cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

I was thrown off guard by how positive the note Tezuka ended this volume on. Is he,, okay? Nevertheless, for his last volume, it’s almost fitting. The happy pair are off on their next adventure in the spirit realm before they are once again reincarnated, just as Tezuka bade his farewell to us before he finished the twelfth volume. 

I thought that Saruta’s immediate desire to reinstate a new institutionalized religion in Japan was both frustrating and hilarious. It was a very obvious jab at humanity - we don’t learn from our mistakes! The organic wolf head of the past forced upon Inugami, and the machine dog head latched onto Sugoro’s head in the future supports the idea that although the era and social climate of these religious and power struggles may change over time, the same tactics to achieve such a thing are used again and again, despite the amount of suffering and loss they caused in the past. 

Volume 11

In the last official installation of Hi no Tori, Tezuka finishes up the second part of the Sun plotlines. 

With the continuation of the story, we also see more of a continuation of the same themes in the first part of the story, as opposed to the introduction of many new ones. In the previous volume, Tezuka highlighted the close connection that religion and politics have. In this one, that same idea is still very present, but I feel he is more focused on the hypocrisy and cyclical nature of the concept of religion when tied to politics.

In this volume, it is reiterated by Prince Otomo that buddhism is purely put in place for political means. Otomo accepts the suppression of his people because he genuinely believes that it was the only way to unite the country without bloodshed. While it is true that the country was unified, was it really without the use of bloodshed, though?

With the “join or die” mentality that imperial japan has adopted to spread buddhism, the ‘no bloodshed’ notion is ridiculous. If you are cutting off the heads of people that oppose you, there’s still some blood that’s being shed…duh. You’re killing your own people, and no matter what you want to do like calling them traitors to dehumanize them and make it seem like it’s okay to kill them–newsflash: it’s not! Thus, the true practices of the religion are blatantly ignored and corrupted at the hands of the state. This is seen in both the past and future timelines: buddhism preached peace yet they don’t practice it, and the church of light preached against materialism, yet they keep all the niceties to themselves (and don’t practice what they preach!)

The muddying of religion is further explained by the phoenix in this volume. When Inugami encounters the phoenix, she explains to him that both religions in the civil war are correct because religion is a concept made up by humans. It is an idea of our own creation, therefore neither beliefs can be wrong…

Now, as much as my agnostic self wants to believe it, I think what Tezuka is trying to get across is NOT that religion is a pointless construction of man, but that the only time religion becomes a problem is when it is linked to power. Religion itself is not the problem, but the involvement of politics and power is what transforms it into something else–a corrupt institution. 

Similarly, we see that religion is used in a somewhat cyclical nature. When one institution is overtaken, it is replaced with another. For example, Oama decides to topple buddhism and the current regime, replacing it with a different religion that he then uses to control Japan–sound familiar (or should I say exactly what happened in the previous regime???)? This is also true for the toppling of the church of light. It is immediately replaced by another religion made up by man, and is used as a means to exercise power. 

Before I end I just want to say one thing:

Tezuka. THANK YOU FOR THE FINALLY HAPPY ENDING. :)

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Okay, so the part where Inugami’s wolf “mask” rotted away was actually pretty gross. You’re right, he is a pretty boy, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get that image out of my head...

Perception does play a key role in any lasting conflict in human history, but the eye motif could also refer to the eyes of the “gods” watching over humanity! Our mistakes, conflicts, deeds good or bad, are under constant scrutiny by the deities we believe to be real, as well as the people surrounding us. Our actions are constantly being watched, analyzed, and remarked upon - not only in a religious sense, but also from a historical sense, where everything recorded is later reflected and critiqued. Like us. What we’re doing to these characters right now! 

Tezuka and Happy Ending(?)

Me after reading all of Hi no Tori.

Have to say, when I first signed up for this course, I didn’t do much research on what exactly this manga series would be about. I didn’t think I would enjoy the destruction of mankind, a sadistic fire bird, moopies, corrupted businessmen spacemen, and most surprisingly of all, furies(JK I will only see him as a werewolf because he didn’t choose that life). Without further ado, a last attempted analysis upon Tezuka’s message to the people of his time and now us in the distant future~!

I noticed that eyes were a reoccurring motif in Hi no Tori: Sun. The manner at which they pierce though the darkness (as did Inugami’s on 131) could possibly tie in with a more overarching theme of Tezuka’s: perception.  Perception plays a big role on societies actions; for instance, take the Shadow People and Church of Light for example. The Shadow World people rose from the dark to fight under a common goal: freedom. However, while in their eyes they were fighting for the good of the people, they were merely just puppets for Saruta’s new installation of a dictatorship. The Phoenix also references a similar concept, commenting upon how the “Buddhist invaders” and native deities, are correct, but its solely a matter of perspective that causes conflicts between humans see the need to overpower and defend their point of view, imposing it upon others that leads to the many conflicts in the 20th century, the past, and the present today. 

Poor dude. Even in his past and future life, he is forever subjected to being forced with the furry head. Its disheartening to see that in both cases, the mask was forced upon him, and completely eliminates any sort of free will. Tezuka’s commentary could parallel to any installment of oppressive ruling over the people. Like animals, and specifically dogs, they are treated as less than humans and only taught to mindlessly follow their master, the government.  I may be overthinking this, but “dying like a dog” is mentioned multiple times in the manga during times of when the characters face moments of death. Could it be that they not only don’t want to die(like everyone during finals), but don’t want to die like a mindless pet of the government?

…Tezuka once again amputates a fictional character, this time a yokai.

Saruta, mah man. What happened? While the ideal of religion is to unite the people, throughout Tezuka’s work, so far we mainly see such teachings being used to manipulate the society into committing violent atrocities for the littlest of things. Region may bring joy to the government, but what about the people? The thirst for power turns the teachings of “compassion and peace” into justifications to behead whoever stands in the way of power. The idea of Saruta’s new religion appears to be a reflection of all oppressive regimes, and while it sucks to say this, we don’t see this ending anytime soon. Just as with the Phoenix and humanity destroying itself and being reborn, so will mankind’s mistakes as it did in the World Wars. 

