Hi no Tori: Yamato-hen

Hi no Tori: Yamato-hen

Alternative Titles

Synonyms

Japanese

火の鳥・ヤマト編

English

The Phoenix: Chapter of Yamato

Information

Type

OVA

Aired

Aug 1, 1987

Episodes

1

Duration

48 min

Studios

Madhouse

Status

Finished Airing

Source

Manga

Rating

PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Genres

Drama

Themes

Historical

Demographics

Statistics

Rank

5510

Score

6.76

Scored by

1609

Popularity

10001

Members

3423

Favorites

4

External Links

Synopsis

At his father's command, Oguna, the youngest prince of Yamato, sets out to kill Takeru Kawakami, the leader of Kumaso. However, upon arriving in Kumaso territory, he is injured by the stray arrow of a young local woman named Kajika who is hunting game. Eager to compensate for the terrible mistake, she escorts Oguna to her village to treat his wound. But as the two rapidly fall in love, the prince makes a disturbing discovery: Kajika is Takeru's younger sister! Conflicted between his newfound love and family duty, Oguna seeks advice from the Phoenix, a legendary immortal bird that serves as Kumaso's guardian. Compelled to make a decision, will the Yamato prince betray his own for the woman he loves, or will he murder Kajika's brother as commissioned? Inspired by the Yamato Takeru Japanese legend, Hi no Tori: Yamato-hen chronicles the tragic story of an ill-fated couple, showing how true love can conquer hate and adversity even among the greatest of uncertainties. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Hi no Tori: Yamato-hen, the second of the three 1980s anime adaptations of Osamu Tezuka's Hi no Tori, refers to the manga's third chapter, "Yamato-hen." The story is inspired by the 14th century Japanese legend of Yamato Takeru, prince of the Yamato dynasty. While unfamiliar in the west, this legend has been described by anthropologist C. Scott Littleton as "Arthurian" due to some structural similarities with King Arthur's legend. Furthermore, despite the geographical distance, it appears that both Yamato Takeru and King Arthur originate from analogous time periods.

Characters

Related

Adaptation

Hi no Tori (1967)

Alternative Version

Hi no Tori