Some brief information about Fushigi Yuugi
Welcome to Tama-Neko's tour of Fushigi Yuugi. This page includes an introduction to Fushigi Yuugi and also contains information on how you can own it for yourself!
Fushigi Yuugi's History
Fushigi Yuugi (the title has been translated into Mysterious Play, but has also been translated as Curious Game (Mandarin translation), Wondrous Game, and Miracle Story) started off as a manga series created by Watase Yuu in 1992. (It's been around for seven years! Wow!) It appeared in Shojou Comics and the tankouban was published by Flower Comics.
It then became a highly popular anime series both in Japan and in America (thanks to Geofront's and Tomodachi's fansubs). The anime series mostly follows the manga story, with some slight deviations because of time limitations, different interpretations, etc. The rights to both the manga and the anime have been bought, and both are currently being translated and released in America, although the rights to the anime OVA series have not.
Fushigi Yuugi was also produced as CD books, where different seiyuu voiced parts of different characters. These seiyuu are different from the anime, and they also contain different songs. There are even FY novels, written by Nishizaki Megumi and illustrated by Watase Yuu, taking place in different points on the FY timeline.
Introduction to the story
Fushigi Yuugi starts out in modern Japan, where a two young girls named Yuuki Miaka and Hongou Yui are studying furiously for entrance exams. (Well, at least Yui is...) Their junior high years are almost over and Miaka and Yui have hopes of getting into Jonan, one of the top high schools. Although Yui is very smart, quiet, and studious, her friend Miaka is rather the opposite. Often hyper and energetic, Miaka loves to eat and would rather play than study. Despite these differences, Miaka an Yui are best friends.
One day, Miaka and Yui visit the library to study. Miaka finds a back room labeled, "Important Documents Room," and goes inside. There, she and Yui find the book titled Shi Jin Ten Chi So, (literally Four Gods Sky Earth Book), otherwise known as the Universe of the Four Gods. It is apparently an ancient Chinese book that has been translated into modern Japanese. The book talks about a Miko, or priestess of the phoenix god Suzaku, who will appear in the country of Konan and save them from disaster. With a flash of light, both Miaka and Yui are pulled into the land inside the book, and find themselves in Konan.
Miaka and Yui are separated, with Yui returning to Japan and Miaka remaining in the book. Miaka becomes Suzaku no Miko, and becomes busy trying to gather the Suzaku no Shichi Seishi, seven people with the mark of Suzaku on their bodies, in order to summon Suzaku and save Konan from invading country, Kutou.
Little known to Miaka, Yui also returns to the book - but Yui ends up in Kutou. Mentally and physically hurt and feeling betrayed, Yui has decided to become the miko to Kutou's protecting god, the blue dragon Seiryuu. Her anger fuels a war between Konan and Kutou, the Suzaku no Shichi Seishi and the Seiryuu no Shichi Seishi...and between Miaka and Yui themselves.
Buying Fushigi Yuugi
The anime series is being released by Pioneer under the title "Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play". Each tape contains three or four episodes, and is released on a monthly basis. The dubbed price is $24.99 and the subtitled price is $29.99. There will also be 2 DVD box sets, each containing four disks (26 episodes) in both English and Japanese with the option of English subtitles. Please know that Pioneer has given Fushigi Yuugi a rating of "13 and up" - meaning this story is not for young children. I'd recomend 15 and up due to the issues that arise, but everyone is different. The two OAV series have been bought by Pioneer, who plans to release them in the near future. The manga series is being translated and released by Viz comics, and can be found in their monthly magazine, Animerica Extra! They have also recently released graphic novels, and the cost is around $15. If you have access to a Japanese or Chinese book store, you can buy the manga in those languages; they usually cost around $5-8.
There are also many CD's, including: the Original Soundtrack, Seiryuu Counterattack!, Best Character Vocals Collection, First OAV series collection, OAV 2 Best Collection, and the collection of OAV 2 CD singles with the Sequential Story. Imported CD's can cost a hefty $30, but sometimes you can find them at online auctions at a lower price.
There is a wealth of merchandise, from card decks to prism sticker cards, pencil boards, posters and wallscrolls, cels, pencils, erasers, two art books by Watase Yuu with many Fushigi Yuugi pictures.
And there are also the Gaiden -- 8 stories written about the Fushigi Yuugi series by Nishizaki Megumi and illustrated by Watase Yuu. Each novel is about a particular character, Gaiden have been published about Tasuki (Genrou Den), Chichiri (Shoryu Den), Nuriko (Yukiyashi Den), Amiboshi/Suboshi (Ryuusei Den), Hotohori (Suzaku Hi Den), and Nakago (Seiran Den). There is also the two-part Eikou Den, a story about a new girl who finds the Shijintenchiso, involving all of the Suzaku people. These stories are about the characters' past at different points in the FY timeline, and are only available in Japanese. Some translations are available on the internet (Beyond FY has a good listing of them), but it's unlikely that they will be released in the United States translated into English.
News! It's pretty much confirmed that the gaiden will be turned into a Fushigi Yuugi OAV series! Details are sketchy; I don't know which gaiden will be animated or what's going to happen because this is fresh of the press, straight from Watase Yuu herself at one of the recent anime conventions. However, it may be based on the success of Ayashi no Ceres, her newest and most recently animated series. Let's all hope, folks!
