.gif)
Phoenix (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series by Osamu Tezuka
. Tezuka considered Phoenix his "life's work"; it consists of 12 books, each of which tells a separate, self-contained story and takes place in a different era
. The plots go back and forth from the remote future (science fiction) to prehistoric times. The cycle remains unfinished after Tezuka's death. Several of the stories have been adapted into anime
series and OVAs, and even a live-action movie. As of 2007, the entire manga series is available in English-language translations.
. Each story generally involves a search for immortality
, embodied by the blood of the eponymous bird of fire
, which, as drawn by Tezuka, resembles the Fenghuang
. The blood is believed to grant eternal life, but immortality in Phoenix is either unobtainable or a terrible curse, whereas Buddhist-style reincarnation is presented as the natural path of life.
The stories spring back and forth through time; the first, Dawn, takes place in ancient times, and the second, Future, takes place in the far future. Subsequent stories alternate between past and future, allowing Tezuka to explore his themes in both historical and science fiction
settings. Throughout the stories there are various recurring characters, some from Tezuka's famous star system
. A character named Saruta
appears repeatedly, for example, in the form of various ancestors and descendants, all of whom endure harsh trials in their respective eras.
Tezuka began work on a preliminary version of Phoenix in 1954, and the series continued in various forms until his death in 1989. As it progresses, the stories seem to be converging on the present day. Scholar and translator Frederik L. Schodt
, who knew Tezuka in life, wrote that he fantasized about a secret ending, "waiting in a safe somewhere to be revealed posthumously." This was not the case, and Tezuka's final intentions with Phoenix remain unknown, although its episodic
nature leaves each volume highly accessible nonetheless.
Many of the Phoenix stories feature intensely experimental layout and visual design. For example, Universe tells the story of four spacefarers who are forced to leave their spaceship in separate escape pods. The panels of the story are organized such that each character has his own vertical or horizontal tier on the page, emphasizing the astronauts' isolation; the tiers combine and separate as characters join together and split up. In an astonishing sequence after one character's death, he is represented for a number of pages by a series of empty black panels.
Tezuka was said to have been influenced to create the series after listening to the music of Igor Stravinsky
. He also told that he created the image of Phoenix as he was impressed by Firebird from the Konyok Gorbunok
animation film (Soyuzmultfilm
studio), directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano
.
. The serialization of Phoenix would continue throughout his career, moving to Manga Shōnen
after COMs closure in the mid-70s. The final volume, Sun, was serialized in The Wild Age.
Dawn
Future
Yamato
Universe
Hō-ō
Resurrection
Robe of Feathers
Nostalgia
Turbulent Times
Life
Strange Beings
Sun
Early Works
. The best-known feature film, Phoenix 2772
, loosely adapts elements from various Phoenix volumes and other Tezuka works. Two OVAs and an animated movie were released in the late 1980s. A 13-episode TV adaptation also aired in 2004 in Japan, and is being released in English in October 2007 by Anime Works
.
A live-action film entitled Hi no Tori, based on the Dawn storyline, directed by Kon Ichikawa
and including some animated sequences directed by Tezuka, was released in 1978. The cast includes Tomisaburo Wakayama
and Tatsuya Nakadai
. It was released in the United States on VHS
by Video Action under the cover title The Phoenix (Hinotori) in 1982, using a subtitled print, letterboxed only in the split-screen sequence. To date, the film is available on DVD only in Spain
, where it is titled Fénix. The film was a financial failure at home and abroad. The film includes a brief appearance by Astro Boy
, substituting for another character to illustrate his attempts to get on a horse. The score was co-composed by Michel Legrand
and Jun Fukamachi. Hi no Tori on IMDb.
A MSX
adaptation of Karma was created by Konami
http://www.funet.fi/pub/msx/photos/gamecovers/Hinotori_-Konami-.jpg. The Phoenix also makes a cameo appearance in the 2003 Astro Boy series and 2004 Astro Boy: Omega Factor
game for the Nintendo
Game Boy Advance
, along with a number of other Tezuka characters.
