Fushigi Yuugi

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. :)

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.

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 -.-

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!

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.

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.

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.

Review in English and then in Spanish....


Introduction

This time and seeing that I had time on my schedule. I chose to return about 25 years in the industry to observe some of the work of the Pierrot study back then, and I found it striking not only because of its synopsis and genres it covers, but also the good overall average score that “MAL” leaves us. " But let us not go any further and enter fully into the analysis.

Story: (5/10)

(SPOILERS)
This section tells us the adventures of how 2 friends find a strange book in a library and are taken inside it to another world from ... the ancient Chinese era, where the protagonist Miaka ends up being a priestess who is in charge of gathering her guardians to invoke to the spirit of Suzaku and thus be able to fulfill his desire to return his life to normality.
In the course of the trip we have observed many adversities or situations that are presented to our cast of protagonists and they are drawing successfully and eloquently for the plot during its first half of the series, or rather until chapter 30. Since then You can see a change in the rhythm and considerable development seeing that the emission limit that would be 52 episodes was approaching, they had to search and force some facts in the story, this was when the quality of the show began to decline, being very summarized and Obtaining a certain "script" from the management with very convenient situations in certain sections of the history of our protagonists, which unfortunately lasted until the end of its broadcast.
Despite this, it should be noted that regardless of how, this adaptation achieves a starting and finishing point that is truly important, but in a way it hurts to see how that solid series that was in the beginning gradually faded away.


Art: (8.5 / 10)


Honestly, it is difficult for me to catalog or criticize this point, since I do not consider myself too expert in the subject and the truth is even more complicated when you analyze an Anime from 25 years ago, but from what was my point of appreciation, I consider that it has had a performance according to what it deserved with a fluid animation and beautiful designs for the time the show was held.


Sound: (7.5 / 10)

In particular I like it, although it did not get more than one OP / ED throughout its 52 chapters, I liked the 2 songs and that caused the essence of the adaptation to be impregnated in its melodies that was recorded in my mind by a good time, positive point.


Characters: (5.5 / 10)

(SPOILERS)
Here we enter a dilemma as in the case of "history". The cast itself that we are introduced to during the adventures is considerably interesting, but only a few characters at the end of the day receive the treatment they deserve in good depth and developed from it, and I mean some like the same Miaka and Tamahome who are the main ones and would summarize Nuriko and Hotohori as outstanding, although already with a more relegated role and with fewer minutes on stage (somewhat understandable). The rest of the guardians of Suzaku pass without penalty or glory, they receive some introductory chapter at the time but once inside the main cast they become part of the environment that does not contribute much in itself. Which generates a certain point in obtaining a "Death Flag" and transmits as much empathy as it should to the viewer.

Enjoy: (7.5 / 10)

(Spoilers)
Last aspect and as always I mention the most relevant to my criteria.
Personally, I felt very happy with the Anime in the beginning, since at all times it showed what I was looking for, that mixture of romance, action and drama in good quantity and quality. But as I already mentioned, the emotion began to drop as we got to the middle of the show and the plot began to fall apart, since truly to create an anime that would last through the ages, it had to obtain at least 100 chapters for Doing everything to the letter, including the final battle, leaves little to be desired in the little that was developed and the way in which it takes place. Now, what really pays off at the end of the anime is that epilogue "surprise" that leaves us with the revelation that the guy with glasses that appears at the end is Tamahome's "reincarnation" in a way, which leaves me a very gratifying final smile.


General: (6,8 / 10)

I recommend this adaptation for people who love the gender / Romance / Shoujo / Action combination, as is my case, but be careful, it is not a series that I consider to be fundamental in these sections, because it does not comply in some points, which could be expected more, but if you are like I am a fan of this anime stereotype and you have seen everything potentially interesting today. It would not be a bad idea to take a look at this title.


-----------------------

Introducción

En esta ocasión y viendo que tenía tiempo en mi cronograma. opte por regresar unos 25 años en la industria para observar unos de los trabajos del estudio Pierrot en el aquel entonces, y me pareció llamativo no solo por su sinopsis e géneros que abarca, sino también el buen promedio general de puntuación que nos deja “MAL”. Pero no a larguemos más y entremos de lleno en el análisis.

