Fuyumi Ono

Demon Child Japanese Cover

Nick — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:19:20 -0500

The Japanese cover of Fuyumi Ono's Demon Child. This book was not licensed by Tokyopop to be translated and released in the U.S., but a fan translation of the book is available.

A Kirin's Life

Nick — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:06:38 -0500

Demon ChildI had finished The Twelve Kingdoms Volume Two: Sea of Wind novel a while back, and I have to say that I've enjoyed it1. Like most books, it goes further into Taiki's thoughts and experiences than the anime does. Too bad it doesn't have Takasato's experiences in modern Japan, which is told in Demon Child, the actual first book by Fuyumi Ono in the Twelve Kingdoms world before Ono was encouraged to build a fantasy world. Unfortunately, it looks like Demon Child was released by a different publisher than her other Twelve Kingdom novels, so it's likely Tokyopop was unable to license it. Fortunately, there are always fan translations 2.

In other news, I did stumble on what would be a very good t-shirt...

1. As expected
2. Hey! That Prologue is very familiar after reading Sea of Wind.

Recent Twelve Kingdoms Interest?

Nick — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:18:22 -0500

Looks like there's been some recent resurge of interest in The Twelve Kingdoms recently. Maybe it's the new volume of the novel series coming out or the 90 page story released in a Japanese magazine that sparking it, but the attention still being put on this series isn't too bad for a now 6-years-old TV series.

~~I don't blame Author for dropping the series after 5 episodes the last time he tried watching The Twelve Kingdoms.~~ [See UPDATE, Below] The series didn't seem to promise much at that point other than handful of irritating main characters. Yes, there are loads of information and foreshadowing in those first five episodes, but those are extremely hard to catch without at least watching the entire series once to see how it all ties together. Fortunately, the end of episode 5 is the absolute low point1; the series really didn't pick up until a bit later, and I didn't proclaim it to be my most favorite anime of all time until I finished the third arc. Still, I'd like to see Author's "vent" after 3 episodes; most likely, I'd be nodding my head and saying "yup" to whatever grievances he had of the series.

Don's thought that the book might be better than the anime 2 is correct, in my view. The novel covers Youko's3 descent and rise so much better than the anime, but the novel also is able to get into Youko's thoughts. The script for the anime is pretty heavily changed as animating the novel directly would have been even worse than the re-write; either we don't get to follow Youko's thought process as we witness her suffering, or we get a constant narration of her thoughts through-out the first 14 episodes, which most people would find annoying. So the anime essentially adds two more characters to travel into the Twelve Kingdoms with Youko4 who she can bounce thoughts off of and act as foils to her character.

Yes, I'll say it: The Twelve Kingdoms is my most favorite TV series anime of all time5. It was the series that got me looking into more serious animes, and was the first time I saw a truly serious approach to fantasy6 in a TV series7. The real main downside is definitely the ending. It didn't actually end badly, especially if you consider episode 39 to be the real ending, but it was more of a feeling of "there could be so much more!"8. It's unfortunate that Fuyumi Ono didn't complete the final novel yet (which is the real reason why the series stopped where it did), but when9 she finishes the series, and the anime is finally completed its entire 68 episode run, I'll be in line to be one of the first ones to watch and buy it.

UPDATE: Oops, I did misread. It was Toei's Kanon that Author dropped at five episodes. Still, my comment about the first five episodes of Twelve Kingdoms stands, as that seems to be the point several viewers decide to drop the series.

1. To me, at least
2. The first volume of the Twelve Kingdoms novel is covered by the first 14 episodes of the anime, with the exception of one episode (episode 10, I think) that covers a short story from a different volume.
3. I've seen it spelt "Yoko" and "Youko". I'm going to use the second spelling as that how I've been doing it since the official DVDs came out
4. Yes, Asano wasn't even in the novels and Yuka had a very small role in the first few chapters
5. Actually, it's tied with Haibane Renmei for that title.
6. in the medieval sense
7. And one of the very few series that did so. Others I've seen since include Berserk and Record of Lodoss War; the former was amazing, the latter was, well, less impressive
8. I'd treat episodes 40 to 45 as extras at this time. They are apparently important for later events which are not animated yet.
9. Yes, I said "when", not "if". Don't deny me the hope that it will be finished.

New Twelve Kingdoms News: Book 2 and a Surprise!

Nick — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:29:27 -0600

Well, I've been holding on to some good news when it came to this franchise, but I'll get to that later...

