Kingdom

"War educates the senses, calls into action the will, perfects the physical constitution, brings men into such swift and close collision in critical moments that man measures man." – Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1882.

Yasuhisa Hara’s Manga takes place in the warring state period of China, as the country is divided into seven smaller nations, each trying to conquer the other. It follows a young war orphan named Xin from the Country Qin, who one day on his way returning to his village with his best friend witnesses a battle between two armies, inspired by the spectacle before him, he vows to one day become one of ... the greatest Generals alive. The first arc of the show serves as an introduction to the warring times, demonstrating the harshness of living in such times and the brutal power struggles. At this time Xin meets the young king Ying Zheng and after offering his assistance and proving himself, gets drafted into the army and given a chance to turn his ambitions into reality.

Kingdom showcases some extremely large scale military battles and for the most part does an outstanding job in capturing the atmosphere on a battlefield. Kingdom doesn’t always revolve around the fighting, but on the different strategies the Generals implement to try to gain the upper hand over an opponent. The strategies remain diverse and differ depending on the general and may change at a moment’s notice depending on the situation on ground, showing that adaptation is an important factor. While it does contain an abundance of strategies, it does well in the fact of not overwhelming us with too much of it, the ‘brain vs. brawn’ argument is also laid bare and the series hints at reading the flow of battle, anticipating what your opponent will do and knowing the right strategy to apply always wins the day.

Kingdom also demonstrates that a battle is never a one man mission, it requires co-operation between several squads and sub-squadrons given different tasks to carry out that ensure victory. Our protagonist, Xin, is indeed powerful when compared to a normal soldier, but the series carefully makes sure not to depict him as over-powerful, and it never tries to make the mistake of making him take center stage in a battle, as of course an overpowered MC from the get-go would indeed be boring. At every battle Xin’s squad is given a particular task to perform on the battlefield, this task may mildly or adversely affect the whole state of the battle and after which he withdraws to a supporting role as other squads and different part of the army take the center stage. In the rare cases Kingdom does shy away from the battlefield it deals with simple character interactions or matters of Diplomacy and state.

The emotions the show throws at you are also immense, battles get so tense it may literally have some people at the edge of their seats and just writhing in agony at the prospects of what may happen next, more so when characters find themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation. Survival is of course the main objective but the soldiers also display a sense of chivalry about them, in the sense of even when greatly outnumbering an opponent, once their commander is killed, they usually withdraw. The pacing remains almost flawless all through, never dragging on but also not moving too fast for audiences to lose sight of it. The script is also very well written, while not too simplistic or psychological, characters engage in smart dialogue that doesn’t seem redundant and is always straight to the point never beating around the bush. Even those pre-battle speeches a commander gives, serves as more than just a morale booster.

3DCGI has always looked wonderful in games and full CG animations, why? Because these forms of animations have always been aimed at making the art of the show look as close to real life as possible. However, when incorporated in anime, which takes its pride in being different from real life, it’s a completely different story. Its plastic appearance and mechanical motion has made a great number of anime that incorporate heavy use of CG to be assessed as mediocre.

Kingdom makes extensive use of CG animation, first of all the CG actually has varying qualities, there are times when it looks as terrible as it’s known but other times it’s truly a spectacle to behold. I find myself most frustrated with the quality of the CG at the start of the show, the quality of the first couple of episodes was quite poor and did nothing but chase away any potential viewers who might have wanted to stick with it to the end.

Once you get past the bad quality of the initial episodes, the animators reward us with some high quality CG that certainly impresses with some great choreographed action sequences. The studio also didn’t fail to take full advantage of the CG on the battlefield, the number of characters drawn on the screen was indeed much but they always made sure these characters moved independently for the most part and not the ‘Foosball table’ combat one may have anticipated. 360 degree camera rotations and different camera positions are also plentiful.

Despite the shows seemingly low production values, it had a number of very popular seiyuus, the likes of Fukuyama Jun and Morita Masakazu grace us with some very powerful performances, almost all the seiyuus left powerful impressions on their characters. The soundtracks in Kingdom mostly comprise of orchestral pieces and the sound director did a great job of adding the right track to suit a situation, be it a dramatic, comedic or tense moments. Kingdom also spans an OP and three ED songs.

Kingdom features one of the greatest character growths I have ever witnessed in any anime. Our protagonist Xin, not only grows physically in his strength and sword fighting skills but also grows mentally, when we first meet him, he is your everyday brute that solves all his problem with the throw of a punch or the swing of his sword but as he gains experience in battle he starts to use a bit of intellect to his duties. One can’t help but feel proud of the young lad who rose from obscurity when we see him gain accomplishments on the battlefield and one can’t help but do a victory dance every now and then when he succeeds with all the odds seemingly stacked against him. Even simple events like Xin receiving his first ever payment or him buying his first ever piece of armor are events that truly warm the heart.

