Tezuka In English Discussion Forums

Hello,

Any ideas why in Phoenix Future it was Masato, and not Saruta, who the Phoenix picked to stay alive and restart life?

Masato was not exactly an excellent scientist... Can't help pitying the loads of robots that he made and then shot. This was quite undeserved - they (at least the one shown in the manga) were behaving quite normally for the situation.

Staruta is sorta the main character in Phoenix. Part of the theme of death and rebirth is explored through his different roles in many of the stories. Having him achieve eternal life might defeat that purpose.

Of course that starts to blur the line between reality and fiction in that what makes for good storytelling overlaps with the main theme. They kinda loop back onto one another... Saruta dies and is reborn because it's easier for Tezuka to tell his story, but at the same time the fate of the character exists beyond the story of each life.

Makes you wonder if we all aren't just characters in some cosmic manga...