Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden 9
Posted: September 27, 2009 Filed under: Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden 9 Comments »Yuu Watase – Viz – 2009 – 9+ volumes
I’m a little sad that this series won’t resume production until next spring. Then again, I’ve got, like, six early volumes I haven’t read plus the entirety of Fushigi Yugi to read and re-read, so I guess I’ve got enough to keep me busy until the next volume comes out.
I wasn’t really aware of Takiko’s circumstances at home before reading this volume, so it was interesting to see her ejected from The Universe of the Four Gods and back to her normal life. Her home life is a little sad at the moment, and it seems like she’s dealing with the loss of her mother, a grieving father, and some stuck-up classmates rubbing a well-placed marriage in her face. Thinking that the Genbu Celestial Warriors had ejected her for good and telling her father to destroy the scroll, she decides to settle into the semblance of a normal life. And then we learn that… well, she’s not long for this world.
Most of the volume actually deals with her life away from the Universe of the Four Gods, and I loved the balance struck between real life and the “fantasy” life inside the scroll. That was always one of the more interesting things about Fushigi Yugi, that it could do both fantasy and reality. Takiko doesn’t live in modern times, but I appreciate the look into real life to balance out all the fantasy war stuff that’s going on in the land of Genbu.
Genbu isn’t doing so hot either, and when Takiko (inevitably) returns, nature is on the brink of collapsing on itself and we aren’t any closer to summoning Genbu. Except then we find out there’s a toll for summoning Genbu, one nobody wants to pay (well, we may have found this out last volume, I can’t remember). And then we find out why it’s bad that Takiko and Uruki are so close. Except maybe it’s not bad. Maybe it’s good.
Again, I’m impressed by how much I like this series even after not having read most of the first several volumes or its prequel. The story and characters are really fantastic and fun to follow, and even with all the dark, convoluted politics and magic coming in to play, it’s pretty impossible not to appreciate all the work and love that goes into the story. I know I say this every time, but I really am going to start Fushigi Yugi the next time I see it on sale.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
Hi Connie!
I’m glad you enjoyed volume 9 of Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden. I haven’t read it yet and I am unaware if its on sale at this moment. But I would like to read it soon.
This series is my all time favourite, as I mentioned I am a huge Yuu Watase fan.
Btw, I know that you didn’t finished reading the original. But up to what volume or chapters have you read? If you still remember.. In the original Takiko’s fate was vaguely described.
Hmm, you know, I can’t quite remember where I read up to in the original, unfortunately. It was several years ago. I started right before Yui got “raped,” and I can’t recall what happened when I finished. I know the summoning of Suzaku had failed, and I know I got past the part where Nuriko died, since that’s where most of the joy went out of things for me. I know that Nakago had started creeping Yui out, too, and I think she had started to figure out that Miaka wasn’t as bad as she thought? I’m not very clear on the events around where I stopped reading, though. I don’t recall the other kingdoms being discussed though, it’s interesting that she would return to a plot point like that and flesh it out into its own series.
I just ordered the first couple VizBig volumes of Fushigi Yugi, and I’m very much looking forward to giving the series another shot. I read it when I wasn’t as much into fantasy as I am now, so I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it quite a bit more.
Oh it seems like you were about the end of the series.. The main story only goes up to volume 13 and the rest up until volume 18 are like afterwards and covered some gaiden story..
Same here! It was a tear jerker when Nuriko died and some of the comedy was taken out. The guy was hilarious! But I still liked the series, since Tasuki and Chichiri were around.
Yeah the two priestesses were discussed but its merely vague. Well I won’t tell you what Takiko’s story is but yeah its really great that Yuu Watase created a version of Genbu’s story! Hopefully she’ll do Byakko’s story pretty soon cause I will be really excited and will support her! It would be ashame if she didn’t make an arc about Byakko since all of the priestesses had their story. Suzuno’s journey might be great. As I remember in Watase’s freetalk side notes she mentioned if she were to do a story about Byakko it would depend on the sales rate of Genbu Kaiden, so hopefully her series is doing good in with the public.
Well hope you enjoy the original Fushigi Yugi more than before. Though as you probably remember, Miaka and Tamahome could really be a handful LOL.
Oh and again excuse me for ranting.. I just love Fushigi Yugi series.
PS: I was at B&N hoping to get an early volume of Kimi ni Todoke volume 2, but they still don’t have it! -sigh-
Well I’ll go watch some Natsume Yuujinchou series..
Btw do you watch anime as well?
