Nembutsu Monogatari 4: A review of deep emotion and new charm

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" - The profound world of animation depicting the teachings of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

April 1993

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

Visual 80

■Explanation

The series "Nenbutsu Monogatari" was planned and produced by the religious corporation Honganji Publishing Co., Ltd., with the aim of widely and easily conveying the teachings of Jodo Shinshu and the stories of its founder, Saint Shinran. "Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" contains seven volumes, each with one episode, including "Tannisho," which vividly depicts Shinran's teachings on Other-Power Nembutsu and his personality, "Eshinni-sama," which depicts Shinran's wife, Eshinni, "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)," which depicts Rennyo-sama's life from his birth to Yoshizaki's marriage threat, and "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)," which depicts Rennyo-sama's life until his death. In addition, a DVD version of the series was later released with the product title "Nenbutsu Monogatari DVD," which includes the episodes "Episode 1: Tannisho - Shinran-sama and Yuen-," "Episode 2: Rennyo-sama <Volume 1> - Burning Days," and "Episode 3 - Rennyo-sama <Volume 2> - Glorious Days."

■ Main Characters

A monk and disciple of Yuen Shinran. He wrote the Tannisho, which conveys Shinran's teachings.
- A priest of the Rennyo Jodo Shinshu sect.
・Shinran, founder of Jodo Shinshu.

■ Related works

・Nenbutsu Story 1
・Nenbutsu Story 2
・Nenbutsu Story 3
・Nenbutsu Monogatari 5
・Nenbutsu Story 6
・Nenbutsu Monogatari 7
・DVD version of Nembutsu Monogatari

■Detailed evaluation

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" is a very meaningful work as an attempt to convey the teachings of Jodo Shinshu in the form of animation. This OVA in particular focuses on the teachings of Saint Shinran, depicting his life and philosophy, giving viewers deep emotion and understanding. Below, we will explain in detail the content of the work, the background to its production, the characters, and recommended points for viewers.

Depth and expression of content

Nembutsu Monogatari 4 depicts episodes centered around the teachings of Saint Shinran. In particular, Tannisho was written by Shinran's disciple Yuen and was produced to convey Shinran's teachings of Other-Power Nembutsu in an easy-to-understand way. This episode depicts how Shinran's teachings have influenced people and how they have been passed down. Through the medium of animation, Shinran's teachings are visually expressed, allowing viewers to gain a deeper understanding of their profundity.

"Eshinnisama" also depicts the life of Shinran's wife, Eshinni. Eshinni was an important figure who supported Shinran's teachings and walked alongside him, and the story depicts how Shinran's teachings were put into practice in the home throughout her life. This episode shows how Shinran's teachings were not just theory, but were applied in everyday life, and leaves a deep impression on viewers.

Furthermore, "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)" and "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)" depict the life of Rennyo Shonin. Rennyo Shonin was a monk who worked hard to spread the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, and the development of Jodo Shinshu is depicted throughout his life. "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)" depicts Rennyo Shonin's life from his birth to his marriage to Yoshizaki, while "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)" depicts Rennyo Shonin's life until his death. Through these episodes, viewers can gain a deeper understanding of the history of Jodo Shinshu and the spread of its teachings.

Background and significance of the production

The Nembutsu Monogatari series was planned and produced by the religious corporation Honganji Publishing, with the aim of spreading the teachings of Jodo Shinshu widely and in an easy-to-understand way. By depicting the teachings and life of Saint Shinran through the medium of animation, the series aims to give viewers deep emotion and understanding. This series is a new attempt to spread the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, and its significance can be said to be extremely great.

In particular, "Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" has been successful in conveying the profound teachings of Saint Shinran to viewers by depicting episodes centered around his teachings. In addition, the production company Visual 80 has combined beautiful animation with a deep story to leave a strong impression on viewers. This work will be an important step in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu.

Character Appeal

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" depicts characters deeply involved in the history of Jodo Shinshu, such as Saint Shinran, Yuen, Rennyo, and Eshinni. These characters each play an important role in conveying the teachings of Jodo Shinshu throughout their lives.

Saint Shinran is the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, and his teachings are expressed in the form of tariki nembutsu. Shinran's teachings deeply moved and inspired people, and he contributed to the development of Jodo Shinshu throughout his life. The animation depicts how Shinran's teachings influenced people and how they have been passed down.

Yuen was a disciple of Shinran and a monk who wrote "Tannisho." Yuen worked hard to spread Shinran's teachings widely and contributed to the development of Jodo Shinshu throughout his life. The animation depicts Yuen's life and teachings, deeply moving viewers.

Rennyo Shonin was a monk who devoted himself to spreading the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, and the development of Jodo Shinshu is depicted throughout his life. The animation depicts Rennyo Shonin's life from birth to his death, conveying to viewers the profound depths of his teachings.

Eshinni was Shinran's wife and was an important figure who supported Shinran's teachings and walked alongside him throughout his life. The animation depicts Eshinni's life and teachings, deeply moving viewers.

Recommendation points for viewers

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" is an important step in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu. In particular, by depicting episodes centered on the teachings of Saint Shinran, it succeeds in conveying the profundity of the teachings to the viewer. In addition, the beautiful animation and deep story are combined to leave a strong impression on the viewer. This work will be an important step in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu.

Furthermore, this work can be said to be an important resource for gaining a deeper understanding of the history of Jodo Shinshu and the spread of its teachings. Through characters such as Saint Shinran, Yuien, Rennyo, and Eshinni, it depicts how the teachings of Jodo Shinshu have been passed down and how they have influenced people. Through the lives of these characters, viewers can gain a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jodo Shinshu.

This work is also a new attempt to widely disseminate the teachings of Jodo Shinshu in an easy-to-understand manner, and its significance can be said to be extremely great. By depicting the teachings and life of Saint Shinran through the medium of animation, we aim to give viewers deep emotion and understanding. This series will be an important step in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu.

As mentioned above, "Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" is an important step in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, and aims to give viewers deep emotion and understanding. Beautiful animation and a deep story combine to leave a strong impression on viewers. This work will be an important step in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu.