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Buddha 2 Film's Promo Video Highlights Ayumi Hamasaki's Theme Song
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The official website for Buddha 2: Tezuka Osamu no Buddha - Owarinaki Tabi, the second film in the planned trilogy based on the late Osamu Tezuka's Buddha manga began streaming the first promotional video for the film on Monday. The video previews Ayumi Hamasaki's theme song "Pray." The song will mark the first time in 12 years that Hamasaki is contributing a song for an anime film.
Toshiaki Komura is directing off a screenplay by Reiko Yoshida. The film stars Sayuri Yoshinaga as Queen Māyādevī, Hidetaka Yoshioka as Siddhārtha, Ken'ichi Matsuyama as older Tatta, Kiyokazu Kanze as King Śuddhodana, Yōko Maki as Prince Ruri, Nana Mizuki as the thief Migaila, and Tetsuo of the comedy duo Waraimeshi as Brahman.
In the original 1972-1983 manga, Tezuka recounts of the life of the young prince Siddhārtha, the founder of Buddhism. Vertical released all eight volumes in North America in hardcover and paperback, and the story won Harvey Awards in 2004 and 2005. Hideaki Maniwa designed the characters in the first film, and Toei Animation produced the project in association with Tezuka Productions.
The second movie will premiere in Japanese theaters on February 8, 2014.
