fushigi yugi genbu kaiden

Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden, Vol 12 by Yuu Watase

I’m sure it sounds odd, but I was actually a bit nervous about picking up the final volume of this series that I’ve been enjoying so much, simply because I’ve been a bit frightened of the ending. I knew that plenty of deaths would be occurring. This is no big secret, since the heroine Takiko has been dying of tuberculosis throughout the series, and the presence of a couple ghostly Genbu Celestial Warriors in the first Fushigi Yuugi series gave enough hints towards inevitable tragedy that a certain air of melancholy has hung over this manga, giving it an additional theme that has offset all the fantasy adventure I’d expect from a Yuu Watase series.

When I put this volume down, I realized I was wrong to be nervous, because the ending was the best one possible given the set of circumstances the characters found themselves in. The final confrontation with the Qu-Dong army has arrived, and even though Takiko has married the Uruki, now Emperor of Bei-Jia, all the efforts of her Celestial Warriors aren’t going to fend off the eternal winter that is going to threaten all the people of Bei-Jia. The Celestial Warriors fight gallantly, but Takiko is determined to see her destiny as a priestess fulfilled, even if she ends up being consumed by the god that she summons. There are plenty of quiet moments between the characters mixed in with the battles, and each Celestial Warrior gets a bit of a sendoff. Tomite teases Takiko one last time. Hatsui is courageous in battle. Inami deflects volleys of arrows with her hair, arranged in a giant web. Naname undergoes an unexpected and meaningful last transformation.

Throughout everything that happens in this final volume, the connection between Takiko and Uruki remains strong and supportive. As a heroine, Takiko’s quiet and unwavering determination really sets her apart, and I thought that this series exhibited more maturity in storytelling than the first Fushigi Yugi series. This is one of my favorite Yuu Watase series, and that’s saying a lot since I’ve read and enjoyed most of her manga. I’ve read all the volumes of this series as soon as I’ve been able to get my hands on them, and the only thing that has marred the reading experience is the long wait between volumes! I really want to set aside some time and read the whole series again in a shorter span of time, to see what I think about it without having to wait months and years between volumes. Overall though, I don’t hesitate to recommend Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden to anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure shoujo.

Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden Volume 10 by Yuu Watase

I decided to start my week of blogging for the Shojo Beat manga moveable feast by looking at a title that I had anticipated for so long, when it actually showed up at my door I thought it might be a mirage! Volume 9 of this series was published way back in Sept of 2009, so that is certainly a long gap between volumes. I tend to look at Arata: The Legend with a little bit of side-eye just because of my resentment due to the Genbu Kaiden publication gap. In any case, I was very happy to get this volume and to see that volume 11 is listed as coming out in March, so there is less of a torturous wait as I continue to follow this series.

There’s a brief bit of story summary at the beginning of this volume, which was handy because I hadn’t gone back to reread the series. Watase starts the reader off in the middle of the action as Takiko continues her quest to save Bei-Ja as the Priestess of Genbu, aided by her Celestial Warriors. Takiko’s would-be lover Uruki decides that he’s going to save Takiko by taking her virginity, thus ensuring that she won’t be able to fulfill her duties as a Priestess. Hotcha! Unfortunately Takiko’s innate nobility, concerns for the people of Bei-Ja, sense of duty, and her secret knowledge that she has consumption cause her to turn down Uruki’s impassioned pleas. Resigned to the fact that they can’t be lovers, Uruki decides to support Takiko as best he can nonetheless.

While Takiko has managed to collect most of her Celestial Warriors, the holdouts are the twins Teg and Hagus. Teg’s odd destructive singing power has caused him to be imprisoned for use as a human ultimate weapon. Tagus won’t join Takiko’s band while his brother remains captive. Takiko and her companions set off across a frozen landscape to find Teg, harried by superstitious citizens and Takiko’s growing illness. I enjoy this series because Watase is able to balance so many story elements. There’s plenty of action and geopolitical intrigue as the Celestial Warriors try to round up their remaining members. There’s the always affecting romance between Takiko and Uruki, which is balanced out by all of the bonding moments and companionship with the rest of the Celestial Warriors. This volume also fills in a bit more detail about Uruki’s tortured past, which is always interesting. One of the things I always appreciate about Yuu Watase manga is her clarity of storytelling. Even though it had been years since I read the last volume, I was immediately swept up in the story again. I was able to appreciate the pacing of the action scenes and meeting the large cast of characters again. I’m so glad that there will be much less of a wait before the next volume! I hope that the release of this volume will encourage people to go back and check out the entire series. Watase’s blend of shonen action and shojo action make Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden extremely entertaining.

Review copy provided by the publisher.