Fushigi Yuugi

During a visit to the National Library, Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo stumble upon a strange old book that casts a red light, sucking them inside its unfamiliar world. Upon arrival, the two encounter hostile slave traders and barely escape with the help of Tamahome—a powerful young man bearing a Chinese symbol on his forehead. But, a moment later, the red light returns and takes Yui away.

Desperate to reunite with her companion, Miaka asks Tamahome for assistance. However, the situation escalates when the pair encounters the land's emperor, Hotohori, who believes Miaka is the foretold priestess of the kingdom's protector god Suzaku. By gathering the god's seven Celestial Warriors, the priestess can summon Suzaku and have all her wishes granted. Hotohori hopes this will save his country, and since it appears to be a fitting solution to the girl's problems as well, he convinces her to accept the role.

Meanwhile, at the library, Yui realizes she has been brought back alone. Unable to intervene, she helplessly witnesses Miaka traversing through courageous trials as the mysterious book's heroine.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tamahome Main

Midorikawa, Hikaru Japanese

Nuriko Main

Sakamoto, Chika Japanese

Tasuki Main

Canna, Nobutoshi Japanese

Yuuki, Miaka Main

Araki, Kae Japanese

Hotohori Main

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Chichiri Main

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Nakago Main

Furusawa, Tohru Japanese

Hongo, Yui Main

Touma, Yumi Japanese

Chiriko Main

Kawakami, Tomoko Japanese

Mitsukake Main

Ishii, Kouji Japanese

Kimura, Kyoutarou Producer

Kamegaki, Hajime Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Ishihara, Tatsuya Episode Director

Motonaga, Keitarou Episode Director

Reviews

Nov 7, 2024

Mikanskies

Recommended

Fushigi Yuugi is a classic, chaotic, and unforgettable anime in all ways. For some, I agree that the animation won't fit right, but let's be real. It's a 1995 anime, so of course, it's like that. We wouldn't ruin the fun of the plot just because of the animation.

Alright, let’s get into Miaka’s character since she's the protagonist. Honestly, she’s the definition of frustrating and annoying at its highest level. Like, half the time all you hear is her screaming “Tamahome, Tamahome!” on loop. I get she’s in love, but come on, does she even have a personality outside of her obsession with Tamahome? She’s ... supposed to be this destined priestess of Suzaku who is supposed to be saving the kingdom, yet she constantly needs to be saved, running headfirst into danger, and generally causing chaos to everyone. It’s like her main skill is finding trouble, and every time she shouts for Tamahome, you can just feel the other characters sighing in the background.
Her obsession with food? It looks cute at first, but it quickly becomes repetitive. It’s like the writers wanted to give her some quirky trait but went way too hard on it. And when it comes to her choices, especially in the romance area, she’s driven purely by emotion. That can get a lot more frustrating when you’re watching her make the same mistakes over and over again, making it difficult for the other characters. It can be exhausting when you’re hoping for more character development from her but end up seeing the same loop of rash choices and dramatic outcomes.

But the Suzaku Seven? Now that’s where the show shines. Tamahome, for example, isn’t just Miaka’s knight in shining armour. He’s got a lot on his plate: loyalty, family struggles, his own hopes and fears and watching him navigate those while still being the powerhouse of the group is amazing. The way his character grows is one of the highlights of the show, and the Japanese voice acting really brings out his emotional side. You can feel the passion, the intensity, and it just hits different.

And let’s talk about Tasuki. Absolute King, my favourite character in the series. He’s hilarious, got that rough-around-the-edges charm, and brings a fire, literally and figuratively, that keeps the team alive. His personality, his loyalty, the voice acting and Tasuki’s got some of the best lines and moments, and he’s not afraid to call people out, which honestly makes him feel way more real. Plus, the dude can fight. His whole vibe adds so much energy to the group, and you can’t help but root for him even after the end.

