Buddhism and Fandom
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In Canon
Works with Buddhist Themes
- Journey to the West (and many more modern works inspired by it, such as Dragon Ball, Saiyuki, and The New Legends of Monkey) is a legendary telling of bringing Buddhist foundational texts to China, and as such deals with central tenets and cultural ideas of Chinese Budhhism.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: though set entirely in a fictional world, the cultures depicted draw heavily on many real world countries and cultures mostly in East and South Asia, but also from around the world. The Air Nomads, in particular, are mostly inspired by Tibetan Buddhism.[1]. Some fans incorporate these Buddhist elements into their fanworks, and may even expand on the Budhhist cultural elements and themes in the original (e.g. by incorporating Chinese and Japanese Buddhist practice into works about the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation).
- Land of the Lustrous's depiction of Buddhist themes has generated vigorous debate within the fandom.[2]
- Madoka Magica is often interpreted by fans to have strong Buddhist themes.[3]
- Star Wars: the principles of the Jedi Order are partly inspired by Buddhist teachings.[4] Some fans feel the series misrepresents the Buddhist principles it draws on, or puts them in a negative light..
- Jujutsu Kaisen is often seen as containing strong Buddhist themes.[5][6]
Buddhist Characters
- Cupid's Last Wish is a 2022 Thai drama in which the characters must journey to five Buddhist monasteries in a week. Buddhists monks and ceremonies are prominently featured in canon
- Inuyasha prominently features Shinto and Buddhist practitioners (in the latter category, Miroku the Buddhist monk)
- Buddhist cosmology is a frequent source of inspiration for shonen battle manga, particularly with regards to abilities and enemies. For example, an antagonist in Bleach wields a sword named Leg-Cutting Jizou, after the Japanese name for the boddhisatva Kṣitigarbha,[7] while in One Piece, the character of Fleet Admiral Sengoku is able to transform himself into a Buddha statue.[8]
- Saint Seiya has Virgo Shaka, a character who is a Bodhisattva and is considered the closest man to a god.
- Steve Jinks from Warehouse 13 is a practicing Buddhist[9]
Fandom Activity
Fan Communities
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Meta
- Animation Night 108: Buddhas by canmom, 2022 -- an overview of Buddhist depictions in various anime
- Buddhism in AFO / OFA...???, Archived version by mirkoscarrot, posted 27 February 2023. Interpreting the events of a recent BNHA manga chapter (possibly Ch. 381?) through a Buddhist lens
- Hmmmmmmmmmm! Okay, let's talk about avatars., Archived version by luminouslumity -- fan theories about reincarnation and avatar creation in LEGO Monkie kid, an adaption of Journey to the West
- Hello Finished the mdzs book and the protagonist confuses me..., meta by jiangwanyinscatmom -- discusses the morality of MDZS central character Wei Wuxian through a Buddhist lens.
- Buddhism in Doctor Who: A Detailed Analysis by Z1RO (1999)
Other
- Wikipedia:The Dharma of Star Wars, a book that uses Star Wars characters to teach Buddhist principles.
Links
- AO3 Tags: Buddhism, Buddhist Character
References
- ^ Some posts by atlaculture examining details in the show that are inspired by Tibetan culture, religion, and history: What's in a Name: Air Nomads, Cultural Fashion: Religious Hats, Cultural Practices: Avatar Relics, Cultural Architecture: Air Nomad Architecture Pt 1
- ^ Criticism of the series' presentation of Buddhist theme by dragonkeeper19600, post 10 December 2021.
Some examples: Analysis of Ch. 97, Archived version by king-paimon, posted 27 July 2022.
Analysis comparing the events of chapter 99 to The Four Sights of Buddha, Archived version by weebookey, posted 25 November 2022.
Commentary on fannish response and lack of familiarity with the Buddhist teachings that the series engages with, Archived version by pitchlag, posted 28 July 2022. - ^ one example, Archived version, discussion by azdoine, anarcha-catgirlism, and others. Links to other discussions that draw more on the Christian themes in the series.
- ^ Some links about this: Quote from George Lucas presented in a 1997 Star Wars Zine, The Conversation, The Human Front, Contemporary Buddhism, Polygon (specifically about The Last Jedi).
- ^ Reddit: "JJK - A Buddhist Parable about Samsara & Gojo as Boddhisatva" by JisatsuNoJutsu, posted 07/04/2021, accessed 10/24/2024
- ^ Anime Everything: "Jujutsu Kaisen’s Cultural References and Inspirations" by Andreea Blaga, accessed 10/24/2024
- ^ Bleach Wiki: "Mayuri Kurotsuchi," accessed 10/24/2024
- ^ One Piece Wiki: "Sengoku," accessed 10/24/2024
- ^ Warehouse 13 Wiki: "The New Guy", accessed 20/24/2024