The supporting characters also receive a decent slice of the pie, their personalities of most of them are unique and also at the same time enjoyable, the show has no shortage of standout characters and you may have a hard time picking a favorite. The majority of the female characters in the show in particular, although few and far in between, were all great, they never act weak, play the damsel in distress or used for profane fan service and actually are capable of single handedly dismantling a large number of their male counterparts. Despite the large number of cast, Kingdom does a great job in developing most of them in very enjoyable fashion whilst keeping the pacing near flawless, I was honestly shocked by the amount of content that went into 38 episodes and the show never beats around the bush with needless flashbacks and dragging themes but always stays precise and straight to the point.

Kingdom has indeed for me been a diamond in the rough, it had a lack luster opening but slowly grew into something impressive. The CG may bring it down a notch or two but it more than does enough to cover for it in with its vibrant story and great characters. The decision of the author to put character growth ahead of everything else has indeed proven a perfectly worked out formula. While the large, heart-wrenching and pulse-pounding battles will receive the most attention, we can’t deny that it was a show that attempted to impress in all departments.

To create a show with such a large world that almost accurately captures the principles and aesthetics of ancient warfare is indeed quite a feat, but to execute it with so very few flaws, absolutely boggles the mind.

Have you ever wandered why Dynasty Warriors was not an anime? Well, Kingdom is pretty damn similar. Kingdom is an anime that amazingly and almost perfectly portrays strategic war in medieval China.

Story: 10/10.
At first, I was a bit sceptical about the idea of an anime based on medieval Chinese war. I thought that there would be a lack of a protagonist, that the whole anime would revolve solely around the strategy involved in medieval warfare. However, I was amazed with the layout and structure of the story, and how it caught my interest from the first episode. Kingdom's protagonist, Xin, is a young, but vastly ... strong boy, whose goal is to become 'the greatest general under the heavens'. The anime brilliantly shows his progression as he participates in battles to obtain achievements, and seeing him edge closer to his goal makes the anime that much more enjoyable. It may seem strange that an anime based on war in medieval China would revolve around a boy, when one man may seem so insignificant to whole wars, but Xin upholds his protagonist aspect as he makes large differences everywhere he goes.

Art: 8/10.
The three dimensional art of Kingdom may put some off, however, it enhances the sense of Chinese war. Seemingly unique, this art style looks very similar to some Japanese style games, such as Rogue Galaxy. I was a bit sceptical of it at first, but as I breezed through the anime I grew to like it, as without the strange style, it would seem more like a Japanese war, which clearly is not Kingdom's intended style.

Sound: 10/10.
The soundtrack of Kingdom is simply amazing, and it is always timed right where it needs to be. Uplifting music when a general is shouting a morale lifting speech, intense and fast soundtrack when a battle is commencing, it all holds the anime together and makes it all the more enjoyable.
The voice actors starred in Kingdom are also spectacular. Morita displayed outstanding voice acting in this anime. After hearing him voice Ichigo's calm, soothing tone for so many episodes of Bleach, I could hardly believe it was him voicing angry little Xin in Kingdom. But not just the protagonist has incredible voice acting, every single character does, including the minor foot soldiers that only speak one sentence.

Character: 10/10.
Each character is developed incredibly. Xin, being angry and blunt. Piao, being intelligent and modest. Zheng, being high, mighty and fair. All of these aspects are conjured brilliantly by each character's reaction to different happenings. Each general has his own strengths and weaknesses, and no two of them are the same, or even remotely similar. Some may ignore strategy and go full on attack, while others may spend nights dreaming up new tactical defences to best their opponents. While some characters may seem a little useless (yes, that's right, I'm looking at you, Ten), they too of course have their strengths. Some surprising aspects may emerge from some characters occasionally, which of course is necessary for every anime, and each character has a personality that is finely clipped and demonstrated perfectly.

Enjoyment: 10/10.
I wasn't sure I could enjoy an anime based on medieval Chinese war. The most I've looked into this topic is playing Dynasty Warriors 4 on my PS2 for a few hundred hours. However, the strategies displayed in Kingdom are carefully demonstrated to the audience in a way so that anyone can understand, and be a part of. Having a protagonist like Xin in an anime like this gives the watcher another reason to cheer at their laptop like an idiot, and a few other ridiculously overpowered characters bring tears of joy to the audience's eye.

