Nembutsu Monogatari 5: A fusion of profound themes and beautiful visuals

Detailed review and recommendation of Nembutsu Monogatari 5

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

April 1993

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

Visual 80

■Explanation

This series was planned and produced by the religious corporation Honganji Publishing. It was created with the aim of widely and easily conveying the teachings of Jodo Shinshu and the stories of its founder, Saint Shinran. It contains one episode per volume in a total of seven volumes, including "Tannisho," which vividly depicts Shinran's teachings on nembutsu and his personality; "Eshinnisama," which depicts Eshinni, who became Shinran's wife; "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)," which depicts Rennyo-sama's life from his birth to Yoshizaki's marriage; and "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)," which depicts Rennyo-sama's life until his death. In addition, a DVD version of the Nembutsu Story was later released, containing the episodes from the series, "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 Story 4
・Nenbutsu Story 6
・Nenbutsu Monogatari 7
・DVD version of Nembutsu Monogatari

■Detailed evaluation

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" is one of the OVA series produced to widely disseminate the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, focusing in particular on "Tannisho," which depicts the teachings and personality of Saint Shinran. Although this work deals with religious themes, it succeeds in giving viewers deep emotion and understanding. Below, we will provide a detailed evaluation of the story, characters, production, and viewing experience.

story

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" centers around "Tannisho," which conveys the teachings of Saint Shinran. It carefully depicts the process by which Shinran's disciple Yuen wrote "Tannisho" to pass on his master's teachings to future generations. The story explains Shinran's teachings of Other-Power Nembutsu in an easy-to-understand way, and delves deeply into Shinran's life and philosophy that lie behind them. In particular, Shinran's humanity and suffering are portrayed realistically, allowing viewers to deeply empathize not only with Shinran's teachings, but also with his personality.

"Eshinnisama" depicts Shinran's life and faith from the perspective of his wife, Eshinni, offering a glimpse into how Shinran's teachings were practiced in family life. "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)" and "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)" depict the life and teachings of Rennyo Shonin, providing important episodes in understanding the history and development of Jodo Shinshu. These episodes help to understand Shinran's teachings from multiple angles, providing viewers with deeper insights.

character

The characters in "Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" are portrayed with a very human touch, even though the show deals with religious themes. Shinran, in particular, is portrayed as a strict monk, yet with human weaknesses and suffering, allowing viewers to empathize with his humanity. Yuien is portrayed as faithfully trying to convey the teachings of his master, Shinran, and his sincerity and dedication move viewers. Eshinni and Rennyo Shonin are also portrayed from their own perspectives, which plays an important role in understanding how Shinran's teachings were passed down and developed.

The voice actors for the characters are also excellent, with the voice actor for Shinran expressing his strictness and humanity perfectly. The voice actor for Yuien also conveys his sincerity and dedication, delivering a performance that really resonates with the audience. The voice actors for Eshinni and Rennyo Shonin also express the individuality of their characters well, adding depth to the story as a whole.

Production

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" was produced by Visual 80. Visual 80 is well-known for producing animations that deal with religious themes, and this work fully demonstrates their technical ability and artistry. In particular, beautiful background paintings and colors are used in the scenes depicting Shinran's teachings and episodes, and the visual beauty adds depth to the story. In addition, the characters' movements and expressions are very realistic, allowing the viewer to deeply understand the characters' emotions and feelings.

The music is also excellent, and scenes depicting Shinran's teachings and anecdotes use music that creates a solemn atmosphere. Scenes depicting the characters' feelings use music that stirs emotions, resonating deeply with the viewer. Overall, the music and visuals are perfectly matched, enriching the viewing experience.

Viewing Experience

Despite the religious theme, "Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" succeeds in giving viewers deep emotion and understanding. In particular, viewers are drawn in by the deep insight and beautiful images in the scenes depicting Shinran's teachings and episodes. In addition, the humanity and suffering of the characters are portrayed realistically, allowing viewers to empathize with the humanity and be deeply moved.

