Fushigi Yuugi TV

Title:Fushigi Yuugi TV
Fushigi Yugi
Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play
Fushigi Yuugi
Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play
Mysterious Play
ふしぎ遊戯 (Japanese)
Overall:Rent
Keywords: , , , , , , , , ,
Notables: Animation - Studio Pierrot
KOYASU Takehito
MIKI Shinichirou
Original Concept - YUU Watase
R1 License - Media Blasters
SAKAKIBARA Yoshiko
SEKI Tomokazu
TANAKA Atsuko
TOUMA Yumi
UEDA Yuuji
Miaka, a school girl in modern Japan, starts reading a book and suddenly finds herself in ancient China, in the story she was just reading. Now she must become the priestess who will save the empire in order to return.
[TV series, 1995, 52 episodes, 23 min]

Read the translated manga online at MangaFox.

1:31min Series Opening - YouTube Video
[edit] The ↗Fushigi Yuugi franchise:
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Watch 6 5 6 6 6 6 Ggultra2764 [series:123#1552]
Fushigi Yugi's considered the most famous of Yu Watase's works. Considering I get a good amount of enjoyment out of her later work Ayashi no Ceres, I decided to give Fushigi Yugi a shot. However, the series proved to be rather underwhelming with me considering the number of cliches common in a shoujo anime that this series gives off.

This series is loaded with plenty of melodrama revolving around the romantic developments with Miaka and Tamahome, the tensions between Miaka and best friend Yui and the ongoing conflict between the Seiryu Seven and Suzaku Seven as they try obtaining the means they need to summon their country's respective beast spirit. Attempting to exaggerate the issues faced by the characters also come along with their state of mind not making much sense at many points. Characters are shown rather frequently to make foolish decisions to put themselves at risk despite knowing the dangers they get caught up in, this predicament regularly happening to Miaka and needing Tamahome to save her from any sort of danger. This problem also arises with characters who become aware of obvious facts with the questionable moral issues of the side they take up and not questioning whether they made the right choices, this regularly shown with Yui's hostility towards Miaka for her assumed suffering despite knowing of facts concerning the nature of the book she is whisked into and the questionable morality of many of Nakago's actions. The show's efforts at also having you feel for the personal losses of major characters (shown prominently throughout the show's second half) also suffers to an extent due either to sloppy writing in the logic of events or limited depth on said prominent characters. If you're not a fan of melodrama, this series will regularly push your buttons throughout its run.

Outside of the melodrama, Fushigi Yugi also carries a number of the cliches common in a shoujo anime with Miaka pretty much put in a reverse harem scenario with the multiple bishounen that make up the Seiryu Seven, several of whom develop romantic interest in her and fall under different character types. The show makes attempts to toss in comedy to relieve the title's more serious moments, but these attempts mostly fall flat. The series also tends to get in a bad habit at many points of having the old "conveniently saved in the nick of time" cliche come up whenever a character is in a life-threatening situation. Also, it appeared the series had quite the limited budget for its visuals considering the choppy frame rate for animation, washed out backgrounds and occasions of off-model character designs.

Despite my constant complaining though, the series does do some things right. The characters that are reasonably developed enough get enough background where you do care for what happens to them and are rather likeable, despite the show's melodramatics making their serious moments look silly at a number of points. Also, the world of the book that is a regular setting in the series is based on actual mythology and elements of astronomy followed by the Chinese such as the Four Symbols and 28 Mansions, that make for interesting study and comparison to those interested in learning more about Eastern cultures.

Overall though, I feel rather indifferent towards Fushigi Yugi compared to Watase's later work on Ceres. The series dips into too much cliches and melodrama common in shoujo anime for me to get seriously invested into the title's plot and characters, as well as having moments of sloppy narration and writing as a result of said melodrama. Unless you're a big shoujo fan, I think Fushigi Yugi may be getting more praise than deserved from older fans.

Last updated Sunday, July 28 2013. Created Sunday, July 28 2013.
Buy 8 8 8 7 9 9 Dreamer [series:123#2279]
Beng so many episodes and reading the synopsis, I guessed this would be a pretty good series somewhere on the lines of 12 Kingdoms.

Art, Animation & Character Designs
The artwork wasn't bad at all. Considering it's over 14 years old (at the time of this entry), it was pretty okay. Animation was on par with many other anime out there. Character designs were nothing special, if not slightly dull.

Music
The OP wasn't too bad. It was an pop, almost new-age piece. I actually enjoyed it.... since it was a 09's style and I enjoy 80's and 90's music. The rest of the soundtrack were a mixture of new age, silly and other semi-dramatic pieces.

Series and Episode Story
Having a similar storyline as few other great works of anime, such as 12 Kingdoms and similar, this one was a really good as well. It started off a bit slow, then after a few episodes, it picked up and the plot was engaging and engrossing. Character interactions and arcs were done really well and after a while, you end up falling in love with a lot of the them. Plot development was excellent and the story setting made it fun. There's also plenty of humor here and there.

