RG Veda: Vol. 1

(aka Seiden)
by Clamp

Synopsis
At the dawn of creation, the world was a beautiful and tranquil place. Gods and humans lived peacefully together under the Heavenly Emperor's rule. But Taishakuten, a powerful warlord, rebelled against the King, and voilent, chaotic age began....

Three hundred years later, Kuyou (Yasha), the strongest warrior in the land, hears the prophetic words of a revered stargazer: Six Stars will one day assemble and over throw this bloody reign. Now, the quest begins to find the Six Stars and fulfill the prophecy before the heavens are torn apart!

Review
There's nothing wrong with this manga, but it just didn't grab me. Was it that I had seen these combinations of things before: prophecy, fate, defying heaven, a special being, assembling numbered allies, defeating the ultimate evil, that made me sigh and say "not again"? It's probably unfair, as this manga is somewhat old, so others may have copied it. But there's nothing really special about it either, nothing terribly groundbreaking.

The main bad guy, Taishakuten, is evil for evil's sake, and although nobody likes him, nobody stands up to him, except presumably, the to-be-formed six stars. I find this kind of thing very tiresome. Why does it have to be chosen people? Why can't people just rebel because they don't like the guy? He's too powerful, I know, is the excuse, but for some reason, the chosen people will be strong enough. Why? 'Cause the author said so.

Anyway, this volume involves awakening Ashura, from one of the exterminated tribes, as he is the special one that will gather the other five stars. In reality, not a whole lot happens, just that Ashura proves himself to be the "danger" that he was prophecied to be. He's still only a child, so Yasha, the man who found him, has to take care of him.

There was a really odd shift from the first chapter to the second. The first was incredibly serious, laying out the groundwork for the story, but the second was silly, full of gags, and trying to be cute. I'm honestly not sure what was accomplished in that chapter, but it's typically Japanese, cause we know they can't ever be serious for long. The other chapters didn't reveal much, either, so most of the information is gleaned from the first chapter. Also, the pacing is a little bit odd. I found that it just jumped from one scene to another without even clues that time had passed, or that a scene was changing.

Is there anything redeemable? Sure, it has gorgeous Clamp art, which is a treat to look at, although I wish their men weren't so androgynous, as I don't go for that. It might become an interesting story, but I have a feeling that I know the ending already: they'll gather the other people, and win against the bad guy and peace returns. Yay.

Final thought: If I can't find anything else to read....