Name: Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden, The Mysterious Play – Eikoden Genre: Fantasy, Adventure Episodes: 4 Released: December 21, 2001 – June 25, 2002 Based On:Fushigi Yuugi TV series & OVAs & Fushigi Yugi Gaiden novels Director: Nanako Shimazaki Produced By: Studio Pierrot, Bandai US Distribution By: Pioneer/Geneon
Major Japanese Cast
Miaka Yuuki: Kae Araki Taka: Hikaru Midorikawa Mayo Sakaki: Junko Noda Keisuke Yuuki: Shinichiro Miki Tetsuya Kajiwara: Ken Narita Tasuki: Nobutoshi Hayashi Chichiri: Tomokazu Seki Yui Hongo: Yumi Touma
Major English Cast
Miaka Yuuki: Ruby Marlowe Taka: David Hayter Mayo Sakaki: Lynn Fischer Keisuke Yuuki: Derek Stephen Prince Tetsuya Kajiwara: Bo Williams Tasuki: James Penrod Chichiri: Sean Mitchell Yui Hongo: Wendee Lee
Fushigi Yugi: Eikoden is about a high school girl, Mayo Sakaki, who has a crush on Taka, who coaches her high school basketball team. Mayo is crushed when she finds out that Taka married to Miaka. Mayo then stumbles upon the Universe of the Four Gods and, upon opening it, witnesses the entire story that Miaka was a part of in an instant. The next day, Miaka’s brother, Keisuke, tells Mayo that Miaka is pregnant, and in a desperate attempt to salvage what she sees as an unhappy life, Mayo opens the book again and is sucked into the Universe of the Four Gods. When this happens, Miaka’s baby disappears from her womb and Miaka falls into a coma. Taka then decides to go into the book to retrieve Mayo.
Once in Honan, Taka learns that Mayo is now carrying his and Miaka’s child and that the Universe of the Four Gods is on the verge of collapse and that the Suzaku Seven must reunite again and summon Suzaku in order to save it.
Slightly better than the first two OVAs, Eikoden was at least mildly entertaining, but once again it was just another chapter in a franchise that has already worn out it’s welcome. I think if you’re a fan of the universe of the Universe of the Four Gods, you’ll probably like this series as it seems to keep much of the same feel of the TV series, even if Miaka is essentially a minor character until the end. However, if you’re just a casual fan, I’m not sure you’ll get much from Eikoden as, while the story is still somewhat interesting, it doesn’t really add anything to the original Fushgi Yugi story.
The 2D animation is the highlight of the series, as it is the best by far out of all the Fushigi Yugi works, though the 3-D animation that is added in could have been a bit better done. I still like the Fushigi Yugi music, and the dub is probably about at the same level as it was in the TV series.
Overall, if you’re a Fushigi Yugi fan, you’ll probably like it. If you’re not, you can probably skip this.
First Watched: November 2006 Do I Own: No Do I Recommend: No, unless you’re a fan of the franchise
Name: Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden, The Mysterious Play – Eikoden
One Comment
waw a season 2? cool.. i have to watch this one :D