Customer Reviews

The Leopard Mask (The Guin Saga, Book 1)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Guin Saga Book One: The Leopard Mask By Kaoru Kurimoto is a disturbing and dramatic fantasy of a deadly war between ancient kingdoms. The only surviving royalty of the losing kingdom are rescued by a creature with a man's body and a leopard's head, a being who remembers nothing of his past except for his name - Guin. It is Guin's search for his identity and destiny that leads to an exciting political intrigue and an evolving, exhilarating journey of discovery.

I've read the first book and it's really moving along well. I found it very readable, and a good revitalization of the Japanese, which was pretty dated. The first five books in the series form a complete story, and I have a feeling that is all they will translate. Hopefully they can avoid the problems later on in the series that way!

In 1979, Kaoru Kurimoto wrote the first of what was planned as a 100-episode fantasy series. Now, with 86 of those in print, the Guin Saga is a Japanese bestsller, and thanks to Vertical Publishing US fans will be able to find out what the excitement is about.

Anyone partial to heroic sword-and-sorcery is a shoo-in to like THE LEOPARD MASK, the first of five books in the saga to be reprinted. However, there is a richness of both story and world-building that sets this book above simple action adventure and leaves the reader eager for the next installment.

Fourteen-year-old royal twins Rinda and Remus are hiding in a dangerous haunted marsh from the minions of the evil Vlad, Duke of Mongauli. Vlad has destroyed their own country and exterminated their family, but the valiant Rinda is determined she and her brother will one day regain what they've lost.

They are rescued from a patrol of Vlad's soldiers by a mysterious and powerful warrior whose head is eerily encased in a metal mask shaped like a leopard. Other than his name-Guin-he remembers nothing, not where he comes from or how he acquired the mask. When, despite his efforts, he and the twins become prisoners in Vlad's fortress, they discover there is a greater evil behind the savage warlord than they could ever have imagined.

One might describe this book as literary anime, for it contains many of the elements of both that and manga. It has the feisty young heroine, a thoroughly perverse villain and a mighty hero who vanquishes overwhelming odds despite his own troubles. The complex plot, which hints at difficulties to come, never goes beyond the boundaries of disbelief, and the dangers the twins and their protector face are as often psychological as physical.

There is nothing simplistic about the characters, either. Although her brother is the heir, it is Rinda who has all the mystical powers that are supposed to go with that position, and Remus is understandably jealous of that despite his clear devotion to her. Worse, he perceives his lack of ability as weakness, and shrinks from danger his sister confronts headlong.

As for Guin, he is no mindless mass of muscle. There are emotional depths to him that are barely skimmed in this first book but which are clear nevertheless. It is the process of unearthing them, along with his missing history, that makes it difficult to wait for the second episode.

This same economy of revelation applies to the world Ms. Kurimoto has created, a richly modeled place full of demons and ghosts, gods and monsters, dark towers and hidden treasures. She implies an underlying complex mythology, tastes of which she doles out just often enough to whet the appetite.

Suitable for anyone old enough to read and appreciate a terrific imagination, THE LEOPARD MASK is a marvelous introduction to a series that has swept Japan like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series has the US-and for far better reason. This is basic storytelling at its finest, and could even give Harry Potter a run for his wand.

Having read the first through third books in English, I'm completely hooked on this incredible fantasy series. Imaginative and inventive, they're 100% worth your time (not that these books take long to read). The mysteries introduced in this first book carry though the following installations, keeping the story multi-layered as the chararacters continue their journey. Definitely recommend for anyone with the slightest interest in fantasy literature. Would love to see more of the books published in English.

I haven't read this translation. But I have read the first dozen books in the series in Japanese. And while there are some bright spots (I wouldn't have read so many if there weren't), there isn't much to recommend them.

The characters are all recognizable adaptations of standard Western fantasy/sci-fi archetypes-- the lovable rogue, the spunky princess, the ruthless conqueror, and the musclebound warrior in a loincloth (perhaps belying its 1979 origin, there are even distinct Han Solo and Luke Skywalker types). The plot is of pulp-mag quality, which is to say by-the-numbers and chock-full of familiar scenarios. When a dastardly villain captures the muscle-bound hero, what does he do? The only natural thing, of course-- throws him into an arena against a monstrious creature. Yawn. Even the names of the characters and locations will sit uncomfortably with Western readers. They frequently mimic names from Western mythology from Egypt to Scandinavia, and force the reader to associate "Mongaul" with Mongolia, Parros with Paris, Garm with.... Garm. You get the idea. There's even a cringe-inducing character from a savage tribe of monkey-people who worships her human savior-- complete with "funny" attempts by the backwards type to learn the civilized language. Yikes.

