~Story~
The story of Juuni Kokuki revolves mainly around the highschool student Nakajima Youko who is dragged to an unknown world with demon-like creatures, which appeared immediately after a man by the name of Keiki who swore an allegiance to her. Swung in the fantastical world separated from her friends who came alongside with her, they struggle to survive this new environment which viewers may associate to a medieval China - divided in twelve kingdoms, each with their own ruler. The struggle for survival comes along with its share of combat, which may not be very spectacular, yet satisfying as battles are won through people working together, rather than needless overpowering of protagonists.
The anime handles the despair and utter loss of direction well when situated in an adverse environment; the unknown language, the customs as well as mindsets between medieval and modern society are contrasted in a satisfying manner. What is remarkable is the fact that although it is mainly focused upon the main protagonist, it also fixates on some of the different kingdoms, each with their own story and the rise of either queens or kings. It is such that these feel like an entity, a different world on its own; this is because of the system on how rulers are chosen, which are appointed by beings called "kirin". People are naturally individuals, so defection of their initial standings may happen, which either causes kingdoms to fall in disarray, or be peaceful.
There is a problem when it comes to the narrative of the anime; the different substories surrounding the different kingdoms are rather hastily introduced, seemingly jumping directly in it after an initial conflict was solved, without any fore shadowing whatsoever; this may create a sense of confusion and incoherency in the story. In fact, it could be considered that this series are different stories latched together. Besides, not all the different kingdoms were presented, which the anime hinted on to be of importance - which was nevertheless a minor gripe. On another note, although these may seem unrelated to the main storyline at first glance, later it becomes clear as to what its main purpose was, besides of showcasing how this particular world works.
~Characters~
The setting itself is interesting, yet Juuni Kokuki is more character driven - this is very apparent when considering the main protagonist huge development and some of its supporting cast as well, each with a journey and story for its own. Nakajima Youko starts off as a person who tries to be accepted by everyone, and with that comes implications: the loss of identity on its own, a "weak" individual. Her being thrown in the new world with sudden responsibilities she can't cope with, only made these accentuate even more. It is fascinating seeing her develop throughout the series, realizing things about herself she never even thought of before. Now it must be said that it could get annoying at times, especially the beginning where she was constantly whining.
The other characters of importance are her close friends who came with her: although at first glance normal, they both are eccentric in some way: one who strongly desires to leave her own world, rather a strong feeling of escapism, while the other has a strong desire to return. Both feel out of place, which leads them in turn to showcase madness and hostility; the problem is that it is often quite exaggerated and nonsensical, to the point of feeling unreal and forced. Sometimes the abrupt changes in behaviour was rather immersive breaking as well, although this could be debated.
Concerning the supporting cast, it is composed of humans, the Kirin, demon-like creatures and "shapeshifting" creatures. While most are simple and at times clichéd, especially in case of some of the villains, these fulfill their purpose, in addition to providing some insight into the fantastic world. Some characters are presented to convey their difficulties, such as a dethroned princess, or an insecure Kirin. It must be mentioned that the story leaves some plot threads unsolved regarding some of the characters, which was a bit disappointing, as the anime treated these for a handful of episodes, yet ultimately didn't use it, thus feeling goalless.
~Animation and sound~
The animation of the anime was overall well executed, although as a whole it was nothing outstanding, especially when considering some of the combat scenes presented. Character designs are a bit lackluster in some cases, sharing same facial designs - this comes together with some inconsistencies in the anime as well. However, the backgrounds were detailed and nice to look at, showcasing the world.
The soundtrack used was very befitting of the atmosphere the anime was trying to portray with the use of for example guitars, drums, violins or flutes. It is overall not that outstanding at a personal level, yet there were some tracks such as "Fuushun" that were pleasing to lsiten to. As for the voice actors, these performed their roles well, conveying the different personalities and emotions of the cast in a satisfying manner.
~Enjoyment~
Juuni Kokuki was overall an enjoyable anime which had an interesting setting, as well as some very well-developed characters, in addition to its supporting cast. There were some issues as the characters behaviour felt rather exaggerated in some cases, which in turn broke a bit with the immersion. The story was interesting, yet felt in the long incomplete as well as a bit ill-paced; regardless, I can't deny I was very eager to see what would happen next despite of these gripes. The Twelve Kingdoms is recommended to anyone who enjoys character driven stories, or just the historical fantasy genre itself.
Thank you for reading.