This work is also extremely beneficial in understanding the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, allowing viewers to gain a deeper understanding of Shinran's teachings and the history behind them. In particular, episodes such as "Tannisho," "Eshinnisama," "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)," and "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)" help viewers understand Shinran's teachings from multiple perspectives and provide deep insights to viewers.

■Recommendation

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" is a very informative work for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jodo Shinshu and the episodes of Saint Shinran. In addition, despite the fact that it deals with religious themes, it succeeds in giving viewers deep emotion and understanding, so it is a work that can be recommended not only to those who are interested in religion, but also to those who are interested in human dramas and history.

In particular, episodes such as "Tannisho," "Eshinnisama," "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)," and "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)" help to understand Shinran's teachings from multiple angles and provide viewers with deep insights, making this a must-see for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jodo Shinshu. In addition, the characters' humanity and suffering are portrayed realistically, allowing viewers to empathize with their humanity and be deeply moved, making this a work that can also be recommended to those interested in human dramas and history.

Furthermore, "Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" fully demonstrates Visual 80's technical skill and artistry, with beautiful background paintings and colors, character movements and expressions, music, and more enriching the viewing experience, making it a work that can be recommended to anyone interested in the artistry of animation.

■ Details of related works

The "Nenbutsu Monogatari" series is an OVA series consisting of seven volumes, each of which is made up of one episode. Below is a brief introduction to the contents of each volume.

Nembutsu Story 1

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 1" is centered around "Tannisho," which conveys the teachings of Shinran. It carefully depicts the process by which Yuen, a disciple of Shinran, wrote "Tannisho" to convey his master's teachings to future generations. The story explains Shinran's teachings of Other-Power Nembutsu in an easy-to-understand way, and delves deeply into Shinran's life and philosophy that lie behind them.

Nembutsu Story 2

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 2" is centered around "Eshinnisama," a story about Shinran's wife, Eshinni. It offers a glimpse into how Shinran's teachings were put into practice in family life. Shinran's life and faith are depicted from Eshinni's perspective, helping to understand Shinran's teachings from multiple angles.

Nembutsu Story 3

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 3" is centered on "Rennyo-sama (Volume 1)," which depicts the life and teachings of Rennyo Shonin from his birth to his marriage to Yoshizaki. It is an important episode in understanding the history and development of the Jodo Shinshu sect.

Nembutsu Story 4

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 4" is centered on "Rennyo-sama (Volume 2)," which depicts the life and teachings of Rennyo Shonin up until his death. It is an important episode in understanding the history and development of the Jodo Shinshu sect.

Nembutsu Story 6

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 6" is centered around "Tannisho," which conveys the teachings of Shinran. It carefully depicts the process by which Yuen, a disciple of Shinran, wrote "Tannisho" to convey his master's teachings to future generations. The story explains Shinran's teachings of Other-Power Nembutsu in an easy-to-understand way, and delves deeply into Shinran's life and philosophy that lie behind them.

Nembutsu Story 7

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 7" is centered around "Eshinnisama," a story about Shinran's wife, Eshinni. It offers a glimpse into how Shinran's teachings were put into practice in family life. Shinran's life and faith are depicted from Eshinni's perspective, helping readers understand Shinran's teachings from multiple angles.

DVD version of Nembutsu Monogatari

The "Nenbutsu Monogatari DVD Edition" is a product released with the "Nenbutsu Monogatari" series' "Episode 1: Tannisho - Shinran and Yuen", "Episode 2: Rennyo (Part 1) - Burning Days", and "Episode 3: Rennyo (Part 2) - Glorious Days" recorded on a single DVD. These episodes are extremely useful for gaining a deeper understanding of Shinran's teachings and the history behind them.

■ Summary

"Nenbutsu Monogatari 5" is a very informative work for those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jodo Shinshu and the anecdotes of Saint Shinran. In addition, despite the religious theme, it succeeds in giving viewers deep emotion and understanding, so it is a work that can be recommended not only to those interested in religion, but also to those interested in human drama and history. Furthermore, Visual 80's technical skills and artistry are fully demonstrated, and the beautiful background paintings and colors, the character movements and expressions, and the music all enrich the viewing experience, so it is a work that can be recommended to those interested in the artistry of animation.