Also another comment on Saruta: while I don’t think he is Ouma, I found it interesting of Tezuka’s parallels between the past and the future. The head of both sides, Otomo(in both lives) and Saruta and Ouma, they share the relationship of uncle and nephew, flesh and blood. Yet, even these do not stop them from wanting to “destroy” each others and their ideolgies. Even thousands of years later, Otomo being replaced by his Uncle mirrors the never ending cycle power fighting for power (does this make sense).  

Now for a final appreciation post for Inugami and Suguru, my favorite protagonists by far. 

poor bby tears please protect him

he is not a furry he is not a furry he is not a furry

run boi run

we can finally see the handsome boi that the old lady and all of us wanted to see

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Vol. 11

It’s the final stretch! Let’s go!!!

If Sakon had escaped during the one day she was allowed to leave the shrine, none of these spirits would have had an opportunity to seek shelter and healing amidst the war against Buddhism. I actually got really excited when the Phoenix brought her up. It’s nice to see another familiar name that doesn’t attach itself to a man with a nose tumor all the time! 

Tezuka’ cynicism surrounding the usage of religion in politics bled into every crevice of this final arc. Though, surprisingly enough, the birth of emperors claiming to be decedents of Amaterasu wasn’t illustrated in a demeaning or comical way at all - there is almost a degree of respect shown through the single-page illustration of Ouma in his lavish garb. Although it might be a stretch, it seems that over the years Tezuka had made his peace with the installment of the Kojiki - at least, he’s recognizing the factors that led to its creation in the first place. 

Okay, since everybody and their grandmother have already mentioned the predominating idea that human revolution is immortal as the Phoenix herself, can we please talk about how many unconventionally independent female characters were characterized in this volume? 

Tochi stands out to me the most in that aspect. Not only does she smuggle hidden messages from her father to her older brothers, but she dies in an attempt to maintain the secrecy of their exchanges. She’s manipulative in the sense that her false air-headed persona throws any suspicion of her involvement with conspirators against the crown; she not only uses Inugami to relay a final message to her father and her husband-to-be’s plans of cutting off supplies to his temple, but also takes advantage of Inugami’s body, partially to spite her betrothal to her cousin, but also to seize a single moment to take control over her own sexuality before she dies. Being with a partner she chose on her own that is also an enemy to the crown? Incredibly rebellious and possibly foolish, but it does warrant a great deal of respect. Tochi accomplishes all these things while giving Inugami important advice that keeps him alive until he reaches her father. She’s surprisingly complex for the short amount of time we see her.

Marimo falls more in line with the traditional “dame in distress” cliché, in the sense that she immediately fell in love with the man that saved her life, but the sheer amount of loyalty and resilience she displays while she waits for Inugami to be able to see her again is something worth mentioning in its own right. She helps the old woman lick Inugami’s wounds clean and bring him back from the brink of death (paying back the deed he did to her earlier in volume 10), while also recognizing when it is time to let him go, despite the attachment she feels for him. Marimo’s actions revolve around the survival of Inugami, which could be argued as a facet of her character that undermines her independence from the lead male - however, the moment she leaves his side as a last resort to prevent him from choosing between her and the old woman is telling, because she’s willing to recognize that her feelings are not as important as Inguami’s role in keeping her people alive. She is, in essence, making sure that he lives for the greater good, rather than for herself alone.

What a way to say goodbye. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Spoilers: We do get to see Inugami again! I found the personification of the conflicting religions really entertaining to watch play out. It effectively illustrated the extent in which the two grated against each other, as well as the unwillingness for one party to relent to the other. To be honest, I found this conflict quite surprising since I’ve always thought that Buddhism spread throughout Japan without too much resistance - not in the sense that people were too powerless to stop it, but with the idea that Buddhist beliefs did not contradict preexisting philosophies too much to integrate. Guess I was wrong! 

Volume 10

Alright, let me get this out of the way before I dive into the volume. 

Tezuka…you’ve surprised us with a lot of different things…but furries?

…why?

In all seriousness, I was actually very invested in this volume. I found the story compelling and characters varied and interesting. While I question the furry aspects of this volume, I understand that it was an important device used to tie in the opposing religion and politics of this era.

There was a lot of sorcery/voodoo/old practices that came to light in this volume in the form of the traditional Japanese deities. We got to see the struggle of the introduction of a new line of thought versus old, and the implications that this issue brings. 

This volume deals heavily with the Japanese transition to buddhism by the hands of the state. When introduced, the new buddhist deities are represented as harsh, militaristic, unnatural, and politically power driven beings. I believe that this reflects the nature of which buddhism was introduced and enforced by the state. The traditional Japanese deities are contrastingly represented as gentle, pure, or more natural looking entities, reflecting the peaceful and non-violent nature that the buddhist entities should have but do not actually possess.

There is also a critique present on how the nobility and the emperor have given themselves powerful positions through the introduction of this new religion. Even though they are normal humans, they use the power of religion to establish themselves as god-like beings, ensuring their political power and right to authority. 

Buddhism as a religion teaches compassion and peace, yet this practice is twisted into a political tool for selfish motivations. The religion is a claim to unify the states of Japan, yet the emperor ignores the will of the villagers since they have worshipped the native deities and believe in them, NOT the buddhist ones. 

Thus, religion in this volume is used as a tool for politics and to expose the corruption of the government. Furthermore, the exploration of religion also doubles as a metaphor for genocide.

In both the past and future worlds of this volume, religion is used as a tool for the sequestering and seizing of resources, the introduction of a new ideology and the concurrent spread of propaganda, and the alienation of a certain type of people or religious practice. 

Does this sound familiar? 

Once again, Tezuka gives us a stark reminder of the evils of genocide and how awful man’s actions can be. He shows us the dangers of how such events can happen: introducing an ideology at the expense of others, and how it can easily lead to discrimination and evil actions. 

