Fushigi Yugi

I've described the basic setup of Fushigi Yugi to some people and they interrupt by saying, "Oh, like Never Ending Story". Well I have never seen Never Ending Story, so I really don't know what to say in response. I can't quite shake the feeling however that whenever people make this association they are at the same time sort of writing off the whole anime as something that is based on a tired premise. Please try not to dismiss this story as something too full of cliches to be worth watching, or something that you would be interested in if you hadn't already seen Never Ending Story.
Miaka and Yui are two junior high classmates who have been friends since they first started going to school. Miaka is stronger in appetite than in intellect, but has a gentle good natured manner that makes for a good protagonist. Yui on the other hand is really smart. Like many brainy types she visits the library in town and decides to take Miaka in tow. Miaka seems more interested in the juice machines in the lobby than the books. Fumbling with change and planning to enjoy a refreshing beverage while Yui returns some books, Miaka gets distracted by a ghostly bird and wanders into a room of "important documents".
Yui quickly finds her friend in this obscure side room. They see a book fall out of one of the stacks. It is an old Chinese book. Yui, being the smart girl she is, knows how to read Chinese. She reads out loud for Miaka. The book's introduction says the book contains a story, a story that is a sort of spell that will transfer the reader into the story. Before they know it they find themselves in ancient China.
"Hey I guess something like that was going to happen!"...Well OK maybe you did, but you won't guess the weird and meandering story to follow. The characters actually end up going back and forth between the two worlds. And it is not the type sort of buddy film two girls being together all the time. They have to learn how to handle being seperated, much of the time in two seperate kingdoms, and sometimes in two seperate worlds.
There is a big cast in this series. Lots of characters who you will have fun learning to love or hate, and lots of male characters making this anime not so girlie that young boys will become bored. It is however a show that seems to be mostly aimed at girls. The humor is sometimes very silly, but doesn't get in the way of the story. The romance (there is lots of it) is handled in good taste.
Not only are there lots of characters in Fushigi Yugi but there are lots of episodes. Lots of a good thing...and availible on DVD!