Overall: 10/10.
Through an overwhelmingly well displayed storyline, art that strongly creates an atmosphere of medieval China, soundtracks that bring shudders to your spine and incredible enjoyment, Kingdom has earned itself a place in my top 10 anime. If you don't like the concept of the anime - Chinese warfare, strategic battles, etc - then there is still a high chance of you loving Kingdom.

Kingdom is an anime based on the Warring States period of China. It features Hyou and Shin, two orphan slave boys who lost their families to one of the many wars that took place between the families of the seven kingdoms.
The plot is set right off the bat, when it is discovered that Hyou looks identical to King Ei Sei of Qin (who later grows up to be the infamous Qin Shi Huangdi). Hyou is recruited as a decoy for the king, who is facing rebellion from his own brother within his court. A coup d'etat soon ensues and Hyou is killed in the ... battle, believed to be King Ei Sei. He manages to return to Shin long enough to tell him to go to a specific location, where the real Ei Sei is awaiting him.
Thus, the story begins. It isn't far along at all; only 6 episodes so far. But the story and plot are interesting. If you're into history, and enjoy the Warring States period, or if you merely only like shounen anime, this is a good one and shouldn't be passed up!
The only complaint I have is the animation. I have NO idea what happened there, but for some reason, the animation is shoddy at best in some parts. Particularly, the fighting scenes, or scenes with excessive movement, have very poor quality animation, resembling a video game at times. But, if you can look past the animation (as I have been forced to do) this anime is a definite must!

The Art and Animation in this Anime can make anybody think twice about watching it, i even dropped it half way through the first episode. But when you actually sit down and just watch the Anime it's a whole new level.

The MC, Story and Character development is Amazing, they way it builds up, the fighting, Character Relations you can't get enough of it. It makes up for the terrible Animation and makes you just want to watch more.

The MC overall is someone most people want in a Protagonist. Strong & Ruthless, He doesn't care about his own well being and relies on brute strength but ... can also be quite cunning.

The story revolves around a lot of Strategy type war over Land across China, I'm really looking forward to see what direction the creator takes this Anime, The upcoming battles & Struggles is full of Hype and Anticipation.

Overall worth while watch 8.8/10

***updated ***

This review is based on all the episodes that had been aired till now [as its an ONGOING Anime] so this review will be updated from time to time.

Story development is interesting . You will get to see all the twists and turns in this anime story , there are many shocking , touching and emotional moments in this anime . The pace of the story is neither very slow, dull nor is it rushed .

... The animation art is a bit different , sometimes it feels like something less than a 3D game art and sometimes its like the normal animes that we watch but hey still its okay and let it not stop you from watching this anime orelse you will miss something really amazing.

Both the opening and ending theme song are nice . The voice actors have really brought out the life in the anime characters , very nicely done especially for Shin [the protagonist - slave boy ] the way he express his feeling , his views so blatantly, it really bring him to life in the anime. his voice is done by "Morita Masakazu" the same guy who has done Voice Acting Role for Ichigo Kurosaki from the anime - Bleach . Also you will notice similar effect in Ei Sei [the other protagonist - he is the King od Qin Empire] character but in a different way .

About Character development , well whatever characters have been introduced till now , their nature , history has been well brought out slowly through the episodes till the current episode , there are many more character who are yet to introduced , as you know this is ongoing anime so the best dish will be served at the last [hope you understand what i want to say] Anyways you will enjoy both the main character - Xin and Sei , their personalitites, their look at the outer world and their response to various situations, crisis around them and other characters too.

Overall i have enjoyed watching this anime right from episode 1 and i am looking forward to watching the next episode when they air . I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone to watch this anime .

Its a MUST Watch Anime , you just cant miss it !!!

KINGDOM sure has underrated rank

after the 20th episode of this anime and the low rank it has i decided to write a comment


i'm a fan of this anime:but only after i looked into the first 5 episodes i grew to love it so those who cannot connect with the anime should give it a try until the 5th episode and after that they are sure to like it


the story is about war and not with guns or any mechanic item but swords spears and souls those who love dynasty warriors/swords fight/large scale battles in their anime will sure get to love this one

...
but what got me into it the most??

no superpower just the logic of:strong and skilled fighter can win against few unskilled or trained soldiers

large scale battles-thousand/hundred/10s
you get to see an army fight with tactics and their skill fighters clash into each other

scenery that will not disappointed you when they fight!!!!!

story of conquest-i was waiting for one like this now i got it


story-9
art-7
characters-8
look forward to the next episode-10 :D

A hidden Jewel is a way to describe this show, it started with an average story and graphics and art that where way under achieving but the story was decent enough to keep me watching. Eventually this show became something to look forward. The accomplishments of Xin are something to be seen, the war strategies are fun to watch and even though the show crosses the line into the supernatural it does it in a tasteful way.

