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Title:  Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden Vol 1

Author:  Yuu Watase

Publisher:  VIZ

ISBN:  9781591168966

May Contain Spoilers

Though Fushigi Yugi was one of the first anime series that I ever watched, I have never read the manga.  Fushig Yugi: Genbu Kaiden (FY: GK) was collecting dust on the shelf, so I figured now was as good a time as any to dive into a new series. 

Takiko Okuda is having a run on bad luck.  First, her mother is slowly wasting away, the victim of consumption.  She’s not getting along with her fellow students, and several girls are constantly trying to give her grief.  Worse yet, her father, who  practically abandoned the family, has unexpectedly returned home.  When he’s more concerned about the book he’s working on than the health of his wife, Takiko retaliates by attempting to destroy his book.  Instead, she unleashes a flare of light from the pages, and is sucked into the story!  How will she return home?

I love the fantasy premise of the FY stories.  Girl gets transported back in time to ancient China and has to help save the land she’s materialized in.  Becoming one of the priestesses of the Four Gods, she must gather together a group of supernatural warriors to help her defend her new home, meeting adventure and romance along the way.  The blend of fantasy and history is a fun mix, and Takiiko’s romantic tribulations don’t hurt any.  There’s always a lot going on in the FY universe.

Takiko harbors a ugly resentment against her father, and the two of them have never gotten along.  Takiko believes that he’s disappointed that she’s a girl, and that he would have been far happier had she been born a boy.  It doesn’t help that he vanishes for extended periods of time to research his books about China, leaving her and her mother to fend for themselves.  When her mother falls ill, they move back to her hometown so she can die in peaceful surroundings.  Keeping the cause of her illness a secret to avoid being ostracized by the townsfolk, Takiko has many troubles to weigh on her mind.

When her father returns and seems unaffected by his wife’s death, the two argue, and Takiko attempts to destroy his book, The Universe of the Four Gods. Instead, she finds herself whisked away to a frozen mountainside in China.  If she thought her life was a mess before, she’s got an unpleasant surprise in store.  She’s trapped in a book with a wanted criminal, and everybody is after them for the bounty on his head.

I like Takiko so much better than indecisive Miaka.  Miaka could be so irritating, always reacting timidly to new situations that were sprung on her.  Takiko has a bolder personality, she’s not afraid to defend herself, and she quickly takes charge of whatever situation is thrown her way.   I like that so much better than Miaka’s game plan of waiting for someone else to save her.

If you’re familiar with FY, you’ll feel right at home here.  Takiko is a student in 1923, and some of Yuu Watase’s sidebars regarding her research into the Taisho Era made from some interesting reading.  After Takiko has been convinced that she is the Genbu priestess, something she accepts because she believes Genbu’s followers need her, she’s off to locate the rest of the Celestial Warriors.  Two were introduced in this volume, Chamka, an archer with the ability to create and control ice, and Limdo, who can control wind – but only in his female form!  Now that’s an interesting twist!

With Yuu Watase’s signature art, Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden gets off to a rousing start.  Lucky me, since I started this one so late, I don’t have those agonizing waits between the first 6 volumes.  Then things get kind of dicey, as volume 7 isn’t due until 11/08.  Amazon is offering a 4 for 3 sale on these, and TRSI is having a VIZ studio sale until June 1 if you want to jump into the series.

Grade: B+

Rated for Older Teen