Fushigi Yuugi
Alternate Titles: The Mysterious Play, Curious Play, ふしぎ遊戯
Original Japanese Release Date: 1995
Episode Length/Run-time: 52
Summary:
Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo, two high school students who are also best friends, are wandering around a library one day when they stumble across a strange book called “The Universe of Four Gods.” As Miaka begins to read the book she finds herself transported into the world, leaving Yui behind to read her adventures as they’re written across the pages. Miaka finds herself in Konan where she is deemed to be the priestess of Suzaku and she is tasked with gathering her protectors: the Seishi of Suzaku. When they are gathered they can summon the guardian deity who will end the war in the lands. If this isn’t difficult enough things become harder for Miaka when her friend Yui is also taken into the book as the priestess of Seiryuu of the rival city of Kutou. The friends are pitted against each other in this strange world as they each find their own reasons to fight.
Review:
This anime is perfect for girls, but guys well, you may find yourself bored and sick at the amount of cliche lovey cuteness.
Miyaka is the standard hopeless anime girl who is transported to a different world, but despite being given an important position she ends up focusing more on which boy is cuter and which one she likes more. One thing that can be appreciated though is she eventually does choose, and not at the last episode or anything either and yes, they actually kiss. Her and Tamahome’s relationship is sweet and pure, and in many ways refreshing to actually see in an anime.
But despite the love some things do get done and a story does progress. Things tend to get repetitive as they find one Seishi after another. But one thing I love about this anime is that it has a kind of fearlessness that most shojo anime lacks. It’s not afraid to get gritty now and again and deals with subjects such as rape, loss, abuse and more. It’s also not afraid to kill of characters, which is something I have to respect.
Despite all this it’s still a shojo anime, has random filler, and isn’t that original of a story (Chinese mythology anyone?). That being said it’s a classic and a worthwhile watch for the hopeless romantic.
[starrater]