This show has a lot of potential and the art has gotten better, or i have become more accustomed to it, i almost dropped this show right off the ... bat because of the art but after the first 6-10 episodes it gets exponentially better. More excitement, drama and comedy. Love starts to show its rear side and so does mystery.

This show is a very complete show with a great story if you go past the beginning and let yourself be taken for a ride you wont regret.

The potential for this show to end up with a 10 overall is high if played right, though it can also be dropped to a 7-8 if not. As the story goes at this moment it definetly deserves the 9 I offer it.

I've never been a fan of warfare or of the same sort, but Kingdom intrigued me in a lot of ways. So I gave it a try. I've never seen a detailed anime than Kingdom when it comes on old warfare.


Story : 8
The story is set on middle kingdom, where 6 states are at war to further their own states. The story revolves around a young slave named Xin. Xin dreams of being the greatest general in middle kingdom. As he pursues this dream of his, a lot of tragic happenings will befall him. His wits will be tested, A LOT. Anyway, that's the main ... plot though. This particular season contains 3 arcs, and I'm only going to tell the first one, and its up to you if you'll watch the series. The first arc is centered on Zheng, the king of Qin, which Xin(seriously, this names are confusing me in a lot ways.) lives at. Zheng's throne has been stolen from him, and after some tragically happenings which made me shed a tear or two. Xin will accompany Zheng on reclaiming the throne that was stolen from him. I found every arc interesting so I gave it a 9.


Art : 7
The first reaction I made when I first saw Kingdom's art was "WTF is this sh**?!". God, it was horrible(maybe its because I've only been watching recent animes, so that's why I was expecting great art.). Kingdom really emphasized the usage of CG's. A lot of scenes were made with CG's, so its not unusual to see awkwardly running characters and movements. I considered dropping the series, but! You'll eventually get used to it though. I would have given it a higher score if they stick on their drawings, I mean, look at those battle scenes which weren't done by CG's! Its effing gorgeous! But worry not my fellow art critic! The art in here is constantly improving.


Characters : 8
Characters on Kingdom really stand out, every main and supporting characters were drawn good. I like how they made some characters look weird. Background characters looked like each other. But its okay, its a warfare series! Who in the staff would want to draw individual looks on one background character if he's air time is only 3 seconds?!


Music : 7
Not much to mention on this one. Kingdom has 1 OP and 3 ED. I only listened to the OP though, it was made by Nothing's carved in stone.


Enjoyment : 8
As far as the story goes, I enjoyed it.


Overall : 8
It might be weird to say this, but I cried a lot in this series. Now that I think about it, its really hilarious! I want to laugh at myself now. Well, it just might be in the spur of the moment. The camaraderie on Kingdom is really admirable, and the way they make things more tragic amazes me in a lot of ways. The series though is an action packed anime, and I love the strategic things they make, and the way they explained it and how it works in quite good too! Overall, this series is really good. And if you're looking for action, I highly recommend Kingdom. That's about my review on Kingdom! Happy watching!

Summary:

(Character names are written differently in different translations)

The time is warring states of China. Young Xin and his childhood friend Piao, were both orphans who lived as slaves in a small village. At that time a slave had no choice but to be a slave for the rest of their lives. Xin and Piao did not agree with that, so they decided that they will become the greatest generals in all of China. So they trained every day while they were still working as slaves waiting for the right moment to strike. Fate began to move and Piao was noticed by some nobles and taken ... to the capital while Xin was left in the village. Turns out Piao was used as a double for the new young king Zheng who was fighting a rebellion by his half brother. In an attempt to assassinate Zheng, Piao gets heavily wounded. Piao manages to reach the village where Xin lives and asks Xin to protect Zheng in his place and then falls to his wound. Xin enraged decides to avenge Piao by killing king Zhao. After meeting and talking with Zhao, Xin decides to follow him as Piao had wished. Here starts the adventure of Xin to become the greatest general in China.

Story

In my opinion the story is really good, especially if you like history and historic wars. The state of China at that time is really well explained. This anime covers both sides, the battle against the other nations and the battle inside the nation itself. The tactics and organisation of armies are also really well explained and shown, which is the most important in an anime like this.

The story progresses fine and does not get in useless episodes. It is well written and makes you want to watch more as Xin climbs the ranks in the army.

