Customer Reviews

Twelve Kingdoms - Premium Box I

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've seen a good deal of anime (read: way much more than I responsibly should have). It ranges from train-wreck-bad to truly inspiring. This anime falls so close to the latter category that it belongs in my top 3 series. Very few animes can captivate a viewer to the degree where they don't even stop to look at the time, where they don't really expect the story/episode to stop. Every time I finished an episode, it always surprised me- I was so caught up in the story. The series is based on a number of well-crafted books which create a well thought out Tolkien-esque world. While developing this world, the series also finds time to develop its very interesting cast of characters. The music is also quite fantastic. The animation wins no superlatives, but it accomplishes its task quite well. The fight scenes, especially, are well animated. The one thing I worry about is the incompletion of the series. At 45 episodes, the story of the 12 Kingdoms is incomplete. I have been told that the 45 episodes effectively finishes the story of the main character- so some closure is reached. But 23 more episodes were apparently planned to reach an ultimate fate of the 12 Kingdoms- sadly, these will probably never be made. Still, this series is absolutely fantastic and not to be missed!

As far as the set goes...Animeworks never fails to impress, but they've truly surprised me this time. The case is very sturdy and features beautiful art from the series. The inside is just as impressive...more artwork from the series and a little glossary (yeah, the series is pretty detailed). It is clear from looking at the set that Animeworks cared about the job they were doing in bringing the series to the states. This is a very rare quality....so many U.S. anime companies spit out dvds with no respect for the original material, but Animeworks is clearly different.

Finally, the set is selling for a very reasonable price. If you pay between 70 and 100 for each of the sets, you're getting 45 episodes for somewhere around 170 bucks.....for a series of this caliber, that's a bargain.

I cannot recommend this series enough....its many beauties remain with you long after viewing the series. And now...you can purchase the series knowing that the original material has been treated with all of the respect it deserves.

The twelve Kingdoms is based on a novel with the same title written by Ono Fuyumi and released by Kodansha. High school student Yoko Nakajima is one day suddenly greeted with a strange man named Keiki who calls her "lord". He takes her to another world along with her classmates but then they lost sight of Keiki. They wander the land of the 12 kingdoms as hunted fugitives, trying to survive the hash treatment and attacks from the local people and to find out why they were brought to this world.

The first premium box set (of 2) released by Media Blaster is simply beautiful. It is a digipak similar to the 4-disc Extended Edition of Lord of the Rings and has a textured feel to the box's paper. The front and back of the box carries the coverart of volumes 1 and 5 of the separate DVD releases respectively. The disc holders are transparent and showing the coverart of the corresponding volume when a disc is removed.

This is an excellent anime series that you don't want to miss. Plus the fact that the premium box sets are meticiously put together makes this show a must buy!

Judging from what was happening in the first few episodes, I was somewhat expecting The Twelve Kingdoms to be an anime along the lines of the classic girl-taken-to-another-world series "Fushigi Yuugi". Turns out I was half-right. The Twelve Kingdoms is somewhat like "Fushigi Yuugi" -- minus the romance, plus a whole lot of politics.

Youko Nakajima is the quintessential unwilling heroine with zero self-confidence. After being whisked away to the world of the twelve kingdoms, Youko is forced to pick up a sword and defend herself from those who want her dead. But why would anyone want a regular schoolgirl dead? As it turns out, Youko is not as ordinary as she always believed herself to be. She is a taika, originally born in the world of the twelve kingdoms, but was somehow swept away to Japan. What's more, Youko is the chosen one, the next queen of Kei, one of the twelve kingdoms. The man she met is actually a kirin, sort of like the guardian of Kei. Each kingdom has its own kirin and ruler. The kirin chooses the ruler and pledges his/her total loyalty and submission to the ruler. Keiki is Kei's kirin, and he has chosen Youko as the queen of Kei.

If you think terminologies like taika and kirin are confusing, prepare yourself for more of these when watching The Twelve Kingdoms. A very detailed government system exists within the kingdoms, and as Youko comes to accept her destiny as ruler, she is further plunged into the world of political intrigue, betrayal, and deception. Everything is clearly explained however, you just have to make sure you're in the right state of mind when watching -- meaning this is not an anime wherein you can let your mind float off elsewhere and still get it.

