The Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記, Jūni Kokuki, also known as "Record of 12 Countries" or "Jūni Kokki") is a series of fantasy novels written by Japanese author Fuyumi Ono and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. The first entry in the series called The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow was published by Kodansha in Japan in 1992; the last Kodansha volume was released in 2001. In 2012, the series was resumed under the Shinchō Bunko line from Shinchosha. Shinchosha has also begun reprinting the older volumes with new cover and interior art from Akihiro Yamada. The first new publication of the series in six years was released in 2019.
An English-language translation was produced and distributed by Tokyopop. The first four volumes were released between March 2007 and November 2010, before the license reverted back to Kodansha.
On November 20, 2024, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had acquired the license to publish a new translation of the series in English, with the first volume scheduled for release in July 2025.
It was adapted into an anime television series by Pierrot in 2002, which aired on Japan's NHK from April 2002 to August 2003. The series was licensed and distributed by Media Blasters in the United States at the time of its initial Japanese broadcast. As of 2019, Discotek Media held the license to the series.
Overview[]
The Twelve Kingdoms” is a series of fantasy novels set in a Chinese-style otherworld where gods and demons exist. In this other world, there are twelve kingdoms, each of which is a monarchy. The king is chosen by the Qilin, who are immortal beings and rule according to the rules set by the heavens. This setting is based on ancient Chinese prophecy, which predicted political and social events through prophecy, and the “Shan Hai Jing” was used as a reference for the non-human beings. The earth and the worlds of the Twelve Kingdoms are neighbors, and sometimes earthlings are swept away to the worlds of the Twelve Kingdoms by natural disasters called “eclipse” (海客・山客), and sometimes humans who are supposed to be born in the worlds of the Twelve Kingdoms are swept away before birth and born on earth (胎果). In the series, the adventures and tribulations of the Tainokatsu born in places they should not have been, the Kaigaku separated from their home countries, and the people of the Twelve Worlds are depicted, but not all of the Twelve Worlds are the setting. It is a gritty tale of people in diverse positions, including kings who conduct politics, officials with ideals and ambitions, and ordinary citizens, all struggling to live under a harsh fate. The editor in charge at Shinchosha stated, “I think what runs through the whole story is how to confront the difficulty of living.
The first book he wrote, “The Demon Child” (1991), was a horror novel and was set in modern Japan. Initially, there were no plans for a sequel, but when Ono wrote “The Demon Child” for Shinchosha, the world of the Twelve Kingdoms was constructed as a possible background world, and maps, timelines, charts, etc. were created. When an editor at Kodansha suggested that he write a fantasy, he mentioned this and was encouraged to write it, resulting in the well-received Twelve Kingdoms series. Starting with the first novel in the series, “Tsuki no Kage: Shadow of the Moon, Sea of Shadows” (1992), it was published as a fantasy in the Kodansha X Bunko White Heart, a girls' novel label. The cover and illustrations are by Akihiro Yamada, and the figures and extra-human beings are beautifully and powerfully depicted. Ono was not originally a fantasy reader, but after receiving an order for a fantasy work, he read C.S. Lewis' “The Chronicles of Narnia” and Roger Zelazny's “The Nine Princes of Amber,” and his own ideal form of fantasy was formed. Ono says that she considers stories like The Twelve Kingdoms to be more like myths or historical picture scrolls than fantasy. Unusually for a girls' novel, this series seems to be perceived as similar to Chinese historical novels, in that it is about ideal politics. Nevertheless, because invasion is not allowed between the Twelve Kingdoms according to the providence supposedly decreed by the heavens (breaking this rule results in the king's death), there is no need for diplomacy except on the commercial front, which is a far cry from real politics.
Ono originally wrote girls' novels for Kodansha X Bunko Teen's Heart, a girls' fiction label, and would sometimes receive fan letters from young girls who were her readers, telling her of their problems. Ono states that, if anything, these readers were Youko's prototype, and “Tsuki no Shadow, Shadow Sea” is a substitute for a reply to her readers. Tsuki no Shadow Shadow no Umi” was once rejected because it was too heavy for girls, and after some twists and turns, it was published. The story, in which a girl is forcibly brought to another world and discovers her place in it after an adventure filled with hardship, depicts the major theme in fantasy of “exploring the self and finding a place to truly belong”, and contrary to some publishers' concerns that it might be too heavy or difficult The reaction of the girls among readers was favorable. The popularity of the series led to more and more works set in the same world, gradually revealing an in-depth worldview, and the series became a series. The main characters differ from episode to episode, including Youko, a Japanese high school girl who is transported back to the world of the Twelve Kingdoms and becomes the king of Keikoku; Taiki (Miao Li), who was born in Japan at the same time as Youko but is a qilin of Dai-koku; Shoryu, the heir to a warrior family in the Warring States period but becomes the king of Ganguo; and Yonkoku's qilin, a poor child in the Muromachi period who is the king of Yonkoku. The story revolves around the characters of Taika, such as Shoryu, who was a samurai heir in the Warring States period but became king of the Wild Geese Kingdom, and Yanqi (Rokutai), a poor kid from the Muromachi period who was the Kirin of Yan Province. The publication of the series is not in chronological order, but rather, like The Chronicles of Narnia, the story takes place in various places as the eras move back and forth. The series, with its interesting stories and fascinating characters, expanded its fan base to include people who do not usually read works for teens. In 1996, critic Jiro Kitagami praised “Zunan no Tsubasa” in the book review section of a weekly magazine, and in 2000, critic Ai Ishido introduced it in the magazine “Gensetsu Bungaku introduced it, and it attracted much attention.