For now, look at this:

The second volume of the Twelve Kingdoms novel, titled "Sea of Wind", is due on March 11, 2008, only a few weeks away!

Here's some links on where to get it:

This is going to be about Taiki's journey in the land of Tai. Should be interesting to read, as his story didn't get a big chunk of the anime series to get told.

Now for the big news, it's this blurb on that I found on livejournal:

New 12K story on the way
Big news via the Juuni Kokki Database:

A new Juuni Kokki story by Ono Fuyumi is scheduled to appear in the upcoming (2/27) issue of yom yom, a Japanese fiction magazine.

Title:「丕緒の鳥」 (Hisho no Tori)
Length: 90 pages

~~No further info as yet.~~ Edit: Mainichi News reports that the story will be set in Kei. (Thanks, nachte.)

Very good news! It's sounding like Fuyumi Ono might be starting to write again in the Twelve Kingdoms universe! Hopefully, she is able to complete the main story and the anime can be finally completed (with a real budget would be nice...). Granted, the story that came out in yom yom sounded like a one-off story that doesn't continue the current cannon, but it is still good news for fans of the Twelve Kingdoms novels and anime!

The Twelve Kingdoms, Volume Two, Sea of Wind

Nick — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:18:59 -0600

Cover for the second volume of the Twelve Kingdoms novel.

Nick's Anime Update - July 1, 2007

Nick — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 23:08:53 -0500

Time for an update of what I've been watching.

Finished Watching

Catblue: Dynamite

I had finished a review of this 40-minute movie this morning. In truth, I've probably rewatched this around 5 times in the past week or so, most of that showing the movie off to different people. I don't have much to add here on top of my review of it.

Keisatsu Sensha Tai TANK S.W.A.T. 01

After watching Catblue: Dynamite, I was curious about Romanov Higa's previous work. TANK S.W.A.T. 01 is a second attempt of adapting Masamune Shirow's Dominion Tank Police manga as an anime. Romanov Higa was billed as the director, and the 29-minute OVA does feature a CG style. Unfortunately, I just find that it doesn't work as well as it did in Catblue. Most people don't seem to realize that the characters in TANK S.W.A.T. 01 are also CG with a cell-shaded style. It looks like they were modeled with a much more traditional "anime-style" look, and I just don't like how it looks in CG. Plus the "police-thriller" story presented just isn't too interesting.

Pale Cocoon

Coming in fairly new to the animation scenes is Yasuhiro Yoshiura, and his film, Pale Cocoon, can actually be compared to Makoto Shinkai's Voices of a Distant Star in many ways. Like Shinkai, Yoshiura did all of the writing, storyboarding, directing, CG, and animating for Pale Cocoon by himself. Both OVAs run under 30 minutes long. Both feature a beautifully composed song that provide an emotional climax towards to end of the anime.

But it's the differences that will set Yoshiura's work apart, and Pale Cocoon includes some very important features. Pale Cocoon seems to strictly uses CG for backgrounds, while Shinkai focused on hand-drawn stills for his backgrounds in Voices of a Distant Star. Though probably as a result of this, Yoshiura's hand-drawn characters simply look better than Shinkai's hand-drawn characters. Also, while Voices of a Distant Star feels like it's treating its characters and subject matter with gentleness, Pale Cocoon's atmosphere is much more colder and distant. And most importantly, while it doesn't quite have Voices of a Distant Star's emotional punch, Pale Cocoon is much more complicated; it's a thinker.

And when you figure it out, it can hit you like a ton of bricks. At least, it did for me; Pale Cocoon has me sitting back and pondering on what it's saying every time I watch it. I'll be keeping an eye on Yasuhiro Yoshiura's future work, as if Pale Cocoon is any indication, he might become the "next Shinkai".

Scrapped Princess - Episodes 1-24

I had an urge to rewatch this series after I finished reading the third volume of the translated novel so I ended up marathoning all 24 episodes in a day (skipping the rather bad opening and ending pieces in every episode). Pacifica is still a spoiled brat, though it seems I've thought her more of a brat the first time I watched the series.

The thing to know, though, is that the novel is definitely better than the anime. Shouldn't be a surprise there. The entire third novel (which I had thought to be pretty good, much better than the first novel) was compressed into maybe 2 episodes in the anime. And how the novel volumes are laid out really explains why the anime felt like almost-separate 2-3 episode arcs.

