Fushigi Ygi - Yuu Watase

Fushigi Y?gi is the story of carefree high school called Miaka

who, together with her more serious best friend Yui, finds a

book entitled "The Universe of the Four Gods." The book is magic,

and it transports them both into its story and the world described

there, where Miaka becomes embroiled in a fantastic adventure.

An epic romance with a handsome warrior

also awaits Miaka as they set out to find and befriend seven

Celestial Warriors, including dashing mercenary Tamahome

and wannabe empress Nuriko. Only then can Miaka

summon the power of the god Suzaku, find her true love, and

get home safely. The series creator, Y? Watase, is an incredibly

prolific manga artist who has produced more than thirty

compiled volumes in the past ten years. She also picked up the

43rd Shogakukan Manga Prize for her most recent series,

Ayashi no Ceres (Ceres, Celestial Legend). Fushigi Y?gi was an

unexpected hit in Japan, breaking a long-standing anime

industry theory that no anime based on a sh?jo manga could

do well on TV.