Fushigi Yuugi: I am done.

[dangermousie]

I have finished Fushigi Yuugi. I haven't gasped and cried and giggled so much at a show in ages. So much love. Are the OVAs worth watching, btw?

Miaka's brother begs Tamahome to go back into the book. I hate this show, it keeps making me depressed. Also, I do like the parts in the medieval world a bit better, but this is still pretty cool. The gods going at it remind me of Godzilla though :P

And Miaka finds out and begs him not to go and I love how she is clinging to him and he just stands stock still and then he can't take it any more and hugs her to him. And they get married, by exchanging rings and he is about to leave forever...

And then Nakago appears and Tamahome takes him on, even though he is now a normal human with no powers and has no chance and it's basically a massacre. And Miaka is racing through the fire to get to him.

And then we get to the scene which made my eyes bug out of my head because Nakago has basically broken a number of bones in Tamahome's body and Tamahome is all covered with blood and can't move much, so Nakago asks him "What's the matter, can't stand up on your own?" and pulls him up by the hair as Tamahome is almost passing out from the pain and goes "Poor boy, you are all covered with blood, aren't you. You excite me, if not in the same way a woman does." And then he licks Tamahome's bloody cheek.

Whoa.



ETA: Eeeeeek! Tasuki and Chichiri appeared and fought and were brilliant and I love them. Miaka summoned now. And Chiriko is back! And Mitsukake! And Nuriko! And Hotohori! I feel so much better! But is it some kind of hallucination?

ETA2: Got it. They are spirits. I still feel better.

ETA3: Why does it go into that weird fantasy of Tamahome and Miaka's wedding day, with everyone who died present, even Nuriko's kid sister and Tamahome's family? Oh hell, the wedding thing is Tamahome's dying fantasy. I hate this show.

ETA4: Yay. Tamahome's come back. And whoa....he's killed Nakago?!?!!! And at last we get some Nakago back-story: his people were hated just because they were from that one tribe and his mother was raped in front of his eyes and he tried to save her but he couldn't control his powers and ended up killing her as well?! And then the Emperor of Kutou used him as a boytoy. Even though he was just a child? No wonder the guy has beyond messed-up ideas and issues. And I love that there is no triumph in the end, over defeating the Big Evil Villain, not for Tamahome. Because on his killing strike, he saw what Nakago's past has been and what had made him what he was and the sense of waste is just tremendous, and so is Nakago's bitter stoicism at the end. And Tamahome ends up weeping for him. And I love that.

ETA5: And Miaka used her last wish to restore the world to normal. So that means she can never be with Tamahome!!! Oooooooh, now they are holding each other, but how did they get naked? Seriously, I am confused. And she is holding on to him but he just fades away. Argh. Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate.

ETA6: And just like he wrote in that letter (which made me cry btw) he found her anyway (through reincarnation?????) And he holds up the hand with the wedding ring and tells her "I've found you" and her hands go to her mouth and so do mine. And I am such a freaking idiot but I am bawling. Though how does that work? Does it mean he's lived his whole life on as Tamahome and then reincarnated? Or what? Hell, I don't care. If you'll excuse me, I am off to cry in a corner. I didn't realize there was anything after the credits so for a few minutes I thought they were going to be apart forever and you have no idea about the levels of STRESS in my house.

Comments

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

As I said, Nakago retains a level of sympathy in the end that I think Watase wants us to remember that he's just as much a victim of circumstance as everyone else. He could have been a decent guy, but it all got twisted around. His actions aren't excusable, but you do understand him. It's also understandable why he'd help Yui and Soi and why he wouldn't actually cross the rape line when it came to Miaka. Yes, he's a sadist and killed off half of the cast, but he's a victim too.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's also understandable why he'd help Yui and Soi and why he wouldn't actually cross the rape line when it came to Miaka

I know. I think a certain level of nihilism he has makes sense now. It's a pity, at the end, because he had so much potential that just got warped. Though I will NEVER forgive him for killing off Hotohori.

Btw, I just realized that Escaflowne OVA really reminds me of FY, what with nihilistic bad guy, girl who is important by virtue of being goddess and etc etc. Hmmm.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Hee. Sometimes with anime you just need to stop watching before certain episodes and then go write your own ending. I remember being all "what? WHAT?" at the end of Wolf's Rain and I refuse to watch the last episode of Chrono Crusade (a series that is especially tricksy because the manga ends all happily).

So now what series are you off to?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

So now what series are you off to?

Hmmm. I am considering Rouroni Kenshin (especially since I want to watch it before I watch Peacemaker), but it's so freaking long, I don't know. Maybe Cowboy Beebop, but two depressing things at once, I am not sure I can take it. Last Exile looks more likely (RahXephon and Marmalade Boy haven't gotten here yet).

