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ふしぎ遊戯 [Fushigi Yûgi] #1-3

Fushigi Yûgi: VizBig Edition, Vol. #1

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Fifteen-year-old Miaka Yuki is transported into an ancient Chinese kingdom by an old book, The Universe of the Four Gods. Following the legend in the story, Miaka becomes the Priestess of Suzaku and must find her seven Celestial Warrios before she can save the kingdom and return home.

Read the shojo manga that started it all!
Fushigi Yûgi, the best-selling series from beloved creator Yuu Watase, is now available in a VIZBIG Edition—three of the original graphic novel releases collected into one volume, including color artwork and bonus content!

600 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2009

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About the author

Yuu Watase

392 books1,155 followers
A Japanse shoujo manga-ka. She is known for her works Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, Ceres: The Celestial Legend, Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend. She likes all music, except heavy metal and old traditional music.

She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" ("An Intrusion in Pajamas"), Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series. Because of her frequent use of beautiful male characters in her works, she is widely regarded in circles[which?] as a bishōnen manga artist.[citation needed] In October 2008, Watase began her first shōnen serialization, Arata: The Legend in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.
Her name is romanized as "Yû Watase" in earlier printings of Viz Media's publications of Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, and Ceres, The Celestial Legend, while in Viz Media's Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend her name is romanized as "Yuu Watase". In Chuang Yi's English-language versions of Fushigi Yugi (spelled without a macron or circumflex), her name is romanized as "Yu Watase".

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5 stars
521 (45%)
4 stars
334 (29%)
3 stars
211 (18%)
2 stars
52 (4%)
1 star
21 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Alexa (Alexa Loves Books).
2,353 reviews13.2k followers
February 10, 2024
I’m not going to lie — the nostalgia favor is a large reason for my enjoyment of this manga omnibus. Up until now I’d never experienced FY in manga as my first experience and all the succeeding ones were solely with the anime (which is foundational and a fave), but I really wanted to experience the story this way so I did… and I had a lot of fun!

Watase’s style works really well for me in terms of the art, the characters and even the gist of the overall story. There are definitely translations/parts that don’t sit as well with me now, but I still had an enjoyable experience.
Profile Image for Kate.
1,112 reviews83 followers
October 5, 2014
I was first introduced to Fushigi Yugi over 10 years ago. My husband had to be at meetings every Tuesday night until quite late, and so I was left to myself. One night, I was flipping through channels and came across the International channel and started watching midway through some show. It turned out to be Fushigi Yugi, and while it was ultra dramatic at times, I found myself completely absorbed into the story and looked forward to it each Tuesday evening. I hadn't discovered manga yet, so I didn't know that this was an anime based off of a manga.

My library has the complete series of Fushigi Yugi, and this past week, as I was perusing my library's manga selection I came across it again and decided, "Why not?"

It's kind of nice to start the story from the beginning. Since I came into the anime midway, there was a lot I missed and never completely understood. The artwork is actually quite lovely at times, and Miaka is silly and cute (though, like the anime, she has a penchant to always call out Tamahome's name). I'm glad that I'm finally giving this series a chance after first being introduced to the story years ago.
Profile Image for Selena.
1,896 reviews264 followers
August 28, 2021
Now I remember why I never got past volume 1...

Wish I left this one at volume 1...

So years ago, there was a joke in the anime community about this series: one middle school leads twelve competent pretty boys to their early graves through her stupidity. Not sure how this series ends, but with this omnibus' first three volumes of the series, it fits.

This just really isn't my jam. Which is a shame. Yuu Watase's artwork it's so pretty, but I've yet to find a series by her that I can honestly say I really like whole cloth. She just indulges in tropes that do not jive with me.
Profile Image for DARK ROMANCE .
167 reviews47 followers
January 15, 2020
First time going through this series and, so far, I love it. The art is very beautiful and the story very interesting. I wasn't expecting the sudden dark turn it took towards the end of volume 3! D:
Profile Image for Anna.
975 reviews61 followers
December 31, 2016
... this series used to be quite dear to me. Lemme tell you - would bingewatch the FANSUBS on VHS! And not just any tapes, oh no.. these were from the special distributor famous for their purple tapes! (yeah, the good shit.. 90s otaku know what I'm talkin about)

...and... uh.. as a grown-up now... boy of boy did this series not age well.
Plot wise - hello 90s reverse~harem tropes galore. The pro-tag has the attention span of an ADD-riddled goldfish, and is a glutton to boot. Of course she is. The smell of food will lead her off into literal death-traps. Miaka somehow is both hapless & helpless & the dumb attempt at a love triangle is here simply because the plot says so
Half the drama is threats of rape (geez, Hotohori, how bad a country u runnin that rape-y gangs are on every corner?), and heeey, apparently "bestest friendships" will turn into petty jealously on a dime!
__________
The good stuff - Watase's art is so good & super-cute in SD comedy! & goddamn does she do pretty eyes. She's the shoujo manga-ka who sure likes to draw bloody fights a la shounen, and plenty of panty-shots
The addition of color illustrations pages to the book was a great touch (but why are they all in the back of the book?) and thanx VIZ translator person for choosing "Your Eminence" as how miko-sama is addressed.