8/10


Animation

No matter how much I love this anime I can't defend the animation. The animation was just horrible. I already am not a fan of 3D animation and in this anime it just looks disgusting. It was really really bad but the story started so intensely that it made me not mind the bad animation.(the animation gets much better in season 2)

4/10

Sound

The sound was good but nothing impressing. Voice acting was well executed and the OST was solid.

7/10


Characters

The anime contains a lot of great characters but I will focus on the main 4.

Xin:
The main character. At first glance he is like a normal shonen main character but the difference is that Xin has no problem killing his opponent.Well it is a war after all. His resolve and will are strong which makes him a good main character.

Zheng:
The illegitimate son of the late king of the state of Qin. He is the successor for the throne but his half brother does not agree so a fight ignites between the two. Zheng is strong and always looks like he has the situation under control. He does not show his emotion and his look is always firm, this makes him fit to be a leader.

Diao:
An orphan from the mountain folks. He helps Xin and Zhao escape from an ambush and latter joins them in the fight against he rebellion. Diao is young and smart but has no fighting strength. That is why Diao decides to become a strategist instead of a warrior.

Lei:
As member of the female assassin clan "Chi You" Lei is a highly skilled swordsman. Meets Xin on the battlefield and becomes drawn to him for reasons she can't comprehend. Her only purpose in life is getting revenge for her sister. But as she gets to know Xin more will she get another purpose in life? She is by far the strongest among the foot soldiers and is a great help to Xin.

overall characters get:

9/10

Enjoyment

I did enjoy this anime a lot. Even if the animation was shit I could not help myself but enjoy this show. I simply love everything about it.

10/10

Overall

This show would get an 20/10(yes 20) if it was not for the shitty animation. That is why I will give it only nine out of ten.

8/10

This is a somewhat content based review.You should have at least some knowledge before reading my review. *there are some slight spoilers in it*

STORY: 8

The story at first seemed to start off rather weak, but became very interesting later. It's about two slaves who are as close as brothers; they are always fighting and training against themselves to become stronger. They have a dream to escape slavery and become great generals. their ambition is what fuels them to advance and work hard. At first I didn't understand why they were so eager to become warriors from them just seeing a battle, but it later ... became clear as we find out that that is how they intend to escape their current social stature as slaves. They are orphans who were taken in as slaves, they have a dream and they train tirelessly to achieve it. Later Hyou dies and that's where things get serious. When he died, I have to admit it gave me goosebumps and really made me empathize with Shin and the pain that he felt. An anime that can make me feel something emotionally is certainly a well done anime. That what I have to say about that.


ART: 6

I give the art a six because it really throws me off. The animation is far different from traditional animes. I don't know if it's something new, or if they purposely wanted to make it this way, but is almost feels like a poorly developed 3D game if you know what I'm getting at. I personally think that the animation could have been better.


SOUND: 8

I give the sound a 8 because the voices are certainly awesome. They main character's voice is actually Ichigo's from bleach. Hyou is also some famous voice, but I don't quite recall what it is. And the guy that narrates for background information is the same guy who does it for one piece. I personally really liked the voices and I think that they fit quite well. The only thing that threw me off a little is Shin's and Hyou's voices. the voices seemed a bit too mature for their age, they're like kids or mid-teens yet they have grown up voices; It throws you off a little.That's the only thing I don't like about it. But other than that, I'd say well done on the sound.


CHARACTERS: 9

I don't know why but apparently, Hyou, the more outgoing of the two is favored more by others more than Shin is. The family who he is enslaved to treats him better and even the old royal guy who offered him to come with him to be an officer seemed to want him more. I suppose it makes sense though because Shin is more rough around the edges than Hyou (more rude and upfront). But I personally like Shin more, I feel like he has a stronger personality than Hyou. Their relationship is as strong as brothers and they are easy to like. I also feel like the kid's strength is greatly exaggerated for their sizes. They carried a basket that was like 4 times their size. And shin plowed through a huge group of strong bandits.I get that they are strong, but it makes no sense how they can do all that with their size and proportion...

The Characters I don't like is that old royal asshole who only offered a position for Hyou and wouldn't take Shin when its clear they would both make excellent soldiers. I also hate the family that the two of them are enslaved to. They are spoiled little pricks who deserve to die, or at least in my opinion. And lastly, the King's little brother really pisses me off. He's jealous of his brother who is the king and starts a revolt because of it. He is the most spoiled little bitch I have ever seen. My anger towards him only show how good of a job this anime did in making a decent supporting side character. I also think it's stupid that anyone would follow a little midget who has no power and thinks he's something special. It never does make any sense to me why people would follow such a pathetic excuse of a human being.

Overall though, I like the characters introduced thus far, and It certainly makes me think more of this anime for it.