One of the things I liked best about The Twelve Kingdoms was the diverse cast of extremely well-developed characters. I was amazed at how the series managed to effectively tackle and expound multiple character-oriented subplots, tying them up neatly in the end. What kept me from giving The Twelve Kingdoms a perfect rating was the non-resolution of the Taiki arc. It was as if the subplot and characters just vanished into thin air after being painstakingly shown, and until now I can't help but feel that there's a vital chunk missing in the series.

The art and animation are pretty impressive. The picturesque settings are like a cross between ancient China and Japan. Character designs are beautiful and distinct, and every scene is packed in such a way that there is virtually nothing irrelevant -- the sheer amount and detail of the events that unfold make it seem as if an episode is longer than it actually is, but you don't get the feeling that it's dragging... except maybe for the first part when Youko is still in denial with regards to her destiny. In terms of the audio aspects, the English dubbing is done nicely and the musical scoring fits perfectly.

The Twelve Kingdoms is overall an excellent and engaging series, one that will keep you popping in disc after disc just to see what's going to happen next. Now if only they would give us some closure regarding the Taiki arc...

The anime for twelve kingdoms follows a line of literary works by Ono Fuyumi. Since I can't read Japanese, I can't say how close the anime follows the novels aside from the fact that the world of the twelve kingdoms is far deeper than the story arc of Youko portrayed in the anime. You will get the sense of this when the anime seemingly goes on a tangent and shows the story of the Tai kingdom. Although the anime was slotted for 68 episodes, the series was cut short because Youko's part in the novels only covered so much, and the producers made a wise decision in not continuing the story on their own. However, I have not seen a manga release since 2002, and I have no idea whether the project has been abandoned or what, but I can only hope that it hasn't, and more of this wonderful anime will be released in the not too distant future.

Admittedly, the characters in the beginning have ugly personalities, but they grow, and they grow into some of the most delightful beings in the realm of anime, complex and full fleshed. I have watched this series dozens of times and will continue to do so. Watch it, and I doubt that you'd regret the purchase.

The Twelve Kingdoms is a brillant series, similiar in tone and storyline to Escaflowne and Fushigi Yugi, however much better than both (and as I love Escaflowne, I do not say that lightly). The story line is extremely addictive, the animation is above average and soooo beautiful, and the music is to die for. Although I have compared the storyline to the above-mentioned series, it is much more serious in tone due to its literary origins (it is based upon series of books by Fuyumi Ono). This is an epic story about three teenagers thrust into a foreign world in which they cannot speak the language. While they try to survive and find their own purpose in this new world they find themselves caught up in political intrigue, battles, and heavenly creatures. This story is grounded in a harsh reality in which people struggle to survive from starvation and stand up against corrupt officials. However, to counter-act the terrible scenes it shows, it also stresses the importance of friendship, trust, and courage.
When I first noticed the series on Amazon I was not sure what to expect regarding the style of the story. However, I cannot emphasize enough how good this series is - always gripping, surprising, and emotionally involving. The story continues in boxset 2.
The only one fault I can find with this series is that it only runs to 45 episodes and does not expand on one of the most interesting storylines. I read that the creators originally planned for the series to be 68 episodes. However, by concentrating on one main character (which the books did not) they did not have enough source material to continue for another series and are currently waiting for Fuyumi Ono to finish the series of books. However, please do not let that put you off as the series does have an exciting and satisfying finish to the story of the main character. Also, one of the problems with a story this good is that it could never be long enough.
The series comes in two gorgeous and well made boxsets, which look like books from the outside and have beautiful drawings inside and outside.
Buy this - you will not be disappointed. Absolutely the most breathtaking & involving Anime I have ever seen.

I ALMOST passed on this spectacular anime series because I was initially put off by the main character at the beginning of the story. Boy am I glad I didn't and you shouldn't either!