Overall, it's a great series that keeps you thoroughly entertained and engrossed. Buy for sure.

Last updated Thursday, May 14 2009. Created Thursday, May 14 2009.
Buy 8 8 8 8 8 8 Anonymous #2513 [series:123#2513]
Warning - don't read my review if you don't want SPOILERS :)

I alway hesitate to give full marks to anything, and I can't give it a ten simply because this anime literally broke my heart lol :) I was put in its direction by a friend who made me listen to Tasuki's song "Heart ni kiraboshi sakashitare" from the soundtrack and I was immediately hooked by the characters. (For anyone wondering, Tasuki's song is addictive. Steer clear if you don't want to be wandering around the house singing it for the rest of eternity.)

To my mind, Tasuki came in a lot later than I'd have liked him to, and he and Nuriko are my definite favourites for the series...with possibly Hotohori in reserve. These characters will creep up on you - I swore blind I didn't like either Nuriko or Hotohori for the first few episodes, but they really do start to grow on you.

Episode 33 was possibly the most tragic anime episode of anything that I've watched in a long time. Even though I knew it was going to happen, when and how, it still got to me how they could kill off such a strong and important character a full 20 episodes before the close of the series. In my mind, that's another reason FY can't have full marks across the board. The deaths of Nuriko and Hotohori both made me very sad...but Nuriko in particular. For such an original and strong character to be cut out of it only half way through kind of sucked for me. Even though his death was "noble" and "brave" - to me it was also sort of unecessary, with the character having so many things left undefined, unsaid, undecided (particularly his words to Tamahome about his feelings for Miaka in the day before his death).

Of course, that doesn't mean they're out of it completely - but the tragedy of Hotohori and his baby son in the OVA2 is sort of haunting as well. I swear, if they'd killed Tasuki off, I might never have watched the rest of the series. You get the feeling noone is quite safe from the fall of the axe - another very sad moment involves Suboshi of the Seiryuu 7, a misunderstanding, and Tamahome's poor extended family :(.

If you don't mind tragedy and nudity, though, the series is a darn good one. Perhaps the funniest scene I can think of was when Miaka asked Tasuki to burn the hair connecting her and her brother Keisuke in the real world...REKKA SHIN...en! (Maybe you have to see it to fully grasp it!)

I haven't decided whether it's a good or a bad thing that Chiriko and Mitsukake lacked as much depth as the others - somehow its easier to see a character die if you haven't bonded with them. It's true that after a while Tamahome and Miaka start driving you a tad nuts, but that didn't really happen to me until I got to the OVA. Another character who annoyed me up until the OVA was Yui - even considering the things she'd been through, I still wanted to give her a good shaking through most of the TV series. Still, this is a show that does actually make you care - love or hate - about the story and the characters you are watching, which has to go in its favour.

I'll still give it an eight. If Nuriko had survived to the end, I might have given it a ten ^_^.

One final thing of note. I don't usually give preferential treatment to one language dub over another and I'm not averse to watching anime in English or Japanese. However I only had to watch one episode of Fushigi Yuugi in English to want to throw things at the screen. Maybe it was because I saw the first half of the first series in Japanese with subtitles - but either way, I found the voice artists of especially Miaka and Hotohori really irritating in English, and would much more recommend watching it in japanese with subtitles. Somehow the voices just seem to work better - at least in my opinion. Tasuki in particular has a really effective voice in the Japanese dub - it's quite unique ;)

Last updated Sunday, March 25 2007. Created Sunday, March 25 2007.
Buy 8 6 8 6 10 10 manganime [series:123#1633]
This series starts off not great but it really picks up after a couple of episodes and becomes like a roller coaster ride with ups and downs and the suspense of knowing whats going to happen to the characters or how will they overcome obtacles both physical and mental.

Some parts are really cheesy, stupid and there is A LOT of romance but that still doesn't take away that this is a great anime that can be watched again.

This being an old series; the animation is not great and the fight scenes are not too spectacular.

Most of this would be fine to watch for all audiences but there are couple of scenes and themes which would be objectionable.

But in my final view this is one of the greats.

Last updated Sunday, December 18 2005. Created Sunday, December 18 2005.
Buy Violet D [series:123#1393]
Two years ago I rented Mysterious Play in video. They only had two but I watched both again and again. I wanted to see more of it and so my search began. At first I couldn't find anything and when they checked they couldn't find anything either. So then last summer I looked on the net and found Best Buy.com. I found the new version in dvd and then also after they take care of the evil one who is trying to destroy Miaka and Tahome. Another one comes out this time Miaka and Tahome have a baby comming and the baby gets stolen by another girl who wants to take Miakas place. So you think after all this Tahome has to go back again to the Feudal era and stop what is happening. All of this feature is excellent animation and good story line. I have it added to my collection of Anime and enjoy watching it. By the way the second Mysterious Play is called EIKODEN.

