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The Twelve Kingdoms - Premium Box 2
The Twelve Kingdoms - Premium Box 2
Actors: Mari Devon, Kate Davis, Houko Kuwashima, Mela Lee, Tomoko Kawakami
Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
UR     2005     9hr 35min


     
8

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Movie Details

Actors: Mari Devon, Kate Davis, Houko Kuwashima, Mela Lee, Tomoko Kawakami
Creators: Fuyumi Ono, Shô Aikawa
Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Sub-Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Animation, Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Studio: Anime Works
Format: DVD - Color - Animated,Dubbed,Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 11/15/2005
Original Release Date: 01/01/2002
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2002
Release Year: 2005
Run Time: 9hr 35min
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 5
SwapaDVD Credits: 5
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 2
Edition: Box set
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Languages: Japanese, English, English
Subtitles: English
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Movie Reviews

Fushigi Yuugi minus the romance plus the politics...
Rowena Wendy Lim | Asia | 09/18/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"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...

"
Twelve Kingdoms Part 2
A&M Junkie | UK | 01/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"(May have Spoilers from 1st boxset) The second box-set seamlessly continues the story of our heroine and her role as the queen of Kei. The story also concentrates on two new characters, the first being the girl from Hourai who asked Taiki for help in the first boxset, and the second being the daughter of the executed king of Hou who had disappeared. The stories of all three girls are interwined and all have impact on one another.
The story is as brillant as ever and even more addictive. We are also treated to a sub-story about the King of En in his early days as a ruler. The only downside of the second boxset is that it does not finish the story of King of Tai and Taiki. There were originally meant to be 68 episodes of the series but only 45 were made and it is not certain if the remaining episodes will ever be made. If you, like me, loved Taiki's story and were desperate to find out the mystery behind the King of Tai's disapperence, then you may be disappointed.
However, the story that is continued here is fantastic and if you have watched the first series you really should see this one too."
The 2nd half to the finest fantasy anime around
J. Le | San Jose, CA | 07/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Twelve Kingdoms contains some of the finest character development you'll see in any anime, regardless of genre. The development of Yoko, Queen of Kei, from an an awkward and timid girl lacking in self-confidence to a proud and resolute ruler of a kingdom is the highlight of this show. Few will forget Episode 39, where she defeats those who would overthrow her rule and sets in motion changes that will forever change the face of her kingdom at the end of the episode.

The last 6 episodes comprise the final arc of this show, and while the weakest part of this show, do little to blunt the magnificence that is the Twelve Kingdoms."