ENJOYMENT: 9

My enjoyment to this point is fairly high and I'm interested in what's going on. I feel like this is going to be a successful anime based on what I saw so far to this point.


OVERALL: 8

I give this an 8 total because of the average of all the scores, and I feel that it describes my thoughts on it quite well. I would definitely recommend this anime. At the very least it is worth seeing yourself.

DO NOT TURN AWAY FROM THIS SERIES BECAUSE YOU ARE PUT OFF BY THE 3D ANIMATION!

There are a few things that really stood out to me about this series.

1. The morals of the story: Unlike most shounen, Kingdom doesn't fluff up the fights. If a character is stabbed in the chest, he'll die. If the enemy has a huge advantage, they'll win. And willpower can only get you so far when you're out of stamina.

2. The main character: Xin. Xin doesn't hesitate to kill, he doesn't pity the enemy, and his goal isn't to get everyone home safely. His goal, to become a great ... general, requires sacrifice... and although sometimes he has a hard time with it, he's able to make a cool headed decision that isn't emotionally influenced.

3. The 3D animation: 3D isn't something I prefer... and was what made me almost shut episode 1 off halfway through. But, I didn't, and I'm glad I didn't. The animation switches between using the 3D and not using the 3D (so it's not 3D the entire time). And just like how watching something in Japanese for the first time sounds strange, but begins to sound more natural the more you watch, the animation will also grow on you throughout the show (especially since the story's so great). The second season isn't in 3D... the art is rather magnificent, but you won't get to enjoy it unless you finish the first season!

That is all.

A brave anime in an era of fan service and product placement.

Imagine a large production that has nothing to do with high school, with no fan service, with a well thought and developed story that actually takes its time to mature, strong characters and actual moral impact. Such a thing cannot exist in a time when costs of animation sore, and yet it does, almost a miracle.

It is an enjoyable series that has taken many risks, from the animation point of view with its 3D effects, to the moments when the story stops to explain medieval military tactics, and last but more shocking the fact ... that deals with the tale of one of China's greatest heroes in a moment when the relation between both nations is in an all time low.

I hope it goes on beyond the 2nd season.

This Anime would not be well knonwn to the common eye, originally a friend
told me about it, which I reluctantly researched here and further aside.
I came to the conclusion that I'll get it and give it a go in the near future.

I flicked through some shows that I was going to watch having taken a break
from watching the 10th last episode of Beelzebub. Watched the first episode,
which I thought was only 24 mins long turned out to be a double episode.

Paced myself and got into it, the opening song doesn't really appeal to you
until you start watching and watching it, by episode 20 you'll like ... it.
As for the endings, composed of 3 different ones, #1 and #3 won't appeal
to most people as they're quite bad, but #2 was brilliant.

The artistic style of the anime is weird, at some points it looks like
it hasn't been hand drawn digitally or on paper, but like a game with
people on axcel movements, but you'll overcome that if you continue
watching the show.

There's two main protoganists, Zheng and Xin. Zheng is the King of Qin,
who has a goal to unit China under one king, while Xin's goal is to
become the Greatest General among the Heavens and serve under Zheng.
It's quite a simple story, but throughout the anime you meet new people,
new stories unfold and new paths are forged.

Many people will be turned off by the low score of this anime, but heathe not,
this anime may be a seven out of ten, but does not subsuquently mean it's bad.
As the story is quite simply, the anime is overly enjoyed, I've had a break
for summer holidays for over three months, and throughout that time, I
barely watched more then one episode of an anime all through the day.
Normally I watch it at night time, when it's not as roudy.

Continuing above... After watching the first 5 episodes, I got into the anime
and I started watching it during the day, taking breaks eat, rest or play
League of Legends (3 matches from level 30 on EUW!), only anime's I'd of
done this for would be Naruto, Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

But it's not the greatest anime you'll come across but hey, it's not about being
the best, it's about whether you enjoyed it or not, doesn't matter what other
people think about it, so long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters.

As this review is just about finished, I will say, for those whom liked
FMA or Bleach's Voice actors, then this would be for you. If i'm not mistaken
Xin is Kurosaki Ichigo and another person is Alphonse Elric.

It's quite weird hearing Ichigo in another anime, but oh well,
give it a go, see what happens, and most of all, enjoy!

"MAN I LOVE KINGDOM."
-Sun Tzu

People are sleeping on this gem of a story and now that my eyes have been opened to this anime by my brother Lion_Sin, I am here to preach.

When I began watching this at first I was a young spoiled brat who knew nothing of the world. "Ah nani kore wa? Gomi desu ka? Kimochi warui. What the heck is this 3D mannequin looking anime?"

