is an
unfinished
Unfinished may refer to:
*Unfinished creative work, a work which a creator either chose not to finish or was prevented from finishing.
Music
* Symphony No. 8 (Schubert) "Unfinished"
* ''Unfinished'' (album), 2011 album by American singer Jor ...
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series written and illustrated by
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
. 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
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
. The plots go back and forth from the remote future to prehistoric times. The story was never completed, having been cut short by Tezuka's death in 1989.
Several of the stories have been adapted into
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series and
OVAs
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
, and a
live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
film. As of 2007, the entire manga series is available in English-language translations.
Overview
''Phoenix'' is about
reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
. Each story generally involves a search for
immortality
Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality.
Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
, embodied by the blood of the eponymous
bird of fire, which, as drawn by Tezuka, resembles the ''
Fenghuang
''Fènghuáng'' (, ) are mythological birds found in Sinospheric mythology that reign over all other birds. The males were originally called ''fèng'' and the females ''huáng'', but such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and ...
''. The blood is believed to grant eternal life, but immortality in ''Phoenix'' is either unobtainable or a terrible curse, whereas
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
-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 the past and future, allowing Tezuka to explore his themes in both
historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
and
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
settings. Throughout the stories there are various
recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...
s, some from Tezuka's famous
star system
A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large group of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a '' star cluster'' or '' galaxy'', although, broadly speak ...
. 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 seemed to be converging on the present day. Due to Tezuka dying before the manga's completion, it is not known how this would have played out. Scholar and translator
Frederik L. Schodt
Frederik L. Schodt (born January 22, 1950) is an American translator, interpreter and writer.
Biography
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 wh ...
, 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; its
episodic nature leaves each volume highly accessible nonetheless. Many of the ''Phoenix'' stories feature an 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 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
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
of
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...
. He also told that he created the image of Phoenix as he was impressed by the
Firebird
Firebird and fire bird may refer to:
Mythical birds
* Phoenix (mythology), sacred firebird found in the mythologies of many cultures
* Bennu, Egyptian firebird
* Huma bird, Persian firebird
* Firebird (Slavic folklore)
Bird species
''Various sp ...
in director
Ivan Ivanov-Vano
Ivan Petrovich Ivanov-Vano (russian: Иван Петрович Иванов-Вано; – 25 March 1987), born Ivanov, was a Soviet and Russian animation director, animator, screenwriter, educator, professor at Gerasimov Institute of Cinematog ...
's animation film ''
Konyok Gorbunok'' (
Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm ( rus, Союзмультфи́льм, p=səˌjʉsmʊlʲtˈfʲilʲm , ''Union Cartoon'') (also known as SMF Animation Studio in English, Formerly known as Soyuzdetmultfilm) is a Russian animation studio based in Moscow. Launched in ...
studio).
Arcs
After several aborted attempts at a first chapter in the 1950s published in the magazine ''
Manga Shōnen
was a monthly manga magazine published by Gakudōsha between December 1947 and October 1955. The magazine was important in forming and promoting shōnen manga in post-war Japan.
Legacy
The magazine was first published on 20 December 1947.
...
'',
Tezuka began ''Dawn'' in 1967, serialized in ''
COM
Com or COM may refer to:
Computing
* COM (hardware interface), a serial port interface on IBM PC-compatible computers
* COM file, or .com file, short for "command", a file extension for an executable file in MS-DOS
* .com, an Internet top-level d ...
''.
The serialization of ''Phoenix'' would continue throughout his career, moving to ''Manga Shōnen'' after ''COM''
's closure in the mid-70s. The final volume, ''Sun'', was serialized in ''The Wild Age''.
;
:The first volume, originally serialized in 1967. This story took place in 240–70 AD, in the era of Queen
Himiko
, also known as , was a shamaness-queen of Yamatai-koku in . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom (220–265) and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler fo ...
of the
Yamatai
Yamatai or Yamatai-koku is the Sino-Japanese name of an ancient country in Wa (Japan) during the late Yayoi period The Chinese text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' first recorded the name as () or (; using reconstructed Middle Chinese p ...
. Using her army, led by feudal general
Sarutahiko, to invade the
Kumaso
The were a mythical people of ancient Japan mentioned in the '' Kojiki'', believed to have lived in the south of Kyūshū until at least the Nara period. The last leader of the Kumaso, Torishi-Kaya was killed by Yamato Takeru in 397. The name o ...
, she seeks the Phoenix and eternal youth.
