is a
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
drawn by
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
and is Tezuka's unique interpretation of the life of
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, the founder of
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
. The critically acclaimed series is often referred to as a visually explicit yet humorous and thought-provoking portrayal of the Buddha's life; the series itself has become a staple text in Buddhist temples for young adults and teens to learn about the Buddha's life. The series began in September 1972 and ended in December 1983, as one of Tezuka's last
epic manga works.
''Buddha'' has over 20 million copies in circulation and won
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
s in 2004 and 2005. Due to differences between the ways in which Japanese and English are read, the American volumes published by
Vertical Inc. are presented as mirror images of Tezuka's original work so they can be read from left to right, rather than from right to left. Nearly three decades after the manga was completed, an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
film adaptation was released in 2011. A second film was released in 2014.
Plot
In
ancient India
According to consensus in modern genetics, anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Quote: "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by m ...
, the lives of many people are plagued by drought, famine, constant warfare and injustices in the
caste system
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
. The intertwining lives of many unhappy souls are drawn together by the birth of the young prince Siddhartha, who embarks on a spiritual journey and becomes
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, "the Enlightened One", and attempts to bring about a spiritual rebirth of the people in this desperate age.
Characters
*
Siddhartha Gautama (Sakyamuni Buddha): The main character of the Buddha series and prince of the
Shakya
Shakya (Pali, Pāḷi: ; sa, शाक्य, translit=Śākya) was an ancient eastern Sub-Himalayan Range, sub-Himalayan ethnicity and clan of north-eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, whose existence is attested during the Iron Age i ...
tribe. He is born midway into book 1, shortly after his birth his mother dies. The first book mentions omens that seemed to symbolize Siddhartha's future. In book 2, he is a child growing bored of the privileged life of a prince. He leaves the palace towards the end of the book to become a monk. In book 3, he is a struggling monk. In book 4, after many trials in the Forest of Uruvela, Buddha achieves enlightenment. He continues to teach his disciples and inspire others until his death in book 8.
* Chapra: A fictional character from the lower
Shudra
Shudra or ''Shoodra'' (Sanskrit: ') is one of the four '' varnas'' of the Hindu caste system and social order in ancient India. Various sources translate it into English as a caste, or alternatively as a social class. Theoretically, class ser ...
caste who decides to make a better life for himself. After saving the life of a well-known Kosalan general, Chapra is adopted by him as his own son, under the belief that Chapra is a
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
warrior orphan. After growing up, Chapra's true heritage is revealed when his mother shows up, resulting in conflict for Chapra. Chapra eventually decides to escape with her after the truth of his caste is revealed and the two are killed by Kosalan soldiers.
*
Princess Yashodara: A beautiful princess who loved Siddhartha and is also the latter's cousin. He married her against his will, and together they had a son named
Rāhula
, sa, Rāhula-bhadra; 2.
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Kapilavastu
, death_date =
, death_place = Sources differ
, title = Patriarch of the Dharma (East Asian Buddhism)
, predecessor ...
. Siddhartha left on the day Rahula was born.
* Bandaka: An arrogant archer who appears in book 1 and 2. He was in love with Yashodara and fought Buddha for her hand in marriage. After Buddha left to pursue enlightenment, Bandaka convinced Buddha's father to name him heir to the Shakyan but still failed to win Yashodara over. He then resigns himself to taking a plump noblewoman as his wife, fathering Devadatta, and is later killed while fighting the invading Kosalan army.
*
Prasennajit: The ruler of
Kosala
The Kingdom of Kosala (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian kingdom with a rich culture, corresponding to the area within the region of Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh to Western Odisha. It emerged as a janapada, small state during the late Ve ...
. He married a slave from
Kapilavastu, tricked to think she was a
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
, and takes over Kapilavastu when he finds out the truth. When he objects to his son Virudhaka releasing Kapilavatsu, Virudhaka imprisons his father, claiming he is mentally unfit to rule. In his cell, Prasentnajit gradually wanes physically and mentally until Buddha convinces his son to release him. He dies shortly afterward, reduced to a mere beggar.
