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The Burning Buddha Man

Name: The Burning Buddha Man
Director: Ujicha
Released: 2013
Duration: 80 min

Representation Score

4.7/10

Fair

2013

Director

Ujicha

Runtime

80 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film explores myths and personal vengeance through a female protagonist. Beniko's active pursuit of justice disrupts typical horror clichés. While the film offers a culturally specific perspective through Japanese folklore, it lacks explicit markers of multiple identities. The narrative focuses on traditional spiritual conflicts and personal loss. Ultimately, the film emphasizes technical innovation and stylistic expression over systemic critiques or diverse social representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Burning Buddha Man have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly depict LGBTQ+ identities or relationships that go beyond the assumption that everyone is straight. The story revolves around a protagonist seeking revenge after a family tragedy.

How does The Burning Buddha Man portray gender?

Fair

Beniko, a female high school student, drives the plot forward. She actively seeks justice against supernatural threats, challenging the stereotype of passive female characters.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Burning Buddha Man?

Good

The setting is ethnically uniform and steeped in Japanese cultural references. By focusing on Kyoto’s spiritual history, the film presents a culturally specific perspective that avoids Western-centric viewpoints.

How does The Burning Buddha Man represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story heavily engages with Buddhist themes and the theft of sacred statues. It operates within a framework of traditional spiritual conflict without critiquing religious institutions.

Does The Burning Buddha Man include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information about characters with visible or invisible disabilities. The narrative does not include representations of neurodivergence or chronic illness.

Present on Screen

Beniko provides a strong female lead who actively seeks justice, breaking away from passive female stereotypes.
The film uses Japanese folklore and Buddhist themes to offer a culturally specific perspective.
The story centers on a unique, localized mythos through its Kyoto setting and traditional spiritual themes.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer relationship dynamics.
There is no visible representation of characters with disabilities or neurodivergence.
The story adheres to traditional moral structures without providing systemic or social critiques.

Official Synopsis

There is a series of Buddha statue thefts in Kyoto. Beniko, a high school girl, gets the Buddha statue at her family's temple stolen and has her parents killed at the same time. She needs to know what caused the death of a parents and dreams of revenge. She goes on a fantastical journey to ultimately face the demon. The entire film is produced by hand drawing all the gods 'manifesto animation' or 'gekimation' based on the amazing hand drawings.

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