Sprinkles of Buddhism in Houseki no Kuni

A look at the Land of the Lustrous anime from a Buddhist lens and it's basic teachings (with a shout out to it's amazing production and manga).
Edit : I've misspelled "अनिच्चा" in the beginning of the video. Thanks to かえる丼 for pointing it out.
Note : I am aware that the characters are supposed to be genderless, I've used "she" for the sake of convenience.
Sources :
Monk and Zen Master Illustrations by my friend Enpitsu : / enpitsu_hito
3D Render Tests taken from :
Caustics - cgworld.jp/fea...
Diamond's Hair - cgworld.jp/fea...
CGWorld November 2017 Edition: shop.cgworld.jp...
2D guide work footage by Norio Matsumoto : • 『宝石の国』【お試し映像】松本憲生氏作画によ...
Canipa Effect's video on Houseki no Kuni : • Breaking Down Houseki ...
Image of Apsara by Gunkarta from Wikipedia : en.wikipedia.o...
Image of Buddha : pixabay.com/en...
Image of Dharma Wheel from Wikipedia : commons.wikime...
Land of the Lustrous Anime Official Website : land-of-the-lus...
Land of the Lustrous Manga at Kodansha Comics : kodanshacomics...
Music Used : Yoshiaki Fujisawa - Houseki no Kuni OST
Additional Sources and Relevant Links :
The Three Marks of Existence -
Impermanence : en.wikipedia.o...
Dukkha : en.wikipedia.o...
Anatta : en.wikipedia.o...
Noble Eightfold Path : en.wikipedia.o...
Buddhist Figures -
Bodhidharma : en.wikipedia.o...
Gautam Buddha : en.wikipedia.o...
Early Buddhist Schools : en.wikipedia.o...
Schools of Buddhism : en.wikipedia.o...
Hinduism and Buddhism : en.wikipedia.o...
Apsara : www.onmarkprodu...
Apsara Wiki : en.wikipedia.o...
Asura : en.wikipedia.o...)
Asura (Hinduism) : en.wikipedia.o...
This is my first video so I apologize for any hiccups in the production (sound or video). I welcome all your suggestions and feedback.

[@CaeluJP]

you misspelled, actually it spells अनिच्चा/anicca. And in Chinese and Japanese, it is 無常/wúcháng/mujou.

[@CaeluJP]

Having results on losing, expecting end up being betrayed. At first place, if you hope nothing, you will lose nothing.

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you! You're absolutely right! Weird that I didn't notice it until now. I've added an annotation for correction (realised KZbin got rid of annotations so it's a card poll on the top right. I've also added it in the description). Funny thing is, I went back to the script and there it says "अनिच्चा" (because I copy-pasted it), and even on the text layer's name in AE, but in the actual output here (i.imgur.com/KNFskiI.png) it shows up differently. I guess I was too absorbed in editing to notice something so obvious. Kinda reminds me of the "finger pointing at the moon" analogy for Zen. Thanks for the save.

[@user-Void-Star]

@@CaeluJP what is different between anicca and sunyata?

[@gnrngkcntnf]

Fun fact: the reason why hnk exists in the first place is because ichikawa accidentally enrolled into a Buddhist high school. The inspiration came from a Buddhist scripture where it said that "the western paradise is made up of gems".

[@crispycreations6508]

The thing about houseki is that it pulls off buddhist imagery without being preachy or religious

[@JoniniTheChickenNugget]

This is the cool/unique thing about buddhism, it can be taken as both a religion and ideology, the ideology can be separated and used from Buddhism, which can't be said for most other religions.

[@cestalia]

Phos eventually turns into seven jewel according to the Buddha seven jewel treasure: gold and silver (hand), crystal (body), agate (leg), lapis lazuli (head), pearl (eye) and only left with Ruby aka Carnelian. It means Phos will broke ONE MORE TIME and has new replacement. You know who is Ruby? Padparadscha :(

[@amybarton5840]

cestalia so that means the original phos will be completely gone and phos will completely lose them self... I'm sad.

[@cestalia]

Amy Barton Phos definitely will have existence problem in future

[@NikitaFoxSp]

@@amybarton5840 uhhh no, if Phos lost all their original self (phosphophyllite) there would be no Cristal, so, they will loose or a part of their Torso or will loose the other eye (more believable is their torso)

[@catstacoswithcats8616]

Gasp Bigger Gasp That is going to be problematic Edit: so the name Phosphophyllite wouldn't really be their name anymore, just from the past. Its so confusing i cant-

[@deedaadeee5498]

MANGA SPOILERS WARNING! Padpa is completely gone now tho so Alexandrite's red form seems as more of a possibility. Or maybe the lunarians will make a synthetic red gem?

[@AmitChutani]

Your deep voice conveyed that hidden meaning in a very subtle way. I can only imagine the research & time you put into such a comprehensive video analysis Will love to see more videos from you!

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you!

[@AmitChutani]

Watching for the 10th time. Yaay.

[@ci3rr420]

I just wanted to say the editing is beautiful! Your editing is able to stand out because you merge two mediums and make it seem like they are one medium itself.

