Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play, Vol. 6: Summoner

ふしぎ遊戯 [Fushigi Yûgi] #6

by Yuu Watase

A Beloved Fantasy From One Of Japan's Top Creators Prolific shôjo (""girls"") comics artist Yuu Watase has created a wonderfully exciting, funny, and heartfelt tale of a normal junior-high-school girl who is transported into a fictional version of ancient China. She encounters base villains and dashing heroes, and still manages to worry about her grades and where her next banquet is coming from.

Happiness Is Just A Summoning Away

Now that she seems to have gathered all seven of her Celestial Warriors, Miaka is ready to summon the god Suzaku, who will grant her three wishes. But Miaka’s former best friend, Yui, has become her mortal enemy, and Yui’s nefarious general Nakago has a secret plan…

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Shojo, Comics

191 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 1993

About the author

Yuu Watase (渡瀬悠宇) is a Japanese shoujo manga-ka. She is known for her works Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, Ceres: The Celestial Legend, Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend. She likes all music, except heavy metal and old traditional music.

She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" ("An Intrusion in Pajamas"), Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series. Because of her frequent use of beautiful male characters in her works, she is widely regarded in circles[which?] as a bishōnen manga artist.[citation needed] In October 2008, Watase began her first shōnen serialization, Arata: The Legend in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.
Her name is romanized as "Yû Watase" in earlier printings of Viz Media's publications of Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, and Ceres, The Celestial Legend, while in Viz Media's Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend her name is romanized as "Yuu Watase". In Chuang Yi's English-language versions of Fushigi Yugi (spelled without a macron or circumflex), her name is romanized as "Yu Watase".

Reviews

[Pixie 🍜 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still find their love too insta lovey
And the pacing is very fast but I guess that’s just manga sometimes
Also I forgot how much Miaka is just naked for no reason

[Lemoona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, I can’t believe that Chiriko was actually Amiboshi, a Seiryu celestial warrior! It’s sad if he actually died, but then again, his betrayal was painful. I hope Miaka is able to summon Suzaku. Otherwise, things will be very difficult for her going forward.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for complete series



I am actually really sad and disappointed. Fushigi Yuugi was that one classic shoujo fantasy that I never got around to reading even though I was convinced I would love it. I love Watase's art - this is an older work and the art is a tad dated, but it's perfectly lovely. It's a portal fantasy quest story with Chinese lore and it's not ridiculously long like many of its peers (I'm looking at you Inu Yasha and Yona of the Dawn). Eighteen volumes seemed like the perfect length and there was just no way I wasn't going to love this. It turns out that this manga has some of the worst pacing I have ever come across.

At its core, the story is pretty straight forward: Miaka is your normal school girl who comes by a magic book, gets pulled into an ancient fantasy world and is sent on a quest to collect items that will help her save the world she's in. For this, she needs to pull together some preordained set of warriors who fight by her side. Of course she falls in love with one of them and there's the big drama or which world she will end up staying in. All of this is pretty standard in this type of portal fantasy but that's exactly what I am here for. So while the premise isn't hugely unique, it's definitely not the problem I had with this story.

The first couple of volumes were insta-everything. I'm not just talking about Miaka and Tamahome falling madly in love from volume one, all other relationships are established in the same way. Yui, Miaka's best friend, is also in love with Tamahome from the moment they meet. The emperor is in love with Miaka from before they meet. All allies join their ranks effortlessly and they become best buddies just because. There's no real effort in recruiting any of the characters nor even finding them. Part of the whole point of this quest was to find these characters yet they just sometimes stumble into a scene, introducing themselves and declaring they're part of the gang and are already set to join them on a quest - no questions asked. It was so extreme that I don't think the last two characters added to the group were given much of a personality and were completely forgettable.

The problem with tossing these characters together like that is that there are no real developments. They say they all love and care for each other but, as far as I am concerned, I can't really believe them. If I see characters get to know each other, grow and form bonds, I will care for them. If they just pop out of the blue and risk limb and life for each other I feel there is something sorely lacking. I can't invest into friendships or romances that just kind of happened without any development whatsoever.

The plot becomes continuously more dark and a lot of deaths and loss occur. I'd normally feel something for these characters by that point but everything feels so over the top dramatic given what it is all based on. The pacing did improve quite a bit halfway through the series and the last couple of volumes were over all well-paced. The problem is that the damage was already done - the characters grew on me to some extent and while their actions and motifs became more believable, it still didn't do away with how wishy-washy their starting point was.

