Buddha 5: Deer Park

This volume of legendary Japanese cartoonist Osama Tezuka is a masterpiece, reaching peak drama; the parallel stories all converge fully in a dramatic encounter. His detailed black and white drawings are moving, vivid and cinematic. He narrates with great wisdom, depth and comedy. This volume is the most exciting and fast-paced of them all so far. As Tezuka builds toward the climax of the story with his lesser story threads, he subtly explores Buddhist precepts. He tugs at our emotions; surely the cycle of violence can be stopped - or can it? What is remarkable is he is able to do this while entertaining; as readers, we become spellbound by his picture-perfect drawings. Even if you are not a fan of Japanese manga or Buddhism try this one; Tezuka may win you over.

This is a good book for young people that would like to understand more about Buddhism. This is in a comic book format, so kids will really like it. The drawing style is animee. It reads like a comic book. If you are a parent, you should know that there are a few curse words that some parents may find innappropriate and that there is blood in some of the pictures. But it is no different than any other comic book that way. This is a very good book and I recomend it! In this particular book, Buddha gets older and starts to be in the part of his life when he dictates his teachings to deer. This is important because he considers all being deserve compassion, not just humans. If this is your first time with this series, definitely start w/ book #1 first. The series starts when he is a baby and continues throug his enlightenment. So you should read them in order. It is very good for kids to know different religions just so they know about them. Some adults I know really like this book too. I loaned it to one of my teachers.

I wanted to give this book 4 and 1/2 stars, but I liked it a little more so I chose 5. The reason I chose 5 is because it has lots of action and it is very exciting.

Another excellent book in the series. Neither I or my high school sons could put it down. Highly recommended!

I thought this volume starts to bring focus to the characters more. I'm starting to see how things are working out, as opposed to just being introduced to characters and situations. To be honest though, I have found myself a little hesitent over the potrayal of The Buddha. I know that it is my own idea of what he must have been like. Once I open to it, the idea of a more human Buddha than I imagine, is refreshing. This series continues to hold my interest over the past few years as it has been released and I'm a little sad that there will have to be an end to it someday. Oh well, that's impermanence for ya.