;
:The second volume, originally serialized in 1967–68. In ''Phoenixs
chronology
Chronology (from Latin ''chronologia'', from Ancient Greek , ''chrónos'', "time"; and , '' -logia'') is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time. Consider, for example, the use of a timeline or sequence of events. I ...
, this is the final story chronologically; taking place near the end of mankind. In 3404, 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
shapeshifting
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, Magic (paranormal), sorcery, Incantation, ...
alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
. Pursued by Masato's boss,
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, they eventually take shelter at the isolated base of
mad scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...
Dr. Saruta, who attempts to preserve life on Earth with the assistance of his robot,
Robita. Eventually,
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear w ...
breaks out.
;
:The third volume, originally serialized in 1968–69. This story took place in 320–50 (
Kofun
are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』 ...
period), and is based on the ''
Yamato-takeru-no-mikoto'' legend. The decadent king of
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
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.
;
:The fourth volume, originally serialized in 1969; also known as ''Space''. The story took 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.
;
:The fifth volume, originally serialized in 1969–1970. The story occurred in 720–752 AD (the period in which the
Daibutsu
or 'giant Buddha' is the Japanese language, Japanese term, often used informally, for large Japanese sculpture, statues of List of Buddhas, Buddha. The oldest is that at Asuka-dera (609) and the best-known is that at Tōdai-ji in Nara, Nara, Nar ...
of
Tōdai-ji
is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year ...
was built), during the
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...
. 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. ''Hō-ō'' is widely considered the masterpiece of the ''Phoenix'' series.
MSX and
Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
video games, both developed by
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
, were based on this volume. The
Viz (English) edition is entitled "''Karma''".
;
:The sixth volume, originally serialized in 1970–1971. The story took 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 would fight for this forbidden love. He would also find out the secret behind his accident. A side plot features the robot
Robita, who previously appeared in ''Future''.
;
: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
Hagoromo.
;
:Published in ''COM'', 1971; continued in ''Manga Shōnen'', 1976–1978. A science fiction epic about the rise and fall of civilization on the deceptively named desert planet of Eden; and 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 shapeshifting alien "Moopies" first seen in ''Future'', Makimura from ''Universe'' and an early model of the Chihiro robot from ''Resurrection''.
Black Jack
Blackjack is a popular casino-gambling card game.
Black Jack or Blackjack may also refer to:
Places
Australia
* Black Jack, Queensland, a locality in Queensland
* Black Jack, a civil parish of Pottinger County, New South Wales
* Black Jack H ...
also made an appearance here, under a different name.
;
: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 War
The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...
. Various historical figures, such as
Taira no Kiyomori
was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.
Early life
Kiyomori was born in Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first so ...
, appear as major and minor characters. Although the character of Gao (from ''Ho-ō'') appears as a 400-year-old hermit and thus links ''Ranse-hen'' to the rest of the series, this particular arc stands out for its much more naturalistic approach, with next to no fantasy elements in it (except for those used for comedic effect, such as telephones in the 12th century). 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.
;
:Published in ''Manga Shōnen'', 1980. A TV producer who attempts to procure human
clones
Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to:
Places
* Clones, County Fermanagh
* Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland
Biology
* Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
to use in a ''
The Most Dangerous Game
"The Most Dangerous Game", also published as "The Hounds of Zaroff", is a short story by Richard Connell, first published in ''Collier's'' on January 19, 1924, with illustrations by Wilmot Emerton Heitland. The story features a big-game hunter ...
''-style
reality TV
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
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.
;
:Published in ''Manga Shōnen'', 1981. The story of a female Buddhist nun (
bhikkhuni) who is imprisoned in a time-warp by the Phoenix as punishment for her sins along with her faithful retainer and is 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 Yakō emakimono
or is an illustrated horizontal narration system of painted handscrolls that dates back to Nara-period (710–794 CE) Japan. Initially copying their much older Chinese counterparts in style, during the succeeding Heian (794–1185) and Kamak ...
by the famous Japanese artist
Tosa Mitsunobu
was 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 appointe ...
(although in the context of the story it's the complete opposite).
;
:Published in ''The Wild Age'', 1986–88. This is the longest story, and was the final volume completed before Tezuka's death. It centers on Harima, a young
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
soldier from the
Baekje Kingdom
Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jumon ...
whose head is replaced with that of a wolf by
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
soldiers following the defeat of the joint Baekje-Yamato force at the
Battle of Baekgang
The Battle of Baekgang or Battle of Baekgang-gu, also known as Battle of Hakusukinoe ( ja, 白村江の戦い, Hakusuki-no-e no Tatakai / Hakusonkō no Tatakai) in Japan, as Battle of Baijiangkou ( zh, c=白江口之战, p=Bāijiāngkǒu Zhīzh ...
