Week 10: Manga and the Japanese Comics Tradition - Buddha


This week I read Buddha Volume One by Osamu Tezuka. Buddha is Tezuka’s unique interpretation of the biography of Prine Siffhartha. However, the prince himself isn’t even born until page 264 of Volume One; before that, Tezuka tells the story of the tale of Chapra (a slave) and his pariah friend Tatta (who is able to communicate with animals). This tale is very importrant as it introduces the reader to the brutal caste system in the northern kingdoms. Chapra hides the fact that he was once a slave and rises to become the adopted son of a famous general. But as he attempts to beat the caste system through violence and ambition, he slowly leads himself to his own downfall, as well as the downfall of those that he loves. In volume 2, Siddhartha is equally unhappy with the injustice of the caste system and he seeks his own way to fight it. However, at the end of volume 2, his path leads him away from the palace luxury of his youth and he cuts of his hair and departs into the wilderness to become a monk; even after getting married and having a child. Although the summary of Buddha may sound very serious, Tezuka’s broad sense of humor really shines as the book is full of wry visual and verbal jokes.

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