As of September 2021, the total number of copies of the series has exceeded 12.8 million. It was ranked No. 1 in the “Da Vinci Book of the Year 2020” Novel Ranking 50. It was also adapted into an animated television series by NHK in 2002.
Although a new work in the series had not been published for a long time since July 2001, “yom yom vol. 6” (released on February 27, 2008) published a new short story, “Hisho no Tori,” the first new story in about six and a half years, and in the same magazine vol. 12 (released on September 27, 2009), “Ryukoku In the same magazine vol. 12 (released on September 27, 2009), a short story “Ochisho no Gokoku” was published, which is set in the Ryukoku region.
Publisher/Label[]
Initially published by Kodansha X Bunko White Heart, the series expanded its readership to include adults and was published without illustrations by Kodansha Bunko for the general public from 2000. There had never been an example of a girls' novel being brought into a general paperback, and the series was an extremely unprecedented work in the world of girls' novels.
The Kodansha editor in charge of the series, who was the catalyst for its birth, transferred to Shinchosha and was assigned to the bunko editorial department, where she became the author's contact, and in April 2012 the series was transferred from Kodansha to Shinchosha, with the complete edition being published by the general-interest Shincho-Bunko. From July of the same year, new editions of the existing books, a collection of short stories including new works, and new full-length works were published one after another. The previously separate work “The Demon Child” was integrated into the series as Episode-0. The cover and illustrations for the complete edition are by Akihiro Yamada, the same artist as for the White Heart edition.
Series name[]
The series is now officially called “The Twelve Kingdoms” and is clearly indicated on the covers and frontispieces. However, the series was not originally called “The Twelve Kingdoms” and did not have an official name. The author's afterword to “Kaze no Banri, Nishi-no-Tsangkai” (East: Umigami, West: Cangkai), published in June 1994, states that although there is no series name, readers generally refer to the series as “Twelve Kingdoms,” and he himself refers to it as such because it is easier for him to call the series “Twelve Kingdoms. I call them so because they are easy for me to call them. According to an interview with the author in the July 2003 issue of “Da Vinci,” the series name was given at the request of the editorial department.
Synopsis[]
Youko Nakajima, an unhappy high school student, is one day suddenly faced with a strange man who swears allegiance to her. After a battle with demon-like beasts, he then takes her to another world along with two of her classmates. There, her appearance has changed and she can understand the language even though her classmates cannot. But their status as "Kaikyaku" (people who come from Earth) makes them hunted fugitives, so they wander the land of the 12 countries, simply trying to survive and to figure out the reason why they were brought to this world.
Setting[]
The Twelve Kingdoms tells several stories from the world of the Twelve Kingdoms. It is located on a group of several islands in another dimension accessible from our world through portals created from naturally-occurring magic (though the other way around is normally impossible). The portals occur in the ocean waters of Japan and China, and ever so often will end up dragging someone from our world from those waters to the kingdoms' islands, and/or on rare occasion, pulling an unborn child from the kingdoms into our world, causing them to be born there. On the islands, magic works and societies similar to those of classical Japan and China exist. While the inhabitants of the kingdoms are aware of the existence of our world as the lands of Hourai (Japan) and Kunlun (China), the reverse is not true for any inhabitants of our world. The inhabitants of the kingdoms speak a different language than the languages of our world, both of which can be learned by either side. Only through extraordinary circumstances can the two worlds affect each other to a certain extent.
In this world, there are a total of thirteen lands. At the center of the world lies the Koukai (the Yellow Sea) and Five Mountains where the Gods communicate their will to the Twelve Kingdoms of the world. Each of the Twelve Kingdoms possesses their own ruler and its own Kirin, a divine creature which embodies the will of heaven and is entrusted to choose a kingdom's ruler by Tentei: Emperor of Heaven. The Kirin serves as the ruler's aide. The ruler will have immortal life as long as they keep the kingdom healthy and their heads are not severed from their body. If the ruler's Kirin dies or is killed, the ruler will die within a year.
The Koukai, known as the Yellow Sea, is surrounded by four inland seas: the Black Sea in the north, the Blue Sea to the east, the Red Sea in the south, and the White Sea to the west. Eight of the Twelve Kingdoms (Kei, En, Ryu, Kyou, Han, Sai, Sou, and Kou) border at least one of these four seas, extending from the center like the petals of a flower. The remaining four kingdoms (Tai, Hou, Ren, and Shun) are not part of the central mainland and are isolated by the Kyokai (虚海) (Void Sea) which surrounds the lands of the Twelve Kingdoms.
Character[]
The protagonist of this work. Youko Nakajima (中嶋 陽子) is a sixteen-year-old honors student in Japan who lives an ordinary life. Her primary worries are her naturally red hair (it was speculated by some students and a teacher that Youko might've dyed her hair red) and an inexplicable recurring dream that haunts her. When a man named Keiki suddenly appears at her school, he bows at her feet, swearing loyalty to her and offering protection. The school is attacked by a giant bird and she reluctantly accepts his oath. He gives her a sword and transports her across the Void Sea to the Twelve Kingdoms, where she ends up in the Kingdom of Kou.
Youko is initially confused by the changes that have been brought onto her including a complete change in her appearance that she cannot see herself and being stranded in an unknown land with no means of returning home. These changes cause her to cry constantly, lapse into a state of helplessness, and complain about interfering in other beings' lives no matter what the situation. As she searches for Keiki, she finds herself constantly battling against Youma and being betrayed by civilians of Kou many times. While Youko becomes wary of trusting others, she eventually comes to befriend and trust a hanjyu named Rakushun. They escape to the Kingdom of En where Youko learns that she is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Kei. Although she is initially reluctant, Youko accepts the position through her growth in the story. 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. Subsequently, she is pulled into the search for Taiki when the Tai general Risai beseeches Youko's help in finding him.
