Adolescence is traditionally a turbulent time in a teenager's life, when hormones are released willynilly into a body that is experiencing erratic growth spurts, running rampant until a measure of control can be achieved – a tiime when physical maturity and emotional maturity do not yet equate, and it feels as if the whole world has gone topsy-turvy when it is actually a matter of perception – of seeing others through a burgeoning adult's eyes, while still being seen through eyes that consider you as a child. Adolescence is universal – all cultures, all nationalities, all races must each deal with it, it's simply a fact of life. But imagine the difficulties of being a teen-aged girl who is going through such life-shaking changes who finds herself and two of her friends suddenly catapulted in an almost Alice in Wonderland freefall into ancient Japan – to the Heian period, to be exact – only to learn that she is believed by the residents to be the Priestess of the Dragon God, and their saviour! That's a whole lot of responsibility for one young girl, but that's precisely the situation that Akane finds herself in in Tohko Muzino's Haruka – Beyond the Stream of Time!
Highlights
In Volume 7 of Haruka, Akane is settling into her position as priestess, along with her now assembled eight guardians – eight young men who have dedicated themselves to her protection, including the two friends who made the inadvertent journey with Akane to this ancient land. With such disparate personalities as these eight possess, it is small wonder that the dynamics of their relationship to each other should be a bit mercurial at times, each doing his best to be close to the priestess, to help her as much as possible. But some care for her in a different way then the others, which is a surefire recipe guaranteed to engender jealousy among them! Shimon is one of Akane's former life friends, a shy boy, who is having difficulty in making the transition to this medieval world, in finding a place for himself. Upon his arrival, he was mistaken for a demon, due to his blond hair and blue eyes, and were it not for the intercession of the samurai Yorohisa, he would have been in trouble. While helping with the search for Lord Tomomasa in Volume 6, he meets a young boy named Sefuru, who also mistakes Shimon for a demon, but unbeknownst to Shimon, Sefuru is an actual member of the Demon Clan! Although Shimon believes he has found a friend, Sefuru, thinking the other boy is a demon, like himself, believes he has found a traitor to the clan, because of his involvement with the priestess of the Dragon Clan! Meanwhile, Akane is succeeding in growing closer to Ran, putting previous animosities behind them, despite the vicious cruelties which Ran attempted to perpetrate upon her, thinking that under other circumstances they would have been close friends. Akane can't help but worry about Eisen, the former prince who forsook everything for the life of a monk, and who was instrumental in Akane's coming to understand Ran. She sends little Tengu with a message to Eisen that she is going to visit him, to thank him for the incense pouches, throwing the priest into a major tizzy. On her way to see Eisen, Akane encounters Tenma, who expresses frustration that his friend seems to seek the advice of everyone but him, and he ends up walking off in a huff. And when Akane reaches the monastery, Eisen has left word that he is unavailable, when in actuality he is there, observing her, contemplating the feelings for her which a monk should not have. An angry Tenma challenges Torohisa to a fight – what better way to blow off steam? And Sefuru is determined to use Shimon and his friendship, to manipulate him, to use him as a pawn in order to destroy the Priestess, Akane, leading the naive boy down a path which is calculated to bring him nothing but trouble – appearances can be deceiving, circumstance upon circumstance, until even Inori begins to doubt him!
Overall
Volume 7 is more thought-provoking than action-filled, revolving around the characters and their relationships to one another, although some spirits are fought toward the end of the volume. It is obvious that at least two of the guardians have deep feelings for Akane – Eisen and Tenma – and the former mistrusts his own feelings, while Tenma merely wishes to be her guardian, to have things the way they were before they came here. Shimon has a great deal of his own to deal with, which is why when he perceives a friendship with Sefuru, he is eager to accept it. Will his trusting innocence be his undoing? How long does Eisen think he can avoid the Priestess he is sworn to protect? Will Tenma find the relief he seeks in pounding on Yorohisa, duking it out mano e mano? At one point, Akane is accidentally slimed with a substance containing impurities and must call upon the power of the White Dragon to assist her. Akane is continuing to grow as a person, in her attempts to fit into the role she has been pressed into, as a person maturing into her blossoming womanhood, even if at times she seems too kind to be believable, such as in her embracing of Ran. Her guardians are proving themselves to be more than simple stereotypes, sometimes reacting outside of what might be considered their norm. Although the action was not greatly advanced, I feel a certain depth was displayed instead, building a firmer foundation for the story to rest upon. I have to admit, though, that I am looking forward to seeing more of Akuram, who is absent in this volume – the leader of the Demon Clan, to whom Akane feels herself attracted, and the reason that Ran hated her. Perhaps that is just the romantic in me. I was not disappointed by this latest volume, and look forward to more. As a bonus, there is a special episode at the end of the volume, which is a lighthearted balance to the darkness that seems to be drawing Akane and her group in, involving Akane and Princess Fuji and some girl time.
Comicsonline gives Haruka – Beyond the Stream of Time – Volume 7 4 out of 5 incense pouches.
