Juuni Kokuki

Youko Nakagima's story begins simply enough when a strange blond man called Keiki tells her "I swear never to desert my post before your throne," and asks her to accept this. Initially a schoolgirl who goes along to get along, her character slowly grows into a figure of confidence and strength. Wisked away to another world, bereft of all protection except a sword and a skill-giving spirit called a hinman, Youko struggles to survive in a kingdom hostile to her very existence. Tormented by a taunting spirit monkey, Youko has difficulty even maintaining her sanity. She wonders what has become of Keiki, who seems to have deserted her, and if she will ever encounter anyone from her new world who is friendly to her.

The story of Shouryuu the King of En and the thus far incomplete story of the black kirin Taiki are also included in this 45 episode series.

Not having the eloquence of some of the previous posters here I'll just say that this anime series is an absolute pleasure to watch.

I don't mind a bit of excitement as long as it enhances a story eg Vampire Hunter D Two is a top action anime with a nice touch of gore (grin). But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the quieter things in anime as well.

The animation in 12 Kingdoms may be a bit simple in parts where a large number of people/creatures are involved or in cityscapes which tend to be somewhat empty looking but that is easily forgiven with the overall quality of the story. In addition when there are only a limited amount of characters present the drawing is quite attractive.

The series has a very strong storyline with excellent moral values and character development. It has been a real wrench to have to end a viewing session on some occasions.

That there is a female heroine in the early stages is also great. My daughter is wrapped in the series and quite miffed to be limited to 2 episodes a day!

I'd easily put this in the top 5 anime I have seen.

I absolutely lost myself and also found some parts of myself in this anime. Truly brilliant. Only if you love adventures and politics of leadership and beautiful friendships. Check it out man.. be your own self.

First: I'm not an anime fan! I saw these series by a pure accident, simply because there was nothing else to watch on TV. Is it a masterpiece? Nah-h...I hate this word. Is it perfect? Again, by no means.

Is it wonderful in spite all it's flaws? Well, here my personal answer is a resounding YE-E-E-E-E-ES! This is not to everyone's taste, mind you.

It takes 45 episodes, 25 minutes each, of a true journey, this means the pace might be a bit slow for some. The show is overloaded with details and strange terms, which also may turn off many viewers. The animation, while very beautiful, is a bit lacking in movement department. You can see that for some seconds the picture stays still with only characters's mouth moving and many body movements are awkward and unintentionally ridiculous.

The story is, actually, just a fairy tale, which may turn off another part of the public and as for the anime/fantasy fans - the story sounds a bit too familiar and banal.

A young girl in modern Japan, Youko, suddenly finds out she actually belongs to another mysterious world, very reminiscent of ancient China, and some weird stranger takes her there, against her wish, apparently, to find her destiny. Which, of course, must be something special, because, why else this stranger named Keiki who commands some ferocious beasts, kneels before her and declares her to be his master? Yes, you've heard it hundreds times before and, definitely, will hear it another gazillion times - an ordinary man/woman finds out he's the chosen one who can save the world or whatever...bla-bla-bla...Matrix? Star wars? Lord of the Rings? Millions other versions?

Well, it's all the same all over again, i thought.Well, yes and no.

The "chosen one" here is a an insecure (and not in particularly sympathetic way)ordinary teenage-girl. She's a mumbling conformist of a worst kind, the one who's desperate to please everyone and ultimately fails on every level. Seemingly popular and "accepted" among her school friends, she's actually despised and used by everyone as a convenient mean to patch every uncomfortable hole. Youko will swallow every insult, hidden or open, will berry her head under the sand even before her parents, will do everything just to remain "a good girl" in the eyes of the others.

I won't tell you how exactly the things will flow from here on, and, yes, you can guess the general direction, but words can't describe the overall beauty of the wonderful, unpredictable (yes, i MEAN it) and very complicated storyline and fully realistic, flawed and human characters, which develop all along the series, coming a full circle of growth along with the viewer...

There's no triumphant endings, cheering crowds, big battles and sieges for 20 minutes each (well, there are some, but it's a relatively small part of the story). The ending is quiet and the whole feeling of the conclusion is very poignant, bitter-sweet and genuinely touching and rewarding.

It's about how life isn't a simple thing and its lessons are harsh and not always clear. And it's only your own responsibility which way to choose. While trying to please people you may take an easier path to became a "good" person in other's eyes, but there are things and principles that are worth fighting for, even when the closest to you don't share your opinion.

It's about the totally different world, which, at the end, appears to be not that different as it seemed. This is a movie about growing up and becoming a wholesome human being, who's ready to take upon himself not only the rights of grown-up life, but also a heavy load of the responsibilities that come with it and painful sacrifices.

Thanks to everyone involved in the production. Even without completing the whole 68 episodes as was planned, it's still a rare gem truly worth your time and money.

Just rewatched it after 15 years - gosh! I took a break in watching anime, okay? ;) -, and even by todays' standards, I think, it's a very good one. It was my favorite back then and it is now still.

Yes, the age shows, the art is not as catchy, there are more stills, grand battles portrayed in small perspectives, but still, if you get involved in the world and the story, none of that will matter (the backgrounds, the buildings, the towns, the interiors, the clothes are pretty detailed). It does not have that retro anime look which prevents me rewatching many older shows, the soundtrack is epic and the English dub is acceptable (not as great as English voice talent work these days, but it's ok. You might want to listen this in Japanese.)

So about the story. First of all, Twelve Kingdoms is hardcore fantasy, there is not a single mistep in that. No boobies, no panties, no cute girls (nah, that's not true), no yummy foods, no comedy, no laughing, just blood, struggle and suffering, you can be sure about that. It is compensated by large scale world building, epic storytelling, serious dialogs, catharsis and fulfillment; the ending is one of the greatest I have ever seen, every sentence has its own weight supported by the whole story built up until then.

There is a huge collection of manga behind it and the main arc is about Youko Nakajima's detailed transformation from schoolgirl to queen. It happens in the first 39 episodes, minus those few in the middle which is about the black kirin, Taiki. (Kirins are mythical animals choosing kings and spiritually connecting with them.) Those episodes can be skipped, but you either won't make it that far or will be so involved, that you won't skip those anyway since those episodes add some more details to the world. (Youko is a bit lost in the beginning, but bear with it, she will become a godess in the end.)

What makes it interesting about Youko's journey is first the world which is very detailed, think about historic China, and well thought out with lots of lore. Secondarily and most importantly, the fact that she has to earn the throne twice. Because there is a big difference between getting the title and earning it. First she gets the throne formally and later she becomes worthy of it. "Because nobody is given anything without responsibility and if they were, that would be wrong." as Rakushun points out, who is by far the best character I have ever encountered in any anime or other medium for the matter. (Yes, he is the rat in my avatar and he becomes Youko's best friend and mentor somewhere around episode 6.)

In the second part of Youko's adventure there are two other character arcs, not as big than Youko's, but still interesting and deep, just to shake things up a little, and all these arcs culminate nicely at the end, which is episode 39 in fact. (There are six more episodes after that, but those are forgottable.)

This is my all time favourite anime. Would be nice to see a real life adaptation, but probably would never happen.