, also known as Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play or Curious Play, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuu Watase. It tells the story of two teenaged girls, Miaka and Yui, who are pulled into The Universe of the Four Gods, a mysterious book at the National Diet Library. It is based on the four mythological creatures of China. Shogakukan serialized Fushigi Yûgi in Shōjo Comic from December 1991 to May 1996 and later compiled the manga into eighteen volumes.
Studio Pierrot adapted it into a fifty-two episode anime series that aired from April 1995 to March 1996 on TV Tokyo. The anime spawned three original video animation (OVA) releases, with the first having three episodes, the second having six, and the final OVA, Fushigi Yûgi: Eikoden, spanning four episodes. In North America, Viz Media licensed the manga series for an English-language release in 1999. The anime series was first licensed by Geneon Entertainment and re-licensed by Media Blasters in 2012.
A thirteen-volume Japanese light novel series, written by Megumi Nishizaki, followed Fushigi Yûgi. Shogakukan published the novels from January 1998 to September 2003. Watase also released two prequel manga series: Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden, which ran from March 2003 to February 2013, and Fushigi Yûgi: Byakko Senki, which began serialization in August 2017.
As of November 2015, Fushigi Yûgi had over 20 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
Plot The series follows two best friends Miaka Yuki and Yui Hongo, both junior high school students. While visiting the library one day, they encounter a strange book known as The Universe of the Four Gods. The book transports them into the novel's universe set in ancient China, where Miaka finds herself as the Priestess of Suzaku.
Tasked to gather the seven Celestial Warriors of Suzaku and bring peace to the land, Miaka faces various trials on her journey to face her best friend Yui, who has now become her greatest foe, the Priestess of Seiryuu.
Characters Suzaku
The primary protagonist of Fushigi Yûgi, an ordinary 15-year-old junior high school student. Miaka decides to become the Priestess of Suzaku in order to ask Suzaku to grant her wish to join her best friend, Yui, at the same high school. Outgoing and optimistic, Miaka shows herself amiable with friends and strangers, and has a tendency to be guileless and sentimental. She is naïve, but sometimes surprises adults with insightful comments. Miaka is generous, cares greatly for other people, and perceives herself to be a considerate person. She can be unassuming and unsophisticated, but also magnanimous and courageous. Because she creates the impression of a person who always needs help, Miaka has the good fortune of almost always having someone looking after her. Miaka has a primary weakness: her gluttony. She is an avid fan of anime, imitating several characters during the course of the story.
He appears to be the strongest member of the Suzaku warriors. An adept martial artist, proficient unarmed and with weapons, Tamahome proves a good street-fighter and can channel his chi into energy-blasts. When emotionally motivated, he is able to use his chi to increase his strength, speed, and reflexes in combat. Tamahome is also experienced in fencing thanks to being trained by Tokaki. is the real world reincarnation of Tamahome, and is the same age as he was in The Universe of Four Gods. His family runs a farm in the countryside. In Fushigi Yûgi: Eikoden, he is Miaka's husband and the father of her child, Hikari.
The fourth Emperor of Kōnan, is known for his beauty and his narcissism. Known as a responsible ruler and capable of dealing with political affairs, Hotohori often places the well-being of his subjects first and forgets his own needs in the process. He has limited understanding of the world as a result of being raised in a sheltered environment.
He first appears disguised in Emperor Hotohori's harem. He is 18 years old. His true name is . While prone to jealousy, quick to anger, and possessing a calculating tendency, Nuriko is very level-headed and compassionate and shows the most concern regarding Miaka and Tamahome's relationship. As a "woman", Nuriko is infatuated with his fellow warrior, Hotohori, but as a man, he also loves Miaka Yuki.
He a wandering monk, has trained for several years with Taiitsukun, the creator. As the oldest and wisest of all of the Suzaku warriors, Chichiri thinks of himself as the older brother who looks after them all. Appearing superficially light-hearted, he can put on super deformed "chibi" frivolity or suddenly become very serious and grim. While Tamahome and Hotohori are the obvious leaders, Chichiri is the ever-staunch advisor and supporter from behind the scenes, always willing to help when needed. Unconcerned with his own mortality or with earthly desires, he has a Zen master's detached attitude.
He formerly led the Mount Reikaku bandits. Extremely quick and agile, he particularly enjoys joking around with Nuriko, Tamahome, and Chichiri.
He is the healer of Suzaku's warriors. He is soft-spoken and one of the most serious of the Suzaku Celestial Warriors. Mitsukake's fighting abilities are limited to his own strength, but as a Celestial Warrior, he possesses incredible healing powers at the cost of exchanging some of his own life force.
He is the youngest and the genius among the seven Celestial Warriors of Suzaku.
Seiryu
The Priestess of Seiryū (Seiryū no Miko). An intelligent and mature girl, she is a tenth grade student and Miaka Yuki's best friend. A passionate person at heart, she tends to see the world in black and white terms and is easily infuriated with perceived betrayal. Yui is confident and bold with everything she does, but longs for someone to take care of her. Although throughout the course of the story Yui is in love with Tamahome, she ultimately gets together with Tetsuya Kajiwara.
