Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu

I posted the following review in the Buddha Vol. 8 page, but place it here again as I hope to encourage potential readers to discover this amazing collection. Reading Osamu Tezuka’s 8-volume Buddha, took me nearly two years to achieve, as I ordered the books in pairs from Amazon when my budget allowed. This is a manga tour de force, breathtaking in scope and sometimes perplexing in tone and style. It was at first hard for me to get the hang of Tezuka’s narrative style, as this is the first manga of his I read, although I was an Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion fan when a little kid (the shows were broadcast in Mexico dubbed to Spanish in the late 60s). His combination of anachronistic references, plethora of invented storylines, and American slang spoken by lower cast characters in this translation, initially put me off. But the story is captivating enough to keep one going. I say the style is postmodern because of the aforementioned anachronisms, mixture of high and popular culture motifs, intertextual references from Tezuka’s own work and that of others’ (from Kurosawa to Disney and Spielberg!). (The following migh be seen as a "spoiler" by some) There’s also a self-reflexive aspect when author himself pops (as he does in much of his extensive work); a particularly fascinating episode occurs in volume 7 when a monk goes into a skeptical fit, doubting everything to an almost Cartesian degree, and even confronting Tezuka telling him he doesn’t believe “a word of this stupid manga” and that the author himself doesn’t exist! The black and white ink drawings are splendid, often reminiscent of ancient Japanese engravings, other times extremely cinematic in movement, like film storyboards. I was able to appreciate the significance of this work better when, with the last order of volumes I also purchased Helen McCarthy’s amazing Osamu Tezuka: the God of Manga, which gave me an understanding of the suffering Tezuka went through during his relatively short but amazingly productive life (witnessing the horrors of war, his several ailments), also the dilemmas he faced (choosing between a career in medicine and a career as a manga artist, for example). This is probably why the title character of Buddha comes across not as a solemn proverb-quoting mystic, but as a human being who attains enlightenment through his compassion for even the most evil of people, and ability to see beyond the material, violent world. The combination of spiritual messages and childish humor can strike readers as odd, but I imagine even the Dalai Lama would enjoy this series (if he hasn’t already read it), as he’s also an enlightened person with a sense of humor. In terms of story, there are so many characters spread about a dozen locations that it was hard for me to keep track, and it was necessary to revisit past volumes to remember who’s who. Volume 7 seemed to be the most satisfying, as one can better appreciate Buddha’s true message, and the several story threads approach full circle. Some reviewers mention Volume 8 as feeling rushed, but I found it to be an excellent conclusion, moving me to tears near the end when the initial parable of the self-sacrificing rabbit is retold. Indeed, I found Buddha to have a profound spiritual message, with a powerful humanistic faith in people’s ability to overcome pettiness and destructive ambition. A note about the editorial aspect: I bought the paperback editions up to Vol. 6, and then ordered Vols. 7 & 8 in hardback. The books’ design by Chip Kidd is excellent, but it’s a pity the detail of Buddha’s face changing throughout the entire collection’s spine is not maintained in the paperbacks. I also found the hardcovers a bit hard to handle, what with the wobbly dust-jacket ribbon and the cover’s material, which is bound to be easily soiled. Given the huge amount of characters and places, it would have been great to have an index at the end. Vol. 7 arrived with an internal tear, and Amazon was gracious enough to send a replacement without requiring me to spend money in shipping back the defective book. I give Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha five stars because, in spite of not being a “perfect” series (is there such a thing?), reading it was a deeply inspiring and transformative experience for me. I’ll now start to read Phoenix, which I’m beginning to order in the Spanish “deluxe” edition through Amazon.es.

The beginning of a masterpiece of the graphic arts, manga, philosophy, and humor. Recommended for all people of all faiths, or none.

Tezuka has done it again this is one of my favorite series by the "god" of manga. Highly recommend to Tezuka (if you don't already have it) and mature readers who are new to manga. Worth every penny. I'm still reading the series right now but the when I read the first volume I could not put it down it was amazing. This is the First Osamu Tezuka volume I Read and definitley worth it. I have no complaints it is flawless. The art style is unique but it goes perfectly with this series. The story starts off with a young Shudra(Slave) named Chapra who wants to rise up in class and when a thief named Tata steals Chapras master's shippment Chapra must bring back the Shipment or his mother (also a slave) will be sold. When Chapra confronts Tata (who has a special power, he can transfer his soul into animals bodies) chapra tries to get the clothes back but Tata(who is also poor) cannot give Chapra the Shippment back but he says he will help Chapra get his mother back. When they get back a war breaks out and Tata's mother and sister die. Chapra gets seperated from his mother and Tata and Chapras mother search for him. This series is Epic and the first volume is worth it. Its 400 pages and for 15 dollars worth the price.

