Category: Twelve Kingdoms

Welcome all to the finale of our Twelve Kingdoms watch! It was a long road to get here, filled with self-discovery and political intrigue. Sadly, as incredible as the journey was, all good things must one day end. And this is that day. So without further ado, lets jump right into it!

Right off the bat I have to say… this isn’t how I would have preferred the series to end. Admittedly, following up episode 39 was going to be a tough task however you slice it. There was an air of finality, of release, to such a long an intricate arc that nothing was really going to match it. But to end on a recap of all things? It leaves a sour taste in my mouth, one that isn’t fixed by the ending of the actual arc either. It really feels like Twelve Kingdoms was given 6 more episodes than it needed, and so had no idea what to do with them. Either that or it was canceled when they thought they had more time. Because there was clearly more story to tell, and lots of setup to tell it. As far as what we got though, I find it wanting.

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 43/44/45 – Throwback Thursday” →

Welcome all to the penultimate week of Twelve Kingdoms! It feels weird to be here, especially after how final that last arc was. But we have 3 more episodes to get through this week, this time featuring Shoryu and Enki! So without further ado, lets dive in.

My initial impressions of this arc are… ones of familiarity. Coming off of the previous arc, it feels like we have seen this all before. A troubled Kingdom, a rebellion, a disrespected Ruler. There are some changed details that make me curious of course. Such as Shoryu’s character, or how the rebellion is against the Ruler this time. But overall it largely feels like a retreading of the prior arc, at least on first impression. I would wager that Twelve Kingdoms is going to use this as a sort of commentary on the previous arc. To show us how such a thing could be resolved from the Rulers position, rather than participating in it. Unlike the last arc though, this one only has 6 episodes to gets message across and I cant help but fear it will feel… rushed. That concern aside though, there is a lot still to discuss!

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 40/41/42 – Throwback Thursday” →

I must admit, I was almost late getting this Twelve Kingdom’s post out. Something about this new game, I’m sure you’ve never heard of it, Cyberpunk was just robbing my time. That aside, this is once again a big week for Twelve Kingdoms. From rampant corruption to public executions, things are getting bad. So without further ado lets jump right into it!

Starting off, this is a complex week and I am unsure of where to start. As I said above, things are getting bad though in Kingdom of Kei, so lets being there. This was the first week were we really got to see Kei’s political situation, on a local level. Sure we learned from Enho about land distribution, and we have seen the palace court. But those aren’t the officials who handle the day to day. They aren’t the boots on the ground, so to speak. And what Twelve Kingdom’s showed us wasn’t pretty. It’s here that the previous displays of what Hou was like before it fell come back to haunt us. Rampant corruption, murder in the streets, public executions. Things we, the viewer, thought were a thing of the past. Yet now we see them in Nakajima’s own back yard. And it’s all thanks to Shoukei.

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 31/32/33 – Throwback Thursday” →

Whoooo 30 episodes of Twelve Kingdoms! I have to say, when I first started this series I was expecting it to be a bit of a slog. 45 episodes is a respectable length after all. However to my pleasant surprise, it’s been a pretty engaging time. This week is no different there, as we Suzu and Shoukei continue their travels and Nakajima unravels a conspiracy in her kingdom. So without further ado, lets dive in!

Starting off, so much shit happened this week, it’s insane. I am continually impressed with just how much content, how much progression, Twelve Kingdoms manages to fit into its episodes. I finished 29 and was surprised to learn there was still another to go, it covered so much ground. So because of that, lets start with the easy to follow tale of Suzu, Asano and the young Seishuu. I wasn’t expecting a third member to get added to this trip, but by the end of his stay he had added a lot. Suddenly what was one person’s journey of self-discovery became some kind of parable. The three reminding me of the three monkeys with one deaf, one blind and one mute. Suzu refuses to hear any criticism, Asano is unable to speak the language and Seishuu is legitimately blind. It’s small, but made me really happy to notice.

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 28/29/30 – Throwback Thursday” →

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and welcome to another post about Twelve Kingdoms! I know it’s a bit late-ish, but blame the holiday. This was a pretty eventful week for all 3 of our leads, so lets just jump right into it.

Starting off, I think I figured out the point of these three stories. The thread that connects them all, beyond simply being girls or their positions in society. Simply put, it’s understanding life in this world. Understanding what it is like to live in the kingdoms. None of them have every actually lived a day in these peoples shoes. Shoukei lived in a palace, and while Suzu worked she did so in equivalent luxury, immortal and free from the worlds woes. Meanwhile Nakajima was in constant conflict before being thrust into the highest rung of society. Each of these girls brings a unique perspective to this question, each with their own histories and motivations. It’s an unexpected, but welcome shift in the series and I can’t wait to see what Twelve Kingdoms does with it. Now, how about we talk specifics after the break?

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 25/26/27 – Throwback Thursday” →

Welcome back to my Twelve Kingdoms watch! This is an important week, as we finally return to Nakajima’s queenly story. This week see’s political intrigue, budding rebellion and… two new side stories? It’s a lot to talk about so lets dive right in!

Starting off, the side stories. I’m not yet sure how I feel about what Twelve Kingdoms is doing. Not in a negative way, of course. This isn’t the first time Twelve Kingdoms has gone off on a weird storytelling tangent. Our entire last arc was basically a self-contained history for a character that we probably won’t see again in the anime. No, I am sure Twelve Kingdoms will manage to balance these three stories well between each other. It’s more that I don’t yet understand what connects these stories, these three characters. 2 of them, Nakajima and Suzu, are Kaikyaku, that one makes sense. Meanwhile Suzu and Shoukei are both effectively peasants, or have inverted each others roles, etc. Similar also holds true for Shoukei and Nakajima, queen and fallen princess after all. But so far, these connections seem very nebulous. Only option is to wait and see, I suppose.

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 22/23/24 – Throwback Thursday” →

This is an important week for Twelve Kingdoms. It marks the completion of an arc and the (almost) halfway point of this watch. We have lies, deceit and murderous beasts, oh my! All that and more in this weeks three episodes. So without further ado, lets dive in.

Starting off, it’s always a bit dry, but lets talk production. Twelve Kingdoms is not a series known for its stellar animation. In fact, there are some episodes where it barely has any at all. However with the general quality of Twelve Kingdom’s direction, that just makes the big moments standout even more. The entire sequence with the Toutetsu inside the cave during episode 19 was simply great. Between that and the actual narrative of the episode, it felt like the whole thing went by in a flash. Similarly, Taiki’s transformation into a Kirin and his subsequent run in the night also looked great. Something about Twelve Kingdom’s art direction, whether it be the color palette or something else, really sells the otherworldly beauty of these creatures. I just wish these sorts of scenes weren’t so few and far between.

Continue reading “Twelve Kingdoms – 19/20/21 – Throwback Thursday” →