Last updated Thursday, April 14 2005. Created Thursday, April 14 2005.
Buy 10 8 7 9 10 10 Anonymous #1775 [series:123#1775]
I just finished watching the series yesterday, and I have to say at the beginning I wasn't drawn into the series like I was toward the end. By episode 26 the story really picks up and puts the watcher on an emotional rollercoaster until the end.
This story is about Miaka Yuki, a 15 year old middle school girl, and her best friend, Yui. They are both sucked into an ancient Chinese book and sent back to that world. There they become bitter enemies as they attempt to summon the beastial Gods Suzaku and Seriyu (I know I can't spell). Along the way they each must gather together their 7 celestial warriors, who have been destined from their births to protect their respective priestess. The story follows bascially the search for the warriors, and the girls' trials as they attempt to summon the beast deities.
Now I might have the wrong catergory, but I believe it is animation. The characters' actual faces tend to change and become very childish in appearance, to show their emotions, quite often. Though that was ok in the beginning it was starting to get annoying as I kept watching.
I couldn't get enough of the opening theme song for the series, and as a result I can't get it out of my head. The character songs are pretty good too. I wasn't much for the ending theme though; it seemed rather ordinary.
Alright, to the things that really ticked me off as I was watching. First off, I found myself at times screaming "Miaka you are a moron!" I know she has a good-heart and all, but she was just a little too dumb and naive sometimes...a lot of the time. All of the pining scenes were kind of annoying too, especially with Tamahome and Miaka. Every show has its flaws I guess. Oh and before I forget, about Nakago. *some what of a spoiler here* This character is mean, heartless, and especially deceptive. I found myself hating the sight of this man's face. He is perhaps the most beautifully done out character in the entire anime.
Overall, I did enjoy watching the series. I am looking forward to watching the OAV's though I might be disappointed. We'll see

Last updated Thursday, January 06 2005. Created Thursday, January 06 2005.
Watch 8 9 9 10 9 10 Kusari Yarou [series:123#1648]
It's been loved, it's been hated, but this anime has now become a classic. Yes, it does have its warts. It really lacks in the action department. Also the sliiight nudity might be offensive to young people...but what the heck, almost ALL anime contain PG 13-ish material! As for the love story...love it or hate it.
The best thing about Fushigi Yuugi is the enticing mix of intense drama and hilarious comedy. Yeah, yeah I know it's cliched but you could be laughing your ass off one minute, and have this really tight feeling in your chest the next(will he/she/it die? will they ever be friends again? wil they be together forever?)It all has to do with Watase-sensei's rather colorful cast of characters of course. A lot of people despise Miaka(not without good reason) and the presence of characters that are so much cooler than she is(Tasuki rocks, man!) only fuel this dislike. But come on, you can't deny that dumb ole Miaka is half the show's comic relief! She gets the craziest lines too ("The same face is doing a love scene?" -referring to Suboshi and Amiboshi)
My point is, though you hate Miaka, she shouldn't drive you away from what the show's about...
And what it is is an amazing journey, a rollicking rollercoaster ride through the world of shoujo drama. There is very few action but there are enough plot twists to keep you wanting to know just what happens in the next episode. This is one of the show's strongest points and I congratulate Watase-sensei for managing to incorporate this quality into her story.
As you can see, I've given the music a 10. Maybe it's just me but I think the songs are awesome ^_^
One last thing: don't think that only gals watched this anime. When it first aired, my 3 guy cousins, my little brother and I all followed it RELIGIOUSLY ^_~

Last updated Saturday, November 06 2004. Created Wednesday, October 20 2004.
Buy 7 7 7 8 7 Kari [series:123#798]
I was hesitant to watch Fushigi Yugi, because I usually prefer to watch shows like Yukikaze, Gundam, or Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. But I actually like Fushigi Yugi. I think it's a decent show, and with the exception of Miaka and Yui, I liked the way the characters were written.



The premise of the show is as follows: A Chinese boy meets a childish and incompetent Japanese Junior High School girl from the future, quickly falls in love with her, and constantly has to protect her. That's the fastest way to sum up the plot of Fushigi Yugi. Miaka traveled from the future to ancient China via a book. This idiot also happens to be the Priestess of Suzaku, and is needed by Emperor Hotohori to save his kingdom.



Fushigi Yugi is your average 'Watase Magical Girl' romantic comedy, so of course the plot wouldn't have been complete without a love triangle. It's almost as if all of Watase's recent mangas are recycled portions of her previous releases. Even though this is an anime series, and Miaka's the main character, I've never understood why so many characters were written to like her. Miaka was written to be a gluttonous moron, who would even risk her life for a meal. That kind of stupidity's not funny, it's annoying. I also felt Tamahome and Miaka fell in love much too fast. They were madly in love, and couldn't live without each other after about seven episodes. Yet there are characters like Nuriko, Chichiri, Tamahome and Tasuki, that make the show tolerable for me.



The soundtracks for Fushigi Yugi, and there are many of them, are pretty good. Akemi Satou performed some of the songs, but there are other songs performed by the Japanese voice actors for the series, as well as other artists. The animation is average, and the character designs are the same as those of any other Watase manga. Miaka, Tamahome, and Tasuki, look like the main characters of Watase's manga Epotoransu! Mai.