. He then escapes to Japan where he becomes the feudal lord Inugami and becomes caught in the middle of the
Jinshin War
The was a war of succession in Japan during the Asuka period of the Yamato state. It broke out in 672 following the death of Emperor Tenji. The name refers to the ''jinshin'' (壬申) or ninth year of the sixty-year Jikkan Jūnishi calendrical c ...
, as well as joining a greater battle between supernatural forces and time-travelling to a bleak future world ruled by a theocracy that claimed 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
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
gods are portrayed as mere humans. In this chapter, however, a wide variety of mythical creatures are shown fighting against
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
.
;Early Works
:Covers the prototype version of the series from the 1950s.
Characters
*Hi no Tori:
Keiko Takeshita
Keiko Takeshita (竹下景子 ''Takeshita Keiko''; born on September 15, 1953 in Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese actress. She starred in the Japanese version of '' From Up on Poppy Hill'' as Hana Matsuzaki.
Filmography Film
*'' Blue Ch ...
/
Suzanne Gilad
*Saruta:
Tetsuo Komura Tetsuo may refer to:
*Tetsuo (given name)
*'' Tetsuo: The Iron Man''
*'' Tetsuo II: Body Hammer''
*'' Tetsuo: The Bullet Man''
* Tetsuo, a character in ''Akira (manga)
is a Japanese cyberpunk post-apocalyptic manga series written and illust ...
/
Danny Burstein
Danny Burstein (born June 16, 1964) is an American actor and singer, most known for his work on the Broadway stage.
A seven-time Tony Award nominee, Burstein won the 2020 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Har ...
*Narrator:
Akira Kume
was a Japanese actor and voice actor.
He died on 23 April 2020 from heart failure.
Filmography Films
*''The Insect Woman'' (1963) - Investigator
*''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' (1970) - First Secretary Katsuzo Okumura (uncredited)
*'' Karafuto 1945 Su ...
/
Robert O'Gorman
;Dawn
*Nagi:
Takeuchi Junko/
Michelle Newman
Michelle may refer to:
People
*Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael
* Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle"
* Michelle (German singer)
* Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish wi ...
*
Sarutahiko: Tetsuo Komura
*
Himiko
, also known as , was a shamaness-queen of Yamatai-koku in . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom (220–265) and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler fo ...
:
Ryōko Kinomiya
was a Japanese actress and voice actress. She was born Ryōko Sakurai in Kyoto, Japan. She was known for her low voice. Kinomiya was the Japanese dub voice of Faye Dunaway. In 2008 she won a Merit Award at the 2nd Seiyu Awards. Kinomiya died o ...
/
Fiona Jones
Fiona Elizabeth Ann Jones (née Hamilton; 27 February 1957 – 28 January 2007) was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newark in Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general el ...
*Hinaku:
Sakiko Tamagawa
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She is affiliated with Sigma Seven. She voices Rei Kuki in ''Genji Tsuushin Agedama'', Natsumi Tsujimoto in '' You're Under Arrest'', Kazama's mother in '' Crayon Shin-chan'', and Toya ...
/
Carrie Keranen
Carrie Keranen is an American voice actress, production manager, producer and voice director. She is best known for her work with 4Kids Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, NYAV Post, Studiopolis and Funimation. Her r ...
*
Susanoo
__FORCETOC__
Susanoo (; historical orthography: , ) is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory chara ...
:
Eizo Tsuda/
James Urbaniak
James Christian Urbaniak (born September 17, 1963) is an American character actor. He is best known for his roles as Simon Grim in three Hal Hartley films: ''Henry Fool'' (1997), ''Fay Grim'' (2006) and ''Ned Rifle'' (2014), Robert Crumb in ''Ame ...
*Guzuri:
Michio Nakao
Michio (written: 道夫, 道雄, 道郎, 通夫 or 三知男) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese shogi player
*, Japanese dancer and choreographer
*Michio Kaku (born 1947), American theoretical ph ...
/
Jay Snyder
James Hadley Snyder (born February 16, 1970), known professionally as Dan Green, is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter. He is best known for being the voice of Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi for ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters'', the anime ...
*Ama no Yumihiko:
Masaki Terasoma
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is affiliated with Mausu Promotion.
Biography
After graduating from Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, Terasoma joined Haiyuza Theatre Company. In 1984, he made his film debut in ''W's Tragedy''. Afte ...
/
Addie Blaustein
Madeleine Joan Blaustein (born Adam Blaustein, October 9, 1960 – December 11, 2008), also known as Kendra Bancroft, was an American voice actress and comic writer who was known for her voice acting work for 4Kids Entertainment, DuArt Film an ...
