火の鳥

HI NO TORI

MANGA

STATUS
CANCELLED
VOLUMES
11
RELEASE
January 30, 1988
CHAPTERS
134

DESCRIPTION

"All things are born and all things die. That is the law of heaven." According to legend, the Bird of Fire called the Phoenix is the eternal spirit of life, death and rebirth. She oversees the cycle of reincarnation and the rising and falling of civilizations and species. Those who can obtain her blood will be granted eternal life, while to others she can grant infinite wisdom, or eternal suffering. Throughout history, from the dawn of civilization to the extinction of the human race, those human souls touched by the Phoenix have hunted her over and over in multiple reincarnations, and their actions in one life determine or reflect the sins and sufferings of other lifetimes.

(Source: AnimeNewsNetwork)

Note: This is an incomplete series due to Tezuka's death.

CAST

Gaou
Dr. Saruta
Masato Yamanobe
Rock Holmes
Hi no Tori

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO HI NO TORI

ANIME AdventureHi no Tori

MOVIE DramaHi no Tori: Houou-hen

OVA DramaHi no Tori: Uchuu-hen

OVA DramaHi no Tori: Yamato-hen

Cover Art for Hi no Tori: Dogo Onsen-hen

ONA Hi no Tori: Dogo Onsen-hen

MANGA DramaHi no Tori

MANGA AdventureHi no Tori

MANGA ActionTEAM PHOENIX

MANGA ComedyTezuka Gakuen

ONA DramaHi no Tori: Eden no Sora

MANGA ComedyOsamu no Kuni no Alice

REVIEWS

myvelouria
100/100
Osamu Tezuka's ode to life and the human condition.
This review is spoiler free.

Ever since I had discovered Osamu Tezuka during my high school years he has remained an unending source of fascination for me. The sheer amount of works he created, the way he helped shape genres as we see them today, it never ceases to impress me. With the recent success of MAPPA’s adaptation of “Dororo” it would appear that there is a renewed interest in his creations. For someone coming in for the first time I can imagine how overwhelming it must feel to see how many manga and anime he had done. Where does one begin? Many people would suggest series like “Black Jack” or even “Astro Boy”. For those looking for a more adult orientated manga a lot would recommend “Buddha” or “Adolf” as his best works. For me the answer is simple, I would direct someone to “Phoenix”. This is a manga that Tezuka considered to be his life’s work. He wrote it off and on from 1967 through 1988. It was created for the now defunct magazine COM which was geared at releasing manga that were considered more experimental. Among the people who have felt inspired by it is none other than Naoki Urasawa, who once said that it exposed him to the infinite potential manga carried as an art form. Upon visiting the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka guests are greeted by a statue of the Phoenix outside the building. Various stories within it have had anime adaptations, some of which were by acclaimed directors like Rintaro and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. While it may not have the same amount of name recognition in Western circles that “Astro Boy” carries, it is every bit a classic worthy of people’s attention.

The story to “Phoenix” is best described as an exploration of life, death, and man’s pursuit of greed. It is told in an episodic manner where each volume is a contained story. Tezuka takes readers from the past to the far future and back again with the Phoenix herself acting as the anchor that holds all the pieces together. These stories are Dawn, Future, Yamato, Space, Karma, Resurrection, Robe of Feathers, Nostalgia, Civil War, Life, Strange Beings, and Sun. When I first discovered the manga I had only wanted to read Future, which I loved. Recently I decided to return to it and read it in full and I was completely swept away. While in theory you can read the stories independently from each other, they are still intended to be read as pieces to a greater narrative. And when consumed as a collective whole it really leaves a strong impact. The final moments in Future become so much more resonant when you’ve already read Dawn. When you realize that the Phoenix has witnessed humanity making the same choices and mistakes through the years, yet still retains faith in their potential, it feels so powerful. Many stories involve humanity pursuing her for her blood in the hopes of obtaining immortality and many of them show how low people will sink to satiate their own selfish desires. Yet this isn’t a nihilistic manga. Tezuka very strongly believed in the dignity of life and explored it throughout his long career and “Phoenix” is the culmination of all of that. There are plenty of stories that tell a message about the value of life and it comes through as clichéd. Yet when Tezuka would do it everything felt so sincere. I believed it because he did.

