world of Basara. Hijiri and Nachi recount childhood memories of ships, sea monsters and mermaids. A band of star-crossed rebels arises in another time--and changes the course of Sarasa's battle. And Tatara finds his new calling...as a pop star? -- VIZ Media

"First published in Japan in 2007 by ASCII Media Works." -- Colophon.

Rain must decide whether to share the secrets of his past when he and Machika discover a familiar woman frozen in Angel's Graveyard.

Exorcists Rokuro and Benio unleash serious supernatural action while purifying the world of monsters. The "Twin Star Exorcists" are a couple destined to end the war with the monstrous Kegare. The ongoing battle to save Tsuchimikado Island from a brutal Kegare invasion triggers memories of past rivalries and tragedies. Can exorcists with scarred psyches defeat psychopathic Basara?

Is this it? Is this truly mankind's final hour? Has the human race finally found a way to destroy itself for good after countless tries for thousands of years? Or can one incredibly handsome wizard possibly have enough power to stop it all? Anthrasax is fully revived and with the power of a god he is waging war on the kingdoms of earth. One by one they are being swallowed up and destroyed forever. Meanwhile, the mysterious Council of Europea appears and foretells of the legendary savior of mankind known as the "Dragon Warrior." Is Dark Schneider this fabled warrior? And if so, will he have enough power to take on the God of Destruction himself?

When a merman named Shona meets a young human named Jimmy, who suffers from amnesia, they set off together to find a missing half-mermaid, half-human girl who can bring an end to the feud between humanity and the mer-people.

Sometimes destiny is a choice. Born under a prophecy that will liberate and unite Japan, Sarasa has had to take her brother Tatara's place as the "Boy of Destiny." Fighting for the oppressed, Sarasa journeys across Japan to gain allies and defeat her enemies--all while keeping her identity a secret! In this special collection of side stories, join Sarasa and Shuri after the war, as they rebuild Japan and travel the world together. In the distant Huang Empire, Sarasa is infected with a fatal disease--but will Shuri betray the Huang Emperor to save her? And when the new Japanese government is beset with turmoil, it's up to two children to convince a reclusive hermit named Hayato to lead his country. Finally, Yumi Tamura offers a glimpse of life before the apocalypse...before the ruined world Sarasa knows...before the beginning of Basara!

In this special collection of side stories, join Sarasa and Shuri after the war, as they rebuild Japan and travel the world together. In the distant Huang Empire, Sarasa is infected with a fatal disease--but will Shuri betray the Huang Emperor to save her? And when the new Japanese government is beset with turmoil, it's up to two children to convince a reclusive hermit named Hayato to lead his country. Finally, Yumi Tamura offers a glimpse of life before the apocalypse...before the ruined world Sarasa knows...before the beginning of Basara! -- VIZ Media

Covering genres from adventure and fantasy to horror, science fiction, and superheroes, this guide maps the vast terrain of graphic novels, describing and organizing titles to help librarians balance their graphic novel collections and direct patrons to read-alikes. New subgenres, new authors, new artists, and new titles appear daily in the comic book and manga world, joining thousands of existing titles—some of which are very popular and well-known to the enthusiastic readers of books in this genre. How do you determine which graphic novels to purchase, and which to recommend to teen and adult readers? This updated guide is intended to help you start, update, or maintain a graphic novel collection and advise readers about the genre. Containing mostly new information as compared to the previous edition, the book covers iconic super-hero comics and other classic and contemporary crime fighter-based comics; action and adventure comics, including prehistoric, heroic, explorer, and Far East adventure as well as Western adventure; science fiction titles that encompass space opera/fantasy, aliens, post-apocalyptic themes, and comics with storylines revolving around computers, robots, and artificial intelligence. There are also chapters dedicated to fantasy titles; horror titles, such as comics about vampires, werewolves, monsters, ghosts, and the occult; crime and mystery titles regarding detectives, police officers, junior sleuths, and true crime; comics on contemporary life, covering romance, coming-of-age stories, sports, and social and political issues; humorous titles; and various nonfiction graphic novels.