Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: The Twelve Kingdoms
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MarshalBanana
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For anyone whose read the original Novel series by Fuyumi Ono. The first 40 episodes of the Anime are all written by Shou Aikawa, who has a distinct, but hard to pin down, writing style, does any of this make its way into the Anime, or is the Anime exactly like the novel?
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18185 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Although episodes 26-27 show Suzu and Shoukei at their lowest points in terms of situation, episodes 28-30 are where I think they hit their lowest points in terms of behavior. Yet for as unpleasant and flawed as they are, it's hard to hate either one. The writing does a great job of showing how their attitudes are products of their circumstances, which makes them both relatable. Honestly, it's not hard for me to see myself having the same kind of attitude if I was in either of their situations.
Oh, and first-time viewers: Don't forget about the bear. He will appear again.
I have read the source novels, and I did not find there to be any big stylistic differences between the two. |
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Zefram
Posts: 106 |
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While I am familiar with several anime that Wiki has Shou Aikawa as screenwriter, I am not sure I can recognize his "style". As someone who read all novels (other than the last 2) and watched the anime, I can tell you there are several differences in the style mostly in the first arc. The main changes were creation of Sigomoto and Asami who maybe appeared once in Youko classroom in the novel and then in Youko's sword visions when monkey was tormenting her. In the novel, Youko is all alone. So getting Sigomoto as her opposite in the first arc, is it considered to be change of style? The only other change, is that connection between storylines especially about other characters is that their beginning and ending where Youko is being told a story by someone, its also anime only. Created to connect several novels that don't include Youko at all and are told from other characters points of view. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18185 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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That's actually the point to Asano: he's an extra who doesn't have a role. He represents the oft-overlooked person who, by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, simply got dragged along into someone else's destiny. Will be interesting to see if you change your mind on him as the rest of the arc plays out. |
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thedarkemissary
Posts: 88 |
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Exactly. He's a self-deluded fool who thinks he's the protagonist of an grand isekai adventure. When he's presented with the idea that he's not, he concludes that it's the world that's wrong and not him (as a coping mechanism). Therefore, he can do whatever he wants cause "screw this world for not recognizing me as the true hero." He's what Subaru (Re:Zero) would have become had he not, in fact, been the protagonist. He also may be a metaphor for a lost or directionless youth of society. As this was at the turn of the millennia and him being a anime-only character. |
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Fluwm
 Posts: 889 |
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Honestly I think the two anime-original characters massively improve the story... such a shame that these days anime directors seldom try to add meaningful content to adaptations. Ah well. Here, at least--with the resolution of this last arc for Yoko--we'll see one of those rare examples. Everything just ties together perfectly... even, or especially, absent the consideration of how viciously 12K condemns the modern Isekai genre from decades ago.
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18185 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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One interesting note to add about the final scene in episode 39, which is easy for anime-only viewers to miss the significance of: notice how Youko is dressed in that scene compared to when she's in royal dress early in the arc, most specifically in her not wearing anything on her head this time. Though we might see it as an inconsequential difference, that is a huge symbolic gesture in context, as it marks a dramatic break in convention. It is an immediate visual assertion that Youko is going to be the one setting standards, rather than playing to them, and that she is doing so with confidence is a warning sign to any official who didn't take her seriously before.
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Gonbawa
Posts: 53 |
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@Key
Exactly : as explained in the novel, Yoko is dressed like a high-ranking civil servant : this appearance impress more her ministers than a queen attire (especially after the behaviors of her two frivolous and vain predecessors). |
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Fluwm
Posts: 889 |
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Wasn't one of the early scenes in that arc Youko being dressed by servants? IE other people being in physical control of her body... or am I misremembering that? My TV broke so I haven't really been following along as much as I'd hoped to... just got a UHDTV but my Blu-ray's are boxed up, and Amazon only streams 12K in SD which looks... really, really bad. |
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thedarkemissary
Posts: 88 |
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It's too bad it never got picked up for any more seasons. Though, nowadays, it's hard to even get past 13 eps. The world building was so strong. On par with Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. And between the 12 kingdoms, the hundreds of possible characters, across 2 worlds, the number of stories or spinoffs would rival even the Fate/Stay franchise. Or, maybe it's for the best that it didn't get milked to death?...
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basedlilb
Posts: 1 |
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I recently watched this anime and understand it differs from some of the source material. I'm not sure how many of my quibbles (repeated by others in this thread) are different between the light novels and the anime but:
1. In regards to Asano: spoiler[it seems like an odd decision for Youko to have allowed him to keep the revolver after it seems like she would be reasonably able to suspect that he may have used it on Keikei. Also, it wouldn't make sense to have buried him in Kei when it seems like it'd be fairly easy to send his remains back to his family in Japan. It seems like Enki or Keiki can just do a shoku (mini or otherwise) around a non populated area to cause the least amount of destruction. Another way of looking at it I guess is that he's her last existing connection to "home" that she can reach without causing her domain's downfall.] 2. As already stated, it's weird with Suzu spoiler[not having a suspicion on Youko's real identity when Asano states that Youko is her friend and is known to originally be from Japan as well.] 3. I was hoping there would be more discussion on Japan/the modern world between the Kaiyakuu characters since it would seem like a natural commonality. I suppose that going in that direction would detract from the "here and now" of the setting though. 4. With Youko's first proclamation, spoiler[I wonder if the stage is being set for a more democratic political system. It obviously wouldn't really work full scale given how their world works, but I can imagine it being presented for lower level political figures]. |
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