This story takes place in Japan in the 1920's. Takiko is a teenager with an absent father and a sick mother and she's tough - really tough. When her father, the novelist, returns from China having translated an ancient manuscript, Takiko ends up swept into the story - literally. She finds herself in China as the prophesied one - she has been sent to save the people.

I found it interesting and I'd like to continue on for a while. At time I was confused as to who was speaking and exactly what was going on in the battle scenes. I like the characters. I found the beginning of the book that took place in Japan in the twenties to be the most interesting but I tend to like reality more than fantasy which is where the story is taking us. ( )

中近世における四神を描いたストーリーのため、太王四神記っぽさを感じるが、こっちのが先輩。
少女向けコミックであるため、登場人物がみな軟派に見えてしまう。
そこは可能な限り無視をしてファンタジー要素のみを評価したい。 ( )

Prequel series to Fushigi Yugi.

When Takiko Okuda attempts to destroy her father's copy of the sacred text, The Universe of the Four Gods, she gets sucked into its world as the chosen priestess of Genbu. She goes on a quest to find the seven Celestial Warriors of Genbu in order to gain the power to grant wishes and save the country.

This is the same basic premise as Fushigi Yugi, only with a different cast of characters. The original Fushigi Yugi was one of the first shoujo series I ever read, so getting into this feels new and nostalgic at the same time. I enjoy Yuu Watase's drawing style, and since this is a shorter series, the plot moves along much faster than the original. Characters feel a little more mature as well. Takiko has bigger emotional issues to deal with than FY's Miaka, and is more motivated to use Genbu's power to help the people of Bei Jia than merely gaining the power of wishes for herself. Thus far (I've read Volumes 1-6 at this point.) the romance side has Watase's usual love triangles, misunderstandings, and conflicts between romantic attachment vs. duty. Since I've already read similar conflicts in the original FY and other Watase series, this part is a little tiresome for me, but otherwise I like the characters, and I'm enjoying it so far. Seeing how this story fits in with the rest of the world as we saw it in FY is gratifying as well. ( )

I first read this book because I was promised that it was miles above the shoujo drivel of the main Fushigi Yugi series, and thankfully, that's true. I like the main character a lot more. She has spirit, character, and oddly enough, is a lot more modern than Miaka despite coming from a time decades before her. Add in the usual pretty guys, and gender bending built into the plot and so far I'm very entertained. ( )

This manga shapes up more strangely than Fushigi Yuugi. Takiko has one issue stemming from two problems. She needs to feel wanted because her father makes it clear he not only doesn't want her but wishes she were a boy and because the man she loves is already taken. The weird part is that all of her warriors are determined to not be warriors and one of them can change from a man to a woman. There are a few interesting tidbits of Japanese fashion history in Watese's comments- never skip those sections. ( )