Fushigi Yuugi

Though by some standards today, the story may seem a bit cliché, but for its time in the mid-1990s, it wasn’t really that much of the norm. So the Alice in Wonderland concept may not be something that will appeal to everyone since you’ve already seen it in more semi-mainstream animes in comparison to this one such as 12 Kingdoms, Inuyasha, and Escaflowne which came out after Fushigi Yuugi though this was the anime that did it before it became something semi-common. Even though this is primarily shoujo, the well diverse but archetypical cast do have mass appeal.

Each character for the most part has ... their own unique use and contribution to the story and they are presented in ways you get to know them. The characters or heck, maybe even one character will grow on you as you watch from start to finish. I would explain this, but it would be a significant spoiler, and if you’ve seen this anime, you know what I’m talking about. Whether that character is good or bad, you’ll love them. Hell, my favorite character Nakago is the primary antagonist and even Yuu Watase, the original manga-ka has admitted that Nakago is her favorite character.

The anime will hopefully satisfy men and women. The story overall is very diverse with its appeal, but it went a little longer than it should have, but it ends in a way where everything is resolved and the characters wonderfully develop. It has romance, adventure, excitement, comedy and action, which I will further get into. However, what will annoy male and female alike is the interaction between Tamahome and Miaka when they really get romantic with each other. It kind of drags and we don’t need that much hugging even if we can appreciate how much they love each other.

Well, the character design today doesn’t really stand out in comparison to most shoujo out there for the most part. The costume designs are a little flamboyant for the setting, but even so, they still compliment the character designs very well where it helps make them stand out a bit more. The action is well coordinated, technical and raw which will appeal to male viewers. The city settings captures the heart of ancient China very captivatingly and truly represents their culture at that time period where they gathered to worship the emperor. However, with the modern day settings, you get a different approach to the school uniform with the blazer and ribbon design you see in lets say Evangelion, than the more mainstream sailor uniform which I thought was unique to anime in the mid-1990s with Magic Knight Rayearth and Sailor Moon being the rage back then with those designs, so its nice to see something different. It is also unique to point out in the real world in Fushigi Yuugi, nobody has crazy color hair, but in the book, you got the typical crazy color anime hair which was somewhat of the intention of Watase and the staff at Studio Pierrot. So overall, the art may be descent, but the character design 100% stand out, but the action, costumes, and scenery makes up for it.

The dub of Fushigi Yuugi does have some credible names, but I don’t think the dub was good. First off, Tamahome is played by David Hayter who you may know as the voice of Solid Snake from MGS. When you hear that voice in relation to Tamahome’s image, it just doesn’t match. He makes Tamahome sound gruffy, though it’s not the voice he uses for Solid Snake, but when he does scream, he does scream like Snake. This kind of casting is to me, for the sake of casting a big name and you’re giving him a character he’s not appropriate for. However, this was a role I thought perfectly suited his Japanese counterpart, Midorikawa Hikaru, the voice of Heero Yuy from Gundam Wing, and Rukawa from Slam Dunk. Granted Midorikawa has played character opposite from Tamahome, he had a different kind of cool that Snake has, but he still has that passion and soft side that really captures him. As a matter of fact, Watase actually wanted him to play Tamahome because he had him in mind when he created the character.

I also enjoyed Kae Araki the voice of Sailor Chibi Moon as Miaka. She does sound annoying with her high-pitched voice, but it was at a certain tone where it really captured the character with all of these emotions whether sad, happy, concerned, or excited. And Seki Tomokazu, my 2nd favorite seiyuu who has played Miyata in Hajime no Ippo, Domon in G Gundam, Kamui in X The Movie, and many others was great as Chichiri, my 2nd favorite character. He is so multi-talented and he demonstrates it very well when you get to know his character more. Overall, the cast is just top notch and they all have great chemistry. Even though the romantic tension between Tamahome and Miaka gets annoying, their seiyuus truly make it believable.

The opening theme song Itoshii Hito no Tame Ni does open with this more traditional approach and then at the right moment, transitions to a more energetic J-Pop song. It’s very unique to me because it captures the cultural and romantic atmosphere of the series. And the ending theme Tokimeki Doukasen has a different kind of energy that is generic but still catchy and semi sexually suggestive in a more innocent sense. The background music is well orchestrated in every sense. Such as traditional Chinese music, more traditional cinematic.