[@signspace13]

That was a beautiful video! Your editing and scripting is fantastic, I truly hope to see more from you in the future 'subscribed'. Back on the topic of HnK, I really love the Buddhist influence in this story and was able to see some of it myself as I watched it, I feel like their is one last part of Buddhism that the manga (and hopefully the show) will show, enlightenment, Phos's journey is one of tribulation and change, two core precepts of Buddhism, and with each change Phos losing part of herself in order to gain something that she didn't have before, she lost her legs to gain speed, though a seemingly meaningless change as the show continues it was the first step on her journey a propulsion towards further change. She lost her arms and gained strength, this change gave her what she always wanted, the ability to fight, but now having had this change she has lost direction, asking 'why do we fight?', so she seeks further purpose, attempting to seek answers, leading her to another change. [MANGA SPOILERS FROM HERE ON] She loses her head, gaining the head of Lapis lazuli, and with it insight, this new insight gives her direction again, and she leaves on another journey to ask questions of her enemies. Though there is still one more change I'm not sure of it's meaning yet, however all of these changes link Phos to another part of Buddhism, a story of seven treasures, each representing part of enlightenment, and of those 7 treasures Phos now has 5 integrated into her being, what if the whole story of HnK is a story of Phos's journey to enlightenment through change? I really want to see it happen, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@TheYorouzoya]

Enlightenment is quite an interesting concept in various divisions of Buddhism. One one hand, you have schools saying that it is impossible to attain Buddhahood in a single lifetime and that it will take one many years of several rebirths to be truly awakened, while on the other hand, you have schools which teach the idea of instantaneous awakening or attaining Buddhahood in this life. It will be interesting to see how Haruko Ichikawa tackles this, because depicting enlightenment is quite a tricky task. Would it be like the Pure Land Buddhism she was taught in school, with it's glorified depiction of "Pure Land/Paradise"? Or would it be something different? For example, here's what D. T. Suzuki says about enlightenment : _"Enlightenment is like everyday consciousness but two inches above the ground."_ Either way, I'm looking forward to where this journey takes us. Also, here are some helpful links in case you want to do further research : Haruko Ichikawa's interview where she talks about Houseki no Kuni and her inspirations behind the series : japanesetranslationblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/ichikawa-haruko-interview-on-houseki-no-kuni-translation/ Pure Land Buddhism. The branch of Mahayana Buddhism which she was taught in school : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism Daimuryojukyo, or Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, which she talks about studying in school : web.mit.edu/stclair/www/larger.html

[@kanita5389]

I thought they would have to let go of everything in order to comprehend the full extent of the world, life and reality itself without inhabiting it. Like, renouncing to fighting pain and the chase of desire

[@TheYorouzoya]

[Edit] New video is up! [Update 14/03/2018 : So, my college exams are starting and I won't be able to finish my next video anytime in the next 3 weeks. I am really sorry for this delay guys. I couldn't work on it because of the upcoming exams and while I could have hastily put together a video since I am done with the script, I didn't want to put out mediocre content. I just want to let you guys know that the video is coming and that I haven't abandoned this venture despite my total inactivity on other social media. Cheers.] So we hit a 100 subscribers, with just one video. Thank you so much guys, I wasn't expecting this turnout. My next video is in the making and I am almost done with the script at this point. Pretty slow, I know (that's because I've got exams coming up in March, plus procrastination, plus I bought Overwatch, and that's not a good combination for productivity) Anyway, the video will be on Ping Pong the Animation, so, look forward to it!

[@yashdeshpande249]

Really well done, man! I can't imagine how much effort you would had to put in to make this video. I'll have to say this it looks professional, the analysis and your perspective was definitely insightful and we'll researched.

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you! It was quite a bit of work putting this thing together (and A LOT of fun too). I had to learn a lot of things, but in the end, it paid off. And I am glad you liked it.

[@shaswatsaincher4641]

Great analysis video...I really appreciate your effort in recognizing parallels of Houseki no Kuni not just with Buddhism but Hinduism as well. Man....you even included the Mahabharata! I think you are the first person to do so in an anime analysis video....and that's VERY impressive. Thank you so much...this is probably one of the best "Houseki no Kuni" analysis videos on YT. Love and regards from India ^_^

[@SirRichard94]

Great editing! It's amazing how you combined the manga and anime as panels.

[@nullgator8073]

great video. editing is clever and well executed. One correction, Phos's hardnes is 3.5 not 2.5 as you state at 4:47

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you. Yeah, it somehow got through the voice overs and I only realised it after I had uploaded the video. I'm glad you liked the video.

[@TheGallantDrake]

Your editing and production values are top notch. Work on your narration and audio quality and you'll go a long way!

[@joeluker1319]

The editing in this is really really good.

[@BelMisi3000]

This show is a lot more complex than it looks at first, so cool!

[@madhavichembolli707]

Love this video. I love how you've brought the buddhist philosophy of the marks of existence in this video

[@TheYorouzoya]

I wish I could have expanded on it further but then the video wouldn't be about Houseki no Kuni anymore. Hope season 2 comes around soon, then hopefully I'll be able to do it.

