Summary
Tatsuya Endō, the mangaka best known for thecomedy action series Spy x Family, has a number of more serious titles under his belt. His manga titledBlade of the Moon Princesshas recently posted part of its first volume as a sneak peek at the manga that they licensed for publication in English, back in February.
The series is set in a futuristic universe in which an empire has been established on the moon, with the Crown Princess Kaguya Takenouchi being the main character. Here’s a look at the series' first volume, which was released on September 5 and is available fromVIZ Media.
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Plot
On the dark side of the moon, a highly advanced civilization has been split into two sides: the Takenouchi and Umenouchi clans. The Takenouchi family reigns over the moon, with Fujiya Takenouchi acting as the Empress of the Silver Court while her daughter Kaguya matures. With each generation, three sacred treasures have been passed down from princess to princess, with the bearer of these artifacts being hailed as the Silver Empress. However, Kaguya is not interested in her duties or learning more about the Queen role that she will one day assume.
Thestrictness of her upbringingand the environment makes Kaguya wish she’d never been born a princess; little does she know that her mother has been hiding an illness which has only worsened over time. Seeing an opportunity, the Umenouchi family launches a coup d’état, taking over the government. to ensure Kaguya’s safety, Fujiya sends her daughter to Earth with one of the treasures – a sacred pronged sword reminiscent of a tuning fork, known as the Futsunushi. Without it, the Umenouchi rule remains in dispute, but they will stop at nothing to ensure their reign is permanent. Kaguya must now grow strong and wise on Earth so that she can one day take back the moon.
Origins
Blade of the Moon Princessis loosely based on theTale of the Bamboo Cutter, a 9th or 10th century folktale by an unknown author that hasinspired a number of stories, including Studio Ghibli’sTale of Princess Kaguya. This story follows Kaguya-hime, who is discovered as a thumb-sized baby in a bamboo stalk by an old bamboo-cutter. He decides to raise the child together with his wife, which they see as a blessing because they have no children of their own. The story has spawned a number of variations in media. TheBlade of the Moon Princessmanga was originally serialized in Shueisha’s Jump Square from May 2010 to January 2012, spanning 5 volumes. VIZ Media licensed the manga for English publication in February, with volume 1 being released on September 5, and volume 2 set for release in December.
A Mother’s Love
The first volume details the lunar setting and the power struggle taking place between the two families, and the main character Kaguya is depicted as a young teenager with a rebellious streak. She has no interest in living up to the various heavy expectations that are placed on her, and as a teen, she obviously isn’t mature enough yet to handle the responsibilities and pressures of being the Silver Empress. Empress Fujiya is someone that has earned the respect of countless people not simply because she’s in the top office on the moon, but because of her strength and leadership, traits that she wants to be instilled in Kaguya not just because that’s her daughter, but also because Fujiya’s life hangs in the balance.
She has a certain illness that she’s pushed through for many years, more than she’s had to because Kaguya was not ready. The strain of the sheer responsibility ends up progressing her illness much faster and Fujiya ends up collapsing. This moment sends the narrative ofBlade of the Moon Princessinto the most important event after being fairly light and even humourous up to that point. The Umenouchi’s jump at the opportunity to stage a coup while Empress Fujiya is bedridden; however, they underestimated her strength as she was able to use the sacred blade to hold off a number of attackers while protecting Kaguya from the assailants who wanted to end the Takenouchi line. The Empress sets a spaceship’s coordinates for Earth and in a highly emotional moment,a fatally wounded Fujiyatells Kaguya that she should grow into a fine woman, and take back the moon. Despite Kaguya’s protests, Fujiya sends her and the sword to her subjects on Earth so that she will be able to mature.
Trauma
Earth is a backwards place far removed from the technological and sociological advancements seen on the moon. Kaguya has to adjust to living a much, much simpler life, while also seeing the beast-like manner in which people live and steal from each other. Unlike her mother’s lunar empire, which strove to improve the lives of its citizens, the Earth is rife with corrupt royalty and a dog-eat-dog mentality in its people. During the escape from the moon, Kaguya’s mother receives a terrible sword wound but remains steadfast enough to watch her daughter depart. Being protected from the carnage reminds Kaguya of other times people have gotten injured to protect her, as one of her closest retainers lost an eye in Kaguya’s childhood when the little girl decided to break rules and escape the palace.
Upon arriving on Earth, Kaguya cannot accept the simpler means of life and storms off into the village where she meets a young boy being terrorized by some rich kids who are the feudal lords of the land. Their family takes taxes from the impoverished families, especially food, but actually discard most of it because it isn’t to their supposedly “refined tastes”. Kaguya feels indebted to the family after they feed her what little they have left of their food, but it is after seeing the mother’s constant sacrifice of her own needs to feed her family; which reminded Kaguya of her own mother’s sacrifice. After helping the boy avoid execution after being caught trying to steal back his family’s grain, Kaguya becomes fully invested in the growth she has to do to becomea worthy Silver Empress.
Verdict
Tatsuya Endō’s art inBlade of the Moon Princessis one of its major attractors as it brings to life the historical sci-fi niche of the story to life. The original folktale was considered an example of sci-fi for its depiction of a lunar society, but Endo combines the historical feel of feudal Japan with the high-tech machinations of science fiction in a way that enhances the story on various levels. The presence of the powerful Futsunushi also adds a supernatural element, as the blade is only usable to those who are worthy of it, and it doesn’t always react to its wielder. Effectively, Kaguya becoming worthy of the blade passed to her by her mother is the barometer that will be evidence of her worthiness to finally ascend to the throne.
The author’s interest in power struggle and opposing sides in political conflict is central to the development of this story, much like his popularSpy x Family, but the seriousness of this narrative is particularly interesting considering its humourous start. While adaptations of the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter are plenty, this one is a story of a young girl havingthe weight of an entire empireon her shoulders, all while harbouring immense guilt for not having taken her position seriously when she had the time. The plot, setting, emotional stakes, art, and characters are extremely promising, and overall,Blade of the Moon Princessis proof of Tatsuya Endō’s incredible range to be able to write heart-rending coming-of-age stories set in a dystopian future, or over-the-top family comedy; and comes highly recommended.
Rating: 4/5 stars
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