Twelve Kingdoms – 31/32/33 – 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.

Of course I don’t mean Shoukei caused what is happening in Kei, rather her story contextualizes it. It is through her journey that we see how Kingdoms decline. From Hou’s overzealous lord to Ryou’s neglect, both compared to En’s prosperity. We are shown the crossroad upon which Kei sits this very moment. Meanwhile Shoukei’s story itself comes full circle this week. Through her journeys in these kingdoms, through visiting En she can finally see how wrong her country was. Just like with Nakajima, Rakushun has shown Shoukei her duty and in doing so helped her accept her fathers fall was for the best. In a few words, she has grown up. And we see this most in her admission of what her original plans are. She’s no longer hiding anything, she’s washing herself clean of her pride and life as a Princess. Ready to begin anew.

The best indicator of this, and the most obvious, comes in episode 33. Once again, executions are occurring on the street. But this time Shoukei witnesses them herself, this time she is the one throwing the rock. With that single action, she has shown she understands the pain of those in the village. That she now understands how hard it is to stand by and do nothing, and how wrong said executions actually were. It’s all rather clearly shown, flashback sequences and all, but its still a brilliant conclusion to Shoukei’s character arc. Especially when you consider what she started as and just how far she has come since then. I really should stop doubting Twelve Kingdom’s writing at this point. Every time it starts off with something so wild or ambitious, I don’t think it will work, and then it does. Speaking of that, want to talk about another?

If Shoukei’s was a journey of understanding and compassion, Suzu’s was of understanding and radicalization. As we see over these three episodes, Suzu is not taking Shoukei’s death well. Sure, where before she wept for herself, now she weeps for another. Sure, she has come to understand that this world is harsh to everyone, not just herself. Those are both good things, at least as far as grief can be good. She’s learned how to understand the pain of others just as Shoukei had. But where Shoukei became more compassionate with this knowledge, Suzu seems out to get revenge. To deal that pain back to another. Were this restricted to Shouko, the corrupt and terrible leader of the city, it wouldn’t be all bad. But she appears to blame not just him, but Nakajima and the whole government of Kei for it as well. Simply put, she’s being radicalized.

Now maybe that is a bit of an extreme word, but bear with me here. She found a group of like people, and yes that meeting was very sweet. It was nice to see her, a Kaikyaku, being accepted into the community. This idea that pain is not unique to any one group and that we can connect over it. That’s all great. But it becomes concerning when they all have membership rings that you can’t take off, and that to take yours off isn’t allowed. It’s very… cult-ish. And were their goal not to depose a literal despot, it would be a lot more concerning than I am sure it appears to many of you readers. My hope is that Suzu, in meeting Nakajima and Shoukei, comes to a more compassionate end with her grief. But if not? Well, I am sure Twelve Kingdoms will make it work.

Finally this brings me to Nakajima, who is learning the same things as Suzu and Shoukei, but also why she can’t stop them. We get a good look at just how corrupt Kei’s system is through Nakajima. How Shoukou is being protected by the higher ups, how taxes are higher in every province, all these little things. Beyond the lesson in politics though, not much happens for Nakajima this week. Twelve Kingdoms seems to be waiting on either Asano or Koukan/Chousai to make their moves before anything more happens with her. So until the revolution she’s mostly just being used to reflect Shoukei and Suzu. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not bad. The while bit about not being able to abuse the law, how her hands are tied, shows us this is a much more complicated issue than first though. I’m just looking forward to more Nakajima.

With that we come to the episodic breakdowns, so lets start with episode 31! This was basically Shoukei’s episode, as its here that she has her big revelation and comes to terms with it all. Outside what we have already talked about, I thought it really cool how Twelve Kingdoms continues to build on the Kaikyaku. I had never thought about the potential things we could bring to them. But to hear that’s how they got paper, printing, medicine and Buddhism, among other things? It makes so much sense considering how much more advanced we are despite our comparatively long histories. It makes me wonder how much longer before some kind of industrial revolution happens here. Or possible plagues such as when Columbus first found the America’s. It open’s up a whole new world of possibilities that I really hope to but know we will never actually explore.

Next up is episode 32, which seems to focus mostly on Suzu. It’s here that we learn about the ridiculously high taxes, Suzu meets the radicals and Asano joins the bad guys. Oh had I not talked about that last one yet? Yeah, Asano joining the bad guys was unexpected but interesting. I have been wondering how his reunion with Nakajima would go for awhile now. But it appears that he believes Sugimoto has become Queen, so any plans to have him save or assassinate Queen Kei seem doomed to not go to plan. My hope is that he somehow makes it out of all this alive, but I fear that his time here as permanently damaged him. Even if he were to get sent back to Japan, what would he do there? Gone as long as he has, he seems doomed to be a victim, poor guy.

Finally we come to episode 33, which splits its time between. all three. There really isn’t anything here that I haven’t already touched on above though. Suzu gets radicalized, Shoukei becomes a revolutionary and Nakajima decides to save her. The only interesting thing left is the possible fallout from Suzu using Queen Sai’s pass to gain access to the palace. I wonder if they are going to send word to her, if Suzu will get found out, or if she will be the one to deal with Chousai. Regardless, I don’t believe that’s the last time she is going to set foot in the palace.

So all in all, how was this weeks trilogy of Twelve Kingdoms? Once again, it was pretty damn good. Thing’s are moving at an crazy speed, it’s impressive how much it manages to shove into every single episode without feeling bloated. My only question at this point is: Where does it end? We have 12 episodes left but as far as I know, the novels are still releasing to this day. Does it switch main characters? Are we going to get the end of Nakajima’s story? Or am I going to be left sad and alone at episode 45 begging for more, never to receive? Either way, that’s a problem for future Lenlo. For now, I’m lovin it.