Format: Anime TV Series
Genre: Magical Girl
Released Through: Pioneer Animation
Plot: Young Miaka is sucked into a magical book, "The Universe of the Four Gods", and finds herself in a land resembling ancient China. She discovers she is Suzaku no Miko and must gather together seven seishi to save the land of Konan.
High Points: O.K. Let's just come out and admit it. The absolute best part of Fushigi Yuugi (and trust me, it is good) is the men. It doesn't get much cuter than this (except Greenwood). Tamahome, Hotohori... And that's only the beginning. Oh, yeah, and the plot's alright too.
Low Points: I've only seen the first four episodes, so I'm not an expert in any sense. The plot seems like it could get really interesting, but it's pretty slow to begin with. Miaka kind of rubs me the wrong way too. I'd like to see more episodes, because I think I might like it more. So stay tuned! This review may change.
Notes: I want to say that even though I rated this series the same as the other magical girl series on this page, I think it's better. I just don't like it as much as say, Tokyo Babylon, which I gave four stars. The English manga version is being released by Viz.
Format: Anime TV Series
Genre: Magical Girl
Released Through: DiC
Plot: The story revolves around a klutzy young girl named Serena who becomes "Sailor Moon", a bad-guy & -gal fighting super hero, and her fellow Sailors: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. With help from the mysterious Tuxedo Mask, they fight for love and justice.
High Points: The show is cute and the characters are likeable. The story lines are well written and it becomes a surprisingly deep show later in the series.
Low Points: At first, the episodes are kind-of childish, although I have found that I like the first season the best. Later on, the plot becomes too romantic for my tastes.
Notes: Instead of buying the tapes for this show, I recommend taping it off T.V. It airs on The Cartoon Network; M-Th. 4:00-4:30PM Pacific. Also, an English version of the manga is being published by Mixx. A quick word to anyone who hates the DiC version and refuses to watch it: you might want to think about getting a life. At least it brings shojo anime to North American television. Speaking of the North American version of Sailor Moon, make sure to visit Save Our Sailors!
Format: Anime TV Series
Genre: Magical Girl
Fansubbed by: The Techno Girls
Plot: Momoko discovers she's the Legendary Love Angel Wedding Peach and, with the help of her angel friends, fights for lovers everywhere!
High Points: This anime is a hoot! I love the transformation sequences. It doesn't get much more elaborate than this. It's cool how the girls can go from being best friends to worst enemies in a matter of seconds. And their idealism is very touching.
Low Points: There's not much plot to get in the way of the transformation sequences. This anime was definitely designed for very young girls and therefore can become kind-of boring. Well, actually, not for me since I have the mentality of a five year old...