Hi no Tori: Hagoromo-hen

Synopsis

Zuku turned to banditry after being abandoned as a child. One night following a robbery, a mysterious little girl leads him to a beach near a pine grove, where he discovers a young woman lying unconscious beneath a radiant veil. Captivated by the veil's beauty, Zuku tries to take it and flee. The woman awakens and begs him to return her cherished possession, insisting he must give it back even though she cannot remember why it matters. Zuku initially refuses, not caring about her plea. Unbeknownst to him, this encounter will drastically change his fate. Drawing from a classic Japanese legend, Hi no Tori: Hagoromo-hen follows two people learning to find comfort in each other amid their struggles, showing how empathy can soften even the hardest heart.

Background

Hi no Tori: Hagoromo Hen is a short anime adaptation of the "Hagoromo-hen" chapter from Osamu Tezuka's Hi no Tori manga. Translated in English by Viz under the title "Robe of Feathers," this chapter is mostly inspired by Japan's famous eighth century Hagoromo legend. However, the adaptation's plot is slightly different from the manga's, especially with respect to the character Zuku. The movie was shown at the Tezuka Osamu World Cinema in Kyoto from July 17, 2004 until the theater was closed on January 16, 2011. The production team was almost identical to the Hi no Tori TV anime series' production team, but the voice actress of the Phoenix was changed.