Fushigi Yuugi... well it was definitely my favorite Anime, back then when I wasn't watching Chinese drama yet. It was kind of romantic, wacky, tragic and all that in one series. Also, the story was filled with ironies, dastardly villains and a complex love map. Everything starts when a lazy high school student named Miaka and her contrast Yui Hongo enter into the book of the four gods which begins their adventures in ancient China and how Miaka was destined to be the Suzaku no Miko and later, Yui was destined to be the Seiryu no Miko which in-between, there are many twists in between. Of course, fan wars were unavoidable especially between Tamahome and Hotohori. I kind of compared Tamahome to Doumyoji Tsukasa and Hotohori to Hanazawa Ryu. I was on the side of Tamahome because he was my favorite character. Hotohori on the other hand was a gentle character, my sister sided with him. What was weird also is how Hotohori has a homosexual lover in Nuriko (who later gave up his homosexuality realizing his sister was dead for good) and he's not aware of Nuriko being a man until later. Later on, the same fans would argue over Jerry Yan and Vic Zhou on who's better.
The other warriors had their own twists and turns too. The arrival of Mitsukake introduced a tragic love story of being unable to help his girlfriend, which the ghost of his dead girlfriend admitted that it wasn't his fault. Chichiri himself also had his tragic love story between his girlfriend and his fiance which was also the incident between Miaka and Yui. We also have Tasuki who is Tamahome's instinctive rival and best friend. Chiriko well it's crazy how Amiboshi was able to pose as "Chiriko" only to discover that the real Chiriko was a teenager.
As for Miaka and Tamahome- it's really a series of breaks and reuniting, typical in a forbidden love theme. I find it tragic and teary-eyed at the same time wacky. Tamahome and Miaka mixed together because they were both MORONS. Later on, I thought of it that Tamahome was like Jerry Yan and I imagined Crystal Liu as Miaka.
On the side of Seiryuu. Nakago- well he's a vengeful antagonist who's taking his frustrations out the wrong way. He manipulates people around him. How and why he fell for Yui is something- which presumably led him to wish Tamahome's demise while he did it for Lady Yui out of love. His lover Soi was tragic- he never loved her back until the last minute. The twins Amiboshi and Suboshi were also tragic- Amiboshi wanted to stop the war when he realized it was all futile and wanted to die, only to be found alive. Suboshi despised Nakago because they had a love triangle for Yui. As for Tomo, he had secret feelings for Nakago while secretly despising Soi and Yui. Ashitare and Miboshi I felt are just too underrated.
Nakago has to be the most complicated antagonist in the story. Why? He is manipulative, vengeful, unforgiving and he treats people like trash like how he killed Ashitare after getting the first piece of the shinzaho. He manipulated Yui for his own desire, for ultimate power and how in the end, he also destroyed his own country Kutou and disposed of the emperor himself. He has passed through a rough childhood and for that, he wanted to make others suffer. He of course offered himself to Yui Hongo when she couldn't have Tamahome, only to use her for his own selfish desires. In the end, he ended up losing his battle with his soul's fate unknown. Only if Yui was able to appease Nakago's torment, maybe and just maybe his appearance in the real world should have been for her. Sad. I wish he followed her into the real world... for her.
So we do realize that there's Byakko and Genbu. Genbu swallowed his maiden, Genbu's was released. The Genbu also had its tragic love story which Tamahome and Miaka shared. It took the form of Tatara and Susuno. Tatara made a wish to be with Susuno but it never happened. They were only reunited when Susuno died as an old woman, hoping to be reborn in the present world.
So about ironies? Well Yui has to be the most ironic. She was that smart a girl yet Nakago was able to manipulate her, even used her feelings to make her hate Miaka. When she could not have Tamahome, she soon gained genuine feelings for Nakago (they look good together though, I think of Wallace Huo and Penny Lin in here) which he only played around with her. It took so great a moron like Miaka to get her to snap out of her delusions with Nakago. In the end, she used her last wish to grant victory for Miaka to make up for her sins, at the same time Miaka matured a lot, learning to let go. It was also by letting go of Tamahome she later met him in the real world, reborn as a normal guy.
Hmmm... what a beautiful story. Only if this were live.
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