Anyway, I think this is an anime I believe you should try to give a chance even if it may not be your taste. There are all kinds of good qualities this anime has that does make up for its bad ones. Even so, the bad qualities are still there but if you concentrate and stick to what you like, you’ll forget about them. I remember during the days of VHS fansubs, I used to talk to people who cried watching this series. It has all of these great themes such as love, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal and they are presented in a very realistically approachable manner. And believe me, there are moments where you might and I’m not ashamed to admit I have watching this series. The only anime that has achieved me to react like this since is the Kimura vs Mashiba oav of Hajime no Ippo.

After seeing so much anime in my time, I can say that Fushigi Yuugi might have inspired a lot of anime that came in when it ended. These days there are so much anime that are about the main character/s sucked into another dimension and they are the chosen ones to fix the problems of this so-called dimension (Kyo Kara maoh, Escaflowne, Izumo. etc)

Although it is one of my favorite series, there are some parts that to me are considered unsatisfactory. I feel a bit sorry for Chiriko because he was one of the lesser important seishis (the other would be Mitsukake). I am not ... a fan of Chiriko or Mitsukake, but I do think that they could've used more screen time.

I also noticed some discrepancies. It could be due to translation errors, but I'll say it anyway. There was an episode where Keisuke and Tetsuya go to the Genbu shrine. They went there to see the Byakko miko. One question: why is the Byakko miko in the Genbu and not the Byakko shrine?

I have to mention that I watched the english dubbed version, because I found certain voice dubbers annoying. I hate Tomo's voice - it is the most annoying voice I have ever heard in my life. Whoever thought of making Tomo's voice sound that way was nuts and should be locked up in an asylum. Miaka was also a bit annoying. I cringe whenever she would cry out Tamahome's name.

And now for the positives. I love the story - I think it is well thought of. It was able to mix in elements such as love, friendship, deceit, war, etc. into something really decent and worth watching. I first watched the show 6 years ago, and when I watched it again last month I find myself obsessed once more.

The visuals weren't bad either - although I can't say if I prefer seeing genitals on Yui and Miaka. Seeing naked people is bad enough. However, the show is filled with bishonens throughout the show. My personal favorite is Nuriko of course. He is my god. The wonderful art shown at the end of the show via the ending theme was beautifully made and I never grew tired of it.

The music wasn't bad - most of it were mid 90s music, so I can't say I'm a huge fan of it. I do like the ending song, "Tokimeki no Doukasen". It's another one of those nostalgic song for me - everytime I hear it I can't help but feel reminiscent of the year when I first watched Fushigi Yuugi. Some of the insert songs weren't bad either. Again they were mid 90s styled, but they're not so bad. I did get tired of the opening song after a while. Hearing "Maiagare Suzaku" for more than 10 times tends to get on my nerves.

I think one reason why the show was suspended on Filipino free TV was because of mild sex and vulgar language. This is definitely not for kids, but I would say it is a must - see for the 16+ crowd (mostly because I saw the show when I was 16).

Fushigi Yuugi, originally a manga written by Yuu Watase, is a classic anime, that became so popular, it inspired 3 OAV series', and encouraged Watase to write the prequel to the series, more than 10 years later.

Story
Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play, is about a 15 year old girl Miaka Yuuki, and her best friend Yui Hongo. Miaka and Yui are in the library when Miaka sees a mysterious bird lead her to the restricted room of the library. There, Miaka finds a mysterious book, and her and Yui are pulled into the world. Miaka and Yui meet a mysterious man who saves them from slave ... traders, but Yui is thrown back out of the book, and the man has left, leaving Miaka all alone in this Ancient Chinese world. Miaka meets with the man again, and they end up at the palace, and through circumstances, Miaka is charged with the duty to gather together the seven senshi of Suzaku, and save Konan from destruction!

I know that makes no sense, but in a nutshell, Miaka fell into Konan, an Ancient Chinese world, where the whole world lives on the idea of the Four Gods in Chinese Mythology. Miaka is in the south, where Suzaku, the Red Bird (Pheonix in some translations) protects the country. Each God has 7 constellations (or in this case, the 7 senshi). So the constellations have taken the form of 7 warriors, and Miaka needs to gather them to summon Suzaku, who will grant her 3 wishes.

Animation
The animation itself is smooth, and well done, until about the second season (ep 27+) where the animation seems to take a bit of a plunge at times. The colouring is also very vibrant at times, but others, it's very muddy looking, and monotone, because everything seems to be in the brown colour tone, except the hair of Miaka's senshi. The most remarkable thing in the animation, however, is the eyes. When the animators but their mind to it, they draw some beautiful, bright, colourful eyes.