Alas, I was stabbed, kidnapped and taken through a rollercoaster, dropped in between only to be caught in a pyramid scheme and finding out it ... was run by my brother Lion_Sin who smacked my insolent butt and laughed at my ignorance. My whole world changed. Now I am a reformed young gentleman with a big pp and a 160 IQ gigabrain.

FIRSTLY, IGNORE THE ANIMATION, IT GETS SO MUCH BETTER LATER. One of the biggest hurdles to entering this show is its animation and the length of its first episode. However you must drill this into your brains, there is no beauty without struggle. I normally never state this so get it into your heads about how great of an anime series this must be. I am ready to play the villain and harrass all my friends with curses until they give it a try and then I know they will shower me with praises as I did to my brother.

It has been such a long time since another anime has made me love the medium truly with my heart and soul and made me obsessed with it. That youthfulness of mine returned whence I was 15 and binged 3 or 4 anime a day. I binged the entirety of the kingdom series day in and out over the span of 4 days. I crave for more. WHY CANT SEASON 5 COME ALREADY OH MY LAWDD. Its been hard to cope after finishing the series yet I feel such jubilation and ecstasy that I could compare it with the quote "It is better to have loved and lost than to have not loved at all."

There has been no other anime like kingdom which portrays war in such a thrilling fashion. The generals and their stories and their duels are so bloody thrilling to watch and they have me at the edge of my seat the whole dang time. It represents the romance of the 3 kingdoms in an entertaining fashion to its audience.

It is a must watch for all shounen and the like anime fans out there. This is it.

This is peak pillar in anime.

Intense fights, interesting characters and politics ! This is whats awaits you in Kingdom.
Okay the art is not perfect (sometime during the fights it looks like an old video game cinematic), the story is predictable. But the overall is perfect. The characters are really charming and have all their own contradictions. I don't know if the historical part is accurate but it doesn't really matter, the China depicted in this anime gives a perfect background. Sometimes when watching I felt like I was playing a RPG because I really felt close to the characters and I saw their trainings and their leveling.

I loved discovering this ... anime and I enjoy watching it a second time.
As it is not very long for a Shonen, I only have one recommendation, start watching it as soon as possible !

Kingdom is absolute master piece when it comes to the manga, but Studio Pierrot found a way to fuck this story up. I'm sorry, but this is pathetic. To just throw this anime in the dumpster, and give it the CGI treatment. What in the world were you thinking. In all fairness this could've turned out amazing, the story will hook you right in. Just brush away the CGI fuckery they added, and focus on the story. Hope this is a lesson to you editors in Weekly Young Jump out there who try to contact studios for an anime adaptation. Don't ... just go for the money look at what the story has, and see if the content they're providing will look well in this type of animation. I hope this series gets the same treatment One Punch Man got, and another studio picks it up.

If you want to get engulfed in this story more please give the manga a chance, and read the first few chapters. You will love it.

I must say I really enjoyed this anime. I had a feeling that people wouldn't give the pacing a chance which is why the rating was low in the beginning. Although I must say that if your able to get through the slow parts of the series which is the beginning it can definitely be defined as one of the top series out there and the story is amazing! So my advice to the people that are going to watch this is to bare with it in the beginning and stay with it till the end because you will be impressed even ... though there are complaints with the animation which doesn't bug me at all once you get use to it xD.

Story - The story is set in China during the warring states period, the anime follows Xin as he attempts to become a legendary general, while bring Stability to the state of Qin by helping Zheng, somebody who is almost exactly identical to his childhood friend. While most of the anime is fictional, it does add some factual elements to create some authenticity. The brilliance of the story is that the battles are long and brutal and does a good job of showing the importance not just of the general's actions on the battlefield, but of strategy, tactics and morale. Thier is one flaw with ... the story and that is at times the pacing does seem a bit slow.

Art and Sound - I given art a score of 5 and you'll know why once you watch the first episode, the art is unique and while it may put some off from watching it, it does eventually get improved. Give it 5-7 episodes and it will become bearable. The sound is good, the OP and ED are decent.

Character - Several positives and negatives here, Xin could have been a much better mc if he wasn't so typical. He is the typical mc you'd expect from an action anime, he is stupid, loud-mouthed, ignorant, thoughtless and, as seen in some episodes, he somehow has this ability to jump higher than is physically possible. Xin does get some developement, but the basic traits remain and that really becomes fustrating.

Qiang on the other hand is a very good mc, she is quiet yet strong, smart and amazingly badass, she is very likable and even has some fair share of character developement, although I believe it is more in the 2nd season.