I don't mind watching any Fushigi Yugi installment in English or Japanese, because I like both the English and Japanese actors for this particular series. I especially like hearing Sean Barker as Tamahome, Melissa Williamson as Nuriko, and Sean Thornton as Hotohori.



This is an endurable show to watch, and while a bit too sentimental for my tastes, it's not the cheesy romantic garbage Fushigi Yugi: Oni is.


Last updated Tuesday, December 05 2006. Created Wednesday, August 11 2004.
Buy 10 10 10 10 10 10 ana [series:123#1360]
awesome just awesome. an anime that combines: comedy, fantasy, adventure, action, and lots of romance. you can watch the series and be happy with the ending or you can watch the series and the first ova and be complete, if you want an extremely complete ending then just watch the series, and the 2 ova's. please as mush as i support buying anime the boxes are $120, if you dont have that much money than download, but good news is that the distributors noticed how expensive it was so they are now releasing it dvd by dvd in order to make it cheaper. there are 2 box sets the suzaku box and the seiryu box, that conatins the 52 episode series. the oni box is the first ova and the eikoden box is the 2nd ova.

Last updated Friday, April 23 2004. Created Friday, April 23 2004.
Avoid 5 5 2 6 4 3 rainmusic [series:123#1069]
this would have been a good anime if the characters weren't so annoying or if it were smoother. key word being COULD. let me explain:
the characters were undeveloped.
miaka and tamahome are supposed to have this everlasting love, and how long did it take for them to declare this? NOT LONG ENOUGH!!!!!
love, people, doesn't happen in 30 minutes. sorry disappoint believers of that 'love at first sight' thing, but that is completely unrealistic. it just doesn't happen.
miaka is too dependent on the seishi. after being in the world of the book, don't ya think she could learn to do something. or even RUN?! if someone is attacking you and you KNOW you're die, RUN!!!! it's just common sense.
there are too many cliches and tragedies in this series.
like the cruel to be kind thing....please, spare me.
and this whole series is just on sob story after another. admittedly, the first few stories were good, but after a while, they just bounce of you.
many say it's a classic, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's GOOD.
watch at your own peril

Last updated Thursday, November 13 2003. Created Thursday, November 13 2003.
Buy Robbie [series:123#192]
All I can say is wow! Words cannot even begin to describe how awesome this series was. The entire "ride" was totally a rollercoaster with the moments of comedy, drama, and action. I laughed, I cried, everything in this series was just great.
I guess the most important thing about this series has to been the characters. A lot of people complain about Miaka being a horrible character, but I think she was the one that matured the most. At the begining all she wanted was to eat her favorite food and somehow pass her exams. Considering the fact that she was just flung into the Universe of the Four Gods without any warning she ended up doing pretty good. I don't know if most of us could do so well if thrown in the same position. ^_^
Anyway this is truely a prize in my anime collection. You can't help but love the characters and feel their triumph and suffering. Go out and give this a try. You won't regret it!

Last updated Saturday, October 18 2003. Created Saturday, October 18 2003.
Buy 8 8 8 8 9 9 Yousei [series:123#755]
I liked watching this series while it lasted, but damn if Miaka wasn't soo *beep*ing annoying I would've praised this series a little more. Yui definitely should've gotten more attention instead of her. Good God!
Anyway, it was fun to watch at times...some episodes would just lag things on and ruin your interest, but at least the ending was satisfying enough. :)

Last updated Friday, July 04 2003. Created Friday, July 04 2003.
Watch 10 9 10 8 9 bekku [series:123#816]
fushigi yuugi was one of the first animes/mangas i was introduced to and i loved it from the start. comedy mixed in with a good storyline and romance (although, too much at given moments did make it all mushy..."tamahome! tamahome!" :PPPPP) made a very well written plot. i like animes that seem like fairy tales.
many people agree that tasuki is the best character in the series, for one reason: stupidly hillarious. you wouldn't see any other moron prancing happily all ring around the rosey like with another male now would you? nor would you have a "defender of the priestess suzaku" whack the priestess with an iron harisen, now would you?!? ^____^; he just lightens up my day whenever i watch his randomly placed scenes.
the opening theme sometimes catches me off guard whenever i play the episodes. ....**silence** DURRUUMMMMMUUUUUUUU! "AAAAAHHHHH!" lalalala...SUZAKUUUUUU! "AHHHHH!" ><><><>< **beat**
but, i'd really recommend this for romance lovers/comedy goers. it's well worth your time.

