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Johnni86
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 23
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:56 am
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I agree with Deltakiral the beginning is rather slow but as the show progresses it basically becomes amazing and the characters do evolve in the story and in my opinion become much more likable.
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Stupidman007
Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 394
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:02 am
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While the first say few episodes are indeed quite boring, the second half of the first arc is very interesting, and from there you'll definitely keep going. The second arc is also a bit boring, but the third arc, which is like 20 episodes, is awesome. Just keep watching.
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Kelly
Joined: 17 Nov 2003
Posts: 868
Location: New York City
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:41 am
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Another vote here for keep going, unless you have the type of personality that spending episodes and episodes learning about Youko's new world with her will bore you - which I'm assuming isn't true if you were interested enough to start watching in the first place. Things start to pick up once Youko meets her future best friend Rakushun and her mentors and first allies, the King of En and Enki Rokuta (the young man she saw briefly right at the very beginning of the series before she was spirited away by Keiki). I would say at least watch up to King En and Rokuta's backstory to have a good idea of whether the whole series will be for you.
As for not liking Youko, think about how someone really in her situation would really act. I have a feeling 90% of us would be scared out of our minds and act the same way if we're really honest with ourselves.
Also keep in mind that the story turns out to be more a political drama than a sword and sorcery title. I personally got sucked into the political situation, and loved some of the relationships between the various major cast members.
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godakame
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 112
Location: Disney World
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:17 pm
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As everyone has already said, continue. It took me a while before I started to lighten up on the series. I really had to force myself to watch the first several episodes before I got into it. And even then after episode 14, I didn't watch another episode for 4 months, for no particular reason other than just not feeling like it. I pretty much marathoned the rest when I picked it back up.
And about your hatred towards the characters -- it's to be expected. I for one hated most of the characters initially, but by the end of the series you'll love them (maybe...hopefully).
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menshi
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
Posts: 17
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:05 pm
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I found the characters annoying from the first episode also and it never changed. So I watched to episode 23ish and I still found them annoying and the pace was pretty slow so i'd support dropping it.
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varmintx
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Covington, KY
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:23 pm
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Isn't this another one of those shows that doesn't have an actual ending?
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Johnni86
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 23
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:05 pm
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It is broken up into book(it is based off novels) and each book has a legit ending. It does not have an ending which ends everything, this is because (if i remember correctly) the people making it agreed that they would not deviate from the novels and would not make up their own story lines, but then the writer of the novels had some issue with something and stopped writing (or licensing) them so the series was cut short, i believe it was originally slated for something like 80eps and it is only 45 so yes it does end rather abruptly.
Even though i think this is an amazing show at the end i did think WTF i want more.
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blind_assassin
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 755
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:26 pm
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Twelve kingdoms is a book. Unless it was 100 pages long there is absolutely NO chance that it's going to be intense and gripping right off the bat. Anything worth reading takes time to build beyond what it opens as. Maybe because I read a lot I was able to instantly spot the potential in Twelve Kingdoms but I can say that it's the best anime I've ever seen without having to think particularly hard.
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Keonyn
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Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:36 pm
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One of the best anime there is in my opinion, definitely stick with it. Yes, the main characters can get annoying, but part of what makes the series so great is Youko's growth through the series and how she changes from start to finish. My main issue with the series was all terms and such you had to remember, but that only goes to show how much depth the author provided the world they created.
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 3498
Location: IN your nightmares
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:41 pm
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The awesome thing about this anime is that if you just want to sit back and enjoy the action and adventure side of it you can and still get enough of the story to keep you interested. But if you are the type that wants it all; the whole story that develops around each of the characters (and there are ALOT) and each of the story arcs that fit in to the whole picture then you can enjoy it that way also without missing the basic plot. So the OP who was put off by the first few episodes I highly recommend just sticking out for a couple more to see if it grabs ahold of you. I mentioned in another thread that I like overlapping storylines and an epic plotline but I didn't like Air, this anime proves that not every anime of similar genres will win big with me, but 12K definitely did. I also give praise to Twelve Kingdoms for having my all time favorite anime quote (but it's kind of a spoiler for those who haven't seen past ep 10).
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18214
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:47 pm
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Twelve Kingdoms is a series firmly focused on two things: meticuolous world-building and long-term character development. If that kind of thing doesn't interest you, then the series may never work for you.
Aside from exploring and constructing the world and the fascinating way it's set up, the series also explores the growth of Yoko (and others, but primarily Yoko) as a person. You're right, she isn't very likeable at first because she has some major issues, and over the course of the series she learns to deal with them and mature. It's sometimes a messy process, as she makes big mistakes along the way, but the final result is so immensely gratifying that I don't think I've ever talked to someone who's watched it through the climax in episode 39 and regretted it. (There are six episodes of follow-up and side story after the climax before the actual end.)
The break point where I started really getting into the series was episode 6 (or perhaps 7, whichever was the episode where she heads off on the journey with Rakashun). The 15-episode third story arc is by far the best of the four, but the second and third volumes of the first arc are both very solid, too.
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Raven Shinobi
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:32 pm
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Words can't explain how much I was satisfied with Twelve Kingdoms: the depth, the political intrigue, the fully-realized fantasy world, the unexpected twists -seriously, while watching you can't tell who's the next person that the protagonist will get stabbed in the back by, and besides:
Yokou>>>>>>>>>>>most anime female leads
She was rather annoying at the begining, but I haven't seen (or at least it's been a long time since I've seen) a protagonist such as developed as her and once I reached the 14th episodes I became attached to her and addicted to the series and just couldn't stop watching. At least watch the first thirteen or fifteen episodes and decide if the series is still not to your liking before giving up.
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unhealthyman
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 306
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:06 pm
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I'm in exactly the same position as the OP, I watched the first 3 episodes a while back, found the main character rather whiny and unappealing and didn't have time to watch any more at that time, so I've given it a break.
I know the level of acclaim this series has, so I definitely plan to come back and push on with it soon (I have some uni work to focus on and am also watching a couple of other series at the moment.)
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Kruszer
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7985
Location: Minnesota, USA
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:09 pm
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It's a really great series in my opinion, excellent character development, wonderful animation, a grand fleshed out fantasy-verse and good storylines. Although what really hooked me was the second story arc because everything going on just comes togather so well.
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
Joined: 27 Nov 2005
Posts: 2362
Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:16 pm
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I would keep watching, as I personally didn't get into the series until after the first arc, which ended around Episode 14. In fact, I was considering dropping the series around Episode 7, but I kept going, and by the time I finished Episode 39, I liked it so much that I put it as one of my top series. The main characters are a bit frustrating in the beginning, but many of them are barely around after the first arc, and those that are left become much stronger people and are much less frustrating to watch.
I would recommend you watch the series in large chunks. It's much less fun if you aren't immersed into the world (in which the genius lies in the studio/original author's mindfulness of every last detail).
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