Spotlight Anime: Juuni Kokuki MAL Series Information Page: Juuni Kokuki MAL Score - 8.39 (by 2183 users) Ranked - #70 Popularity #205 For the next week I would like to have a discussion about the series that focuses on the key elements that we here on MAL use to critically rate an anime: Animation, Sound, Characters, Story, and Enjoyment. I would like everyone to approach this thread as if you were going to write a review and structure your initial post like this: Animation - insert rating Sound - insert rating Characters - insert rating Story - insert rating Enjoyment - insert rating Animation - discuss any pros and cons of the animation styling used in the series, try to include some specifics. Sound - describe any of the things you liked or didn't care for in regards to the music and sound effects used in the series etc... If you are having trouble writing up a review or coming up with specific pro's and cons, please don't worry. Just do the best you can with it and if you can only write two or three sentences about any of the 5 elements then that's OK. Not everyone here is currently at a level which will allow them to articulate their thoughts and opinions. After your initial post is made you can feel free to civilly discuss issues of contention. I am sure there will be many opinions expressed here that some of us will disagree upon and criticize and it is for that reason that this entire club exists. So I hope everyone has fun and I am really looking forward to watching this discussion unfold. RESULTS OF THE CHALLENGE YOU DECIDE POLL: Juuni Kokuki was NOT removed from the club Anime list - 100% (24/09/17) - Yes: 8 - No: 0 - I haven't seen this anime: 22 ~ Abstained: 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Dr_TokamiOct 2, 2017 2:29 PM
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| Well it's been quite a while since I've seen this show so it's kind of hard to rate things like animation and sound too specifically. Animation - 9 I remember the animation not only being well done, but also suitable for the show. Also I remember there were certain techniques employed, such as the subtle beautification of the protagonist, that merit a high score even if there wasn't a lot of "eye-candy". The use of a lot of the animation styles shows that the final product was arrived at intentionally, and like I said before, I think it was suitable. Sound - 8 I don't think there are any songs I would listen to on a playlist, but I remember most of the sounds were dedicated to mood-setting and ambience. As far as that goes, I think the show did a pretty good job of employing a subtle soundtrack that kind of pulled you into the show's pacing. Characters - 9.5 I think JK has some of the most realistic characters I've come across in anime. I feel like I can't justify giving a 10 since there were few characters that actually appealed to me, but despite this they were all portrayed well and acted like real people. While none of the characters really appealed to me, none of them turned me off either. Usually, in these stories that follow a number of characters, there will be at least 1 or 2 that I really just can't stand and don't want to watch. With Juuni Kokuki, this wasn't the case and I was actually pretty interested to share in the experiences of all the various characters. Story - 10 This story had a number of things I really enjoy: A very sprawling landscape and wide scope for the plot, a multitude of various characters connected by fate despite the distance of separation, and a realistic approach to politics and human reasoning. Juuni Kokuki is like an epic space opera that doesn't take place in space, but in an alternate reality. I honestly can't think of any negatives off the top of my head, not necessarily because there were none, but most likely because they were so overshadowed by the positives. Enjoyment - 10 This show is one of those that really pulled me into the experience and I couldn't just watch one episode at a time. The fact that I enjoyed it so much despite the lack of gore, depravity, etc. shows that it is truly something special. The only drawback of this show was the abrupt ending. I was really starting to perk up during Taiki's back story so it was very disappointing to come to such an end. I suppose all we can do is hope that maybe some day they will come out with another season or two. |
| Animation - 9 I can't include some specifics, because when I watch an anime the subject and character development are the points of focus for me. I don't give too much on animation; it doesn't have to be great if the anime subject is good. But all in all it was a good animation, the movements where fluid, the colors well chosen. Sound - 8 I have to mention that I don't remember not even a track from junni kokki''s ost Witch basically means nothing' that impressed me too much was there. But the sound went pretty good with the action, it wasn't something out of ordinary, but it was there and was going hand in hand with it ^^. Characters - 8 While we can see some character development for some of the characters, there is also a character stagnation which I found rather disturbing, the story was focusing on a "kingdom and his ruler" at the time while de rest of the characters [from previous stories] are almost forgotten. I like to see a mixed evolution, I like to see characters relationing and this doesn't happen too much. But when a character is spotlighted, the thing are getting' interesting. Story - 9 The story was very interesting, but unfinished, the anime is missing the final part is like somebody is taking' the dessert from your face while you are still eating. I wanted to see the final kingdom; I wanted to know what the producers were aiming at. Because the end is pretty much important, generally all that is happening is motivated by the ending...So I got frustrated in the end. Enjoyment - 8 As I said at the story part, being deprived by a decent ending, I was slightly disappointed by the end of the anime, but all in all, was a good to show to watch, that not so many watched, unfortunately ^^ PS - I watched this anime several years before, maybe my enjoyment faded over the years... *laughs* but it's a good one |
