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The novels focus on several characters other than Youko, including Taiki, a timid rare black kirin who serves the ruler of Tai, and Enki and Shouryuu, the kirin and Emperor of En respectively. Other major characters include Keiki, the blunt and apparently cold minister of Kei who brings Youko to the Twelve Kingdoms; Gyousou, a general chosen by Taiki to become Emperor of Tai; Shushou, the Empress of Kyou; Shoukei, the disposed princess of Hou, and Suzu, a peasant girl who is unexpectedly transported from Japan to the Twelve Kingdoms.
The novels focus on several characters other than Youko, including Taiki, a timid rare black kirin who serves the ruler of Tai, and Enki and Shouryuu, the kirin and Emperor of En respectively. Other major characters include Keiki, the blunt and apparently cold minister of Kei who brings Youko to the Twelve Kingdoms; Gyousou, a general chosen by Taiki to become Emperor of Tai; Shushou, the Empress of Kyou; Shoukei, the disposed princess of Hou, and Suzu, a peasant girl who is unexpectedly transported from Japan to the Twelve Kingdoms.


Each of the Twelve Kingdoms has a monarch and a kirin, a mythological beast that serves the monarch of his or her respective kingdom and can assume human form. Though only a few rulers and kirin are in the main focus of the story, many are encountered in the series and play a significant role.
Each of the TwelDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDJKLDJFDSKJAKFDHFDKJHFDKHKJFDHFDSJKFDFDSFDSJFDFDSDFHKFDKJve Kingdoms has a monarch and a kirin, a mythological beast that serves the monarch of hfdashis or her respective kingdom and can assume human form. Though only a few
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| <!-- old ISBN 4-06-255168-3 --> ISBN 978-4062551687
| [[The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas]]
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
|colspan=3| The Emperor of En suppresses a rebellion.
|-
|rowspan=3| 4
| 風の万里 黎明の空
| Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora
| A Thousand Miles of Wind, The Sky at Dawn
|rowspan=3| 2 Volumes
|-
| July 1994 (Volume 1) <br/> September 1994 (Volume 2)
| <!-- old ISBN 4-06-255175-6 --> ISBN 978-4062551755 (Volume 1) <br/> ISBN 978-4062551786 (Volume 2)
| [[The Twelve Kingdoms: The Sky at Dawn]]
|-
|colspan=3| Youko, Suzu and Shoukei free the Wa Province in Kei
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
|rowspan=3| 5
| 図南の翼
| Tonan no Tsubasa
| The Aspired Wings
|rowspan=3| 1 Volume
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
| February 1996
| <!-- old ISBN 4-06-255229-9 --> ISBN 978-4062552295
|
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
|colspan=3| Shushou becomes Empress of Kyou.
|-
|rowspan=3| 6
| 黄昏の岸 暁の天
| Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora
| The Shore at Twilight, The Sky at Daybreak
|rowspan=3| 2 Volumes
|-
| May 2001 (both volumes)
| <!-- old ISBN 4-06-255546-8 --> ISBN 978-4062555463 (Volume 1) <br/> ISBN 978-4062555500 (Volume 2)
|
|-
|colspan=3| Risai meets Youko to request help in summoning Taiki
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
|rowspan=3| 7
| 華胥の幽夢
| Kasho no Yume
| The Dream of Prosperity
|rowspan=3|
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
| September 2001
| <!-- old ISBN 4-06-255573-5 --> ISBN 978-4062555739
|
|-bgcolor=e0e0e0
|colspan=3| 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 {{nihongo|''The Demonic Child''|魔性の子|Mashō no Ko}} (September 1991, ISBN 978-4101240213), 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: {{nihongo|''Kasho''|華胥}}, {{nihongo|''Toei''|冬栄}}, {{nihongo|''Shokan''|書簡}}, {{nihongo|''Kizan''|帰山}} and {{nihongo|''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.<ref>[http://www.shinchosha.co.jp/yomyom/ Yom Yom Official site]</ref>

=== U.S. Release ===
On [[May 11]], [[2006]], U.S. 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.<ref>[http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1972050 "More on Tokyopop's YA Fiction Line"] from [[Newsarama]].</ref> The first three books have been released; the current schedule is for one book a year to be released.

