The Twelve Kingdoms

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The Twelve Kingdoms
十二国記
(Jūni Kokuki)
Genre Fantasy
Light novel
Author Fuyumi Ono
Illustrator Akihiro Yamada
Publisher Flag of Japan Kodansha
English publisher Flag of the United States Tokyopop
Demographic Female
Published 1991 – 2001
Volumes 11
TV anime
Director Tsuneo Kobayashi
Studio Studio Pierrot
Network Flag of Japan NHK, Animax
Original run April 9, 2002 – August 30, 2003
Episodes 45

The Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記 Jūni Kokuki?, also known as "Record of 12 Countries" or "Juuni Kokki," a common inaccurate reading) is a series of light novels by Fuyumi Ono. The first entry in the series ("The Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow") was published in Japan in 1991; the last volume was released in 2001.

The series tells several stories from the world of the Twelve Kingdoms, located on several islands accessible through magic. On the islands, magic works and societies similar to classical China exist. While the inhabitants of the Twelve Kingdoms are aware of the existence of our world, the reverse is not true. One of the major stories of the series centers around a girl named Youko Nakajima from Japan, who is suddenly transported to the world and eventually discovers that she is the queen of the kingdom of Kei. However, neither the series nor the anime concentrates solely on Youko, and they do tell stories of other characters. The anime uses Youko as a framing device for telling other stories though, while the novels do not.

The Chinese mythology-influenced books were adapted into an animated television series in 2002. The Studio Pierrot production aired on Japan's NHK from April 9, 2002 to August 30, 2003, totaling 45 episodes.

The novels are licensed in the United States by Tokyopop and the first volume was released in hardcover in March 2007 as part of their Pop Fiction line. The entire anime series has been released on DVD in the United States by Media Blasters.

Contents

[edit] Characters

Youko Nakajima

Youko is a 16 year-old living a fairly ordinary life as an honor student in Japan, whose primary worry is her naturally red hair. One day at school, a man named Keiki suddenly appears and bows at her feet, swearing loyalty to her and offering protection. The school is then attacked by a giant bird, and she reluctantly accepts his protection. He gives her a sword and transports her and two of her classmates to the kingdom of Kou. She eventually learns that she is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Kei, and although she is initially reluctant, she accepts the position through her growth in the story. Among the obstacles she faces are the king of Kou, who used her classmate Sugimoto in his effort to stop her from attaining the throne. In a later story arc, as the newly appointed queen, Youko learns of several problems in her kingdom, including a revolt in the province of Wa. Her nickname is "Sekishi" ("red child"), after her bright red hair. Despite being a weak character to begin with, appearing very withdrawn and not wanting to do anything that would bring attention to herself, Youko's character grows throughout the episodes (especially around episode 5). She grows in strength and maturity, becomes empathetic towards the people around her, thinking articulately about her actions (especially as queen) and continues to do so until the end of the series.

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)

Keiki

Keiki is a kirin and the Saiho of Kei. He contacts Youko in Japan and brings her to the Twelve Kingdoms, though they are separated on arrival. Soon afterwards, he falls under a spell from Kou’s kirin, and is forced to appear in front of a pretender to the throne of Kei. Like all Kirin, Keiki abhors violence and prefers peaceful resolutions. Keiki appears as a very quiet and unemotional type, however does have caring qualities, especially seen towards the kirin Taiki.

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese), Kim Strauss (English)

Rakushun

Rakushun is a hanjyuu with the form of a rat. Though Youko is initially distrustful of him, he becomes her first good friend after she is taken from Japan, after managing to teach some essential skills to Youko about life. Rakushun is proud of being a hanjyuu and is somewhat uncomfortable in his human form; Youko only learns that he could appear as a human after quite some time. He is very intelligent and knowledgeable and enrolled in the Daigaku of En. Youko wishes him to teach her about the politics and customs of the world.

Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese), Jim Taggert (English)

Shouryuu

Shouryuu is the king of En. Like Youko, Shouryuu is a taika from feudal Japan, approximately 500 years ago. He is originally the leader of a clan, but after the clan is wiped out, he accepts the request by Enki to rule the kingdom of En. Though En was originally in terrible condition, his 500-year rule has led to an extremely calm and prosperous nation. Shouryuu helps Youko by providing her with an army to retake the kingdom of Kei and rescue Keiki. As a fellow taika, Shouryuu feels that he should help guide Youko in her new life.

Voiced by: Masaki Aizawa (Japanese), Lex Lang (English)

Rokuta (Enki)

As a taika from Japan, the kirin of En (or Enki) is also known as Rokuta. He was found by his nyokai after his parents abandoned him at a young age. He originally felt that humans could not rule a kingdom properly and was reluctant to choose a new king, but he felt that Shouryuu truly deserved to become king of En. He assists Youko in her journey to Kei and played a part in helping the kirin of Tai.

Voiced by: Yamaguchi Kappei (Japanese), Dave Wittenberg (English)

Yuka Sugimoto

Yuka is one of Youko’s classmates in Japan and gets transported to Kou along with Youko and Asano. She enjoys fantasy books and is thrilled to be part of the adventure, believing that she is destined for greatness. Destined to be a rival, she becomes extremely jealous of Youko when she finds out that Youko is the "chosen one" and believes herself to be just as worthy. The king of Kou takes advantage of this to convince her to fight against Youko. She later realizes her mistake after making up with Youko, and Youko sends her back to Japan. In the novels she is only mentioned in passing and doesn't go to the Twelve Kingdoms but remains in Hourai (Japan).

Voiced by: Aya Ishizu (Japanese), Karen Strassman (English)

Ikuya Asano

Ikuya is another one of Youko’s classmates who is transported to the kingdom of Kou. He goes missing after a battle between Yuka and Youko and is not seen by either of them for some time. Asano eventually becomes part of a group of Shusei and works for them as they traveled through the kingdoms. However, being in a completely alien country and lacking the ability to speak or understand the language, the strain has taken a toll on his sanity. Eventually, Asano questions the reason he was ever brought to Kou and seemingly can't find a reason for his life to go on. He dies at some point later in the anime. In the novels, Asano doesn't exist and Youko is attending an all girls school.

Voiced by: Yuji Ueda (Japanese), Joshua Seth (English)

Taiki (Kaname Takasato/Kouri)

He is a student in Youko, Yuka and Asano's school. It is revealed that he is in fact the lost kirin named Taiki, even though he is unaware of this himself. He's the Heina of Tai, which means an immature kirin and a Koki, or black male kirin. He's seen repeatedly in volumes four and five of the anime and referred to at times. Due to the sudden stop of the anime, Taiki's story was never finished and leaves the unresolved situation in which Rokuta is yet looking for him in Japan. In the novels, through combined efforts of the rulers and Kirins (possibly for the first time in the histories of the Twelve Kingdoms), Taiki has been retrieved and brought back to the Twelve Kingdoms.

Taiki is voiced by Rie Kugimiya (Japanese) and Johnny Yong Bosch (English). Takasato is voiced by Kousuke Okano (Japanese) and Johnny Yong Bosch (English).

Suzu

Originally from Hourai, Suzu is first seen in an encounter with Taiki, whom she wishes to meet because he also grew up in Hourai, but she is injured and forced away from him by his protective nyokai. Suzu was a Sen-nin serving Lady Riyou for a hundred years until she is ordered on a dangerous assignment to gather the herb Kankin from the side of Suibi Peak. She then briefly takes shelter with the kindly queen of Sai until she decides to leave in search of fellow kaikyaku Youko. She boards a ship bound for Kei where she meets a boy named Seishuu who has failing eyesight, causing her to become even more desperate to find Youko so that he can be cured. After they arrive in the town of Takuhou in the prefecture of Shisui in the province of Wa in Kei, Shisui's governor Shoukou intentionally tramples the helpless Seishuu with his carriage because the boy doesn't move out of his way. The only person who stirs to help Seishuu is Youko, the disguised Queen of Kei. Seishuu's murder ignites a burning anger in Suzu that leads her to join a revolutionary group dedicated to Shoukou's downfall. She additionally seeks to assassinate the Queen of Kei, as all evidence indicates that the queen has done nothing to stop Shoukou.