Last updated Sunday, June 29 2003. Created Sunday, June 29 2003.
Watch 10 10 10 10 SanosuKe Haru [series:123#793]
YEAAAAAH! It's been a while since I liked FY. I liked ALMOST all the characters but I DONT Like Miaka! Why? She's always been a COWARDLY FREAK that always depends on the Suzaku Seishi! Anyway, the animation IS good.. ^_^

Last updated Sunday, June 22 2003. Created Sunday, June 22 2003.
Buy 6 7 7 8 7 D-chan [series:123#547]
Hm. What to say about a classic?
First of all, Fushigi Yuugi is one of those controversial animes, where many fans will be thrilled and many will be disappointed.
If you're new to anime, then this would be a good one to start out with. The characters are interesting and pretty. One thing I loved was the detail that went into their hair; the lines were nice and relaxed. The hair was in very much a shoujo style, with fine strands and everything.
The music is catchy; the ending theme is nice and cheerful, and the opening is pretty. If you can find the seperate Japanese seiyuu songs, you'll find something for each fan. The THTC is always fun to listen to. Tasuki's songs are generally fast and loud, Chichiri's are peaceful and cute, even Amiboshi gets one, and his was soothing. There's something for everyone concerning the music.
For older anime fans, you may find this a bother to watch. The art fluctuates a lot and is generally unattractive at many points (I personally found the profile shots annoying). The characters seem bland in comparison to many other anime characters as well, and the plot is a bit weak.
However, even if you don't go for it, Fuishigi Yuugi is a classic. It should be tried at least for the first few episodes. If nothing else, the seiyuus were very appropriately cast, and any fan of Hikaru Midorikawa's work would want to watch him play Tamahome.

Last updated Monday, February 24 2003. Created Monday, February 24 2003.
Rent 8 8 7 7 8 8 Sesen Kelader [series:123#471]
First of all, the comic art is better than the anime, but the anime develops several ideas that couldn't be done in the comic, which is very nice.
Fushigi Yuhi is pretty easy to understand. Basically it's a story full of impossible imagination and Chinses Zodiac stories. The comicer greatly alters the Zodiac tales and develop her own ideas. Also she applies some evilness into the Zodiacs, yet at the end, it seems the "evilness" is only one's futile fightback of his suffering.
Although it's simply a love story, it plays around with identities, friendship, and good and evil. It's also a story of maturing, of growing up. However the central idea of Fushigi Yugi is "LOVE" (it's a love story anyway, what do u expect?) If u have watched the 2nd part of Fushigi Yugi, u'll know what I mean. The entire story concludes with LOVE. And That's it @.@

Last updated Saturday, January 04 2003. Created Saturday, January 04 2003.
Rent 7 5 9 7 7 6 kakyuu_prince [series:123#404]
It's difficult for me to review Fushigi Yugi because it's quality is a like a rollercoaster, up and down. First the animation, there's no way getting around the fact that it SUCKS. Sorry fanatics of this show, but it is NOT the be all, end all of anime. Now in maybe 8 or 9 episodes, the animation was alright or good, but for the rest of the 52 episode span, it sucked. It was quite unbearable and horrid sometimes. I definitely agree with Midnighter that the scene with the band making an appearence was absolutely hideous. What the HELL was wrong with her lips? They did that in another episode with the main characters and it looked horrid! They also did it at a time when something tragic was happening (again) but I couldn't really pay attention because of the hideousness on my screen!
Okay, let's get off the topic of Fushigi Yugi's below mediocre animation shall we? Next issue is the characters. Now here comes my real problem. Nuriko, Chichiri, Tasuki, Yui (yes Yui you weird Yui haters), Suboshi, and Soi were definetely the best characters here. Especially Nuriko and Yui. They are the two best characters in the entire show. Yui has some of the most amazing character development I've seen, and Nuriko was just so cool! Nakago was a good villian, with his reasons (them's some good reasons for being the villian) revealed at the end in a great sequence of flashbacks. Tomo was delightfully evil and that laugh of his, god the laugh, who did Tomo's voice? He is one talented evil voice actor. But here's my real problem characters, Miaka (you saw that coming), Tamahome, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Ashitare, Taitsukun and Hotohori. Let's start with the worst one, Miaka. To put it bluntly, I despise her. She's obnoxious, immature (it can't be that hard to have a little bit maturity in 8th grade), stupid, whiny, sappy, undeserving (5 bishounen in love with her? 5?! Not in my book), and a pig. A fine example is when Miaka was trappped in the mirror with all the food, first she ate all the food at a disgusting, unbecoming, and unfunny rate. THEN she demanded to know who was the voice that was talking to her (Taitsukun). Taitsukun then proceeded to go "Oh me oh my who IS this girl? She's unlike anything I've ever seen!" like she's some amazing person. Speaking of Taitsukun, why is she playing favorites to the Suzaku people? Isn't she supposed to help out ALL the priestesses/shichiseishi of the gods? But I'm off topic. I ESPECIALLY hate it when Miaka goes "Tamaaaaahooooooommmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!' Oh god, I just mute the tv everytime Miaka is talking, arguing, exchanging love speeches, or saying that they can't be together with Tamahome. I like Modorikawa Hikaru but the person in charge of dialogue gave him terrible dialogue. With Miaka, it's not only the dialogue person's fault but ALSO Araki Kae's fault. She just sounds awful (better than her english counterpart though). It's hard to watch a series when you hate the 2 mainest of main characters.
The music should be reviewed separately as the opening/ending songs, and the two songs sung by the people in concert at the park and then a seperate review for the rest of it. The opening/ending themes were great. The lyrics were very well written as well. The two songs sung in that concert at the park in the real world were pretty good too.
The rest of the music was terrible. The BGM was awful, the worst I've ever heard in an anime. Fushigi Yugi definitely set a record in my book for worst background music.
All in all I'd have to say that it's up to you whether bad animation, bad BGM, and bad characters who are the mainest ones is worth it. If you do think so though, look for Yui and Nuriko. They're the best. ^___^ Damn this was a long review.