Then there’s the rest of the Suzaku Seven: Nuriko, Hotohori, Chichiri, Mitsukake and Chiriko. They’re all fully developed throughout the story, with actual backstories and arcs. Nuriko’s journey? Heart-wrenching but powerful. Hotohori’s quiet strength and hidden vulnerability? Beautifully done. Chichiri’s wisdom and mysterious vibe? Just a chef’s kiss. Each of them has their own unique personality, and the Japanese dub absolutely nails it. Every character feels distinct, and the voices capture each one’s essence perfectly, giving them life in a way that’s rare to see!

Speaking of the antagonists: Nakago including the Seiryu Seven, and Yui, they do bring quite a solid dose of drama, they’re a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to depth. The main villains have that classic energy that makes them fun to watch, but they sometimes feel a bit too stereotypical as villains. It’s like they exist just to throw obstacles at Miaka and the Suzaku Seven without much motivation beyond “Let’s ruin everything because...well? reasons". Some of them do have backstories and motivations that try to explain their actions, but the emotional weight isn’t always there. You want to try to understand why they’re so motivated by destruction, but at times, their reasoning is shallow.

To wrap it up, Fushigi Yuugi is a true ’90s classic, complete with that vintage animation style that gives it a good charm. Sure, the animation might look a bit outdated by today’s anime animation, but there’s a warmth that only old-school anime delivers. The character designs, especially for the Suzaku Seven, each stand out and bring a unique vibe that matches their personalities. And the music? Both the OP and ED themes are unforgettable, but might not fit the taste of some, but let's be real, it's got everything that a 90's anime must have. Character development is really where this anime shines, and I'm talking about every character except the protagonist although it's ironic and unavoidable. Each one goes through real, tangible growth, forming bonds that feel genuine and heartbreaking at times. They make you want to stay invested in the story, even if Miaka’s repetitive, often frustrating choices can test your patience. Let’s be honest, if Miaka’s character had just had depth and less “Tamahome!!” on repeat, this series could’ve reached another level.
But despite Miaka’s shortcomings, Fushigi Yuugi is still a good anime that is worth watching if you're into shoujo anime, or maybe not. The stakes are high, the emotions run deep, and the fantasy world is very captivating. If you’re down for a classic fantasy adventure with an iconic cast, Fushigi Yuugi won’t disappoint, but just brace yourself for a protagonist who’s not easy to root for, but the moment you fall in love with the Suzaku Seven, you'll realize how much you'll love this anime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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May 24, 2020

SinCrow11

Mixed Feelings

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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Sep 20, 2018

JuneNephthys

Not Recommended

Fushigi Yûgi is like if The Neverending Story was a melodramatic soap opera. It literally has the same precurser to The Neverending Story: two girls go to an antiquated library and then get rabbit holed into a magical storybook, but in this variation, it isn’t a high fantasy world, but a mystical version of ancient China. This series would have been much stronger if Yu Watase could write a story without leaning on the same old, tired reverse harem tropes.

• As far as the characters are concerned, there are a multitudinous amount in this series. There are seven Celestial Warriors to protecting the priestesses of fate ... from the opposing factionsーthe warring territories of the Gods: Suzaku & Seiryuu; exactly like the rivalry between the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth in X/1999 (CLAMP). Unfortunately, I found the main two love interests DREADFULLY annoying.

• The main girl, Miaka, is an air-head who’s only talent is eating and having a pure heart―and since this is a shoujo manga, the “mary-sue” trope makes the female lead the most desirable to all of the male characters, even if she does nothing to earn the power of priestess and her main superpower isn’t kicking ass, but rather, whimpering about her boyfriend and turning down other men who make advances towards her. Admittedly, she does develop a little bit as the story goes on and becomes a little less whiny when the war causes families to be slaughtered and leavess villages in ruin, but through 95% of the series, all she does is whine about Tamahome (the first person who saved her when she was transported into a celestial Chinese world).