We've been reading the eight volumes from beginning to end in our Tezuka fever. Buddha certainly feels like a major work and I would recommend it both as a dedicated approach to the figure of Buddha and as classic of storytelling. But Buddha is most importantly enjoyable to see Tezuka developing some of his most irreverent and personal jokes, interwoven in story. However, given the subject it lacks the sensationalist and gripping (if repetitive) taste of some of his one mammoth serialized volumes such as MV or the Ode to Kirihito. Buddha is published in English in 8 volumes and things really take shape towards volume 3 or 4, and become quite amazing in terms of the medium towards the final part. If you are not in for the full ride I'd probably recommend other works from him.

This series was recommended to me by a friend in Chennai, a biophysics professor whose daughter read the books, and who stumbled into it through her. He found Tezuka's Buddha series engaging, anachronistic, humorous, bizarre, gripping, and somehow also capturing the enormous spiritual and intellectual ferment and tumult of India in those far-off days, a vitality now almost entirely dissipated. I was not terribly familiar with the details of the Buddha story, and knew Tezuka only through his Tetsuwan Atomu ("Iron-armed Atom", aka "Astro Boy") and so I took it up. I found the series a compelling read, going straight through Vol 1-8 in about three days. I can sympathize with the reviewer who found it bizarre and disturbing; reference by 6th BC Indians to the New York Yankees baseball season does rather pull one up. Somehow though, and quite remarkably, Tezuka's innocence(?)/irreverence(?) succeeds in thoroughly humanizing Gautama Buddha, making both him & his times tangible and vivid and real. This is definitely not hagiography. Nor is it Herman Hesse-style adorational poetry. It is, however, wonderful and dynamic storytelling.

Many people are most familiar with Tezuka through his 1960's anime TV shows, Astro Boy or Kimba, the White Lion as those are the works that received the widest world distribution. Those shows were inventive with strong references to Disney but also a jarring sense of anarchy. Many of Tezuka's manga stories are the same plus he frequently breaks the fourth wall especially during scenes of high drama with goofy comic slapstick or having his characters tear up the comic panels to express rage. What I found amazing was that unlike others authors Tezuka didn't feel that he needed to change his style when tackling the story of Buddha and this takes some getting used to. In later volumes Tezuka actually puts himself into the story questioning the liberties he's taking. After I got past the anachronisms (characters referring to modern products) and the attempts to use modern idiom (example: the use of the phrase "my peeps"), it was hard to put the book down. In fact I read a volume a day. Tezuka draws the way he feels like and that means that the characters range from classic semi-realistic manga to Japanese comic style to pure Disney (especially the crocodiles) all against realistically drawn backgrounds. The female characters are almost always drawn half-naked, just like Indian sculpture and paintings from that period. It may be a little hard for the Western senses to have semi-naked women involved with serious religious discussion but that's our problem not the story. The dialog is in the percussive manga style but the ideas of Buddhism are there and you can follow the road of Buddha's conflicts as he reaches his final philosophy.

A mixture of fact and fiction told from just off to the side. Tezuka makes you appreciate such depth with such simplicity. Great read.

I have just finished reading the complete series for the third time. I am always amazed how Tezuka managed to make a book about Buddha which is funny, touching and without pandering for religious groups. It is just the amazing journey of a man to find within himself the promise of peace and self preservation. Tezuka has made the book very witty, and even adlibs here and there with funny characters. If you want to add some variety to your reading, this final series by the brilliant master of drawing, scripting and framing, Osamu Tezuka is strongly recommended. Just read it for fun, without too much of an expectation, or looking to find flaws in the book, since it is linked to a man that becomes enlightened and starts a religion. Tezuka does not proselytize. He was at the end of his life, when writing this series, so he could care less. The series is fresh, and has some innocence to it, a quality that is so hard to find these days... I am sorry if the review sounds very one-dimensional, but I had never read anything by Tezuka, and this series was one of the best comic book series I have ever read.