Currently Watching

NANA - Episodes 1-44

NANA got my nearly undivided attention a couple weeks ago after I finished Rocket Girl. I had initially planned to ration the number of episodes I was watching so that I would get to the end of the 47-episode season when the fansubbers release the last episode, but that idea was doomed as I found myself watching the series in 10-episode marathons, sometimes forgoing sleep to do so. Not a very good thing for my working life, but NANA happened to be a romantic shoujo that hit nearly all the right buttons for me. Plus I am really digging Nana Osaki, the "punk rocker" girl in the series. I don't immediately rail against Nana "Hachi" Komatsu like I know many people might, but I simply found her roommate to be much more interesting.

I don't fully fathom why these shows draw me in; they're often filled with the characters doing stupid stuff that will hurt their partners. NANA is almost an extreme of that at times, as I witnessed the characters doing stupid stuff that I can foresee causing severe problems with their relationships way down the line. I also fully acknowledge the double-standard based on gender I held to the characters. Fairly early on in the series, I wanted to hit Shouji for what he was doing, yet when Nana Komatsu does the exact same thing late in the series, I just felt sad. Perhaps I was just too tired to work myself into anger against her at that point. I am glad there are characters like Kyosuke and Junko at times, as they are perhaps the only normal couple in the series. And Kyosuke's openness with Junko is something very refreshing to see.

Well, I'm starting to ramble about the characters, so I'll cut it off here. This series has some seriously complicated relationships, as the anime doesn't just center on the two Nanas, but puts focus on all of the people they deal with on a normal basis. The music in the series is nice, and I liked the presentation of how the series is like some reminiscence by one of the two Nanas. The ending theme starting sometime before the credits start, often with one of the Nanas saying a short monologue before it cuts to the credits is quite well done.

Only awaiting 3 more episodes, and according to the series, this is only Season one! No word of a second season, though.

Denno Coil - Episode 4-5

This show continues to please me. I can't put my finger on what about it I enjoy, but this series is the one where I anticipate each new episode.

Claymore - Episode 11-13

I know that Astro was put off at the pure brutality in Episode 8 (and not just for one character there, too). I wonder if he'll be able to handle Episode 13. Wow. Not quite as harsh as Episode 8, but you wouldn't expect that to happen to such an important character to the series. I'm halfway through the series, and though I can see a few ways it can end, I have no clue as to which path it will take. I'm going to be continuing on without hesitation.

Lucky Star - Episode 10-12

This one has been mildly amusing to me, though I have to admit that I laughed hard a few times in Episode 12, when the girls go to a comic convention.

Darker Than BLACK - Episode 8 (Stalled)

No new episodes have been released since the last update by the fansubbers I've been using. I'm contemplating switching groups.

Currently Rewatching

The Twelve Kingdoms - Episodes 15-26

I've been watching this one with other people that wanted to see this series again. Got through the Taiki arc, which I find myself liking more of each time I rewatch this series. Also got four episodes into the excellent third arc of the series.

On Hiatus/Future Plans

Saiunkoku Monogatari - Episode 29 (?)

Legend of Galactic Heroes - Episode 50 (?)

Yomigaeru Sora - RESCUE WINGS -

Nick's Recent Activity

Nick — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:16:40 -0500

Call it laziness or burn-out, but I just haven't had the energy or will to sit down and write about the recent anime I've been watching. Indeed, I've been meaning to write an analysis of the Twelve Kingdoms novel and Fuyumi Ono's interview and a review of Asatte no Houkou (Quite a nice little series that doesn't overextend itself) and Mushishi. As it is, I do have a list of some of the new anime I'm watching:

Currently Watching

Claymore - Episode 4

I've been anticipating this one for a bit, but I was initially approaching it with expectation if it containing the violence and action of say, Berserk, without any of the deeper themes and with a female as the main lead. As it is, Claymore does have violence and action, but it is much less shallow than I was expecting. As I've only seen four episodes of the 26 episode series, it still has room to disappoint (I.E., ignoring or contradicting the early themes it sets, like Elfen Lied did), but for now, I'm going to continue watching this one.

Lucky Star - Episode 3

This one, I basically decided to watch after seeing that high-energy opening. I'm finding it amusing (and occasionally gut-busting funny), though, as I said elsewhere, it has nothing on Azumanga Daioh, like its comedic timing or well established characters. It's definitely gotten quite a bit of talk around the anime blog-o-sphere, but I'll be continuing this one.

