I’ve recently puffed my local library, so it’s not meant to puff them any more to note that I found the first volume of Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha on the shelf. Although, seriously, I should meet whoever their graphic novel acquisitions person it.
Anyway, I read volume one (Kapilavastu) this evening, and it’s ... um, really good? Honestly, I enjoyed it a lot, although of course I got the feeling of looking in through a smallish window, from a cold place. It’s not just my ignorance of the Buddha story, which is of course vast, but my ignorance of manga, of certain visual tropes and conventions, of references to other works of Japanese and Asian literature, of upset expectations and rhythms, and all that stuff. In other words, however much Your Humble Blogger was enjoying it, there was always the knowledge that somebody else was enjoying it far more. Which is OK, really.
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was an amazing stylistic freedom from consistency. I mean, in general, certain characters are drawn in particular styles; minor characters are ‘cartoony’, while major ones are more, um, manga-ish? Anyway, there are panels with our main character seated next to a guard, and the two are drawn in totally different styles. It’s effective, and I’m not used to it at all. Further, Mr. Tezuka is willing to change the style for effect; at one point (pp. 338-9) Siddhartha’s father is portrayed with a triangular head and a miniscule crown perched on one corner, a handbar moustache out beyond his jug-ears, and pinpoint eyes (to go with duck feet and gorilla arms), and then in the next panel in his usual respectable (albeit manga-eyed and sweaty) self. When our main character, Chapra, falls for a girl, his face sags so much the arc of his mouth doubles as his clavicle, with his nose starting around his chin and following an elongated neck down. In the next panel, he’s regained his cool.
Anyway, I suppose this stuff is old hat to those who know about it, but I thought it was a cool thing to pick up off a library shelf. I don’t know if they have (or will get) the next volumes, but I suppose I’ll find a place to read them anyway.
Thank you,
-Vardibidian.
I’ve heard great things about Buddha from several friends, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. But I can highly recommend Phoenix, Tezuka’s life-work. It’s just now being published in English; the first five volumes (out of about ten) are out now, and perhaps your library has some. If not, they should look into getting them!
And I know what you mean about the “I enjoyed it, even though I know I was missing a lot of important stuff” feeling with manga. Though eventually you start to get a sense for some things, I’ve found.
tezuka is nifty. also check out “adolf” – a very unusual WW2 tragicomedy.