Voiced by: Naomi Wakabayashi (Japanese), Mela Lee (English)

Shoukei

Shoukei was the princess of Hou, until her father's government was overthrown due to his overly strict enforcement of the law. Hundreds of thousands of his people were executed during his reign. Her father was assassinated, and her mother and the Kirin of Hou were killed right in front of Shoukei, but because she didn't know what her father had been doing, she was spared. Forced to live anonymously as a peasant, she fled Hou after her identity was discovered by townspeople angry about her father's excesses. She briefly served the queen of Kyou, but she was treatly cruelly because the queen believed her to be too proud. She decided to steal clothes and jewelry from the palace and escaped to Ryu, where she met Rakushun. She was caught by Ryu government officials with the goods she stole, but after trying in vain to blame Rakushun for her crimes she bribed her way out of trouble. Initially jealous of Youko, Shoukei comes to realize that there must be something special about the queen of Kei if she is friends with the forgiving hanjyuu. Once she arrives in Kei, she sees a man condemned to be crucified in the town of Meikaku, the capital of the Wa Province, reminding her of the brutality of her father. After throwing a rock and being chased by guards, she is saved by a young woman that Shoukei does not realize is Youko, while the condemned man is rescued by a Youma acting on Youko's orders. She then joins a second group of revolutionaries in Meikaku, placing her on a path similar to that of Suzu. Shoukei enjoyed singing a song about a doll from her time as princess of Hou, until she decided that she was nothing more than a doll herself when she was a princess.

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Kate Davis (English)

[edit] Publication

There are six novels in the Twelve Kingdoms series, including one short story collection. The novels are illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. Some of the novels have been published in two volume editions such that the total number of volumes consists of eleven books.

Youko becomes Empress of Kei.
Taiki chooses the Emperor of Tai.
  • Sea God in the East, Vast Sea in the West (東の海神　西の滄海 Higashi no Watatsumi, Nishi no Sōkai?). ISBN 4-06-255168-3.
The Emperor of En suppresses a rebellion.
  • A Thousand Miles of Wind, The Sky at Dawn (風の万里　黎明の空 Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora?). 2 volumes. ISBN 4-06-255175-6
Youko, Suzu and Shoukei free the Wa Province in Kei
Shushou becomes Empress of Kyou.
  • The Shore at Twilight, The Sky at Daybreak (黄昏の岸　暁の天 Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora?). 2 volumes. ISBN 4-06-255546-8.
Risai meets Youko to request help in summoning Taiki.
Five short stories, set in Tai, Hou, Kei, Sai and Sou: "Kasho" (華胥), "Toei" (冬栄), "Shokan" (書簡), "Kizan" (帰山), "Jogetsu" (乗月)

Before she started work on Twelve Kingdoms, Fuyumi Ono wrote The Demonic Child (魔性の子 Mashō no Ko?), a horror novel about a boy from another world. She later worked certain events from this novel into the Twelve Kingdoms series. Short stories set in the various kingdoms include: Kasho (華胥?), Toei (冬栄?), Shokan (書簡?), Kizan (帰山?) and Jogetsu (乗月?). In February, 2008, the first new Twelve Kingdoms short story, Hisho no Tori (丕緒の鳥) was published in Shinchosha's Yomyom magazine.[1]

[edit] US Release

On May 11, 2006, US publisher Tokyopop said in an interview with comic book news website Newsarama that it would be publishing the novels under its "Pop Fiction" imprint. The first book was slated for release in March 2007.[2] The first book has been released under the title The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea Of Shadow. The current schedule is for one book a year to be released. The second book, The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea Of Wind came out in March 2008.

[edit] French Release

On April, 2007, French publisher Milan Eds started to publish the novels. So far, the following volumes were released:

[edit] German Release

On August, 2007, Tokyopop Germany published the first novel, which contains the first two Japanese volumes. Volume 2 will be published on March 2008.

