Fushigi Yuugi: Eikouden

It is every fanfiction writer's dream to have his or her story made into anime. We all dream about how our stories would look on celluloid. It's normal. It's healthy. And in defense of fanfiction, I have read some stuff good enough to actually make the cut. Hell, I've read some stuff better than the original canon. It's few-and-far between, but it's still there.

This is not an example of the latter.

"Eikoden" was originally somebody's fanfiction that became an officially-published novel, and then somebody else decided that making this catasterfuck into an OVA would be a good idea. I'll openly admit that the original "Fushigi Yuugi" ... had (more than its) fair share of gratuitous shoujo angst and Mary Sue reverse-harem elements. "Eikoden" is worse. It's just... bad. Like eye-rollingly, make-you-wince bad.

The crux of the whole story is Tamahome's True Love(R) for Miaka and this psycho bitch in his gym class who finds the "Four Gods Sky and Earth" and uses it to get herself pregnant with the baby Miaka is pregnant with, go into Konan, and then threaten suicide (and the baby's resulting death) if Tamahome does not start loving her instead of Miaka. Sure. This is going to work. So Tamahome goes back to Konan to meet with New Friends and Old (R) while Miaka stays barefoot in the kitchen, or something. In the few scenes she has, she's even more of an obnoxious Mary Sue than in the original anime, eternally forgiving and oozing the Power of Love and Faith(R). In the end we all learn that you can't force somebody to love you and that true love conquers all. Or something.

Whatever.

If you're an absolute die-hard Fushigi Yuugi fanatic, especially a Miaka/Tamahome shipper, you may enjoy this more. Chichiri was the only redeeming quality for me. I love the man. Otherwise, don't bother.

If you want to see what a OVA looks like, look for the following:

1) An unlikeable heroine
2) An unoriginal story
3) Was originally a fanfiction

Trust me, there are good fanfictions out there that would be good enough to be a pretty decent spin off of some kind. However, FY Eikoden is a terrible fanfiction.

Mayo Sakaki is very unlikeable. Now girls would be able to relate to her more if she wasn't so god damned psycho while having this crush on Tamahome. Yui was more believable, but Mayo is downright psycho. Threatening to commit suicide because some boy doesn't like you? Geeze, and I thought Yui ... was jerk. Yui was believeable in the sense that she was:

1) Extremely heart broken
2) Wanted revenge for being left behind by who she thought was her best friend
3) Admitted that she was wrong when she found out that Nakago was only lying to her.

I really felt that I could relate to Yui more then Mayo. I don't know who said that Mayo was believable but trust me, you're wrong.

The story could've been way better. At first, it would seem interesting. Espeically when you're all "oh, a new girl gets into the book? I'd like to see how this turns out." But then you're set up for disappointment.

The story would've been interesting to read as a fanfiction by itself. Espeically if the writing itself if good. But as an anime, it's just unenjoyable.

And moving onto the fact that it was originally a fanfiction. I have read better fanfiction then this crap. Way better. There are so many fanfictions that deserve to be published and turned into an anime; which is rather depressing.

FYE has all the traits of not only a bad fanfiction but also a bad anime. I loved the first Fushigi Yuugi indeed, but this is just a mockery.

I have been a fan of Fushigi Yuugi for a decade now (mostly fandoming Genbu Kaiden) and although I've seen this load of crap before, a recent reviewing inspired me to write a review. The reason I sat through this horror again in my life is because I had made piratemirage watch this OVA for the enjoyment and LULZ. Anyway, onward to the review.

Story 1/10
Terrible. The emphasis of the whole "return" is focused on a new character, Mayo, who is pretty much the summation of every entitled, sob story, hateful, whiny, clingy, vengeful and annoying fangirl who has ever watched the series and lusted after ... Taka/Tamahome while wishing they could push Miaka out and place themselves into the book. That pretty much sums up the whole plot of this OVA, I kid you not. Mayo - the embodiment of this - goes into the book as the new miko and even becomes the pregnant container of Tamahome and Miaka's love child. Evil is present, some non-canon plotlines are introduced and completed and Suzaku is summoned for like the fourth time. The end.