Kismet_May 10, 2008 12:39 AM
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| Animation - 8 Nothing special in my opinion, but it did manage to capture the mood of the series in a good way, and although there were some instances of quality dropping, there weren't too many of them. Sound - 8 Not many memorable tunes, but I did enjoy the sound of it, and it never came in the way of the enjoyment of the series. Characters - 10 There are a lot of interesting characters in Juuni Kokuki, and many of them have interesting tales behind them, but as I expected, it was Youko who proved to be the most interesting. All of the different featured main characters go through interesting character development through the series, and some even turn in unexpected ways. The majority of the characters appear real, and much more so than in most anime. They all have typical human flaws and quirks that make them seem all the more real, from Youko's struggle to rule her new kingdom, to Suzu and Shoukei's self pity and ordeals when trying to adapt to their new lifestyles. Also, I was especially impressed by Sugimoto and Asano, who I already knew was anime- exclusive characters, yet they were properly weaved into the plot, and had I not known already that they weren't really supposed to be there, I would never have guessed it. Story - 8 Although the jumping between the arcs made me think of it as a bit fragmented, most of it came together nicely in the end. Or rather, that's what I'd like to say. In reality, much of the story fragments remained just fragments, and leaves the anime with a feeling of unfinishedness. Still, I believe this is better than making a anime- original ending, and if I disregard the many loose threads, the story is actually very good, with a proper mix of fantasy and reality. Enjoyment - 9 I really enjoyed Juuni Kokuki, and I might have given it a top score had it not been for the lack of a proper conclusion. I'm planning to read the novels as well, and hopefully one day, we might see a proper continuation of this great series? |
| Animation - 8 I don't remember having any real issues with the art, but I did like how its character designs fit nicely into the new world's settings. Sound - 8 Don't remember much of the songs except for its ending theme which I really enjoyed. Characters - 10 I can't not give this category a 10 since there was tons of character development, which is to be expected of a 45-episode long series. I love how almost every character was expanded, especially Asano since he was an anime-exclusive character. Sugimoto had a good amount of development herself too though I don't remember if she was anime-exclusive or not. But I especially love how Youko is completely realistic as a character. Sure she was whiny and pretty annoying in the beginning, but who wouldn't be if they had been put in her shoes? Besides, I kind of enjoy seeing bratty, annoying characters because at least I can hope that there'll be some development done and just really see how they grow and adapt to their new environment. Story - 9 Can't give this a 10 because it felt unfinished. Episode 45 ended and gave the viewer a 'that's it?' kind of feeling and there were still a lot of unfinished storylines that I would've liked to see more of. Enjoyment - 10 I usually don't like picking up shows that are more than 26 episodes because I feel like the large episode count is just daunting and it would take me forever to finish it all. But for JK, I could not stop watching it and I do believe I missed a class or two because of that. Almost every episode ended a little fast for me and I'd be clicking on the next episode right after. Overall - 10 Definitely a classic everyone must see. And I can't believe I'd originally taken it off my plan to watch list months ago because of its length. I'll never do that again heh |
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| While it has been quite a while since I've seen this series, I did not overly enjoy it. I felt the plot was a bit to skippy, and didn't explain itself well enough. I really, to this day, have no idea what happened in it. |
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| *sigh* Ever write a really long review only to lose it in an accidental window close before you were done? ...I can't gather up the energy to re-write the whole thing, but here's a lazy version: Animation -8 I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. That gritty, realistic style suited the style of the story and the storytelling that they were employing. And, to be honest, the physical transformation of Youko alone was worth big points. Sound - 7 As good a job as the voice actors did, nothing sticks out in my mind very much other than Rakushan (well-voiced by Kenichi Suzumura). I don't remember the music at all, so I'm giving it a "nothing special, nothing wrong" type of score. Character - 10 Youko alone would push my score here to 10. She is the single most well done character in anime that I can think of... but we've already had that discussion and it doesn't need to be rehashed here. But aside from Youko, the rest of the cast really stands up too. From Yuka and Asano to Shoukei and Honma all the way down to those disapproving cabinet members who never look at Youko in the face and the theater troupe... they have depth and reality and history and motives and... life. Amazing. Story - 9/5 This is rough. I wanna give it a 9, but I feel like I kind of have to give it a 5. I don't know why it ends that way and I don't know how much more they intended to get to, but the way it is... it's a 5. As very good as the story and the storytelling is... when evaluated as a finished, complete product, it's erratic and oddly paced and... well, not actually finished. I would like to think that I would have given it a 9 if they had done everything they intended to do... but I can't rate for effort. And the way it is... there's those random ass episodes about that boy who gets trapped back in the real world that came out of nowhere and didn't get an opportunity to go anywhere. And