Buddhist priest action hero

Miroku is a Japanese Buddhist priest action hero (right). Here are his stats from the distributor:

Name: Miroku Gender: Male Race: Human Occupation: Buddhist Monk Weapons: Wind Tunnel, his staff and talisman Hobbies: [CENSORED] Love interest: Sango and all other female

Below are pictures of Miroku with Sango, his love interest, although, as you can see above, he also loves “all other female[s],” which earns him the occasional slap from her. They’re a lovely couple but Miroku has some pretty unpriestly tendencies. For instance, we read this about him at the $3.99 Anime Shop:

Miroku, the amorous monk from Inuyasha, sits on a rock in this 3″ figurine, holding his staff and hiding a secret lusty smile… Although a Buddhist monk, Miroku is far from being a holy man. He often uses his status as a Monk to deceive people into believing their households were haunted and would ‘exorcise’ their homes in exchange for food and lodging. He is also a lecher…

For decency’s sake, I have omitted the most egregious of this action hero’s habits, but if you want to read more, you can visit the $3.99 Anime Shop. Now I know some will be offended and say that this is unbecoming and perhaps there will be a whole host of charges leveled against me, so If lecherous Japanese Buddhist priest action heroes offend you and you are a decent sort, do not visit the shop. I don’t know whether this is a mild form of Fritz the Cat-style social commentary (monk-baiting has its history) or just adolescent, but I’d feel remiss if I didn’t let you in on the deal: Miroku, who usually fetches $11.99, is on sale at the shop for $6.99. Nearly true to the shop’s name, however, most figurines sell for $3.99, as do the charming likenesses of Miroku and Sango together. Update – Miroku has found his way into the Financial Times, via Apollinaire Scherr’s review of Saburo Teshiwaraga’s dance performance and light installation, called, yes, Miroku:

I defy anyone to describe Saburo Teshigawara’s Miroku without sounding like an exhumed hippie. The 56-year-old cultishly adored Japanese choreographer’s dance plus light installation is an oxymoron: a performance of living. The title refers to a prediction of the Buddha before entering nirvana, about the perfection of an earthbound life, but it will also resonate with contemporary fans of anime and manga, where a Buddhist priest action hero goes by the name.

Given Teshigawara’s work, it’s no doubt a dazzling performance, and now I suppose there’s something for everyone in this post, the high and the low.