PHOENIX: EDEN17

Another one of Osamu Tezuka's classics got a modern anime adaptation. The story in the chapters adapted for this anime was quite engaging and interesting, but the pacing felt somewhat off. Apparently, they also plan to release a movie version of this with an alternative ending, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that turns out. Although I liked the visuals, the background art was beautiful, and the character designs successfully captured the essence of the old animations. I would still recommend watching this, not only for its beauty but also because the story revolves around themes of loneliness, pain, suffering, and the journey towards hope.

I dont know the series looked promising when i saw the trailer and just even with reading the sinopsis i feel its gonna catch the interest of more than one person but after finishing this adaptation of the work "phoenix" from osamu tekuza i really think that wasnt really good. 4 episodes its just very little to narrate an compelling story, characters like romy who its the main character on the series and her realization or even her traveling to find the earth along the episodes is too superficial sure it has a couple of touching moments but even those lose a lot ofimpact and importance because the pacing is too fast, the same applies to others like george. I mean the overall idea and persona on the characters its there but are not employed at their fullest, this at least would need another 4 episodes more (if not more) to get an decent and well fleshed series on general. The settings are interestings and the only song we hear on the ending of each episode its beautiful although it worth to mention that really wasnt used properly on the last episode to being honest, they could add some montage at the end or some post-credits scene but instead went just rolling out credits after 5 seconds like all the previous episodes in a pretty shabby way (this due certaintly to the series being rushed in general). Its an drama with some sci-fi and the themes presents along the series are nice but cant avoid to say that i couldnt enjoy it a lot because the development on characters and story wise felt really hollow for the most, if you are interested on watch it give it a try you might appreciate some of the hopeful messages that are presents on the series, but its nothing to say outanding or good even. I havent read the original work in which this adaptation its based off but i feel that even then this does not make justice to the renow and popularity that has gained the original material.

I saw this film at the Animation Is Film (AIF) Festival in Los Angeles. There should be no spoilers in this review. I genuinely don't know how I feel about this film. I don't know much about the source material, but I can say that I left the theater somewhat confused on the overall meaning that was meant to be conveyed. I have no clear indication of what the general message of the film was, other than a critique of the human condition and that greed is a vice that will consume all. I say this very loosely, only because that is the only non-weird conclusionthat I can come to about this film. The film also suffers from pacing issues, as well as several themes feeling like they were shoehorned in for "emotional impact" but their presence in the film feels tacked on rather than incorporated into the story. There were several potentially interesting themes and events introduced that could have easily been expanded on to create a deeper sense of connection with the characters, but these all fall flat in how a lot of them fail to resolve, and a glaringly important event abruptly begins and resolves completely without the interference of the main cast. A questionable decision to take this facet of the story and neglect to elaborate on it, to be honest. I especially had mixed emotions when coming to terms with the general events that happened and the sequence they were happening in. A lot of the events in the story really felt like they were placed in there simply to solidify a fact as it happened, rather than feeling like the characters were experiencing their own lives. It felt like they were only placed in some of the scenarios they were in not because we're expecting them to learn about their situation, or about themselves, but rather they needed to be there or else the story wouldn't progress. It felt like a very linear and almost 3rd-person approach to storytelling that makes emotional impact fall flat because there are no emotional ties tying them to their quest to keep living and deal with their struggles. At the very least, I can admit that I am very interested in reading the source material, as this is my introduction to the series. It does a great job at making you want to see what the emotional depth was meant to feel like. I genuinely want to know more about the world, and as a person that adores the sci-fi genre I can easily say that I will make a conscious effort to find a means to experience the source material!

We experience the story through Romi’s perspective, and with the time jumps there are both emotionally impactful dramatic moments and others that feel rushed and not carefully written. The anime explores the theme of nostalgia and the failure to appreciate what you have in the present this reflects Romi’s mindset throughout her journey to Earth and back to Eden. As for the adaptation from the manga, it was disappointing. Many dramatic parts were removed to better suit general audience tastes, and even the adapted characters and themes were presented in a shallow way. The anime’s strength lies in its animation and visuals. The colors and designs werebeautiful. Although they didn’t follow Tezuka’s original art style, the new design worked well. It’s strange that the project is so short only four episodes. It might have been better as a film, but it seems the production had a limited budget. Overall, it’s a unique experience with a non-repetitive story. That’s the essence of Tezuka’s creativity he doesn’t scare away from strange ideas but instead refines them and turns them into something distinctive. ✧ ✧ ✧✧ ✧ ✧ نعيش القصة من منظور رومي، ومع التنقلات الزمنية، تتخللها لحظات درامية مؤثرة عاطفياً، وأخرى تبدو متسرعة وغير متقنة. يستكشف الأنمي موضوع الحنين إلى الماضي وعدم تقدير ما نملكه في الحاضر، وهذا يعكس حالة رومي النفسية طوال رحلتها إلى الأرض وعودتها إلى عدن. أما بالنسبة للاقتباس من المانغا، فقد كان مخيباً للآمال. حُذفت العديد من المشاهد الدرامية لتناسب أذواق الجمهور العام، وحتى الشخصيات والمواضيع المقتبسة عُرضت بشكل سطحي. تكمن قوة الأنمي في رسومه المتحركة ورسومه البصرية. كانت الألوان والتصاميم رائعة. ورغم أنها لم تتبع أسلوب تيزوكا الفني الأصلي، إلا أن التصميم الجديد كان جيدا. من الغريب أن يكون العمل قصيراً جداً، أربع حلقات فقط. ربما كان سيكون أفضل كفيلم، ولكن يبدو أن ميزانية الإنتاج كانت محدودة. عموماً، إنها تجربة فريدة بقصة غير متكررة. هذا هو جوهر إبداع تيزوكا؛ فهو لا يتجنب الأفكار الغريبة بل يصقلها ويحولها إلى شيء مميز.