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Feb 5, 2012 10:38 AM

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Jan 2011
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rewatching this with the blu-ray version, one of my all time favourite tv series

now i think eps 1 is actually very good, apart from the sometimes out of propotion charaters

also realised the later change of Youko is that big after seeing her here again
Feb 28, 2012 11:33 AM

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Jan 2010
1371
I really liked it. And I actually like Yoko, it's nice when characters have at least a somewhat realistic reaction to things. She seems like a character that can mature over the course of the show, which I enjoy watching.
Apr 28, 2012 8:36 PM

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Apr 2010
491
-LU- said:
I really liked it!
It reminds me of the start of Fushigi Yuugi.


very much so, and that can only be a good thing.

whenever a first episode appeals to me as much as say, Ga-Rei: Zero's , which it in fact did, then i'd expect it to shine throughout the entirety of the series... i just hope i'm not expecting too much
Jul 18, 2012 10:43 AM
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Jan 2010
1559
Sugimoto-san final boss
Aug 1, 2012 3:27 PM

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Jul 2007
6108
This series definitively has shaky start. Things are pretty confusing so far and nothing is explained, but i imagine this is just part of the mythology that is introduced in this fantasy series. Yeah Fushugi Yugi is very similar.

Honestly i don't know how people can think Yuko was annoying, she acted as if any real human being would act. I mean you have to think for a minute, all in the midst of 30 min, her school ends up in shambles, beasts come from another world to attack her. This guy saves her and explains all these weird things to her. She is stripped from her sudden friends and family, only to be told that is not from that world. If your a girl, you have to put your self in her shoes. I mean the way they protrayed this character was very real and thats what i like bout this first episode.



Jan 23, 2013 3:18 AM

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Jan 2008
183
just watched, the first episode and while I agree with most people here, who say that Youkos' reaction is the way any normal person would react in that kind of situation, I have to say, what didn't sit right with me, concerning her Character, was that she threw the sword away...
I mean there she is, clearly being attacked by something she doesn't quite understand (which nevertheless clearly is a threat to her life), she gets a weapon handed to her and she throws it away. I mean I obviously don't expect a normal High-school girl to channel her inner Samurai and slay anything in her path, but expecting some self-preservation isn't too much I think, especially considering that she supposedly is the "heroine" of this story.

Well anyway, I will continue watching and I hope she will grow on me.
"Truth is always a delusion." - Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Apr 28, 2013 11:50 AM

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Jul 2011
4356
Well I'm hopeful that the protagonist will develop in 44 episodes. Those pictures of her in armour look sweet. Couldn't stand her this episode, wish I could punch her or something.
I did not expect her personality at all while reading the synopsis. And the bullying. =______=
Her reactions were annoying, but mostly because of her voice for me.

WHY WOULD SHE THROW THE SWORD, or rather, WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THE SWORD FROM HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU DIDN'T WANT IT.

Otherwise, great action and plot is still confusing, but I'm sure it will clear up in the next few episodes.

The opening and ending are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. Honestly. Very fantasy-like and I love them.
Jan 20, 2014 4:56 AM

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Dec 2012
24355
BigSimo said:
honestly i was expecting yoko to be so much worse since so many people are like "OMG she's soooo annoying early on" but seriously she was just acting as any person would in such a situation. Why the fuck would you be pissed off with a character that acts as they should? Would you prefer her to calmly accept that there's a bunch of monsters and all this talk of going to another world? all in the space of like half an hour?

To be honest this is one of the best first episodes I've seen. Fast paced, introducing lots of shit you want the answers to, and most importantly it's unique.

My thoughts exactly. She didn't annoy me at all, she reacted very realistically to the situation.


Good first episode, I will definitely keep watching this.
Feb 16, 2014 1:13 AM

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Jul 2008
10552
Well this is my first viewing and I rather liked the episode, I didn't like how everyone was a bitch to Yoko, that would make me rather introverted like her. Hell even her parents and teacher treated her poorly, that's rough, and then whan super monster attack? How the hell would you react.

Hell I'd bet most of us would act similar to her in wanting to know WTF was going on when you are suddenly asked to kill a giant crow monster.

On a friend's high praise I am finally watching this, and it is interesting. All I ask from a first episode is to be interesting and it delivered in spades. Excited to see what is to come knowing this series' high praise and the posts in this thread.
Mar 25, 2014 5:42 AM

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Aug 2013
4759
This has "epic" written all over it.

I never got to finish this years ago when I first watched it. Hopefully I finally get to see the ending :p
"May those who accept their fate be granted happiness."

"May those who defy their fate be granted glory."
May 28, 2014 1:28 PM
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Dec 2010
19
I watched it. It was kinda meh and the art was terrible; I was rolling my eyes the entire way through. I was astonished by the amount of cliches packed into a single episode.