Considered to be the leader of the Seiryū warriors. The main antagonist of Fushigi Yûgi, he is the antihero in the second OVA. Nakago is both merciless and charismatic; he eliminates those whose usefulness to him is exhausted and skillfully manipulates others into doing as he wishes. Nakago's powers as a Celestial Warrior are shown to be stronger than any of the Suzaku and Seiryū warriors, having the ability to manipulate chi, enabling himself to become psychokinetic, fire blasts of energy, and set up force fields. In battle, Nakago also utilizes a whip and sword.
The elder twin brother of Suboshi. As a Celestial Warrior, Amiboshi is capable of emitting chi through his mouth and channel it through a flute to control the will of others. A skilled flute player, Amiboshi holds the instrument to the left when using his powers, but to the right when he is simply playing the flute. He works as a spy.
The younger twin brother of Amiboshi. As a Celestial Warrior, he can use a secret weapon known as the Ryūseisui, a double-meteor bell, and control it with his will alone. He and his brother can communicate with one another by writing messages on their bodies. In terms of temperament, Suboshi is fierce, impulsive, and stubborn to a fault, unwilling to listen to reason once he becomes determined to do something. Suboshi is particularly devoted to his brother and will not hesitate to kill if it means protecting Amiboshi, even killing fellow Seiryū warrior Tomo without a second thought for this reason alone.
Was rescued by Nakago when she was a child and is his most devoted follower. As a Celestial Warrior, Soi possesses Feng Shui related powers allowing her to control lightning, induce electromagnetic fields, but is also skilled in Fhangzang and chi raising techniques. She was born in Gen, a province near the Kutō border. Soi normally appears as a formidable armored fighter who speaks like a man, concealing a kind heart and feminine nature.
A werewolf from Hokkan who Nakago found in a circus tent; until then, Ashitare apparently was a circus side-show. Hardened and angry, he developed a hatred of humans and would devour human flesh after killing them. Because of Ashitare's brute strength, he is seemingly unstoppable.
An illusionist and performer among the Celestial Warriors of Seiryū. Having faced hardship since childhood, Tomo is sadistic and cruel, possessing a contorted mentality and severe attitude toward others. His abilities as a Celestial Warrior allow him to hypnotize opponents.
The last of the Seiryū Celestial Warriors to appear. While he looks like a young boy, he is actually much older than the other Seiryū warriors. As a Celestial Warrior he can possess others, as well as summoning and controlling demons. He employs a Tibetan prayer-wheel with sutras inscribed on it to summon monsters and to perform sorcery.
Genbu
(drama CD/game) The Priestess of Genbu and the heroine of Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden. The daughter of Einosuke Okuda, the Japanese translator of the original scripture for The Universe of the Four Gods, Takiko is a serious young girl skilled with the naginata. She demonstrates a strong will and good heart, but shows insecurity with her own abilities and tends to be impulsive. Takiko is sincere, honest, and possesses a strong sense of justice.
(drama CD/game) The crown prince of the Hokkan Empire and second in line to the throne. He wields a bladed discus to fight, and as a Celestial Warrior he is able to manipulate the wind in various ways, particularly for teleportation. The only setback to this power is that he must transform into a woman in order to utilize it.
A Genbu Celestial Warrior and a bounty hunter from the Ka Tribe, an ethnic minority in western Hokkan. In addition to being a skilled archer, Tomite, as a Celestial Warrior, is capable of manifesting and manipulating ice.
(drama CD) A Genbu Celestial Warrior and the son of medical doctors. He possesses the ability to shoot spikes from his body and the ability to form a steel cage/basket around himself and others as a means of protection. He is timid, shy, and cries easily and finds it difficult to trust others.
A Genbu Celestial Warrior who appears as a small doll made of rock that resembles the kodama. Though he is apparently unable to speak, Takiko eventually is able to hear his voice and Namame speaks in simple and short sentences.
A Genbu Celestial Warrior, able to manipulate water in the form of snakes, but also possesses a second ability which he has no control over: Shikyokan, where anyone who looks upon the eye with his character is forced to remember their worst memories. Hikitsu is withdrawn and cold to everyone apart from his sister Ayla and his best friend Tomite, whom Hikitsu had saved during an attack which caused the death of Tomite's father.
(drama CD) A Genbu Celestial Warrior, initially found in the country of Konan working as a brothel madam. She fights using a large pipe shaped weapon and possesses the ability to manipulate the length of her hair and the smoke from her oversized pipe.
(drama CD) The last of the Genbu Celestial Warriors to be unveiled. A dangerous and skilled assassin, Hagus always carries a wide bladed sword and is a proficient archer. He is able to absorb the powers of other Celestial Warriors though his mouth and then use them as he pleases. Hagus comes across as a coldhearted and merciless man whose only desire is to succeed in his mission to kill Uruki. He is unemotional and able to remain calm and focused, even in the heat of battle, but demonstrates an unexpectedly compassionate side to him when he saves two children from misaimed arrows. When he is not battling Uruki and Takiko, he comes across as morose and quiet.
Byakko
The Priestess of Byakko. She is the daughter of Takao Ohsugi, the research assistant of Einosuke Okuda, translator of The Universe of Four Gods and the long time crush of Einosuke's daughter, Takiko, the Priestess of Genbu.