Historia: (5 / 10)

(SPOILERS)
Este apartado nos cuenta las aventuras de como 2 amigas encuentran un libro extraño en una biblioteca y son llevadas dentro del mismo hacia otro mundo de la era china antigua, donde la protagonista Miaka acaba siendo una sacerdotisa que está encargada de reunir a sus guardianes para invocar al espíritu de Suzaku y así poder cumplir su deseo de regresar su vida a la normalidad..
En el transcurso del viaje hemos observado muchas adversidades o situaciones que se le presentan a nuestro elenco de protagonistas y van sorteando de forma acertada y elocuente para la trama durante su primera mitad de la serie, o mejor dicho hasta el capítulo 30. Ya que luego se nota un cambio en el ritmo y desarrollo considerable viendo que se les acercaba el límite de emisión que serían 52 episodios, tuvieron que rebuscar y forzar algunos hechos en la historia eh aquí fue cuando empezó a decaer la calidad del espectáculo, siendo muy resumido e obteniendo cierto “guionazo” por parte de la dirección con situaciones muy convenientes en ciertos tramos de la historia de nuestros protagonistas que perduro hasta el fin de su emisión desgraciadamente.
A pesar de esto queda destacar que sin importar tanto el cómo, esta adaptación logra un punto de partida y llegada que es lo verdaderamente importante, pero cierto forma duele ver como esa serie sólida que fue en el comienzo se fue desvaneciendo poco a poco.


Arte: (8,5 / 10)


Sinceramente me es difícil catalogar o criticar este punto, ya que no me considero demasiado experto en el tema y la verdad es aún más complicado cuando analizas un Anime de hace 25 años, pero desde lo que fue mi punto de apreciación, considero que a tenido una performance acorde a lo que ameritaba con una animación fluida y bellos diseños para la época en la que transcurrió el show.


Sonido: (7,5 / 10)

En lo particular me agrado, si bien no obtuvo más de un OP/ED en lo largo de sus 52 capítulos, me agradaron los 2 temas y eso causo que quedara impregnada la esencia de la adaptación en sus melodías que quedara grabada en mi mente por un buen tiempo, punto positivo.


Personajes: (5,5 / 10)

(SPOILERS)
Aquí entramos en una disyuntiva como en el caso de la “historia”. El elenco en sí que nos presentan durante las aventuras es considerablemente interesante, pero solo unos pocos personajes al final del día reciben el trato que se merecen con una buena profundidad e desarrolló del mismo, y me refiero algunos como los mismo Miaka y Tamahome que son los principales y sumaria como destacables a Nuriko y Hotohori aunque ya con un papel más relegados y con menos minutos en escena (algo entendible). El resto de los guardianes de Suzaku pasan sin pena ni gloria, reciben en su momento algún cierto capitulo introductivo pero una vez dentro del elenco principal pasan a ser parte del entorno que no aportan demasiado en si. Lo que genera en cierto punto un vacío a la hora de obtener sus “Death Flag” y nos transmiten tanta empatía como debería al espectador.

Disfrute: (7,5 / 10)

(Spoilers)
Último aspecto y como siempre menciono el más relevante a mi criterio.
En lo personal me sentí muy conforme con el Anime en el comienzo ya que en todo momento demostró lo que venía a buscar esa mezcla de romance, acción y drama en buena cantidad y calidad. Pero como ya mencione la emoción comenzó a bajar a medida que llegábamos a la mitad del espectáculo y la trama comenzó a caer en pedazos, ya que verdaderamente para crear un anime que perdurara por los tiempos de los tiempos debió obtener al menos unos 100 capítulos para hacer todo al pie de la letra, inclusive la batalla final deja que desear en lo poco que se desarrolló y la manera en que se da. Ahora, lo que verdaderamente vale la pena al final del anime es esa “sorpresa” de epilogo que nos dejan con la revelación de que el tipo con lentes que aparece al final es la “reencarnación” de Tamahome en cierto modo, lo que me deja una sonrisa final muy gratificante.


General: (6,8 / 10)

Recomiendo esta adaptación para gente amante de la combinación genero Romance/Shoujo/Accion como es mi caso pero atención, tampoco es una serie que considere que fundamental en estos apartados, por que incumple en algunos puntos que se podría esperar más, pero si eres como yo fanático de este estereotipo de animes y has visto todo lo potencialmente interesante de la actualidad no sería mala idea que le hechos una mirada a este título.