Rocket Girls - Episode 2

This was mentioned by bbovenguy as a series that "pays pretty good attention to reality". I decided to check it out, and he's right; this series about the fledgling Japanese manned space program, out side of the silly characters and premise of sending high-school girls into space (They're lighter and smaller than a grown man, you know...) it does seem to pay better-than-average attention to silly concepts like physics.

Ghost Hunt - Episode 13

I picked up Ghost Hunt early on when I realized that it was based on the novels of the same name written by Fuyumi Ono (actually, based on the manga that's based on the novel, but I digress). Though it's been on hiatus since January, I've picked it up again and will probably watch it to the end this time. Though it has few out-right scary scenes, there's been several points that are out-right goosebumps forming creepy! It started out a bit slow and a bit underwhelming in the first arc; those first three episodes largely served to introduce the main characters. And what great and ironic characters they are! The bass-playing monk? The adult and seductive miko? The young Australian priest who learned to speak Japanese from the Kansai region? Hah! I'm sold. And the main protagonist, Mai, makes a very good female lead opposite "Naru", the normally serious male lead who runs a paranormal-investigative company at the age of 17.

Rewatching

Haibane Renmei - Episode 6

I was in the mood to rewatch this one, as it is one of the three animes that are able to consistently get me out of any kind of funk when I watch them. The other two are The Twelve Kingdoms and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and which one I watch when I feel the edges of depression kicking in really depends on whether I want to watch a long series, a short series, or a movie.

On Hiatus/Future Plans

Saiunkoku Monogatari - Episode 29 (?)

I had watched this until I caught up to the fansub releases in December, and just haven't picked up watching it again (Though I've still been getting the fansubs as they were released). I do plan on starting up on this again, as it was quite entertaining and a rather well told story.

Legend of Galactic Heroes - Episode 50 (?)

So this isn't exactly a new series, but I think it is, from what I've watched so far, the greatest space opera of all time. Though the characterizations and plot exposition is done much like many anime do it in the eighties, the story is very well balanced between two talented individual generals on different sides of an intergalactic war; one side is a democracy much like the modern day U.S., and the other side is more of a aristocratic monarchy much like most of 17th and 18th century Europe. And both generals seem to do more fighting within their respective systems than with each other, as the series takes no pains in hiding the inefficiencies in both political systems.

This is a series I do plan on picking up later.

Windy Tales - Episode 1

I watched the first episode of this series and immediately put it on the back burner to when I have more time to watch it, much like Mushishi. It looks to be a series that I should take my time with.

Dropped

Moonlight Mile - Episode 3

I had expected this to be closer to Planetes than what I actually saw. The series took reasonably close attention to physics, but watching the two Gary Stu like lead characters stumble (But these rebels planned it that way!) their way into becoming astronauts was just not entertaining to me. And the extremely poor CG and animation (I mean, two guys running on the beach was animated with only 4 frames!) was just extra.

Anime News Network with Twelve Kingdoms theme

Nick — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:29:43 -0500

It seems that Anime News Network is using a theme inspired by Fuyumi Ono's The Twelve Kingdoms - Sea of Shadows novel as part of a sweepstakes from TOKYOPOP.

(via jougetsu)

It's nice to see that this excellent story is getting some pretty major attention!

Screenshot - Anime News Network using Twelve Kingdom theme

Nick — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:22:14 -0500

Anime News Network using a theme inspired by Fuyumi Ono's The Twelve Kingdoms as part of a contest.

Kirin, slice of life, canibalistic pigs, oh my!

Nick — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:19:28 -0500

There's quite a bit that I've been meaning to write about, but I just haven't had the energy to just write even when I had the time. For example, I've been meaning to do an analysis on Anime News Networks interview with Fuyumi Ono for some time now. I've also finished the official English translation of Ono's The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadows several days back, and was itching to write about that one too; I'll probably end up combining my thoughts in those in one big post later. Also, I got up to episode 5 of Asatte no Houkou, and want to note some stuff down here before continuing, but for some reason, I can't just sit down and write it. Rather frustrating, as I'm now writing this at work, when I should be coding! Well, it is the end of the day, and I'm about to head out to get some dinner before coming back to work on this current project...

So, instead of watching more of Asatte no Houkou, I've started on a series that I've watched a while ago and been enjoyed that Rosepetals is currently blogging about currently: Infinite Ryvius. I'm up to episode 5 of that, but most of my discussion of the series will probably on her site.

Oh, thanks to Don for pointing me to something I can spring on my guests this Saturday when I hold another "Anime Evening" at my house. Hopefully, the last part of the title of this post would give a clue as to what that is...