Art 4/10
The animation itself is pretty good. The CGI is TERRIBLE and takes away from the good that was the animation.

Sound 10/10
Fushigi Yuugi always has had good music.

Character 1/10
Mayo is a prick. All the Suzaku Seishi lose their coolness (by a lot) when they forgive Mayo for being a prick.

Enjoyment 10/10
Because we laughed AT the OVA, the enjoyment is rated very highly. I mean, come on. How can you not laugh at the CORNINESS that is Chibi!Mitsukake speaking with a man's deep voice, Baby!Chiriko talking as if he was a child (it is frightening to behold) and the inconsistencies like Hotohori's spirit arising from a sword during a fight despite the fact that he had already been reincarnated. Horohori's man pose, and the "fight" scene with his "brother" were also legen, wait for it, dary.

Seriously, take this thing with the mentality of making fun of it and OMG, will you have a field day.

Having read Fushigi Yuugi recently, a friend of mine suggested watching this for laughs and I have to say that it was incredibly dreadful.

The character of Mayo was horrendous. She felt like a complete Mary Sue, only inserted because they wanted to make more money off the franchise. She was whiny and not appealing at all with how much hatred she had. The other characters weren't incredibly bad, seeing as Miaka was not very active in this.

The story was lacking. They made up back story to characters and completely broke canon. It did not make any sense. They should have just left it off ... where it had ended before.

Then, there was the CGI. I have seen a few things that were animated and had CGI thrown into them and this was just like them. It looked cheesy and did not need to be in there. They should have just taken it out all together.

The only good thing was that it was good for laughs, not because the story is funny, but as long as you have a good sense of humor, you can pick out the little things that make no sense to laugh at.

Overall, I feel as if this was a waste of time watching. There were very few redeeming qualities to it.

Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden seems to catch a lot of flak because of its origins as fanfiction.

I don't know much about that really, and to be honest I don't care. More power to the fan who managed to get her story noticed, published and animated.

What I do know is that most people who review Eikoden seem to focus their criticisms on what a pathetic character Mayo Sakaki is. In this viewer's estimation, that's not actually a fair judgment to make. And here's why: They don't give her enough screen time to get fleshed out and actually give us a chance to decide if she has any ... potential or not.

Looking at things from a casting perspective, Eikoden's real problems stem from the fact that there aren't really any characters available to tell any kind of decent story with. From the first episode, four of the seven Suzaku warriors are still dead following the events of the TV series. Miaka falls into a coma early on, and the new character Mayo is even less involved in unfolding events than Yui was in the early parts of the television series.

What this leaves us with in terms of story is exactly what we've seen in the previous FY OVA's: Tamahome, Chichiri and Tasuki wandering the countryside in search of their reincarnated fellow warriors, finding them one by one and listening to the stories of their new reincarnated lives, while weak random monsters that vaguely resemble the four beast gods attack them and Mayo observes their progress through a crystal ball and curses the fact they they aren't dead.

The whole OVA is just structured wrong. For a four episode series there is way too much backstory and recycled footage from the TV series, and not enough participation in current events from the new characters Eikoden introduces. There are plot holes everywhere, the advancement of the story feels forced, and the fight-monsters-and-collect-things motif that runs under everything in Eikoden seems a far cry from what the Fushigi Yuugi TV series was all about.

If you only watch the Fushigi Yuugi TV series, you're probably not missing anything. The OVA episodes only seem to get worse and worse the more of them you watch.

Fushigi Yuugi is the last OVA of the Fushigi Yuugi series. It is 4 episodes long.
For the first 2 to 2 1/2 episodes, things are pretty boring, but it picks up later and you kind of want to see how it wraps up.
The main character, Myo, is not very likeable. She's a whiny, selfish girl. You could say she is the main character, but I'd also say the usuals are also focused on a lot.
As you may or my not know, Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden was two books in a fan-written light novel series. The fact that it ... is fan-written clearly shows itself in some parts of the story. I'm not going to give anything away, but there is a bit that contradicts what was established and communicated in the main series. Luckily, it sort of fixes itself if you want to believe so, but I still find it unfortunate.
The animation keeps up with the art style and animation of the main series and the previous OVA, but I didn't like the CGI animation that was added in. It took away from the viewing experience and made it seem less like what we've been watching for the past 61 episodes or so.
Overall, I'd say Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden is worth the watch, especially if you can almost not get enough of the show. The conclusion makes up for the boring beginning that provides the setup. Watch it like you would the rest of the show, but whether you like it or not just remember that it never really happened. This is fanfiction on a professional level.