Fushigi yuugi is not a piece to be underestimated.

It's a pretty clear reverse harem anime, so it is expected to be loaded with drama. The beginning is very light, but still captivating, which definitely counts as a factor to keep watching. In the end, it's well worth. It has several messages, some of them a little hidden, and some of them more obvious. The fact that it isn't very long, but not too short, is very good. Mainly, this is a very solid anime piece and I do recommend it to fans of romance, adventure and drama. it's based on four old Chinese beast ... gods and their correspondent constellations, so fans of fiction and mystical anime would enjoy it too.
The characters have a very good design - I admit, I do have a preference on nineties anime designs - not only in physical means, but also in psychological. I think there's truly a match between the characters looks and their own personalities, that were very well traced!

In the end, it's a very solid anime and a very, very good one.
It's really to sigh and cry for, and i highly recommend it, regardless.

Story-
Okay this is the reverse harem genre and the whole idea of the girl being lost in a magical world has been over-used by now, but this is what somewhat started it all (yes this is BEFORE Inuyasha). I'm proud to say that even though I've seen other animes that have taken off from this idea, this still is able to maintain this freshness throughout. The story for the most-part is pretty predictable. Even though is tries to through some "OMG" moments of twists and turns, the show does not execute it well enough to make it as truly powerful as it could've been. ... The story is laced with comedy and alot of drama and from my understanding is pretty enjoyable for most the viewers. The story is good but definately not perfect.

Art-
The art and animation for this show is a double edged sword. Since this was released it has been a good 14 to 15 years. So I wouldn't expect it to be up to par animation-wise. Fights include speed lines and flashes (bleehhhh seizure) during those "Pwnage" moments. Typical of something released long ago. The art is able to maintain this amazing classic feel while also being incredibly intricate. It can go from this to SD/ Chibi in those comedy moments. The art is translated well from it's manga counterpart. The only problem I have with the art is that the men(some of them) often have the same facial features as the next ie; Tamahome to Nakago. The quality can from good to barely average. (honestly the art does not tend to bother me because of how engaging the story is.)

Sound-
The sound is good as well. Not normally my come of tea and i felt it could've had a little more effort put into it. It includes alot of synthe and somewhat cheap attempts to fill the void of the moment. The romantic songs often left me with the impression of being with a "magical unicorn" (what would you expect from shoujo though lol) It sounds like glitter (if that really has a sound) It sometimes incorporates some rare instruments to pair with the intial vibe of the show ex-Saxophone. It also has some traditional instruments that get more engaged with the magic of it all. I think the mixing of the instruments are to mix the idea of the real world and the world the story takes place in.

Character-
The characters are VERY cliche. Not that's bad it's just very expected and average. Miaka the lead is often annoying and needy (atleast how i see her.) Typical of shoujo though for having her wait for her knight in shining armor. Tamahome is also very typpical of his suspected role ie; overly protective, compassionate, always is serious about loving Miaka Blah Blah Blah. But of course almost all the male leads want to "have their way" with Miaka....OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT!!!! I wish they could've been more original with this idea....

Enjoyment-
Overall I really liked this series having it's hiccups here there it's still a good solid watch. Nothing ground breaking but something plausible enough to be memorable.

Overall-
Good Points-
Original storyline (at the time)
Engaging Story
Solid listen in both languages
Good Humor
Solid soundtrack
Bad Points-
Predictable Story
Animation could've better
Story often can have some pacing problems
VERY Mellow dramatic

It is an extremely under-rated anime in English-speaking areas of the world. I first read the manga version and it was mind-blowing. It was a great reference manga for pre-Qing dynasty Chinese material culture.

Each episode is a flavor bomb of emotions and mutual reliance to achieve the protagonists' goals in this isekai realm. Wuxia elements are very predominant. I also recommend this anime as a way for you to get used to wuxia literature.

Sure, some plot twists would annoy the experiences. However, the flow of the story is very rigid enough to be as enjoyable for the viewers.

