Anime Anime Review Contest [PRIZE]

[greenyxi]

Hey all, here comes an anime review contest for everyone and anyone to enter once each!

The reward: a 48 hour guest pass for crunchyroll! There's only one available, so I'd make your review extra special .

Here come the rules:

- Text or video are allowed. Go for whichever you prefer!
- Any anime is allowed.
- Make sure it's all yours. No copy and pasting
- Post the review in this thread by this time (11pm GMT) next Saturday.

That's about it really. Take whatever approach you fancy...so long as the above rules are followed. The winner will be announced sometime on the following Sunday.

Good luck!

P.S. An email address is required in order for me to send the code to you

 

[Mikasa]

Well! It was too hard to resist, honestly. I mean, after all, I honestly don’t want or need that prize. And to have to put in time and effort to write this… It’s quite a hassle, isn’t it?

BUT NO!

I HAVE TO DO IT. DEM FEELS.

And so it is done. Here; a review of The Twelve Kingdoms. This is an anime I watched several times, disjointedly, many years back. I never watched it all fully, and in correct order, that is, until recently. Besides the feelings of nostalgia, I am awe-strucked by the world that the author has created and the depth of the storyline. Well, but of that later!

Some background about the anime for those who don’t know about it (understandably). The Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記 Jūni Kokuki, as it is known in Japanese), is a 45-episodes anime adaptation of a series of light novels by Fuyumi Ono – a rather prolific writer, by the way. The series began at about 1992… And the anime adaptation was released about 10 years after the first book in that series, in 2002.

The series is set in a world heavily influenced by Japanese and Chinese mythology and philosophy. Within that world, the eponymous Twelve Kingdoms exists, ruled by Rulers personally picked out by Kirins, a powerful creature acting in Heaven’s stead (as the story would possibly put it ‘picked by the Heavens’). Our main character, Youko Nakajima, is suddenly brought into that world by a Kirin to be the ruler of one of the Kingdoms. Of course, as with any good anime or even television series, it is not a straightforwardly easy path to take. Likewise, I find that for me to continue reviewing, my path is going to be somewhat challenging as well!

Well, to facilitate that, I will talk about three areas in particular.

1. Plot

Maybe because it had roots as a light novel not geared towards younger audience, there was already plenty of material that the anime could adapt. Complex systems and cultures were all very well incorporated, and it is very interesting to learn more about the world with the main character (who for quite a bit of the show, was clueless about the world).

The plot also takes itself very seriously. The issues faced by Youko as she is thrust into a world that is so alien to her and where she is frequently discriminated against are all very real. I find myself being able to empathise with her as she struggles with trust and self-esteem issues, wondering who can be trusted, and whether she is even capable of becoming the Ruler the Kirin thinks she is. Watching her as she matures and develops over the course of the story is especially endearing, and also very exciting especially when you realize she is to be Queen!

Needless to say, character development in this anime is excellent. Not just for the main character, other characters closely related to the main character have also been given a fair share of development. The result is a story that feels more holistic than what I sometimes see in other animes – where only the main character develops while side characters magically perform personality plastic surgeries to become ‘mature’.

As I also said, I found the characters very endearing at times. This may perhaps be due to how frequently characters tend to voice out what they are feeling. In the case of Youko, there is a spoiler-piece of information that I shan’t talk about, but that presents a more complex facet to her mental ordeal. I especially love that, because it allows me to better understand the character. Which consequently fosters empathy, I suppose!
Character developments aside, I am sorely disappointed by one of the arcs in the series, which was left hanging for reasons unexplained. From what I gathered about that particular arc, it had an interesting conclusion in the novel too, which was why it’s such a pity it was left aside in favour for another arc.

2. Music

In keeping with the culture this series was based on, the music is also heavily Asian-inspired. I especially want to promote the opening theme. When I first heard it, I was thoroughly impressed by how appropriate it was for the anime. Then that second half of the theme played… Wow. Goosebumps.

That second half might remind many of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, I’m sure (except this was released about a year before). However, that second portion was so epic I didn’t mind that it was replayed continuously throughout the 45-episodes. It was a piece that I didn’t mind re-listening to, and back in the day when I watched it on television, I couldn’t skip the opening in the interest of time.

But hey, what’s to mind about such an epic theme, yes? Sometimes I’ll just conduct an imaginary orchestra. Well, I was a small girl then, I just skip ahead unless I feel really badass

Now here, I must confess I do not usually pay too much attention to the music during the show itself. Which means that if I actually remember a theme that’s played during the show itself, that would most likely be an especially excellent and attention grabbing piece (to me, at least). Unfortunately, there was no such piece in The Twelve Kingdoms. Not to say that the themes in the shows are terrible; the themes are not that good.

And the ending theme. Well, that’s a rather J-Pop-ish song. It sounds rather dated, and honestly, I am not a huge fan of J-Pop, so I cannot say too much about it. I must acknowledge that it is appropriately mellow though, and as a whole it appears to be just as suitable as the opening theme. Not the most sterling example (when compared against the opening theme) but it does its job. It’s not something I can tolerate for 45 episodes, however, unlike the opening theme.

3. Art / Design / Animation

Considering this is an anime from 10 over years back, I think this is pretty well animated. Character emotions were well expressed through their body languages, the battles that characters fought were sufficiently detailed – and sometimes epic. I loved the detail that went into the general scenery, especially in the cities when some characters happen to view it from above.

Character design was also well done. I like the artist’s art style. The proportions feel rather appropriate, and he seems to have paid good attention to details – something that helps explain the above paragraph. Be it in the attire, or in the details on the character’s scabbard, or in the appearance of some mythical beasts. Well, this is probably the most subjective of all the points in this review (not that the other points aren’t subjective).

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But all in all, I would highly recommend this anime series. If you enjoy an anime that has a serious plot, involves high-fantasy elements (in the Asian context), and a touch of politics… This is definitely the anime for you! Or you can just watch because of the very epic opening That’s about it! Have a nice day~

 

[greenyxi]

Ummm, I would like to make an announcement! I'll be extending this compo until 10pm tomorrow night (GMT) (Sunday 16th). I'm way too (undeservedly!) ill to check it all out by tomorrow .

 

[greenyxi]

Consider the compo closed! Congrats Mikasa