____
the kinda weird - k, forgot all about this but for some reason VIZ decided to use chinese readings of the in-book chara/place names? The logic makes sense as the setting is inside a Chinese Legend Novel and all, but being used to _other_ names throws one off a lil
1,310 reviews38 followers
October 16, 2011
After hearing all the "omigawd, the best manga/anime EVER!!!", I read this series years ago; didn't live up to the hype. Nice artwork, interesting idea, but went a little overboard with the goofy comic-relief (got annoying and distracted from the story) and I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters who seem to fall passionately in love for no apparent reason (except that they initially hate each other, which we ALL KNOW means you are in LOVE). The collecting of the celestial warriors became very formulaic:
"Join me!"
"I don't wanna..."
"Now I will give you a long, rambling speech which will totally blow your mind somehow and cause you to pledge your loyalty to this clueless teenaged girl!"
"Wow!"
Overall, had some good parts, but could have been done WAY better. Which I guess is why she wrote the sequel/prequel, "Genbu Kaiden", which I actually enjoy so far.
Profile Image for Sydnee.
40 reviews
January 15, 2013
Usually I don't write reviews on manga but I thought I'd give it a shot this time. It was interesting to say the least. As with all manga Love developed with in like the first 60 pages. And I was kind of bothered by Yui's complete character flip towards Miaka.
I mean she was reading the book with Miaka in it so obviously she should have been able to see that time was flowing differently. And also I know she went through and hard time and but even if Miaka was there it wouldn't have stopped those men.
I also had mild problem with all the celestial warriors being men. This is obviously going to be harem manga. I just hope that not everyone falls in love with Miaka.
All in all it was good story with a few surprising twist and turns and I do plan to buy the next big edidtion
Profile Image for CJ - It's only a Paper Moon.
2,266 reviews160 followers
April 19, 2011
Just keep in mind when I say a classic, I don't just mean the art and storyline, I mean the references such as VCR. Still. Very funny, cute Yu Waatase book. A little dark with some lighthearted parts.
Profile Image for Jeff Thomas.
706 reviews2 followers
March 11, 2019
interesting concept, but I struggled with all the names, and to me, the characters were'nt always drawn consistently, which made it hard to follow. the story and the dialogue was pretty good, but it felt like things jumped around a little too much. Probably won't go find Vol. 2
Profile Image for Amanda May.
38 reviews5 followers
March 29, 2016
I am so in love with these new vizbig editions of my favorite manga. They are so beautiful and have three volumes in one big edition.
Profile Image for Jordan.
42 reviews1 follower
July 25, 2016
I watched the anime years ago and loved it, but the manga is just so much more. I can't wait to continue reliving this story again.
Profile Image for Edisa.
37 reviews60 followers
May 27, 2023
The initial volume of Fushigi Yuugi narrates the tale of Miaka, a teenage girl who is transported to ancient China via an enigmatic book. She became the priestess of Suzaku, one of the four gods who could grant her any wish. On her journey, she encounters Tamahome, a valiant warrior who is fated to safeguard her, and eventually develops romantic feelings for him.

When I was a youth, I encountered this illustrated story and was entranced by its fantastical, amorous, and thrilling aspects. Miaka's spirited character and Tamahome's unwavering loyalty deeply resonated with me. I too found great pleasure in the comical and dramatic elements that arose from Miaka's exchanges with the other personalities, particularly her friend Yui, who transforms into her rival in the alternate realm.

Yet, revisiting this graphic novel as a grown-up provided me with an alternative outlook on the narrative and its characters. Upon reflection, it occurred to me that Miaka and Tamahome are quite youthful and inexperienced, and their bond is founded upon numerous rash judgments and misapprehensions. Frequently, they behave in a self-centered and thoughtless manner, jeopardizing not only their own well-being but also that of those around them. They too possess numerous insecurities and uncertainties that render them susceptible to being manipulated and deceived.

I, too, have observed that certain themes and circumstances depicted in the manga are problematic or antiquated in light of contemporary values. For instance, Miaka is frequently objectified or sexualized by other characters, despite her being merely 15 years old. She, too, confronts much violence and mistreatment from her foes, even those who are purported to be her comrades. The portrayal of antiquated China is likewise exceedingly stereotypical and erroneous, depending on a plethora of hackneyed and overused conventions.