Anyways, the jazzy ending song was a huge ... inspiration for me to listen to jazz music when I was a teen.

this anime is an anime with a lot of unexpected things that happened in the end,but like most/all animes they end up with a happy ending.this story is full of shoujo,comedy,romance,action,adventure and a little bit of suspense.its based on the 28 constellations,the 4 gods,4/2 students/girls that found a mysterious book with a different world inside of it and each god that has 7 celestial wariors that guards their priestess in order for their priestess to be granted 3 wishes by their god,but mostly in the anime series it is mostly all about the 2 girls named yui and miaka that found a book leading them ... to a different dimension where they fought war,found love and friendship,but most importantly they learned how it feels to lose the people you loved most.
but in the end they understoosd each other and found peace in their land.yet,their is more to come....at the beggining of it all.

This was the first anime I ever watched with more than 14 episodes. It is really good, and enjoyable. I remember being at school and just thinking about what could happen next and then I would watch it for hours. Even though the story is very good some parts did annoy me a little bit. For example; the main character Miaka Yūki either gets kidnapped or attacked every single episode. Which leads to Tamahome (Main Guy) to shout "Miaka!" about a million times through out the episodes. But hey ho i still loved it!

It has everything really; Action, Romance and it is very very ... funny at times :)

Brought to us by the same guy who made Ayashi no Ceres, and basically following the same formula to the point I will reuse text from the review I made for it. It another one of those sappy melodramatic shows that made some impression at their time but were otherwise forgotten fast after several other better shows came about.

Romance is a very specific genre. There is not much variation to how “boy and girl meet” and usually everyone expects the exact same thing to happen in the conclusion. That is why to spice things up, the conditions under which the boy and the girl meet ... or the ordeals they are going through need to be different each time, in order to at least make the world around the otherwise one-track romance to appear interesting.

Take this series for example. We have quite the usual fuss. Naive good girl meets mysterious pretty bad boy and falls in love with it 0.13 seconds after they first meet. Why? Well, she is naive, he is a boy, he is pretty, and apparently being bad is quite fascinating if you spent your life pampered and see this as a way to get wild before you grow old and wither away in boredom with some fat, bald poor business man who cares more about football than you. Ok, I understand; it’s been like that in most corny shoujo and it still sells today no matter the stupidity of the whole deal. For more information, check out the success of frakking Twilight .

STORY SECTION: 6/10
Analysis: Premise 2/2, Pacing 1/2, Complexity 1/2, Plausibility 0/2, Conclusion 2/2

But that is now and this is, what, twenty years ago; a time when romances were to the most part not happening in space, in the past, or in magic fairylands. Very common today, very rare back then. This anime did not receive its fame because of its romance, which to be honest is following the book of corny romances to the letter. It is about the world around that romance.
-Let’s have the girl being the reincarnation of a celestial maiden, whose mystical powers can control the forces of the world.
-Let’s have her knight in shining armor be a super warrior in a magical land and part of her elite followers.
-Let’s have her best friend tuning out to be her worst rival, because fate requests it and because the villain in the show exploits her emotions.
-Let’s add a hundred other people trying to exploit, survive or just have fun with all that.
-Let’s add flashy superpowers. Lots of them.
-And tears. Lots of tears.
-And let’s always end the most important episodes with a cliffhanger.
Yeah, sounds great already.
So I’m not going to lie, the premise of this anime is amazing, despite being so old. You can focus on different aspects to it instead of just seeing it as yet another corny romance (which it is by the way).

But let’s try to see a bit deeper than that and check out some things most fangirls … err… viewers don’t notice. The pacing for example has always been the most overlooked aspect of most stories, being left alone to read books home while bijinism and extravagant are out partying like crazy all night with naivety and suspended disbelief. If this poor champ would be noticed for some weird to imagine reason, he would tell you that this series (as well as most others for the same matter) is suffering from tuberculosis. It has a very formulaic way to present its story, some parts are damn boring, some others are hardly affecting the overall, and the finale is a five year old writing Tolkien fanfiction on a napkin… with its mother’s crayon.

Of course, nobody ever listens to poor old pacing as the fang… fans of such shows are too busy yelling “Kyaaa, Tamahome is so dreamyyyyy!” This example can expand to pretty much any romance by the way, with the only difference being the name yelled. But in some alternative reality of the multiverse where his voice is heard, everyone would agree that the way the story unravels is far from “as dreamy as Tamahome”.
-Most side stories are hardly affecting the overall plot and yet they are there to slow the pacing. Just imagine four teams of warriors, each one having seven members and yet only one or two in each one matter. And the way the fated couple keeps copping with their ordeals looks too silly at best.

