Osamu Tezuka's Buddha Vol. 1

Tezuka's Buddha was an interesting read. It was strange but neat to see an Indian story done in a Japanese format. The art style was ok but not my favorite. It feels like the older 80's manga style, like Astroboy. I found it interesting that there was so much nudity in it, but you really don't notice it. Chapra's mother was half naked and Tatta was fully naked throughout the whole story! I wonder if that's how it was during that time in India.
The story definitely made me want to get the other volumes. It was pretty long, but an easy read. I was sad that they killed off Chapra and his Mother at the end but I guess the next volume probably follows Tatta and the baby that was just born. I was waiting the whole book to see how the other story line was going to tie in, but then it didn't yet so now I practically HAVE to read the other volume.
I found it strange how everyone in the story "adopts" each other as major roles in their lives, like mother and father and brother. Like how a few panels after Tatta has his gang of miscreants pee all over Chapra they declare each other to be brothers now. I noticed the characters do that in the movie Barefoot Gen. Perhaps its a Japanese thing?
My favorite part in the book was how the animals were drawn. They were very cute and I liked the idea that everyone was learning that their lives were worth just as much as the animals. I think this is a lesson that a lot of people should learn today.
The manga is not something I would probably pick out for myself at a bookstore to read, but I really ended up enjoying it.