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Forum - View topicIs 12 Kingdoms Ever Gonna Get Interesting?
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Shadow Lord
 Posts: 10 |
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I've watched the first 4 DVDs of 12 Kingdoms, and it killing me. Nothing is happening, there’s not action, no story details, no plot development or character development. I am not getting drawn into the story like Fushigi Yuugi, Escaflowne, or Full Metal Alchemist.
Will 12 Kingdoms ever pickup speed and get interesting? |
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Chiroptera Rex
 Space Cowboy Posts: 262 Location: The Batcave, Gotham City, Wisconsin. |
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I have watched up to episode 10 and I must say I'm at a loss for why you don't like it. I suppose this series may not be for you. To me, The Twelve Kingdoms is an absolutely wonderful story. Just watching Youko grow in character is amazing. I have seen Fullmetal Alchemist and both series are very similar in how fast their respective protagonists must grow up to deal with the world around them. If you've watched to episode 18 and still don't like it then I don't know what to say.
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SnowfairyX
 Posts: 438 |
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Here is a good review of this title on animenfo.com. It may contain some spoilers such as whether the ending was good or bad, but nothing really major besides that. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9903 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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I'm sorry to hear that. However, I'm not surprised, for I didn't even expect many Japanese audience to understand many parts of its plot, for one need a great deal of knowledge of Chinese history, particularly about the feudal system of Zhou dynasty (see my old post). The monsters are modeled after 山海經, one of the first "geography" book in Chinese history. Most creatures described in the book were purely imagination, however. For Westerners, as said in aforementioned animenfo's review, one has to learn dozens of new 'words' in the first few episodes, and all of them sound weird and mean nothing but a mere pronunciation. As you'll see in later episodes, an emperor/ess has a name and several honorary titles, plus a calendar title (still in practice in Japan today); all intellects have an alias made up by their mentor or themselves (as opposed to given name, which was given by parents, who are possibly illiterate), to show their personalities. Titles for government officials can be extremely long...etc., etc. However, they are very natural for a Chinese (like me). 
If you want more action, wait until Act III: 風の万里 黎明の空 (Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora; A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn; Jesus, I HATE that English translation). Even if you know nothing about Chinese history, the character development will be stunning. |
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It's Debateable
 Posts: 73 |
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How could you not find 12 Kingdoms interesting? It's simply a masterpiece. One of the best, if not the best, anime series ever created.
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Nani?
 Posts: 632 |
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Judgeing from the Anime that you do favor, I think Twelve Kingdoms tends to be somewhat cerebreal. However, I do think vol. 4 is the low point of the series where I almost gave up on it. I think 7-9 you'll really enjoy. 5-6 do a nice good set up. My advice, rent if possible. All the Best, Nani? Last edited by Nani? on Mon May 09, 2005 1:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chiroptera Rex
Space Cowboy Posts: 262 Location: The Batcave, Gotham City, Wisconsin. |
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I think that SakechanBD said it best on his post on the thread Dormcat gave us a link to:
And it is very odd, but I feel very strongly about this as well. There is not one anime series that I own that I could call better than the other. I have my favourite American movie and book and comic book, that's where my handle comes from  , but I have never been able to rate one anime above another. Each anime I own brings something different to the table and I'd be kidding myself if I thought one was better than another.
Dormcat, if you could, could you tell me what Banri and Reimei mean? Since you didn't like the English translation, I was trying to find out what it means in Japanese, but I can't seem to decipher it in my Japanese-English dictionary. I actually like the dictionary provided with each DVD that will get you to know the names of the different characters/beasts in The Twelve Kingdoms. It took a while, but by episode 9, I was able to remember all of the words given up to that point. I always find it fun to have to bring out my dictionary, or in this case The Twelve Kingdoms dictionary that is provided, to look up a word that I may not know. |
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Shadow Lord
Posts: 10 |
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Hi all, thanks for your posts. I am renting them from Netflix, so I'll be able to watch the whole series for only $20 bucks.
Nani?, thanks for your post, its great to hear that I am not alone ond who wanting to give up after watching vol. 4. I still have vol. 5, that I am gonna watch today. I am just longing for a really great story. What made Fushigi Yuug so great was that it combined comedy, action, romance, and drama all wrapped in an amazing story. What made Escaflowne so great was the amazing action, the romance, and the story. Full Metal Alchemist (I know its not technically a fantasy anime) is something so new and different (ie. not another story about a girl getting sucked into another world, which is ok if done correctly) its incredible, I am so locked into the story that I long to see it every week on Adult Swim. FMA usually always ends on a cliffhanger that locks me into the story even more after watching each episode. The problem is I am not getting any of this when I am watching 12 Kingdoms, but I guess I’ll see it to the end. I just really hope some more stuff happens. I’ll do another post today with my thoughts on vol. 5. |
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Chiroptera Rex
Space Cowboy Posts: 262 Location: The Batcave, Gotham City, Wisconsin. |
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I see part of the problem. Netflix usually just sends the DVD in a paper envelope with no info like the insert has so you can get lost easily. There is a The Twelve Kingdoms site here that may help explain some things. |
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Shadow Lord
Posts: 10 |
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Hey that’s one thing I don't like about Netflix, no back covers or inserts. Oh well, you can't have everything.
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It's Debateable
Posts: 73 |
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I use netflix and got all the 12 Kingdoms volumes in 2 weeks and cancelled before the free trial ended
So in other words, I got em all for free! |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 19151 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Twelve Kingdoms is a series primarily focused on world-building and character development. It is a slower-paced series, and those looking for dynamic action (except for volume 9) and quick-moving stories are going to be disappointed. It is one of the prettiest of all anime series, however, and has a respectable dub.
Personally, I got enthralled with the meticulous (and highly logical) structure of the world as it's laid out over the series, and by the end of the second volume I had grown to love it for its character development as well. Youko is nowhere near the same person in the later stages of the series that she was at the beginning, and several other characters also grow, change, and become more likable as they confront and deal with their shortcomings. Having those inserts in the earlier volumes is essential to understanding things, since the series puts almost nothing for extras on the DVDs. I could see how someone would get confused and turned off without them. Taken as a whole, Twelve Kingdoms is one of the three best fantasy series to date. Can you guess the other two? (Hint: They're both being released on DVD right now.) Last edited by Key on Mon May 09, 2005 10:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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tenchidragon
Posts: 44 |
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Yeah dude,i didn't like it as much as i thought i would but im not picky and i like about everything.It was just ok.
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Haru to Ashura
 Posts: 617 Location: Termina |
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Simply put, the series just might not be for you. I've seen three dvds of the Twelve Kingdoms and I love it!
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9903 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Her post.
万里 (Banri) does mean a great distance: 万 = 10,000 里 is the unit of length in ancient China and Japan. Some translations had adapted "league" (as in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). I don't know about the Japanese unit, but one Chinese 里 (also known as 華里) is roughly 0.5 km. Therefore, 万里 is roughly 5,000 km, or figuratively describes a distance that human beings can't travel across. 黎明 (Reimei) = Dawn As you can see, the English translation is quite literal, if not too literal. The reason I hate it because it destroys the rhyme. Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora has five syllables for both halves of the sentence. If you say it in Chinese / onyomi style, kaze -> fuu and sora -> kuu, making four syllables for both halves, so the rhythm is still balanced. I have to admit that I don't have a better translation either.  I'd like it keeping the (sub)title in romaji, but that would not work in US market. 
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