Last updated Friday, October 18 2002. Created Friday, October 18 2002.
Rent 6 5 8 7 7 Midnighter [series:123#94]
Fushigi Yugi took a summer to finish and in spite of my initial cynicism, I even enjoyed it. Creater Watase
Yuu obviously put a lot of care into her characters.
Fushigi Yugi's strong point is characters the audience grows to love. With a wonderful cast of colorful characters, FY manages to keep the audience watching despite shoddy animation and cheap plot ploys. The love for these characters makes it all the more shocking and moving when one dies. And Fushigi Yugi doesn't shy away from killing off its better characters as well as its more useless ones. No favoritism here. Everyone is in equal peril.
A very watchable English dub from Pioneer makes the characters even better, as well as providing us with some lines that are actually...gasp!...better than in Japanese! Personally, I found Miyaka's voice unrelentingly irritating in both languages.
Sadly, the series does not do justice to its wonderful characters. The story meanders about at a pace beyond leisurely, and filler abounds. Plot contrivences that were dull and stupid once (Miyaka and Tomahome can't have sex, or the bad guys try to rape Miyaka 'cuz a virgin can't summon the beast god, for example) are reviseted again and again episodes apart. Characters like Tomahome's sensei that have no bearing on the story are introduced and then forgotten. As the series lumbers along, it becomes more and more bloated until it nearly collapses under its own weight. Fortunately the last few episodes, which take place in "our" world tell a neatly streamlined story that serves to both wrap up most of the previous plot points and provide a satisfying ending.
The animation was disappointing, ranging from mediocre to utterly attrocious, and the multiple animation studios involved don't even try to mesh their individual styles, with different episodes looking so different that one might almost say they were from different shows. Choppy, gritty animation is used over static backgrounds to create a series that looks as cheap as it was.
After a great opening theme, we're treated to a soundtrack of mediocrity that becomes utterly grating at times, until the mercifully decent end theme rolls. Watch for an extremely unflattering cameo of the band, in what is possibly the most visually unattractive anime sequence ever put to screen.
Overall, Fushigi Yugi's wonderful characters make it worth a rent. Quite an addictive series. But be warned that, though popular, the series is bloated and pretentious, and there are still the OAVs.
9-18-02

Last updated Wednesday, September 18 2002. Created Wednesday, September 18 2002.
Buy 10 10 10 10 10 10 Atsumi_Yamaki [series:123#259]
all I can say is "WOW". This is the best anime I have ever seen. My friend Mileisha and I watched 8 straight hours of Fushigi Yugi. If you haven't seen it I really wish you would.

Last updated Friday, January 11 2002. Created Friday, January 11 2002.
Buy 7 7 9 10 9 Courtney [series:123#80]
Id have to say FUSHIGI YUUGI is one of the best anime series ever created.
To be cliché, THE MYSTERIOUS PLAY has it all: Drama, action, romance, comedy, suspenseand so much more that it can barely be put into words. All of this combined makes for a series that has something for everyone and isnt confined to the just for boys/girls stereotyping a lot of people try to force anime under. Everything about the series is memorable, from the characters who are all so very likeable (either for their inspirational nobility or appreciative evil) to the gripping plot that is sometimes utterly amazing.
I think the part that made me love the series most was how much I cared for the characters. I found their pasts absorbing, their motivations original and well composed, and I felt for them in both sadness and joy. I think I was shocked at just how real these characters could seem to me at times and how much I missed them when they were no longer a part of the series. While Im not a big fan of the almost always obligatory happy ending that most films are a slave to, I found myself somewhat depressed when I realized all the characters I had grown to love so probably wouldnt be in the finale. Though disappointed, I applaud FUSHIGI YUUGI for being brave enough to kill of a principle character, even if they are well-received by fans. After all, I love the series for its realism and in real life it seems that the good tend to die young.
A little on the long side (52 episodes) FUSHIGI YUUGI is a series youll have to give the long haul for, but its worth every moment of your time and every cent of your money. While FY manages to keep a lot of unique twists and turns dug into the tale, Ill be the first to admit it seems like the same old conflicts keep getting dragged into the spotlight far too often. (How many times do Tamahome and Miaka need to debate their relationship and does everyone need to be trying to rape Miaka?) Despite its precious few flaws, FUSHIGI YUUGI is still a series that tells a story so timeless and precious its almost like a fairy tale for young adults.
For more epic adventures crossing time and space:
EL-HAZARD
THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE

