Not quite sure of the date, reusing my comments from volume 2... Excellent. Fascinating, beautiful. I can imagine the cartoony characters might take a little getting used to, particularly with the juxtaposition with the beautiful, beautiful detailed backgrounds. But, hey, get used to it. Personally I could have done with a few fewer of the Asterixy jokes, but I can deal. Really looking forward to all the remaining volumes. ( )

A really good manga by Osamu Tezuka. It was educational, historical, as well as fun cartoon-like drawing. I liked the cameo of the doctor from Astro Boy too! ( )

Possibly the best of Tezuka's many many many works. Oddly enough I learned a ton about Buddha and Buddhism via this manga. The first volume is the slowest if you ask me because it's the only one where the title character isn't the main character until the end. This volume is important though because it about the caste system. The rest of the series only gets better. With that aside, the art in this and all Tezuka's works is breathtaking. I should note that Tezuka is mostly known for Astro Boy, but this isn't kid friendly. This book was during his dark years for a reason. Plus there is a ton of nudity in this, no sex. Overall I HIGHLY recommend this series (all 8 volumes). It's a great into to Buddhism and history. ( )

Many lovely pages, folded in with cartoonish gags. ( )

Tezuka manages to sustain a gripping pace while inserting subtle philosophy and universal themes. If the other 7 volumes are as good as this one it might be his greatest series. I like this first volume more than most of the volumes of Phoenix.

While the narrative is not bound by the strictures of its underlying faith - at least not yet - the moral compass of the plot is geared toward that expression of enlightenment, whether through sacrifice and death or through patience and love. The love of humanity is present in many if not all of Tezuka’s work. He is famous for his heart. He never loses sight of this central concern in his characters. He knows that the reader will sympathize with someone who is performing either evil or magnanimous acts out of love or other well-established motives. By clarifying the motive the action proceeds smoothly and the characters are allowed to react as the situations arise. I got the sense that the world extended far beyond the borders of the comic frame and could sink into the pages and feel the dirt and grit of the landscape even when every extraneous detail was excluded.

He was a utilitarian artist and consummate storyteller. No matter how complex the plot becomes I cherish the moments I spend reading with Tezuka’s creations because they shed light on the beauty of the human soul. When he wants to show the soul’s wickedness it is depicted nakedly and in lurid ways, but when that beauty overcomes the inherent flaws in mankind, you can appreciate his work as more than mere entertainment. Tezuka winds a convincing yarn even when he bends the laws of physics and plays around with anachronisms.

One of the few times when manga becomes indistinguishable from literature. At least it seems to have placated most critics of the medium. The most sophisticated work by the most important graphic storyteller in Japanese history. ( )