The Twelve Kingdoms is rather unique - while most anime is based on Japanese comics or graphic novels, the Twelve Kingdoms anime series was based on full-fledged fantasy novels. The Twelve Kingdoms are considered “light novels,” more akin to our own Young Adult genre, and feature Japanese teenagers spirited away to a parallel world resembling a mythical and ancient China. Fuyumi Ono wrote seven Twelve Kingdoms novels between 1991 and 2001; the anime series started in 2002, but the English, French and German translations of the novels were not available for fans until 2006.

These books were long-anticipated, as the fan community in 2002 buzzed that the novels contained far more story than the 45-episode series covered. In 2003, I created one of the first comprehensive English fansites for the series, painstakingly creating maps, glossaries and detailed episode synopsies for Ono’s mythologically rich and highly political world of 12 kingdoms. Even though it’s been literally years since I had heavy involvement in the series, the books were highly anticipated and welcomed with kingly regard into my collection, much like a long-lost best friend (or perhaps a taika?). Now that the welcoming ceremony is over, does the anime series do them justice? Are these translations a good read?

Yes and mostly yes.

Sea of Shadow - book 1/7 from the Twelve Kingdoms series

The first novel, Sea of Shadow, is all about Yoko’s strange journey to the world of twelve kingdoms. She’s taken from her classroom by Keiki, a strange man commanding demons, who promises to protect her against a different hoard of demons that pursues her. But when the reluctant Yoko arrives in the new world, she finds herself alone. The story is all about the emotional and physical struggles of an average high-school-student plopped into a completely foreign agricultural society. Yoko is constantly attacked by demons and is betrayed by everyone she meets.

There’s a reason for this, but Yoko is completely ignorant of society’s rules and ills, and is unable to make heads or tails of her situation. She’s literally wandering in the wilderness with only a sword, her angst and self-loathing for around 300 pages. Eventually, Yoko meets a person she can trust. Her strange story begins to take shape and her friends interpret the hidden and auspicious meaning of her arrival.

Sea of Wind follows the story of Taiki, born in Japan but destined to be a kirin in the land of the 12 kingdoms. The kirin are a sort of unicorn shapeshifter that are responsible for choosing and guiding kings. Taiki lives in Japan for 10 years before he’s found and returned to his duties on Hourai, the mountain home of kirin, immortal sages and kings. But Taiki’s long absence means his magical powers have not manifested and he has no knowledge of the new world. How can an ignorant and powerless kirin choose the next king of Tai kingdom?

Sea of Wind - book 2/7 from the Twelve Kingdoms series

While Sea of Shadow is dark, brooding and internal, Sea of Wind is a much lighter fantasy tale. Taiki has no problem eschewing Japan for a life of luxury on Hourai. Taiki’s painful mistakes end in a way where everyone laughs and lives happily ever after.

In both novels, the theme is common and very fantasy-typical. The main character has special latent powers or nobility, and must go on a journey to find their real family or their real home. What sets the Twelve Kingdoms novels apart from complete dreck is the depth of emotional struggles, which are often quite dark and unattractive, and will be especially poignant for older teenage readers. Parents of younger readers should be aware that there are themes of violence, murder and lots of demons eating people.

The anime may be better at introducing beasts, customs and magic than the novels, where the fantasy seems more like deus ex machina than a setting. This is not quite as true for Sea of Wind, but the fantasy lays dormant through most of Sea of Shadow. Catching up to all of the new customs and terms can be a struggle for fans of the anime, and the break-neck pace of introduction is not much different in the novels.

The translations are very accessible, and Sea of Wind is a particularly well-paced, enjoyable and fast read. The hardcover books are more like paperbacks in dimension, and contain a few manga-style black and white illustrations.

The translation is also peppered with kanji definitions. I know Japanese media often subtitles itself and places a high degree of emphasis on deriving meaning through kanji, which may be obscure even to native speakers. In the novels, characters are so often drawing 24-stroke kanji “in the air” that it makes me wonder if Japanese people have developed a special talent to read these air signals, or the translator just got carried away with giving us gaijin a heaping dose of Japanese. In either event, it tends to shatter an otherwise enveloping tone.

More research online suggests that the remaining novels can well cover the remaining anime episodes, and perhaps go a little bit further than the anime does, especially if Yuka and Asano’s subplots are erased (and they are in the first two novels).

The books are a great read for fans of any young adult fantasy, especially if you’re looking for some foreign flair. You don’t have to be an anime fan to appreciate or keep up with them, since the anime duplicates them so closely. Fans of the anime may want to wait awhile before reading the books, since doing both at the same time will probably be overkill.