As the ruler of Kei, she is given the regnal name of Sekishi (赤子, Red Child), because of her bright red hair and because her councilors initially view her as a child. Despite being a weak character to begin with, appearing very withdrawn and not wanting to do anything that would bring attention to herself, Youko 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.
A beautiful girl with bright red hair, brown skin and blue eyes. She has a quiet and servile personality in Horai, and because she lived by looking at other people's complexions, she could not speak to her overbearing and misogynistic father. I couldn't even go to the school recommended by my homeroom teacher at that time. Her grades were reasonably good, but she was ignorant of politics.
Abilities[]
When she was in Japan, Youko was always concerned about what others thought of her and behaved like an honor student. Her parents were strict, and her father demanded a good old-fashioned “Yamato Nadeshiko” image of his wife and daughter. Her mother never disobeyed her father and told Youko to be ladylike. In her private life, Youko was not even allowed to wear pants. Even at school, Youko had only casual relationships and had no friends with whom she could talk frankly. She was born with reddish brown hair, which gave him a complex. Some teachers suspected that he had dyed his hair, which was forbidden by school rules, and he wore his hair in a tight braid to make it look as dark as possible.
Youko in a warrior's suit.
After she arrive in Takumi country, her appearance changed from reddish brown hair to bright red hair, her skin color became slightly brown, and her eye color changed from black to green. The shape of her face itself has also changed, and when Youko looks in the mirror, she is astonished to see her completely different appearance from before.
This is because Youko is actually an embryo, and in Horai (Japan) she was covered with a shell, a kind of shell that makes her look like her immediate family, but in Jouzei, she has returned to her original appearance. Because of the vivid color of her hair, she was given the character “sekishi” (red child) by the officials at the time of her accession to the throne in Gyeongdong Province. She also received a character from the color red and the name of his benefactor, Rakshun, to give her the name of Seokrak.
As she lives a hard and painful life of survival in Takumi Province, her spirit becomes more and more exhausted and her girlish innocence fades away. She disguises herself as a man to hide from the guards, and fights the demons that pursue her with the watery sword given to her by Kageki. The betrayal by someone she trusted and the attacks by demons in the mountains and fields without enough rest made her desperate and she fell into a severe distrust of people, saying “I should betray them before they betray me." She changed her mind when she was saved by Rakushun, a half-animal, when he had fallen down. She want to be strong so that "I can live my life with my chest out,” and found faith in herself. Since then, she has faced various difficulties, but she has acquired the dignity of a king.
Youko in her "traveling" outfit
Since the middle of “Tsuki no Shadow, Kage no Umi” (Shadow of the Moon, Sea of Shadows), she has adopted a rather blunt tone of voice, saying things like, “You know,” and “Do it for me." Originally, she was an ordinary citizen, and her life of survival up to the ascension to the throne has been combined with her dislike of luxurious living and formal attire. After her accession to the throne, she seems to be in a daily battle with the court ladies who want to dress her up in any way they can. When she goes out on the streets, she prefers to wear simple men's clothes, and some of her subjects sometimes ridicule her, saying that she became king without the scent of a woman.
She does not like to be treated with awe because of her status, and most of those who have taken him as a vassal since the Waju Rebellion have allowed her to address Youko by name and treat her in an easygoing manner in private. In particular, Rakushun, to whom she owes a great debt of gratitude, Shoukei and Ooki Suzu who serve as her mistress and lady-in-waiting, are her equal friends with whom she can talk frankly and honestly. She has received a lot of advice from King En, Shoryu, and King Enki, of the neighboring kingdom of Han, who are also her seniors, and they also look up to her as their backers.
She and Kei (Kirin), quarrel constantly, although they trust each other. Nevertheless, the two are an uneven duo who somehow manage to get along well with Youko, who is inexperienced but sincere, and Jingqi, who is clumsy but earnest.
They are usually open and frank, but as a child, they are not familiar with politics and lack common sense, which they feel is a disgrace. She is sometimes impatient to become a good king as soon as possible for the people who have been forced to live a hard life without a king for many years. Perhaps it is a remnant of his life in Horai, but she has low self-esteem at the core of her being. She is trying to improve her lack of knowledge by learning from her subjects and friends, including Enho (the provincial leader.)
On the other hand, Youko's out-of-the-box thinking, which is typical of Tainan, brings a new wind to Kei and the Twelve Kingdoms as a whole and sometimes becomes the one to break out of a situation. During the rescue of Taiki, she caused a stir in the everlasting world, where non-interference had been the norm, and she got the entire Twelve Kingdoms involved in forming a team to search for Taiki.
As being a Queen & King of a Kingdom, Youko learned how to hold a sword for her survival in the new world. Through the series Youko able to defend herself using swordsmanship.
Partner[]
A kirin (麒麟) is a noble and holy creature that is bound to and chooses the ruler of each kingdom according to the will of Tentei, the Emperor of Heaven. As creatures of benevolence, a kirin serves as a monarch's advisor until the monarch's death and will bow only before its ruler. No matter if the Kirin objects they cannot go against their master's orders, even if that means killing someone. Should a monarch lose the way and begin to govern in a way that violates the mandates presented to them upon ascending their throne, their Kirin will be struck with an illness known as shitsudou. The disease is often fatal and the death of the Kirin will result in the death of their monarch soon afterward; however, should a monarch manage to return to the way or renounce their throne and die, a Kirin can recover from shitsudou to search for a new ruler.
When a Kirin finds its monarch, it gives an oath: "I swear never to desert my post before your throne."