Tezuka also gives us evidence of how propaganda can affect society. For example, the villagers thought they were doing the right thing when they set fire to the house that Kuchi’inu and the old woman were in. This shows how easily society can normalize and justify horrible actions after adopting a dangerous ideology. 

Thoughts of genocide aside, I personally can’t wait to read the next volume and find out what happens in the future. I’m also interested in seeing if Tezuka will take us back to the past to continue that storyline…

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Oh shoot! I didn’t even make that connection between the two different Otomo’s of the time periods shown! I second this theory; if Tezuka doesn’t follow this up I’ll be very disappointed. (Also, I think the headless mice are just solely for shock factor) You also make a lot of good points discussing the contrast between light and darkness in the form of fire. Usually light is considered a good thing, yet in both the future and past, the people associated with light and the “greater good” are shown to actually be “bad” and self-serving. Once again, Tezuka is directly critiquing the Japanese imperial family (the emperor being a descendent of the sun god) and emphasizing that people who assert themselves as one thing, are usually another thing entirely. 

...hE IS NOT A FURRY HE IS A GOOD BOI ok thx thx

For  Hi no Tori: The Sun, Tezuka bounces back between the past and future, illustrating once again that no matter what time period, the corruption of government and excuse of religion to justify there actions. But before that, can we first discuss about how lovable Harima/Inugami is? Similar to the previous volume, Tezuka plays around with hybrids as he did with the phoenix’s humanoid offspring. However, instead of a chicken head and human body, it’s a wolf’s head this time. And just like the previous volume, looks are again deceiving; the least looking human turns out being the most compassionate, as pointed out on multiple occasion by the spirit clan. He cares for the elderly woman, General Abe, and Marimo, at no extra selfish cost. While he ends up killing a human, Inugami does so solely to protect Marimo, and not for the sake of lining up the correct number of heads. I’m happy for Inugami that even with a wolf’s head, it doesn’t dissuade the people; he’s still treated like any other person and able to gain power along with land as opposed to Aoi’s clones.

GET YOUR HANDS OFF THE PRECIOUS BOI

As with Tezuka’s previous commentaries, religion once again gives the higher ups justification to slaughter others for power and seizing their land. More prevalent in this volume then others though is the actual manifestations of the gods and other deities. The conflict between the spirit clan and the guardians of Buddhism could reflect on the introduction of religion in other foreign countries and during colonialism. I find it ironic that to spread Buddha’s “compassionate teachings”, it included the killing of non-believers such as Inugami. Speaking of non-believers, in the future version of the story, these people were sent to Shadow World. As with any time period, there is constantly a segregation of the people, and the struggle of at least two classes(in this case “light” and “dark”). Similarly between both parallels, there is those for the religion and those against seeking only freedom for their own rights and land. The constant fires illustrated through further emphasize the destruction of the government and foreigners of turning the natives’ lives into a literal blazing hell. 

Otomo? A theory: Otomo, like many of the other characters go through reincarnation and transcend into the future, or just ended up with a similar name. In the past, he was a young prince destined to rule and continue the practice of Buddhism; in Suguru’s period, he’s the founder and Supreme Leader of the Church of Light, and self declared “Living God”. Power gets to your head and suddenly you think your invincible smh….anyway. I’m curious as to Tezuka’s reveal on Saruda’s role, being that he is the uncle of Otomo. Even if your family, both parties may line up on two different side of the spectrum (whether politically, religiously, or physically)as illustrated between the Ouma and his brother, Suguru and his sister, and Saruda and Otomo. 

Okay Tezuka, thank you for the protagonists suffer with a missing limb. But…why the excessive decapitation in this volume. LIKE EVEN THE MOUSE ARE WITHOUT HEADS WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL US.

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Vol 10 & furries

Don’t look at me like that, you were thinking it too.

So we start off the volume with the end of a battle and, oh boy, it gets morbid quick. Inugami gets his human face peeled off by some soldiers, a wolf is killed and has its face peeled off, PETA is having a stroke somewhere in the distance, and the poor guy has his face replaced by a wolf snout. Not sure how his human bone structure also managed to meld perfectly with the wolf’s jawline, but I guess that’s what suspension of disbelief is for. Oh, and also, there are 500 decapitated heads lined up like the Great Wall of China across a torn battlefield. Fun.

Early on we get a clear picture of human brutality at its finest. The people who look most like, well, normal people, are depicted to be cruel, heartless, and relatively mindless as they follow their general’s orders like ants in a colony. Inugami is a genuinely good guy, and despite his disfigured form, still finds compassion for strangers that he encounters. He is brought from the brink of death by an old witch, and although she has a sour mouth and an even more bitter temper, he cares enough for her beyond mere gratitude of having his hide saved. 

He’s more often angry for others rather than for himself. In short, this guy is the true MVP in terms of selflessness. He also happens to be a continuation of the dominating theme that a person’s humanity is characterized by their heart, not their appearance. 

And of course, a Tezuka story is incomplete without unflattering jabs at the emperor or people in positions of power. This was another rather specific critique of the Japanese emperors pre-WWII, illustrated by Inugami’s exasperation that a mortal can call himself god. It was also interesting to view religious progress in the form of deities and spirits; it’s not only people at war, but their spirituality as well. This is a concept continued in Inugami’s parallel protagonist in the future, where people were discriminated against solely on their unwillingness to convert to a specific religion. In a sense, the fact that the same battles are happening in the far past and distant future really emphasizes the repetitiveness of human mistakes and arrogance. People just don’t learn, and oppression is an inevitable facet of society. 

Mah man Saruta is back! Too bad we won’t get to discover his true intentions until volume 11.

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

The lack of attention focusing on Aoi’s repentance kinda shows how much more focused Tezuka is on detailing the plight of humanity, opposed to encouraging it to improve. (Also, Aoi’s impact is short-lived because ultimately the humans will find another person to clone and start the future Hunger Games with.) Since Tezuka’s voice is essentially carried through the Phoenix’s, his focus is in turn, hers. She believes that punishment is the way to correct humanity’s self-destructive ways, yet, her meddling does little to change things. Does this say more about humanity, or about her own actions in humanity’s history? She’s also a consistent factor in all of their suffering - wars are started over her, time loops, and plot holes - couldn’t she be labeled as a “bad guy” as well?

