Summaries

Synopsis

Akanemaru, a woodcarver, lives just outside of a major town in the forest. He witnesses a bandit, Gaou, fleeing the town as people run after him shouting "murder!" Gaou runs into Akanemaru in the woods, stealing his clothes and slashing his arm, as he professes that the sight of people with two good arms disgust him (Gaou is missing one arm). Gaou meets a naked woman by a stream named Hayame, who he ends up living with for some time as a bandit leader. Gaou's nose becomes infected by something so Hayame gives him an ointment she prepared to help his nose get better. One of Gaou's bandits declares that the ointment is really a poison (completely unsubstantiated), so Gaou kills his wife who he believes is trying to poison him. Hayame declares her love before dying and turning into a ladybug.BACKSTORY Gaou once helped save a ladybug from a river by putting it on a leaf. Hayame was also a ladybug and friends with that ladybug, which is why she came to be with him. The death of his partner depresses Gaou, who begins wandering. Back to Akanemaru, he meets a rambunctious girl named Buchi, who he tells about his dream to find a Phoenix so that he can sculpt it. Some of the local king's soldiers find Akanemaru and order him to come work on a sculpture of a giant Buddha for their king. Akanemaru refuses, attempting to flee with Buchi. They are caught, Buchi is killed, and Akanemaru is hauled off by the soldiers. Fast-forward, Akanemaru is the woodcarver in charge of the construction. Akanemaru sees a vision of Buchi who implies that he's lost his way and forgotten his dream of carving a Phoenix. Upon the giant Buddha's completion, the local king informs Akanemaru that he will be participating in a sculpting contest against an unknown woodcarver who is said to carve sculptures with magical properties. Akanemaru accepts the challenge and sees a painting of a Phoenix.The unknown woodcarver is Gaou, who clearly wins the sculpting contest against Akanemaru by sculpting a better Phoenix than Akanemaru. The local king declares Akanemaru victor anyways to save face, to the displeasure of his court. Akanemaru informs the court of Gaou's wicked past and about cutting his arm, so in retribution the court cuts off Gaou's one good arm. Gaou goes back to wandering with his dog. The king places Akanemaru's phoenix in the imperial treasury. The Phoenix spontaneously bursts into flames, engulfing the surrounding building. Akanemaru runs into the building to try to save his sculpture but dies in the fire. In the afterlife, Akanemaru meets a giant, ethereal phoenix, who informs him that instead of being reborn as a woodcarver as Akanemaru wishes, he will be reborn as a fish.