Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden: not your mother's fairy tale

[dangermousie]

What do you get when you combine:

(1) Takiko: A 1923 Japanese school-girl fond of the naganata (a kind of spear) entering a medieval-China like world entirely inside a book in order to summon seven celestial warriors to save the country. Only the country doesn’t want her. People think she brings bad luck and the ruler of it would rather see her dead in a ditch, literally.

(2) Rimudo: The hunky angsty hero, the first celestial warrior she encounters, who is drop dead gorgeous and the son of the King. Only he is not interested in helping out in the slightest, has a chip on his shoulder the size of a continent, and his father is hunting him to off him for good. Did I mention he can use his special power only when he transforms into a girl?

(3) The chosen celestial warriors. None of whom are enthused to be helping and who in addition to the above mentioned Rimudo/Limdo (I’ve seen it spelled both ways) include such stellar characters as a sorta Golem, a hot-headed but not very effective bounty hunter, and a child serial killer of sorts.

Did I mention that Rimudo has managed to get himself hired by the bad guys. In order to hunt himself? And that when Takiko and Rimudo first met, she thought he was a girl so she stripped naked to hop into bed with him to cool down his fever? Heh.

There are chases, and assassins, and deadly peril. There is a complicated plot, and star-crossed romance and it will all end in tears.

It's part romance, part adventure and wholly cracktastic.

What is it?

It’s Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden and I just started it and I love it.

And also? The art is bloody gorgeous. Scanlations are widely available and the first five volumes are out in print in the US as well.



The kissing scene:









Character cards:

Takiko:



Rimudo:



Hikitsu:



Tomite:



Namame:



Inami:



Urumiya:



Hatsui:



Takiko/Rimudo doing the OTP thing:







More Rimudo:



Takiko and Rimudo:





Gorgeous color art:

































































Takiko:



Wallpapers:











Takiko:





OMG! Swoon!







Rimudo. Lots and lots:

















Rimudo as Uruki, his girl form:



Takiko and Rimudo:





Pretty:



I got way more but I gotta stop somewhere.

(I got most of the art from this awesome French Cite).

Comments

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Y'know, despite my deep love for Tasuki and Chichiri, and the fact that this probably isn't a popular opinion, I think I actually prefer Genbu Kaiden to FY, partly because everyone doesn't instantly love her as was almost the case with Miaka in FY(almost) and the tone and approach seem to suit the world and storyline better. And, while I like Miaka, I find Takiko easier to relate to than Miaka. Of course, most of the above has to do with watase being olderr and more experience now than with FY.

But...uhm...Genbu Kaiden! Yay!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I prefer FY as it's just more original (duh :D) and also because Tamahome >>>> everything, but I really like FYGK.

The thing that I am struck by the most is the difference in tone. FYGK is a much darker, bleaker world than FY. Takiko's mother is dead and she is estranged from her father (btw, I really wonder what happened to Miaka's Dad, we never see him). There is no one in the modern world to pull her back. She is all alone, with no Yui-quest to give her some sort of goal.

And not only do the people not care about her at all, the world itself is nastier: Rimudo's father tries to have him killed, and our hero himself is someone who is very defensive (she never knows if he is just going to randomly wander off and leave her to fend for herself, and he actually periodically does), and hey, he admits to having killed a 1000 people. Not to mention look at the composition of the Genbu 7: most of them are not people I'd want to hang out with.

I like Miaka better, she is cheerful and funny, but Takiko is more mature.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The comments about tone and such are what I mean...even though it had it's dark and angst period, in general it just felt too...well...chipper, i guess, for its story at times.

Miaka is the kind of heroine I like and care about, but generally don't really relate to.

But yes, FY is more original. The thing DID essentially spawn an entire genre(it was there before, but it's what made it a popular genre)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am a lot more like Miaka than Takiko, but yes, I like them both. FY has plenty of angst but I do like that it also has a lot of humor. FYGK is grimmer and less meta-y which might be more realistic but leaves me glum :)

[hope-fuleigh.livejournal.com]

Will definitely add this to things to check out... I got up to about episode 37 of FY (and, OMG! OMG!!!!), but then work kinda blew up and I haven't been able to get back to it (this weekend, there will be a well-deserved FY marathon), but this sounds just as promising.

I've also been following your Fruits Basket posts (just haven't had a chance to comment), as I started that manga a while back, but didn't make it much past the 2nd volume, but if it's as good as your posts will indicate, I'll have to attempt to renew my interest in it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hope you get to finish FY soon. It just gets more awesome as it goes along. Though now I am reacking my brains trying to remember what is in 37 :P

Re: Fruits Basket. I do love it a lot, but I am always reluctant to say that means others will. And there are plenty of things people love I don't (Nobuta) and this might be one of those for you. This said, yes I do think FB is awesome and it starts out fluffy but it gets more darker and messed up as it goes on, so do stick with it for longer. If volume 6 doesn't hook you, then I think it's give up time, but I would give it a few more volumes :) Just because I want others to squee with :)

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

Holy crap you weren't kidding about the pics! I have high speed & even then I was still waiting for a few of the bottom ones to load.

FYGK looks interesting but I know it's going to end unhappily (or at least bittersweet) so I'm a wuss who's been avoiding it. But those kissing scenes look worth it!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL. Yeah, I only posted half the pics I had, too :)

Yeah, no way this will end happily, unless...there is always reincarnation! :)

[mina85.livejournal.com]

hii..
I wanna ask you if Fushigi Yuugi is worth to buy?and how many volumes is it?

Thanks in advance

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I assume you mean FY proper, not FY:GK that I talked about above? FY anime is my second favorite anime ever. I saw it before the manga, so I am not sure how the manga would stand on its own, but I loved it. FY manga is 18 volumes total.

I suggest you check scanlations first to see if it's your thing.

[queeney.livejournal.com]

Ah, I love this manga, but it's so hard for me to find any chapters after 13 on the internet. T_T

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am going to look for it for you...