But it’s not like the story is complete boinkers either. Its main idea expands further beyond the main duo and shows how circumstances can turn an average person to a savior and charismatic leaders being manipulated by shady people to do things they never intended. It is also full of emo characters with colorful personalities and sappy personal drama along with supernatural fights in the likes of Naruto or Bleach. And to its core, it is still a romance, ideal and corny enough to follow with your ears gone out of order because of the constant screams of those fang… fans of romances.

Bottom line, it is a good story with a messy presentation. It may sound epic at first but it plays out like a soap opera with magic, slapstick humor and mediocre fan service. I consider this anime the forefather of The Twelve Kingdoms, which a decade later managed to gain far more fans by having far more mature presentation (it is was sadly left incomplete).

ART SECTION: 5/10
Analysis: General Artwork 1/2, Character Figures 1/2, Backgrounds 1/2, Animation 1/2, Visual Effects 1/2

Yup, the visuals are as weak as a harem lead next to a pair of panties. All the attempts at showing cinematics seem poor even considering the age they were made. And the character figures have quite simplistic anatomy and facial structure, being separated only by their hair color or clothes. Of course, this being a romance most will probably only care about how pretty the guys and the gals look (or better say the same guy and gal with different wig and uniform) and won’t give a frakk about the awful way they move… or don’t move at all and stay frozen with a flapping mouth. The manga version could get away with its fluent lining and rather stiff body positions but the anime version is guilty as charged.

SOUND SECTION: 7/10
Analysis: Voice Acting 2/3, Music Themes 3/4, Sound Effects 2/3

This part is rather ok. Voice acting is fine (considering how annoyingly sappy the characters are meant to sound) and the songs are ok to listen to many times without feeling fed up with them. At the same time, there is nothing amazing about it either.

CHARACTER SECTION: 7/10
Analysis: Presence 1/2, Personality 1/2, Backdrop 1/2, Development 2/2, Catharsis 2/2

The cast is actually quite interesting on paper as there is a plethora of different people with different goals and demeanors and most of them do change or mature or simply get killed. As far as variety goes, there is lots of it and their behaviors are very well excused through their backdrop stories.

What ruins it is the way they mature / develop, etc. It feels generic in the least and eventually it is all about following what the priestess said. A monologue by some good guy is enough to change one’s worldview immediately while inhuman villains try to look sympathetic to us ten minutes before they kick the bucket. I’m sorry; it’s too sudden to mean anything. As it is with all those characters who seem to matter for one or two episodes and afterwards become nothing but stunts in the team and stall time in the battles.

Some minor bickering can be said about the main characters as well for being to the most part irritating stereotypes. They do eventually develop of course but considering the amount of air time they get, it feels slow and vein popping to the most part.
-Miaka for example has nothing special to remember her about. She is aloof and frail when it comes to some hunk near her. She either gets saved by pretty boys or gets super powerful when they are not around; so she survives no matter what happens. She also has a real problem in staying dressed or not being chased around by rapists every ten minutes. And lol at her superpowers going away if she is no longer a virgin; this alone guarantees her purity remaining intact for the whole show.
-Tamahome is to the most part the stereotypical hunk the heroine is after from the first second they met. He is simply so blunt in whatever he is doing and even most of that has to do with running after Miaka or desperately trying not to deflower her although he really digs her ass.
-Yui is basically the evil side of Miaka, manipulated by the villain who is basically an evil Tamahome. That’s right, the main antagonists are the dark counterparts of the heroes. What, you expected something more? Anyways, Yui is also a blockhead for becoming her best friend’s nemesis for something she never did. Furthermore, how much of an idiot can you be for not knowing if you got raped or not?

VALUE SECTION: 3/10
Analysis: Historical Value 1/3, Rewatchability 1/3, Memorability 1/4

Um, not much. It is ok the first time you watch it, with those cliffhangers constantly making you yearn for more. But the second time you will most likely skip most of it, since to the most part it plays out as a corny shoujo with corny shounen action. And the premise in general has been used numerous times in later shows with better animation; so tough luck even there.

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 1/10
Analysis: Art 0/1, Sound 0/2, Story 1/3, Characters 0/4

Good concept, bad pacing, bad animation, irritating personalities. Gets 1 out of 4. But if you are one of those Banshees, you will like it a looooooot more.
“Tamahomeeee!”