Yet, there seems to be some kind of 'potential?' I mean the red-haired girl was kind of screaming the whole way through, but she was only reacting believably. A guy crashes into your life and wants you to go with him; would you honestly do what he was asking??? He didn't even give any explanations for anything. T

he part of her character that annoyed me was her timidness. I hate that; a lot. However, I sense major character development happening for her.

The character that I thought was extremely annoying was that black haired girl. Like, could you be more of a downer for no reason? I think she has a reason for it, probably, but she really rubbed me the wrong way; so annoying, seriously.

Bah, I'll continue this I guess.
Dec 6, 2014 12:15 PM

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Nov 2013
586
I've been wanting to watch The Twelve Kingdoms for a while. I'm rather partial to well-realized fantasy settings like those in Kemono no Souja Erin and Seirei Moribito, so I hope this series meets my expectations.
Dec 11, 2014 5:45 AM
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Aug 2011
7279
Yikes. Main girl's voice is irritating, it grates my ears.

Thankfully Koyasu Takehito was there to ease my pain a bit.
Jan 6, 2015 5:13 AM

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Jan 2012
31481
insan3Inquisitor said:
Beatnik said:
I usually hate it when people say to me about an anime that 'it will get better, honest!' so it pains me to say that Juuni Kokuki really really gets so much better later, that if you dont like the first few episodes, please just keep with it for a while.


I hope your right, cause that first episode... i'll just say the heroine annoyed the hell out of me.


same thought here her attitude is fucked up and boring
OT:first impression. art is ok and the ost.
btw wtf with creepy beginning.

Jan 13, 2015 5:12 PM

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Oct 2013
1348
I have net to zero patience with this anime. The MC is dumb as fuck I gathered after the first two episodes. Can someone just tell me when she turns into a badass so I can skip to that episode. Otherwise this show is heading to the dropped list.
Apr 16, 2015 6:10 AM

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Jun 2013
6123
That was decent, but nothing special
I've heard that this is pretty good, so I have high hopes! :)
Oct 26, 2015 8:56 PM

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Apr 2014
1124
The red-headed girl is incredibly, incredibly, irritating, but I hear she gets way better. I don't know if it's the animation, but she acts weirdly slow, disconnected, and unnatural.

Well, so far, this show isn't my up of tea with the Yugioh-esque beasts and everything, but I'm still going to give it a shot.
DawningFogOct 26, 2015 9:06 PM
Dec 13, 2015 10:49 AM

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Feb 2013
6196
Better than I was expecting. It has a quality classic feel to it (it is older afterall).
Dec 21, 2015 12:00 PM

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Sep 2013
2420
The protagonist acts so annoyingly Japanese-like it hurts.
May 3, 2016 4:26 PM

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Jul 2015
1640
This was so fucking good, i took a 1080p version but still for 2002 it look incredible, great first episode, the summoning were cool, everything was great, expect maybe the main girl crying and whining but it's just me who get annoyed by this kind of character
May 6, 2016 11:29 AM

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Jul 2015
227
Ahh the heroine is fucking annoying :D
I will continue though.
Sep 12, 2016 3:40 AM

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Feb 2016
459
Rewatching a second time certainly is rewarding. All the huhs, uhs and general clusterfuck of references and names make for better storytelling should you understand it.

Certainly because your brain goes into autopilot with all the lore, you can actually focus in on the immense character development that takes place every episode, as well as get a general picture of the psyche before and after when humans experience hardship, the bad way and the good way going about it. The quotes littered throughout this series are absolute gold. The characters leave a deep impression on you after you finish the series, they are certainly not your garden variety cardboard tropes. They are complicated, flawed human beings. Adversity does not change that, all you can do is dig deep and draw strength from your mentality which is what this show absolutely nails.

A very nuanced show that depicts the difference between pride and confidence, humillty and modesty, jealousy and envy, utilitarianism and kantism.

1) A few things resonated with me is the ironic depiction (given the settings) of the dangers of taking the easy way out of dreaming instead of doing, blaming others instead of looking inwards. After all, at the end of the day, all your crying and wailing will get no assistance from the rest of the world. Practically, you only have yourself to rely upon.
2) Treating others the way you choose to, period.
3) Backing yourself, even if it feels like you are disappointing the world.
4) There is a difference between ignoring recurrent pains in your life and believing yourself become stronger and actually trying to prevent the pain from occurring again, even if it hurts.

All these people ranting about how annoying Youko is lol, she's my second favourite character.
Cloud_IllusionSep 12, 2016 3:55 AM
Nothing can happen until you swing the bat.
Dec 14, 2016 3:00 PM

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Jun 2015
3463
Looks like a rather mediocre RPG-based anime. Lame start to a series in any case.
Mar 19, 2017 6:56 PM

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Jan 2014
1830
Not bad.. This should be interesting.
Apr 26, 2017 3:54 PM

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Jun 2016
821
I definitely like the plot.