Sound
The music in this falls into an olden style theme, mostly Chinese sounding. However, they have their theme, and ending theme that do not fit that theme. And one thing you need to know about Fushigi Yuugi, is if you want to hear more of it's music, be prepared for trumpets. Lots of trumpets.
Anyways, the theme song is fairly slow at first, but then seems to almost have dance feel to it. It's nothing remarkable. The ending theme, however, is a dance song, but also has a fairly sad tone to it, fitting the series well, I feel.
The voices, English and Japanese, I have to mention, are wonderful. I love it in both languages. The voices fit the parts perfectly.

Character
There is a whirlwind of characters. Be prepared to remember some names. The main characters are essentially Miaka, Yui, Tamahome, and Nakago, but you have the supporting cast (that consists of atleast 12 senshi, only including the Suzaku and Seiryuu), and about 13 more characters I can name off the top of my head.
While most characters have well-done development, because of the mass amount of characters, some of these character appear almost personality-less, most notably two of Miaka's senshi, Chiriko and Mitsukake, and two of the Seriyuu senshi, Tomo and Miboshi (I'm not counting Ashitare because he practically never talks, and well... if you want to sure, he has no personality I suppose). Watase herself never really developed these characters, so they continue to suffer, even onto OAV's, and even in their songs. But for the characters she does focus on, they are all very different, and it's not hard to pick a favourite.

Enjoyment
For all the bad things I have said, this series has an amazing fanbase, and I personally think it has high replay value. Everytime you watch the series, you find something you missed, but I remember the first time I saw this, and I was an addict, most literally. I couldn't wait for them to release the next VHS (and boy did they have alot... 14). I know of people that do dislike this series, but for the most part, everyone has something about this they liked, and it usually lies in the characters themselves, particularily the senshi.
C'mon, for a series that spawned so much merchandise, character songs, OAV's, etc, how can it not be enjoyable?
Well yeah, the OAV's aren't enjoyable, but the series itself is fun to watch over and over again.

Overall / My Comments / My Feelings
The story is a bit different from the manga, and justifies this beginning a bit more. Miaka and Yui are pulled in to the book world, but they both return (in the anime, it's only Yui). Miaka gets in an agruement with her mother, and runs back to the library, getting pulled into the book again to set her free of the pressures of her real life. The manga honestly has a stronger beginning, and gives you more sympathy for Miaka as the protagonist.

Even though my above comments aren't the best, this is me looking at it critically. If you don't, and just watch it for enjoyment, I can guarentee anyone who loves the romance genre of anime will like this.

Yes, Miaka and Tamahome can be terribly annoying. They are my least favourite characters after all... But the first time I watched the series, I LOVED those two, it's just been 9 years since my first watching, and I've developed a series dislike for their constant crying for each other.

I know I sound negative, but I do recommend this series to anyone. Anyone. It's a classic, and for it's time, it was an incredibly original plot. (Yes, we know in Inu Yasha that Kagome travels between worlds, however, Fushigi Yuugi predates Inu Yasha quite a few years. Fy being originally published in the '92 region and manga, while Rumiko was making Ranma 1/2 still at that time (she published the first Ranma in '93) so it's not possible that InuYasha could be more original than FY, because it wasn't made at the same time. It's possible Rumiko could have gotten ideas at that point (I can't find the year for InuYasha)).

ANYWAYS, just watch Fushigi Yuugi. I'm going so off track here, because I like talking about how original the series is, and how much I love the characters. (Me? I'm a Tasuki fangirl)

Before this series, I've only seen harem anime like Tenchi Muyo and things like that. But it was suggested to me that I watch this series by Yuu Watase. I'm so glad I listened.

The main character, Miaka, got a little annoying at times but I thought she was cute with Tamahome. Many watchers, at least the ones I know got sick over how much they were all over each other. But what do you expect? This girl was in a time she wasn't from. She was always attacked or in danger and she had no one else to really turn to. He was the one ... she trusted the most. I thought their relationship was cute.

Her friend, Yui had to calm down though. She went into total pms mode...and for what? Just because Miaka got her crush? And for the times Miaka wasn't able to get to her, it wasn't her fault. Miaka just didn't know how to use her powers...whatever those may be. But I do understand that Yui was also scared....but she was supposed to be the smarter of the two. Didn't she stop to think things through? Or was it because of Nakago? Though his story made me cry....

But anyway, for the harems that these two girls had....