*
Virudhaka: Prasentnajit's son. After learning of his mother's true caste, he ostracizes her to the slave quarters and later orders her to be killed with the other slaves when plague breaks out among them. For tricking his father, Virudhaka begins a gradual extermination of Buddha's tribe until Buddha shows him that all he's accomplished is to increase the suffering he already felt. He is sometimes called Prince Crystal due to the Lapis Lazuli set in his forehead.
*
Bimbisara
Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE or during the late 5th century BCE) was a King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi 2 ...
: The king of
Magadha
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
, whom Asaji prophesies will be killed by his son. This torments Bimbisara all his life. Drugged by Devadatta, Bimbisara is overthrown by his son Ajasattu and locked in the same tower he jailed his son in for attempting to kill Buddha where he gradually starves to death. On his death bed, Bimbisara meets Buddha one more time and asks Buddha to save his son. In his final hours, he regrets not showing his son more affection, instead consumed by paranoia that his son would kill him as prophesied.
*
Prince Ajatasattu: Bimbisara's son, who is imprisoned in book 6 because he shot and almost killed Buddha with an arrow. He falls in love with a blue-eyed blonde slave named Yudelka, and vows revenge on his father when she is murdered. Ajatasattu, with the help of Devadatta, overthrows his father. The guilt causes him to have a malignant tumor, which Buddha cures. In doing so, Buddha sees him smile for the first time, and pronounces "It's in the heart of man... that God exists."
* Tatta: A fictional thief of the 'Pariah', making his status even lower than that of the slave caste. As a child, Tatta is very close to nature and has the unique ability to possess animals, which the Brahmin Naradatta takes great advantage of. In volume 1, after befriending the slave Chapra, his mother and sister are murdered by the rampaging armies of Kosala. After Kosala's soldiers execute Chapra and 'Moms', Tatta vows revenge upon the kingdom of Kosala. As he grows up, Tatta becomes a bandit and reveals his plan of vengeance is to show the outside world to the sheltered child, Siddhartha, in hopes of persuading him to vanquish Kosala when he becomes king. In book 3, he agrees to stop being a bandit. In book 5, he becomes a lay disciple to Buddha, unwilling to become a monk because it would mean cutting his hair. Despite Buddha's attempts to convince him otherwise, Tatta is unable to forgive the Kosalans for killing those close to him and joins a renegade Shakyan army who sought revenge for the atrocities inflicted on them by Crystal Prince. He dies in the last book fighting the Kosalan army.
* Migaila: A bandit whom Buddha falls in love with in book 2. Her eyes are burnt out on order from Buddha's father for scheming to marry him which leaves her blind for the rest of the series however she is able to "see" the world mysteriously. After a stillbirth, she becomes fatally ill with a total body rash, that leaves her terrifying to look at. Siddartha saves her life with Tatta by sucking the poison out with their mouths. She is Tatta's wife, and they have one son in book 4, a stillborn, and triplets, introduced in book 7.
* Dhepa: A samanna (a non-Brahmin monk), whose philosophy is that humans were meant to suffer. He burns out one of his eyes to join Tatta and Migaila. Buddha befriends Dhepa in book 3, but the two part ways when Buddha decides against Dhepa's lifestyle. Despite ridiculing Buddha's teachings and even attempting to kill him at one point, Buddha saves Dhepa's life in book 5 whereupon Dhepa becomes his disciple.