Oh, I was almost at the end? I’m sad I stopped reading then, I didn’t realize I was so close to finishing the main story. And yeah, I know I’m sort of getting worked up about reading the series again now, but I have to remember it was Miaka and Tamahome that sort of… put me off the first time I was reading it. I’ve probably had worse since then, though, so maybe I won’t notice so much this time.
Don’t worry about ranting, you’ve definitely raised my interest in FY quite a bit. I literally just ordered the first VizBig volumes a day or so ago, and I am very much looking forward to starting them now. And besides, I rant about my favorite series on a near-daily basis, I could hardly fault you for it.
I’m kind of surprised that Kimi ni Todoke hasn’t shown up in stores yet. I know review copies sometimes come a month early, but it seems like everything usually becomes available not long after that since the volumes are available. It shouldn’t be too much longer, I think.
I don’t really watch that much anime, only a series every now and again when I hear it’s good and it’s based in a manga I like. It also usually takes me a long time to pick up on a series, so I don’t often watch them as the seasons are airing. I think Paradise Kiss was the last one I watched as it was coming out. I love that series to death. I think the last one I watched was Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate a few months ago, and I liked that one quite a bit, and I did just pick up Jyu-Oh-Sei on sale and am looking forward to trying that out. I’m also going through all the Robotech seasons slowly with my roommate, who is a big fan, but the giant robot shows aren’t really my thing.
i love this anime ………………………….
One of the other reasons I’m starting in on the main Fushigi Yugi series is because my roommate has been begging me to buy the manga for years because the anime was his favorite in high school. I haven’t seen it myself, but he doesn’t like anime and hardly ever asks me to buy anything, so it must be pretty good.
Hi Connie!
Yeah you stopped reading the main story so close to the end. Indeed even though I love this series, I can’t deny the fact that Miaka and Tamahome were very much annoying. Sometimes they were funny though, but most of the time I just don’t mind them too much. They have their own little romantic world LOL. Hopefully you enjoy re-reading the series, sometimes I often feel the same way, like I try to re-watch/read series that I did not enjoyed before. I think we mature abit by being expose to different genre etc..
I wanted to get the BigViz version too! Even though I have the complete set. The volumes looked really nice and it has better quality of paper and some bonus colored pages! It even retain the sidebars of Watase. Aw thanks, we’re the same then we rant about our fave series. I used to have my own bloging site but I haven’t been there anymore and plus I deleted the article I composed. I have a mediocre writing knowledge, I sometimes lacking in description and stuff and I gave up. Though in a good day I still wanted to write things but well see.
I’ve seen two copies of Kimi ni Todoke volume 2 but I’ll wait till Tuesday since the two early copies have bad binding.
I am a fan of anime as much as manga. I was an anime fan first though I always jum around this two hobbies of mine. Sometimes I find it that I am not into anime all of a sudden then I wont watch for months then gradually I will start watching anime. Same goes to manga. I’m very erratic I guess. I’ve never watch Paradise Kiss nor Hellsing. I’ve heard from my good friend online that Jyu Oh Sei was a great series! Same here! I am not so much of a fan of Mecha anime nor psychological them series.
Oh and sorry for butting in but the anime version of Fushigi Yugi and the manga are very much alike. The anime is faithful to the manga but there was a minor changed in the anime on the beginning and one part was taken out but other than that, watching the anime is like reading a moving manga.
PS: Great change of the atmosphere! I mean the site looks good.
Yeah, I’ve gotten to like shoujo fantasy a lot more over the years, and this one is such a classic, it would be a shame not to give it another try. I think my tolerance for annoying characters has grown so that I can ignore Miaka and Tamahome, but I suspect that if anyone can put my patience to the test, it will be them. Hopefully the volumes will arrive soon.
The VizBig volumes are quite nice in general, though. I’ve only got them for Vagabond, and I’m really thrilled to be reading the series in these editions instead of the original graphic novels. The paper is nice, the size is nice, and I love the color pages and little extras! When I was reading FY the first time, I did like reading it in the magazine-size Animerica Extra issues, which came with posters sometimes, but even there I don’t think I ever got to see the color pages. I can’t remember, though. I’m a little happy I waited so long to retry FY since I get to read the VizBig volumes now. I’m also going to start Inu-Yasha when the big volumes of that start coming out in November.
And I’m glad you liked the change of look here! I did it last year for Halloween too, but it gives me an excuse to switch things up a little bit. As much as I like the neatness of the layout I use, this one gives my eyes a rest from all that white.