I liked almost everyone in Miaka's group except for Chiriko and Mitsukake. The kid annoyed me and he really didn't do much. Mitsukake was alright but not a favorite. The other guys had life to them and their stories were so sad. T-T But my absolute favorite was Nuriko. He was just too awesome for words. (And too beautiful too xD; )

For Yui's group, it was the twins. Everyone else had pretty much psycho issues.... Nakago was just a conniving evil dude but I'll admit it...he was pretty. xD; Tomo would have been okay but he's way psycho....

The character developments were good in the aspect of each one developing like a life of their own. They weren't all similar but weren't all that extreme either. It was a nice variety among them. And I thought the voices were perfect for each character. Of course I love Hotohori's....his being Koyasu Takehito. (the man does 100's of voices lolz)

The animation was nice, given the time it was created. I always liked hand-drawn as opposed to all the ones done on computer today... -_-;;;;; It just gives the show a different feeling. Especially if the story itself is supposed to be another time, like in the past.

Overall, I think it was a great series. I actually cried at the end! I felt for the characters that were lost. And the story was just great. I loved how the creator utilized legends and made a good romance. Kinda' makes girls wish they could find a book like the "Universe of the Four Gods" (only without all the scary parts xP ).

I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a romance series that's not too depressing but not so bubbly and happy. It has a good amount of everything. Definitely watch!

Main
Fushigi Yuugi is a lukewarm anime series. Obviously compared to the shows of today...but even back then, I can't say that I was as enthralled by it as everyone else. Sure it has it's high points: Lots of action, dramatic tension and bishounen galore...but with all the cheesy canned romantic dialog and all the ill-timed [Sailor Moon-ish] humor seriously detracts from the show's dramatic intensity not to mention, total enjoyment from this show.

Art-Style
I would say say this is the typical 90's style animation...nothing too impressive but it wasn't boring or hideously drawn either. There are a bunch or errors ... and irregularities with the animation with the way things are supposed to move or fall also with the way characters run and pose. And there were definitely some corners being cut during the action scenes with some minor looping and also with freeze frames....not enough to complain about though, as I said this is very typical of animes from the early to mid 90's anime.

Sound
Expect some pretty dated music from this one. One of the BGM used for the some fight scenes actually sounds like the base track from the song “pump up the volume”. Some songs weren't too bad for their time tho, like Chiriko's song and the OP Theme. I actually like the very beginning for the OP because it sounds very majestic and then you see the lead female character [Miaka] all dressed up in her priestess robes looking refined. The show was watched in english and I must say that the voices actors did a really really good job on this show, no one had an annoying voice on this show. Best Voice Award goes to Nakago and definitely to that one creepy gay warrior with that kabuki make-up on his face and all the feathers sticking out of his head.

Story
The story has a good beginning and a great ending....but it kind of sags in the middle. Boring, annoying and definitly irritating with all this back and forth with Miaka and Tomohome. All this break up/Make up...Love me/Don't love me BS, very annoying and it spans too many episodes, like one of those epically annoying battle scene from DBZ that spans 14 – 30 episodes. The other conjoined story lines, like about her and Yui being in the Realm of the Four Gods or the individual dramas of the accompanying seven warriors [or 14 warriors if you count those of the Seiyu Clan] were definitely great and made watching this anime worth it. But also other drawbacks from this story were the excessive chibi use, the screwball Sailor Moon type humor that didn't fit with the high-tension moments and not to mention all the CORNBALL romance lines being used in the show.

Cast/Characters
The bishounen factor is very high [at a very solid 100%] with this series, there is also some SHOUNEN-AI and brief moments of MxM going on up in this anime....so there will be no character complaints coming from me......mmmmmmmmm, well actually Miaka is kind of a do-do head. Anyway they were all drawn very well and looked cute.

Worth it or NOT?
I know many people hold this series in high regard and so those who love it have already bought it. I wouldn't buy this though....for one, I hear Tomohome's name too much. She calls his name like every 5 seconds....and......it's reeeeeeeally annoying! If I played a drinking game based off of how many times I heard her call his name...Tomohome, Tomohome, I'd die of alcohol poisoning!!!

i'm giving this anime a 10. it does sound ridiculous coz it's just another fantasy story but this anime made me the fanatic that i am now. for me, this one started it all. Everything about this anime is just right- right amount of comedy, romance, fantasy, underwear exposure, drama, harem...it has everything. i first seen this anime years ago but i just cant help re-watching it over and over again. i even got some of my friends to watch it and i'm not even surprised that they loved it too.