Visually this is one of Tezuka’s most pleasing to look at works. This type of aesthetic isn’t common anymore, but I feel like there is so much charm to it. I have always loved his drawings and because this had been made across such a long period of time the reader gets to see how his aesthetic evolved. Someone might question if these designs could suit a premise like this, but it never feels at odds with the writing. He found a way to make it come together. The tone of the manga is something that maintains a great balance between satirical and dramatic. Some of the historical tales in particular have many comedic moments, but then he brings it back around to serious when he needed it to be. He would do this in other manga as well, “Buddha” and “Dororo” being great examples of this. But in “Phoenix” where you would think this changing tone and atmosphere could not work, it still does. It never reads as him failing to take the material seriously. If anything the occasional joke or parody comes across as him showing that there can still be a moment joy to be found even within a dark story. And the overall message he communicates through those stories shines through regardless of a few jokes. In “Phoenix” he explored themes of isolation, redemption, death, reincarnation, nationalism, the exploitation of religion, and corruption. Just as the story takes us to many locations and eras it also brings us many subjects to analyze. If you are somebody who’s impression of Osamu Tezuka is that of a man who strictly wrote for children with very simple themes I think “Phoenix” will come as a pleasant surprise and show you how far his work could go.

“Phoenix” is regrettably a project that Tezuka was unable to finish. The final story, Sun, was completed just a year before his passing in 1989. Many have speculated on where he was going to take it, but regardless what he left behind for us truly is worthy of being called his life’s work. His mentality behind the manga was to create something that told Japanese history in his way. He would take readers across time and to different worlds to experience his exploration of life and the human condition. And what he did with that concept is nothing short of spectacular. “Phoenix” is a manga that teaches the importance of life within the universe from the smallest organism to demons to aliens. It tells us that human life is not cheap. That to destroy life is a grave tragedy. But to prolong life beyond what nature intended can be a curse. That one’s actions in their life will have consequences for their descendants and future incarnations. It is a manga about how the cycle of life across time and space is a sacred force and that we should not think little of it. With this project Tezuka gave readers a manga who’s strength measures up to its incredible ambition. And while he couldn’t put a hold on his own passing, through his many works he has managed to resonate with readers far beyond his time. And he will continue to make that connection.
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nephilimk
100/100
A journey through time and space
Phoenix. It’s a 10. Let’s get that out of the way first. Moving on, Phoenix is a work written by the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka, over a span of 20+ years. It was regarded by him as his life’s work. And having read it, I can attest to it. I have had the privilege of reading many mangas from the master over his nearly 40 year career and was eagerly anticipating to have a go at this one. And boy it sure delivered. From start to finish, it was one of the most ambitious works I have had the pleasure to experience.

Set in a timeframe between the 3rd Century AD to the 35th century, the story consists of self-contained events in different periods of the timeframe. All of them are linked to each other through the Phoenix, a bird whose blood grants immortality. Several individuals over the years have tried to acquire the blood of this legendary bird to escape the cycle of life and death. An interesting premise, as we get to see different individuals trying to obtain the blood for different reasons. And this journey transforms them in ways they did not anticipate at the start.

Moving on to the world itself, most of the historical stories take place in Japan, with other parts of East Asia shown time and again. Stories have some historical or mythological references to it and having a basic understanding of them might give you a clear sense of what is happening. This however is not a mandatory requirement and is only meant to help with getting a sense of the political and social makeup of Japanese society at that point in time. His futuristic stories on the other hand take place in the vast canvas of space. And it is here that we are fully exposed to the creative genius of Tezuka. Although, I am not a big fan of the Sci-Fi genre, his stories were some of the best I’ve experienced, from what I’ve read. The ease with which he weaves back and forth between the future and past is truly phenomenal, with certain reincarnations of characters serving as guideposts in our journey.

The characters of Tezuka, while definitely not his greatest strength, are perfect for the world and themes he tries to bring out in his stories. You will not be blown over by the personality of his characters, but rather learn to empathise with their struggles to find meaning in their lives. And although it does suffer from one dimensional characters at times, Tezuka invests sufficient time to help us understand their motivations. Also, hat’s off to Saruta and his reincarnations. Seeing his reincarnations' different personalities and their struggles were a treat for the eyes. And I am not meaning it in a sadistic way.