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Keiki 【景麒】 Keiki is a Kirin and the Saiho 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. In spite of being gruff and somewhat unapproachable, he is very sincere and loyal to Youko. Before meeting Youko, Keiki had taken a long time before selecting Youko's immediate predecessor, Joukaku (舒覚), to become the ruler of Kei. However, she was an ineffective ruler and fell in love with Keiki; her jealousy resulted in irrational acts including expelling all the women from the country and executing those who remained. Keiki contracted Shitsudou and in order to save his life, Joukaku abdicated her throne and killed herself after a short reign of six years and was posthumously known as Yo-ou (予王, the Prophet). Cured of his illness, Keiki set out immediately to find a new monarch for Kei. He eventually finds Youko Nakajima, who had been living as a taika in Japan without any knowledge of the Twelve Kingdoms, and forcibly brings her back to the Twelve Kingdoms. They are separated on arrival and Keiki is captured and enchanted by Kourin, the kirin of Kou, so that he is unable to speak, summon his Shirei, or return to human form. Forced to appear before Joyei (舒栄), Joukaku's sister and pretender to the throne of Kei, Keiki remains a prisoner of the false ruler until Youko, aided by the King of En, rescues him and frees him from his enchantment. After liberating Kei, Keiki continues to advise Youko on statecraft and politics. |
PERSONAL INFORMATION
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| Title: | ─ Taiho (台輔) | Age: | Unknown | Alignments: | Lawful • Moral |
| Gender | Male | Place of Birth | Unknown | ||
| Affiliation: | ─ Youko Nakajima (The Queen of Kei) ─ Kingdom of Kei |
Race: | Kirin | Occupation: | Advisor/Bodyguard |
| Height: | 171 cm (Human Form) - 1.4 – 1.6 m (Kirin Form) | Status: | Active | ||
| Traits: | Mythological, Non-Human Character, Tactician | Hair & Eyes Color: | Pale gold (Hair) // Violet (Eyes) | Voice Actor: | JP: Takehito Koyasuo // EN: Kim Strauss |
ABILITIES
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He has interpersonal problems, and is unable to get along with the bureaucrats or understand the power relations in the palace, and was of little help to Youko shortly after his ascension to the throne. He was criticized for failing to properly protect his main soldier, Youko, before that, and unlike Kourin's flawless ability to use his commands to summon youkai armies, Keiki's commands were simply issued because he did not have enough strong youkai in quantity or quality. It's almost as if her abilities as a Kirin are inherently low.
 Queen of Kei riding her Kirin   Kei True Form as Kirin |
The Kirin serves as the Youko's advisor. The ruler will have immortal life as long as they keep the kingdom healthy and their heads are not severed from their body. If the ruler's Kirin dies or is killed, the ruler will die within a year.
Shirei[]
Jouyuu
Then there's Jouyuu, which isn't really a weapon, but a hinman. He was put there by Keiki to protect Youko, who could not do any martial arts at all, and Youko, who was frightened at first, hated it, and Keiki told her never to pretend to know him, but at the end of the day she finally came out of her self-pitying body and told him that she had seen you all along, and that you were not a pathetic and foolish person, and that you had enough qualities to be a king, so don't be too hard on yourself. Later, Youko asks Keiki to lift the order he had given her earlier, not to pretend to be present, and thanks him for learning her name.
Youko's familiarity with the sword is all thanks to Jouyuu, and the way it works in the novel seems to be that Jouyuu takes over her body and moves it for her only to the extent that Youko's body is capable of it, meaning that when Youko's body gets tired, Jouyuu can no longer use her body to move.
Jouyuu is also a living being... he needs to see things with his eyes, but since he uses her body, he naturally relies on Youko's eyesight. At the same time, if Youko can't use her eyes, he can't see either, which is why in the first half of the anime series, Youko is so scared that she closes her eyes and gets attacked and falls off the Hyouki. In the anime, when the Jouyuu is activated, Youko's black pupils are shown to fill with red, the color of her eyes.
Suigūtō Sword[]
The weapon is the sword Suigūtō, the traditional symbol of the kings of the Kei Kingdom. It was originally called the Suigūtō Sword, and became the Suigūtō after the Buddhist monk Song Bai made a scabbard out of a Aozaru. It is said that the water forms the sword and the Aozaru (蒼猿, blue Aozaru) spirit forms the scabbard. It is said to be an excellent sword and a fantastic work of art, but its true value is that it can "show something like the surface of water."
It is called a sword because its first form was the unyielding sword. As a weapon whose blade is made of water, it changes shape with each king who wields it, and the scabbard changes to match. Some kings have even wielded a water club. The blade, made of water, can show you anything as if you were looking through a mirror, and if it learn how to control it, it will can show the wielder the past, future, and even beyond the heavens and earth, but if it mind is distracted and it will lose control of the sword, it will show the vain illusions, so it was sealed in a Aozaru scabbard.
The scabbard made of a Aozaru had the power to read a person's mind and transmit it to its wielder, but if the mind became weak, it would read and confuse the owner's mind, so it was sealed with a sword. In a situation where they inhibited each other, or when Youko couldn't take the scabbard on the carriage and left it behind, it broke the seal that inhibited both the sword and the scabbard. As a result, Youko finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time without knowing anything, being attacked by youma, constantly being tricked by people around her, and having a negative personality, all of which are compounded by the confusion caused by the visions of the sword and the mental attack of the Aozaru that is the scabbard.