[@hsinhaowang]

Hoiseki no Kuni is sprinkled with Buddhism like how cotton candy is made of some sugar.

[@BelMisi3000]

wow my mind has expanded

[@Theguyoverthere603]

I love this video but the way you narrate by dragging out certain words by saying "chaaaange" and "denyyyy" is really irritating after a while.

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you! I'll keep that in mind in my next video.

[@jhstylewon1172]

Houseki no Kuni is a modern anime masterpiece. CHAaaaNGe MY MIND

[@rozetaire4554]

You're 1 sub away from 200, congrats my dude! Also AMAZING video, absolutely beautifully scripted and edited

[@jackymyboy]

Thats some top notch editing and a great vid about one of my favourite animes, well done.

[@imentoumi1315]

I love this very much! Thank you for sharing, it was super informative! (also I love your voice? It's soothing) I especially liked the little animation with the black and white background you showed when the concepts were introduced. I wonder if you read the manga as well?

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you. I do read the manga. I've read up to the part where [spoilers ahead] padparadscha betrays phos.

[@bhumikabohra4169]

Seriously man ! Amazingly done !

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thanks. I am glad you liked it.

[@075_samarthsoni2]

Great job 😘😘 and your voice is just amazing ❤

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

What i can't believe about land of the lustrous is that I let it pass from my radar for my "must watch" list during fall2017

[@smokeman2645]

Hey, I watched the video yesterday. You presented some interesting points I haven't thought about before thus enriching my enjoyment of Houseki no Kuni. Subscribed to see what you are gonna do next if anything. I might be wrong, but it looks like you took inspiration from Joe's style of editing manga in his videos, but also one-upped him by creatively integrating the anime as well. Very nice editing man :) One thing about your video did bother me though. At around 6:50 you cut away from your pretty well established train of thought (which the viewer had gone as well) and start talking about the amazing production. That was kinda weird because 3 minutes later you pick back up where you left off. As much as I appreciate you appreciating the production as I appreciate it myself, I think putting this part at the end or after you concluded your main thesis would've been better from a structural sense. If you make future videos you might want to consider this so your points are laid out clearer for more people to understand more easialy. It wasn't as bad as I made it out to be for me so it's just a thing I wouldn't like people getting confused over I guess :s Keep it up fam! (although you might've just done the comedy break houseki did so the viewer doesn't get overwhelmed... if that's the case I applaud you cause I didn't see that one coming and it would be kinda clever)

[@fireslice042]

Great video, wish there was more like this

[@cosanostra6358]

Subscribed, well thought, well said, well done.

[@AradhyaTrivedi]

Great video! Loved ping pong the animation and it's psychological side. Looking forward to it! Awesome editing. I wanted to start anime analysis too sometime but boards and then seeing someone do it in such a manner with the first video well I give up 😂 Keep it up

[@omkarbhujbal2030]

Amazing. Looking forward to more cool videos like this. ❤

[@TheYorouzoya]

Thank you :)

[@whimsydearest]

Just came across your channel, and it's truly a hidden gem. Your videos and editing are phenomenal! Would you mind sharing what editing software/programs you use? (Also, I know some people are joking about you sounding baked in the comments LOL, but I think your voice was very fitting for an essay talking about Buddhism and such a surrealist story.)

[@claramello6282]

Very interesting video and the editing was really amazing

[@naomi9413]

howwwww have i never seen this video before

[@slaphappy6705]

Wonderful video, good luck in your future endeavors

[@theinfantmetroid]

I had to crank up the speed of the video to actually understand what you were saying x'D

[@d1namis]

THAT IS JUST GREAT

[@Joyverse]

One person sadly doesn't kno de wae of de buddha.

[@TheYorouzoya]

xD

[@danielvutran]

12.'/10.'-ty, brutha.' As for "Buddhism", I swear - in the anime, when she's looking @ her "hand's", saying "everything is so clear, now." - i thought, ('enlightenment'), -that was the beginning.' -,:)'

[@abhishekshukla9729]

The voice

[@redchard4906]

this man spitting facts

[@amlannanda1581]

Can you consider doing a video on shamanism used in princess mononoke?

[@kittythecute592]

I like ur voice alot.... hehe

[@louise4152]

Well, Ichikawa went to a Buddhist high school, so...

[@sunitarastogi6843]

Good v nice. .

[@Joyverse]

Gud stuff!

[@TheYorouzoya]

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks!

[@sunainishastri7147]

Your voice ! ❤

[@イカ次郎-p9t]

The original is translated. I think the Tsukijin was good as it was😅

[@mosurax]

Are you any chance high

[@TheYorouzoya]

Maybe xD

[@louise4152]

Dia isn't exactly brittle, though

[@TheYorouzoya]

Diamond, while being one of the hardest substances, is quite brittle. There is usually a trade off between the two qualities, hard substances are often brittle. Also, given the fact that the gems in the show have plenty of inclusions in them, they would be more fragile.

[@rithikad43]

you mentioned they were genderless yourself and still use "she" for phos??

[@maximmonov8249]

Please for the love of god don't force your voice

[@abhishekshukla9729]

gay