When I watched Fushigi Yugi‘s anime, by the time Miboshi, one of Yui’s seven seishi (celestial warriors), was introduced, it became obvious that Yui had gotten the short end of the stick. While Miaka’s celestial warriors upheld their duty to protect her and all care about her deeply, Yui’s team often put their own motives ahead of her well-being. Now that I’m reading Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden, I began to wonder: of all four sets of guardians, which seven celestial warriors would I want to be part of my team if I were a priestess trapped in the Universe of the Four Gods? I thought it might be fun to write about, so here are my picks:
Status: Suzaku Celestial Warrior
Reason: I chose Tamahome because above all, he’s fiercly loyal to Miaka and willing to do anything to protect her. He always bends over backwards for his teammates, and is a great big brother to his many siblings. Tamahome is very kind, and basically the perfect boyfriend – not to mention the fact that’s he’s hot doesn’t hurt either.
Status: Suzaku Celestial Warrior
Reason: Tasuki controls fire, which is a great advantage to have on your side. But aside from his power, Tasuki is a funny character who is quick to anger, and while he always puts on a tough guy act it’s obvious that he cares deeply about his comrades. And despite the fact that he claims to hate women, he cares very much about Miaka’s feelings, which is evident not long after he is introduced and gets his ass kicked when he refuses to fight a brainwashed Tamahome at Miaka’s request.
Status: Suzaku Celestial Warrior
Reason: Because Nuriko is probably my favorite character in all of Fushigi Yugi. He’s haughty yet somehow wise, and he is usually the shoulder Miaka turns to cry on. While the other celestial warriors often tease him for being a crossdresser, he always manages to appear cool. Nuriko is also one of the strongest celestial warriors, so having him on your side can only be a benefit.
Status: Genbu Celestial Warrior
Reason: Of all of the love interests in Fushigi Yugi, Uruki is probably my favorite. Usually Yuu Watase’s male characters are a bit too perfect: they are willing to give up everything to be with the woman they love, are perfect at everything they do, and are great-looking to boot. While these things are true of Uruki as well, he also has an angtsy cynical side to him that has been caused by the fact that his father wants him dead. The fact that Uruki is a prince means he knows the land well, however, it also has made him a target for assassins, which is an obvious detriment. Still, I’d choose Uruki because he has many interesting quirks: not only can he control wind, but when he uses his powers, he turns into a girl! I can only imagine how jealous that would make Nuriko.
Status: Genbu Celestial Warrior
Reason: Of all the celestial warriors, I truly think Namame is the best one. He’s tiny and made of rock, so you’d think he wouldn’t be very helpful but the truth is actually the opposite: because he’s so tiny he can protect priestess Takiko without ever being seen! Namame is also a shapeshifter, which allows him to turn into a horse the celestial warriors can travel with, as well as a dome the warriors can sleep in. Thus, I would choose Namame because he’s probably the most practical of the celestial warriors. And he’s cute.
Status: Genbu Celestial Warrior
Reason: I have to respect Yuu Watase for deciding to make a character like Inami a celestial warrior. While most of the celestial warriors are young men who open up the opportunity for romance with the priestess, Inami is a middle-aged woman who you’d never suspect to be a warrior. Although she’s not the strongest seishi, she’s a confidante and source of wisdom to Takiko, which makes having her on your side beneficial. And her power includes the ability to trap people with her hair, which is pretty cool.
Status: Seiryu Celestial Warrior
Reason: At first glance, choosing Nakago might not seem like a wise decision. He manipulates Yui into believing she was raped and convinces her to betray her best friend, all while using the other Seiryu celestial warriors to his own benefit. But Nakago is by far the most powerful of all the celestial warriors, and it literally took all seven Suzaku warriors to defeat him. But the real reason I’d choose Nakago is more from my perspective as an audience member: because I truly think Fushigi Yugi wouldn’t have been anywhere near as good as it is if Nakago weren’t in it.
And those are my choices! I feel bad for not picking any Byakko celestial warriors, but considering the fact that the Byakko storyline hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet it shouldn’t be too surprising. Which celestial warriors would you guys pick to be on your team?