*
Ninigi
is a deity in Japanese mythology. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi from ...
:
Akio Ōtsuka
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He is attached to Mausu Promotion.
The astringent and calm quality of his deep voice has landed him many roles in films, dubbing, animation, and video games. He is ...
/
Richard Epcar
Richard Epcar is an American voice actor, voice director, and writer who has voiced over 1,200 characters in animation, video games and anime. Some of his major roles include Raiden in the '' Mortal Kombat'' franchise, The Joker in several proj ...
*Shaman:
Hikaru Miyata
is a Japanese unisex given name meaning "light" or "radiance".
Possible writings
Hikaru can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
* 光, "light"
* 輝, "radiance"
The name can also be written in hiragana or katakana. It is m ...
*Soldier:
Yousuke Akimoto
*
Uzume
is the goddess of dawn, mirth, meditation, revelry and the arts in the Shinto religion of Japan, and the wife of fellow-god Sarutahiko Ōkami. She famously relates to the tale of the missing sun deity, Amaterasu Omikami. Her name can also be p ...
:
Yumi Nakatani
is the Japanese term for a bow. As used in English, refers more specifically to traditional Japanese asymmetrical bows, and includes the longer and the shorter used in the practice of and , or Japanese archery.
The was an important weap ...
/
Erica Schroeder
Erica Schroeder (born April 27, 1975),https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=828626443878803&id=164914246916696 sometimes credited as Bella Hudson, is an American voice actress, best known for her role as Ilvira in the Netflix animate ...
*Uraji:
Yūsaku Yara
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Vi-Vo. His real name is , and his former stage name was .
He is best known for his roles in ''Saint Seiya'' as Sagittarius Aiolos, ''Chibi Maruko-chan'' as Hi ...
/
Marc Diraison
Marc R. Diraison (born February 7, 1975) is an American voice actor, Dubbing (filmmaking), ADR director, and screenwriter, script writer who has worked for Bang Zoom! Entertainment, NYAV Post, 4Kids Entertainment and DuArt Film and Video. He is ...
*Ojiji:
Eisuke Yoda
Eisuke (written: 永輔, 英輔, 英介, 栄介, 英助 or エイスケ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese voice actor
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese footba ...
/
Richard Springle
*Obaba:
Natsuko Sebata
*Soldier:
Dai Matsumoto
, also credited Hiroshi Matsumoto, is a Japanese actor, Seiyū, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. His major roles include List of Saiyuki characters#Dokugakuji, Dokugakuji in ''Saiyuki (manga), Saiyuki'', List of Lord Marksman and Vanadis char ...
*
Kumaso
The were a mythical people of ancient Japan mentioned in the '' Kojiki'', believed to have lived in the south of Kyūshū until at least the Nara period. The last leader of the Kumaso, Torishi-Kaya was killed by Yamato Takeru in 397. The name o ...
Takeru:
Daisuke Namikawa
is a Japanese actor and singer associated with Stay Luck. He began acting as a child and is sometimes mistaken with Daisuke Hirakawa, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji. Despite his wide range of roles, he usual ...
*Yazuchi:
Hirofumi Nojima
is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Suginami, Tokyo, who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He is the son of voice actor Akio Nojima, and elder brother of voice actor Kenji Nojima.
Filmography
Anime
Video games
Tokusatsu
Dubbin ...
*Fuki:
Akiko Nakagawa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress who was born in Sapporo. She is married to Inuyasha music composer Kaoru Wada. She is one of the voice actresses for Miyuki Nanase in ''Kindaichi Case Files'' series.
Notable voice roles
*Sōta H ...
*
Tajikarao:
Toshihide Tsuchiya
Toshihide is a masculine Japanese name, Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Toshihide can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples:
*敏英, "agile, hero"
*敏秀, "agile, excellence"
*敏栄, "agile ...
*Kamamushi:
Shōzō Iizuka
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Fukushima Prefecture. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University.
He is most known for the roles of Hakaider (''Android Kikaider''), Doctor Neo Cortex ( ''Crash Bandicoot'' s ...
/
David Brimmer
David Brimmer is an American voice actor and fight choreographer. He also goes by the names David J. Brimmer and J. David Brimmer. As a voice actor, he has worked for 4Kids Entertainment, Central Park Media, DuArt Film and Video, Headline Studios, ...
*Chamberlain:
Mahito Tsujimura
was a Japanese actor and voice actor who was represented by 81 Produce. Tsujimura died on November 27, 2018.