It was a masterpiece again, as expected of Yuu Watase.

Many didn't like this OVA but for me it was great.
At first, I really didn't like it because of Mayo, and I hated her because of her attitude but I realized that in reality, there are really people who are blinded by too much love, especially unrequited ones. The problem is that Mayo over exaggerated it. She went beyond the limit, well I understand since this is fiction. But I love Miaka and Taka's strong relationship and the love they had for each other.

I also appreciate the love of Miaka and Taka for their friends in ... the other world. They never forgot all about them thought they already have their own life in the real world. Their friendship was really reliable and everyone was really trustworthy. I hope I have friends like them, but me and my friends still have a long way to go.

I also wish I have someone like Taka. And I'm proud because I can relate to Miaka, giving importance to your friends and protecting and supporting your love is what I do, just like Miaka.


I love the story since it was a happy ending, but I hope there is more to come.. I want to see Hikari (Miaka and Taka's daughter) to grow, and I hope that all the suzaku seven including Houki and Boshi will be reborn to the real world and they'll all be happy living together without any worries of danger.

I like the story because it moved me, especially with Miaka and Taka. Their love for each other is what I really liked about the story. The friendship of the suzaku seven together with the priestess was also a plus point. The bond was strong and it is, for me, the core of the story. Still, Love conquers all and nobody should and could force someone to love them. Love is not an obligation, cannot be forced, it is something that is given wholeheartedly without any negative feeling.

I sure hope that my wish can come true. I want another OVA or episode of Fushigi Yuugi. And finally, I will be satisfied.

but above everything that I've said. I love fushigi yuugi eikoden and all fushigi yuugi episodes from the very beginning. I've been watching FY since i was in nursery, so I grew up with this anime. I aged with FY and i still love it even I'm already in 3rd year high school now.

I love fushigi yuugi. I love anime since i was born, it's in my blood y'know. since my dad likes animes as well, but those that he like were old ones already hehe..

anyways.. that's all.. i guess I've said too much. I just want to express everything from my heart. The passion I have for animes is really burning inside my very own heart. ^_^

i hope many will still like this anime and all animes. they are inspiring and enjoyable. all of them ^^

GOD BLESS!

Let me first start off by saying that I first encountered the "Fushigi Yuugi" series when I was very young. It started with getting a few manga here and there and then stumbling upon the anime a few years later. Because of this, I sort of hold the series as one of my 'classics'. It was one of the first manga/anime I'd seen and took interest in. You never realize how lame the things you liked when you were younger are until you've grown up a bit. No, the story wasn't very good. No, I didn't like Miaka at all because she was a ... whiny, selfish little half-wit. And no, I wasn't happy about how the story was kind of stuck in an infinite loop for a while (Miaka runs away ALL THE TIME for NO PLAUSIBLE REASON). Still, I liked the end. I really did. Miaka matured and everything was basically put right.

That being said, since the end of Fushigi Yuugi tied up most (if not all) loose ends in the story, I sort of wondered why "Eikoden" existed at all. I was even more confused since I'd heard that the story wasn't by the original writer. It just screamed 'unofficial' and 'awful' to me, but I still had to watch it and, honestly, I was initially right.

