Customer Ratings & Reviews

This animated adaptation of Fuyumi Ono's light novel series of the same name is enchanting, provacative, and thoughtful. Though the novels are in their essences, records of the 12 Kingdoms, the anime focuses on the adventures of Yoko, the Japanese school girl who gets transported to the 12 Kingdoms and becomes the queen of the Kingom of Kei. The first twenty five episodes that belong in this set are broken into three chapters or books. The first and the third arcs belong almost exclusively to Yoko. The second arc however, revolves around the story of the Kirin of Tai, Taiki. This still ties into Yoko's story as her own Kirin (a magical being that chooses the king of his or her country) Keiki, tells her Taiki's story in response to a question of her's. Instead of making the storytelling feel choppy or erratic, the three arcs expand on the world of the 12 Kingdoms and still mangage to smoothly bring the story back to Yoko. The combination of the epic fantasy, animation, music, and acting has made this anime my favorite. Watching the main characters develop is utterly amazing. Yoko, for instance, only begins to show her potential, but then she loses her confidence around her ministers and falls back into her old habits. There are so many moments in the story that are profound that its impossible to ingore it. The great part is that this only the first half. I highly recommend this to anyone.