An extraordinary, talented character that will no doubt be a fan favourite, the impoverished Tata embodies the playful and irreverent creativity typical of Tezuka. He is not only acrobatic and possesses an affinity with animals; he can also astrally project his soul into them and “become” them while his body lies silently nearby. A sort of “mini-Buddha” with all the right abilities but none of the right attitude, Tata is the archetypal orphan, who just cannot seem to escape the misfortune of everyone older than him dying. This was the case with his mother and sister early on, when he introduced Chapra to them promptly after stealing from him. But Budai carelessly sends his army rampaging across Tata’s village, prompting him to attempt revenge with his new friend.