The second three-dvd set of Fushigi Yuugi continues the adventures of Miaka and Yui, two Japanese middle-school girls drawn into an ancient Chinese book, The Universe of the Four Gods. The later episodes are darker in tone, marked by threats of rape, attempted rape, and the deaths of several secondary characters (some of whom die). Miaka and her friends, who fight in the name of the "beast-god" Suzaku, are pitted against the warriors of the rival deity, Seiryu: twins Amiboshi and Suboshi; werewolf Ashitare; lightning-wielding Soi; Miboshi, who looks like a tiny monk; Tomo, who dresses like a Peking Opera general; and the icily vicious Nagako. Nagako commands this troop in the name of Yui, who is waging a vendetta against Miaka. Despite the myriad plots, battles, and spells, director Hajime Kamegaki focuses on the romance between Miaka and martial artist Tamahome. Tamahome has lost the outlaw panache that initially made him attractive, and Miaka has grown no more prepossessing. She whines continuously, and every third episode seems to end with her either declaring she'll never forgive some evil or apologizing for not living up to someone's expectations. What does Tamahome see in her? Explore the more colorful and interesting supporting characters--transvestite Nuriko, sorcerer-in-training Chichiri, and mountain bandit Tasuki. While Miaka and her friends slog on, her brother Keisuke and his friend Tetsuya are reading The Universe of the Four Gods and tracking its effects in the real world. The final battle that pits Tomahome against Nagako and Suzaku against Seiryu proves more anticlimactic than apocalyptic. Kamegaki has several key events occur off camera, including Yui's final wish to Seiryu and how Miaka escapes from the penalty customarily imposed on those who summon Suzaku. Fushigi Yuugi should be seen one or two episodes at a time: watching for more than an hour is like eating a box of bonbons in one sitting.