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Aozaru 【蒼猿, blue monkey】 Aozaru is the physical manifestation of the sentient spirit of the scabbard of the Suigūtō (水禺刀, the Water Monkey Sword). The sword is a royal treasure to the kingdom of Kei and can only be wielded by the kingdom's rightful ruler – as such, Youko is the only one who can draw the sword from its sheath. The sword was forged from a water demon that a previous great ruler of Kei had defeated while the scabbard was created from a long-tailed monkey demon. From the scabbard hangs a large jewel that can heal the one who holds it. The sword is not only capable of killing demons and sages and breaking substances like metal chains, but is also capable of presenting visions of the past, future, and things in the distance. The sword and scabbard must be kept together, otherwise the phantasms of the sword appear unchecked while the spirit of the scabbard is free to act as it wishes. When Youko loses the scabbard during an attack by Kikis, it appears in the form of Aozaru, the blue monkey, and taunts her with her doubts while the sword presents her with visions of things she does not wish to see. Eventually, Youko, overcoming her own doubts, kills the monkey and picks up the dead scabbard. Because she has killed Aozaru, the sword can be drawn from the sheath by anyone, though it can be wielded effectively only by Youko. Voiced by: Kousuke Okano (Japanese); Richard Cansino (English) |
Since Youko has just become king and has no knowledge at all, the clairvoyant's function in the beginning was more to show Youko's unwanted facts and ugly sides as a person than as a clairvoyant. However, towards the end of the anime series, after she straightened up a bit, she became quite controllable. It doesn't know if this happened to the other Light Kings, but in Youko's case, she don't know if it was because she knew the future path of her life, or if Suigūtō chose her, but in any case, Suigūtō has been warning her in dreams since she was in Bongrae. (If we calculate the dates, it seems that she has been showing her dreams since Keiki came to Bongrae because she couldn't find the King in the original world.)
It is a sword that can only be wielded by the current Emperor, Youko, and no one else. Originally, it could not even be drawn from its scabbard, but since the scabbard is dead, those who are familiar with the sword (such as the Yan King) can draw it. They just can't use it.
The scabbard of the Suigūtō contains a light blue orb called the Hekisōju, which has considerable healing powers (in the novel, it healed Youko's hand, which had been completely pierced by a sword, in a single day, and healed a simple scratch). The Hekisōju is also said to be the secret treasure of the kingdom, and unlike the Suuudo, which can only be used by the king, and the treasures of other countries, which can only be used by those with the title of Kei-ou, it seems to be available to everyone.
| 《Gallery》 |
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  Youko and Rakushun   Youko and Keiki   Youko in her school uniform.  |
View of the world[]
Detail is "Twelve Countries" See
A world where immortal immortals exist and demons run rampant. There are twelve countries, and the political organization is similar to ancient Chinese ceremonies . However, instead of a hereditary system, it is ruled by a king chosen by the divine beast Kirin according to the divine will, and the Kirin assists the king. Kirin are merciful, hate the impurity of blood and death, and get sick from the impurity. It is said that people who have the qualities of a king are chosen, but the degree of prosperity of the country varies depending on each king. The king seals the feudal lords and conducts politics. The king and some high-ranking officials are given immortality as god immortals (can be killed with special weapons), and the king reigns until his death. A king's reign may last for a few years or for hundreds of years.
In politics, there are absolute rules that are said to have been set by the heavens, and if the king breaks them and makes a mistake in the path, the giraffe will get sick, and if it is not corrected, the giraffe will die. When the giraffe that made a king die, so does the king. Alternatively, before the Kirin dies, the king can make a wish to heaven and give up (choose death). They may also be defeated in rebellion. When the king dies, the Kirin chooses a new king. When a Kirin dies, a Kirin fruit grows on the mountain in the center of the world, and a new Kirin is born to choose a king. A king is always a person of the country. While the king is on the throne, demon activity is suppressed and the climate stabilizes, but without the king, the country is in chaos. Such a rule system is said to have been established by the Emperor, but no one has ever met the Emperor).
Since creatures are born from a special tree, women do not give birth, which is different from the real view of men and women and gender. Lust and sex itself exist in this world as well. Children cannot be conceived unless they are of the same country, and raising children is considered an act of showing virtue to heaven. Since children are not born from their parents, they do not look alike. There are people called half-beasts who are half-humans and half-beasts, and they are discriminated against in some countries. People who have been exiled from a different world (the real world) are called kaikaku/mountain kyaku, and they are also discriminated against depending on the country. Because it is a different world, many unique and original words are used.
There is an island in the center of the world, and this island is not included in the Twelve Kingdoms. The mountain in the center of the island is the realm of the goddess Saiobo, and there is a tree that grows kirin. Surrounding this mountain is a barren land called the Yellow Sea. Separating the island from the sea, there is a petal-shaped circular continent with eight countries. The borders are determined by heaven. Furthermore, this continent is surrounded by a sea called the Utsukai, and there are four island nations on all four sides. The real world is said to be at the end of the virtual sea, in the shadow of the world, and is connected by a phenomenon called "eclipse".