the characters are amazing. making it different from one another, having those skills and each ... characters take and timing were just right. the romace in the story is what's most noticeable. be it the romance between tamahome and miaka or miaka and hotohori and even of yui's and nakago's. it shows the hardships of a couple and how their love get through it all. the love in this anime does not revolve merely around couples, it also shows the love for one's family, friends, comrades and kingdom. the display of powers and skills in every battle is just a plus. just something that would add up to make this anime a masterpiece. it appeals to all kinds of people of all ages. both gender could learn from it. the comedy- for those who doesn't want to be bored i assure you that there is enough punchlines here that will make you laugh. the fight scenes- though not in any tournament or some arena, it does offer some good fights. for the tearjerkers- if crying is your hobby then this anime won't fail you.oh yes, i cried several times too. for the romantics- it doesn't matter whether you're in love, just got out of love, have a one-sided love, super lovey-dovey, secret love even forbidden love i'm sure this anime will get your attention.

what i hate about it though is the main girl miaka. she's too loud and too stupid yet she still get the boys. this is just too unfair.even yui (her bestfriend) will agree to that. sometimes it makes me wonder, maybe ancient china likes stupid girls since they're unique in their own way. haha but infainess to her, no matter how clumsy she is , she always get the job done.

and now it comes down to what i love most...it's the guys of course. they are all beautiful with amazing characters.i love the art in this one. tamahome and hotohori are my ideal men.unfortunately none like that exist in the real world.no wonder miaka want to get back inside that book so much.haha sometimes i wish to be an anime instead because of these guys.haha

well, i just hope that everyone enjoys fushigi as much as i do.

This anime is a bit old but it rivals (is as good as) any romance anime I've watched till now.

Miaka, main character- attractive, cute, honest, caring but annoying, is sucked into an ancient book and found herself in plenty of trouble. Well first, she falls in love with Tamahome. Somehow, Miaka is so hot that even the Emperor is in love with her LOL:) There are some love triangles going on, adding spice to the story.

The (Suzaku) warriors are slowly revealed in an interesting manner. Each has their own tale and attractive personalities. I would say my favourite is Tatsuki- because he adds a lot ... of comedy besides looking soo hot. Also, he initially was rough and sort of a bad guy. Other than Tamahome, he seems to have actual character depth and development out the the 7 warriors.

For the Seiryu warriors, my favourite are the twins. The really livened up the story. As you know, Miaka's best friend, Yui became the priestess of Seiryu and so became enemies with Miaka. However, you'll have to watch the anime to find out why Yui went over to the dark side:) The real bad guy here is Nakago of course- he is smart and manipulative. However, you'll feel sorry for him when you learned of his tragic past.

Since this anime's setting is in ancient China, the surroundings and clothings will be of that. Think Chinese temples, emperors, etc. Each warrior also has a Chinese character on his forehead. Ironically, the villian Nakago's character represents 'heart' ,while the protagonist Tamahome's character means 'demon'.

The story is compelling as it is not the usual 'fight the bad guy, save the world type'. A very important part of the story (other than romance) is about friendship. It is really touching to know after all the bad things Yui did, Miaka still forgives her and retain their frienship.

Overall, the story is great and entertaining. There is a fair bit of fight scenes but violence is kept to a minimum. Lots of drama and suspense moments.
A word of caution: Miaka and Tamahome will proclaim their eternal love for each other multiple times throughout the anime. Translation: there will be a lot of kissing, hugging, etc. Most of the time it's sweet and cute though:)

I’ll start out by saying this: Fushigi Yuugi is not for everyone. It is perhaps the shojoest of the shojo anime series and rivals Nana and Revolutionary Girl Utena. So if you’re female, there’s an 85% chance that the series will appeal to you in some way, shape, or form. If you’re male, there’s an 85% chance that you’ll find the series either boring, slow, redundant, or stupid. If you are male and are in the minority, there’s a chance that you’ll get mocked. I did at Anime Detour.

But honestly, there are worse things that you can admit to ... liking. The show starts out interesting, and most characters catch your interest by immediately creating an instant impression yet hold your interest by being multi-layered. You have to keep watching the show to actually see this, since characters change their personalities so often, and the slow pace means that in order to see their entire self, you can’t pick and choose. The main character, Miaka, may seem a bit naïve at times, but despite her constant dramas with her protectors and with her friend-turned-opponent Yui, she is strong in her own way and able to see the true side of things. She’s a typical teenage girl, but yet is portrayed to be sensible to a degree. Her relationship with Tamahome is like a rollercoaster, and will find a lot of appeal for viewers… and also be the source of ridicule for those who dislike the series *insert drama cry and cues “Get one with it”*. It’s developed so well that it serves as the perfect centerpiece and there are moments where you cry out for the two of them to get through their problems and be together again. It just shows that for a relationship to be perfect, it’s not always peaches and cream.

