Fushigi Yuugi: Your nerdy fangirl fantasies have been realized. (Light Spoilers)

It may sound weird but up until now, I was afraid of anything to do with sex.  I had a fear of it for most of my life and limited myself to things of the PG nature.  As a kid and teen I was under the impression that the deed was nasty disgusting and to never ever fantasize about anything.  I veiled my womanhood in pastel and frills, wearing lolita and strictly watching cartoons.  It wasn't until this show that I realized that I was a sexual being and it was a very much needed part of life.  As a 23 year old single woman,  it says a lot about my love life.  Up until three days ago, I was convinced that I was going to die alone with my 40 cats.  In my desperation, I set out to find the most horribly romantic anime.  And you know what... This might not be it, but it's up there.  Mainly because it actually got me screaming "GIVE HIM THE BITS." at some very saucy points.

I know I'm late to the party.  Fushigi Yuugi is considered an anime classic.  I remember hearing about it in my Jr. High days and all through high school but I avoided it because it had the horrid 14up rating.  There's no way that I would have been able to make it through this show at the age of 14 or 15 though, I was just so blissfully unaware of everything bad in the world.  I'm still questioning the choice I made to watch this show and I will talk about it in a little bit so don't get antsy.

-The Story-
Fushigi Yuugi takes the idea of "What if you were able to go into that story and be the main character?" and smothers it with steamy love triangles, sexual tension and some actual mystery and danger.  It's like if you were to mix Neverending Story, Somewhere in Time, the matrix and sprinkle it with Chinese history.  Two middle school girls are lead to a mysterious book and are sucked inside.  There they are the "the chosen one that will receive three wishes if they find the seven celestial warriors and summon the land's guardian god. Things happen and the friendship of the two girls is torn in two and the plot takes a surprisingly dark twist.
THE GOOD
The story was absolutely engaging, I found myself sucked into the world and watching one episode after another, finishing the whole series in a span of three days.  That's 53 episodes and three OVAs with 3-6 episodes each.  I can't sit through a two and a half hour movie meaning that this show is addicting and it never wants to end.  Each time the show tries to wrap itself up, it only opens the doors to more possibilities.  Also they brought up a very interesting point about how a relationship between a book character and a real human girl would actually work and the problems with it.  This is the real meat of the show and has the most heart because it is the most interesting and relateable.  In my opinion, they should have focused more on this and less on the drama between who she would end up with and keeping her virginity.
THE BAD
This show, oh this little show, manages to pack every trigger into the span of 53 episodes.  The whole show might as well be titled "the book where every one will rape you and every one will be raped." and many attempts at suicide are shown and one or two characters actually die from it.  What's odd though is that I'm not able to make it through movies like Saving Mr. Banks without going into full blown panic attacks but the scenes where the main character tries to drown herself doesn't effect me... maybe I because I saw it coming and fast forwarded through it... that could be why.  This is why I doubt my decision on watching this show.
Beside the triggers, it also aged very poorly.  There are very emotional parts that are absolutely ruined because of either the very sappy writing or something pretty funny happening because it's the horribly dated 90's  (such as when one character is having an existential crisis while the scene switches back and fourth between them and a concert of what was probably a really famous musician wearing a boa.)  It killed the mood at some very important points.

-The Characters-

The whole series summed up on one picture

At first, I hated everyone.  I hated the main girl Miaka, I hated the forced relationship with Tamahome, I hated Yui for being so stubborn.  The first character I really liked at first was Hotohori, the emperor and he ended up being pretty bland.  The one character though that changed the series for me and kept me watching was Nuriko, the smart mouthed cross dresser that I started off hating as well.  (but that was planned. I'm pretty sure that they knew that every one would like that character...)  The characters get interesting when we're introduced to the villain, Nakago, who looks suspiciously like he universe jumped from labyrinth, and Two more of the guardians, Tasuki and Chichiri show up and they are the most interesting and endearing characters of the show... literally.  They made it through 53 episodes and 3 OVAs without dieing.
THE GOOD
Eventually, you will find a character or two that make the show for you.  You will become attached to them and then suffer as you watch them get killed off one by one.  (I'm counting this as a pro, yes)  As much as the pairing of Tamahome and Miaka is rubbed in your face, you can't help but love the two idiots relationship.  They structure the sexual tension so well that by the end of the series you are begging them to "please, just do us all a favor and sex."
THE BAD

Yet another accurate description of the series.