• Tamahome, on the other hand, is more likable, I guess? He at least has a motivation for his actions: he’s greedy because he’s feeding his impoverished family. That’s great, but he’s a really terrible boyfriend to Miaka, breaking up with her and repeating the same old, tired Twilight tropes of “we can’t be together” and then dramatically leaving Miaka to swoon in her overly-dramatized heartbreak. They had as much conflict as a couple as Inuyasha and Kagome; one of them is being seduced by another person, OH NO, but it turns out that it’s just a huge misunderstanding or the character is brainwashed and they get back together.

• I’m not a huge proponent of stories having a good “message,” because I personally feel that a story should be able to stand on its own without shoving some kind of “life lesson” propaganda down your throat, but when there’s an elderly lady narrating the beginning of every episode, talking as if this is a story that has merit because of the character’s strong and tenacious spirits, then I expect a female lead would dump a male protagonist who gets brainwashed and cheats on her, while beating the crap out of her and breaking her arm, AND she still whines about it instead of getting pissed, even though she doesn’t even KNOW that Tamahome is brainwashed. It’s like the lonely James Cameron, Titanic fantasy of, “I’ll always wait for you,” because that’s apparently what docile shoujo heroines are supposed to do―sigh and stare out the window until their long-lost love returns.

• Two particularly likable characters in this series is a trans-woman named Nuriko and one of Miaka’s love interests, Tasuki; Tasuki was refreshing as suitor because he actually focused on his duties as the protector of the priestess and wasn’t pinning her down on a bed and confessing his love to her every other episode, not until the OVA at least. Nuriko is a badass who has super strength, but still manages to stay feminine and refined. She also is still an incredible best friend and protector of Miaka; despite the man that she’s in love with, Hotohori, having the hots for her friend. After watching and reading, Fushigi Yuugi, I wanted Nuriko to be my friend!

• There’s an interesting dynamic with the war between Suzaku and Seiryuu; during the last half of the series, it is revealed that two identical twin brothers were chosen to be on opposite sides of the war, it was something that was supposedly decided by fate and I thought that plot twist made a better statement towards to cruelty of pre-ordained destinies than the other chipper warriors. The series focuses on this with another twist that’s revealed, but I won’t ruin it the people who want to be surprised about it later. The most irritating thing about this series is that the “plot,” for the most part seems to accommodate romantic tensions and drama rather than focusing on the actual horrors of war. It’s more like the two factions are houses in the Hogwarts dormitory, rather than soldiers forced to risk their lives in battle, for the vague motive of having the priestesses’ wish granted by the Gods.

• Overall, Fushigi Yuugi is an iconic series of its generation, but it has so much contrived drama that it’s hard to take seriously. I have nostalgia of plugging my earbuds in and listening to the MIDI version of “I Wish” on the way to school, but I believe that this series is a relic that only the young could enjoy with all of the juvenile stereotypes laid into its framework; unless you’re an older person with the tastes of a prepubescent who’s constantly tormented about their unrequited love and sniffling into a tissue somberly while writing a fujoshi fanfiction about twincest. I honestly think that Yu Watase’s best work was Ayashi no Ceres, Fushigi Yugi never made me get emotional, but Ceres did. Volume 8 of the manga made me sob like a baby when I was fifteen. I liked her other “dark” series, Alice 19th, as well, but I felt like it was short-lived and could have been more than what it was, since it was invoking a Kaori Yuki style of dark dreamscapes. Fushigi Yuugi is admittedly better than ONE other series in Yu Watase’s mangaography: Absolute Boyfriend, which is a reverse harem version of Chobits and pure terribad trash. Overall, Fushigi Yuugi is like an animated fanfiction, I give the TV series a 4/10, the two OVA(s) a 3/10 because of feeling that they were unnecessary after the series’ conclusion, Fushigi Yuugi: Eikoden a 1/10 because it’s filler trash, and I give the manga for Fushigi Yuugi a 5/10 because Yu Watase has pretty art and the Miaka’s whininess doesn’t have a voice.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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