{|class=wikitable
|-
! Title
! Publication date
! ISBN
! Notes
|-
| [[The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow]]
| March 2007 (Hardcover) <br/> February 2008 (Paperback)
| ISBN 978-1598169461 (hardcover) <br/> ISBN 978-1427802576 (paperback)
|
|-
| [[The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Wind]]
| March 2008 (Hardcover) <br/> February 2009 (Paperback)
| ISBN 978-1598169478 (hardcover) <br/> ISBN 978-1427802583 (paperback)
|
|-
| [[The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas]]
| March 2009 (Hardcover) <br/> February 2010 (Paperback)
| ISBN 978-1598169485 (hardcover) <br/>
|
|-
|}

=== French Release ===
On April, 2007, French publisher [[Éditions Milan]] started to publish the novels. So far, the following volumes were released:

{|class=wikitable
|-
! Title
! Publication Date
! ISBN
! Notes
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''La mer de l'ombre''
: Tome 1
: Tome 2
| April 2007 (both volumes)
| ISBN 978-2-7459-2045-4 (Volume 1) <br/> ISBN 978-2-7459-2460-5 (Volume 2)
|
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''Le rivage du labyrinthe''
: Tome 1
: Tome 2
| June 2007 (both volumes)
| ISBN 978-2-7459-2046-1 (Volume 1) <br/> ISBN 978-2-7459-2461-2 (Volume 2)
|
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''La majesté des mers''
| September 2007
| ISBN 978-2-7459-2059-1
|
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''Le vent de l'infini''
: Tome 1
: Tome 2
| June 2008 (both volumes)
| ISBN 978-2-7459-2060-7 (Volume 1) <br/> ISBN 978-2-7459-2462-9 (Volume 2)
|
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''Les ailes du destin''
| June 2008
| ISBN 978-2-7459-2061-4
|
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''La rive du crépuscule''
: Tome 1
: Tome 2
| November 2008 (both volumes)
| ISBN 978-2-7459-2062-1 (Volume 1) <br/> ISBN 978-2-7459-3177-1 (Volume 2)
|
|-
| Les 12 Royaumes: ''Le Royaume de l'Idéal''
| ''To Be Announced''
| ISBN 978-2745920638
|
|-
|}

=== German Release ===
On August, 2007, [[Tokyopop]] Germany published the first novel, which contains the first two Japanese volumes.

{|class=wikitable
! Title
! Publication date
! ISBN
! Notes
|-
| Die Zwölf Königreiche: ''Der Schatten des Mondes ~ Das Meer der Schatten''
| 1 August 2007
| ISBN 978-3-86719-191-3
| This contains the first two Japanese volumes
|-
| Die Zwölf Königreiche: ''Das Meer des Windes ~ Am Rande des Labyrinthes''
| 21 February 2008
| ISBN 978-3-86719-192-0
| This contains volumes 3 & 4 of the Japanese edition
|-
| Die Zwölf Königreiche: ''Der Östliche Meeresgott ~ Das Blaue Meer im Westen''
| 17 August 2009
| ISBN 978-3867191937
| This contains the fifth and sixth volumes of the Japanese original
|-
|}


== Anime adaptation ==
== Anime adaptation ==

Revision as of 18:57, 11 May 2009

The Twelve Kingdoms
File:12k.jpg
Cover of The Twelve Kingdoms DVD volume 1
十二国記
(Jūni Kokuki)
GenreFantasy
Manga
Written byFuyumi Ono
Illustrated byAkihiro Yamada
Published byJapan Kodansha
English publisherUnited States Tokyopop
DemographicFemale
Original run1991 – 2001
Volumes11
Anime
Directed byTsuneo Kobayashi
StudioStudio Pierrot
Released April 9 2002 – August 30 2003

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 was published by Kodansha and contain illustrations by Akihiro Yamada.

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.

Setting

Main article: List of kingdoms in Twelve Kingdoms

The Twelve Kingdoms 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.

Characters

Main article: List of The Twelve Kingdoms characters

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 monarch 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, while the novels do not.

The novels focus on several characters other than Youko, including Taiki, a timid rare black kirin who serves the ruler of Tai, and Enki and Shouryuu, the kirin and Emperor of En respectively. Other major characters include Keiki, the blunt and apparently cold minister of Kei who brings Youko to the Twelve Kingdoms; Gyousou, a general chosen by Taiki to become Emperor of Tai; Shushou, the Empress of Kyou; Shoukei, the disposed princess of Hou, and Suzu, a peasant girl who is unexpectedly transported from Japan to the Twelve Kingdoms.

Each of the TwelDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDJKLDJFDSKJAKFDHFDKJHFDKHKJFDHFDSJKFDFDSFDSJFDFDSDFHKFDKJve Kingdoms has a monarch and a kirin, a mythological beast that serves the monarch of hfdashis or her respective kingdom and can assume human form. Though only a few AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Anime adaptation

Plot

The anime casts Youko Nakajima, a Japanese girl who is suddenly transported to another world and eventually discovers that she is the empress 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.[1]

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 episodes 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 at 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.

Music

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

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 no Michi 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.

References

  1. ^ "Translator Notes by Yamamoto Davey", Twelve Kingdoms - Chapter 3 - Coup, Media Blasters.

See also

Official sites
Unofficial sites
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