In Japanese at least, the language of the books is high-flown. Adjectives are Lovecraftian in their erudition, but repetitive. Dialogue is straight-to-video movie quality.

However, there's still that certain something that's kept me reading the books-- and not just the guilty pleasure of enjoying some literary cheese at bedtime. Kurimoto actually excels at pulling the rug out from under the reader when it comes to major plot developments. Just when you think you've got the story arc all figured out, she has a knack for dropping a genuine surprise on the reader that tells you all bets are off. It's been just enough to keep me going. Just barely enough.

Still, that isn't enough to recommend the series. Although you might be intrigued by the idea of Western-style fantasy from Japan, the product itself is nothing more than a curiosity. If you're going to drop some cash on a fantasy novel-- especially at hardcover prices-- why not read something that's actually a high quality, satisfying experience? Here's a well-written epic for you-- George R R Martin's series that begins with Game of Thrones. No contest.

I've taken the bullet, folks. And as a final note, consider this tidbit of info, which popped up around the fifth Japanese installment or so: when asked if the protagonist's 'leopard head' is actually animated (e.g., when he talks, the lips move) or if it's just a phony head on a man's body, the author responded with a "stay tuned...." answer. As if this isn't something that characters within the story would notice. Like when he eats or drinks (as he often does). Holy fruits! We aren't even privy to what the characters are seeing!?! Aaaarrrghh! To make matters worse, the title character completely disappears from the narrative after six installments or so, and isn't seen again until about the fifteenth book. Or so. At these prices, odds are against this series being marketable enough to last that long in translation. Do you really want to invest $2,500 in a series of fantasy novels?

More power to Japanese literature in translation, but this is a serious misfire. Stay away. Seriously.

This is surely the greatest SF fantasy novel that I came across in my life.
Called the eheroic fantasyfcategory in Japan, this novel is about one's
destiny and how the heroes in the story fight for their own lives and love
one another.@There are 90 novel series/sequels currently published with an
unprecedented plan of publishing 100 within a few years. When the new series
come up, this novel immediately becomes the number one seller for months in
Japan.
I guarantee that you will not be able to put it down once you start reading
one.@You are sure to find more than one character thatfs your favorite
within the story. You will feel the happiness of experiencing the time
transition through this unique world the exact same way many of the Japanese
are already experiencing.
Definitely a must! Pick up the first volume and see what you think.

This is surely the greatest SF fantasy novel that I came across in my life.
Called the eheroic fantasyfcategory in Japan, this novel is about one's
destiny and how the heroes in the story fight for their own lives and love
one another.@There are 90 novel series/sequels currently published with an
unprecedented plan of publishing 100 within a few years. When the new series
come up, this novel immediately becomes the number one seller for months in
Japan.
I guarantee that you will not be able to put it down once you start reading
one.@You are sure to find more than one character thatfs your favorite
within the story. You will feel the happiness of experiencing the time
transition through this unique world the exact same way many of the Japanese
are already experiencing.
Definitely a must! Pick up the first volume and see what you think.

Ingore what the other reviewers say. They have not read what I have read and I am sick and tired of reviewers saying this is a slash or young adult novel. This is a story of heroic fantasy, one of the MOST UNAPPRIECATED genres to exist. Well, people, simply put, it is one of the best. Michael Moorcock...please remember...
Anyways, it starts out with the royal twins Remus and Rhinda in the Roodwood being attacked by the Count's knights, but are saved by an ammesiac, lepoard-headed man known only as Guin...thus the most epic series of all time begins...Harry Potter, Dan Brown's Robert Langdon, etc.(i.e. every other book series) kiss your ass goodbye!

The guin saga is the longest running book series of all time with over 120 novels written and the leopard mask is where it all began. The problem however is only the first five books have been translated into english and it doesn't appear to be any plans of translating the rest so reading this book is a double edged sword. The story is fairly straight forward but very enjoyable, if you are a fan of manga or anime you will find this book a good read.

Review by Shane Porteous author of Rasciss
Rasciss

The product arrived before the date and it was in perfect state. One thing it doesn't say in Amazon is that the book is in writing pages, prose, etc. IT IS NOT A MANGA BOOK. But it's ok. I liked anyways.