The Viz editions are released "flipped" (the original right-to-left orientation is reversed for easier reading in English). Some of the shorter stories have been consolidated into one book (based on the Japanese publication), and Troubled Times has been split across two; this results in each Viz book having a similar page count.
Vol. 1 - Dawn
Vol. 2 - A Tale of the Future / Future
Vol. 3 - Yamato / Space
Vol. 4 - Karma
Vol. 5 - Resurrection
Vol. 6 - Nostalgia
Vol. 7 - Civil War, Part 1
Vol. 8 - Civil War, Part 2 / Robe of Feathers
Vol. 9 - Strange Beings / Life
Vol. 10 - Sun, Part 1
Vol. 11 - Sun, Part 2
Vol. 12- Early Works
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
. Tezuka considered Phoenix his "life's work"; it consists of 12 books, each of which tells a separate, self-contained story and takes place in a different era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
. The plots go back and forth from the remote future (science fiction) to prehistoric times. The cycle remains unfinished after Tezuka's death. Several of the stories have been adapted into anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series and OVAs, and even a live-action movie. As of 2007, the entire manga series is available in English-language translations.
Overview
Phoenix is about reincarnationReincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
. Each story generally involves a search for immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
, embodied by the blood of the eponymous bird of fire
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
, which, as drawn by Tezuka, resembles the Fenghuang
Fenghuang
Fenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...
. The blood is believed to grant eternal life, but immortality in Phoenix is either unobtainable or a terrible curse, whereas Buddhist-style reincarnation is presented as the natural path of life.
The stories spring back and forth through time; the first, Dawn, takes place in ancient times, and the second, Future, takes place in the far future. Subsequent stories alternate between past and future, allowing Tezuka to explore his themes in both historical and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
settings. Throughout the stories there are various recurring characters, some from Tezuka's famous star system
Osamu Tezuka's Star System
Over the course of his career, Osamu Tezuka reused the same characters in different roles in different stories. The way that Tezuka used the characters in his "star system" can be seen as somewhat analoguous to a film director frequently casting members of a regular "stable" of actors in different...
. A character named Saruta
Sarutahiko Okami
Sarutahiko Ōkami , is a kami, a deity of the Japanese religion of Shinto.Sarutahiko Ōkami is a powerful guardian kami who is enshrined at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture, first among the 2,000 shrines of Sarutahiko Ōkami and Sarutahiko Jinja in Ise and Ōasahiko Shrine in Tokushima Prefecture...
appears repeatedly, for example, in the form of various ancestors and descendants, all of whom endure harsh trials in their respective eras.
Tezuka began work on a preliminary version of Phoenix in 1954, and the series continued in various forms until his death in 1989. As it progresses, the stories seem to be converging on the present day. Scholar and translator Frederik L. Schodt
Frederik L. Schodt
Frederik L. Schodt is an American translator, interpreter and writer.Schodt's father was in the US foreign service, and he grew up in Norway, Australia, and Japan. The family first went to Japan in 1965 when Schodt was fifteen. They left in 1967 but Schodt remained to graduate from Tokyo's American...
, who knew Tezuka in life, wrote that he fantasized about a secret ending, "waiting in a safe somewhere to be revealed posthumously." This was not the case, and Tezuka's final intentions with Phoenix remain unknown, although its episodic
Episodic
Episodic can refer to* The nature of television series that are divided into short programs. See Episode* Episodic memory relates to the types of memory that result from specific incidents in a lifetime...
nature leaves each volume highly accessible nonetheless.
Many of the Phoenix stories feature intensely experimental layout and visual design. For example, Universe tells the story of four spacefarers who are forced to leave their spaceship in separate escape pods. The panels of the story are organized such that each character has his own vertical or horizontal tier on the page, emphasizing the astronauts' isolation; the tiers combine and separate as characters join together and split up. In an astonishing sequence after one character's death, he is represented for a number of pages by a series of empty black panels.
