UM HAI. I'm back with a request for a manga in which the main plot is about a religious or spiritual theme or maybe even a religious figure. The story should be about a quest for spiritual enlightenment, religious salvation/redemption or even just a more general seeking of inner balance/peace (through some form of religion/spirituality/philosophy).

NOT looking for an evil religious cult story. I know they exist but that's not what I want! I'm looking for a more positive, deep reflection on the constructive aspects of spiritual or religious pursuits. Preferably at least one character whose life changes because of them and changes for the better.

Obvious examples: Osamu Tezuka's Buddha and at a stretch, the hilarious Saint Young Men ("religious" figures lol).

I'd prefer serious stories but don't mind a bit of humor if necessary. I understand this is a rare theme. In fact, I wouldn't even mind recommendations of non-Japanese graphic novels or comics about this theme, from any country, in any genre, in any language. Anime or animations are also ok. Fire away!

Edit: It doesn't have to be about an established/popular/existing religion or spiritual practice. It could be about some very rare/ancient system of belief or even one that doesn't exist - like say a sci-fi story about a monk in the 27th century A.D. who starts a new environmentalist-themed religion... Or an ancient fantasy society whose warlike ways ended when a spiritual discipline or constitution was established, or whose warriors were first trained as priests so that they would never use their deadly knowledge unwisely. IDK, anything is fine as long as it's religious/spiritual.

I suppose you are already familiar with YASUHIKO Yoshikazu works, right? Otherwise Jesus (YASUHIKO Yoshikazu) and Joan are pretty obvious recommendation (but don't expect to see what you - and with you I mean a western person - think of Jesus).

That aside, the first thing which comes to my mind is Wolf and Spice. Horo's a goddess pursued by an organized cult, so it's sorta fit the bill even if there isn't a "proper quest for salvation/redemption". And even if it doesn't fit properly, it's still an awesome manga. 😀

I suppose from what you already said that stuff like NGE, Suzumiya, etc. are not what you are looking for right?
And I suppose that also something like Kenshin, who didn't change his ideal for spiritual or religious motif isn't ok right?
And something based on ethical/moral principles more than religion is not still what you want, right?
(Just asking to be sure, it's quite a though question yours, because Japanese doesn't see religion as we saw it).

What I like in Trivial Pursuit style. Pick your category:[img]http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo233/Reid4891/Manga/trivia-1.jpg[/img]

Thank you for recommending Jesus and Joan! For some weird reason I have Joan but never heard of Jesus... (Lol that sounds funny when I say it like that...)

You're right, Wolf and Spice and the other mangas that you briefly mentioned aren't what I'm looking for. That "spiritual quest" factor isn't there...

And something based on ethical/moral principles more than religion is not still what you want, right?

Only if those principles are based on some sort of spiritual insight. Like... for example someone deciding to be non-violent because they believe that all life is connected at some level and we are all the same... That sort of thing. Not just because it's obviously the "right" thing not to be violent, but because some kind of spiritual insight goes into the decision to take that right action. Spirituality must come first in the manga I am looking for; ethics can also come as long as it is as a consequence of spirituality.

Note that spirituality and religion aren't necessarily the same thing, i.e. this could be a non-religious person (eg. not a "Christian" or a "Buddhist") or maybe even be an atheist, who still believes in some sort of spiritual system.

Thanks so much for taking the time to carefully think about my question. 🙂

Dante Shinkyoku

Not sure how you feel about BL, but Innocent Bird is beautiful. There is a sort of "evil of organized religion" aspect, but there's also pure love of God, the search for truth and salvation, et cetera.

Interesting request. I'll be keeping an eye on the recommendations you get. ^^;

On the thriller end, there's always MW.

Taking a more serious approach, all that I can think of are Tajikarao (which is based in localized Shintoism) and Majo, which is more about the conclusions that humans limit themselves with while faced with the infinite, which is highly religious in the philosophical sense.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to carefully think about my question. 🙂

No problem, and sorry I can't think of anything else beside the first two I had mentioned.

What I like in Trivial Pursuit style. Pick your category:[img]http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo233/Reid4891/Manga/trivia-1.jpg[/img]

There's a chapter in Aisubeki Musumetachi that is about a woman who becomes a nun.

Jinja no Susume is about life as a shinto monk, but it's not particularly profound. It's more of a comedy.

Well, none of these are explicitly religious, but I found aspects of them consistent with my own spiritual beliefs, so perhaps you might see something quasi-religious/spiritual in them:

Land of the Blindfolded
Monster
Mushishi
Real
Shikeishu 042
Solanin
Vagabond

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