Volume 9

This week, Tezuka gave us two stories in this volume, both jam-packed with their own themes but loosely connected through the notion of karmic retribution and humanity.

Let’s start off with “Strange Beings”, shall we?

In the first part of volume 9, the story follows Sakon no Suke, a girl born to a bloodthirsty warlord and raised like a son. In her mission to slay an ‘immortal’ nun, she gets trapped within a time loop as punishment for taking an innocent life when she successfully kills the nun….EXCEPT that nun turns out to be her. 

The whole plot revolves around the cycle of time, which goes backwards and forwards, repeating itself every 30 years. Time will continue to do this as Sakon lives forever in a cycle; her justification for killing the nun is not good enough for the Phoenix in order to go unpunished. The Phoenix remarks that even though Sakon does it with the intention to let her father die as revenge for his terrible deeds, that it it still the taking of an innocent life and karmic retribution must be served.

On a different note, I thought that it was nice to see a volume focus on something besides politics and war, and instead more on the average person’s side of things. It’s a different side of ‘history’ that we are getting to see here, and gives us a bigger picture of things. For example, we get to look at how affected the people are by the war. They are left wounded, homeless, starving, and sick, touched by the rotten consequences of wartime conflict. On page 55, it’s noted that the world is a harsh place because of war, that harshness being a product of war and a dark influencer of humanity. 

We also see a brief discussion on what it means to be human, and the physical effect of war on a person. The ugliness of war and hatred is personified a bit in this part of the volume, demonstrating how strong of an affect the negativity of it can have on humanity.

The theme of humanity is explored deeper in the second half of the volume, “Life”. Taking place in the future, a man named Aoi wants to clone humans and hunt them on TV in order to make the ratings of the show go up. By finding a loophole in the law to bypass the hunting of humans/human clones being illegal, he is able to do so. After a long journey to the Andes, a visit with the (clone) of the daughter of the phoenix and an Incan man, and a sacrificial finger, human clones are able to be made–except they’re clones of him! He gets mistaken for a clone himself and thus has to escape and go into hiding. 

Before being cloned, Aoi was a pretty bad person that only cared for things like making more money. He was wrapped up in material wealth…until he was cloned. Then, everything changed. When he was finally not in a position of money or power and instead among the clones, and then the wilderness, he began to change a little. He realized what was actually important to him–the life of his adopted daughter Juné, human connection, and what it truly means to live. In the end, he risks his safety and life to get Juné the help she needs to live, and sacrifices himself to stop the production of human cloning. He turned out to not be such a bad guy after-all…

I took the transformation of Aoi as a commentary on how people get caught up in superficial things like appearances and material wealth, and lose sight of important things like what makes us truly human, or what is important to us. I feel like Tezuka might be trying to bring us back to the idea of humanity being too caught up in decadence to really see anything for it’s actual value, including life. 

Lastly, there was also repentance for sins in this half of the volume, though unlike the first half of the volume it was a little less important to the plot/prevalent. While Aoi does end up repenting for his sins and changing how he is as a person, it seemed like that element was more of a side note instead of a main motivational drive for the plot. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Oh you’re right! At first I thought Sakon refused to escape with Kehei because she reached a point of enlightenment that allowed her to accept her eternal suffering (that sounds, masochistic), but yeah, at that point she represents humanity’s chance to change but does not! Then again, that’s also partially on the phoenix because she’s the one who locked these characters in their eternal struggle with little to no way out. The Phoenix claims she wants humanity to be able to outgrow their desire for self-destruction, but she fails to realize that she is a consistent factor in humanity’s suffering as well. What if she just, stopped meddling in human affairs? There’d certainly be a lot less time loops...

Mah girl Sakon and mah boi Aoi

In volume 9, we have two alternate stories: one of the past and on in the distant future. Hi no Tori: Strange beings centered around a lovely protagonist: Sakon Suke. It was quite refreshing to see a female lead and even though she did commit “sin”, I still loved her as a character. Even though her actions were for the good of the people, it was disheartening to see her being punished for all eternity by being killed by her own hands. The manipulation of time once again demonstrates the Phoenix’s capabilities; killing her future/past self almost seems like a paradox in itself. Anyone else think that the cycle of how she kills herself almost seems to be a good summary of human actions? She goes through her life with killing an “innocent”, and even on the day before she knows she will perish 30 years later, where she has an opportunity to escape from the time loop with Kahei, she doesn’t. She merely just accepts her fate. Its like the rest of the cycles in Tezuka’s previous volumes: humankind has an chance to restart, starts over, make things right. But in the end, it ultimately is futile and humans repeat the same events for eternity…

The treatment of “inhuman” beings contrasted greatly between the two stories: while Sakon treats humans and “demons” indiscriminately, the identical  human clones of Aoi-minus his ring finger  and eventually his right arm (wow thanks again Tezuka for torturing your characters once again with a missing limb)-, are killed for the enjoyment of others. Yet June’s grandmother, beyond recognition as a human and merely a machine at this point, was rushed to the cyborg hospital. Not that I think her life is anything less than human, but her form was least human while Aoi’s clones, a perfect replica of life, was hunted like a dog. However, in the previous story with Sakon, the most deformed creatures and monstrous were still treated equally and cared for. What critique does Tezuka imply in this instance? Is the basis of humans and the justification of killing all based on perspective? Both Sakon and Aoi come to terms with their fate in the end to atone for their sins, and do there best to resolve it. I thought their actions were what made them as characters to be sympathetic for, and their deaths sorta actually left me shook.

There is a big question on ethics in Hi no Tori: Life, what constitutes as a human? Is ending a clones life equivalent to murder? All these questions appear to be pointless when under the power of the powerful and capitalism. With the growing advancement of technology, Tezuka raises concerns with the morals of civilization. The original cloning process was to aid humanity; by cloning animals, humans had another food source to continue survival. However, corruption caused an abuse on the technology that created clones in the first place, and a game of killing the innocent identical brothers of Aoi. 15 years later and the Man-Hunt game show still continues, illustrating the growing power of the wealthy through the deaths of others. 

