The Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokki)

Description

Yoko Nakajima, an unhappy high school student, is one day suddenly faced with a strange man who swears allegiance to her. After a battle with demon-like beasts, he then takes her to another world along with two of her classmates. There, her appearance has changed and she can understand the language even though her classmates cannot. But their status as "Kaikyaku" (people who come from Earth) makes them hunted fugitives, so they wander the land of the 12 countries, simply trying to survive and to figure out the reason why they were brought to this world.

Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Novel

Review

Story - 5 (Great)

For Twelve Kingdom, there isn't really one story. There are many stories that branch off of Yoko's story and converge as the episodes continue. So you can think of this anime having multiple stories that focus on different characters and situations besides the main character Yoko. Being able to view so many perspectives of the story will give you a better understanding of what's happening as well and how things came to be(which can lead to very good twists!). Even though it's 45 episodes long, it really is interesting enough to keep watching through.

I think sometimes certain stories were suddenly held on pause as it skipped to a new one (sometimes a completely stand alone story that doesn't contribute much to the main story at all).. which can sometimes be confusing or irritating for others if they want a one-goal kind of story to follow. But if you're patient and don't mind an anime that loves to philosophize and storytell about the many different ways a kingdom could be ruled, and how this mystical world works with it's magical kirins and the destiny they carry.. then this may be the anime for you.

I think it's one of those anime that can suck you into their world because it's so unique. Basically the story revolves around the existence of the twelve kingdoms, each having their own Kirin (a heavenly being). The kirin must chose a ruler to make their kingdom and people prosperous. Many problems arise when there is no ruler on the throne...

Personally I felt the story was kind of incomplete, making me think "what, that's it?" at the end. There were still a lot of unanswered questions and not all the kingdoms were explored. It definitely had a lot it could have continued on besides Yoko's story but it'd be incredibly long I guess ;p The ending was still okay though.

Music/Sound - 5 (Great)
I tried the english-dubbed for this anime as well and it's pretty good.

Art/Animation - 4 (Good)

Character - 5 (Great)

This is the greatest aspect of this anime. You really get a great sense of what the characters are like and they are all unique and different from each other. They all have their own problems that they must overcome and these trials are deeply explored. Individual character stories are shown to see why they were the way they are and how they suddenly changed. The story shifts from the main character Yoko, King En, Keiki, Enki, the servant girl Suzu, the spoiled princess Shouko, Rakushin, Kouya, and many more.. and each has a meaningful/interesting story to tell that can enrich the main story or the interactions between the other characters.

I think the best thing about this anime.. is that it really explores the negative and positive aspects of the human emotions. You see how some characters are affected by greed, perfection, jealousy, or ignorance.. and how some are able to redeem themselves. You really can gain a lot of insight and learn things from each of the characters themselves. Most likely, you'll end up with a favorite character.

Humor - 1 (Bad)

This anime definitely is more on the serious side of storytelling so don't be expecting to laugh so much. It rarely uses comedy, although sometimes they may say some things that make you smile or chuckle a bit. But humor is definitely not this anime's main focus.

Overall - 5 (Great)

I recommend this anime to people who are looking for a philosophical anime (lots of talking along with some action). If you like fantasy and kingdom stories then this is right up your ally.
-This is one of my favorite anime.^^

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Description

When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realizes that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.

Fantasy, Drama, School-Life

Review

Story - 5 (Great)

I thought the story was very well done. It kept me wanting to find out what would happen and interested the whole way through. It's amusing to see what happens to Makoto and those around her as she keeps trying to change things to the way she wants it to(for herself and her friends). It'll also start to make you wonder if what she does starts to have any consequences. The story has some good twists too.. the only thing I had a problem with was the ending solution, but I guess it can be overlooked considering how good everything else was. Besides some unanswered questions.. the ending was pretty decent and fulfilling.

Music/Sound - 5 (Great)

Art/Animation - 4 (Good)

Character - 4 (Good)

The character development was done pretty well for an hr 30min movie. You actually get a sense of what kind of person Makoto is because of her actions and the way she cherishes her friends so much. You also get to learn a bit about her two friends Kousuke and Chiaki and how she feels about them. The three characters have their own personalities that stand out and it's fun seeing them interact. If you compare Makoto from the beginning and the end, you can see that she probably became more mature from her experience.

Humor - 4 (Good)

This anime had a lot of humor in it and I thought it was pretty funny. Not the laugh out loud, can't stop kind.. but it has it's cute moments, and the friends always throwing sarcastic remarks towards each other, and not to mention how Makoto is constantly rolling around and bumping her head on things and appearing out of nowhere to scare people. Probably will get some smirks out of you at least ;p. It has a easy-going feeling and uses humor to appeal to the viewer a lot.

Overall - 5 (Great)
I really recommend everyone to try watching this! It's great.. and you may learn something from it :) and it's just a fun easy-going anime to watch.