Tezuka was said to have been influenced to create the series after listening to the music of Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
. He also told that he created the image of Phoenix as he was impressed by Firebird from the Konyok Gorbunok
The Humpbacked Horse (film)
The Humpbacked Horse is a 1947 Soviet/Russian traditionally-animated feature film directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano and produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. The film is based on the poem by Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov, and because of this everyone in the film speaks in rhymes...
animation film (Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm is a Russian animation studio based in Moscow. Over the years it has gained international attention and respect, garnering numerous awards both at home and abroad. Noted for a great variety of style, it is regarded as the most influential animation studio of the former Soviet Union...
studio), directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano
Ivan Ivanov-Vano
Ivan Pyetrovich Ivanov-Vano was a Soviet animator and Russian animation director, sometimes called the "Patriarch of Soviet animation"....
.
Volumes
After several aborted attempts at a first chapter in the 1950s, Tezuka began Dawn in 1967, serialized in COMCOM (manga magazine)
was a manga magazine started in January 1967 by Osamu Tezuka. It was started in response to the success of Garo , and as a way for Tezuka and other artists to showcase more avant-garde and experimental works in manga...
. The serialization of Phoenix would continue throughout his career, moving to Manga Shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
after COMs closure in the mid-70s. The final volume, Sun, was serialized in The Wild Age.
Dawn
- (黎明編 reimei-hen) The first volume, originally serialized in 1967. This story takes place in 240-270 AD, in the era of Queen Himiko of the YamataikokuYamataikokuor is the Sino-Japanese name of an ancient country in Wa during the late Yayoi period . The Chinese history Sanguo Zhi first recorded Yemetaiguo or Yemayiguo as the domain of shaman Queen Himiko...
. Using her army, led by feudal general SarutahikoSarutahiko OkamiSarutahiko Ōkami , is a kami, a deity of the Japanese religion of Shinto.Sarutahiko Ōkami is a powerful guardian kami who is enshrined at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture, first among the 2,000 shrines of Sarutahiko Ōkami and Sarutahiko Jinja in Ise and Ōasahiko Shrine in Tokushima Prefecture...
, to invade Japan, she seeks the Phoenix and eternal youth.
Future
- (未来編 mirai-hen) The second volume, originally serialized in 1967-68. In Phoenixs chronologyChronologyChronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
, this is the final story; it takes place near the end of mankind. In 3404 AD, the world has become super-modernized, but humanity has reached its peak and shows decline. A young man named Masato Yamanobe is living with his girlfriend, Tamami, a shapeshiftingShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
alienExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
. Pursued by Masato's boss, Rock, they eventually take shelter at the isolated base of mad scientistMad scientistA mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
Dr. Saruta, who attempts to preserve life on Earth with the assistance of his robot, RobitaRobitaRobita is a fictional character, a robot who appears in Osamu Tezuka's manga series Phoenix. It is also a character in the modern Astro Boy animated series.-Phoenix:...
. Eventually, nuclear warNuclear warfareNuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
breaks out.
Yamato
- (ヤマト編 yamato-hen) The third volume, originally serialized in 1968-69. This story takes place in 320-350 AD (KofunKofunKofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. They gave their name to the Kofun period . Many of the Kofun have a distinctive keyhole-shaped mound , unique to ancient Japan...
period), and is based on the Yamato-takeru-no-mikotoYamato Takeru, originally Prince Ousu was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
legend. The decadent king of YamatoYamato Provincewas a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
is trying to have his own version of Japan's history written. Meanwhile, a "barbarian" tribe, the Kumaso, is writing an unbiased history. The king of Yamato sends his youngest son, Oguna, to murder the barbarian chief, Takeru. On his journey, Oguna encounters the Phoenix.
Universe
- (宇宙編 uchū-hen) The fourth volume, originally serialized in 1969; also known as Space. The story takes place in 2577 AD, where four astronauts must escape their ruined spaceship in escape pods. The survivors eventually crash into a mysterious planet. Among them is Saruta, who contends with Makimura for the heart of their female companion, Nana. On this strange planet, they eventually meet the Phoenix.
Hō-ō
- (鳳凰編 hō-ōFenghuangFenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...