Although it has its imperfections, revisiting this brought me great pleasure as it evoked memories of my youth and the sentimental attachment I hold for this manga. I, too, found myself drawn to the artistry and ingenuity of the creator. In my opinion, this manga retains its value for enthusiasts of romance and fantasy, provided they approach it with discernment and acknowledge the adolescent nature of the characters and their limited life experience.
Profile Image for Lynn.
1,601 reviews42 followers
February 5, 2018
Today's post is on Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play, Volume 1: Priestess by Yuu Watase. It is 197 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the two main characters on it facing the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historical fantasy, high fantasy, romance, and shojo stories. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and violence in this story. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When best friends Miaka and Yui open the pages of an ancient Chinese books, they are transported into the Universe of the Four Gods, a parallel world to ancient China. Now, to escape schoolwork and family problems, Miaka fless to the parallel world, only to find a lot more danger and romance than she bargained for.

Review- This is a classic shojo manga that changed the genre and this volume shows why. It is very strong start to an epic story. Miaka wants to make her mother happy but Miaka herself is very unhappy with her life at this time. She is trying to pass a test into the great high school but she keeps failing and Miaka feels unloved. Yui is her clever, pretty friend who does understand her but does not know what to do to help her. Enter the Macguffin, the book that is legend of the Universe of the Four Gods, and they are temporally transported to the parallel world. The girls are now joined in some way that will have to explored as the story goes on. The romance is going to be really important I think because Miaka and Tamahome are already falling in love. The art is top notch, the story is very engaging, and the characters are great. I have not done this first volume an justice because everything is so good. I look forward to reading the next volume.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.
Profile Image for Kaitlin.
53 reviews4 followers
November 14, 2021
Honestly not completely sure how I feel about this one, and I think it's because it's an older manga. I enjoyed the comedy and the celestial-based story aspects. The classic instalove story was expected and alright. I was definitely intrigued by some of the characters and the big twist during the 3rd book within this omnibus with . The 'old fashioned' tone of the story reminds me of what I've watched of InuYasha, which isn't my favorite but it's okay.

I think the biggest thing that bothers me is how they treat one of the main characters who is a man who acts like/dresses as a woman. At one point the character literally says acting and dressing that way is who they really are on the inside. I think at the time, the writing and reception of the character by the others would have been seen as progressive, which is... nice? Idk. Reading it now I find it really bothersome. Like, snide comments and calling the character pervert aren't covered up by the way the character is otherwise mostly positively portrayed. Each time it happens it's like a physical jab. If you like this series and this doesn't bother you, that's fine. I can also see a lot of people pushing this aside because of the nostalgia, or 'that was just the times it's actually a pretty positive portrayal' which is fine. I just don't know if it's something I could deal with.

Overall, classic older shojo with lots of love interests, comedy, drama, and a little bit of something that lets you know it was written decades ago. May continue to the next volume, but I definitely need a break if I do.
Profile Image for Mindy.
365 reviews13 followers
April 28, 2024
It has been a long time since I last delved into this world. I mostly know it from the anime, but it follows the manga pretty closely. With that said, if you're unfamiliar, do know that there are some TW's you should be aware of (namely with Yui).

The myth that drives the storyline is one that I obsessed over as a child. The thought of four heavenly gods, and each having their own constellation guardians, is one that gave rise to many personal fanfics. In fact, it actually gave rise to an entire world that I developed- with its own gods and goddesses too. So Fushigi Yugi has a very important role in my life as a reader and writer.

Does it show its age? Yes. I think younger audiences may struggle to understand some references, or to accept some turns of phrase (especially in reference to the third celestial warrior and to some of Miaka's traits).

Is there romance? Also yes. This is a shojo manga, so it's not meant to have the most deeply, moving romance. It's also meant for younger audiences (teenagers).

With that said, this will absolutely not be for everyone. It's meant for a young age group, but now-a-days they may find fault with the dialogue. I'm personally here for the plot, so I can look past the dialogue. The plot (the search for the Suzaku Seven and all that the Universe of the Four Gods offers) is genuinely intriguing to me. It's helped fuel so much inspiration for me, and I really hope people go into this with an open mind so they can find inspo like I have.
Profile Image for Claire Binkley.
1,834 reviews14 followers
September 17, 2019
Watase Yuu inspired me to draw more and to study more about ancient history.
I think these two reasons are both ample for appreciating this 3-in-1 omnibus.

