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Reviewed by Michael Aronson Civil War: The Viz blockbuster event of 1176 is here! Whose side are you on, the Shishigatani or the Taira? Actually, the war seems to be more of a backdrop in this volume than the main point of interest, which is the quest of woodcutter Benta to retrieve the love of his life Obu. Benta finds a royal comb in the streets of the palace, and after returning home to give it to his wife, royal soldiers seize the comb, burn down the house and capture his wife. While Obu is adopted by the royal court and given a new name, Benta rampage to reclaim her, but to no avail. Only by joining with the wild youth outside the palace does he begin to train to become strong enough to storm the palace, but by then war ignites and it may be too late . . . This is the first time in the Phoenix series that a chapter is large enough to be split among two volumes. There’s no conclusion to be found at the end of part one, but there is plenty of plot progression and twists to be found. Civil War is another entry that takes place in Japan’s history, in the 12th century to be exact, and while I find the historical-based entries to be less exciting than the science fiction future stories, they’re nevertheless more consistent in tone and quality. Tezuka combines his usual mastery of beautiful landscapes, Disney-esque character designs and animals, slapstick humor and philosophical themes of life and death. There’s also a surprising cameo by a key character from the Karma chapter, collected in the fourth volume, and the suggestion that reincarnation goes farther than the influence of the Phoenix. The Phoenix’s role this time out, while similar in its aim, is deceptive this time around as the treasured bird in Regent Kiyomori’s possession may or may not be the genuine article. While this volume is a step up from the last one, with clearer storytelling and more complex themes, it falters slightly from the same problem that plagued the sixth volume – the significant length provides for too many tangents that make the central story slow to progress. Perhaps the Tezuka tried to fit a bit too much into the scope of the war, but at times it touches on too many motivations of too many peripheral characters and not enough on the central themes. The earlier volumes of Phoenix are a better showcase for Tezuka’s storytelling abilities. For the first time, I can look forward to the next volume of Phoenix to find out how the story in this volume concludes. With half of the series released now, it’s a perfect time for new readers to see what all the praise and hype is all about – and for seasoned fans to build up the hype! Comment on this review of Phoenix v7: Civil War Part One on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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