However, despite the excellent development of the two main characters and most of the secondary characters, there were some characters that seemed to have been shoved in there just for appearance sake and thus weren’t developed very well. Chiriko, Mitsukake, and Miboshi, among others, just simply had a few lines of dialogue or were only featured in a few episodes before they were taken away from the series altogether. It’s worse for a shojo series, especially for the protagonists, since they’re treated as walking dolls rather than individuals with depth.

That said, however, Nakago is simply the perfect villain. Maybe a little boring (not much in the form of diabolical laughter or Gendo Ikari hand gestures here), but he is a complete asshole. And in this shojo series, what better weapon to use than sex? Especially lies about sex. And it’s way better the clichéd ability showed in the ending battle with Tamahome. Honestly, despite him being an asshole, without him, the story would collapse and fall into nothingness. There would be no Seiryu vs Suzaku, Yui vs Miaka, the clash of ideals and the intertwinedness of characters within a faction. The drama would fade away, turning a color-filled clash of drama, determination, and righteousness into something blander than wallpaper paste.

And speaking of battles… though most of them are emotional ones, ones of drama, lies, ideals, broken promises, and obligations to others, the ones that are portrayed are hit-or-miss. You get your clichéd Nakago who’s stronger than everyone, but also ones where the best weapon is your own head rather than a sword or special ability. But what really appeals to me is that every one of these battles has a purpose. It’s to achieve something, and in each one, the only way is forward. You may get sidetracked, but there’s always a twist thrown in so that a whole new series of events start to happen. Battles are not for “moving onto the next opponent” (this isn’t Bleach here) but for starting a whole new series of events. You don’t long for them but you know that another one will be coming up soon as the drama rebuilds back up.

And of course… the plot… ah, yes… yeah… think slow… .hack slow. In order to like this series, you’ll have to put up with it. Keep track of the relationships within both factions amongst all the characters and what they have gone through and what they will go through. It’s a series of thought, angst, happiness, and sadness. You watch it with your heart and mind open, and within one big plot of trying to summon two gods, there are many subplots of why characters are doing what they are doing, and for whom and what they hope to achieve. It’s a story of connectivity, and best taken one disc at a time (though tough luck finding them for cheap if you don’t own them already).

Like I said, it’s not for everyone. The plot is sluggish, it requires lots of concentration, and the same themes cycle throughout the entire series. There are lots of things to keep track of, and you can easily get bored. But the characters (most) are well-developed, the drama keeps you interested, and you’re always wondering what’s going to happen next (presuming you’re interested in the show). Worth giving a shot for at least the first disc. Best to watch this over a course of… several weeks minimum.

My opinion on fushigi yuugi is that it was a very good anime to watch. The plot was a very good plot with a good romance triangle between miaka, tamahome, and hotohori. Personally I think that miaka could have been given a better power and actually do a little more fighting and defending her self a little bit more because the suzaku seven where always fighting for her even saving her. but that is just my opinion. Overall I loved this anime it must be one of my most favourite animes off all off the ones i have seen so far (and i can tell ... you now i have watched a lot).

I found this anime to be very romantic and adventureous at the same time. Not many anime could pull this off but Fushigi Yuugi did. The Main character Miaka Yuuki seems annoying but this made the stroy more enjoyable in a strange way. Thamahome and Hotohori is the guys Miaka loves, They both are eye cany for those girl that like anime men.The story also tells the bond between two childfriend miaka and yui Hongo.

I love this anime becuase of the well develop characters and the love that develop between both people from two different world.I would recommend this anime to both romantic and adventure ... lovers.

I watched this anime when I was still in Elementary. It was one of the best shoujo anime that time and almost every girl in my school loved it.

Story: 8/10
The plot is good and unique (especially during that time). It was something that most of us are dreaming about - Going on a different world, meet cool friends and go on a journey with them. The start of this anime was good but at the middle of the series it became annoying because of Miaka.

Art: 9/10
For an anime of that time, the art is good.
The characters are good looking. Although sometimes they look ... weird.

Sound: 10/10
The opening and ending song are one of the best.
The sound effects and background music are also great.

Characters: 8/10
Miaka: can be very very annoying and useless. She wanted to help but she mostly do nothing but just get in the way and it's annoying how she think of nothing but Tamahome.
Tamahome: Although he is amazing at the beginning of the series, he also became annoying but it was also because of Miaka.

