It has been announced that the Blu-ray disc (BD) box set of the anime "Fushigi Yugi," based on the popular manga by Yuu Watase, will be released on August 26th. Approximately 30 years after the TV anime aired from April 1995 to March 1996, this will be the first time the series has been released as a BD box set. It will include all 52 episodes of the TV series and all 9 OVA (Original Video Animation) episodes in HD remastered versions. The price is 33,000 yen.
The set includes a slipcase featuring a new illustration by Watase, a digipak featuring a new illustration by Studio Pierrot, and a booklet containing new interviews and more. Video extras include a collection of all 16 music videos, a non-credit opening video, "Fushigi Yugi Otsukare Ian Bus Trip ~ Forbidden Onna Makoto Onsen Chapter" parts 1-3, "Fushigi Itazura" parts 1-6 (short parodies of each chapter full of gags), and "Kokoro Shuku, Get a Grip!"
Watase commented, "The 'Fushigi Yugi' Blu-ray will be released soon. The jacket is currently under production! It also comes with a booklet and other bonus features, so I would be happy if you would pick it up and enjoy it."
"Fushigi Yugi" is a manga that was serialized in "Shōjo Comic" (Shogakukan, now Sho-Comi) from 1992 to 1996. The story follows a protagonist who finds an ancient book, the Book of the Four Gods and Heaven, and is drawn into another world within the book. A sequel, "Genbu Kaiden," started in "Shōjo Comic Special Edition" (also by Shogakukan) in 2003, and later changed magazines, being serialized in "Monthly Flowers" until 2013. In 2015, "Byakko Ibun" was published in "Monthly Flowers," and in 2017, the serialization of "Byakko Senki" began in the same magazine.
The TV anime aired from April 1995 to March 1996. In 1996, a three-episode original video series, "Fushigi Yugi," featuring a completely original story not found in the original manga, was produced. From 1997 to 1998, a six-episode original video series, "Fushigi Yugi Part Two," was produced, covering volumes 14 to 18 of the original manga and revealing the past of the Seven Celestial Warriors.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
[TV Series]
Director: Hajime Kamegaki; Series Composition: Yoshio Urasawa; Character Design: Hideyuki Motohashi; Art Director: Hitoshi Nagasaki; Director of Photography: Masahide Okino; Sound Director: Katsunori Shimizu; Production: TV Tokyo, Yomiuri Advertising, Pierrot, etc.
[OVA "Fushigi Yugi"]
Director, Storyboard, and Direction: Hajime Kamegaki; Character Design and Animation Director: Hideyuki Motohashi; Script: Motoki Yoshimura; Art Supervision: Yuji Ikeda; Art Director: Hitoshi Nagasaki; Color Design: Mika Iwami; Director of Photography: Tomoyoshi Ishizuka; Sound Director: Katsunori Shimizu; Music: Yusuke Honma; Production: Pierrot and others
[OVA "Fushigi Yugi Part 2"]
Director, Storyboard, and Direction: Hajime Kamegaki; Character Design and Animation Director: Hideyuki Motohashi; Art Supervision: Yuji Ikeda; Art Director: Hitoshi Nagasaki; Color Design: Mika Iwami; Director of Photography: Tomoyoshi Ishizuka; Sound Director: Katsunori Shimizu; Music: Yusuke Honma, Tatsumi Yano; Production: Pierrot and others
◇Cast (titles omitted)
[TV Series]
Miaka Yuki: Kae Araki (currently Kae Araki)▽ Yui Hongo: Yumi Touma▽ Tamahome: Hikaru Midorikawa▽ Seishuku: Takehito Koyasu Koyasu▽ Yanagi: Chika Tomokazu Seki Hayashi (currently Nobutoshi Canna)▽ Zhenshuku: Koji Ishii▽ Zhangshuku: Tomoko Kawakami▽ Xinshuku: Toru Furusawa▽ Kakushuku/Kangshuku: Yuji Ueda (currently Yuji Ueda)▽ Fangshuku: Atsuko Tanaka▽ Keisuke Yuki: Shinichiro Miki▽ Tetsuya Kajiwara: Ken Narita▽ Narrator/Taichi: Naoko Kyoda and others
[OVA Series]
Miaka Yuki: Kae Araki (currently Kae Araki)▽ Yui Hongo: Yumi Touma▽ Tamahome/Sukunan Wei: Hikaru Midorikawa▽ Jinshuku: Tomokazu Seki ▽ Yokushuku: Nobutoshi Hayashi (currently Nobutoshi Canna)▽ Seishuku: Takehito Koyasu Koyasu▽ Ryūshuku: Chika Sakamoto▽ Shinshuku: Yasushi Ishii▽ Chōshuku: Tomoko Kawakami▽ Shinshuku: Toru Furusawa▽ Keisuke Yuki: Shinichiro Miki▽ Tetsuya: Ken Narita▽ Taichi-kun: Naoko Kyoda and others
(C) Yuu Watase/Shogakukan/Pierrot 1995 (C) 1996 Yuu Watase/Shogakukan/Bandai Visual/Pierrot/Movic (C) 1997 Yuu Watase/Shogakukan/Bandai Visual/Pierrot/Movic
