Phoenix: Space Chapter

火の鳥 宇宙編

Aired: 1987

The third installment of the Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho OVA series based on Osamu Tezuka's lifework 'Hi no Tori' (Phoenix). Produced by Madhouse and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. When a mysterious incident suddenly occurs aboard a spaceship traveling through deep space, four crew members each crash-land on unknown planets in escape pods, and the story is structured as an ensemble drama in which each confesses their secrets and sins in monologue form. Tezuka's themes of examining the fundamental nature of life are depicted with the tension of a locked-room drama, achieving a masterful fusion of suspense and philosophical insight. The performances of a stellar voice cast including Katsunori Hori as Dr. Saruta and Masako Ikeda as the Phoenix, along with Fumio Miyashita's music sculpting a phantasmal world, make this a dense 48-minute Tezuka anime work.