As We See It

Separating fact from Fushigi

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Have you heard about Fushigi: The Magic Gravity Ball? Maybe you’ve seen the two-minute infomercial—the one in which park-goers manipulate acrylic spheres with their hands and repeatedly shout, “Fushigi!” According to pitchman Tim Goewey, “It floats! It levitates! It will confuse the senses with its mind-blowing movements! Young or old, big or small, anyone can Fushigi, from the minute they pick up the magic gravity ball.”

Time for a reality check. The Fushigi instructions refute much of what was said in the infomercial. “ATTENTION,” the printout reads, “FUSHIGI is an amazing ‘skill’ toy, however FUSHIGI will not float on its own ... For Ages 12 & Up ... To eliminate any risk of injury to your eyes, NEVER use your Fushigi outdoors.” So, for those of you keeping score, the Fushigi doesn’t really float, it’s not really fit for young children, and you’re not actually supposed to bring it outside.

That said, I really like my Fushigi (just not the Fushigi infomercial). At $20, the Fushigi (and accompanying instructional DVD) is a pretty good deal. It truly is the ultimate conversation starter. If you pull out a Fushigi, people are going to ask you about it—regardless of your skill level. Think of the Fushigi as the adult version of those Twirly Worms you see at the mall kiosks—you know, the googly eyed pipe cleaners on invisible thread being passed off as “magic pets.” Like the Twirly Worms, the Fushigi isn’t as easy as it looks. But if you’re wiling to put in the work—and you probably aren’t—you’ll be handsomely rewarded with a sense of confusing, mind-blowing fun.

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