At first, the set-up for Twelve Kingdoms is very similar to Fushigi Yuugi: A rather annoying whiny schoolgirl and her friends get sucked into another world similar to ancient China, can't get back home, get separated, feud and have lots of adventures. But fortunately for us, the resemblance ends there.

The main protagonist Youko Nakajima develops from a very insecure and self concious high school girl to a courageous and self-aware young monarch of the Kingdom of Kei. She's become my favorite female anime character of all time!

Twelve Kingdoms is a complex, deeply layered fantasy world whose scope rivals that of Lord of the Rings. It is populated with interesting supporting characters, subplots and twists. The animation is gorgeous and the soundtrack is amazing. The best thing about this anime are the life lessons it teaches. The characters learn that despite terrible adversity, one should never give up!

Here's one that the furries will eat up like cake! This epic anime series digs deep into mythology and folklore in the tradition of Inu Yasha and Fushigi Yuugi.

Youko is a Japanese highschool girl who is sort of a doormat for anything anyone tells her. She puts up with all her parents constant naggings, and she tries desperately to be appreciated by her fellow students as the class president. On the first day of school, the campus gets attacked by giant bird creatures. A man with long white hair named Keiki appears and insists that Youko come with him so he can protect her from the monsters attacks. He gives her a sword which he says only she can use. Then, Keiki summons a flying and talking wolf to carry her and her two friends(Asano and Sugimoto)to his world, the world of the Twelve Kingdoms.

In this world there are several island countries, some of which are connected, and each is their own kingdom. Keiki, originally brought Youko here because she is intended to be the queen of one of these countries. But a king from another country has had a false queen set up in this country. Plus, Keiki is revealed to be a unicorn type shapechanger which acts as a finder a protector of new heirs to a kingdom's throne. Keiki has unfortunately been captured by the false queen and put under a spell.

Youko however has been split up and reunited on and off with her friends once in this world. The people there speak that only she can understand and her friends can't. They discover that people from Earth get caught into their world quite randomly, and although there isn't normally a way for them to get back, they can find a living there if they want. Sugimoto allies herself with the king who's trying to sabotage Youko's efforts to become queen.

There are anthropomorphoids abound in this series. Specifically, a race called hanjyuu who are born from seeds on trees, like all people in this world, and are raised by human parents, and they can change forms from animal to human. There's also your guardian beast types who can usually talk and of course fly. The main baddies are the yoma that take on the forms of mad beasts and giant monsters.

The Twelve Kingdoms is a long series based on a line of literary Japanese novels. Lasting for 68 episodes(10 DVD volumes), its quite alot to get into. But if your looking for an Asian-styled Lord Of The Rings, then the commitment is all worth it.

This anime is based on the first four of six novels by Fuyumi Ono. The plan was to have sixty-eight episodes covering these novels and then as more novels came out, expand on that. Sadly, the producers decided to end the series on episode 45; and it looks like it is not likely that they will go further. The author of the novels has also moved to other interests, so it is unlikely we will get more of those either. I am happy to say, that even with these problems, the forty-five episodes that we did get compose one of the best anime I have ever seen. The fact that there are four story arcs across these episodes, that contain a fairly separate tale, even though they are interrelated, help with this. When the episodes are over we are not left with a lot of unanswered questions. Though there are a few.

This tale starts when Youko Nakajima and her two high school friends, Yuka Sugimoto and Ikuya Asano, are transported to a fantastic world. The emissary that takes them there is Keiki, a tall lean man with long white hair, and who treats Youko as if she is his queen. Upon entering the new land, Youko experiences many surprising situations; for example, she receives a creature in her mind that allows her to wield a sword with ease and speak the language. But things are not easy, since many people in the 12 kingdoms think that what they call Kaikyaku, people that come from the "human world", are a bad omen.

The creative aspects of the series are magnificent, with esoteric creatures that have great skills for fighting and extremely cool looks. Also, the graphics are astounding, with proficient use of bright colors and crisp drawings. This definitely helps with immersing us in this fantastic setting. If you like to see great graphics in anime, you really need to see the myriad of creatures that show up in this series. As if this was not enough, I loved how the series blended the fantastic elements with the dramatic aspects of Youko figuring out what is going on and how her relationship with her parents and friends fit into the events. There is also a pretty good level of suspense and mystery!