It's basically between Kenshin and Last Exile. And I need to finish Meteor Garden.

Oh, I never thought I'd fall for an anime character as hard as I did for Tamahome. I've finally lost the little sanity I had.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

You'll depress Vash with your cheating on him. ;-)

Cowboy Bebop is actually a little lighter than Last Exile. LE keeps a more serious tone the whole way through while CB actually has some pretty funny episodes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

But Vash has Meryl to make him better. Ummmm, for that matter, this whole thing is kinda fruitless because Tamahome has Miaka and Hotohori has Hounu (sp???) a.k.a Mrs. Hotohori. And the little matter of fiction, dammit :P

Yeah, but CE has an uber-depressing ending.

I realized what I like so much about anime, is that like movies, they are not all one genre. I mean, Trigun and FY have nothing in common except for the fact that they are both anime.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

LE's ending isn't without its sadness too, though one character you think is dead shows up alive at the end after all. It depends how you want to take the CB ending. He could either have died or be hurt. Like I said, the director never would spill what actually happened. And considering Spike survived a lot more crap than that, I wouldn't put survival past him.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, I think I might go with Kenshin after all. Because I really like it, but hopefully won't obsess and I need obsessing during the week like I need a hole in my head.

Re: CB. Thanks for the heads-up re: ambiguity of the ending. I still have my headache from my crying jag over Hotohori so I don't think I could take another one :P

[autumnflame.livejournal.com]

*wanders over via friends of friendslists, peeks at comments, drops a random one of her own*

Re: the length of Kenshin: it's long, yes, but in my opinion, everything after the Kyoto arc (which ends around ... 64, I think? 63? early 60s, at any rate) really isn't worth watching. :P It's all fillers and trivial little arcs right up to the end.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I did start RK last night while waiting for Lord and Master. If I do start watching it consistently and serially and thoroughly (which I will), I will finish it the whole way though because I am kinda anal about it :P

But I do like it quite a lot, 8 episodes in, so not like it will be a hardship :p

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

Okay, totally random, but I have a question. I'm writing an article for a school paper on the miniseries Pride and Prejudice, and the new movie version. I'm polling people on their thoughts, and was wondering how you felt the two lined up. Thanks!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, to make it on topic to my post, I first have to posit that Mr. Darcy couldn't kick as much butt as Tamahome. ;p

Now, onto P&P. I thought the movie was rather inferior (I saw it a couple of weeks back and had a review on it, under tag 'movies'). It glossed over complexities and nuances of the world and turned it into some kind of Wuthering Heights wannabe. BBC version, OTOH, was very true to the spirit.

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

I would be all indignant on behalf of Mr. Darcy and how he could pop a cap in Tamahome's ass any day of the week, but I'm afraid I don't really know much about Tamahome. Damn, but I'm a bad flist reader.

Oh, and thank you! Now I just have to get the article done by last night.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Mr. Darcy, does he even own a gun capable of popping caps? Heeeee.

I am afraid there is no context as Tamahome is a Celestial Warrior, with super-power-like abilities in combat.

On the plus side, Mr. Darcy had a lot less angst. And Wickham was a lot more manageable than Tamahome's nemesis Nakago. After all, Wickham didn't have Mr. Darcy's family slaughtered and do his best to convince Darcy that he raped Lizzy.

That's Tamahome in the icon, btw. Bet you are sorry you asked. :P

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

No, I think Mr. Darcy pops caps with his fencing foil. (Dude, it could totally happen.)

Well, Mr. Darcy has super-power-like abilities in...jumping into a lake in a white shirt? You know, I've heard that they're adding it to the summer olympics. Judges award points based on sheerness of the wet shirt, underwater hair movement, facial expression, sexiness of diving position, and amounts of sexual tension with the athelete's true love that waits on the other side of the lake.

Woah. Anime is seriously fucked up. And Tamahome is kind of awesome looking, BTW.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, he IS awesome looking. I have a mad crush on the boy. You might like this one, btw.

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

Ooh, what's he like? My fictional dance card is a tad full at the moment, but I might be able to fit him in somewhere between "Boston Legal" and "Veronica Mars".

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm. He is 17, funny, really good at fighting, money-obsessed, really noble and madly in love with the heroine, also straight-forward and kinda liking guyish fun.

I don't know, hard to encapsulate. You can just look at my FY posts :P

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

Yay, you finished! :)

I think there's a few OVAs too, right?

Yeah, he was reincarnated. I loved that. So very anime of an ending. ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay, you finished! :)

A snow storm will do wonders.

I think there's a few OVAs too, right?

I've heard not-so-great things about them though. So I might stay away

Yeah, he was reincarnated. I loved that. So very anime of an ending.

Yours truly was bawling like a 5 year old. Because the credits were already over, so I was about to turn it off and go bang my head against the wall and then...