[edit] Anime adaptation

[edit] Plot

The anime casts Youko Nakajima, a Japanese girl who is suddenly transported to another world and eventually discovers that she is the queen of the kingdom of Kei, in the role of the main character; however, in the novels, Youko is only one of many main characters and her story is focused upon in only two novels.

The anime focuses on the Kingdom of Kei and the events surrounding it. Several of the other countries are introduced, the most prominent being Kou, En and Tai, while Kyou, Hou, Sai and Ryuu play a minor role compared to the other three. The rest of the countries are only introduced by name and a brief description of the current emperor and taiho. The anime also introduced the characters Asano and Sugimoto to accompany Youko to the twelve kingdoms. Their role is to externalize some of Youko's problems that were internal in the novels. [3]

[edit] Episodes

The anime closely follows Youko and is divided into the following parts:

  • "Tsuki no Kage, Kage no Umi" (Shadow of the Moon, Sea of Shadow), episodes 1-13
Youko travels to the world of Juuni Kokki, develops as a person and starts to embrace her new destiny.
  • "?" ('Shadow of the Moon, Sea of Shadow: Chapter of Recollection'), episode 14
Mostly a recap of the epiodes 1-13.
  • "Kaze no Umi, Meikyuu no Kishi" (Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Labyrinth), episodes 15-21
Partial story of the black Kirin, Taiki.
  • "Shokan" (Correspondence), episode 22
Youko and Rakushun correspond by bird, and we see how they settle into their positions in Kei and En. Possibly based on the short story Shokan (書簡?).
  • "Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora" (A Thousand Miles of Wind, The Sky of Dawn), episodes 23-39
The story of Suzu, Shoukei, and Youko as they struggle with a rebellion in Wa Province of Kei.
  • "Jougetsu" (Ally of the Moon), episode 40
Short closing of past events in the Kingdom of Hou. Possibly based on the short story Jogetsu (乗月?).
  • "Higashi no Wadatsumi, Nishi no Soukai" (Sea God of the East, Azure Sea of the West), episodes 41-45
A story from the past about the Emperor of En and his kirin, Enki suppressing a rebellion. 45 is mostly a recap of the previous four episodes.

[edit] Music

  • Opening Theme - "Juunigenmukyoku"
    • Composed and arranged by Kunihiko Ryō
  • Ending Theme - "Getsumei-Fuei"
  • Other music in the series was composed and arranged by Kunihiko Ryō.

[edit] Media

Konami has released in Japan two games based on Twelve Kingdoms, both produced by Takashi Shimomichi. They are Juuni Kokuki: Guren no Shirobe Koujin no Michi and Juuni Kokuki: Kakukakutaru Oudou Kouryoku no Uka. Both games contain footage from the anime and many stills of the characters are used during conversation and during battle. The game is sprite-based, with small sprites used on-screen and larger, highly animated sprites used during battle.

Juuni Kokuki: Guren no Shirobe Koujin was released for PlayStation 2 on August 28, 2003. It follows Youko's journey to becoming Empress of Kei. While classified as an RPG, it is often described as an adventure game. The game was re-released in Konami's The Best lineup on June 9, 2004. Youko is capable of summoning Keiki's Shirei into battle as well as having additional party members.

Juuni Kokuki: Kakukakutaru Oudou Kouryoku no Uka was released for PlayStation 2 on April 4, 2004 and is a sequel to the first game, continuing with Youko's problems after she becomes the Kei Empress. Game data from the first game can be loaded into the second. This game contains more RPG elements than the first with party-/menu-based battles becoming standard. Many of the event scenes are pulled from the novels but there are also scenes made just for the game.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Yom Yom Official site
  2. ^ "More on Tokyopop's YA Fiction Line" from Newsarama.
  3. ^ "Translator Notes by Yamamoto Davey", Twelve Kingdoms - Chapter 3 - Coup, Media Blasters.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Official sites
Unofficial sites

The Twelve Kingdoms (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia