The Twelve Kingdoms: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

The story of the Twelve Kingdoms.

The Twelve Kingdoms is an epic fantasy anime based on the original novels by Fuyumi Ono. The series is executive produced by Atsuko Kashiwagi (RIN-NE), Isao Yoshikuni (Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun), and Toshio Watanabe (Sennen no Yakusoku). The adaptation comes from animation studio Pierrot (Kimagure Orange Road, Flame of Recca). Originally broadcast on NHK in Japan, The Twelve Kingdoms is now available on home media from Discotek.

Yoko Nakajima (Aya Hisakawa) is a high-school student who meets a mysterious man, Keiki (Takehito Koyasu), who aims to protect her and tells her about a mystical kingdom she is destined to be a part of. Pledging himself to Yoko, Keiki helps her fight dangerous demons along her quest to the Kingdom of Kei. Yoko will become entrenched in the mysterious world of the Twelve Kingdoms. Can Yoko fulfill her own unexpected destiny in an unknown land?

The series is an intriguing anime adaptation. The concept of the series is creative and provides fans of fantasy something compelling to explore. The storytelling is adapting several novels so the series is divided into multiple story arcs. Audiences looking to explore an expansive anime world will find something worthwhile to look forward to.

The animation is unquestionably one of the best elements of the production. The series has a robust and creative animation style that is unique. The creativity on display makes The Twelve Kingdoms a series that is interesting on a visual level. The animators brought a significant amount of effort to the series (providing the background art with immense detail and a sense of sophistication). The animation is compelling – beautiful and traditional. The character designs are effective and fit the leads of the production well.

The Twelve Kingdoms is certainly a compelling production. There is a lot to like about the anime series. The production values are impressive and there are a lot of attributes to the series that are high quality. The series clearly was the product of a lot of effort from the team involved in the creation of The Twelve Kingdoms.

An anime epic arrives on Blu-ray.

The cinematography by Atsuho Matsumoto (The World Is Still Beautiful, Emma: A Victorian Romance) adds to the production merits as well. The Twelve Kingdoms is a visually unique anime production. A compelling cinematographic effort.

As a fantasy series, The Twelve Kingdoms is a production with an action backdrop. The action element of the program is something that will keep audiences intrigued. There is something to be said about well designed action sequences for an anime and The Twelve Kingdoms delivers some interesting moments with regards to action-packed fun and these are elements that helps the series shine. Exploring the realm of the Twelve Kingdoms and the Kingdom of Kei, the epic unfolds with enthusiastic splendor.

The music by Kunihiko Ryo is a worthwhile element of the anime adaptation. The music provides the series with a compelling drive – and that drive helps enhance the experience. Ryo helps the series to unfold.

The screenplay by Shou Aikawa (Fullmetal Alchemist, Love Hina) and Seiya Fujima explores the epic fantasy realm. The characters are at the core of the production. The fantasy storytelling is rife with interesting ideas but screenwriters Aikawa and Fujima remember to explore other elements of the storytelling. The world building is compelling.

Directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi (The Last: Naruto the Movie, The Man in the Moonlight Mask), The Twelve Kingdoms is a unique anime series that is going to appeal to fantasy fans looking to find a compelling series that is a bit different from a typical anime. The Twelve Kingdoms has a strong creative spirit at its core and there is something fascinating about a production seeped in a strong fantasy narrative.

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek, The Twelve Kingdoms is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The Twelve Kingdoms looks impressive in high-definition and fans of the series will be pleased by the quality of the visuals. The animation looks crisp and clean: showcasing the animated backdrops effectively. The level of detail in the art work is compelling. The release is not simply a mere upconversion and the native high-definition animation looks wonderful.

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a plethora of lossless audio options: English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound (with English subtitles), and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The surround sound presentation is a compelling sound mix and the surrounds are utilized on the track well. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The music is well reproduced.

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with an attractive o-card slipcover. The inside art-work features a reversible sleeve showcasing additional illustrations for The Twelve Kingdoms.

Disc 5:

Credits (SD, 14:55)

Clean Opening (SD, 1:40)

Clean Ending (SD, 1:35)

Pilot Film (SD, 1:37)

Interview: Director Tsuneo Kobayashi (SD, 7:58)

Interview: Character Designer Hiroto Tanaka (SD, 4:47)

Interview: Producer Ken Suckawa (SD, 15:02)

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Twelve Kingdoms is a compelling anime. The series adapts the original work of Fuyumi Ono. The fantasy setting is explored and fans of epic animated productions will find something compelling. A expansive anime, the Discotek release includes the complete series. The release has an impressive presentation (with excellent video and audio) and a nice selection of supplements. Recommended.