Hi no Tori: Eden no Hana

64.87/100 The last time I felt like watching a mere trailer or concept reel was with Alita: Battle Angel six years ago. Currently, STUDIO's most polished work remains Children of the Sea, and it's evident that this film's budget was relatively modest . Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower (Japanese: Hi no Tori: Eden no Hana) boasts a premise and worldbuilding that could rival the Dune saga, yet the adaptation's storytelling fails to fully realize its source material's grandeur. The narrative choices here hardly qualify as ingenious .

The brilliance of the Reminiscence Chapter lies in its climactic moment when the Phoenix-symbolizing cosmic indifference-chooses to cease suppressing seismic activities on Eden 17, reflecting profound despair toward humanity. Regrettably, the film's visual storytelling utterly fails to convey this thematic essence . Still, I'm cautiously optimistic about a potential sequel. Here's hoping future installments deliver the awe this universe deserves.