Though the first episode seems a bit off, it is slow-paced, which causes some absurd moments in the action scenes.

Still, it looks promising. Looking forward to further episodes.
Jun 15, 2017 8:01 AM

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Oct 2012
7188
That was pretty intense first episode
I still know nothing :(

What an annoying female MC
I hope she can become a better character later xD

I liked it so far, it was far better than anime these days!
The music especially, I'm diggin' it
"Signature removed"
Oct 8, 2018 11:06 PM
Supreme Tsundere

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Nov 2012
4066
Saw this just last night, was a major wtf since I though this was straight medieval fantasy and first episode is on a modern Japan... all things considered, I do think it was very mysterious, and I definitly want to see more now.
Sep 22, 2019 12:29 AM

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May 2015
5894
Moooomm , I'm going on adventure.
"The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there."

"Ruling over death means ruling over life. Death is the climax of life. To have the best death, you must honor life."
Oct 3, 2019 9:20 AM
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Oct 2017
284
She's fn USELESS and pathetic. Waste of carbon.
Nov 17, 2019 10:12 AM

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Sep 2018
1235
Being my passion to watch Japanese anime, I am always chasing series that I may like both a little dated and a modern day. Therefore, as a narrative it is not bad: it reflects the style of the years in which it was produced. You can fly over the plot for now we are at the beginning, what happens in this episode is a bit chaotic for me, but I haven't read the novel. The action is so great and the quality of the drawings is good, so too are the animations, for now I am satisfied.
Dec 16, 2019 10:44 PM

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Aug 2018
767
This was good but the MC man she is just crying and annoyed the hell out of me but a good start
Mar 3, 2020 5:59 PM

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May 2010
1428
That was one hell of a first episode! I actually loved how they took the chance of making the hero unlikeable at first, it's kinda like NGE in that regard. And how they kept everything mysterious, didn't really explain everything, that was a bit of a gambit too. This whole first episode had a "risky writing" feel that I never see in modern anime, and I can tell that they're laying the groundwork for something truly epic. So far my hat is off to the one who recommended this series to me, and I only hope it gets better once the initial chaos wears off.
“Money can't buy dere”
May 5, 2020 2:12 PM

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Jul 2009
4805
The 1st episode was pretty good, full of creatures.
Oct 26, 2020 5:34 AM

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Aug 2017
1015
Hmm, this looks interesting and I want to see where this is going. MC and most characters are not really to my liking so far, but I want to give them a few more episodes.
Dec 22, 2020 3:02 PM

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Jul 2008
441
I found the MC annoying BEFORE her world was invaded by fantastic creatures, so he reacting realistically isn't much of a defense. Also, the interactions with her guardian Keiki felt very much like a teen novel, where a handsome guy pops out of the blue and orders her around, forcing things on her against her will (for her own good). His reasoning for making her kill the creature was dumb ("I have no desire to shed blood").
Ero-CamelDec 22, 2020 3:05 PM
Apr 18, 2021 8:55 AM
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Oct 2019
4224
not a great first episode
May 18, 2021 5:06 PM
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Feb 2016
337
If this had been a new anime I probably would have dropped it — no, I would have given it the three-episodes-treatment.
Dozens of reviews have written that it gets a lot better after the first few episodes, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
Oh, and I agree that the MC is extremely hard on the nerves, but I suppose that will improve as well.
Aug 15, 2021 11:16 AM

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Nov 2016
31386
The prospect of going to another world fired Sugimoto up, lmao. But I'm sure Nakajima will undergo the most radical change in the long run.

Nice start. Pretty self explanatory what's going on for most parts, at least to us, the viewers. Nakajima on the other is understandably confused.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


Jan 23, 2022 9:32 AM
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Nov 2020
2445
Love this. It's old school isekai. You can see how she got into the other worls and that the process scared her.
Most isekai these days is jusy poof the hero is just there.
Nov 18, 2022 8:27 PM
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May 2022
11
i like it its better than newer isekai nowaadays.
Mac
Nov 18, 2022 8:30 PM
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May 2022
11
simo000 said:
honestly i was expecting yoko to be so much worse since so many people are like "OMG she's soooo annoying early on" but seriously she was just acting as any person would in such a situation. Why the fuck would you be pissed off with a character that acts as they should? Would you prefer her to calmly accept that there's a bunch of monsters and all this talk of going to another world? all in the space of like half an hour?

