Tomo in the Fushigi Yuugi Omake [Analysis]

Tomo and Miboshi are good friends in the Fushigi Yuugi Omake.

After almost 20 years, I finally watched the Fushigi Yuugi Omake and had a kick out of it.  Tomo and Miboshi looked like good friends.  I’m assuming mage types get along well with each other.  Tomo seemed to have such a fun time hanging around with Miboshi that he didn’t even mind his rival, Soi, being all over Nakago!

Ashitare was struck by Soi's thunder on the bus' roof.  Don't get Soi mad, Tomo!!!  Also, Soi is all over Nakago.  Tomo didn't seem to mind--maybe he realized it was meant to be after what happened in the OVA?  It would've been awkward if Tomo sits right next to the lovebirds.  Luckily, Miboshi sits between Soi and Tomo.  

Now there was a scene where Tomo got really mad because Nuriko wrote to him via Amiboshi-Suboshi, calling him “Cackling Homo”.  English version made it a tad less offensive with “Cackling Queer.”  Jokes back in the 90s would be homophobic in today’s social standards.  I guess the writers thought they've gotten away with this because a gay character made a homophobic slur to another gay character.  That’s the 90s for you, but at least sensibilities have been improved for the past 20 years...I hope.   Also to note, Nuriko never had the chance to encounter Tomo in the original anime/manga.  Actually, most of the Suzaku group has never seen Tomo, they’ve only seen illusions of him (no makeup, no crazy costume).

Tomo and Nuriko message battle.  When 90's homophobic slurs are thrown around as a joke...to soften the blow, it's actually between two gay men.  Miboshi and Yui held a distressed Suboshi down.

More insults were thrown back and forth between the Seiryuu and Suzaku groups, much to the dismay and aggravation of Amiboshi and especially Suboshi as they’re both used as messaging mediums between the two teams.  Well to be fair, Suboshi totally wrecked the hell out of Tomo in the anime/manga, so in a way this can be seen as Tomo’s slight revenge against the youngster.  Also to note, Tomo held down Suboshi by his butt (!).  Not sure if the animators deliberately drew that.  When Nakago wrote his message with a sharp nail and Suboshi cried in pain, Tomo said, “Poor boy.”  So much irony in this entire scene.

Tomo holding down Suboshi down...by clamping on his butt.  Hmmm.  Miboshi said that Tamahome asked if Nakago has any fanmail.  Nakago is upset. 

What I also notice is that when Chiriko asked if anyone read the 8th volume of the Fushigi Yuugi manga, everyone including Ashitare cheered (he can read?!).  The look on Nakago’s face tells that he’s the only one who didn’t read it!

Everyone cheered!  The entire cast, except Nakago, read the 8th manga volume of Fushigi Yuugi.  Yes, it looks like Ashitare can read too (!!!).

Tomo was quite flabbergasted when Chiriko told everyone to dress into women’s clothes, but it seemed that he was definitely up for it.  He even considered taking off some
of his makeup (he should take all of it off!).  He would totally rock it as a girl.  I mean, he even turned into one when he put most of the Suzaku team in his mirage world!  Also, he could’ve easily made Miboshi and Ashitare into pretty ladies with his illusion spells 😜  Heck, he could’ve done that to everyone!  All of them were out of character, but nevertheless, it was fun seeing them all as friends.

Tomo deciding if he's going to take some of his makeup off.  TAKE IT ALL OFF!!!  

Later on, I realize the reason we don’t see the rest of the Seiryuu dressed as women was because there’s no manga basis for that.  For the animators’ sake, it’s a lot easier to emulate what’s already in the manga than to create more costume designs for the other characters.  All the Suzaku warriors dressed up as women have the same attire, reactions, and expressions as in the manga.  The only ones added into the Omake are Nakago, Hotohori, Tetsuya, and Keisuke.  Also, the women in the hot springs are actually a whole bunch of violent female warriors and they did some of the most misandrist things in the manga—that bit was omitted so the tone of the Omake would stay lighthearted.

The boys are dressed up as girls.  Not everyone approves this (looking at Tamahome, Tasuki, and Nakago).  Hotohori just admires himself.

...and some are not as fortunate!