The art of the series might put off potential readers due to its very dated style. Character designs at the start often remind you of the influence Disney had on him. But the fact that this was written over a 25 year span, enables us to see the growth he underwent as an artist. Some of his background art in later years were great to behold and really enhanced the immersion in the story. Another interesting thing that I noticed, was how the approach to panelling evolved over the years. It really gives you a sense of what worked in the industry at that time and how it adapted to demographic situation in Japan.

Now, to the juiciest part of the work, the themes. At its most fundamental level, Phoenix deals with themes of life, death and immortality. Characters try to break from the cycle of life and death through obtaining the blood of the Phoenix, only to realise the futility of it. Armed with this knowledge, they try to ensure their immortality’s through their deeds. This reminded me of the EPIC OF GILGAMESH (another fabulous work of fiction), which drives in the same themes. As in Buddha, Tezuka’s projection of the Karmic way of life and death struck a chord with me, as it is something that I find interesting to think about. Other dharmic concepts such as time and space, the illusion of the world only enhanced my immersion and love work this already great work. The statement, “In all ages, the deeds of men remain the same.”, reminded me of another one of my favourites. His handling of time and space especially is absolutely mind-boggling. People more used to linear progression of time might find themselves overwhelmed by his absolute disregard for it in Phoenix. Due to the fact that this does take over a large timeframe, we also get to observe Tezuka’s mastery of several genres like horror, sci-fi, history, romance, etc. His endings are appropriate for the stories, once again driving in the themes, rather than focusing on happy endings for his characters. I could keep on talking about this on and on, but that would end up sacrificing readability of this review.

It is also a great shame that the work was unfinished. Tezuka died before completing this work and therefore we have no idea how a potential ending might have been. But judging from what we got, it is possible to assume the ending being somewhere in the 20th century AD. Despite this, it doesn’t take anything away from the work, due to the fact that his stories are are self-contained.

I highly recommend this work. It is a display about what makes the Manga medium so great through the hands of one of its, if not biggest contributor. If you are looking for a work which combines the themes of the EPIC OF GILGAMESH, with MUSHISHI’s atmosphere and GINGA EIYUU DENSETSU’s ambitions, look no further.
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unimportantuser
100/100
Tezuka's lifes work in 12 books
This review will contain spoilers

Osamu Tezuka is a figure who I feel needs no introduction. Often labeled the god of manga, he’s made so much throughout his career, from Dororo, Astro Boy, Message to Adolf, Buddha & so many more. It’s safe to say this man created a legacy throughout his 60 year life. Today we’ll be looking at his manga called Phoenix. Phoenix was considered by Tezuka to be his life's work, originally beginning in 1956, getting cancelled shortly after, & rebooted in 1967. It ran for over 20 years but was tragically left unfinished due to Tezuka’s death in 1989. Without further ado, lets begin

Story:

Phoenix is an anthology series. The schtick with Phoenix is that the titular bird of fire lives on throughout generations & sees over all of life. Depending on the character who comes in contact with the Phoenix, they may suffer eternal damnation, gain knowledge, or earn her help. The Phoenix is the only glue that binds these stories together albeit very loosely as the stories don’t really reference one another & are largely self contained stories. What really makes this series shine is actually The Phoenix herself. The Phoenix is a very interesting character with a lot of wisdom to offer to not only the characters, but the reader. Because the Phoenix is immortal, she sees all of humanity’s growth & mistakes throughout generations. So she herself has gained much wisdom over the generations that she’s seen everything take place. Her philosophies are very interesting & honestly make me stop to think about what I’m reading in a way that no other manga can achieve.

The stories in Phoenix also don’t really suffer from being inconsistent (aside from 1 which I’ll address in a minute). Every story has something thought provoking to offer & the progression through all of them is tight. There is one story in Phoenix that I don’t really like though, it’s the 6th one Nostalgia. While Nostalgia does have interesting things going on in it, I felt the story was too long & I got bored reading it after awhile. While that might be a big dock, it honestly isn’t, because the rest of the stories in this anthology are so good that it makes up for Nostalgia being the one shortcoming in this Anthology. If I had to give a favorite story, it would be Sun, the last story of Phoenix. Sun takes place during both the past, & future. The way the 2 stories within go on at the same time in Sun, how they tie together, & how the past affects the future. It’s really intriguing & again tightly woven. Sun is an epic that takes place over 2 parts & not one page of it goes uninteresting, from beginning to end there’s something always happening & it’s great. All in all though, each story has something interesting & different to offer from one another so that the series never gets repetitive. Aside from Nostalgia, each story has the perfect length that these stories need in order to achieve what they’ve set out to do.