-hen) The fifth volume, originally serialized in 1969-1970. The story occurs in 720-752 AD. (the period in which the Daibutsu of Todaiji was built), during the Nara periodNara periodThe of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
. One-eyed and one-armed young man Gao, an ancestor of Saruta, turns into a murderous bandit when he is rejected by his village. He attacks a sculptor, Akanemaru, and the two men's paths diverge, but their fates remain linked. Akanemaru becomes obsessed with the Phoenix to the point that he loses sight of his original dreams, while Gao eventually finds a state of grace despite his continuing hardships. Ho-ō is widely considered the masterpiece of the Phoenix series. This became the basis of a FamicomNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game, in which Gao is the playable character.
Resurrection
- (復活編 fukkatsu-hen) The sixth volume, originally serialized in 1970-1971. The story takes place in 2482-3344 AD. In an age of robotics, technology and science, young Leon dies in a car accident. He is returned to life by scientific surgery, but his now mostly-artificial brain makes him see living things -- including humans -- as distorted clay figures, while he sees machines and robots as beauties. Leon falls in love with a worker robot, Chihiro, whom he sees as a beautiful girl, and will fight for this forbidden love. He will also find out the secret behind his accident. A side plot features the robot RobitaRobitaRobita is a fictional character, a robot who appears in Osamu Tezuka's manga series Phoenix. It is also a character in the modern Astro Boy animated series.-Phoenix:...
, who previously appeared in Future.
- The section is referenced by the erogeErogeAn or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
, Saya no UtaSaya no Utais a visual novel by Nitroplus with horror elements. The original plot is written by Gen Urobuchi.Like Nitroplus' heavily Mythos-inspired Demonbane series, Saya no Uta's plot is somewhat Lovecraftian...
.
Robe of Feathers
- (羽衣編 hagoromo-hen) Serialized in COM, 1971. Published in English by Viz as an appendix to the second volume of Civil War (Turbulent Times). Based on the story of the HagoromoHagoromo (play)is among the most-performed Japanese Noh plays. It is an example of the traditional swan maiden motif.-Sources and history:The earliest recorded version of the legend dates to the eighth century. The play however apparently combines two legends, one concerning the origins of the Suruga Dance and...
.
Nostalgia
- (望郷編 bōkyō-hen) Published in COM, 1971; continued in Manga Shōnen, 1976-1978. A science fiction epic about the rise & fall of civilization on the deceptively named desert planet of Eden & one boy's universe-spanning search for the planet of his ancestors: Earth. Features numerous cameos from other Science-fiction based Phoenix stories, including the shape-shifting alien "Moopies" first seen in Future, Makimura from Universe & an early model Chihiro Robot from Resurrection.
Turbulent Times
- (乱世編 ranse-hen) Published in Manga Shōnen, 1978-1980. The story is about a woodcutter named Benta and his childhood sweetheart, Obu, who are separated and caught up in the events of the Genpei WarGenpei WarThe was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
. Various historical figures, such as Taira no KiyomoriTaira no Kiyomoriwas a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
, appear as major and minor characters. The character of Gao (from Ho-ō) appears as a 400-year-old hermit.
- The Viz (English) edition is entitled Civil War and is split into two volumes, with Robe of Feathers included as an appendix to the second volume.
Life
- (生命編 seimei-hen) Published in Manga Shōnen, 1980. A TV producer who attempts to procure human clonesClonesClones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
to use in a The Most Dangerous GameThe Most Dangerous Game"The Most Dangerous Game", also published as "The Hounds of Zaroff", is a short story by Richard Connell. It was published in Collier's Weekly on January 19, 1924....
-style reality TV program learns the error of his ways when he is mistaken for a clone himself. This episode is notable for only featuring the Phoenix in flashbacks and also for introducing her half-human daughter who does not appear again after this episode.
