DVD Picks: Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play

The Japanese animated teleplay is a mystery to anyone joining in, part way through.

Based on a popular manga by Yuu Watase (Ayashi no Ceres, Alice 19) and animated by Studio Pierrot (Ceres, Yu Yu Hakusho), volume 3 of Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play contains seven episodes from the 1995 International Channel series. On the disc are episodes 14 thru 20, titled Wolf in the Fortress, City of Resurrection, Battle of Sorrow, Magic Flute, Love Trap, Shattered Love, and Unreachable Hope.

To save her newly adopted kingdom of Konan, from impending catastrophe and restore her friendship with Yui, Miaka readily accepts her responsibilities as a priestess of Suzaku and continues her task of gathering together the legendary seven celestial warriors of Suzaku. As if the zombies, bandits and Kutou spies weren't bad enough, Miaka catches a deadly plague!

Yui, now a priestess of Seiryu, is bent on hurting Miaka in anyway possible and plots to seduce the captured Tamahome forever - body and soul! Can Miaka ever regain her friendship with Yui after such a betrayal? And frankly after reading that Geneon provided plot summary of what this whole thing is about, I can't see why she would really want to mend bridges.

Other serial types series, like Geneon's recent release of Stellvia, you can jump in on the second disc, no problem. This, you're just left out in the cold. Left out in the cold with fairly uninteresting characters and an uninteresting plot. I'm sure this series is pure gold to big shonen fans, but judged by the differing standards of an action or adventure picture, a fantasy film, an animation title, even an shonen anime title, this disc seriously disappointed me.