One last note: why does the Phoenix test Sakon and Aoi directly this time? WHAT YOU TRYIN’ TO DO.  

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Vol. 9

Do you ever wonder what’s the last thing you’ll ever see before you die?

...oh, never mind.

A lot of things went down during part I and II of volume 9, but I feel like the most surprising thing that I took away from both is that the Phoenix decided to procreate with a human. She meddles with the affairs of our protagonists quite a bit, but I never thought she’d go as far as to make a hybrid version of herself in order to further her existential teachings to whomever is forced to listen.

Yes, part I put the dominant theme of death and rebirth on psychedelics and ran with it to an alternate dimension filled with a myriad Japanese mythical beasts, but part II really hit everything home (for me, at least). We first get an early reference to A Clockwork Orange, which is a novel about a dystopian future filled with violence, drug-laced milk (seen to be poured from the woman’s breasts) and Russo-English slang. There is a distinct contrast between Tezuka’s volume and Burgess’ (at the time, controversial) story in the sense that the former discusses the loss of humanity through excessive violence, whereas the other details about the loss of humanity through the suppression of violence. I’m probably reading too much into things, but Tezuka’s reference to Clockwork quickly sets up the reader’s expectations for something bloody, gory, and morally questionable - which, is pretty accurate for what we eventually get.

Both protagonists eventually outgrow their crass ways after becoming fathers, although Aoi’s development is more grounded in his own personal horror of watching clones of himself die endlessly for the entertainment of others. (Hunger Games, anyone?) I loved how much this volume ended on a somewhat cryptic note - what happens to Juné? Does she live the rest of her days in the woods or reintegrate herself into society? Do the clone hunts continue? That sort of stuff.

...This scene actually hurt a little.

It was actually pretty impressive how Sakon accepts her fate to be murdered by her own hand at the end. Though, the time loop aspect does throw a wrench in things - if her retainer escapes, does that mean there’s just, a constant stream of Kahei’s becoming artists in their respective realities? Probably not, we’re only here to witness Sakon No Suke’s redemption arc, but it’s a thought. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Obu throwing some fist was extremely satisfying to witness. She did turn out to be one of the strongest female leads we’ve read about so far, but I also feel like this was largely in part due to the rest of the Taira clan’s sheer incompetence. In contrast, her initiative almost seems like an act of heroism (especially since she’s protecting a clan that technically isn’t her own) but I still can’t shake off that the main reason she goes so far is because she thinks she’s in love with Kiyomori, who, held her prisoner against her will. That may be just me though.

Volume 8

Can somebody say “WAR”? 

This volume, much like the characters in it, was dominated by war, its consequences, its purposes, and everything in between. We see the trend of self-interests continued in this volume, war not being for the benefit of the people but instead for the benefit of individuals that want power under the guise of being for the people. This is particularly shown through the character of Yoshitsune.

OH, Yoshitsune. 

He really turned into a major jerkhead in this volume. He was so blinded by his own interests and war that he allowed innocent people to be killed, and even had an old friend (RIP Gourd-head) killed! He didn’t care about his own men, favoring getting an advantage in battle over their own well-being. He made them cross through a freezing cold river on foot instead of just going around, and also was okay with letting his men fall and die on the mountain pass in the middle of a bad storm before the sea battle. His motive to win the battles and gain a victory blinded him.

Speaking of war, there was a LOT of questioning about the purpose of war in this volume. It really helped put into perspective how meaningless it really is. There was a comment from one of the characters (the Phoenix maybe? I forget to write it down) but they remarked that whoever holds power is just destined to lose it. If that’s applied to war because war’s main motive is power, then that makes it meaningless because whoever gains that power will just lose it in the end. Thus, maybe it’s just an endless cycle of meaningless fighting, where no one really benefits in the long term and innocent lives are taken…

ALSO can we PLEASE talk about what a strong female character Obu turned out to be (before she tragically died RIP Obu and Benta your love will not be forgotten)? I was honestly surprised by her in this volume. Despite whatever Stockholm syndrome thing she had going on, she was really a strong female figure; she stood up to people, spoke her mind, talked military strategy with the men/generals, and even took initiative by spying on the enemy. She was very resourceful and smart, seeming to be the only one on the Taira clan’s side to be thinking things through (even though she’s not technically part of the clan, no matter how many times we have to listen to her say it). 

YOU GO GIRL!

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

I got a kick out of the dog vs. monkey story at the end. The majority of the volume is centered around history and politics - two very real things that exist beyond the two-dimensional universe, yet the ending illustrates two forms of art (verbal story and that kabuki play at the end) which also reflect the meaninglessness of conflict that Tezuka already asserts in his more ‘grounded’ story. Wow, it’s as if art reflects reality or something... 

War...War Never Changes (Reflections on Osamu Tezuka’s Hi no Tori)

Okay, so I knew this civil war wouldn’t end well, but really, I was expecting it to end much…  worse?  Don’t get me wrong–Obu dies and it’s all really tragic.  But my boy Benta survives (he escapes on a ship, you can’t convince me otherwise) and we get to see the Phoenix lecture the two main antagonists on their cruelty.  I liked this volume.  Did I disagree with the actions of certain characters?  Definitely.  But I understood their actions, and that’s always a big thumbs-up in my book.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know Obu would choose the Taira over my boy Benta.  All the signs were there.  Even though I absolutely loathed her decision, I respected it.  I saw her reasoning and could logic my way through it–she’s been a captive for so long and hasn’t seen her old lover in any of that time.  It only makes sense that she clings to what is the closest to her.  Obu is a strong character, even if it seems like she is “just going along” with everything that happens.  That isn’t the case–she weighs everything and makes a calculated decision.  She is probably the most complex female character Tezuka has given us, and I’m grateful for that.

Yoshitsune.  This dude.  I started out saying, “Okay, maybe he’s just a jerk.”  I mean, he was willing to risk his soldiers because he was in a risk to cross a river.  Talk about overkill.  Even so, I didn’t really think he was a complete piece of trash.  Yet.