the back stories for Shoukei and Honma felt longer than needed and dragged for me -- even though I don't have any idea how many episodes they really took. It's a shame, really. Enjoyment, 9 I was skeptic at first... and I admit it took me a bunch of episode to warm to the story. At the same time, I never considered dropping it, which is a testament in itself. But in the end, I really did enjoy it a lot. It's quality. It's so quality. Even when I didn't like any of the characters or what was going on, it was still compelling and fascinating and well-told. Overall, 8 It is such a shame that they didn't get to do whatever it is that they planned to (assuming that they planned to do more -- I've always thought that it was abruptly cut off rather than planned that way. If it was a planned that way, my overall score will drop significantly.) But the way it is... it's not done and it's hard to fairly judge something that's not done, even when it is actually done. And as much as I admire and appreciate the show... and as sure as I am that if they had finished I would most likely be voting this show in... as it stands, I feel like I have to vote no. |
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| Juuni Kokuki is one of those series that makes me glad I watch anime. Animation - 7/8 Pretty decent overall. Love the character art, and they did a pretty good job translating it into anime form. Sound - 7/8 Not spectacular but very suitable and pleasant. Character - 10+ Gets my best ever award. Seriously, SUCH good characters. I already have 2 of them on my favorites list (Youko and Shoukei) and if more slots were available I'd definitely put in Rakushun and En-Oh. The characters are highly believable as people, more so that just about any other anime I've seen. Most anime where characters start off as "whiny and unlikeable" develop their characters, if you can even call it that, in a terribly unrealistic and cheesy manner. Not JK: pretty much every personality development makes logical, psychological and emotional sense, and I'm very particular about this aspect of characterization. Most live action movies don't pass this one for me. And god do I love a good getting over yourself. Story: 10+ It's unfinished, and that's not going to cost it any points from me. Genji Monogatari is unfinished (and Murasaki Shikibu didn't even have the courtesy to end things on a major arc...it just suddenly stops) and that doesn't stop me from considering it to be one of the best works of literature ever made. The odd pacing comes from the order that the story was released as novels, and the anime arcs are following this order. And I'd MUCH rather have an arc-closure ending than an finalizing ending made up for the anime, which usually seems hastily tacked on, and would definitely call for points lost. The story does an excellent job of presenting a thoroughly developed world, complete with it's own mytho-historic background, which is the best I've seen in anime, and one of the best all-around. Just like Tolkien's background in history and linguistics shows through in his works, Ono's academic background (she has a degree in Buddhist studies) is reflected in her ability to draw on East Asia's cultural tradition (I get Confucianism-through-folklorist-lens vibes) to create a world that is internally consistent, and at once familiar and refreshingly different. I even get to have a bit of linguistic fun while I'm at it. Enjoyment and Overall - 10+ |
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| I'm yet to see the show, but my roommate told me its not worth watching, which apparently contradicts with most of the reviews here. Fortunately he still has the dvds for this series and I think I'll be watching the show soon. Glad I viewed this page. |
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| Twelve Kingdoms is still pretty fresh in my mind. I just watched it over the winter and loved it. Animation - 8 The animation was fairly good for the time when it was produced. Nothing amazing or memorable but decent. I do remember thinking that some things could have been animated better, but for an anime that isn't too huge on fights, it really isn't too big of a deal and can get away with using shortcuts. Sound - 8 I honestly don't remember too much about the individual tracks at all, but as a whole, the music definetly pulled you into the world of Twelve Kingdoms. I loved the OP and the music seemed appropriate for an anime with this sort of fantasy setting. Characters - 9.5 One of the strong points of Twelve Kingdoms. Great characters. Yoko starts out as the type of female lead i can't stand. She seems weak and needs to depend on others, however, over the course of the series she begins to gradually change until finally she becomes a strong realistic person. Sure, she still has doubts about the choices she makes, but again, that helps her come off as realistic. I also loved King en. Awesome guy and really fun. I wish he had gotten a bit more screen time besides the second arc. Story - 10 Epic. The story started out as something mediocre. I actually dropped the series after the first two episodes, however, a friend convinced me to check it out again. I'm glad I did. So much is happening in the fantasy world and it's just great to see everything come together. When Yoko becomes queen, that was a really satisfying thing as well as the journey of the two girls who wanted to meet Yoko. All of it was great and made for one hell of a story. Enjoyment - 9 I finished this series in about a week and a half, and considering it's length, that's pretty fast. I watched a dvd per day and was just in love with all of it. The ending was a bit unsatisfying, but whatever, I just hold out hope that there is more adapted from the novels someday. |
| The cake is a lie |