There are lots of interesting characters but the story focused on Miaka and Tamahome. So they were forgotten and didn't get the attention that they deserve.

Overall: 8/10
Despite it being annoying, it's still very entertaining.

This is a story about a girl who is chosen to be able to change the world she is in and go to ancient China. there she meets a man named Tamahome whom she falls in love with. But, everything that happens to her in Ancient China happens to her best friend Yui. Although I haven't watched everything of it, I love it!

Story: 10/10- The story is unique and filled with humour and romance. The main character gets transported through time with her best friend at first but then she is left all alone in an unknown world. When her best friend gets sent ... back to the present world she begins to read a book. Everything that she reads in that book happens to the main character.

Art: 6/10- The art work in in no way shabby, it's just not modern. it is obvious that this anime art style is from the 1990's. But even though its old it is still clear what is happening on screen.

Sound: 6/10- The voice acting can sound a bit sarcastic at time due to how the voice actors are trying to sound shocked but it isn't to bad. I hardly notice the music in the background but it is appropriate and good.

Enjoyment: 10/10- This anime was definitely one of my favourites! It is hilarious and has romance! It is my ideal anime to watch.

Overall: 10/10- I definitely recumbent this anime to you! I think you will have a great time watching it!

If you like bishounen, romance, love triangles and humour then Fushigi Yuugi has it all.
It has plenty of characters all different and with their own goals but all share one common goal.
Once I began watching this anime, it easily had me hooked.
Both dubbs are good in my opinion :).
Miaka can at times be a bit dense but her character makes up with the silly but amusing humour.
I would recommend if you like romantic endings. :)

I began really liking this anime, and was ready to give it a big ol' ten, alas...
I feel I may give away SOME of the story line so read at your own risk.


(Yes it's true, I don't doubt for a second Inuyasha is based off this, so I thought this could be the stronger of the two and I think initially it really seemed that way.)

Story:
Later in the series I realised something so forgive me for getting a bit spoilery but, the girls are under the constant threat of rape, that really started to grate.

Another pattern which was a common theme is ... that the couple kept getting separated for no good reason, which was true of another anime released around that time and as a fan of romance it drove me crazy. I feel if less time was focused on them running away from each other focus could've gone on what I think would've made this series stronger. Parts of the story did use the rinse/repeat method so we see our heroes make the same mistakes and it gets pretty frustrating to watch.

Also a point I found lacked lustre is one of the main sevens power seemed like a good plot device to aid the gang. Only so little of them was seen that it came increasingly apparent this was not an option.
I really thought as we were little by little introduced to the rest of the seven they'd become a merry gang, using their special powers as if they were a tag-team, for me I'd have found this more enjoyable, but it was not to be.

Again closer to the ending of the series the heroes are faced with great peril and unless I missed something, despite the threat having the upper hand just seemed to go 'meh' and leave them be. Some other little things around that time aren't explained very well.

Art:
Pretty good, no complaints.

Sound:
Great theme song. VAs were good. One in particular must of been the inspiration for aforementioned anime.

Character:
Eh...
So they're the band of seven...only about two of them are given next to zero screen time after their introductions and another increasingly less. I thought this would be remedied later in the series after some circumstances, but not so. One in particular just ends up being sort of there.

I also found it odd that initially Miaka seemed pretty spunky and seemed a physical match against the average joes who attacked her. Only, increasingly she became the damsel in distress, so for me she lost her appeal. Though she did show her strength in other ways.
The main villains motives were only explained in the last few episodes so in one way it really turned things on their head, in another, for the most part they seemed really one dimensional.

The characters we did see more of were really loveable and a joy to watch. You're made to really care about those characters and that's what made this series so compelling, in spite of everything.


Enjoyment/Overall: By all means it wasn't all bad and I'm glad I stuck it out as I did consider dropping it. Though I realise I haven't sold it well... I enjoyed the ending enough that I may grudgingly watch the OVA's.

I do not know what anime is until watching this. It was tele-casted in ANIMAX in India, every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 12:00PM during year 2001. At that time I was studying degree and I started bunking classes for watching this anime. To reach home from my college I have to take a bus and it would take lot of time to reach home. Thus I used to get home by an autorikshaw by paying whatever amount the autodriver asked me, only to watch it.