Very soon, it becomes clear that this man is not a good person.  I won’t call him evil, because he has justified motivation for his conquests–he wants revenge.  He just goes too far to get what he wants and doesn’t know when to stop.  Each and every character in this volume has complex motivations that fuel their cruel actions, making this one of my favorite volumes of Hi no Tori.  I won’t just ignore Yoshitsune’s trashiness.  The man is a murderer that has no regard for civilians and for that reason, he is the winner of this week’s Jerk of the Week Award.  I know it’s been a while since I’ve given out one of these, but I really think he deserves it.

Perhaps the coolest part of this volume is the fact that it doesn’t end where you think it will.  Once everyone is dead or disappeared, the story continues.  I mean, I knew that there were, like, 50 pages left, but I really didn’t expect that we’d get to see the Phoenix.  Even more surprising was the rebirth of these two men–they reappear as the ape and dog that we see the graves for back in volume 7.  It’s intriguing to see the escalation of their feud that leads up to their deaths, and I think it is a brilliant parallel to the needless feuding of the ruling families.  Seeing this little scenario play out, I got an idea for this week’s lesson. It ain’t really funny, so gird your loins for some real ish.  Here it is: Take a note from Benta and just live–when you waste your time worrying about eliminating enemies, you forget to take the time to just enjoy what’s right in front of you.

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Vol. 8 (yes this is super early)

Oh really???

So, halfway through the volume we finally get our answer for the monkey and dog allegory: it’s about a monkey and a dog. Literally. No obscure symbols and literature deep-dives needed. Honestly, I was so convinced that Benta was symbolically the dog that the orange monkey manipulates, that during a scene where another samurai calls him a “dog” I was filled with an abundance of (short lived) self-congratulatory gratification. 

Unfortunately not the case. The dog ends up being a reincarnate of Yoshitsune, whereas the monkey is Kiyomori. There’s a copious amount of stuff to discuss. First off, we get a glimpse of another facet of the phoenix’s power. Apparently, not only can she manipulate time, natural planet topography, and send souls to their reincarnated selves, but she can also send people from the future back in time as their reincarnated selves, so that their secondary state of being precedes their initial forms. I found this aspect of the story fascinating, as this means Gao essentially told Yoshitsune a tale about himself, except it’s his next-stage-of-life-self. The struggle between the monkey and the dog illustrates the perpetual power struggle that humans are locked in; males in conflict with one another under the impression that they are protecting their groups, when in reality, their resorts to violence and war are what lead to the downfall of their clans. (Which ties to cycles, death, rebirth...etc)

Yoshitsune realizes his mistake. Poor Benta. (Okay but seriously, Obu gave off massive Stockholm syndrome vibes in the first act) This page, coupled with pg 221 really shows how much Yoshitsune falls short when it comes to human empathy and compassion. He cares so little for his retainer - the one person who is supposed to be loyal to him through thick and thin - that he murders Benta’s fiance, never apologizes, and then forces Benta away from his wife when all he asks is to continue living for happiness. What a man. I was also convinced that he would be reincarnated as Makimura or something, mostly because both characters seem devoid of a startlingly amount of... you know, understanding of others outside of themselves. Regardless, he kinda deserved to be killed by Benta in the end. Again, what a guy. 

I really hope the plot of this kabuki play is brought up in the next volume. Tezuka’s vague stories are driving me up the wall. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

HE’S REALLY CREEPY RIGHT??? BAD TOUCH. BAAD TOUCH. 

Throughout the Taira clan’s struggle, I couldn’t help but glean that perhaps Tezuka is also critiquing the monarchial form of government? The main conflict of the volume stems from the incompetency of the Taira clan’s rule, due to the fact that the only man who gets anything done is on his deathbed, whereas his family members have grown fat on complacency and sloth. Doesn’t really portray the whole ‘passing down power by blood’ thing in a positive light, does it? 

Volume 7

In Volume 7, we dive back into the past of Japan and witness the brewing civil war between clans within the government. 

At the very start, we see tension between the government officials and monks. As this story is a continuation of the story in Volume 4, it is only fitting that we see the further expansion of the theme present in that volume living on in this one. Tezuka brings us a heavy critique of the government done partly through the eyes of religion again; when confronted with his opinion on the brewing tensions in Japan’s political realm, the monk Myoun remarks that eventually even the mightiest must fall, because that’s the way that the world works. 

The corruption of the government is shown mainly through the Taira clan, them seeming to be a personification of everything wrong with the system. The head of the Taira clan, Taira no Kiyomori, is bent on getting the power of the phoenix because he claims the clan will fall apart without him, but I personally believe he’s just scared of death. He also calls out the corruption of the rest of the Taira clan at a family gathering, yet no one is safe from corruption as he turns out to be a hypocrite for the above reason. 

In fact, almost everything in this volume is wrapped up in politics and power; it seems to be the motivation behind a lot of things. For example, when Benta and company seek refuge in Oshu, the lord only takes care of them out of political interest. He believes that once the Taira clan falls and the Minamoto clan rises, then it will be of benefit to him to have helped them (A.K.A. placing them in his debt), instead of fostering them out of the goodness of his heart.

Nothing in this volume is safe from the clutches of corruption, not even poor Benta and Oru. The romantic plot we see just includes tragedy after tragedy…they never seem to get a break! They only want the purest things for each other and to be together, but society has apparently not only corrupted the people that make it up, but it has also gotten in the way of poor Benta and Oru’s love. :( 

Before I finish I’d just like say: TEZUKA. STOP IT. WITH. THE. KISSING. PLEASE! NO MORE CREEPY MEN GRABBING THE FEMALE CHARACTERS!!!

NOOOOOOOO. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

The irony of Benta’s transformation is that he ultimately becomes the person he hates most: an upper-class samurai who wields sword and bow, using his title to threaten those beneath him (okay, he doesn’t exactly do that, but those are ideas tied to the samurai title that he loathes). Actually, couldn’t his time on the bridge symbolize the bridge between social classes, and the struggle to maintain one’s place there (given that he has to fight over 100 samurai)? Might be stretching things a bit since he doesn’t really attempt to cross it, only sit at the border between peasant and noble in wait for Obu. 