Last updated Thursday, November 22 2001. Created Wednesday, October 10 2001.
Buy 7 7 7 8 8 8 Leilani [series:123#159]
This is seriously a great story. It's not for everyone...people seem to either love it or hate it. Personally it's one of my favorites.
A lot of complaints people seem to have has to do with the animation. It varies in quality throughout the show. Sometimes it's pretty good, and sometimes it's pretty bad. A lot of people also seem to complain about the "mushy" moments with Miaka and Tamahome, considering they pop up as often as 5 seconds (at least it almost feels that way). Personally I didn't mind at all (the OVA series is a different story; towards the end it does get a little old though). Also some of the supposed main characters really weren't written into this story. We see them in like a couple episodes, but Chiriko, for example, uses his "special powers" only once and um...that turned out to be it. Sort of disappointing.
Some people seem to be pretty offended by the nudity, situations, etc. If you're sort of sensitive about things like that you may want to take note of its existence in this show.
All that aside, I found this series so enjoyable. You'll laugh, you'll cry. Definately good stuff. Try and watch it at least once.

Last updated Wednesday, March 21 2001. Created Wednesday, March 21 2001.
Buy 10 9 10 10 10 8 Lickylick [series:123#133]
I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!!!! na no da
It is truly one of the best animes out there in my opinion. The artwork and animation is great. The characters are extremely lovable for the most part. The story the first 28 episodes is truly great but I feel that after that point the series truly shines. The series takes a more tragic and emotional turn from earlier on (two of my favorite characters die and another loses his memory for Christ's sake). The first time I watched it a few tapes at a time with a friend, and the second time I watched it all in one weekend (quite fun... yaaawn). I also really like the music. A good opening and ending, some great image songs (Nuriko's and Hotohori's). The only dark spot on this series is the constant screaming of "TAMAHOME!" and "MIAKA!". But it makes up for that with excellence in every other fashion.
And can i go on about the characters (my faves were Chichiri, Nuriko, Hotohori, Amiboshi, Tasuki).
Not one for parents to show children (some mild nudity and sexual content) but one to make sure you see and own.
Did I mention that I F***IN' LOVE THIS SERIES, na no da.

Last updated Sunday, February 04 2001. Created Sunday, February 04 2001.
Buy 8 8 8 8 10 Anonymous #130 [series:123#130]
Series is great, characters are all loveable and can relate to (except some that don't have much depth) This is my favorite anime. The story is really amazing and it's simply shocking, I've seen the series probably 5 times through. I can't recommend it enough. This is the anime that helped me get back into anime! (I saw it fansubbed and now own on DVDs!) DVDs are okay (some extras lack)

Last updated Thursday, January 25 2001. Created Thursday, January 25 2001.
Buy 7 7 10 9 10 10 Epoch [series:123#85]
BUY!!! This is one of my favourite anime series of all times. It is VERY emotinall and very captivating. I spent half my life watching the episodes over and over again. The characters are so lovable (NURIKO!) yet the story is very sad. I will note some things now though: first of all it gets VERY annoying to hear Tamahome cry "MIAKA!" every single time something mild happens to her. Another thing is, this series has nudity, sex and a lot of things that are not for kids. If you can stand those things (or even enjoy watching them) this series is THE BEST!!!

Last updated Saturday, October 21 2000. Created Saturday, October 21 2000.
Buy 10 9 9 9 10 10 Anonymous #75 [series:123#75]
Watch this! This is one of my totally favorite animes. It's so emotional that I cried at times. The artwork is amazing! Even though there is some mild nudity, if you don't mind that, then I'd say, definately watch it! I love the music and the storyline. Even though the writer didn't really develope Mitsukake's and Chiriko's personality much, the other characters are *very* well developed. I love the whole Tamahome, Miaka romance thing if though I know not a lot of people like it. The fighting scenes are great also!

Last updated Thursday, August 31 2000. Created Thursday, August 31 2000.
Avoid 7 7 10 10 CatWoman [series:123#65]
I would say that this is one to avoid. Though the characters are some of the best,(Tomohome is like the perfect guy!) and the storyline is unmatched. But...the nudity was unbarable, and this is not one to ever see with children. I wish they had kept this one clean! If they had I would have said it was a must see and it would probably be my fav. anime! I must warn you though, if you do see this one, it is an emotional rollercoster to say the least!