*
Asaji: In volume 3, Siddhartha and Dhepa are sheltered by a huntsman and his family. In return, the huntsman asks the monks if his infant son, Asaji, can join them on their travels. Judging Asaji by his dimwitted look and runny nose, Dhepa and Siddhartha refuse, attempting to flee from Asaji by any means necessary. When Asaji catches a fever after pursuing the monks through the monsoon season, Siddhartha is determined to save him. Siddhartha cures Asaji by sucking the poisonous pus from his body. Meanwhile, the unconscious Asaji encounters a god in a vision that tells him in ten years time he will be devoured by beasts in payment for his father's meaningless hunting. As time passes, when Siddhartha is separated from the other monks, Asaji successfully and precisely predicts natural disasters. His predictions are a gift from a god. Eventually, he is brought forth before King Bimbisara and prophesies his fate and that of many other palace nobles. When Siddhartha undertakes the trials of the forest, he is astounded that Asaji is completely fearless of his gruesome destiny. When the moment of truth arrives, Asaji approaches a litter of starving wolf-cubs and sacrifices himself to the ferocious parents that tear him apart, much to Siddhartha's horror.
*
Devadatta
Devadatta was by tradition a Buddhist monk, cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Siddhārtha. The accounts of his life vary greatly, but he is generally seen as an evil and divisive figure in Buddhism, who led a breakaway group in the ea ...
: One of Buddha's first disciples. The son of Bandaka, Devadatta had a difficult childhood. As a child, he is forced to flee from Kapilavastu and meets Naradatta, learning to live with animals. When he returns to civilization, he is exploited by others to gain power, and sees a powerless old woman die. As a result, he resolves "I'll be a strong human, the strongest alive!" He met Tatta when looking for a warrior, and through Tatta, Devadatta met the Buddha. He leaves the sect when he is not chosen to be Buddha's successor and attempts to form his own sect by stealing Buddha's followers. When that fails Devadatta plots to kill Buddha; first by dropping a boulder on him, then by having an elephant stampede him. When his initial attempts fail, Devadatta poisons his nails but accidentally injures himself with them when he trips. In his final moments, he reveals that he hated the Buddha because he wanted to be just like him but couldn't.
*
Visakha
Visakha ( pi, Visākhā; sa, Viśākhā), also known as Migāramāta, was a wealthy aristocratic woman who lived during the time of Gautama Buddha. She is considered to have been the chief female patron of the Buddha. Visakha founded the temple ...
: Visakha is the leader of a town suffering from a plague, which took her parents' lives. She is betrothed to Sukanda, a knight tasked with guarding the city. She meets Siddartha for the first time, when he and Dhepa rest in the town to save Asaji from a nearly fatal illness. She falls in love with him and tries to keep him in her city. Tatta, along with his bandits, then invade the town, rescuing Siddartha, and taking Viskha with them. The bandits also burn the town. Sukanda, comes to rescue her, but realizing she does not love him, commits suicide. Siddartha, Tatta, and Visakha part ways. Years later, Siddartha comes upon the remains of the town and meets Visakha again. She is the only resident of the town and is addicted to hallucinatory potions. Siddartha rescues her; when she eventually sobers, she becomes a disciple.
* Sujata: Sujata first meets Siddartha as a young girl. She saves his life by feeding him, when he nearly starves from fasting during an ordeal. Later she saves him yet again, having fallen in love with him. She's eventually bitten by a cobra. Siddartha saves her life by pulling a soul back into her body, with instruction from Brahman. This is also the first time we see the recurring visual motif of interconnected souls
*
Ananda: Ananda is the maternal half-brother of Devadetta as mentioned briefly in book 3 however the both of them don't seem to know that they are blood-related. A former criminal who becomes one of Buddha's major disciples. The devil Mara protected him after Ananda's father offered him in exchange for sparing his life. Following his mother's murder, Ananda seeks revenge on all humanity until Buddha saved his life. Ananda then becomes Buddha's personal attendant and companion although visions of hell and death continue to haunt him.
* Lata: A pretty former slave with whom Ananda falls in love. She has difficulty speaking. Lata cuts off her hair to achieve enlightenment. She dies after receiving a snake bite meant for Buddha in book 7.
