It tells the story of two teenaged girls, Miaka and Yui, who are pulled into The Universe of the Four Gods, a mysterious book at the National Diet Library.

Shogakukan serialized Fushigi Yûgi in Shōjo Comic from December 1991 to May 1996 and later compiled the manga into eighteen tankōbon volumes.

Studio Pierrot adapted it into a fifty-two episode anime series that aired from April 1995 to March 1996 on TV Tokyo.

A thirteen-volume Japanese light novel series, written by Megumi Nishizaki, followed Fushigi Yûgi.

As of November 2015, Fushigi Yûgi had over 20 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

A passionate person at heart, she tends to see the world in black and white terms and is easily infuriated with perceived betrayal.

In terms of temperament, Suboshi is fierce, impulsive, and stubborn to a fault, unwilling to listen to reason once he becomes determined to do something.

As a Celestial Warrior, Soi possesses Feng Shui related powers allowing her to control lightning, induce electromagnetic fields, but is also skilled in Fhangzang and chi raising techniques.

Soi normally appears as a formidable armored fighter who speaks like a man, concealing a kind heart and feminine nature.

The daughter of Einosuke Okuda, the Japanese translator of the original scripture for The Universe of the Four Gods, Takiko is a serious young girl skilled with the naginata.

He wields a bladed discus to fight, but as a Celestial Warrior, he is able to manipulate the wind in various ways, particularly for teleportation; the only setback to this power is that he must transform into a woman in order to utilize it.

He is unemotional and able to remain calm and focused, even in the heat of battle, but demonstrates an unexpectedly compassionate side to him when he saves two children from misaimed arrows.

Extremely lecherous in nature, Tokaki takes it upon himself to comment on any attractive young woman he comes across, including Miaka.

Written and illustrated by Yuu Watase, Fushigi Yûgi originally appeared in serial form in the semimonthly manga magazine Shōjo Comic.

[14] Produced by Studio Pierrot, the fifty-two episode Fushigi Yûgi anime series premiered on TV Tokyo on April 6, 1995.

[15] The series was licensed for English-language release to Region 1 DVD and VHS format by Geneon Entertainment, then named Pioneer, under the expanded title Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play.

The first, spanning three episodes, takes place a year after the events of the main series and has no ties to the original manga.

The final OVA, Fushigi Yûgi: Eikoden, spans four episodes and is based on two of the light novels written by Megumi Nishizaki.

Released on December 21, 2001, it focuses on a new character, Mayo Sakaki, a sixteen-year-old girl who attends Yotsubadai High School.

Illustrated by Yuu Watase, Fushigi Yûgi Gaiden primarily explores the lives the various Celestial Warriors before they are seen in the manga.

It was written by Keiko Ueno, directed by Naoyoshi Okumura, and starred Golden Bomber band member Yutaka Kyan in the lead role of Tamahome.

The cast featured former Morning Musume member Reina Tanaka as Miaka, Ryō Hirano as Tamahome, Juri Aikawa as Nakago, Takahisa Maeyama as Hotohori, Mao Miyaji as Nuriko, Yoshikazu Kotani as Tasuki, Eiji Takigawa as Mitsukake, Tatsumaru Tachibana as Chichiri, Tsubasa Hattori as Amiboshi, Daiki Tomida as Chiriko, Mina Kuryū as Shouka, Zendō Ware as Eiken, Shiori Sakata as Yui, and Jun Fujimiya as Taiitsukun.

Several cast members from the 2016 musical returned to reprise their roles, including Reina Tanaka as Miaka and Ryō Hirano as Tamahome.

New cast members included Rina Miyazaki as Yui, Yoshiki Tani as Hotohori, Ken Ogasawara as Mitsukake, Subaru Hayama as Chichiri, and Kunta Yamasaki as Tasuki.

[40] In a column for Anime News Network, writer Jason Thompson called Fushigi Yûgi a "great mix of monsters, magic, fighting and the more typical Shōjo Comic material, romance.

"[41] In his expanded review of the series for Manga: The Complete Guide, Thompson further praised it as "one of the best 'schoolgirl in a strange land' shōjo fantasies."

He singled out Watase's writing, which he believes "successfully balances" romance, action, comedy, and cliffhangers, as well as the series' compact supporting cast full of "strong personalities".

[43] Patrick Drazen, author of Anime Explosion!, considers the humor in Fushigi Yûgi to be based on super deformed caricatures and therefore strange to Western audiences.

[44] Anime News Network argued that the show is "always entertaining throughout,"[45] while CBR criticized that Nakago is a pretty character even when "committing horrendous crimes like mass murder and sexual assault.

"[46] Winnie Chow of Animerica was disappointed by the ending of the anime adaptation, finding the final battle that resolves the series to be "lame at best" that left her cheering more for Nakago than the "good guys".