Strange Beings
- (異形編 igyō-hen) Published in Manga Shōnen, 1981. The story of a female samurai who is imprisoned in a time-warp by the Phoenix as punishment for her sins along with her faithful retainer & forced to become a healer treating the victims of wars from all over time and space including humans, youkai and various extraterrestrials. This chapter was loosely based on the Hyakki YakōHyakki Yakothumb|300px|"Hyakki Yakō" by [[Kawanabe Kyōsai]], collected in [[British Museum]]Hyakki Yakō was a Japanese folk belief. The belief holds that every year yōkai, the Japanese supernatural beings, will take to the streets during summer nights. Anyone who comes across the procession will die, unless...
emakimonoEmakimono, often simply called , is a horizontal, illustrated narrative form created during the 11th to 16th centuries in Japan. Emakimono combines both text and pictures, and is drawn, painted, or stamped on a handscroll...
by the famous Japanese artist Tosa MitsunobuTosa Mitsunobuwas a Japanese painter, the founder of the Tosa school of Japanese painting. Born into a family that had traditionally served as painters to the Imperial court, he was head of the court painting bureau from 1493 to 1496. In 1518 he was appointed chief artist to the Ashikaga shogunates.- External...
(although in the context of the story it's the complete reverse).
Sun
- (太陽編 taiyō-hen) Published in The Wild Age, 1986-1988. This is the longest story, and was the final volume completed before Tezuka's death. It centres around Harima, a young Korean soldier from the Baekje Kingdom whose head is replaced with that of a wolf by Tang DynastyTang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
soldiers following the defeat of the joint Baekje-Yamato force at the Battle of BaekgangBattle of BaekgangThe Battle of Baekgang, also known as Battle of Baekgang-gu or by the Japanese name Battle of Hakusukinoe , was a battle between Baekje restoration forces and their ally, Yamato Japan, against the allied forces of Silla and the Tang Dynasty of ancient China...
. He then escapes to Japan where he becomes the feudal lord Inukami and becomes caught in the middle of the Jinshin WarJinshin WarThe was a succession dispute in Japan which broke out in 672 following the death of Emperor Tenji. The name refers to the jinshin or ninth year of the sixty-year Jikkan Jūnishi calendrical cycle, corresponding to the Western year 673....
, as well as joining a greater battle between supernatural forces and time-travelling to a bleak future world ruled by a theocracy that claim to have captured the Phoenix. This chapter stands in stark contrast to the earlier historical Phoenix stories, which tended to de-mythologize the mythical characters therein, for instance in Dawn, many ShintoShintoor Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
gods are portrayed as mere humans. In this chapter, however, various Youkai, Oni, TenguTenguare a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami...
and other mythical creatures are shown fighting against BodhisattvaBodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
.
Early Works
- Covers the prototype version of the series from the 1950s.
Adaptations
Several volumes of Phoenix were adapted into animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. The best-known feature film, Phoenix 2772
Phoenix 2772
is an animated feature film directed by Taku Sugiyama and co-scripted by Osamu Tezuka, based on his manga series Hi no Tori. It was then released in the UK in 1980 under the title Space Firebird, and later in the United States in 1983, shortened to 79 minutes and dubbed by British voice-actors...
, loosely adapts elements from various Phoenix volumes and other Tezuka works. Two OVAs and an animated movie were released in the late 1980s. A 13-episode TV adaptation also aired in 2004 in Japan, and is being released in English in October 2007 by Anime Works
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
.
A live-action film entitled Hi no Tori, based on the Dawn storyline, directed by Kon Ichikawa
Kon Ichikawa
was a Japanese film director.-Early life and career:Ichikawa was born in Ise, Mie Prefecture. In the 1930s Ichikawa attended a technical school in Osaka. Upon graduation, in 1933, he found a job with a local rental film studio, J.O. Studio, in their animation department...
and including some animated sequences directed by Tezuka, was released in 1978. The cast includes Tomisaburo Wakayama
Tomisaburo Wakayama
, born Masaru Okumura, was a Japanese actor, best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling, 17th century ronin warrior in the six Lone Wolf and Cub samurai movies.-Biography:...
and Tatsuya Nakadai
Tatsuya Nakadai
is a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s...
. It was released in the United States on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by Video Action under the cover title The Phoenix (Hinotori) in 1982, using a subtitled print, letterboxed only in the split-screen sequence. To date, the film is available on DVD only in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where it is titled Fénix. The film was a financial failure at home and abroad. The film includes a brief appearance by Astro Boy
Astro Boy (character)
is a fictional character, and the main protagonist of the Astro Boy franchise. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the character was introduced in the 1951 Captain Atom manga...