Story
----
Miaka and Tamahome...no, wait. Sorry. Miaka and TAKA are finally married. Hooray! But this random basketball-loving high school bitch isn't very happy with this and wants Taka for herself. After promptly ruining the happy moment for fans by throwing in shots of this little hussy's cry fest between shots of the wedding, we see that this girl (Mayo. It's pronounced "mai-yo" but I like calling her "Mayo" like mayonnaise) has the "Universe of the Four Gods" book in her possession. Why? Well, I think it was kind of explained a little in the opening scenes, but I was still confused and don't really know for sure. She opens the book and sees a random montage of Miaka's trials and tribulations as the priestess of Suzaku. Cool. A few months later, we find out that Miaka is pregnant! Hooray! Doesn't this sound a bit fanfiction-y? Oh well. Mayo is still pissed and also still wants Taka for herself. Keisuke (Miaka's older brother. Don't ask. I don't know what he's doing hanging out at high schools. Maybe he's a pervert or something) begs her to forget about her pathetic crush, but she doesn't listen and wants to change things. What's her solution? She takes the "Universe of the Four Gods" and shoots herself into the story.

There are so many plot holes in the story that it's practically Swiss cheese. When Mayo is transported into the book, she becomes the priestess of Suzaku, has Miaka's wedding ring, and also has the baby. Why does she have the ring? Has she seriously taken Miaka's role as the priestess? If so, then why don't the Suzaku seven consider her as such? Wouldn't they treat her like Miaka or at the very least remember Mayo doing the former acts as priestess instead of Miaka? It's also hinted that Taka went back into the book sometime between the original anime and Eikoden but it isn't really explained how or why, just that he let Hotohori's ghost possess him so that he could hug his son (lolwat?) and do other crap.

Chiriko is talking baby, towns are being attacked by random birds, and the Emperor and Empress treat Mayo like she ISN'T being a bitch. Can you take this seriously? I couldn't.

Art
---
The art is practically the same except for one thing that really grinds my gears. There is some bad CG going on here. The main monsters in this are not drawn traditionally but are horrible rendered CG effects that look just about as laughably weak as they are. I was seriously laughing my ass off every time they went into battle.

Sound
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I can't say anything bad about this. I enjoyed the music, especially the ending theme. Still, it by no means saves the anime.

Characters
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Mayo is basically the main character in this and I HATE HER. All she does is get all emo and bitchy because Taka isn't interested in her (maybe because he's happily married and expecting his first child, psycho bitch) and then cries some more later because she realizes her mistake later. She doesn't grow or mature like Miaka did, she just goes from crazy to suicidal psycho to your typical emotional teenager again. Miaka isn't really a main player this time, so I'll skip her.

Taka is a weak little lap dog who just doesn't seem to care as much as he did when he was Tamahome. When something happens to Miaka, he just instantly is all like "Hey, let me go save this crazy high school girl who's in love with me while my wife is in a coma and just hope this makes things better somehow". When Mayo lies to the emperor and empress about how she's married to Taka, how he left Miaka, and how they're in love, he doesn't say anything. He pretty much lets her talk and doesn't let them know that she's lying.

Everyone else is basically the same, minus the fact that Chiriko, Mitsukake, Hotohori and Nuriko are little kids. So...they're OOC because they're just kids.

Enjoyment
---------
This is the most terrible sequel I've ever seen. This is also the worst plot I've ever heard of. Who would I recommend this to? No one with eyes, ears, or a brain.

If you watch this, you'll be questioning everything you see. This borderlines "so bad it's good" because you might enjoy laughing at how bad the writing, CG, and plot could be, but fans will most likely just be pissed at how this is a waste of time and a dream crusher.

Overall, this gets a 1. If you're a fan of Fushigi Yuugi, don't watch it. If you're new to the series, PLEASE do not watch this.

I thought this was going to be good,but boy was i wrong i expected it to be good cause i loves the tv series and the first two ova series. but this was awful,which makes sense because its based on a fanfiction im not a fanfic hater because i read some pretty good ones,but its rare to find one that would be good enough to be a anime but i read some that in my opinion deserve a anime way more than this. seriously the only reason why i even watched it all was because i love the the tv series and other ovas. and ... because i thought that it would get better but NOPE.

How can I explain.. The main character, that little girl was empty!
The story it wasn't that bad but the girl should had be much better..
And because of that the rest was a little bad compared to previous seasons and prequels.

But I still like this OVA because I could see the characters one more time and Miaka pregnant, etc. And that was good!

I was really sad have to say goodbye to this story/anime, because it seams like that we will not have another sequel.

But, in general, the anime complete with all seasons or OVA's was really great!!!

EVERYONE MUST SEE!