VERDICT: 5/10

SUGGESTION LIST
The Twelve Kingdoms
Vision of Escaflowne

this is a really great anime to watch. Even though the whole concept of having a time traveling protagonist, the warrior guy versus the oji-sama, having rivalries between the protagonist and the best friend that ends up as an antagonist because of hilarious love triangle, and some weird characters that appears in the midst of the story.
But still for me there are lot of off spins that happened in the story. Of how they manage to go back to the real world and how the love story of miaka and tamahome ended. The sound was really great.

And also the OVA is some how ... really hard to get ( the flow of the story) if you don't watch it!

Initially, I thought this anime would be one huge chick flick focusing solely on romance and relationships. I am glad I stuck with it and continued to watch, because boy was I wrong! It has a very good balance of romance, drama, comedy, and action. I enjoyed it very much the entire way through. Most of the characters are very compelling, and you find yourself growing attached to them--especially Nuriko and Chichiri (Ya know?). The only reason I didn't give it a pure 10/10 rating is because a few times, the plot seemed to take some ridiculous turns--some good, and some not-so-good. I won't spoil ... them. Everything ended up working out anyway, and it wasn't cliché. The ending was one of the most beautiful endings I've ever experienced in an anime. The ending is the entire reason I decided to write a review. (Usually I just rate anime I watch, not spend the time writing up a review.) But this anime is definitely deserving of this review.

First Anime I ever watched and I have to say that it was a simply amazing first experience with anime. Although many would say that the style is either outdated of the sound to muted, but both make the series a completely different experience from any other anime I have ever seen.

Rating: A++

I would recommend this anime to ANYONE, both guys and girls!

Its almost impossible for me to express how much I love this anime just in a review... This anime was and is very inspirational! The plot had me beyond the edge of my seat! The characters are all so colorful and different, they make you laugh and make you cry. Speaking of crying, I could raise the sea level back up with the amount of tears I shed for this anime. But I laughed so hard at so many of the scenes! Every second of this INCREDIBLE anime was worth while! I'd say that this anime has all the elements of what makes a great ... anime great. The story line is just so unbelievably addicting!!! I might sound a bit over enthusiastic but you know how (almost) every anime fan has that one anime that they just go crazy for? This is mine. And oh my gawd am I CRAZY for it. :) WATCH IT!!!

Honestly, this is the anime that started it all for me. Although I believe the first anime I've seen has to be Pokemon. This was the first title I've actually seen through to the end (and 3 OVAs after). I really should have rated it higher, but as of now, that I'm reviewing it from memory, it would have probably been a disservice or filled with Nostalgia Points.

Story-wise, it really was unlike anything else my young impressionable self has seen. But it also probably geared me away from harems in general. Whenever I look back on it now, I just realize how messed up ... it kind of is. But that's not for this review to disclose. It's a wild ride, definitely, so you better get settled in. The characters are unforgettable. Years and years after watching this, the characters are going to be what sticks with you. Their quirks, their personas, really. More than just the lead couple themselves. If you're new to anime or if you're a young viewer, they should serve as your primers to the different archetypes you'll be dealing with in other anime shows. Other characters from different shows might not be as vibrant or as exaggerated though.

Of course, the sound, too. It was distinct enough that whenever I hear of the OP and ED, or even anything that sounds remotely like it, I just start thinking back to those days where I watch and rewatch and obsess over this show. They're really great.

I am unsure whether I will enjoy this series as much as I did back then when I was still new to the whole anime scene. But for the nostalgia factor alone, I rated it with 8 points for enjoyment. It definitely has the comedy down pat.

Maybe I should give it a rewatch and revisit/revise this review when I have the time?

I watched an episode of this a week when I was in college with a group of girls in our dorm rooms, and every week, we were amply entertained by the insanity of the story. The story is so wild, the characters so over the top, everything just so outrageous, that So Bad It's Good and Go Big or Go Home both equally describe this anime.

I assume it was pretty groundbreaking and unusual at the time of it's creation and inspired many anime's after it, so for that reason alone, it's worth checking out. But the balls to the wall story is honestly another great ... reason to watch as well.

No, I would not say this is a well-written anime. But boy was it a lot of fun.