On 28 March 1996, the television series FUSHIGI YUUGI ended and concluded the story of two Japanese junior high school girls who read a mysterious book that transports them back to ancient China. The anime series, based on artist Watase Yuu's manga, consists of many parts -- romance, action, suspense, drama, comedy. All of these characteristics were present and FUSHIGI YUUGI endeared itself to both a Japanese and small U.S. cult-like audience. Eagerly awaited OVAs were slated to ship 25 October, playing off the surprise, open-ended finale of the telelvision series. To satisfy fan demand until then, the FUSHIGI YUUGI SPECIAL ~Watase Yuu Selection~ was released.
As a "special," this edition clocks in at a whopping 113 minutes; two whole sides of a CLV laserdisc (or two videotapes). Unfortunately, a vast majority of the Special is a series recap of the 52 episodes of Fushigi Yuugi. The program runs through it all--the highs, the lows, the surprises, and some of it is set to "new" music: either new compositions or variations of existing music from the original soundtracks. Initially, the recap is standard, setting the story and plot of FUSHIGI YUUGI. Further into the SPECIAL, the review of the series is grouped according to themes and character traits: the love shared between Miaka and Tamahome, Hotohori's self-appreciation of his own beauty, Tamahome's inclination to hoard money, etc.
Also included with the SPECIAL are, of course, interviews with the FUSHIGI YUUGI seiyuu cast, notably Araki Kae (Miaka), Midorikawa Hikaru (Tamahome), and Touma Yumi (Yui). Questions asked are pretty standard fare: what do they think of their character and FUSHIGI YUUGI in general, what are their attitudes toward voice acting, etc. Although this segment is somewhat tedious, it is always nice to see the real face behind some of our favorite anime characters.
Up to this point, the SPECIAL is somewhat repetitious. Those who have already seen the entire TV series are seeing nothing new (while those who have not probably should not have purchased it to begin with). The interviews are nice but not a major draw. At the end of each side (or tape), however, are little anime shorts entitled, "Nakago, Shitsukari shinasai! (Get a hold of yourself!)" Featuring the character Nakago, the premise of the two comedic shorts is a look at the animated actor [Editor's Note: Think WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?] portraying the character Nakago and takes a look at the "real" life of the FUSHIGI YUUGI cast. Miaka is a super-idol actress; Tamahome is a prima donna; and Nakago, the malevolent, cunning adversary to Miaka and her Suzaku seishi, is a whiny, pretentious person: a complete opposite of his character. The shorts are hilarious, and the spin on Nakago is a great idea. Unfortunately, these pieces are only a few minutes long, much too short for fans hungering for new FUSHIGI YUUGI animation.
To proclaim the Special as the cure-all filler for the FUSHIGI YUUGI fan is quite premature. After all, that is what the OVAs are for. It is quite difficult to endorse something that is really nothing more than a series review, plain and simple. While the SPECIAL did bring about nostalgia for FUSHIGI YUUGI with this reviewer (and the urge to buy the just-released second FUSHIGI YUUGI TV LD box set), there is no substantive reason to purchase the SPECIAL. If anything, it is only for the absolute, die-hard FUSHIGI YUUGI fan who must have the immaculate collection.

© 1996 Watase Yuu / Shogakukan · TV Tokyo · Studio Pierrot
© 1996 Watase Yuu / Shogakukan · Bandai Visual · Studio Pierrot · Movic
VHS - 2 tapes, 56 min. each, BES-1431-1432, ¥2900 each
LD - 113 minutes CLV, BELL-932, ¥5800