Akabe and Shirobe Vs. Black Monk

Okie dokie. So compared to previous volumes, I had a more difficult time trying to analyze what Tezuka is trying to warn us about, but gonna try anyway. Out of all the volumes so far, while I didn’t hate it, it was the more less enjoyable ones for me. Then again, I may be missing out on Tezuka’s commentary and focusing to much on trying to decipher the political struggles between the nobles and peasants.  

Tezuka once again illustrates a conservative point of view on the male dominated hierarchy during the time period. It’s clearly emphasized that the leaders of societies are given special “privileges”, and so far they happen to all be male. Even today, while women have of a voice in society, there is still preferences towards men and their capabilities; this can be seen especially in the work of architecture. Less than 10 women are CEO’s of architecture firms to this day, and wage gaps are an ongoing issue. On multiple occasions, animals are depicted with human characteristics, such as worshiping Buddha-Frog Buddha to be exact. Lions are surrounded by lionesses, and the male deer are followed closely by the females. A court lady’s hope for success in life is to marry a wealthy individual and do his bidding. Even though I do feel bad for Oda as she was threatened to transform into Fukuko, near the end her behavior made me think that she didn’t want to leave the lord and go back to Oda; she begins seeing herself of having to save the fire bird for Kiyomori and Japan, appearing to submit to the traditional values of male power.  

Kiyomori is a darn hypocrite. He blatantly criticizes the “phoenix” for munchin’ on some good old bird feed and eating it like a commoner would. However, he himself is then illustrated several panels later enjoying his fresh box of KFC. The irony of the two opposing panels can reflect on the two main working classes: the rich and the poor. Throughout this volume, the sweethearts of the story -Benta and Obu- eventually change from a woodcutter and his wife to a samurai and court lady respectively. Even if it was not her intention, Obu accomplishes her dream of living in the capital by serving Kiyomori, while Benta trains to be what he hates the most: samurai. 

The story on the two apes was an interesting parallel to the other characters of this volume, and could serve as a foreshadowing of the plot in volume 8: Akabe and the Black Monk. While animals are depicted like humans, the same can be said for the people as being more animalistic. Benta here appears to resemble the ape- the Black Monk- that was told earlier to himself and Ushimaka; he seems to match the physical description. Other examples include Benta acting like Tarzan and drinking water like a horse. Akabe (the red ape) is robbed of his sweetheart and through his partnership with Shirobe the doggo, is eventually able to win her back and the position of power. So far from the 7th volume, the description pretty much lines up with vaguely what has happened so far with Benta and Obu. Because he is originally a peasant, he is does not have the power to rise up and protect her; however, when he begin battling across the bridge and forces himself to conform to the rank of a samurai, he is only then able to boldly attempt to rescue her. The clash between the wealthy and the poor brings about the question of power, and throughout all time periods the inevitable revolutions. 

…I would have nightmares too. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

Vol. 7 (Marvel’s Civil War ft. Tezuka)

Usually when I read something, I make a verdict of how much I like it early on, and then from thereon form the rest of my speculative judgement based off of it. That being said, this volume has got me stumped. Maybe it’s because it’s late, my brain is fried more than usual from binging a bunch of horror movies because it’s spooky season and I really don’t want to do homework, or maybe I’m just as dumb as Benta - who knows. I didn’t connect with this volume as much as I did with the others. (I mean, I’ll still talk about it though.)

First off - oh boy, this guy. There’s at least one creep in each of the recent volumes and for me, he takes the cake. Tezuka has shown us time and time again how immortality is a curse. Even as Kiyomori is given a vision by the phoenix herself - a warning of sorts - about what immortality truly entails, he still desperately searches for her blood. I find it interesting how, in contrast to his state of mind at the end of this volume, here he’s actually begging to die. It seems we really do forget our dreams soon after they happen... Or maybe he just doesn’t care. (Now that I think about it, it’s almost admirable how much he’s willing to suffer in order to ensure the survival of his clan. Actually, that would be a connection to the ‘nature show’ narration at the start of the volume. The lead male protects his clan, and in return, he is rewarded with privilege. For Kiyomori, that ‘privilege’ is leading the aristocracy, obtaining beautiful possessions such that of a haircomb, and Obu.)

Speaking of Obu, I wasn’t a huge fan of her. Again, I had a hard time connecting with the characters this time around. She’s kind of like a modern woman in a sense - she left home (‘kidnapped’ would be a better description, but let’s pretend that didn’t happen), obtained her dream of living in the capital, and found her purpose of supporting the Taira clan away from her husband-to-be. I don’t think she was meant to be portrayed in a negative light at all, but I couldn’t help but perceive her as such, given how she remains supporting her captors, the very people who influenced the death of her family and Benta’s suffering.

Gao’s death actually made me feel things, man. Didn’t think that a murderous bandit would have the most peaceful death. 

His story about the gorillas and the dog was a bit confusing, though. It’s obviously intended to be a parallel between Benta and Ushinaka, but I’m not sure if the payoff is in vol. 8, or if it already happened and I missed it. Regardless, at this point I think that Benta is the dog, and Ushinaka is the orange gorilla who is using him to take over his gorilla clan. Just a thought.

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

We go from Buddhism to Christianity - I wonder what’s next? It was surprising to see how much western influence was integrated in this volume’s story. First, we have the Bible, which is arguably the largest building block of western society, and then, we have a brief reference to a French children’s tale. (To be honest, the style of the scene where Romy talks about her father reminds me a lot of Sound of the Sea.) I’m not as familiar with Biblical texts as you are, but even a religious-dumbbell like me can see the parallels drawn between Eden 17 and creationism in general. Makes you really think. 

“Take us to your leader.”

