© Mari Okazaki / Shogakukan

23rd Manga Division Jury Selections

A-un (Alpha and Omega)

OKAZAKI Mari [Japan]

Outline

Saicho, founder of Hieizan Enryakuji Temple, the heart of Japanese Buddhism. Kukai, known as Kobo Daishi, founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. This dynamic historical drama ornately and sensitively depicts how these two Buddhist monks lived. Saicho and Kukai are depicted as human beings, set in Heian period (794-1185). The esoteric Buddhist spaces and concepts created by the two men are visualized through visual expressions unique to manga.