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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane I wanted to like Genghis Khan more than I did (how often does one get to say that?), and the reasons it didn't really click with me have more to do with the limitations of its form than its actual content. This is Nakaba Higurashi's one-shot manga adaptation of Seiichi Morimura's novel about Genghis Khan's life, To the Ends of the Earth and Sea, which also inspired a film which shares its title with the manga version. (The film, which I haven't seen, is available domestically through FUNimation.) Unfortunately, compressing a life--any life, never mind that of a dramatic historical figure who has become mythic in the centuries since his death--into one slim manga volume requires that many events are skimmed over and that most emotional consequences are condensed, and both of those are significant losses. Higurashi does good work within these restrictions, but it kept me from being really engaged. On top of that, one of the things that's missing strikes me as vital to fleshing out the story: the development of the "blood brother" relationship between Temujin, the boy who grows up to be Genghis Khan, and Jamuqa, a boy from a neighboring tribe. At their first meeting, early in the book, something about Temukin piques Jamuqa's interest, and he suggests swearing an oath as blood brothers. On the very next page, years have passed and the two have become sworn enemies, and that is the relationship that defines them as they compete for domination of all Mongolia. We're given no hint of how their connection developed in the intervening time, no chance to see them bonding in any other way, and that weakens the epic scope of what follows. This sort of story is usually meant to be a tragedy, where two people who once loved--or still love--each other have become enemies, but as a reader I can't grieve for what I've never seen. Otherwise, Genghis Khan is an enjoyable book: it's beautifully illustrated and packed full of politics, intrigue, and self-sacrifice, and Temujin himself is presented as a dedicated leader who truly wants the best for the people he rules and wants to rule. I'd say it's a flawed retelling but still worth checking out. Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea includes early character design sketches and a brief essay on the development of the story in its various incarnations. Review copy provided by CMX. Comment on this review of Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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