The series impressed me in a way I wouldn't have imagined, at the same time giving me the chance to familiarize with Osamu Tezuka's work, to whom I feel deeply grateful, for the essential contribution he has made to the development of manga and anime as we know them today. Story: Tales of the old Japan alternate with tales of a far future, all of them following human destiny, whether they focus on the lives of particular individuals, the stories of specific communities, or humankind as a whole. I find brilliant this technique of alternating the past with future, because it illustrates both the wholenessof human history and its recurrence. Also, the topics approached in each story are an occasion to reflect about the fact that we, humans, are driven by illusions that we cannot escape from, generation after generation, risking to overlook what's really important and thus, missing the opportunity to bring a salutary change in us. What I find a bit lacking at the anime is the connection between the stories. The Hi no Tori manga, on which this series is based, contains 12 stories which are far better connected. Presenting only 5 of the stories in the anime, while also eliminating some of the details, the unity weakens. Although the characters, especially the Phoenix Bird, have a big contribution to building a bridge between the stories, they still feel rather independent than parts of a whole.

Characters:
The characters are very representative. Not only that they reflect the human nature so accurately, as being full of flaws, capricious and impassioned, or, on the contrary, prone to self sacrifice and mercy; but we will often notice that some characters from the future's stories have a high resemblance or a similar position with characters from the past tales, thus enabling us to better grasp the previously mentioned common element. The Phoenix Bird has the greatest contribution to this aspect, because in addition to appearing in all the stories, it fulfills two important roles to help understanding the anime's overall message:
1) Immortal creature, it highlights the passing of time;
2) Achieving a role of both witness and guide, through its interactions with other characters, it helps emphasize the ardent topics presented in the anime.
Yet, if I should mention a shortfall of the characters, I would say they are not so engaging emotionally. Despite showing well defined personalities and expressing intense feelings, the characters are less appealing than the themes and ideas presented.

Graphics/Animation:
I particularly liked the diversity of the characters' design as you could easily tell, from only the way they were drawn, what kind of personalities they had. The beauty and charm of some of the heroines became so obvious through the shape, seize and glowing of their eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off them! The animation is also good, describing so well the moments of tension, the action or the emotion. I particularly liked the scene where the quiet night sea gradually became lit up by the torches of the fleet that was approaching; I was also impressed with the illustration of a swirling vortex connecting two different worlds.

Soundtrack:
The traditional Chinese music elements were very suitable for the general context and tone. Also the series' music highlighted pretty well the drama and pain presented in some of the scenes, thus amplifying their emotional impact.