Buddha, Vol. 5: Deer Park - Hardcover

Osamu Tezuka

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1932234470 ISBN 13: 9781932234473

Publisher: Vertical, 2005

Synopsis

In the fifth installment of manga-godfather Osamu Tezuka's Buddha, engagement with death imparts the lesson of life's sancity. In a Machiavellian rise to power, Devadatta, a rogue aristrocrat, incites war between two kingdoms that will leave thousands dead. King Bimisara of Magadha, fearing death his son's own hand, withdraws fatherly love. The true measure of the Buddha's divinity will turn out to be a test of diplomacy - the power of words.

About this title

About the Author

Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) is the godfather of Japanese manga comics. He originally intended to become a doctor and earned his degree before turning to what was then a medium for children. His many early masterpieces include the series known in the U.S. as Astro Boy. With his sweeping vision, deftly interwined plots, feel for the workings of power, and indefatigable commitment to human dignity, Tezuka elevated manga to an art form. The later Tezuka, when he authored Buddha, often had in mind the mature readership that manga gained in the sixties and that had only grown ever since. The Kurosawa of Japanese pop culture, Osamu Tezuka is a twentieth century classic.

From Booklist

Japanese comics pioneer Tezuka's monumental account of the life of the Buddha continues. Little is known about the life of the sixth-century-B.C.E. spiritual leader, so Tezuka devotes much of the narrative to characters he created as well as figures from early Buddhist lore, through them portraying the violent society and cruel caste system that the Buddha challenged. Deer Park opens with a meeting between the fictional swordsman Tatta and the historical Devadatta, both of whose lives would be transformed by the Buddha. Tatta pledges his life to the Buddha after the voice of his bandit lover, Migaila, is miraculously restored; but Devadatta goes on to become the Buddha's greatest enemy. Deer Park also includes a key event in the Buddha's story: the delivery of his first sermon in a field in which deer and other wild beasts gather. Those expecting a solemn treatment of Buddhist foundations may be taken aback by Tezuka's approach, which encompasses humor and, indeed, broad slapstick and lowbrow, anachronistic jokes that frequently break the fourth wall, as when Tatta removes his helmet in battle, saying, "Tezuka says it's hard to draw anyway." Others may object to the frequent violence or the casual nudity. Those who approach the work open-mindedly can't but be impressed by Tezuka's compassionate humanism--a quality distinguishing his work throughout his long career--and masterful storytelling. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Vertical
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1932234470
• ISBN 13: 9781932234473
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 350
• Illustrator: Osamu Tezuka