strictly shoujo >> another world >> fushigi yuugi
Fushigi Yuugi
The Mysterious Play by Yuu Watase
If there were ever any manga or anime in which you should never read ahead, let your friends tell you stuff, or look at spoilers for it is this one. I try to keep this description as spoiler free as possible, so I won't ruin it for everyone ^_^ The description covers the anime (and for the most part, the manga) because I know more of the TV plot.
Fushigi Yuugi, by the always wonderful Yuu Watase, is the story of Yuki Miaka and her accidental adventures in Ancient China. Accidental because Miaka gets sucked into a book about ancient China, not just because she is clumsy (though, of course, she is).
On a trip to the national library with her really smart best-friend Hongo Yui, Miaka sees a very strange red bird fly up a stair case. Even though she is pre-occupied with studying for her high-school exams, and is really hungry, she is too curious not to follow. When she runs upstairs for no reason, Yui follows her and together they find a "restricted access" room of the library. Inside, they discover a mysterious old Chinese book.
The opening lines of the book warn that its words are an incantation, and that those who read it become a part of the story, but merely reading them activates the spell... Miaka and Yui suddenly find themselves in a barren place, quickly surrounded by hostile men acting strangely. They are rescued by a handsome young man, but when they can't offer him any money, he too abandons them.
Quickly, Miaka and Yui are seperated by fate, and Miaka sets off to find her. Of course, she meets up with the greedy guy again (Tamahome, of course!) and several others fighting for the side of good. Miaka is forced by circumstances beyond her control to attempt to find a way home, summon a god, get her best friend back, and figure out who are the guys and who are the girls (I just love cross-dressing anime characters) — though that is only the half of it...
Miaka's quest for the power of suzaku (among other things) is a trip through hell and back, with some very moving parts along the way. However, it isn't all deadly serious. Part of what makes anime/manga like FY so darn addicting is its ability to make us laugh and cry. Miaka is hilarious; a total food addict, clumsy, rude, and not as bright as she wishes. Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko and the rest of the Suzaku Seishi are similar in their quirks (some more outstanding than others!), and in their depth of character.
Strictly Shoujo Fushigi Yuugi Information
umm, coming soon... like on the weekend or something...
Strictly Shoujo Notes on Fushigi Yuugi:
... lazy, lazy, lazy webmaaaaaaster......
I'll get there soon.
'til then, Seishi roughly translates as "Celestial Warriors," or so I am told...