This is the perfect anime for those people that like the genre and are also into fantasy. If you like stories that have a component of politics, you will enjoy immensely the way in which government works in the 12 kingdoms. I could not recommend this series more highly!

This story really sucked me in - it's got action and drama and the sci-fi aspect is amazing. If you like sci-fi or asian folktales, I recommend it. The main story is about a high school girl who is quiet and unconfident and is forced to become emotionally and physically strong. There is a lack of romance in the story that I personally find refreshing. Some reviewers compare this to the story of Fushigi Yuugi (Mysterious Play), without the romance. I suppose that's a reasonable comparison due to the similar sci-fi background. This story is much more enoyable, though, with the absence of the desperate, shrill calls of a naive high school girl to her all-too-obliging, older love-interest. The only things I didn't like were the handful of irrational, crazy people that are over-the-top and annoying, and the fact that this story has no ending. I thought I'd find some peace of mind by reading the novels (by the way, the hardcover of novel 1 has been available in English since March 2007 and the author is Fuyumi Ono Twelve Kingdoms, The - Hardcover Edition Volume 1: Sea of Shadow), but I found that there is no ending to the novels either! Extremely frustrating, but that's how addicting this story is. There are 44 or 45 episodes in this series and they were not nearly enough! If you can stand the that kind of heartache, go for it, because it might just be worth it.

I'm not sure what I expected out of this anime. I give it four stars for the sheer quality of the work as a whole. Having just watched the
first season, I can say it will definitely keep you watching and some scenes are quite touching. The animation is phenomenal and the character design detailed.
The thing is, there is an almost complete absence of any kind of human relationships. Seriously. Forget the lack of any romance, there is in general a lack of family, friends or even enemies. People that are enemies to begin with, suddenly become friends with almost no understandable reason why. Other enemies just die after realizing they were 'wrong' with very little follow through as to what their motivations were.

Without going into spoilers, the main character becomes friends with a former enemy who at one point tries to kill her and leaves her for dead. Yet, because of a lame vision from a sword, they are close buddies. It felt contrived. The only other friendship explored is that between the main character and the rat/man. Even that is forced, and comes off feeling unnatural. There are no solid sibling relationships, no parent/ child bonds and most notably, no romantic attachments.

This is what makes the series frustrating for me. It is so cold. As good as some of the characters are, if they don't care about anyone else, they just don't have any impact. Why the animators/ storytellers chose to do this, I don't now. It didn't have to be Fushiigi Yuugi, with everyone in love with the main character, but even one romance would have livened things up considerably and the events would have had more emotional impact. Perhaps there is no romance because there is no sex. Literally. Children in this world are born from fruit trees and this idea is so ridiculous that I almost knocked my review to 3 stars because of it. Even Cardcaptor Sakura had some kind of reference to sex. And that was a show for kids!

I have read some parts of the novels and the reviews of them here and there. The anime is very faithful, but certain stories are left hanging in the anime. Like the whole arc about the black Kirin. Why did that get left unfinished? All the episodes devoted to that, and the books have the ending to it. But not the anime. The other thing to bear in mind if you're thinking of picking up the series is that it is not finished. 45 episodes and 6 or so are recap fillers. This takes the enjoyment down a peg. And the books are not finished either, so they will not continue the anime until that happens. The author has not written a new book in this series for 5 years. 'X1999' anyone? Don't get too into it, because in the end you will be a little frustrated at the lack of closure.

So, all in all, this is a good anime, but frustrating because it had the makings of a true masterpiece. Anime is supposed to be about the director translating the story his or her own way. Taking chances and maybe adding a few things here and there. It would have been nice if the political textbook could have been balanced out with a little humanity. And maybe some sort of ending. They have done that in many other animes and it works because it's only one person's interpretation of the events.
Before you sink serious money into this, try renting or buy just one disk first. After 5 or more episodes, you get the idea of what the whole story will be like. It's not for everyone.