In the past, I had a specific agenda never to review any manga, ever, because I said there are plenty of other more edifying books in the sea, but I revised it as I started to feel better, as my migraines have started to resolve themselves. Besides, this is Fushigi Yuugi. If it never existed, then many of the animanga series I cosplayed from in future years may have come to exist in entirely different forms! Perhaps in such forms that I never would have felt inclined to sew anything to make costumes.
This book is copyright 1992, so approximately the time Sailor Moon first started.
There is not really much sexual content to speak of, if you're concerned about exposing innocent eyes. Maybe a bit of nudity, but everyone has to find out about the human body somehow.

So join Miaka as she opens an old book in her library and gets whisked across time and space into another land!
Profile Image for Sierra Burrous.
172 reviews
September 12, 2024
3 ⭐️
Rereading this series to finally finish it. It’s definitely a classic shoujo and you can see where a lot of popular fantasy Shojo of today got inspiration. I see a lot of parallels to Yona of the Dawn in here and more. But the story feels kind of rushed, and the romance between the characters just feels like it’s happening way too quickly for an 18 volume manga. But I will probably keep reading these because I am curious as to how the story will finish. And will maybe watch the anime after.
The story itself is intriguing and full of mystery and questions about the two girls who have been transported to this other world through the pages of a book, though I think that’s something as readers we all wish would happen to us, and how they go about their lives the two of them splitting ways and trying to figure out the best path to getting their wishes granted.
Profile Image for Felicia.
176 reviews
November 20, 2018
Indulging in a bit of nostalgia, I went back 15 years... this might be the first anime I ever watched so I thought I would pick up the manga to see if my memory of the story was correct. That did not work so well. The drawings were detailed - I liked that enough - but I simply don’t get the heroine or the other characters all that well. They were incredibly native so much so that the premise of the story, which was decent, was completely marred by the lack of complexity in character motivation. Suffice to say, given that the author was fairly young when she wrote this, this story reads like something a teenage girl would write for another teenage girl. I guess you could say that it’s somewhat innocent...
Profile Image for Miss Susan.
2,637 reviews59 followers
July 18, 2023
saw this at the library and was instantly struck by the desire to relive my youth. fushigi yugi was the first manga i ever bought and a p solid introduction to isekai imo! much better than the five hundred gamer guy fantasies that are currently iterating the genre. in retrospect i can see a direct line between my love for yui and later stalwart defense of kikyo from inu yasha (sometimes when girls suffer they go through their villain era and that's their right!!!)

anyways the art still slaps and nuriko is a Babe

3 stars
Profile Image for -moonprismpower-.
2,526 reviews11 followers
October 8, 2020
This was not what I expected but in a good way!
I thought this was going to be a serious shojo adventure story but it’s actually got a lot of humor!
Miaka is hilarious. She’s ditzy, naive and always hungry but she’s also caring and would do anything for her friends.

It gets dark in volume 3 and of course, this causes two best friends to be on opposing sides. But Miaka still has hope to fix everything....
Profile Image for elle.
376 reviews23 followers
July 17, 2019
* miaka’s mom is such a bitch????
* yall she really ruined vol 1 because she is in love with tamahome after less than one week wtff
* conclusion: everybody is so horny
* art style: hard to distinguish anybody because they all look the same
* we stan nuriko in this house
* i understand yui better now
* WHY IS EVERYBODY SO HORNY

2.5
Profile Image for Danielle Hays.
Author 1 book26 followers
January 29, 2022
This was a reread for me, and it honestly didn’t hold up as well as I would have hoped. The romance aspect zoomed very quickly, while everything else moved fairly slow. Things still aren’t super well explained, and there’s really been no work done to help me like most of the characters.

It’s not a bad read, but I certainly didn’t love it half as much as I did when I read it as a teenager.
Profile Image for Megan.
6,102 reviews29 followers
August 3, 2024
Oof... this is not great. You here a lot about older shoujo series and I had heard nothing but good things about this, so despite my ill luck with other series I decided to give it a shot (well, that and it's on the Viz app and I'm working my way through their catalogue). Miaki is rather dumb, and the plot itself quickly becomes a little formulaic.
Profile Image for Niche.
712 reviews
December 4, 2022
Nope

Finally got around to reading this after a friend's recommendation. It's pretty much a checklist of every shojo trope I hate only missing abuse and sexual assault. Really not a fan of the heroine archetype that can only swoon, pine, or get upset unless it's a farce or parody.
Profile Image for Yuuto.
599 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2023
Ah, nostalgia! I haven’t read Fushigi Yuugi in a heck of a long time. Still a good story, but I gotta take a star away for the homophobic treatment that Nuriko gets (and it’s supposedly humorous. Ugh).
Profile Image for Kristin.
798 reviews9 followers
May 17, 2020
Re-read for the nostalgia. Just as corny as I remember.

4/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews

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