The Time Walkers 1 - 天草四郎
Company: Cosmic Gate
Based on: History
Released: 2009.06.24
Official site: http://www.cosmicray.co.jp/
Written by the same author as the Fushigi Koubou Shoukougun series, the Time Walkers is a series about people who travel through time and find themselves in the place of famous personalities in Japanese history. Yes it might sound a bit weird, but as a spiritual successor to the Fushigi Koubou and written by the same person it simply had to be good.
The first story in the series is told by Ishida Akira, and is about Amakusa Shirou. First however, the protagonist tells us something about his past. As a devout Christian, he was working as a volunteer in a refugee camp in Africa. However due to the war getting too close he is forced to leave, and a few months later the news that the camp was destroyed in a bloody battle reaches him.
Plagued by feelings of guilt and despair, he returns to Japan. During a trip there he meets a strange old man dressed in black. The old man leads him to a seaside park, which turns out to be the remains of Hara Castle. There the protagonist sees a statue of Amakusa Shirou, and before he knows it looses his conscience.
When he wakes up, people suddenly call him "Shirou-sama" and he discovers that he has somehow become Amakusa Shirou, right before his last stand in the Shimabara rebellion. First only thinking of finding a way back, he gradually resolves to use this chance to do what he couldn't do in Africa: save as many people as possible.
Like in with the Fushigi Koubou series,the protagonist is initially unnamed. However because he takes the place of Amakusa Shirou others often refer to him as such. I like this concept of a nameless protagonist a lot, it helps you sympathize with the character.
As this is based on history, it really helps a lot if you know a bit about it. No need to do extensive research though, just reading wiki (either before or after listening) is just enough. It is not necessary to understand the story, all the info you need is given and the story is more about the emotions, but it does help you get a grasp on what kind of situation the protagonist is thrown into and I really recommend it.
Conclusion:
This is truly a spiritual successor to the Fushigi Koubou series in every way. It feels exactly the same, so expect the same kind of emotional impact, only this time with added time travel. If you don't know much about the history of Japan (or keep forgetting it, like I do) it might be a lot of information that is thrown at you, but the story is beautiful and absolutely worth listening too.
Thank you for the review! I might not have been interested in this series since I'm unfamiliar with Japanese history, but thanks to your helpful review, I at least have some clues to start off with.
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