Talk about being cruel to your audience, leaving it to the very end like that :P

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

Really? I've heard mixed reviews about it, which is the case for most OVAs. Some people just love the fact that it's more FY to watch. :D

Aww, I could see myself doing the same. I still bawl over random episodes of Sailor Moon where I know exactly what's going to happen. :P

That's a very good lesson of why you should never leave before credits are over!! ^_^

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't know, the two experiences I had with OVA (Escaflowne and Rurouni Kenshin) have been...disappointing. So I don't know, I am torn. On one hand, I don't want to ruin the bliss of FY series. OTOH, it IS more FY. Hmmm...

That's a very good lesson of why you should never leave before credits are over!! ^_^

I know! I kept going "but they can't just end like this, they can't!!!" Because unlike with Escaflowne, where not only it's left open as to Van/Hitomi's future, but also they didn't have this OTP-death-defying-star-crossed-love thing, I would have seriously turned my DVDs into frisbees if they didn't end up together.

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

I really liked the Esca OVA. But if you didn't like it, then maybe OVAs aren't your thing...

[aliterati.livejournal.com]

Wow. You've kinda made me want to see this now. ;P

Nakago sounds beautifully angsty. As well as, you know, all the rest of it. So glad to hear that this was good, considering it did get so much hype.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Nakago would probably be up your alley, actually. And the slash content in this one is THROUGH THE ROOF. Forget subtext, it's text.

You will probably find Miaka annoying (though I liked her just fine), but you might enjoy this selectively, at least. In any event, I own this so if you ever want to see the slashiest bits, let me know.

[aliterati.livejournal.com]

To be sure. ;P

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

The first time I watched FY I was not too impressed. I guess I can't wrap my mind around medieval/fantasy anime. Anime for me is cyber/scifi like Ghost In the Shell, Jin-Roh, Evangelion.
Though I have to admit, I liked Hotohori even though he looks like an anime-ised Michael Praed (Robin of Sherwood) in some of the frames ;-)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I liked Hotohori even though he looks like an anime-ised Michael Praed

OMG. Thank YOU. He kept reminding me of someone and now I know who. I used to love Robin of Sherwood.

I've discovered I like medieval/fantasy anime. But then, it's a genre I like in movies and books (FY is a lot closer to a Tolkien 'fantasy' then it is to nigh-incomprehensible, modern, uber-high fantasy, for me) so that makes sense.

[mycenae.livejournal.com]

Hee. Wow, how long did it take you to watch FY, all in all?

Kind of a general query- do you feel you enjoy shows more when you can watch them all at once, or when you have to wait for installments and speculate?

Ah, Nakago/Soi was totally my FY OTP. Ah, f'ked up evil people... I think there was a page in the manga where Nakago goes to heaven or something, some pretty garden place, and his mother & Soi are waiting for him. Or maybe it was just like his last thought or something. But it was very "awww".

I'd somehow forgotten all the massive Nakago/Tamahome subtext. Which is pretty amazing considering FY was the show that introduced me to the world of fandoms and the idea that everyone's gay on the internet.

I see a commentator here with a Touga/Saionji icon. Have you looked into Utena at all? I mean, if you're interested in anime with an existential crisis...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, how long did it take me? Well, I think I might have seen as much as 10 episodes earlier in the week but 42+ took me Friday-Sunday. I was basically snowed in, and it does wonders for your ability to marathon.

do you feel you enjoy shows more when you can watch them all at once, or when you have to wait for installments and speculate

Definitely when I can watch them at once. Especially when the shows are as strongly iterative as FY, it makes me feel as if I am watching a very long movie or reading a very long novel. The impact builds and builds. Plus, that way I have no temptation to check spoilers. I often lose interest if I have to wait too long for a new installment or the impact dissipates. I am not very good at serial entertainment: book series, TV shows that aren't on DVD.

Which is pretty amazing considering FY was the show that introduced me to the world of fandoms and the idea that everyone's gay on the internet.

Heeeee. I am not a slasher generally, but in some fandoms, there is no other interpretation possible. :D

Have you looked into Utena at all? I mean, if you're interested in anime with an existential crisis...

Two of the only three people on my flist that I know in RL love Utena. One of them has promised to show it to me. She did say it is really screwed-up and I needed some anime background (I only started watching anime about a month or so ago). I do want to watch some of it, even if for an intellectual interest, though from what I can see, I won't fall madly for it because I am more about complicated cool plots or issues and messed up main male characters than mind-fucks.

Re: Nakago/Soi. It's certainly an interesting ship, as she is the only one he showed any caring to and she is a strong woman completely slavishly devoted to him though. Not my OTP for the show, which is Miaka/Tamahome (in case you could't figure out from the posts, LOL) because I prefer them non-evil, but really interesting nontheless.