Filmography
Television animation
*'' Andersen Stories'' (1971) - Satyr, Hans
*'' Paris no Isabelle'' (1979) - Leon
*''Galaxy Express 999 ...
;Resurrection
*Leona:
Sasaki Nozomu/
Christopher Kromer
Christopher Edward "Chris" Kromer (born August 1, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He is co-host of the reality series ''Beat the House'' on HGTV.
Early life
Kromer was born in Queens, New York and was raised in New Jersey. Krome ...
*Lamp:
Masashi Hirose
is a Japanese voice actor from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He works at Production Baobab.
He is known for the roles of Ramba Ral (''Mobile Suit Gundam''), Rikishiman (''Kinnikuman''), Gosterro (''Blue Comet SPT Layzner'') and Nakano-sensei (''Lov ...
/
Mike Pollock
*Chihiro: Misa Kobayashi/
Eden Riegel
Eden Sonja Jane Riegel (born January 1, 1981) is an American actress. She portrayed Bianca Montgomery in the daytime drama ''All My Children'', and propelled the character into a gay icon, as well as a popular figure within the medium. Nominated ...
*Nielsen:
Shinji Ogawa
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Setagaya, Tokyo. He was affiliated with the Herringbone agency.
He was best known as the dubover artist for Michael Douglas and Timothy Dalton, and for voicing Hyō in ''Fist of the North Star'' ...
/
Ted Lewis
*Reiko:
Fumiko Osaka/
Kathleen McInerney
*Leona's Father:
Mantarô Iwao/
Marc Thompson
*Young Leona:
Reiko Takagi
is a Japanese voice actress and narrator from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She is represented by Sigma Seven. Some of her major roles are Kaolla Su in ''Love Hina'', Luxandra Frail in ''Divergence Eve'', Tadase Hotori in ''Shugo Chara!'', Maki in ' ...
/
Christopher Kromer
Christopher Edward "Chris" Kromer (born August 1, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He is co-host of the reality series ''Beat the House'' on HGTV.
Early life
Kromer was born in Queens, New York and was raised in New Jersey. Krome ...
;Strange creatures
*Sakonnosuke:
Mayumi Asano
is a Japanese voice actress who is currently part of Office Osawa.
Filmography Television
Video games
*'' Armored Core: Last Raven'' (2005) – Zinaida
*'' Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2'' (2017) – Baiken
*''Samurai Shodown'' (2021) – Baiken
*''T ...
/
Kathleen McInerney
*Yagi Iemasa: Tetsuo Komura
*
Yaobikuni:
Tamie Kubota
*Kahei:
Bin Shimada
Bin Shimada ( ja, 島田 敏, Shimada Bin; born November 20, 1954) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narratorDoi, Hitoshi.Shimada Bin. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 17, 2010Archivedby WebCite July 20, 2010. affiliated with the talent management fir ...
/
Mike Pollock
*Haniwa Jindayu:
Kazuhiko Kishino
was a Japanese actor and voice actor who was represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He was a graduate of Doshisha University and resided in Osaka Prefecture. He died of acute heart failure on February 22, 2020.
As a voice ...
;Sun
*Inugami no Sukune/Harima:
Yasunori Matsumoto
is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Sigma Seven. Some of Matsumoto's most notable roles are Wataru Akiyama in '' Initial D'', Jean Havoc in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'', Magnum Ace in Shippū! Iron Leaguer, Gourry Gabriev in ''Slayers ...
/
Gary Littman
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
* Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Uni ...
*Obaba:
Seiko Tomoe
, commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced one of the first quartz watches and the ...
/
Barbara Goodson
Barbara Goodson is an American voice actress who has done voice-over work in cartoons and shows. Her best-known role was providing the English dub voice of the main villain Empress Rita Repulsa in the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, starting with ' ...
*
Azumi
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yū Koyama. Its story concerns the title character, a young woman brought up as part of a team of assassins, charged with killing the warlords that threaten the uneasy peace in Feudal Jap ...
-no-
Muraji
(from Old Japanese: ''muraⁿzi'' < *''mura-nusi'' "village master") was an ancient ese hereditary title denoting rank and ...
Saruta: Tetsuo Komura
*Marimo:
Ai Uchikawa
is a Japanese voice actress. Uchikawa is currently affiliated with Sigma Seven.
Filmography
Television Animation
* ''Chouja Reideen'' (1996), Kirari Saijyou
* ''Brave Command Dagwon'' (1996), ''Volleyball Staff''
* ''Mystery of Nonomura Hospital ...