However, it's set up so well that when the end comes and no passionate reunion happens, you feel very let down. I'm sorry to report that as much as you yell "GIVE HIM THE BITS" at them, miaka remains a virgin until The second OVA and then it's just weird and comes out of nowhere.  Not tension, no build up, no satisfaction.  It's just there, floating around all bubbly.  Where they should have put it was either before or after the big fight with Nakago in the show.  Miaka herself is a huge deal breaker for most people.  She's meant to be relateable for girls but she falls into the stupid, run into danger type and hopes that love and friendship save her.  No matter how nice you are, you will hate Miaka.  While she does get a little more interesting and more tolerable after she believes she was raped.  You will probably not like this character ever though.  It does give me hope that all these guys were completely infatuated with her, I just may have a chance in this world. but then again, this is fiction which is probably why she ended up with any guys at all in the book.  also, while Tamahome started off as a character with flaws, he became as flat as the paper he was written on by the end of the series.  No more jokes, not more love of money references.  It's like if flin rider from Tangled started out the way he did and then became mooshy and boring for the rest of the movie... oh.  It happens somewhere after he's captured and brainwashed which might explain some things.  I think he lost a few personalty cells.  Also I swear his character design changed a few times.  I remember thinking he was really ugly at first but then being all swoony for him at the end. hmm... quite a mystery.  One more thing before I'm done bashing on Tamahome, I really wanted him to have flaws and just be a jerk that loves money but as soon as they introduced the poor one room home with the sickly widowed father and young cute children I was like "no show, I'm not linking this character and that's final.  STOP FORCING ME TO LIKE HIM."

-The Art-

an accurate picture of Tamahome

Some anime styles from the 90's are really hard to get use to, let alone like. If you grew up with 80's and 90's anime, then why are you reading this.  I'm sure you already dearly love this show... I mean, you'll like the art style. I'm pleased to report that Fushigi holds up and still looks good to this day.  There were only a few instances of derp eyes and they were mostly with Miaka, therefore it is okay.  They might have been some with Tamahome but my TV freaks out when there's a lot of white on the screen and most of his dreamy face close ups ended up looking like this. ->
THE GOOD
The art is great.  I loved all the character designs... besides Miaka and Tamahome who again I swear changed hair colors and face shape a few time.  Or it could be that I fell for his incredibly smooth features and breathtaking eyes.  oooooohhhh baby.
THE BAD
Miaka suffers from Unique Main Character Hair Syndrome.  After sailormoon, every one wanted the dangos.  I just wanted to rip those balls off her head and don't you tell me that this was written before sailormoon or anything. I wish she would have worn the side bride in more than the episode she tried to kill herself in.  That's all I really have to complain about here though besides the obligatory underwear shot and naked body pans up Miaka and really brought me out of the illusion because it felt like it turned from a shojo into some male fantasy and I didn't like that.  IT'S MY FANTASY DANG IT.  The OVA suffer from this the most.  The whole focus seems to shift more towards the male point of view and it really messes with the show's flow.

LETS GO TO THE SCOREBOARD

STORY: 8/10 The story is amazing.  It keeps you guess and entertained the whole way through.  There was no slow down or filler episodes.  The pacing was great and it was very thought provoking.  You may have to deal with some 90's and outdated references that really interfere with the character development at certain critical points.  The reason it's an 8 is because no one once tried to actually write in the book and change the outcome of things... unless they did try that and it didn't work.  that would have been a great twist.  Also the ending is a huge let down because of how fast it resolved but I'll let it pass because anime does that.

CHARACTERS: 4/10 Some are so good, they will become your absolute favorite characters of any show. But some are so poorly written that you'll want to rip off your ears and throw them at the tv.  Eventually though, you may grow to tolerate some of these characters and enjoy the show.  The romance becomes so dramatic that you can't help but laugh at some of it.

THE ART: 9/10 For a show from the mid 90's it's held up very well.  The character's designs are fantastic and interesting.  You will not have to get use to it and you can jump right in.  There may be some point with face close ups when they eyes look too far apart and it starts looking a little silly but they stop after a while.

OVER ALL SCORE AND THOUGHTS
Fushigi Yuugi gets a 7/10.  First, you should stay far away from this series if you have traumatic experience with death, suicide, rape, and childhood sexual trauma or death.  This show throws all it can at you and it does it one episode after another and never lets up.
On the other side, I felt so deeply for the relationship that I actually wanted a slow but climatic sex scene between the Miaka and Tamahome.  Sadly, you will not get that, but the experience is quite something else.  Especially for two characters you'll probably hate.
The story though will catch you and drag you in just as the book drags in the girl.  Many times you'll be up watching the next episode just to see what horrible things happen to them next.
Will I watch this again?  Not the whole thing, but maybe some of my favorite episodes and scenes.
Is it worth watching?  I actually can say that you can pass this one by.  There are other shows and series that have a similar premise and have more likable character without all the death and rape.  It's all sunshine rainbow sparkles happiness.  I will compare these two shows later.

What I personally took from the show.
The episode where Tamahome almost sleeps with fake Miaka in a windmill is the moment.  that whole scene is where I clicked.  My whole world flipped upside down and I came to the self realization that I'm an adult and I'm allowed to have sex.  I'm allowed to watch this and this and sex is not a bad disgusting thing.  It was so beautiful and mystical.  The love transcending space and time really patched up the hole in my view of love an relationships.  Either that or it only set my bar higher.  Either way, I feel better but it was more personal.  You may not get anything from this show and actually feel as if you wasted your time.  For me though, it was not.