*
Angulimala: A ruthless killer who works with Ananda and tries to kill Buddha. He is known to wear the fingers of his victims as a necklace around his neck. He ends up changing his ways thanks to Buddha's guidance.
* Naradatta: A monk who is turned into an animal for forty years as punishment for killing several animals in order to save one human. He becomes a mentor for Devadatta. Naradatta dies in the last book, moments after he is forgiven for his murder and returned to his human state.
* Yatala: A twenty-foot giant. The son of a slave who studied herbs and plants, Yatala's father gave him a potion that would make him grow to be powerful and invincible. His parents were killed shortly after he received the potion which caused him to grow twenty feet high by adulthood. Yatala then killed the elephant that killed his parents and wandered off, killing livestock and terrorizing villages. Many tried to kill him unsuccessfully, including a person with a bazooka. Finally, Virudhaka, or Prince Crystal, tamed him by offering him a position within the Kosalan palace guard. However, Yatala was angered by how Virudhaka abused his mother simply because of her caste and escaped whereupon he met Buddha who shows him how Virudhaka is suffering as well. He later went to work for the Kinga of Magadha before shaving his head and becoming Buddha's disciple.
* Master
Asita
Asita or Kaladevala or Kanhasiri was a hermit ascetic depicted in Buddhist sources as having lived in ancient India. He was a teacher and advisor of Suddhodana, the father of the Buddha, and is best known for having predicted that prince Siddhar ...
: Naradatta's master. He appears in the first book briefly and sends Naradatta to find a man with the power to save the world. He later goes to the baby prince
Siddharta and gives him blessings from
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
and
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
. He later curses Naradatta for killing several animals to save the life of one human. He was also shown to have
siddhis
In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation ...
*
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
: Supreme universal Spirit. Appearing frequently to Buddha as a wizened old man, Brahman sets Siddhartha on the path to seeking a solution to suffering. After Buddha obtained enlightenment, Brahman bestowed him with the title of Buddha. After the Buddha died in book 8, Brahman personally escorted the Buddha to the afterlife where he promised to reveal
what awaited those who pass into death.
* Yudelka: A pretty 'slave' who is a worker in Magadha with whom Ajatasattu falls in love during his imprisonment in a tower. She is later killed after guards hear about their plan to escape.
*
Moggalana
Maudgalyāyana ( pi, Moggallāna), also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or by his birth name Kolita, was one of the Buddha's closest disciples. Described as a contemporary of disciples such as Subhuti, Śāriputra ('), and Mahākāśyapa ( pi, M ...
and
Sariputta: Both are introduced in book 7 and are Buddha's future 'heirs' according to Buddha. Both have psychic powers.
Themes
*
Pratītyasamutpāda
''Pratītyasamutpāda'' (Sanskrit: प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद, Pāli: ''paṭiccasamuppāda''), commonly translated as dependent origination, or dependent arising, is a key doctrine in Buddhism shared by all schools of ...
: The interconnectedness of life is highlighted first, in Master Asita's story of his master, Gosala, being saved by animals. In the story, a rabbit immolates itself to save his life. Later on, Assaji similarly sacrifices himself to be consumed by a pack of starving baby wolves.
*
Impermanence
Impermanence, also known as the philosophical problem of change, is a philosophical concept addressed in a variety of religions and philosophies. In Eastern philosophy it is notable for its role in the Buddhist three marks of existence. It is ...
: Throughout the story, characters go through many ups and down - kings are imprisoned by their own sons, murderers become holy men, and numerous characters die, emphasizing the impermanence of life.
