A new historical anime film based on the life of Japanese Buddhist monk Shinran has been announced to premiere in Japan in February 2025. The film will be titled Shinran: Jinsei no Mokuteki and is based on Jinsei no Mokuteki and Tanisho o Hiraku by religious writer Kentetsu Takamori.
Shinran: Jinsei no Mokuteki will be set in the late Heian period, and will tell the story of the early life and career of Shinran, the prominent founder of Japan's independent Pure Land sect of Buddhism.
The first teaser image for the film has been released, along with the three main voice actors, including Ryotaro Sugi as Shinran Shonin, Takahiro Sakurai as young Shinran Shonin, and Hiroshi Naka as Honen Shonin.
© 「親鸞 人生の目的」映画製作委員会 2025.
Hiroshi Aoyama (Wolverine, Rocket Girls) is directing the anime film and co-writing the script, with Takatora Shiomi and Kiyoto Wada (Tannisho o Hiraku) also credited as co-writers. AUROCHS is handling animation production.
Shinran: Jinsei no Mokuteki is the third film in a series of Buddhist-themed anime films. The first was Studio DEEN's 2016 Naze Ikiru: Rennyo Shonin to Yoshizaki Enjo, which was also based on Takamori's Buddhist text. Tanisho o Hiraku also previously inspired the 2019 anime film TANNISHO.
Ichimannendo published Takamori's book Tannisho o Hiraku in 2008, and the publisher also published the book in English under the title Unlocking TANNISHO: Shinran's Words on the Pure Land Path.
Source: Shinran: Jinsei no Mokuteki Official Website, Anime News Network p>
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