, substituting for another character to illustrate his attempts to get on a horse. The score was co-composed by Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
and Jun Fukamachi. Hi no Tori on IMDb.
A MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
adaptation of Karma was created by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
http://www.funet.fi/pub/msx/photos/gamecovers/Hinotori_-Konami-.jpg. The Phoenix also makes a cameo appearance in the 2003 Astro Boy series and 2004 Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
is a beat 'em up video game developed by Treasure Co. Ltd and Hitmaker, and published by Sega. The game was released for the Game Boy Advance console on December 18, 2003 in Japan; August 18, 2004 in North America; and February 18, 2005 in Europe. The game is based on Osamu Tezuka's manga and anime...
game for the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, along with a number of other Tezuka characters.
English edition
Phoenix is published in English by Viz Communications. Although the second volume was initially published by the now defunct Pulp manga anthology in a larger edition, Viz took over the rest of the manga series, and re-released the second volume. At the time, Frederik Schodt had only translated 4-5 of the books, and was still working on the remainder of the series. Viz completed the series in March 2008. It has been criticized for being a dumbing-down, including overlapping artwork with unnecessary new narration, and altering character names (such as Sarutahaiko to Saruta) to make their reincarnations more obvious to the reader. However, Tezuka was known to update his manga every few years; so the U.S. version could reflect the last known edition of the series.The Viz editions are released "flipped" (the original right-to-left orientation is reversed for easier reading in English). Some of the shorter stories have been consolidated into one book (based on the Japanese publication), and Troubled Times has been split across two; this results in each Viz book having a similar page count.
Volumes in English
- Released March 2003.
Vol. 2 - A Tale of the Future / Future
- This volume was released first, in May 2002, as a stand-alone graphic novel; Dawn was released a year later, as Vol. 1, followed by the rest of the series. A Tale of the Future was initially released in a larger size; the series releases, starting with Dawn, are digest-sized. A Tale of the Future was reprinted in the smaller size in 2004, titled Future, with Vol. 2 appended to the title.
Vol. 3 - Yamato / Space
- Collects Yamato and Space in one book; released November 2003.
Vol. 4 - Karma
- Originally titled Ho-ō; released May 2004. Listed at #2 in Time Magazine's "Best Comix of 2004".
Vol. 5 - Resurrection
- Released December 14, 2004.
Vol. 6 - Nostalgia
- Released March 26, 2006.
Vol. 7 - Civil War, Part 1
- Originally titled Troubled Times, and here split into two books; the first was released June 13, 2006.
Vol. 8 - Civil War, Part 2 / Robe of Feathers
- Collects the ending of Troubled Times, and includes Robe of Feathers; released September 12, 2006.
Vol. 9 - Strange Beings / Life
- Collects Strange Beings and Life in one book; released December 19, 2006.
Vol. 10 - Sun, Part 1
- Released March 20, 2007.
Vol. 11 - Sun, Part 2
- Released September 18, 2007.
Vol. 12- Early Works
- Released March 18, 2008.
See also
- List of Osamu Tezuka anime
- List of Osamu Tezuka manga
- Osamu TezukaOsamu Tezukawas a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
- Osamu Tezuka's Star SystemOsamu Tezuka's Star SystemOver the course of his career, Osamu Tezuka reused the same characters in different roles in different stories. The way that Tezuka used the characters in his "star system" can be seen as somewhat analoguous to a film director frequently casting members of a regular "stable" of actors in different...
- Phoenix 2772Phoenix 2772is an animated feature film directed by Taku Sugiyama and co-scripted by Osamu Tezuka, based on his manga series Hi no Tori. It was then released in the UK in 1980 under the title Space Firebird, and later in the United States in 1983, shortened to 79 minutes and dubbed by British voice-actors...
External links
- Tezuka Osamu @World, Tezuka's official site (in Japanese and English)
- Official Phoenix Page at publisher VIZ Media, LLC
- Animerica review