There were many feelings to be felt throughout this volume: pity, disgust, waves of sadness, “hey he wasn’t actually that bad before he murdered the phoenix’s people” etc. Before I rant about the many biblical references in Hi no Tori: Nostalgia,  I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate this particular panel. I don’t know why but, I just thought that the soft depiction of Romy’s childhood like those found in fairy tales(much different from Tezuka’s usual style) at the beginning was endearing- contrary to what emotions may be felt for her later on. At the very end of the volume, there is another panel with Kom’s transformation/disappearance into the pond that reflects a similar style of drawing as well. These specific pages strike me as something from a children’s book rather than Tezuka’s manga to be honest. 

Now, onto my attempt at analyzing the biblical references Tezuka throws into the mix. From the get go, Romy’s and George’s descent of the new planet -Eden 17- is a reference to Adam and Eve. Their children also bore many name resemblances to other offspring within the Adam and Eve bloodline as well: Cain, Abel, Seth, Lot, Tera(h) and Haran. However, all these characters have different paternal lines; Tezuka’s crazy alternate universes could once again hint to humanity’s continuous cycle of rebirth and reincarnation. The return to primitive dressing strengthens the connection of Romy to Eve, even though she came from a futuristic earth. The weird looking snakes’ appearance can be a reference to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, but with a twist. Instead of one, its a whole bunch of them; however, they all seem to serve a similar purpose: drive humanity into desperation. The mudpie “life form” reminded me of an alternate version of the creation of Adam, just on a different planet, as he himself was also manifested by God from dirt and the like. One last thing that I may be overthinking about was the number of children that successfully helped spread the human and moopie population; out of the seven days of creation, it wasn’t until the sixth day that humans came into existence. Seth was the sixth child of Cain and Romy, and was the only one successful to give birth to the new race. 

Side note: even though Makimura sucks, he doesn’t suck as bad in this volume but actually trying to protect Norva, save Romy from the quicksand planet, go back and bury Romy with her husband, and actually know how to read. My despise for him did not resonate in this volume, and showed me a better side to this character before his transformation into a more sinister self later on in the series. Why you do this Tezuka and put so much complexion into human beings. Amen. 

Prevalent themes stuck out to me that went along side with the AU of Adam and Eve: corruption and temptation. Tezuka’s depiction of the snake was no coincidence; it itself is a symbol of humanity’s perpetual sins and their desire to continuously gain power- paralleling Eve’s consumption of the forbidden fruit to be as knowledgeable as God. Other “snakes” throughout the volume  are the planets that Romy, Makimura, Norva, and Kom encounter. Each one appears to give a promising hope as the real earth, only to be revealed as man eating planets out to kill. Zudarban - to me- also appears to be another, and the worst snake of the story. No matter where, corruption seems to spread, and in today’s time, in the form of capitalism. The luxury’s and pleasures with money that Zubardan gives to the people ultimately lead to their society’s downfall, just as with Adam and Eve’s banishment. 

And finally…Tezuka…why you gotta blow off not only human’s but now moopie’s arms off too… (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ R.I.P. Kom…you were a good moopie boi. 

[cowboybeepbeeplettuce-blog]

YEAH OKAY SO THE INCEST THING WAS SUPER WEIRD (shocker) AND ALSO THE LAST THING THAT I THOUGHT A SEEMINGLY SANE WOMAN WOULD RESORT TO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT HER SON DOES NOT DIE ALONE. It doesn’t even take Romy very long after her husband’s demise to decide that procreating with her children is the only way to sustain their little planet’s population. Just. Why? Why this??? I guess this is Tezuka’s way of illustrating the sheer strength of our very primal instincts to pass on our genes to ensure the survival of the species, but seeing this with humans is disturbing. (loved how he manages to elicit such strong emotions like this though)

A Lot to Process (Reflections on Osamu Tezuka’s Hi no Tori)

Okay.  So–

Okay, honestly I’m not really sure where to start talking about this volume.  Like, I think I’m a pretty smart person on most days, but I cannot for the life of me tell you the big takeaway point of anything that happened.  Basically, a couple runs away to a planet, gets scammed, and creates a huge human-alien hybrid civilization that, in true Tezuka fashion, ends up completely wiped out by the end of the volume.  Really cheery stuff– but hey, at least the art is nice.

Throughout the entire first half of this volume, there is no end to the biblical allegory.  For God’s sake (haha), the planet is called Eden 17.  Nearly every child that Romy has is named after a prominent biblical character.  Honestly, I haven’t the faintest idea why Tezuka decided to make this bit so astoundingly religious.  Is he trying to make a commentary on practices, seen in the Bible, which are deemed as acceptable in the context of the story?  I dunno– it was kind of freaky watching Romy pump out her son’s and grandsons’ sons (this feels wrong to type out) like a baby-making machine.  Is he trying to compare the newly-established planet to the “perfect” society, where greed an envy play no role in the distribution of power?  I dunno– the collapse at the hands of a money-hungry merchant seems to indicate that drunkenness and moneygrubbing are definitely not good things.  The point is, I’m just kind of grasping at straws here.

If you were to ask me if I liked this volume of Hi no Tori, my answer would probably be stuck somewhere between a lukewarm “meh” and an enthusiastic “hell no.”  Did I feel like there were some solid subjects being covered?  Definitely.  Nostalgia for a place long gone, the drive to endure despite impossible odds, the inner conflict that arises when one is forced to choose between personal safety and the happiness of others– these are all super deep and insightful things.  I was just a little put off by how quickly everything seemed to move.  

We start with a story about new beginnings,

Then shift towards a tale about leaving a legacy in the form of descendants (created by incest, and sustained by cannibalism).

Don’t forget about the alien babies though!  They’re pretty important!

Soon, the babies aren’t so important.  Now we can focus on more interesting things.  Like traveling to a planet we haven’t seen in over 100 years–

A planet with very strict immigration laws.  Which means absolutely no immigration.  And would it really be a volume of Hi no Tori if there wasn’t at least one premature death?

The lesson of the week: Sometimes, you just need to fake your way through things– maybe it’ll help you piece together something substantial.  Or maybe it won’t.  I don’t know, I’m kind of just making this up as I go– but hey, I guess that works?