Phoenix: Karma Chapter

火の鳥 鳳凰編

Aired: 1986

Director Rintaro adapts the Karma chapter of Osamu Tezuka's life-spanning Phoenix saga. Set in Nara-era Japan during the golden age of Buddhist sculpture, the film contrasts two artists: the violent bandit Gao, scarred by his birth, and the gifted yet humble monk-sculptor Akanemaru. Reincarnation, karma, sin and redemption are explored through the relationship between art and power. The richly textured visuals by Project Team Argos and Madhouse, paired with Noriko Watanabe's haunting theme song, faithfully render the source's religious gravitas.