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Plot Synopsis

Juuni Kokki is a story of a girl named Youko, whose life in modern Japan is suddenly and rudely interrupted as a strange man with flowing white, long hair appears and kneels before her, swearing his allegiance. In Japan she is a normal teenager, albeit one who cares greatly about how others see her and hence appears rather weak-willed. With the appearance of this strange man, frightening things start happening.Against her will, she and some friends are taken to another world by the man. Here begins the world of "The Twelve Kingdoms" and it is a vast and beautiful one. Intricate and complicated to a certain degree with a fusion of ancient Chinese and Japanese culture, it has twelve kingdoms; each with a King and a helper called a kirin. On coming to this new world, Youko is separated from the man who brought her and stumbles through this new place, learning as she goes along. As the anime progresses, it shows the growth of her character and the struggles she has to face, both internally and externally as well. Will she ever return home? Why was she brought here?

Credits: Feirai

Story & Characters

The basic story: young Japanese schoolgirl and a couple of her friends get drawn somewhat against their will into a parallel fantasy world, where she is to play an important part in the shaping of the realms within.

Sounds like an anime you've already seen, right?

Well, perhaps the most basic of its concepts is familiar, but really, Juuni Kokki ("Twelve Kingdoms") takes the basic storyline and sets the bar extremely high for any anime of the fantasy genre. The main reason that I will say this is that Junni Kokki has excellent character development. Not only is each personality crafted with significant depth, but also as the series progresses, so do the characters. The main character, Nakajima Youko, is the prime example as she progresses from somewhat self-centered indecisive schoolgirl through a few intermediate stages to her ending state of a strong lead with not only convictions, but also the drive to follow through with them. My only gripe is that some of the secondary characters (King Kou, for example), feel somewhat empty in comparison, even when we know their motives.

As for the world setting itself, the Twelve Kingdoms, this is an excellent example of a well-thought out fantasy realm. One thing this series does not suffer from is the "medieval world, but with magic" syndrome. The world itself is crafted by its Gods as shown by the symmetry in its layout. I shan't delve too deeply, but there are a large number of quirks that make the world as alien as it should be (babies... grow on trees?...) Depending on your personal tastes, though, there are a number of terms and names that are not explained immediately to preserve a sense of mystery about the world. As a warning, some may find this aggravating.

Pros: Excellent characters, well-crafted fantasy world and storyline
Cons: Some of the secondary characters' personalities (especially some of the antagonists) feel a little weakly developed.

Rating

9 (very good)

Art

Nothing here but praises, really. The character designs are well done, as each character is distinct despite the more realistic style that the anime is drawn in. For the most part, the art is top-notch, though there is the variance from episode to episode that is the bane of most TV series. Taken as a whole, though, the art is incredible. Not only the characters, but also the areas that they pass through are well-drawn. Again, pains were taken to accentuate both the alienness of the world, as well as the medieval China feel.

The thing that sets Twelve Kingdoms apart from just a "well-drawn" anime, though, is the creatures. From the first episode to the last, you are treated to a parade of creations, both monstrous and beautiful.

Pros: Distinct and well-drawn art predominates, well drawn scenery, interesting menagerie of creatures
Cons: Suffers occasionally from the "bad art weeks" that almost any TV series seems to suffer.

Rating

9 (very good)

Sound

The casting of the Japanese seiyuu were excellent, as each voice was a match for the character, including all of the bestiary that were capable of speech. Sound effects were also well done, though nothing necessarily to write home about. Which brings us to the music...

While I have no complaints with the music, indeed the music fit the genre well, I wasn't as impressed with it as I was with the rest of the anime. I suppose having the music be non-intrusive allowed more of a focus on the story and characters, but with everything else so high standard, I can't help but wish for a little more here.

Pros: Good voice acting
Cons: Music fits with theme, but isn't gripping

Note: (I've only watched the subtitled version, so I cannot speak on the quality of dubbing)

Rating

7 (above average)

Presentation

Overall, this series sits high on my recommendation list. While the very basic concept (schoolgirl-made-fantasy-heroine) is well known within the anime realm, the way the story and characters are presented is top-notch. I've heard this series described as "a well drawn version of Fushigi Yuugi, with all the things you didn't like removed, and a whole host of interesting things added." This gives you a general feel for the anime, though I'd ask that you start watching the series without any preconceptions. Despite the couple review episodes (which at least had some new footage and information), I've enjoyed the entire series, both the first time through as well as subsequent viewings in which I introduced the anime to my friends. Since the storyline throws the characters headlong into the middle of a world with hardly an explanation, watching a second time was perhaps even more enjoyable, as I caught all the foreshadowing and hints of upcoming plots that I'd missed the first time through.

For those looking to purchase the series, the series is moderately long (39 episodes, 9 DVDs), though there are three distinct story arcs (DVDs 1-3, 4-5, 6-9), so there are certainly good places to pause if you can't purchase them all at the same time and don't wish to be stopped halfway through a plotline.

Rating

9 (very good)

Final Verdict

8.67 (very good)

Reviewed by Ryu-oh, 3y 36wk ago