Bibliographic Information[]
There are seven novels in the Twelve Kingdoms series, plus two short story collections. The novels are illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. Some of the novels have been published in two or more volume editions such that the total number of volumes is sixteen (as originally released in Japan).
| Book | Kanji title | Romaji title | Original title, literal translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publication date | ISBN | English publication title | ||
| Summary | ||||
| 1 | 月の影 影の海 | Tsuki no Kage, Kage no Umi | Shadow of the Moon, Sea of Shadow | 2 volumes |
| June 1992 (Kodansha Volume 1) July 1992 (Kodansha Volume 2) July 2012 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 1) July 2012 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 2) |
978-4-06-255071-0 (Kodansha Volume 1) 978-4-06-255072-7 (Kodansha Volume 2) 978-4-10-124053-4 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 1) 978-4-10-124052-7 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 2) |
The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow | ||
| Youko becomes the monarch of Kei. | ||||
| 2 | 風の海 迷宮の岸 | Kaze no Umi, Meikyū no Kishi | Sea of Wind, Shore of the Labyrinth | 2 volumes (Kodansha release) 1 volume (Shinchosha reprint) |
| March 1993 (Kodansha Volume 1) April 1993 (Kodansha Volume 2) October 2012 (Shinchosha reprint) |
978-4-06-255114-4 (Kodansha Volume 1) 978-4-06-255120-5 (Kodansha Volume 2) 978-4-10-124054-1 (Shinchosha reprint) |
The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Wind | ||
| Taiki chooses the ruler of Tai | ||||
| 3 | 東の海神 西の滄海 | Higashi no Wadatsumi, Nishi no Sōkai | Sea God in the East, Vast Sea in the West | 1 volume |
| June 1994 (Kodansha release) January 2013 (Shinchosha reprint) |
978-4-06-255168-7 (Kodansha release) 978-4-10-124055-8 (Shinchosha reprint) |
The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas | ||
| The King of En suppresses a rebellion. | ||||
| 4 | 風の万里 黎明の空 | Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora | A Thousand Miles of Wind, the Sky at Dawn | 2 volumes |
| July 1994 (Kodansha Volume 1) September 1994 (Kodansha Volume 2) April 2013 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 1) April 2013 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 2) |
978-4-06-255175-5 (Kodansha Volume 1) 978-4-06-255178-6 (Kodansha Volume 2) 978-4-10-124057-2 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 1) 978-4-10-124056-5 (Shinchosha reprint Volume 2) |
The Twelve Kingdoms: Skies of Dawn | ||
| Youko, Suzu and Shoukei free the Wa Province in Kei | ||||
| 5 | 図南の翼 | Tonan no Tsubasa | The Aspiring Wings | 1 volume |
| February 1996 (Kodansha release) October 2013 (Shinchosha reprint) |
978-4-06-255229-5 (Kodansha release) 978-4-10-124059-6 (Shinchosha reprint) |
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| Shushou becomes ruler of Kyou. | ||||
| 6 | 黄昏の岸 暁の天 | Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora | The Shore at Twilight, the Sky at Daybreak | 2 volumes (Kodansha release) 1 volume (Shinchosha reprint) |
| May 2001 (Kodansha release both volumes) April 2014 (Shinchosha reprint) |
978-4-06-255546-3 (Kodansha Volume 1) 978-4-06-255550-0 (Kodansha Volume 2) 978-4-10-124061-9 (Shinchosha reprint) |
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| Risai meets Youko to request help in finding Taiki. | ||||
| 7 | 華胥の幽夢 | Kasho no Yume | The Dream of Prosperity | 1 volume |
| September 2001 (Kodansha release) January 2014 (Shinchosha reprint) |
978-4-06-255573-9 (Kodansha release) 978-4-10-124060-2 (Shinchosha reprint) |
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| Five short stories, set in Tai, Hou, Kei, Sai and Sou: "Toei" (冬栄), "Jogetsu" (乗月), "Shokan" (書簡), "Kasho" (華胥), "Kizan" (帰山) | ||||
| 8 | 丕緒の鳥 | Hisho no Tori | The Birds of Hisho | 1 volume |
| July 2013 (Shinchosha release) | 978-4-10-124058-9 (Shinchosha release) | |||
| Four short stories set in Kei, Ryu, and other locations in the Twelve Kingdoms: "Hisho no Tori" (丕緒の鳥), "Rakushou no Goku" (落照の獄), "Seijou no Ran" (青条の蘭), and "Fuushin" (風信). | ||||
| 9 | 白銀の墟 玄の月 | Hakugin no Oka, Kuro no Tsuki | Silver Ruins, Black Moon | 4 volumes |
| October 2019 (Shinchosha Volume 1) October 2019 (Shinchosha Volume 2) November 2019 (Shinchosha Volume 3) November 2019 (Shinchosha Volume 4) |
978-4101240626 (Shinchosha Volume 1) 978-4101240633 (Shinchosha Volume 2) 978-4101240640 (Shinchosha Volume 3) 978-4101240657 (Shinchosha Volume 4) |
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| Six years after Gyousou disappeared, based on the barest sliver of hope from Taiki's claim that he is still alive, they begin the long search. | ||||
Kodansha X Paperback Edition
 Manga Vol. 1  Manga Vol. 2  Manga Vol. 3  Manga Vol. 4  Manga Vol. 5  Manga Vol. 6  Manga Vol. 7  Manga Vol. 8  Manga Vol. 9  Manga Vol. 10  Manga Vol. 11 |
Shinchosha version
 Manga Vol. 0  Manga Vol. 1-1  Manga Vol. 1-2  Manga Vol. 2  Manga Vol. 3  Manga Vol. 4-1  Manga Vol. 4-2  Manga Vol. 5  Manga Vol. 6  Manga Vol. 7  Manga Vol. 8  Manga Vol. 9-1  Manga Vol. 9-2  Manga Vol. 9-3  Manga Vol. 9-4 |
In 2006, U.S. publisher Tokyopop acquired the rights to publish the novels under its "Pop Fiction" imprint. The first book was released in March 2007. Only the first four books were released before the license expired.
| Title | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow | March 2007 (hardcover) February 2008 (paperback) |
978-1-59816-946-1 (hardcover) 978-1-4278-0257-6 (paperback) |
| The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Wind | March 2008 (hardcover) February 2009 (paperback) |
978-1-59816-947-8 (hardcover) 978-1-4278-0258-3 (paperback) |
| The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas | March 2009 (hardcover) November 2009 (paperback) |
978-1-59816-948-5 (hardcover) 978-1-4278-0259-0 (paperback) |
| The Twelve Kingdoms: Skies of Dawn | March 2010 (hardcover) November 2010 (paperback) |
978-1-59816-949-2 (hardcover) 978-1-4278-0260-6 (paperback) |
In 2024, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they had acquired the license to publish the novels with a new translation under their “Airship” imprint. The first volume is scheduled for release in July 2025.
