Anime Review: Fushigi Yuugi (TV series, 1996-1997)
Title: Fushigi Yuugi (Mysterious Play)
Original Manga: Watase Yuu
Production: Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, Yomiko Advertising, Inc.
Director: Kamegaki Hajime
Character Design: Motohashi Hideyuki
Episodes: 52
Broadcasted from: 06/04/1996 to 28/03/1997
Age Rating: 13+ (violence, nudity, foul language)
Genre: Romance, Adventure, Fantasy, Shoujo, Comedy, Drama, Magical Girl
OP: Itooshii Hito no Tameni by Satou Akemi
ED: Tokimeki no Doukasen by Konno Yukari
IN: Wakatte ita Hazu by Satou Akemi
IN: Winner by Konno Yukari
Seiyuu (Voice Actors):
Araki Kae as Yuuki Miaka
Touma Yumi as Hongo Yui/Tama
Midorikawa Hikaru as Tamahome
Koyasu Takehito as Hotohori
Sakamoto Chika as Nuriko
Seki Tomokazu as Chichiri
Hayashi Nobutoshi as Tasuki
Ishii Kouji as Mitsukake
Kawakami Tomoko as Chiriko
Furusawa Tohru as Nakago
Ueda Yuji as Amiboshi/Suboshi
Tanaka Atsuko as Soi
Tobita Nobuo as Tomo
Miki Shin’ichiro as Keisuke
Narita Ken as Tetsuya
Plot Summary: Yuuki Miaka, an average middle school student caught up in studying for exams, is sucked into an ancient Chinese novel titled “Shijin Tenchi Shou” (Universe of the Four Gods). There she discovers that she is in an ancient country in what is now China, Konan, and is to be the Miko (Priestess) of one of the four gods, Suzaku. As the priestess, her duty is to gather the Suzaku no Shichiseishi (The Seven Stars of Suzaku), who are to be her protectors. Once they are gathered, the priestess will summon the god Suzaku and bring peace between the warring lands, Konan and Kutou. But it’s harder than it seems. Along the road, many hardships are faced, as Miaka’s best friend Yui Hongo enters the book and becomes her rival, the priestess of Seiryuu in the land of Kutou. Who summons their god first is up to the courage and skill of the priestesses and their seishi, as they meet triumphs and tragedies along the way.
Rating: 9/10
Animation: 8/10
+1 the use of manga style scenes
Vocals: 9/10
* a tribute to the many great voices, esp. Tamahome and Hotohori. Nuriko, Chichiri, Amiboshi/Suboshi and Miaka have also done a great job.
Music: 9/10
+1 the insert song, Wakatte ita Hazu, is plain great, reflecting the sad times of the anime
Story: 7/10
+1 the neverending twists of a love story
Review: I have watched this anime for two times and i’m still amazed at how it captivated my attention. When i watch it the first time (on AXN Asia), it left such an impact on me that i can’t stop following up the plot. How did it manage to do that? On the look of the first few episodes, it’s just another story of a girl falling into another different world and start an adventure over there (kinda remind me of El Hazard, Inuyasha and Dual). Worse still, it’s meant to be a shoujo manga, so any guy who watch it….well, u know. However i can assure you that both sexes can find something enjoyable in this famous anime. For the guys, the adventure element already scores, the hilarious parts are really funny, not to mention the eye-candy scenes and the beautiful girls. (yes, girls drawn by Watase Yuu are really beautiful…how i wish there’s a real-life Miaka). As for the girls, the romance (which is the main juice of the story) will keep you glued to your seat, as well as the teary scenes…(the conflicting emotions, sad over one’s death etc). And i’m sure the appeal of the many guys such as Tamahome, Hotohori, Nakago have attracted many female fans. This is one of the few shoujo manga/anime that even guys (like me) would find interesting to watch.
wow! i like your presentation!
actually……… i admire the pictures!can you please put some solo pictures of chiriko?
why?
i dont know,i just like his cuteness
i’ve been a fan for 9 years now.. i can still remember back then, i was fourteen, scanning the channels and ended up watching the episode three of fushigi yuugi, from that moment, i fell in love with it until now!! i only knew that it was episode 3 months after,when i accidentally turned on the tv “again” and to my surprise, it’s the first episode of it!so after that, i religiously follow the series and did a lot of memorable stuffs just because of fushigi yuugi….. anyway, i’m watching it all over again to this very day!