It was revealed yesterday that Saint Onīsan, quite possibly this writer’s favourite manga right now, is to become an animated feature film.

For the unfamiliar, Saint Onīsan (lit. Saint young man), is Hikaru Nakamura’s serial comic that tells the tale of Jesus and Buddha, who come down to Earth from heaven for a little rest and relaxation, setting up camp in a small apartment in Tachikawa, Tokyo.

Constantly on a budget but always keen to explore, Jesus and Buddha do their best to keep their true identities secret while experiencing as much everyday human life as possible. Doing everything from experiencing local festivals to shopping for a rice cooker, the pair often find themselves getting into genuinely hilarious mishaps.

Without spoiling the plot for you or stealing any jokes’ thunder, my own personal favourite episodes include the pair’s trip to Disneyland and their tiny accident at the local swimming pool, where we learn that Jesus is afraid to dip his head under the water…

The comic, now spanning seven issues, has received enormous praise in Japan, and quickly became a big hit, but the news of its animation adaptation has come as a surprise to many.

As if that news weren’t enough, the animated feature will be preceded by the eighth chapter of the manga series, available from December 3rd, and which be available with an animated DVD.

So, if you’re keen to see how Buddha and Jesus would get on living together, why Jesus is a sucker for tacky souvenirs, and why Buddha is sick of people pulling on his ears, then we can’t recommend this series enough.

For more info, visit Saint Onīsan‘s incredibly cool animated website.

Source: Morning Manga

Images: © 中村 光／講談社 © 中村 光・講談社／SYM 製作委員会