Juuni Kokuki

Youko Nakajima has only ever wanted to be normal. She does what she is asked, gets good grades, is the class president, and even helps her classmates whenever she can—but because of her red hair, she has never fit in. With her pushover attitude, Youko lets classmates take advantage of her, so she has nobody she can really call a friend.

But on an otherwise ordinary day, a man who claims to be from another world barges into Youko's classroom and bows before her. This elegant blond-haired man, Keiki, claims that Youko is his master and belongs on the throne of his kingdom. However, their first meeting is cut short as Keiki has been followed by otherworldly beasts called youma. He is able to escape with Youko into his own realm, but two other classmates—Ikuya Asano and Yuka Sugimoto—are caught up in the madness as well. Unfortunately, their troubles have only just begun, as the youma attack leaves them separated from Keiki. Alone in this strange new land, these ordinary students must learn to fend for themselves or die.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Nakajima, Youko Main

Hisakawa, Aya Japanese

Keiki Main

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Rakushun Supporting

Suzumura, Kenichi Japanese

Enki Supporting

Yamaguchi, Kappei Japanese

Shouryuu Supporting

Aizawa, Masaki Japanese

Shoukei Supporting

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Taiki Supporting

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Shushou Supporting

Yamazaki, Wakana Japanese

Haku, Sanshi Supporting

Katsuki, Masako Japanese

Aozaru Supporting

Okano, Kousuke Japanese

Matsui, Shouji Producer

Kobayashi, Tsuneo Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Kon, Chiaki Episode Director

Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki Episode Director

Reviews

Jan 20, 2025

immosha

Recommended

A shoujo isekai without the main tropes of shoujo anime nor isekai anime. The world-building is complex, the characters well-written. This show suffers from age and its source material but holds up for a watch.

Twelve Kingdoms is an early-day isekai that fully embraces its take on Chinese-inspired fantasy. Its start is brutally slow as it uses its Japanese high schoolers to essentially exposition dump; it doesn't help that all of them are also excruciatingly incompetent at standing up for themselves and having any sense of self-preservation. However, main character Youko eventually grows a backbone and develops a sense of self, which ... is one of the recurring highlights of this show - many of the main heroines are completely insufferable at the start of their arcs but undergo character growth that really makes you fistpump in their finales.

That said, the exposition dump that is present in every arc is substantial, and the naming scheme, inspired by Chinese kanji, becomes repetitive and confusing without some knowledge of Chinese characters or Japanese kanji (epitomized best when someone travels from the kingdom of Kei to the province of Kei). The court politics can get interesting, but ultimately fall flat considering this show is a character-driven narrative. The themes are nice, but the parable-like nature of the storytelling can also come off too strong for the older viewer.

The art and amazing is what you would expect from a 2002 Pierrot production - not amazing, but at least serviceable. Colors are chosen because no one had adjusted to digital yet, and backgrounds don't feel particularly inspired. The entire design of the Twelve Kingdoms map gives me an aneurysm - remind me to never create fictional geography that symmetric.

All things said, I finished this show and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't quite the home run some people say it is, but the world building and narratives carry it pretty far; it was certainly an ambitious project and it is a shame the last few volumes were never adapted (and some of the side plots never finished). Take a watch if you have the time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 27, 2024

lovedove333

Mixed Feelings

So we all know about the 3 episode rule. This show stretches that rule, and it does that in many other aspects as well. How annoying can a character get until you decide to drop the show is the most obvious one. The characters are in my opinion the only setback in the likability and reach of the show, and equally, the most pleasant part of it. If one is able to put up with their whininess that is. This, however, makes for a satisfying case (multiple, actually) of character development (and redemption). The portrayal of these characters, however annoying and pestering they may have ... initially been, is at its core, realistic. No one would ever be able to just easily accept the fact that they have to abandon everything and everyone they once knew for what is supposedly their "fate". I, too, no matter how much i hate to admit this, would spend a good portion of time, a year or two (and that's being generous), in complete disarray. Luckily for us, anime is not real life and we don't have to put up with all of the less pleasant moments, for they do not persist for the entirety of the show. Although they do reoccur (albeit differently) with certain new characters.
This all, however, goes hand in hand with a compelling plot that should keep you interested enough to keep watching despite everything. The anime is composed of different arcs, some are naturally more interesting than the others but all enjoyable in their own way. I must admit, i totally did not expect to enjoy this anime as much as i did. I genuinely had equal moments of laughing at some of the characters' behaviours but also reflecting on my own attitude towards things, which i have figured to be but a less dramatised version of theirs. At certain parts of the story i also found i was at the edge of my seat, itching with curiosity to see what will happen next. The writers definitely knew how to keep the watchers engaged. My only critique of the way this was written would be how we were mostly told how bad some characters were (verbally, through, the characters repeating the same irritating conversations) more than we were actually shown. Nevertheless, i would still recommend to give this show a try and believe in its potential for it really was an interesting watch.

(This is my first review ever, i hope i was of any help. Feedback is ofc always appreciated!!)

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Apr 3, 2021

boredweeb_012

Not Recommended

why I hated this series:

-3 recap episodes -- with the final episode itself being a recap episode...
- unresolved side story
-inconclusive end
-moronic annoyingly stupid characters
- very cliche plot -- I'm sick of watching dumbos gaining common decency to be rulers
- the entire story could've been told in 4 episodes or so. the pacing was off
- Keiki was annoying to watch and they seemed really useless
- Rakushun and Enki were interesting but they didn't get enough screen time to save the show
... - the show doesn't tell anything original
-MC is by far one of the worst losers of all time. Annoyingly dumb, does nothing but complain and be a pathetic loser. It takes her 45 episodes to put together one sentence, and by that time it doesn't even feel like progress anymore

overall: 3/10 Honestly, don't waste your time with this. I'm surprised by the hype this anime gets.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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