To be honest this is one of the best first episodes I've seen. Fast paced, introducing lots of shit you want the answers to, and most importantly it's unique.
you're right i dont understand why some people think she's annoying
Mac
Nov 18, 2022 8:36 PM
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May 2022
11
Oni_Link said:
I have net to zero patience with this anime. The MC is dumb as fuck I gathered after the first two episodes. Can someone just tell me when she turns into a badass so I can skip to that episode. Otherwise this show is heading to the dropped list.


dont skip episodes
Mac
Nov 18, 2022 8:45 PM
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May 2022
11
HagePotPotato said:
not a great first episode
its great dude
..........
Mac
Nov 20, 2022 8:27 PM
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Oct 2019
4224
MarkRyan13 said:
HagePotPotato said:
not a great first episode
its great dude
..........


that's nice that you liked it. i didn't. from what i recall i hated the mc. the end
Sep 5, 2023 8:11 PM

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Feb 2010
366
Reply to Cloud_Illusion
Rewatching a second time certainly is rewarding. All the huhs, uhs and general clusterfuck of references and names make for better storytelling should you understand it.

Certainly because your brain goes into autopilot with all the lore, you can actually focus in on the immense character development that takes place every episode, as well as get a general picture of the psyche before and after when humans experience hardship, the bad way and the good way going about it. The quotes littered throughout this series are absolute gold. The characters leave a deep impression on you after you finish the series, they are certainly not your garden variety cardboard tropes. They are complicated, flawed human beings. Adversity does not change that, all you can do is dig deep and draw strength from your mentality which is what this show absolutely nails.

A very nuanced show that depicts the difference between pride and confidence, humillty and modesty, jealousy and envy, utilitarianism and kantism.

1) A few things resonated with me is the ironic depiction (given the settings) of the dangers of taking the easy way out of dreaming instead of doing, blaming others instead of looking inwards. After all, at the end of the day, all your crying and wailing will get no assistance from the rest of the world. Practically, you only have yourself to rely upon.
2) Treating others the way you choose to, period.
3) Backing yourself, even if it feels like you are disappointing the world.
4) There is a difference between ignoring recurrent pains in your life and believing yourself become stronger and actually trying to prevent the pain from occurring again, even if it hurts.

All these people ranting about how annoying Youko is lol, she's my second favourite character.
Rosny said:
Certainly because your brain goes into autopilot with all the lore, you can actually focus in on the immense character development that takes place every episode, as well as get a general picture of the psyche before and after when humans experience hardship, the bad way and the good way going about it.


I had to do it without knowing jack about the lore, and I doubt many are lore-wise about references even in Japan, but it's harder to do when you don't have an ear for those names for everything. Casual watcher should prepare for an immersion in being an alien in a strange world, which hardly any isekai would dare to make you go through. In retrospect I would say that the heroines are still too "good" to be considered realistic in my book, but the series does show more character development than most. I was greatly surprised that it has such a high score on MAL, but maybe it's because the show is rather obscure and mostly overlooked by imbeciles? Idk. It's not that I would rate it lower, it's that it doesn't have great graphics and animation, or great epic plot, or fan-service, or humor, or even great storytelling. For me it's a love-hate thing, as I don't really like the setting or the plot, but I was sympathetic enough for the characters, and I like mature themes and character development. And I suppose if you bear with an anime for 40+ episodes you may start finding reasons to like it (a bit of a Stockholm syndrome).
burbelsSep 5, 2023 8:14 PM
Hell is empty and all the devils are here.
Jan 12, 8:47 AM

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May 2022
461
I actually really liked it. the slow motion when she beheaded (not really) that crow was so fucking badass. MC's reactions are normal and any sane individual would react the same way. Parents, teacher and classmates are all assholes. Artstyle is fuckin great even though animation is quite dodgy at times. 9/10
Apr 1, 1:25 PM
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Mar 2019
9
I don't know how I've never heard of this before. I liked the line, "What's here for you anyway?" She is right.
Apr 20, 9:59 PM

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Jul 2021
340
Reminds me of Rayearth and Inuyasha, dont mind the protag too, her reactions are pretty realistic if anything, gives me Shinji vibes ngl
AzafuseKingToraApr 20, 10:03 PM
Apr 27, 12:22 PM

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Dec 2022
4383
Bullied for having a subdued, chestnut hair colour in a setting where other shades of brown and red already seem reasonably common? Besides, as far as I know, there isn't any stigma against ginger hair in Japan, let alone a stigma against Youko's hair shade, which has a colouration more like burgundy or crimson. If anything, I'm sure it'd be seen as exotic and intriguing in Japan.

The beasts this guy summoned really should've been able to kill that eagle demon, especially after no less than two of them managed to get a hold on its neck. Raptorial birds prefer an ambush scenario when taking on other animals, with their talons being their only real weapon while grounded. If something bypasses the bird's talons and get a hold directly on its neck, then how did it survive?

On the other hand, the scenery is impressive, especially during the scene on the harbour around the end of the episode.
Archean-ReturnApr 27, 7:56 PM


Shaded Horizon


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