Media[]
TV Anime[]
The anime adaptation by studio Pierrot aired from April 9, 2002, to August 30, 2003, in Japan on NHK for forty-five episodes. The opening theme is "Juunigenmukyoku" by Kunihiko Ryo while the ending theme is "Getsumei-Fuuei" by Mika Arisaka.
- See also: List of Twelve Kingdoms episodes
It was broadcast from April 9, 2002 to August 30, 2003 within the satellite animation theater frame of NHK BS2. There are parts that are original to the anime, not just the original.
Differences from the original[]
- The content is basically based on the original, but some plot changes and original settings and characters are also included. The most noticeable changes are that when Youko is taken away to the world of Twelve Kingdoms, she is not is three people with a classmate. Sugimoto, who loves fantasy, believes that Twelve Kingdoms is the world he seeks, and becomes hostile to Youko. In the anime script collection, it is said that "In the beginning of Tsuki no Kage Kage no Umi'', which is the biggest difference in the story between the original and the anime, the original author originally said that the number of people who came across the twelve countries was not one. It is derived from the conception before publishing the novel.”
- Gold letters are used for the kanji that appear in the work.
- In response to the fact that the anime script collection includes characters, mission names, race names, etc. that were not set in the original, he said, "All proper nouns that do not appear in the original are decided by the original author. There is a description that says In addition to this, there is also a description that, since "Twilight Kishi Hikari no Ten" had not yet been published when the script was written, some of the things that were revealed for the first time were contradictory.
- The King of the Twelve Kingdoms and the Kirin were introduced in the 21st episode, "Sea of the Wind, Labyrinth Shore," (Those not appearing in the anime appeared in silhouette). The king of Shunkyoku who has not yet appeared in the original work is Shun-oh , and the Kirin is Shun-ki .
- Staff:
- Original work - Fuyumi Ono
- Character draft - Akihiro Yamada
- Director - Tsuneo Kobayashi
- Character Design - Hiroto Tanaka , Yuko Kusumoto
- Concept design - Yasuhiro Moriki , Atsushi Wakabayashi (episodes 1-18), Haruo Miyagawa (episodes 5-45), Keiko Shimizu (episodes 19, 20, 24 - Episode 45)
- Art Director - Junichi Higashi
- Color design - Yuko Sato
- Cinematographer - Atsuho Matsumoto
- Editing - Seiji Morita, Yuka Yamagishi, Chieko Takayama, etc.
- Acoustic Director - Tsutomu Kashiwakura
- Music - Kunihiko Ryo
- Animation Production - Pierrot
- Producer - Suekawa Lab
- Co-production - NHK Enterprise 21 , General Vision
- Production - NHK
Initially, it was supposed to be 39 episodes, and in March 2003, the second series (after episode 40) was announced to be broadcast, but it ended with episode 45. According to NHK's official announcement, the reason for this is that it is difficult to draw the characters vividly because the original work is incomplete. In addition, according to the anime script collection written by Noboru Aikawa and later published, the second series was originally "Sea God of the East, Vast Sea of the West, followed by "Tonami no Tsubasa" and "Twilight Bank Akatsuki no Ten", and the idea was to conclude the anime version of the Twelve Kingdoms by putting some kind of settlement on the unfinished original “Tasogare no Kishi Akatsuki no Ten”. Among the short stories recorded in "Kashu no Yumu", "A Message" and "Jogetsu", followed by "Fuyuei" and "Keizan" could be animated.
Later, it was also broadcast on educational television and satellite high-definition. It is broadcast not only in Japan, but also in South Korea, Taiwan, China, and the United States.
BS2 first broadcast period is as follows.
| Title | Number of episodes | Broadcast period | Broadcast slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of the Moon, the Sea of Shadow | Chapter 1 - Chapter 1 (Episode 1 - Episode 14) | April 9 - July 16, 2002 | Tuesday 18:00 slot |
| The Sea of Wind, the Shore of Labyrinth | Chapter 1 - Chapter 15 (Episode 15-Episode 21) | September 3 - October 15, 2002 | |
| A Message | (Episode 22) | October 22, 2002 | |
| A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn | Chapter 1 - Final Chapter (Episode 23-Episode 39) | October 29, 2002 - March 11, 2003 | |
| Ally of the Moon | (Episode 40) | July 5, 2003 | Saturday 9:00 slot |
| Sea God of the East, Vast Sea of the West | Chapter 1 - Turning Chapter (Episode 41-Episode 45) | July 26 - August 30, 2003 |
It was rebroadcast from July 23rd to August 27th, 2002, March 18th and 25th, 2003, and from April 5th to June 28th, 2003, it was titled "The World of the Twelve Kingdoms". A special program re-edited as a total of 13 episodes is being broadcast. In addition, the same work was partially broadcast in the 2006 BS summer vacation animation special selection frame. Broadcast on Kids Station from October 6, 2010 (CS, of course, will be the first broadcast on a broadcasting station other than NHK). Also, from August 2, 2012, all 45 episodes have been rebroadcast on NHKBS Premium.
DVDs[]
The anime series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States by Media Blasters, which are now out of print.