Zheng is the son of the former king of Qin, he is almost identical to Xin's close friend. He is helped by his close advisor and Xin to become king of Qin, he wishes to unite the 8 warring states. As king of Qin, not only does he have to worry about the other 7 states but those agmonst him, as well as, his mother.

During both seasons we are introduced to a variety of unique characters both allies to the protaganists, but also the antagonists who are fearsome in thier own way. In both seasons we hear so much about the great generals on the battlefield, and as the ending of season 1 shows us, even these great generals aren't immune to being killed off. I like this because it adds reality to the battles, it adds more depth to them and makes them more serious.

Enjoyment - The battles are very good especially as the anime shows the importance of strategy and tactics in such hand on hand combat. Brutality itself isn't ignored and as a result we are shown what feels like a genuine representation of a battlefield filled with the depth and emotion. We are also shown the importance of generals, and how thier actions determine whether 100 men die or a 1000. The antagonists also do a good job of showing thier strength. The anime isn't all about the battles though, and we also witness how Zheng has to deal the politics of ruling a state. By using a variety of different ways to challenge Zhengs' rule of the state of Qin we see the how this affects him, but also the scale of the diifficult job that such emperors had at the time. This anime has done a fantastic job of showing the scale of both the politics and the wars of the warring states period, and you even learn a crucial part of Chinese history albeit the knowledge is very basic.

Despite the small problems with the pacing of the story, probems with the art, sound and character this anime is still a good and enjoyable watch.

In simple word watch it if you can bear some shity animation because in the end it will be worthit. i give this anime 7 but it deserves 9 , i cut 2 points for animation only , usuallly i cut 1 point but this time studio pirreot has done more shit in animation then in naruto.......

So basically it about mc become a great worrior or general but unlike other anime this anime does not just focus on mc , you will get some episodes where there is focus on some other characters, which i really like. but according to me this season does not ... have exceptional heart touching moments (exeption last few episodes) but still diliver its message really good , i complete this anime in just 2 days so i totaly recommend it.

When I finished Death Note, I was worried there was no way I could find a show, anime or otherwise, as good as Death Note. I was wrong, this anime is a masterpiece on par with the likes of Death Note and Code Geass. If you are a history nerd like me who's been searching for an epic tale about Ancient China that incorporates all the politics, battles, and strategies for years, this show will be perfect for you.

Story wise, the show follows Xin and Zheng in their quest to unite all of China during the Warring States period. The story does an amazing job, ... however, of patiently taking you through the entire process of actually attempting to unite a country that's been locked in a state of constant war for 500 years. The season starts off pretty small with Xin in his home village, the biggest fight is between him and some thugs from another village, by the end we are locked in a life and death struggle between 200,000 soldiers. The strategies that generals come up with will have you in awe of their brilliance. A story like this could not be told with a movie or a short TV series, the way its been done really makes you feel just what an ambitious goal these characters really have and helps you appreciate just how much work and effort it takes to truly become a legendary general, to wage war after war and unite this country that's been the scene of tremendous carnage over the past 500 years.

Whenever Kingdom gets mentioned, somebody always brings up the art and animation style and how much they didn't like it the first season. Personally, I think the "bad animation"argument has been extremely exaggerated. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the "CGI" animation and the normal animation. It all looked the same to me. If you do notice it, I've heard that they use it less at some point in season 1, and that season 2 they pretty much stop using it altogether. If you are holding back from this show because you've been told the animation is bad though, don't, its really overblown. I thought the animation was very impressive. Kingdom portrays huge Ancient Chinese battles the way I've always wanted to see. Huge armies clash into one another, cavalry charges mow down hundreds of foot soldiers, archer volleys tear into dozens of soldiers at a time, Kingdom does a great job of showing the chaos of battle.

Going along with what I mentioned about how the story does well to capture the true ambition of these characters, you can really feel the presence that each of the different characters has. Xin is really good at cutting down normal foot soldiers but you can really feel the challenge when he goes against strong enemies. Each of the respective generals gives a powerful air of strength that you'd expect of a general who has seen countless battles in his lifetime. Xin is ambitious, and he does not rise through the ranks ridiculously quickly. When he meets some of the greatest generals in Chinese history, you really begin to appreciate what Xin is up against and trying to accomplish.

Overall though, I just really loved watching this anime. This is one anime where I'll look at a season, see that its 39 episodes and think "yeah I'm probably going to finish this in like 3 or 4 days." I was flying through each episode and had a really hard time getting myself to go to bed. I think this anime deserves more exposure because it really is a hidden gem.