The chapters of the manga series
Fushigi Yûgi were written and illustrated by
Yuu Watase. The first chapter premiered in the May 1992 issue of
Shōjo Comic where it ran until its conclusion in the June 1996 issue. The series tells the story of two teenage girls, Miaka and Yui, who are pulled into "The Universe of the Four Gods", a mysterious book they find at the National Library. In the book world, they each priestesses of separate beast gods, with jealousy and tragedy turning the best friends against one another. A
prequel series,
Fushigi Yûgi Genbu Kaiden appeared in a 2003 issue of
Sho-Comi before moving to an off-shoot magazine called Fushigi Yûgi Perfect World in 2004, and then
Monthly Flowers. After a hiatus from publication, the series will be serialized in Rinka magazine soon.
The prequel details the creation of "The Universe of the Four Gods" and tells the full story of the Priestess of Genbu, who is only briefly mentioned in the original series.