Buddha by Osamu Tezuka

 I read the first volume of Buddha by Osamu Tezuka and it was a really interesting story. I want to read the rest of it eventually, because I think you don’t fully get it with just the first volume. Since it ends with Chapra and his mother dying, two of the main characters, I think the series must be about more than just their storylines and you probably have to read them all to understand it completely. It kind of reminded me of Game of Thrones and how (spoiler alert) the main character is killed at the end of the first book, and if you continue the series you realize the story goes far beyond him. I think also the fact Siddhartha was just born near the end of this volume shows that this whole book was probably just to setup the real story. But I could be totally wrong! I really enjoyed reading it though, even if it could be just exposition. I found almost all of the characters to be really original and interesting. Especially Tatta, who I hope doesn’t get killed off in the other volumes! I find the contrasting aspects of his character really appealing. It was funny to me how in the beginning he wouldn’t return what he stole to Chapra but he was willing to put his life on the line to help his mother. He’s this super selfless and caring character who will share his last bit of food with the animals around him but who will also pee and curse at people like the little boy that he is. The dichotomy between this holy being the monk lifts him up as and this immature little boy was hilarious and made me want to keep reading.