Phoenix

Over the past while, I've been watching (and re-reading) Phoenix, a sprawling epic by that towering figuring of anime and manga, Osamu Tezuka. I'd read most of the manga a while ago, but I'd not seen any of the anime based on it. Phoenix concerns itself with some pretty lofty themes; birth, death, the meaning of life, mankind's place in the universe and the quest for immortality. The Phoenix is the classic fire bird that is reborn from the ashes, common to many mythologies both western and eastern - it's called Hi-no-Tori (bird of fire) in Japanese. Throughout the chronology of Phoenix, which spans eons, the birdappears many times. Oftentimes to advise people, influence the development of life, observe or comment on man's folly. It is also an object of desire for people throughout time, as it is said that drinking it's blood will give one immortality. As it turns out, those that do achieve this suffer the most of all. It's hard to pin down what the Phoenix represents, it refers to itself many times as a galactic spirit, other times as one aspect of the life force of the universe. In any case, it is instrumental at key points throughout history. Tezuka began work on Phoenix in the mid 60s and continued to write it up until his death in 1989. He had intended to tie all aspects of the story, past, present and future, in the final chapter - unfortunately it remained unfinished. Phoenix contained a lot of experimental artwork and themes that were very advanced for the time such as "Metropolis" and many other fantastic works. Any fan of anime should know this famous legend revered as the "god of Manga" is indisputably the father of all modern Japanese comics and animation. His artistry and powerful story telling brings inspiration to audiences and other mangaka's all over the world. This 13 episode series was one of the many itterations of ozamu tezuka's Hi no tori manga. This was directed by Ryousuke Takahashi and covers the Dawn, Resurrection, Strange Beings, Sun and Future chapters. Well this was a very impressive series for the most part, I felt that they took too many liberties with certain chapters. In some cases totally changing the setting and cutting out massive chunks of the story in order to fit things in. For this reason I was left with the impression that the latter half of the series was somewhat rushed, it would have worked better if they'd covered a smaller number of chapters in the same amount of episodes. (If you can some how find the manga, i would seriously recommend reading it as its the true spectacle of this classic masterpiece) All in all, this is a monumental series from one of the greats of anime and manga, "Tezuka" called it his "life's work". If you are up for something that will fascinate, amuse, surprise, shock and promote some interesting debate on the nature of existence, Phoenix is really worth a look.

My main qualm qith this series is that there are only 13 episodes, and only 5 of Osamu Tezuka's amazing stories are told through the course of the series. For fans of the manga, this may be a little disappointing. On the other hand, they may be impressed by the fluid animation, music and history used in the story arcs set in the past. The art for some can be trying. Tezuka's art style was largely inspired by old American cartoons, such as those produced by Disney, as well as Betty Boop among others, and the character designs reflect this.The 'futuristic' robots, computers and clothes may also seem very dated (think 'Lost in Space' dated). The art however does pay a lot of attention to detail, specifically medical diagrams, and the Ainu style designs on the clothes in one of the arcs particularly caught my attention. Story is hard to describe, since the series is made up of five distinct, but loosely conected stories. Elements found in all of the stories are the Phoenix, a mythical bird tied closely to the mysteries of life and it's blood is rumoured to grant immortality. Saruta is also present in all stories, leaving it up to the reader to decide whether the various Sarutas are decendants or reincarnations of the original Saruta from the first story. The stories also take place in many different eras, from the begining of time until the end of time. The stories also do not follow a specific formula, and while each involves the Phoenix, the Phoenix is not always centric to the action. Most if not all the stories contain themes of life, religion, death, love and nature to varying degrees, some of them focusing more on one theme than the others. As mentioned before, fans of the series may be disappointed that all of the stories from the manga were not animatied. The music in my own oppinion is amazing, particularly the opening theme, which is very flowing and uses orchestral arrangements. As great as it is, it does not overshodow the story, but rather ehnances it, and never seems awkward or clashes with the story or animation at any point. All music is appropriate to the scene. In some stories characters must develop quickly. Stories can take 1-5 episodes to complete, so some characters must develop faster than those in previous arcs. While some characters do follow old archetypes and are unfailably good while others are unredeemably evil, there are some who blur the lines, switching sides, or having morally complex motives. Props are also given to this retro anime for having female characters who fight alongside male characters. Again, female characters can fall into stereotypes, such as the damsel in distress and evil queen, quite a few are equal with their male counterparts in terms of strength, speed and intelligence. Child characters are often confined to minor roles, making these stories that focus on adults, but a few fiesty, strong and lovable kids manage to weasle their way into the limelight. I would recomend this particular title to a 13+ age group, especially for North American viewing. This is not because North American audiences are stupid, but there are references to Eastern Religions that young children may not understand, references to Japanese history, violence (such as a man being shot by arrows Boromier-style) and character death that may be upsetting to younger viewers. This is certainly a series recommended for Tezuka fans, fans of retro anime, fans of sci-fi anime and fans of historic anime.

The series impressed me in a way I wouldn't have imagined, at the same time giving me the chance to familiarize with Osamu Tezuka's work, to whom I feel deeply grateful, for the essential contribution he has made to the development of manga and anime as we know them today. Story: Tales of the old Japan alternate with tales of a far future, all of them following human destiny, whether they focus on the lives of particular individuals, the stories of specific communities, or humankind as a whole. I find brilliant this technique of alternating the past with future, because it illustrates both the wholenessof human history and its recurrence. Also, the topics approached in each story are an occasion to reflect about the fact that we, humans, are driven by illusions that we cannot escape from, generation after generation, risking to overlook what's really important and thus, missing the opportunity to bring a salutary change in us. What I find a bit lacking at the anime is the connection between the stories. The Hi no Tori manga, on which this series is based, contains 12 stories which are far better connected. Presenting only 5 of the stories in the anime, while also eliminating some of the details, the unity weakens. Although the characters, especially the Phoenix Bird, have a big contribution to building a bridge between the stories, they still feel rather independent than parts of a whole. Characters: The characters are very representative. Not only that they reflect the human nature so accurately, as being full of flaws, capricious and impassioned, or, on the contrary, prone to self sacrifice and mercy; but we will often notice that some characters from the future's stories have a high resemblance or a similar position with characters from the past tales, thus enabling us to better grasp the previously mentioned common element. The Phoenix Bird has the greatest contribution to this aspect, because in addition to appearing in all the stories, it fulfills two important roles to help understanding the anime's overall message: 1) Immortal creature, it highlights the passing of time; 2) Achieving a role of both witness and guide, through its interactions with other characters, it helps emphasize the ardent topics presented in the anime. Yet, if I should mention a shortfall of the characters, I would say they are not so engaging emotionally. Despite showing well defined personalities and expressing intense feelings, the characters are less appealing than the themes and ideas presented. Graphics/Animation: I particularly liked the diversity of the characters' design as you could easily tell, from only the way they were drawn, what kind of personalities they had. The beauty and charm of some of the heroines became so obvious through the shape, seize and glowing of their eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off them! The animation is also good, describing so well the moments of tension, the action or the emotion. I particularly liked the scene where the quiet night sea gradually became lit up by the torches of the fleet that was approaching; I was also impressed with the illustration of a swirling vortex connecting two different worlds. Soundtrack: The traditional Chinese music elements were very suitable for the general context and tone. Also the series' music highlighted pretty well the drama and pain presented in some of the scenes, thus amplifying their emotional impact.