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Two men, one phoenix, infinite reincarnations — Tezuka's cosmic chess match starts here.
TMDB
64

Phoenix: Karma Chapter (1986)

existential anime fever dreamfeudal Japan soul-crushercosmic karma roulette

Overview

AnimationFantasyDrama

The story of two men - sculptor genius Akanemaru, and former bandit Gao. Discover how the lives of the two men cross repeatedly throughout their lives, how they struggle with their own fate, and how they are forced to compete with each other for a great honour, when karma is the only prize.

Flag of JPJPJapanese
Content warning
anime

Standout Aspects

Direction

Rintaro's operatic visual storytelling.

Writing

Tezuka's philosophical gut-punches land hard.

Score

Haunting score amplifies the cosmic dread.

Best for:Solo: Late night existential spiral fuel.·Rewatch: Tezuka's symbolism reveals more each time.
Heads up:Violence: Feudal brutality including hand amputation scene.·Emotional: Relentless tragedy; virtually no happy endings.
Rintaro

Director

Rintaro

ReleasedDec 20, 1986
Runtime1h
StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Madhouse
Tezuka Productions

Top Cast

Katsunosuke Hori

Katsunosuke Hori

Gao (voice)

Toshio Furukawa

Toshio Furukawa

Akanemaru (voice)

Yoko Asagami

Yoko Asagami

Hayame (voice)

Mami Koyama

Mami Koyama

Buchi (voice)

Chikao Ohtsuka

Chikao Ohtsuka

Kibi Makibi (voice)

Masako Ikeda

Masako Ikeda

Phoenix (voice)

Kaneto Shiozawa

Kaneto Shiozawa

Kazumi Tanaka

Kazumi Tanaka

Mami Matsui

Mami Matsui

Masato Hirano

Masato Hirano

Michihiro Ikemizu

Michihiro Ikemizu

Michiyo Yanagisawa

Michiyo Yanagisawa

Yusaku Yara

Yusaku Yara

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Part of Tezuka's unfinished Phoenix manga epic, considered the 'god of manga's' life's work.

Insight

The Karma chapter specifically critiques Japanese wartime guilt and artistic complicity — Tezuka's own reckoning.

Reviews

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Phoenix Collection(7 films)
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Phoenix: Karma Chapter poster
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Phoenix: Karma Chapter

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