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 offshoot 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.
The 106 individual chapters were collected and published in eighteen tankōbon volumes by Shogakukan starting in May 1992; the last volume was released in July 1996. Shogakukan is also collecting the chapters of Fushigi Yûgi Genbu Kaiden into tankōbon volumes, with the first released on October 25, 2003; as of September 2008, nine volumes have been released in Japan. Fushigi Yûgi was adapted into a 52-episode anime series by Studio Pierrot, three original video animation releases, and a thirteen volume light novel series written by Megumi Nishizaki. Fushigi Yûgi Genbu Kaiden is licensed for regional language releases in France by Editions Tonkam, Spain by Glènat España, and Germany by EMA.