The Twelve Kingdoms, Part 1: Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow (2011)

This is an amazing anime that I would recommend to anyone. I already own this whole series on DVD (the original 10 individual DVD releases), but I love it so much I decided to buy it on blu-ray too. The picture and sound quality of this blu-ray release is great, so I do plan to buy the rest of the blu-ray releases for this series. I have only ever watched this series in Japanese with English subtitles (I watched this blu-ray release in Japanese DTS-HD 5.1 with English subtitles), so I cannot say what the English dub version is like. This release contains the first 14 episodes on 3 discs (there are 45 episodes total in this series), textless opening and closing, and pilot film. I know this product review is short, but I hope it helps anyone thinking of buying it!

Full disclosure: I love The Twelve Kingdoms and already own the complete DVD set.

This first set comes with the the beginning 15 episodes of the Twelve Kingdoms and perfectly end the first arc of the story, so if this is your first time watching the show it's a perfect introduction. Concerning the show, I personally love the Chinese themes from its beautiful scores to Chinese mythology on kingship that govern the fantasy world Youko enters. The blu-ray set has 5.1 audio and each disc (3 in the set) comes with a small bit of extra content. For instant comparison to the DVD release just watch the text-less opening (which is DVD quality) first, then begin to watch the show and wonder over the richness of the color and crispness of picture.

For a fan like me this was an immediate buy just as every subsequent blu-ray volume to come. However if you have yet to see this show, as someone who has watched hundreds of anime, few rival the Twelve Kingdoms for the content, attention to detail, and sheer complexity of the world. This is a show you can watch multiple times and still learn something new. A word of caution though, there are many terms for characters or sections of the world that aren't immediately explained, just trust that all the answers will come and the viewers confusion or wonder is meant to mirror Youko's as she ventures into this very different, but very relatable world. I hope you will enjoy this show as much as I have.

Buy The Twelve Kingdoms, Part 1: Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow (2011) Now

If you like fast action, bright colors and cute love stories, don't watch this anime, but this anime has so much more to offer than all that. On the first set (there are two other box sets), the story begins rather slowly and the Protagonist is extremely whinny. The first time I saw this (it was a while ago, I just wanted to get the blu-ray), I almost didn't watch past the first episode; I couldn't stand the protagonist and the back story was just so much to take in while trying to figure out what exactly was going on. It's starts to pick up a storyline around episode 7 and the protagonist stops being so needy.

Needless to say, just have patience and watch the full anime; it's a great story with beautiful music and animation. I can watch it in both English and Japanese and both offer really great voice actors that help to pull your emotions in with the storyline.

Read Best Reviews of The Twelve Kingdoms, Part 1: Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow (2011) Here

Be the first to own this in HD as an amazing story unfolds towards the destiny of a young school girl who will face many trials and challenges to be one day be known as the rightful ruler of a land corrupted by the years of emptiness at at the royal palace whom she is forced to take on the throne without even knowing the most basic things about life and her kingdom. The beautiful storytelling and the implacable quality of the actors are showing us many lessons of life that are learned as the story unravels itself and the girl becomes a woman of great character.

Out of a thousand anime series watched, this one has come through as the very best of its genre! It is on the same level of quality as Macross Frontier, Chrono Crusade and Heroic Age.

Dakaran

Want The Twelve Kingdoms, Part 1: Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow (2011) Discount?

It's epid yes!!!!!

it's intresting yes!!!!!

it's made for TV's from the 80's yes!!!!

so the screen is not wide screen and NO you cant change it !

Also no english dub, so you have to read and a lot.

this show is a million hours of epic fantasy, very good but very very heavy.

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