The manga this week
A-Un
By Mari Okazaki (Shogakukan)
Among Japan's great historical figures, there is perhaps no one whose name is so well-known, yet at the same time so little understood about their character, as the Buddhist priest Kukai of the Heian period.
The reason is clear and simple: There are no descriptions of him as a person -- unlike Buddhist priests who are well-known for noteworthy episodes such as Ryokan, who played ball with children; Ikkyu, famed for his quick wit; and Shinran, who wandered all around Japan when he was young.
But one thing is for sure: Kukai was already a genius when he was young.
Saicho, a monk who founded Enryakuji temple on Mt. Hiei, lived around the same time as Kukai. He was also a genius, but of a different type. Kukai and Saicho both studied esoteric Buddhism in China's Tang dynasty, yet it is said they ultimately clashed with each other.
The manga this week revolves around these two monks. This is an ambitious work that attempts to describe Japanese Buddhism as it underwent a revolutionary transformation.
To be honest, I hadn't acknowledged how excellent "A-Un" was until I watched "Legend of the Demon Cat," a recent film directed by Chen Kaige depicting Kukai studying in the Tang capital of Changan.
I became interested in him and wanted to know more, only having found a few fiction works, like those written by famous writers such as Ryotaro Shiba, Chin Shunshin and Baku Yumemakura. The Chen Kaige film was based on a novel by Yumemakura. The more I read them, however, the hazier I felt. None of these works gave me an impression of Kukai as a human. Kukai did not leave any personal diaries behind and, what's more, his teachings about the truth of the universe are as complicated as the theories of Stephen Hawking.
Kukai is certainly a tricky character for writers.
"A-Un," however, is a surprising exception for me. Young Kukai and Saicho are dynamic, real and alive in this work. Of course, a considerable part of its story may be fictionalized. But then, this manga has undeniably achieved what other writers have not done. Moreover, "A-Un" does not try to be easy to understand, even though it is a manga. Saicho's anguish and Kukai's fierce, untamed character are superbly expressed in an often surreal, dreamlike style of drawing. At other times, the drawings are wild and explosive. This quality shows the true worth of Mari Okazaki, who is also known as a talented illustrator.
The title "A-Un" is said to be a Buddhist incantation. "A" symbolizes an open mouth and "un" a closed mouth. They are also supposed to signify the beginning and end of the universe.
It is believed Kukai and Saicho broke off their friendship because they aimed for different goals. I doubt this manga is heading toward such a simple ending. If you want to know more about the unfathomable Kukai and Saicho, you should read this manga first.
Ishida is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior writer whose areas of expertise include manga and anime.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