/
Michelle Ruff
Michelle Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games. In her early voice acting career, she used her mother's name, Georgette Rose, as a pseudonym. Some of her roles include Fujiko Mine in ''Lupin the Third'', C ...
*
Emperor Tenji
, also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')天智天皇 (38)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 5 ...
:
Masaru Ikeda
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is a graduate of the Tokyo Metro Fifth Commerce Senior High School and is currently affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He is best known for his roles in ''Yatterma ...
/
Steven Jay Blum
*
Ōama no Miko:
Naoya Uchida
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo, Japan. He has played several minor roles of authority in various television dramas. He debuted in 1972 in the NHK program , and continued acting in theater and television dramas until the late 1990 ...
/
Crispin Freeman
Crispin Freeman is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter who is best known for voicing characters in English-language dubs of Japanese anime, animation, and video games. Some of his prominent anime roles include Zelgadis Grayw ...
*Ibukimaru:
Daisuke Gouri
is a common masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Daisuke can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*大輔, "big, assist"
*大介, "big, mediate"
*大祐, "big, bless"
*大助, "big, help"
*大典, "big, law/rule ...
/
Michael McConnohie
Michael McConnohie is an American voice actor, writer and director who has provided many voice roles in movies, anime, and video games. He and fellow actress Melodee Spevack run a production company called VoxWorks. Some of his major works includ ...
*
Empress Consort:
Atsuko Koganezawa
Atsuko is a feminine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Atsuko can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples:
*惇子, "kind, child"
*淳子, "pure, child"
*敦子, "kindliness, child"
*篤子, "fer ...
*
Ōtomo no Miko:
Hiroshi Kamiya
is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production.
He is best known for the voice of Levi Ackerman in ''Attack on Titan'', Trafalgar Law in ''One Piece'', Mephisto Pheles in ''Blue Exorcist'', Izaya Orihara in ''Dur ...
/
Liam O'Brien
Liam Christopher O'Brien (born May 28, 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director. He is a regular cast member of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' actual play series ''Critical Role,'' playing Vax'ildan ("Vax"), Caleb Widogast, and Orym. ...
*
Prince Takechi
was a member of the royal family in Japan during the Asuka period. He was the eldest son of Emperor Tenmu. He fought on the side of his father in the Jinshin War (672), a battle of succession, which resulted in his father becoming Emperor. At th ...
:
Kenji Nojima
is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with the voice talent agency Aoni Production. His first major role in voice-over was Spark in the '' Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight'' series. He voiced Hikaru Ichijyo in a numb ...
/
Sebastian Arcelus
Sebastian Arcelus (born November 5, 1976) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Lucas Goodwin in the Netflix TV series ''House of Cards'' (2013–2016) and Jay Whitman in the CBS TV series '' Madam Secretary'' (2014–2019). Arcelus ...
*
Tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
General:
Koichi Sakaguchi
*Soldier:
Kouji Haramaki
*Hoben:
Tamio Ohki/
Richard Toth
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
*Getsudan:
Hisao Egawa
is a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo who works for Aoni Production. Egawa is most known for the roles of Shin'ichi Maki in ''Slam Dunk'', Geki Kuroiwa in ''Brave Command Dagwon'', Geki Hyūma and Goldymarg in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'', Ogr ...
*Nichidan:
Hiroshi Iwasaki
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Saitama Prefecture attached to the Seinenza Theater Company. Iwasaki is best known for dubbing over the voices of Stanley Tucci, Rowan Atkinson and the '' Star Wars'' character C-3PO.
Filmography
Live ...
*Mokudan:
Kousei Hirota
*Kadan:
Naomi Kusumi
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He worked at the Seinenza Theater Company in 1999, and currently works at Mausu Promotion. He is often typecast in either overweight or middle-aged roles in voice acting. He is the official Japanese dubbing vo ...
*
Kokushi:
Yutaka Nakano
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Filmography Television drama
*''Kamen Rider Black RX'' (1989) – Doctor
Television animation
*'' Cowboy Bebop'' (1998) – Bob
*'' Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG'' (2002) ...
*Rubetsu:
Takayuki Sugo
Takayuki (written: 孝之, 孝行, 孝幸, 隆之, 隆行, 隆幸, 高之, 高行, 高猷, 貴之, 貴幸, 貴由, 貴由輝, 崇之, 崇幸, 敬之, 卓行, 鷹幸, 恭之 or タカユキ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable pe ...
/
Jay Snyder
James Hadley Snyder (born February 16, 1970), known professionally as Dan Green, is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter. He is best known for being the voice of Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi for ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters'', the anime ...
