May 20, 2009
First stab at reviewing, let's have a go.
Buddha was an odd choice for me at the time because it was against what used to be something I used to hate in choosing Manga; an overhyped series/mangaka and strong religious overtone. But as I wanted to branch out with my choices a little more at the time this seemed a great choice.
Being my first (and only at the time of this review) Osamu Tezuka manga I had at the time I was attempting to go in with as little a critical mind as possible. So in a nutshell I loved this manga but of course no
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one reads a review for a nutshell so I'll get into meat of things.
We'll start with the artwork as this is the first thing noticed by most people and I must say that I think it is an excellent example of the style of manga art done during the time it was published. The art is serious when it needs to be and comical when the situation demands. What can be seen often in Manga is that there is such a radical shift between the art of the comedy and drama parts that the can conflict, but Buddha shows an excellent example of the neutral style which allows itself to both without the aforementioned conflict. The content of the art varies from people, animals and landscapes and each is handled in a beautiful style. Unknown to most fans is what is known as establishing shots and these are featured primariy in manga novels and aren't seen as often in western comics. These shots are drawn in such skill that allows the imagery of the world presented to glued into the mind of the reader, with the story following and becoming an equal part of the world.
The story is fantastic following the life of Buddha and the trials he faced aswell as the people around him and the story takes the reader to a India, which is both believable and intriguing, replicating the problems of the day with the story unfolding. The story actually gave me an appreciation of the caste system of India in history and how each caste had their problems. The characters entrall one to an extant that you feel a genuine connection with them and it is sad to see them die or struggle but equally joyous to seem them prevail. What struck me most about reaching the end of the books was the feeling of "wow" I felt as I had a genuine desire to learn more about the original Buddha and see which of the characters were real.
Overall this is a great book, spread over 8 volumes and has fantastic pacing. Osamu Tezuka is hailed as a god for a reason and I would gladly read more of this work.
Thank you for reading and expect more from me in the future.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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