Last updated Thursday, July 27 2000. Created Thursday, July 27 2000.
Buy 6 6 9 7 10 The Coyote [series:123#64]
Ok this is one i have a major confession to make I have to say that I would call the nudity in this way way way over the top but... The story line grabed me so much I couldn't stop watching The whole tomahome Miaka thing got very teidious after about 40 episodes of rollercoster but till then it is very griping. There is one point that actually made me cry (only significant if you realize the last show that made me cry was old yeller WHEN I WAS 5, ofcorse Im a little sensitive when it comes to family) thats all I'll tell you I don't want to spoil it for any one, The story teller is a master but I can't endorse it becase it has a ton and I mean ton of nudity and sexual content includeing referace to violent sexual content. Parents Stay away from this one, but if you are unhampered by guilt about nudity this storyline is incredible and extreamly griping. The story end is very well done as well. If you are sensitve to romace this is a classic tragedy at its best

Last updated Friday, September 01 2000. Created Saturday, July 22 2000.
Watch 7 6 8 8 5 5 Anonymous #51 [series:123#51]
A somewhat average shoujo series, the author (Watase Yuu) up to the point of writing Fushigi Yuugi for the most part only wrote one or two-volume stories, which sheds some light as to why Fushigi Yuugi seems to be a two-volume story stretched out over thirteen, added onto by another idea that should have never been.
Moving away from the manga, the anime itself shines for the first twenty-five episodes, with overall pretty good animation and fine voice acting, but overall after the first half, the show becomes predictably tragic and hackneyed, not really even redeemable in the inclusion of the unfortunately underdeveloped Byakko seishi.
It's not that this story is overall horrible; instead, it's something that most likely should be viewed through at least once, even if after that, it is only viewed for the first half. Watase Yuu claims to idolize Takahashi Rumiko and indeed includes a great deal of her style of off-the-wall humor and strange comical situations, but unfortunately Watase also takes from Takahashi's more tragic and less enjoyable works, then amplifies it to seem like tragedy after tragedy attempts to make up for the marked lack of story after a certain point.
Each seishi's past is marked by increasingly implausible tragedies, and it takes away a great deal from the story. After a certain point, it seems that Miaka takes each horrible death with a grain of salt, and the wacky humor becomes more disturbingly out-of-place. By the end of the series, one seriously finds oneself not really caring one way or the other about Miaka's romance with Tamahome, if one ever did in the first place.
However, overall this series is not bad. The OP and ED themes are quality, and most of the image songs are very good, especially the seiyuu of Nuriko, but her music always reflects quality. The voices overall seem appropriate for the characters, and they work well together as an ensemble, although the dialogue often becomes abysmally unimaginative. If a viewer were given a dollar every time Tamahome uttered "Miaka!!!" or vice-versa, he would be a millionaire by the end of the series.
The animation for this series was good, but nothing overall above any other series of its kind. Most of the stock shoujo props found their way into the story, and effectively. The animation mostly seemed smooth and beautiful, very aesthetic and attractive.
But in this series, the character development seriously lacks, and the anime toys around with the characters' stories just enough to irritate a die-hard manga fan like myself. Even so, the manga for this series was not as good as one like Sailormoon or Ranma 1/2, and while those two are cliched examples, there is a reason why they remain so fantastically popular, which are some of the reasons that Fushigi Yuugi misses.
You should see this anime at least once, and probably try to find the manga as well, although the first seven volumes are in my opinion the only ones worth buying. I might sound overly negative about this series, but I should emphasize that, in comparison to many other series I could mention, Fushigi Yuugi gets off easy, due to its lovable characters, at least initially.
All in all, please give it a try. You will probably end up at least somewhat disappointed, but overall it seems to me that this is a series that everyone should experience if they call themselves a shoujo fan.

Last updated Monday, June 26 2000. Created Monday, June 26 2000.
Buy Jenn-chan [series:123#31]
This is my favorite anime series to date. Sailor Moon was the first anime that I really got into, and this came soon after. It's an emotional rollercoaster almost from beginning to end. I laughed, I cried, I swooned (TASUKI IS GOD), and I'd do it all over again. Of course, we could do without the constant "TAMAHOMEEEE" ing and "MIAKAAAA" ing...but there's bound to be some inperfections. I could go on and on about how great this series is, but I'll spare you. GET THE SUBBED VERSION AT ALL COSTS!!

Last updated Thursday, May 04 2000. Created Thursday, May 04 2000.
Buy 10 8 8 10 7 7 Tsuki [series:123#8]
This has been a favorite of mine for a while. It's a nice breaker into the shoujo genre, it features romance and every now and again, some fighting. The story is very touching at times. Eto ne... I can't really put how I feel about the series into words, I'll just say that there are some people who will watch it and find it very boring, while there are others like me who will just love it! Then again, I guess that's how it is with all stories. ^_^;

Last updated Monday, September 06 1999. Created Monday, September 06 1999.

Other Sites
NameURL
IMDB http://us.imdb.com/Title?&quot;Fushigi+Yuugi&quot;+(1995)
~Jenn's Fushigi Yuugi Page~ http://www.geocities.com/lilr0se182/fy/index.html
Open Onto Infinity ... http://members.nbci.com/FushigiYuugi/
Fushigi Yuugi- The Fire of Suzaku's Wings http://angelwings.ashst.com/suzaku
a cool site that has kinky tidbits here and there,(example: the top 100 Fushigi Yuugi moments) Any true FY fan should check it out

Community Anime Reviews

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