Saint Young Men Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Hikaru Nakamura

Sick people generally get better as soon as I get close to them, so …') Jesus’ ignorance of caring for the sick when Buddha has a fever (“Do you mean to tell me you’ve never taken care of a sick person?” “Actually, no. Buddha trying to surprise Jesus on his birthday. There are so many fun moments in this book. Jesus takes up pottery as a hobby, but inadvertently turns the resulting stone into bread.

Too many virtuous thoughts cause Buddha to glow, which attracts unwanted attention from their landlady. Yes, there are gags of the supernatural variety. The first chapter sets the tone nicely with Jesus tickled to have overheard a couple of teenage girls saying that he looks like Johnny Depp, and Buddha’s excited and incredulous reaction, “For real?! Teenage girls said that?!” It’s a very warm and very human sort of comedy. They play video games, go shopping, visit tourist destinations. The concept is simple: Jesus and Buddha are roommates, living as young adults in modern day Tokyo. I’ve known of this title’s existence for a few years now, and was overjoyed to learn that it was getting an English translation. It's fun! The two guys are kinda goofy and having a good time. It's pretty funny and in a way, thoughtful, though it's not deep or harsh, ever. It's more of a satirical commentary on contemporary pop culture, in which the two roommates fully engage in in all its superficial fun: Blogging, watching shows online, buying flashy stuff no one needs, and occasionally making light commentary on it all. It's hard to see how it is it could truly offend anyone, as it is not harshly critical of religion. But the popularity kept growing and I think around 2016 it began to be translated, and in 2019 a first volume became available. I had heard about this manga series, which I find began in 2006, was approached about English translation in 2010 and turned down as the Japanese publishers thought it might offend Western audiences. So, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Gautama Buddha, the Enlightened One, decide to take a 'gap year' from being spiritual leaders and move into this apartment in the Tokyo suburbs.

Saint Young Men Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Hikaru Nakamura