Butsu Zone

Butsu Zone

Cover of the first Japanese Butsu Zone manga volume
仏ゾーン
(Butsu Zōn)
Genre Fantasy
Manga
Written by Hiroyuki Takei
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run March 1997 – August 1997
Volumes 3
Anime and Manga Portal

Butsu Zone (仏ゾーン Butsu Zōn?, "Buddha Zone") is the first serialized manga by Hiroyuki Takei in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump of 1997. The term "Buddha Zone" refers to the concept by which a Buddha can appear on Earth using a Buddha statue.

The series highlights the adventures of Senju (The Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) who has to find and protect Sachi, an incarnation of the Buddha Miroku (Maitreya Bodhisattva). Miroku is said to appear on Earth at a time when the Dharma is no longer taught and is completely forgotten, achieve complete enlightenment and then re-teach the pure dharma, becoming a successor of Śākyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. It is thus Senju's job to aid Miroku (Sachi) in achieving enlightenment, enabling her to achieve Buddha.

Contents

Plot

The story begins in 1975 with a girl, Sachi, protesting about the planned destruction of the temple Saigan (her home) by the Minoura clan, who plans to build a hotel in its place. One of the gangsters notices the statue of the Thousand-Hand Kannon within the temple. Sachi then tells them that she will not allow anything to happen to the statue. The gangsters then laugh and threaten her, telling her that there is nothing the statue can do to save her. Just then, the Thousand-Hand Kannon comes to life, breaking the temple doors and attacking one of the gangsters. The statue then shatters into pieces and inside it is a boy who tells them to lay their hands off Sachi, sending fear amongst the gangsters who then flee, vowing revenge. The boy introduces himself as Senju, the Thousand-Hand Kannon.

Characters

Senju (センジュ?)
Senju is also known as the Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara). He is a Bodhisattva sent to protect the incarnation of the bodhisattva Miroku by Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana). He wears garments called a tenne (天衣 ,"celestial garments"?) and have an arm ring on his left arm.
Sachi (サチ?)
A young orphan who was abandoned by her parents 10 years before the beginning of the story and raised by a poor priest. Sachi is an incarnation of the Buddha Miroku.
Jizō (ジゾウ Jizō?)
(The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha) Senju's childhood friend. He had waited for 2500 years for Miroku's appearance. His primary attack is the Mudra Beam (印ビーム In-bīmu?); he also has the Jizō Armor (地蔵天衣 Jizō āmā?) which he used only once in the series.
Mike Minoura (マイク箕浦 Maiku Minoura?)
The leader of the Minoura clan, Minoura destroyed Sachi's temple, but was defeated by Senju. He and his clan later become Buddhist monks and help rebuild the temple. The origin of the character name is american comic book artist and writer Mike Mignola.

Media

Manga

Shueisha's collected the nineteen individual chapters known as "Butsu" into three tankōbon. The first was published on July 4, 1997; the final was released on December 4, 1997. Kodansha re-released the series in two volumes on July 17, 2007.[1]

Volume list

No. Title Release date ISBN
1 When you pray to a Buddha statue, you're calling on a real hero!!
"Butsuzō o mitara hero to omoe!!" (仏像を見たらヒーローと思え!!)		 July 4, 1997[2] ISBN 4-08-872306-6
  1. "When you pray to a Buddha statue, you're calling on a real hero!!" (仏像を見たらヒーローと思え!! "Butsuzō o mitara hero to omoe"?)
  2. "The enemy of Buddha! His name is Māra" (仏敵!奴の名は魔羅 "hotoke kataki! Yatsu no na wa Māra"?)
  3. "Onigiri" (おにぎり "Onigiri"?)
  4. "Koma" (コマ "Koma"?)
  5. "Seven" (セブン "Sebun"?)
  • Yomikiri: "Butsu Zone" (仏ゾーン "Butsu Zōn"?)
2 The one who dominates his passions
"Bonnō o tatsu otoko" (煩悩を断つ男)		 October 3, 1997[3] ISBN 4-08-872307-4
  1. "Battle of deire on the Japanese seas" (日本海の決戦 "Nihonkai no kessen"?)
  2. "Benevolence and hatred" (慈悲と憎悪 "Jihi to zōo"?)
  3. "Arigatō" (ありがとう "Arigatō"?)
  4. "A new journey" (新しい旅立ち "Atarashii tabidachi"?)
  5. "The one who dominates his passions" (煩悩を断つ男 "Bonnō o tatsu otoko"?)
  6. "Strong feelings, strong love" (強い気持ち強い愛 "Tsuyoi kimochi ai"?)
  7. "Anna" (ANNA "ANNA"?)
  • Yomikiri: "Death Zero" (デスゼロ, "Desu zero"?)
3 Decisive fight on the riverside of Sai
"Sai no kawara no kessen" (賽の河原の決戦)		 December 4, 1997[4] ISBN 4-08-872308-2
  1. "The Itako Anna calls a Busshi" (イタコのアンナ仏師を呼ぶ "Itako no Anna Busshi o yobu"?)
  2. "The Busshi with many wounds" (傷だらけの仏師 "Kizu darake no Busshi"?)
  3. "Decisive fight on the riverside of Sai" (賽の河原の決戦 "Sai no kawara no kessen"?)
  4. "Dangerous hotoke" (危険仏 "Kiken hotoke"?)
  5. "Batō ōjō" (バトウ往 "Bato ōjō"?)
  6. "Jizō all worldly things are transitory" (地蔵諸行無常 "Jizō shogyō mujō"?)
  7. "The Future" (未来 "Mirai"?)
  • Yomikiri: "Itako Anna" (ITAKOのANNA, "Itako no Anna"?)

Audio drama

References

  1. ^ "仏ゾーン/1 | 武井 宏之" (in Japanese). Shueisha. http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=978-4-08-618644-5&mode=1. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 
  2. ^ "仏ゾーン (1)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4088723066/. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 
  3. ^ "仏ゾーン (2)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4088723074/. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 
  4. ^ "仏ゾーン (3)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4088723082/. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 
  5. ^ a b c "｢仏ゾーン｣ドラマCD1 | 武井 宏之" (in Japanese). Avex Group. http://avexmovie.jp/wk/000034.html. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 

External links

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