2/5 WHO CARES ABOUT TAIKI?
  by Sesho (Pasadena, TX USA)
Well, everything seems to have worked out for Youko. Well, except for the fact that her friend Asano is still missing. She doesn't seem too concerned about that. Sujimoto has been returned to Japan, and people mumble behind her back that she had been "sprited away". There's a guy at her school that also went through a mysterious disapperance who is rumored to curse those that pick on him. As Sujimoto tries to learn more about this strange boy, Yukimoto hears the other side of the story as she is preparing for her coronation. Through flashback, the tale of Taiki is told, a Kirin who was transported by a Shoku to Japan and raised as a human for 10 years. Taiki is brought to the Mt. Hou but is unable to choose a ruler, or is it that he doesn't WANT to pick one, seeing as how beautiful girls wait on his every beck and call.

This series has taken an ominous detour with Volume 4 because Youka hardly has any screen time in these four episodes. The story of Taiki has taken center stage and I'm sorry, but he's just this little whiny kid. What happened to all the deep themes and character development of the first 3 dvds? So basically all we're left with here is some kid crying about how he can't turn into a unicorn and doubt about his worthiness to choose a king. If the next volume doesn't get any better than this I don't think I'll be finishing the series.

There is a short interview with the director of the show on this dvd.

5/5 Sea of the Wind, The Shore of the Maze
  by Akira (USA)
Sea of the Wind, The Shore of the Maze is the second arc in the Twelve Kingdoms Series. Volume 4 deviates from the tale of Queen Kei and tells the story of Taiki, the Kirin of Tai. In this volume you learn about the Taiki's childhood and also more about the world of the Twelve Kingdoms. One of the things I liked about this volume was that it showed another side of the Twelve Kingdoms world, and its that kind of storytelling that makes the series good. The only thing that bothered me about this volume was that the characters have a habit of overexplaining things, but overall its still enjoyable and worthy of adding to your collection.

4/5 Fascinating series.
  by
Although the series is quite good, this fourth disc jumps around a little in the timeline of events. It made sense after seeing it all the way through. And it does settle back into a coherent timeline by the last episode on the disc. All in all, great fun.

5/5 Child of the Storm
  by Marc Ruby™ (Warren, MI USA)
The Twelve Kingdoms is a long running anime series (currently 39 episodes) that in turn is based on a series of fantasy novels by Fuyumi Ono. The story takes place on a mythical China separated from Japan by sea, storm, and magic. It is the tale of a young woman, Youko, who is deposited in the Twelve Kingdoms by a storm to become the Queen of Kei.

At this point in the story, Youko has come to the sacred precincts of Mt. Hou to be officially enthroned. While she prepares she is introduced to the story of the missing Kirin of Tai, called Taiki. Now it is the duty of a Kirin to name and assist the ruler of its kingdom, so Taiki's absence is a very serious matter.

The story shifts completely to Taiki's story. While he was born (as all Kirin are) in the Twelve Kingdoms a freak storm blew him to Japan where he was raised for ten years as a human. Finally returned to Mt. Hou, Taiki has no concept of his heritage. While he is the rarest of Kirin, a dark haired Kokki, he has never had the benefit of childhood as the unicorn-like form which is the true Kirin. As a result he cannot perform the transformations and actions that are natural to a Kirin.

It is difficult not to empathize with Taiki. He is a pleasant and thoughtful boy who has to deal with expectations and responsibilities that would be daunting for an adult, let alone a young stranger in a strange land. But Taiki never gives up. He experiences all the fears and self-doubts that any one of us confront in life. But with the help of his friends manages to face each problem.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, my appreciation for this tale has grown considerably once Youko was able to grow beyond her initial whininess. Taiki is a completely different central character, one with whom there is an instant bond of sympathy regardless of his youthfulness. Because the story is based on a series of novels it brings with it the rich complexity of a fully drawn world, which seems to unfold without end.

This is an excellent anime series for most ages. There is some very slight nudity, mostly of the magical creatures in the story, and only a modicum of violence. In fact, there is very little focus on sexuality, because the people of the Twelve Kingdoms are born as the fruit of a tree. It isn't a coming of age story but a coming of responsibility story, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

5/5 One of the greatest animes of all time
  by Hans (Coronado, CA)
The latest installment of arguably the greatest fantasy anime of all time - and I'm not being even slightly hyperbolic with my effusive praise for this series.

NOTE: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU WATCH TWELVE KINGDOMS IN ITS ORIGINAL JAPANESE LANGUAGE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES, an option that's available on all of the DVDs. The Japanese voice actors are eminently superior to their English-speaking counterparts; in fact, I can't even stomach the English-language version of Twelve Kingdoms. Stick with the original Japanese voice actors for a full appreciation of this surpassing anime.

Enjoy!