Art

The artwork in Phoenix is fantastic. It has that classic cartoony style Tezuka is known for but it’s used in a somewhat different way comparatively to his other works that I’ve read. The landscapes in Phoenix are drawn realistically when it’s panels of only the landscapes to really sell these worlds that Tezuka has crafted, they’re super detailed & the water in particular. The use of blacks to make the water look just, so good is jaw dropping. That classic Tezuka humor is used sparingly from time to time & the way Tezuka draws animals in not just this series but his other works gives off this classic Disney vibe, which makes sense given that Tezuka was very much influenced by classic Disney in more ways than one. The moments of the Phoenix herself leave one in a state of shock & awe. The way that Tezuka draws sparkles to give off this shiny illusion of the fire bird makes one go wow, & when the Phoenix is on screen it truly shows & it feels like a significant event every time no matter how little screen time (or I guess page time) the Phoenix herself actually has. The paneling & layout also needs to be complimented, one of my favorite things that Tezuka does is draw an image that he then displays over multiple panels. While this isn’t something that’s exclusive to Phoenix, the way in which Tezuka does it & how oftentimes gorgeous the art in question looks blows my mind every time. The layout itself is quite good, there’s not a ton of clutter & text/speech bubbles are placed well so as to not become over bearing & take up too much page space & become overbearing to read. One nitpick I can give Phoenix is that because of how heavy the concepts explored in this series are & how much goes into each of the stories Phoenix can be slightly taxing at times because of how much text needs to be read throughout the stories. On average it takes me about an hour to an hour & a half to read a volume of Phoenix, which does make sense seeing as Phoenix volumes are the stories themselves which are much longer than a typical manga volume no matter the demographic, genre, whatever. However I can’t really hold that against Phoenix too much because the stories are so rewarding to read & offer me many things to think about long after I’ve finished reading the story.

Characters

Phoenix being an Anthology series of long stories has quite the diverse & often times layered cast of characters. Many of the main characters in Phoenix have deep backstories, unfortunate circumstances, & clear but understandable goals that they want to work towards. I won’t go over every character in Phoenix because we’d be here all day, however I’ll list off 3 examples of characters & explain both them & how they contribute to the story at hand.
1. The Phoenix~My Favorite character in this series is the fire bird herself. I’ve already went over part of why I like her being the philosophies & concepts of life she talks about & all. So I won’t really be saying too much here. All I’ll have to do is reiterate that she always feels like a grand event to the stories whenever she shows up & she never has something dull to share. This fire bird can say things that get me thinking in ways that few, if any other manga can, & for that I have to put her on the list.
2. Gao~Gao I like more so for his role in the story. Gao is a one armed man who later on in his life becomes a criminal, his fate leads him to cross paths with another sculptor whom’s arm he took. Later on he finds himself against said sculptor. The story that this happens in “Karma” just so happens to be one of my favorite, & most memorable stories of Phoenix & Gao’s role, how Karma is structured & how everything just comes together in the end makes Gao one of the most memorable characters for me.
3.Sakon~Sakon is a female samurai who kills an innocent nun & then pays the consequences by dying in the same way repeatedly until the end of time & healing people till the end of time. What I find interesting about her is how she reacts to her fate once the Phoenix tells her about it. She's not happy about it but she accepts her fate & glady heals people until the end of time as a way of repenting for her sins. This is one of my favorite stories in Phoenix & Sakon is a big reason why.

So yeah, Phoenix has some fantastic characters. All are interesting, all contribute to the stories in some meaningful way, & every interaction with the Phoenix leads to an interesting conversation that gets the reader thinking.

Conclusion

Phoenix is a masterpiece & deserving of being one's life's work. Tezuka brought out all the stops from the intriguing dialogues, interesting worlds, strong story progression & structure, phenomenal artwork, making each story stand on its own. This is one of the best things I've ever read & I'm left here still thinking over these stories long after I've finished. I'm feeling a 10 with this one
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