| God there's so much review, well just a quick review from me then .. Animation - 8 Well Quite good, and I liked the animation even though it's not the best standard. Sound - 7 Hmmmm I think the sound was okay, even I don't know about opening and ending or never pay attention about the sound :P Characters - 10 Well this is the main reason this title was so good, the character development, even though it's fast and sometimes just a little weird, were the best imo. especially youko as the main character really show a great deal of development that maybe you won't get in other titles. Story - 8 Maybe biased by my preferences in genre, but really the story was so good till the end, but there's a minus in the flow of the story. sometimes it jumped from nowhere to the certain part, and still unfinished till the end of series esp. the arc bout the black kirin, really anoyed and made me felt hanged.This title should have a second season. Enjoyment - 9 I got a great time watched this title and really hope there's a continuation to the series, well it just a blank hope maybe.Recommended for someone that prefer historical and kingdom genre. Overall - 8.6/10 >>> 9/10 |
| The Taiki arc is really meant to provide backstory about the situation in Kei (why the previous queen fails and how Keiki ties into that) and general world building (how the kirin/king selection process works). It's not really intended to be a main story, so if we don't see its continuation, that's unfortunate but it's not really necessary for the Kei-related main thrust of the story. |
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| I will have to rewatch the series at some point to give a fair review since I watched it so many years ago. However, I can easily say that I do not share the same opinion as most of posters here and that my vote this weekend will be nothing more than a protest vote against this series that I am almost certain will make it through. |
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| unfortunately i only was able to pick up the dvds from my buddy a couple days ago and the farthest i got was the second box set... so.. episode 24-ish? so i'm just gonna go off of what i've seen thus far... animation - 6 i have to give it a six because at one point i was laughing pretty hard because of how horribly drawn sanshi (that the name?) was. so it seemed like they try to cut corners here and there. and that's the only reason i give this a six. otherwise the animation was good.. sound - 7 the OP was nice and i never usually watch the ED anyways so i can't really judge. the voice actors didn't astound me with their performances.. but they didn't really bore me neither. characters - 8 diversity is nice. many characters to watch for and they all are okay. and, again, maybe it's cause i didn't finish it all but.. i thought a lot of their inner struggles were kind of..well..lame. to be quite honest, it was the secondary characters who ended up saving it for me. or more to the point, the taiki arc characters.. that was the most fun to watch and to me the most interesting. story - 9 i don't really know how to judge this one. on one side this is almost a generic girl goes to another world story but on the other side it has so much lore to keep it interesting. it was really the lore they created in this that made it as fascinating as it was. so props to that. enjoyment - 7 to me it was a lot better than fushigi yuugi... but that's all i can i really give it as of right now.. |
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| Juuni Kokki opened a new door for me. Prior to watching this, I was exposed to cliche after cliche (usually in the form of shounen), and was content with that. It was JK that made me look at anime in a completely new light. Animation - 8/10 I'm not much of a visual bluff, especially when the story being told is so great. But to have visuals that actually enhanced the story telling was simply brilliant. Animation quality was nothing spectacular, but in a medium where characters look like other characters, and their only distinguishing features are their crazy hair and different colored eyes, the animators behind JK did a wonderful job. This is especially true when portraying Yoko's change in countenance. I would have given animation a 7/10 if not for the previously mentioned merit. Sound - 8/10 I'm surprised to see that many found the OST to be so forgettable. The instrumentals used were articulate and set the ambiance wonderfully. Shoukei's doll song (even if a tad bit overused) was symbolic and momoriable. The use of the erhu and koto were appropriate and beautiful. On voice acting, there are absolutely no complaints. Yoko's VA was very fitting, giving Yoko her requisite passion. Emotion in most characters was proper and sincere. My only trifle is that the ED is misplaced (although quite nice by itself), and some tracks were overused, which was distracting. Characters -10/10 kasumisama said: This. Yoko's characterization - just wow. How she was at the beginning of the story compared to the awesome-butt-kicking queen she later became is incredible. It is not the change itself that was so great, but the manner in how it was achieved. Her thoughts, words, and actions were not just logical, but amazingly believable. What's awesome about this is that this good character-development-thing was not just limited to Yoko; it applied to about every other character presented in the show. Okay, maybe they did not undergo so drastic a change, but, well, one gets the idea.The characters are highly believable as people, more so that just about any other anime I've seen. Story - 10/10 There were no plot holes, no convenient time skips, no cheap short cuts. The story was presented in a raw, what you see is what you get manner. Watching it was like reading a novel (and now that I've read the novels, well, I still stand behind those words, perhaps even a bit sturdier). Every character, every action, and every perspective was well developed and well justified. I'm a big fan of novels, but the thought that an anime could achieve that level of greatness (in plot development and intrigue) had never crossed my mind. That was until Juuni Kokki. Overall/enjoyment - 10/10 I've watched this back in 2004, and after 4 years and over 200 completed anime, JK still remains high at its well deserved spot on the top of my all-time favorites list. That says something. |
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