I also need to dedicate a paragraph to Yui - I feel no sympathy for her whatsoever. I don't care if she was manipulated, her actions were shallow and selfish. She blames Miaka for things she didn't do and sets heaven and hell loose just to get an uncalled for revenge. It's such a shame because I liked Yui's character in the second arc but yet again, it was already ruined by how she acted in the first arc. I'm not saying a character can't redeem themselves, Yui did do her part to earn forgiveness. The problem is that her anger and bitterness was completely misplaced and out of proportion.

I am not saying that this is a bad manga. I do think that a lot of people who like this are driven by nostalgia and I think I would have liked it a lot more had it also been one of my first manga. But after years of manga reading, this just doesn't deliver emotionally what I would expect of a good fantasy manga. The art is its strongest point, the characters are nice but they were never given the time they needed to grow. I don't think that eighteen volumes was too short, I just think that Watase priorities the wrong things over proper character and relationship development. I am not even sure what I am going to do with my copies - it's a good chunk of eighteen volumes taking up shelf space and somehow I don't see myself reading it again. Yet there's a part of me that just really wants to like this - but of course, wanting to like something and actually liking it are not the same thing. I think it will ultimately depend on how much I like its prequel Genbu Kaiden - I expect it to be a better work as it was written later and Watase has already proven in other works and in Fushigi Yuugi's second arc that she can write a properly paced story.

[♡Kayla♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooh so many twists and turns!!!

I love the growth we're seeing from Miaka, she's becoming more mature and selfless, while still having that determination.

I'm glad the plotline with Tamahome wrapped up in this volume, I hate it when certain plot threads go on for too long.

Hotohori is kinda best boy, and my heart hurts for him. As a shoujo connoisseur, I know how this love triangle is doomed to play out. Second-Lead Syndrome is really the worst sometimes.

I'm excited to see the lengths that Miaka and the Seven will have to go to in order to get what they desire

[✨Sky✨ ♏ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[✨Samantha Lopez✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝚅𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚎 6!
Finally, after being brainwashed by Nakago's poison the Diedu. Tamahome has been set free by the lady Miaka's kiss. Embracing him with a warm hug the lady Miaka has Tamahome back safely in her arms once more. He's finally back home with the other Celestial Warriors. But yet again Hotohori is lost at defeat at the sight of losing Miaka to Tamahome. Then Tamahome went back to lady Yui and Nakago to retrieve the scroll of 𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑬 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑮𝑶𝑫𝑺, but Nakago has learned that Tamahome has broken the spell. "𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰" Nakago is surprised by Tamahome breaking the curse and leaving with the 𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑬 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑮𝒐𝒅𝒔 in his hands. The lady Yui watches as the men that she loved walks away from her leaving her hurt and distress. Later she locks herself in her room crying over the lost of Tamahome. Nakago walks into her room telling her he had a secret plan set up for the Suzaku warriors. Finally, at long last the love birds are together again, but Miaka decided to be funny with Tamahome remembering how he acted to her while being in Nakago's control. Now, all 7th Celestial warriors are getting ready to summon the Beast God and to be granted 3 wishes but only to fail! The trap that Nakago has set has finally worked itself revealing the 7th warrior to be a fake and is one of the Seven Seiryu warriors named Amiboshi! Spoiler alert I know that in the show he wishes he would've been born as the Seven warriors of Suzaku rather than a Seiryu warrior. (Would've love to see him, born as a Suzaku warrior 🥺). The ritual to summon the Beast God has failed and Amiboshi has drowned in a river to his death. Then out from the flames appears TaiYi -Jun and at long last the real Chiriko has made his debut making him the last and true Celestial Warrior. Although the ritual didn't go smoothly as planned TaiYi-Jun came up with a plan in hand for lady Miaka and the Seven Celestial Warriors. A new journey awaits for them! What will our heroes do now?!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today's post is on Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play, Volume 6: Summoner by Yuu Watase. It is 191 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the two main characters on it facing the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historical fantasy, high fantasy, romance, and shojo stories. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and violence in this story. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Happiness is just a summoning away!
Now that she seems to have gathered all seven of her Celestial Warriors Miaka is ready to summon the god Suzaku, who will grant her three wishes. But Miaka's former best friend, Yui, has become her mortal enemy, and Yui's nefarious General Nakago has a secret plan...