- Shadow of the Moon Sea of Shadows DVD BOX
- Moon Shadow Shadow Sea 1 (Episode 1, Episode 2)
- Moon Shadow Shadow Sea 2 (Episode 3, Episode 4)
- Moon Shadow Shadow Sea 3 (Episode 5-Episode 7)
- Moon Shadow Shadow Sea 4 (Episode 8-Episode 10)
- Moon Shadow Shadow Sea 5 (Episode 11-Episode 13)
- Shadow of the Moon Sea of Shadow Omnibus "Twelve Kingdoms World Moon Shadow Sea of Shadow"
- Sea of Wind Labyrinth Shore DVD BOX
- Sea of Wind Labyrinth Shore 1 (Episode 15-Episode 17)
- Sea of Wind Labyrinth Shore 2 (Episode 18-Episode 20)
- East Sea God West Canghai 1 (Episode 40-Episode 42)
- East Sea God West Canghai 2 (Episode 43-Episode 45)
- Chapter Change (Episode 14, Episode 21)
- Sea of Wind Labyrinth Shore Highlights "The World of Twelve Kingdoms Sea of Wind Labyrinth Shore"
- The Great Wind Dawn Sky DVD BOX
- Great Wind Dawn Sky 1 (Episode 22-Episode 24)
- Great Wind Dawn Sky 2 (Episode 25-Episode 27)
- Great Wind Dawn Sky 3 (Episode 28-Episode 30)
- Great Wind Dawn Sky 4 (Episode 31-Episode 33)
- Great Wind Dawn Sky 5 (Episode 34-Episode 36)
- Great Wind Dawn Sky 6 (Episode 37-Episode 39)
- The Great Wind Dawn Sky Summary "The World of Twelve Kingdoms The Great Wind Dawn Sky Edition"
Blu-ray[]
The license was transferred to Discotek Media, who released the complete series on Blu-ray in 2019. As a bonus, a new mini-drama CD is included.
- Tsuki no Kage Kage no Umi Blu-ray BOX
- Sea of Wind Labyrinth Shore Blu-ray BOX
- Great Wind Dawn Sky Blu-ray BOX
- Sea God of the East West Cangkai Blu-ray BOX (It was scheduled to be released on June 23, 2010, but due to production reasons, it was changed to September 23, 2010.)
A low-priced version released on November 26, 2015. Includes all 4 series and 45 episodes. Number of discs: 10, no drama CD.
- Twelve Kingdoms Blu-ray BOX
CD drama[]
Kodansha printed a fifteen-volume "animanga" series in 2002–2004 by combining images from the anime series with printed dialogue and sound effects. It has been released only in Japanese.
- Kodansha X Bunko CD Book "Eastern Sea God West Sea" Kodansha, released on June 12, 1997, ISBN 4-06-267801-2
- The attached booklet contains the newly written novel "Drifting".
- "Demon Child" drama album (June 25, 1997, Mercury Music Entertainment)
- Twelve Kingdoms Dream Chapter 3 (Victor Entertainment, February 2, 2003)
- It consists of the opening, ending, "Chapter 1 Hachikirin", "Chapter 2 Sister King", and "Chapter 3 Beast in the Land", and the anime cast will appear.
Music CDs[]
- Moonlight Wind ( Mika Arisaka , May 2002, 5, Victor Entertainment)
- Twelve Genmu Suite (July 2002, 7, Victor Entertainment)
- Twelve Genmu Emaki (October 2002, 10, Victor Entertainment)
- Mt. Yomogi Kokyu Memories (June 2003, 6, Victor Entertainment)
- Yasozuki Shizuku Piano Memories (June 2003, 6, Victor Entertainment)
Video games[]
Konami has released in Japan two games based on Twelve Kingdoms, both produced by Takashi Shimomichi. They are Juuni Kokuki: Guren no Shirube 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 games are sprite-based, with small sprites used on-screen and larger, highly animated sprites used during battle.
- Juuni Kokuki: Guren no Shirube 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 monarch of Kei. Game data from the first game can be loaded into the second. This
One PC version online game was released. Publisher: Asmik Ace Entertainment.
- "Twelve Kingdoms Online" (Released on June 24, 2003 Service ended on February 24, 2005)
Theater[]
- In 1997 and 2000, the all-female theater company "Gekidan Tinka Bell" performed "Sea God of the East, Vast Sea of the West".
- On July 14th and 15th, 2009, the theater company Himawari performed a stage performance of "Tsuki no Kage Kage no Umi" in Fukuoka.
Reception[]
Kunihiko Ryo's instrumental opening theme “Jūni Genmukyoku” has been praised for its "sweeping score" that suits "the high fantasy series very well." The end of the song has also been praised for having an "exciting" sound similar to later "swashbuckling main themes" for the Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2011) film soundtracks and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) video game soundtrack.
External Link[]
- Novel
- The Twelve Kingdoms - (Kodansha BOOK Club)
- The Twelve Kingdoms - (Shinchosha)
- The Twelve Kingdoms - "yom-yom" (Shinchosha)
- Television Animation
- The Twelve Kingdoms - Pierrot Co., Ltd. Official Website
- The Twelve Kingdoms - (NHK Anime World)
- The Twelve Kingdoms - NHK Broadcasting History
- The Twelve Kingdoms - New DVD BOX & Blu-ray BOX information
- Website
- The Twelve Kingdoms - Wikipedia in English
- The Twelve Kingdoms - Wikipedia in Japanese
- Ono fuyumi "The Twelve Kingdoms" / Shinchosha Official (@12koku_shincho) Twitter
- The Twelve Kingdoms - Official Facebook Website
Trivia[]
to be added.