AnimeNfo

[Avalanche (#92065)]

 The trouble of 12 Kingdoms - Possible Spoilers

[SupraGuy (#92823)]

I see your point, but I disagree on much of it.

There are differences between the novels and the anime, but I'll deal with the anime storyline.

Yes, there is a large (And I'd bet interesting story to tell here.)

For characters, we've already been introduced to the principal players in resolving the troybles in Tai. Gyoso, the new King of Tai is going to play a large part. We've already met him. Probably the Lady Risai as well will play a part, and we've already met her. Sugimoto will be the primary "old cast" in Japan, as well as of course Taiki. We know that Enki travels back and forth to Japan as well, so there's our most probable link between the worlds. Perhaps Sugimoto will find that she has a destiny within the 12 kingdoms after all. Perhaps in the kingdom of Tai? Anyway, I digress.

We've already also met the Nyosen of Mt Hou, who may r may not play a part in this story.

So anyway, no there's no need to introduce any more major players. We can get through the entire story of returning Taiki back to his kingdom, probably explain what happened to him and Gyoso, and probably even have Yoko help out with resolving whatever caused THAT, seeing as how Kei and Tai are neighbors, so to speak. I'd count on seeing Enki and the Ever-king of En helping out with this as well.

As for more story to tell, there is one other detail to wrap up that hasn't even begun to be addressed, it was only mentioned briefly once. That is the problem in Hou. As we saw in the long arc covering the rebellion in Kei, specifically the part which takes place in Kou, there was an uprising there, and the King, and Kourin were slain. It has been mentioned that there is no new ranka for a kirin of Kou on the sati tree, and this is an unprecedented occurance. This could then be yet another story arc, which would involve the Nyosen of Mt Hou, and will probably feature more of the kirin. At least all of the ones whom we've already met. This story itself only becomes feasable at this point, since it takes this long before the audience is really familiar with how things work in the 12 kingdoms, so something unusual can be established. I think that it would really make for a good story as well. (A shoku taking both the new Kouki/Kourin and his/her lamia as well, but nobody noticed? Perhaps there is another reason for this? Maybe the former Kourin survived after all, but has been taken prisoner? It's been etablished that though the method for the kirin choosing a King is set, not all of the citezenry know how this works, and someone having a gravely ill kirin on his hands hasn't yet discovered this? I don't know, but it'd be interesting to find out!)

There is also a story to be tould of Sou, where it was indicated that the Priest-king of Sou (Who has the current longest reign of any in the 12 kingdoms) seems to be losing the way, and that kingdom may soon fall. I'm sure that there's a possibility to bring in Yoko and Shoryu into that as well, and we might even be able to meet some of the other Kings and Kirin in the process.

A thought: Perhaps it is something with the Priest-king of Sou which is responsible for the disappearance of Taiki and the Gyoso, the new King og Tai...

Anyway, there's LOTS that can be done at this point... But alas, it wasn't, and in all liklihood, never will be.

[Ken Hayashi (#52012)]

I think this thread needs a spoiler warning.

[Avalanche (#92065)]

Interesting post supra! After completing the third arc yesterday, I was trying to make sense of your post and it does make sense. Kinda...

Bear with me. I hope I make sense.

If I am not mistaken, Yuko does not have such a major role (as compared to the anime) to play in the first novel, does she? Yuko and Asano never actually travel to Kyokai - the only reason the series does that is to externalize Youko's thoughts for easier onscreen portrayal. So, the events in the series in the second arc would have been slightly different.

According to the 2nd novel (haven't read them - this is just a guess) - Yuko would not have recognized Takasato as a Taika. If she is indeed portrayed, she would just be curious about him due to his being "spirited away". Therefore, I don't see her playing any important role. Of course, she could be drawn into the whole tangle just by proximity to Takasato. But yes, in case there is a future novel - the other characters like Gyosou, Risai and perhaps that fat guy may play an important role. What struck me most odd about the 2nd arc is that the fact that Takasato lost his memories. That is most mysterious.

Now to the other part. I actually also noticed that the kingdom of Hou did not have a ranka growing in the middle island (forgot the name >_<). In the second arc, there is just one ranka growing and it is mentioned that the ranka is of the kingdom of Kou. So yes, the situation in Hou is definitely something which could have a full fledged arc devoted to it. Still, I don't see how Yoko could have a major role to play in all this. She would be busy with her kingdom so her part in this arc looks slim. The only way Yoko can be kept in the series as the central character would be to have a full fledged arc playing out once again in Kei.

As for the last part - that I what I did not get. In the series, it is never mentioned that Sou is going to fall. In fact, Rakushun mentions that it is the kingdom of Ryuu which has been ruled by Ryuu-ou since the past 120 years is going to fall. Or am I mixing up something here?

@ken
Thanks for that spoiler tag. I should have put it there myself.

[SupraGuy (#92823)]

Let's see. You are right, and in the novel Yoko is alone in the 12 Kingdoms, and therefore, Sugimoto would have no way to recognise Takasato as being from that world. Sugimoto herself barely qualified as a bit part in the novel, so this whole thing will have been treated differently in the novels. Since we've only seen the first part of Taiki's story in the novels as well so far, I don't know how even the parts that the anime has covered will be handled.

This tells me that the story will have some differences in the novel and anime versions, which means that not only could the novelised stories take place in the anime, but they could have branched off to different stories.

While Yoko has been the principal POV character so far, there were at least 2 arcs in the anime where she played no role at all in the storytelling (Taiki's and the Gen province rebellion in En.) These stories happened before her ascendance, and were told to her, so future arcs may NOT have her as a central character, but only coming on in little bits.

I'll have to look up the reference to Sou, since I can't remember exactly where it was. It is also possible that I'm mistaken, but I remember it being hte longest living reign coming to an end, and that would be Sou.

As for the situation in Hou... It seems to me that the former princess in Hou might have an interest in the goings on there, and SHE could have major dealings with what happens there, or at least she could play a part in the dealings there. Since it seems that she will have a place in the court of Kei, that also makes for a link back to Yoko. As for what that role would be, it could be simply as an interested party, but it does seem that the anime has kind of turned on the hints for an arc in that direction, but they were never realised. (Episode titled "In the Moonlight" where Geiki assumes stewardship of Kou, until such time as a King is enthroned.) It seems that there was definitely a developing interest in the goings-on there.