Even though Buddha may seem like a single-character story based on its title, it is actually a collection of mid-length and short stories. The manga focuses on the people Buddha encounters while seeking enlightenment on his path. Approximately every one or two volumes center on a different main character, while Buddha’s own story continues in the background. Because of this semi-stand-alone structure, the manga struggles with pacing issues. Almost every story has an interesting beginning, and the narration itself is not bad, but the way these stories are concluded lacks emotional impact. Only a few stories have both strong beginnings and satisfying endings; most notably Chapra’sstory (volumes 1-2) and Assaji’s story (volumes 3-4). Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the rest.

As the series progresses, it increasingly focuses on Buddha spreading his teachings and preaching to others. Some of these characters commit terrible acts, yet their eventual enlightenment did not affect me emotionally at all. I definitely did not feel any genuine sense of regret from them. Moreover, many of the later stories deal with serious topics such as war and slavery, but these themes are handled very weakly. I wish Tezuka had spent less time on unnecessary and illogical modern Western jokes and instead focused on portraying these subjects in a more impactful way. At times, it feels as if major events happen through just a few conversations.
I especially enjoyed Chapra’s and Assaji’s stories. Chapra’s story effectively shows how merciless the caste system is. As a Shudra (a slave) born to a slave woman, Chapra has no chance to change his position in society. His story is heartbreaking and immediately pulls the reader into the manga. In this arc, we also encounter Tatta, a character I personally found unnecessary. While he may be conceptually important, weak character development and poor storytelling significantly reduce his value.
This first story also depicts the birth of Siddhartha, who later becomes Buddha. As he grows up, Siddhartha decides to become a monk after questioning death and equality, and his journey begins as a result of these realizations.

In the second story, Siddhartha meets Assaji, who has a profound influence on him. Siddhartha spends much of his time in the Ordeal Grove, where ascetics torture themselves in the belief that by doing so, they can free themselves from bodily desires such as love and envy. The ending of this arc impressed me greatly. The visual portrayal of the concept of “rebirth” was just as fascinating as the opening volume that depicted Siddhartha’s birth. When you look at those panels, you can truly feel that “a prophet has been born.” The background artwork itself communicates meaning, almost speaking directly to the reader. These panels deserve high praise, even if the rest of the writing falls short.
The remaining volumes did not leave much of an impression on me. They mostly focus on Buddha reaching large numbers of people, turning them into disciples, and eventually achieving final enlightenment.

Overall, the manga suffers from three major problems.

First, the constant use of nonsensical Western jokes. Serious discussions -such as a neighboring country attacking the border- are suddenly interrupted by McDonald’s or Disneyland jokes. These interruptions completely undermine the gravity of the themes. I could not understand why the fourth wall is broken so frequently. Even if one wants to break the fourth wall, there are far more effective ways to do so than relying on irrelevant jokes.

Second, the cartoonish art style often fails to convey emotions properly. When the background art is detailed and well-composed, the emotional weight comes through; however, combined with shallow storytelling, many scenes fail to evoke any real feeling.

Third, and finally, there is the pacing problem, which I mentioned earlier.

I genuinely debated whether I should drop this manga or not. While it contains a few beautiful chapters, the majority of the series felt exhausting rather than rewarding.