*Iki no Karakuni:
Takeshi Watabe
was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. He usually played villains and performed the voices for many ''anime'' characters and ''tokusatsu'' villains. He is most famous for voicing Kaminari in ''Doraemon''. He took ...
/
Richard Epcar
Richard Epcar is an American voice actor, voice director, and writer who has voiced over 1,200 characters in animation, video games and anime. Some of his major roles include Raiden in the '' Mortal Kombat'' franchise, The Joker in several proj ...
*Soga no Hatayasu:
Yuzuru Fujimoto
was a Japanese voice actor.
Filmography
Television animation
;1960s
*'' Gigantor'' (1963) – Narrator
*''Ōgon Bat'' (1967) – Narrator
*'' Yōkai Ningen Bem'' (1968) – Narrator
;1970s
*'' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972) – A detec ...
/
John Avner
*Soga no Yasumaro:
Eiji Yanagisawa
is a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with Production Baobab. He is originally from Tokyo.
Voice roles Anime television series
*''Arc the Lad'' - Elk's Father
*'' Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple'' - Kurokawa, Shimayama, additional voices
*' ...
;Future
*Masato Yamanobe:
Daisuke Namikawa
is a Japanese actor and singer associated with Stay Luck. He began acting as a child and is sometimes mistaken with Daisuke Hirakawa, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji. Despite his wide range of roles, he usual ...
/
Michael Sinterniklaas
Michael Tremain Sinterniklaas (; born August 13, 1972) is a French voice actor, ADR director and script writer who has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films and television series, as well as cartoons a ...
*Robita:
Shigeru Ushiyama
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Nagano Prefecture. He is affiliated with Gekidan Subaru and is married to fellow voice actress Keiko Aizawa.
Filmography Television animation
*'' Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'' (1986) (Meccha Mucha)
*'' Ninku' ...
*
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
:
Takuya Kirimoto
is a Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Gifu Prefecture, Japan. He is attached to Aoni Production. He is the best official dubbing roles for Bradley Cooper, Hyun Bin, So Ji-sub and many more.
Biography
Filmography
Tele ...
/
Eric Stuart
Eric Stuart is an American voice actor and musician who worked for 4Kids Entertainment, NYAV Post, and Central Park Media.
Early life
Stuart was born in Brooklyn, New York to a modern dancer mother and a criminal attorney father.
Voice act ...
*Old Masato:
Osamu Saka
is a Japanese actor and voice actor, who is managed by talent agency Aoni Production. He was born in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.
Filmography
Television animation
;1960s
*''Gigantor'' (1963) – Gavan
*''Kamui the Ninja'' (1969) – Sukumi
;1970s
...
/
Michael McConnohie
Michael McConnohie is an American voice actor, writer and director who has provided many voice roles in movies, anime, and video games. He and fellow actress Melodee Spevack run a production company called VoxWorks. Some of his major works includ ...
*Tamami:
Yumi Touma
is the Japanese term for a bow. As used in English, refers more specifically to traditional Japanese asymmetrical bows, and includes the longer and the shorter used in the practice of and , or Japanese archery.
The was an important weap ...
/
Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Sheh is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer and producer who has worked for several major companies, including Cartoon Network and Sony. She is often involved with work in English dubs of anime, cartoons, video games and fi ...
*Girl:
Akiko Nakagawa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress who was born in Sapporo. She is married to Inuyasha music composer Kaoru Wada. She is one of the voice actresses for Miyuki Nanase in ''Kindaichi Case Files'' series.
Notable voice roles
*Sōta H ...
*Adam:
Takahiro Mizushima
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He is currently affiliated with Axlone. When voicing adult games, he is known as .
Biography
Mizushima is a former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force official. He entered the JGSDF Youth Technical School, a bo ...
Publication
English edition
''Phoenix'' is currently published in English by
Viz Communications
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
. Although the second volume was initially published by the now defunct
Pulp manga anthology in a larger edition, in 2002, Viz took over the rest of the manga series, and re-released the second volume.
Frederik Schodt, Jared Cook, Shinji Sakamoto, and Midori Ueda, members of a Tokyo group called "Dadakai," had already translated the first five volumes of the series around 1977/78, but after handing these translation to Tezuka Productions, they collected dust for nearly twenty-five years. Finally, Schodt and Cook finished translating the rest of the series and Viz published the entire series in English, starting in 2002 and completing it 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 Sarutahiko 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 resulted in each Viz book having a similar page count. While many of the actual Viz books are out of print, they became available again through digital purchase on Kindle. Viz later offered the digital version of ''Phoenix'' manga on 2014.
