Title: Fushigi Yuugi
ふしぎ遊戯 玄武開伝
Console: NDS, PSP (Genbu side)
Genre: Otome, Visual Novel
Language: Japanese
Company: IDEA FACTORY/DESIGN FACTORY
Summary: From Play-Asia for the DS game: Fushigi Yuugi is two romantic adventures combined into one DS card. Become the miko destined to save a nation from calamity and meet all the handsome body guards along the way. The fans who have read the manga may already know who the heroines ended up with, but now, with you in the miko’s robes, you don’t have to end things the way the anime or manga did.
Fall for the enemy if you have to. One unique thing about Fushigi Yuugi is the cast of absolutely captivating villains. Besides falling for someone, you can help the heroine win her happy ending in the Genbu Gaiden route, so make yourself happy as you help someone.
THIS SERIES. It was one of the very first anime series I’d ever watched along with Escaflowne and Kenshin. I hadn’t looked at the site until I started playing and started getting weirded out when I realized the entire original cast was changed.
Story: For the Genbu side, I was actually somewhat surprised at how engaged I got. Most otome visual novels kind of bore me story-wise because they drag on too long or I’m just not interested, but the Genbu story was actually quite short, but to the point, and it hit me in the right spots. Gooooooood. For Takumi’s route, it took me about 5 hours? I skipped some minor sections, but definitely soaked in the Takumi parts. xD; And I’m still missing a few CGs from him which I’ll figure out how to get later…
Characters: …Noji-nii takes the cake as Mochizuki Takumi. Yummmm.
Other cast that interest me include Fukuyama Jun, Hiyama Nobuyuki (I kept hearing Veigue saying KUREAAAAAA XDDD), Sakurai Takahiro for the Genbu side. Miyano Mamoru, Konishi Katsuyuki, Toriumi Kousuke, Nakamura Yuuichi (as Tomo… OMG I can’t imagine it) for the Suzaku side. I prefer Mamo’s voice to be deeper, but I like his Tamahome still. He sounds like a totally different person at times because I’m so much more used to his deeper voice. Weird how he’s replacing Midorikawa yet again though ^^;
Graphics: I really don’t think it’s my imagination anymore… there are quite different staffs for the Genbu side and the Suzaku side. The art on the Genbu side is so much better. XD It also helps that most of the outfits look like something out of Fire Emblem
Sound:
Gameplay: I really like the focus on visual novel and the battling mini-game in the Genbu side.
Still at the beginning of the Suzaku side, but that’s been a lot slower and not as interesting thus far.
One thing I did find REALLY weird was whenever they did closeups on the images/CGs on the DS version. They just looked so horribly pixelated. I mean, I guess it saved in the precious diskspace needed for the voicing, but it still kind made the experience awkward At least this was not nearly as much of a problem on the PSP version.
Replay Value: 10. I’m quite impressed with the amount of content in this game with so many boys. They really packed the (DS) cartridge.
Overall: 8. Better on the PSP, since the sound quality is better on it and not compressed to the boonies. Noji-nii <3 ~ but for the Genbu side, if you're looking for an otome game that you can play in one day (or in my case, one night) and enjoy, this is just the thing.~ Official site
Fushigi Yuugi – Genbu Kaiden (PS2)

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