The story starts with two friends miyaka and her friend lui went to a library where miyaka accidentaly opens a ... book and both of them get drawn into the other world that is inside the book.
I got fascinated by the story itself. It was first time for me to see a fantasy story. What I liked the most was how well each of the characters helped one another. But I was just little bit worried why all of the characters are falling for Miyaka. I was so thrilled when Miyaka's brother also guides her from outside of the book. I liked the way the story ended. My personal favorites are prince hotahori, tomahome and the sage ( I forgot his mane though). Moreover this is the anime in which I felt sympathetic towards nakago. Its admirable on part of the writer to show the other side of a villain. It makes one to understand that a villain is not made by whim of impulsive actions rather than by the circumstances or bitterness built up in him because of negative circumstances in his early life.

Its been more than 12 years but still I remember some of the names well. The title song and the ending song too were amazing.

In an equation if I have to describe this anime is "

fuhigi yuugi = fantasy+adventure+love+friendship+perfect ending.

I can say that this anime is mother to inuyasha kind of stories.

This was my first manga book that I truly enjoyed, I got it when I 15 (now 16). When I found that there was an anime I had to watch it and I wasn't disappointed at all. It was all so gripping and my emotions were taken on a rollarcoaster because the anime was that good at bringing out the empathy in me.

My favourite character was Tamahome because he is so brave and dashing, and my favourite leading lady is Miaka of course, because she reminds me so much of me.

I think Yuu Watase did a wonderful job on the story and the ... artwork on paper and its amazing how those black and white pictures became so full of life and I could hear what the characters were supposed to hear like.

personally I thought this anime was absolutely fantastic! however, I think it's the type of anime you're either going to love or hate because it's shoujo it has a lot of romance, comedy etc and I'll admit the romance can get a bit repetitive at times but that's the reason I enjoyed this anime. In my opinion Fushigi Yugi is an anime where the viewer can at least fall in love with one character if not all because I think their characterisations are so accurate to real life.

As I've said above this anime would be a strong recommendation if you are into that fantasy, ... romantic and comical genre!

It's a greay fantasy anime and I love the characters since they're so funny xD especially Miaka :) and the relationship between Miaka and Tamahome is really cute ;)

But only one thing: the seaqueles kinda spoils the whole ting I think. Watch this anime, but think and read a littel about the continuations before you start watching them -.-

Trigger Warning:
This show has multiple scenes of attempted rape. They're not explicitly showed, but it does hint that attempts happened/tried to happen.

As cute of a show it looks on the outside, it can get pretty dark, which is why I put the warning up first.

Aside from that-
I didn't think I would enjoy this much because based on the cover art, it looks like a reverse harem. Most of the reverse harems I've seen have not had that great of stories, and are more for fanservice.

But this show wasn't a reverse harem (or not emphasized to be). Thank god! A few characters do ... crush on our main girl, but it's not focused on those aspects. Cool, she's surrounded by handsome guys, but the anime focuses more on the plot and developing the characters individually rather than trying to use the main heroine as a way to show themselves. And most of the guys aren't trying to flirt with her or anything.

One of the best things about this show were the characters. A lot of them were really likable and I even found myself sympathizing with some of the opposing characters too.

I think because a lot of stuff happens in the show, that the story is constantly evolving and moving forward that it may feel 'rushed' for some people. Compared to other shows I've recently seen where 2 opponents will spend the whole 20 minutes staring each other down in a battle or thinking "ah what do i do", this show mostly goes straight to the action. I like it this way, since I never felt bored.

The music was a bit weird for my taste, but fair. The saxophone part in one of the 'emotional' or 'deep' songs always had me cackling because it felt out of place lol

Animation was done pretty good for its time. I had no problems with the animation until Episode 41. Starting in Episode 41, the animation started looking a bit weird and lazy, like you could tell they were re-using some of the same sequences. Most notably in Episode 41, the figures of Miaka and Tamahome are so distorted and exaggerated that it was HILARIOUS (you'll see what i mean when you get to that episode).

So yes, after Episode 41, the animation goes a bit downhill but it's not bad that you need to drop it. It's still worth the watch.

Overall, I did enjoy the show. Only dislike was Miaka's personality sometimes, but alas she's only 15 years old lol

Other than that, I think it'll be a good show to watch for laughs and an interesting plot.

Just finished this yesterday. I was completly hooked on this show since episode 1.
I am not usually into older anime. i am very picky when it comes to art and romance. I try to avoid drama.

This is the oldest anime i have ever sat down to watch, and one of the best one's i have ever seen.

I LOVE how it isnt a repetitive story. alot of shows have something crazy happen by the next show, they act as though nothing has changed. This show stuck to one story, one goal, and never repeated the same fights.. always something different.

The romance was ... nice and i felt satisfied with it. it was pretty funny in some parts as well. :)