Hi no Tori

Tezuka’s early work, a sequel to Jungle Emperor, started in 1954 in the manga magazine Manga Shonen and ended in 1955 when the publication ceased. The story is set in a mythical ancient Japan, following Nagi Iza, a boy from a southern island, who seeks the Phoenix to cure his ailing father. He believes the bird’s blood has healing powers and embarks on a journey to ascend Fire Mountain, the volcano where the Phoenix is said to reside.