List of titles
# Kapilavastu: Prince Siddhartha (the future Buddha) runs from home.
# The Four Encounters: Siddhartha rejects his heritage.
# Devadatta: Siddhartha, accompanied by Dhepa and Assaji, visit a plague stricken town.
# The Forest of Uruvela: Buddha visits the Forest of Uruvela, beyond which awaits enlightenment.
# Deer Park: Buddha's divinity is tested as he attempts to thwart a war.
# Ananda: Buddha confronts Ananda, who is possessed by his eternal enemy Mara.
# Prince Ajatasattu: Devadatta becomes a power hungry monk with Prince Ajatasattu under his tutelage.
# Jetavana: Buddha, teaching until his last breath, finds Nirvana
Anime films
In 2009, an animated feature-length film adaptation titled ''Tezuka Osamu no Buddha - Akai Sabaku yo! Utsukushiku'' (English title: ''Buddha: The Great Departure'') was announced. The film was directed by Kozo Morishita, produced by
Tezuka Productions
is a Japanese animation studio founded by Osamu Tezuka in 1968. It is known for animating notable works such as '' Marvelous Melmo'', the 1980 and 2003 ''Astro Boy'' series, and '' Black Jack''. It is also the holder of the intellectual propert ...
, animated by
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
and distributed by
Toei Company
() (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...
and
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of liv ...
. The film was released on May 28, 2011 during the celebrations of the 750th memorial of
Shinran Shonin
''Popular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture'' by Esben Andreasen, pp. 13, 14, 15, 17. University of Hawaii Press 1998, was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Kyoto) at the turbulent close of ...
, founder of the
Jōdo Shinshū
, also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran.
Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.
History
Shinran ( ...
sect. Rock band
X Japan
was a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive soun ...
performed the theme "
Scarlet Love Song
"Scarlet Love Song" is a song by Japanese heavy metal band X Japan, written by Yoshiki. Created to be the theme song of the 2011 animated film ''Buddha'', the version from the movie was released on June 8, 2011 as the band's first single to featu ...
", composed by band leader
Yoshiki
Yoshiki is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Yoshiki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples:
*義樹, "justice, tree"
*義基, "justice, foundation"
*義機, "justice, opportu ...
at Morishita's request.
A second film, , was released on February 8, 2014.
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevanc ...
recorded "Pray", composed by Kunio Tago and arranged by Yuta Nakano, as the theme song of the film. The 14th Dalai Lama appeared on a Tokyo MX TV special on January 18, 2014, to state his approval. After seeing the film a month before it premiered in Japan, he said, "I am very thankful to have the world of the Buddha be spread by the film."
Reception
''Buddha'' has over 20 million copies in circulation.
The English release of the manga won
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material at the 2004 and 2005
Eisner Awards
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
and received a nomination in 2006. It also won the award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material at the 2004 and 2005
Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that were ...
. The film was nominated for the 2012
Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
See also
*
List of Osamu Tezuka manga
This is a list of Osamu Tezuka's manga work in alphabetical order. The English translations of the names used are from the original names found on the official Osamu Tezuka website.
This is not a complete list of Tezuka's manga creations. While T ...
*
Osamu Tezuka's Star System
is the name given to the recurring characters in manga created by manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Throughout his career, Tezuka frequently re-used the same characters in different roles across series; for example, the character Shunsaku Ban appears as ...
*
Depictions of Gautama Buddha in film
The life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, has been the subject of several films.
History
The first known film about the life of Buddha was ''Buddhadev'' (English title: ''Lord Buddha'') which was produced by the well-known Indian filmmaker Dad ...
References
External links
Official ''Buddha'' Page at publisher Vertical, Inc.*
{{Toei Animation films 2010s
1972 manga
Biographical comics
Comics based on real people
Comics set in the 5th century BC
Comics set in India
Buddhist comics
Buddhism in fiction
Works about religious leaders
Shōnen manga
Vertical (publisher) titles
Eisner Award winners
Harvey Award winners
India in fiction
Manga adapted into films
Films about Gautama Buddha
Osamu Tezuka anime
Osamu Tezuka manga
Toei Animation films
Cultural depictions of Gautama Buddha
Gekiga
Gekiga by Osamu Tezuka
Films set in ancient India