Volumes in English
;Vol. 1 – Dawn
: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
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...
. ''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
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
'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.
Adaptations
Live-action film
A live-action film entitled ''Hi no Tori (film), 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 included 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 included a brief appearance by Astro Boy (character), 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.
Anime
Several volumes of ''Phoenix'' were adapted into
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
. The best-known feature film, ''Phoenix 2772'', loosely adapts elements from various ''Phoenix'' volumes and other Tezuka works into a complete whole cloth scenario. A second animated feature, ''Phoenix: Karma Chapter'' was released on December 20, 1986, and was later succeeded by two sequel
OVAs
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
, ''Yamato Chapter'' and ''Space Chapter'', in 1987.
A 13-episode anime television series also aired in 2004 in Japan, and was released in English in October 2007 by Media Blasters, Anime Works. As of 21 June 2017, the anime has premiered in Jamaica on CVM Television.
A new anime adaptation by Studio 4°C titled ''Phoenix: Eden17'' was announced on November 30, 2022. It will be streamed worldwide on Disney+.
Episode list
Video games
A MSX adaptation of ''Karma'' was created by
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
. The Phoenix also made 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.
*''Hi no Tori Hououhen (MSX), Hi no Tori Hououhen'' (1987, MSX2)
*''Hi no Tori Hououhen: Gaou no Bouken'' (1987, Famicom)
*''Black Jack (manga), Black Jack Hinotorihen'' (2006, Nintendo DS)
*''DS de Yomu Series: Tezuka Osamu Hi no Tori 1'' (2008, Nintendo DS)
*''DS de Yomu Series: Tezuka Osamu Hi no Tori 2'' (2008, Nintendo DS)
*''DS de Yomu Series: Tezuka Osamu Hi no Tori 3'' (2008, Nintendo DS)
Reception and legacy
''Phoenix'' is considered one of the greatest manga of all time, and is often ranked as one of Tezuka's greatest manga. In 2006, ''Phoenix'' ranked 1st in the Japan Media Arts Festival's special 'experts' ranking (consisting of critics, editors, people working in the industry, etc.) for the greatest manga of all time, which it held to mark its 10th anniversary. In a 2009 poll held by The Asahi Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun for 'Greatest Shōwa Manga', ''Phoenix'' ranked 12th, the 3rd highest Tezuka manga behind ''Astro Boy'' and ''Black Jack (manga), Black Jack''. Mangaka Naoki Urasawa has spoken about how the first time he read ''Phoenix'' he was shocked that a work of this quality existed, and that since reading it, he has never been as significantly impacted by anything since, so much so that he would mark it as the moment he became an adult. The titular Phoenix is considered an icon of manga, and a sculpture of the character is featured as a prominent permanent exhibition in the Kyoto International Manga Museum. A statute of the Phoenix is also featured outside the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum.
The Resurrection arc of ''Phoenix'' inspired the lyrical theme of the 2018 song "Clockwork Immortality, M.D.O." by heavy metal band Lovebites (band), Lovebites. In celebration of what would have been Tezuka's 90th birthday, Evil Line Records released the compilation album ''New Gene, Inspired from Phoenix'' on October 30, 2019. It features songs inspired by ''Phoenix'' written and performed by various artists, including Glim Spanky, Kizuna AI, Tavito Nanao and Naotarō Moriyama.
Notes
See also
*List of Osamu Tezuka anime
*List of Osamu Tezuka manga
*
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
*Osamu Tezuka's Star System
References
External links
Tezuka Osamu @World, Tezuka's official site (in Japanese and English)
Official ''Phoenix'' Page at publisher VIZ Media, LLC*
* (''Hi no tori'', live-action film, 1978)
* (''Hi no tori 2772: Ai no kosumozôn'', anime film, 1980)
* (''Hi no tori: Hôô-hen'', anime film, 1986)
* (''Hi no tori: Yamato-hen'', OVA, 1987)
* (''Hi no tori: Uchû-hen'', OVA, 1987)
{{Studio 4°C
1967 manga
1978 films
1980 anime films
1986 anime films
1987 anime OVAs
2004 anime television series debuts
Anime series based on manga
Animated films based on manga
Fantasy anime and manga
Films directed by Rintaro
Live-action films based on manga
Manga adapted into films
NHK original programming
Osamu Tezuka anime
Osamu Tezuka characters
Osamu Tezuka manga
Unfinished comics
Phoenixes in popular culture
Shōnen manga
Studio 4°C
Tezuka Productions
Viz Media manga
Gekiga
Gekiga by Osamu Tezuka
Video games developed in Japan
Cultural depictions of Himiko