Review- Tamahome is still being controlled of the bad guys but Miaka's face is driving him crazy. So General Nakago tells him to go after her, kill her, and then she wouldn't haunt him any more. Miaka is trying to put a brave face for the other warriors but they know that she's falling apart on the in the inside. But True Love saves the day. Tamahome comes to kill her, but of course he can't but the plot twists aren't done yet! One of the Celestial Warriors isn't who he claims to be and the ritual of summoning as been ruined now. A lot happens in way of plot but not much in character development. I want to know what is going on with General Nakago, he has some grand plan but we still have no idea what he is about or what he wants. It ends with Miaka and company going to have to try to fix the summoning and try again.

I give this volume a Five out Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

[Aikazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three things that highlights for me in this volume are;
1. Conflict Between Miaka and Yui: Miaka tries to reconcile with Yui and explain her intentions, but Yui, consumed by anger and Nakago's manipulations, refuses to listen. Their friendship continues to deteriorate, escalating the tension between the two priestesses.

2. Tamahome's Struggle: Tamahome faces emotional turmoil as Nakago uses his family as leverage, forcing Tamahome into a heartbreaking situation. Nakago’s schemes push Tamahome further into despair, testing his loyalty to Miaka.

3. Suzaku Warriors Unite: Miaka and her Suzaku warriors work together to gather the necessary items and fulfill the conditions to summon Suzaku. Their unity and determination are put to the test as they face increasingly dangerous challenges.

[Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Qué buenos giros tuvo este volumen! No esperaba que el arma de Nagako fuese que una de las constelaciones era un infiltrado, qué pena por el final del falso Chiriko de todos modos.
Me causó gracia que el verdadero estuviera tan a mano, pero tampoco esperaba que la ceremonia fallara así que eso lo compensa todo.

Nada supera a la vieja saliendo de las llamas de todos modos. Para mi gusto fue uno de los momentos más cómicos hasta ahora.

Me venía preguntando si había tanto para contar que justifique 12 volúmenes más, pero ya veo que Yuu Watase tiene varios ases interesantes bajo la manga.

[Anne Mey · Rating 4 out of 5]

La suite de l'histoire est solide, après avoir été sous un enchantement Tamahomé revient et Miaka arrive à être décente avec Hotohori. Les sentiments torturés sont toujours bien dessinés et maîtrisés. On attend un peu de partir à l'aventure mais de voir Yui peu à peu vraiment se renfermer dans ses idées pour devenir l'ennemie c'est une progression intéressante. Grâce à ce personnage et aux autres personnages secondaires on a un peu plus de psychologie ce qui compense la romance centrale. Un bon équilibre est trouvé et le manga se lit très bien.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume definitely shook things up! There was a lot crammed in here but the most important part was how lovely Hotohori was. Eff Tamahome, Hotohori is the superior choice.

But other than that cuteness, we have spell breaking, summoning, betrayal...it was a roller coaster and a jam packed volume that changed a lot and upped the stakes. Very exciting shake up for the series.

[Zennica Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 6 intensifies the emotional and narrative stakes, delivering a powerful mix of heartbreak, betrayal, and loyalty. The tension between Miaka and Yui reaches a boiling point, with Yui’s growing resentment driving her actions as a Seiryuu priestess. The Seiryuu warriors’ interference adds layers of danger and intrigue, keeping me as the reader on edge.

[Pittoresque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ja, okay. Definitiv keine Erinnerung mehr an diesen Band, aber ich mag, was hier passiert! Bisher war die Handlung ja recht geradlinig, aber jetzt bin ich gespannt, wohin das alles führt. Also wahrscheinlich immer noch zu Suzaku, aber vielleicht mit etwas mehr Umwegen. Wir werden sehen!

[Lore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twists upon twists upon twists.
This was a rollercoaster! It had everything:
Someone almost drown
A marriage proposal ... !!!!
A duel.
A betrayal.
Someone definetely drown.

Anyways... I have NO idea what Yui and Nakago are going to do now. Very interesting.

Also: Hotohori ~❤️

[Illy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My one gripe that I'm noticing while doing this reread is that the warriors are found so easily in this series.

[Zai Muñoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume brought me to tears 😭😭😭
Tamahome x Miaka x Hotohori

[fawkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya me está poniendo bastante nerviosa Miaka.

[Lindsey Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it!

[ⓘⓣⓐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 goal 162/150

[Jolly Ann Paciencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamahome is finally awake !!!!

[David Doel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was more interesting than the last. I give it 3.5 stars. BTW the art is good, but not great. I'm taking a break from reading these while I'm on vacation.

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

(my apologies to anyone who read vol 5's review some of those events actually happened here and I just got confused.)

Welcome to another Fushigi Yugi recap! This volume is actually when Miaka's love saves Tamahome. So there's that.

What else happens? Well for starters, Nakago "consoles" Yui by snuggling her while they're both in robes. Meanwhile everybody likes at Tamahome for trying to kill them all, though Tamahome doesn't remember any of this (Tasuki meanwhile has recurring night terrors of his fight which Tamahome refuses to acknowledge as his problem).

We meet Suboshi, a hot headed Seiryu warrior that looks an awful lot like someone else...

The pitiful attempt at the ceremony happens and I'm left wondering why no one thought to, I don't know, check with Tai-yi Jun to make sure they weren't fucking it up?

Annnd we end by heading to my favorite country Bei-Jia, home of the Genbu folks and the setting for the prequel-sequel series "Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden". Let me just say the Genbu Priestess makes Miaka and Yui look like pikers. She fights with a bloody Naginata! Takiko is a fucking BOSS.

[Veronica Ika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gathering of Celestial Warriors
With all seven Celestial Warriors finally assembled, Miaka prepares to summon the god Suzaku, who will grant her three wishes. Despite the challenges and betrayals she has faced along the way, she remains determined to fulfill her quest and restore order to the empire.

Enemy's Machinations
Miaka's former best friend turned mortal enemy, Yui, and her nefarious general Nakago, harbor secret plans to thwart Miaka's efforts and seize power for themselves. As tensions rise and alliances are tested, Miaka must remain vigilant against the treachery that surrounds her.

A Shocking Revelation
As Miaka begins the ceremony to call upon Suzaku, she discovers that one of the seven Suzaku constellations she found is actually a Seiryu constellation, spying on her and potentially sabotaging her summoning ritual. Shocked and betrayed, Miaka must confront this unexpected obstacle and find a way to overcome it if she hopes to succeed in her quest.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

This sixth volume of Fushigi Yugi is an actual step-up from the previous volumes, but it takes a long time to get to that point. The majority of this book still contains the same tired hallmarks of a Yu Watase shojo series – heroine running off in an ill-guided attempt to make things right, brainwashed lovers, back-stabbing ex-friends, and lots of unrequited crushes and love that never go anywhere. But the ending might show the different and very welcome direction this series is ready to take.

You can read my complete review of FUSHIGI YUGI volume six at my blog.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbroken, Miaka has given up on Tamahome, who has been turned against by Nakago's dangerous magic and her once best friend Yui. Hotohori is more than willing to comfort her, but Miaka cannot stop thinking about Tamahome. Soon she will have to summon Suzaku, but will she have all the celestial warriors in order to do so?

Summoner is an interesting volume because things don't happen the way they should. Although this is the ending to the first part of Fushigi Yuugi it doesn't end the way you might expect. I'd be interested to see how things continue in future volumes.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, I can probably count this as a book with a love triangle for my 2015 reading challenge. Though sometimes it seems like a love octagon or something.

At the beginning of this volume, I was like 'Oh hey, they're nearing the end of their journey!' and then guess what - NO. THEY'RE NOT. Now they have a whole new journey to go on (of course). And I'm kinda hoping the guy that ended up dead in this volume is not actually dead.

[Sam C · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the botched rescue attempt at Kutou, the Miaka and Tasuki recuperate back at Konan. Hotohori decides that this is a perfect opportunity to make his move, but Miaka rebuffs his advances.

Sure enough, the capitol is invaded by an assassin--the last person they would expect. Even as the Suzaku camp survive the attack, all is not well yet.

The series is heating up now!

[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 6 concludes the first part of FY - The Seven Celestial Warriors - and honestly what a way to end it! Miaka finally gets Tamahome back and having gathered the 7 warriors summon Suzaku only to fail! An emotional rollercoaster with fantastic, well developed characters and beautiful artwork. Love this series to bits, it's shojo melodrama at its best.

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters continue to become deeper and deeper, which is really nice. I had forgotten about the twist with Chiriko/Ameboshi. (This is my second read through of the book.) And the art continues to be lovely.