Sorry, I get really excited when discussing 12K.
I'm trying to introduce my friends through the anime though.
It's okay! It's actually nice to have someone to discuss about 12K. All my friends who I've managed to "seduce" to read the books are not as excited about it.
I actually wish I read The Demon's Child before reading Kaze no Umi so I could have had the same "A-ha!" light bulb moment like you did. The connections Takasato makes with words made sense for me, but it must have been a mystery for someone who had no idea.
It's especially sad when you consider his own family has practically disowned him. His mother was the person he cried out for when he felt homesick at Houzan, and it's heartbreaking to find out that she wishes he were dead in a monologue. Sanshi and Gouran were trying so hard to protect him from physical harm, but it ends up emotionally scarring him instead.
Ah, but if you read it in that order I did, some things can be really confusing and kinda not making sense.
Indeed, I'm sad that Taiki's story becomes a great tragedy. His mother's reaction only shows how fear can bring out the worst in people.
Ooh, I heard about the similarities 12K has between Saiunkoku (and to a certain extent, Fushigi Yuugi as well). In one of the afterwards, Ono-sensei mentions how there was a Three Kingdoms boom as she was writing the series so there's definitely an influx of light novels/manga/anime related to Chinese culture and mythology.
Well, Saiunkoku and 12K are really different actually. Saiunkoku's story is not as deep and complicated as 12K, and it has many plotholes though it's really an entertaining read. Certainly, it's a lighter reading than 12K though it does have complicated politics. Oh, and it has romance. Wait... it's more like, the story starts because of romance.
I wish I can read other chinese-influenced light novels, but sadly I don't know much about Japanese light novels and since I can't read Japanese, I depend heavily on translator's kindness.
I agree. There's also no romance in the novels, which might be a good thing for the periphery demographic but might be disappointing for younger readers if they don't understand the heavy politics.
But I think due to the rise of young adult novels with heavy plots these days, maybe someday young adults will be more interested in this kind of genre.
Rikou is very handsome, and it's too bad that he hasn't made an anime appearance.
In the unlikely event that another season will happen, I could see Kamiya Hiroshi being his seiyuu.
Take your time to finish.
Yeah, if only he appears in the anime.
Why Kamiyan? somehow I feel that NamiDai is more suited to be Rikou.
Rikou is certainly an interesting guy. He looks to be a happy-go-lucky guy, but he really does have a lot up his sleeves and he has the capability to be ruthless, I think.
Now I want to know more about him and his family.
I've finished it! Goodness, it's a really great story. I love how the story addresses many issues about leadership. I'm proud of Shushou. I can totally agree with her reason to go on Shouzan. Expect people to change things for you while you do nothing, and nothing will change. At least, if you've tried, even if you fail, it is within your right to expect people to do something.
Shushou's first treatment of Kyouki...
No wonder for the next decades to come, Kyouki has to put up with a lot of things.
Thankfully, Shushou is a wise kid though rather bossy.
Oh, and there's Kouya! (Kouya is one of my fav characters, you see).
Rokuta is definitely the more boisterous kirin out of the bunch.
There are times when he does exhibit signs of compassion though such as when he thanked Shouryuu for forgiving Kouya. In response, Shouryuu told Rokuta that he should be feeling compassion for Ribi, Ekishin and the baby instead. It reminded me of Shushou scolding Kyouki for showing compassion towards the wrong person- i.e. Shoukei.
Ha ha, that's true.
The ministers treat their king and saiho in the same manner, and it actually helps Shouryuu and Rokuta stay on the same page. It's the opposite in Tai where people treat Gyouso and Taiki differently and understandably so. Both kings are military men and the kirin are children in appearance; however, the way the En and Tai courts treat their respective king & taiho are completely different.
It really is interesting to see how kirin differ from each other, isn't it? While I remember Rokuta as the cheerful one, I remember Keiki as the sighing one.
Well, that's kirin for you. They show compassion to everyone, even those who you may think do not deserve it.
Well, different kinds of king and Taiho will get different kinds of treatment. that's why I'm really curious about other palaces we haven't seen. The kingdom of Han, for example. With that kind of king (I was really surprised when I first read about him, really didn't expect him to be like that; his relationship with Hanki is also interesting), I wonder about the atmosphere in his palace.
You're right: having Taiki be the protagonist post-The Demon's Child would be tough to write, and it's probably why the novel followed the narrative of Hirose. If we're getting a new novel about Tai, it will most likely follow the POV of Risai.
The character development that Youko undergoes is phenomenal. The way she carries herself now is so different from the way she started out in the first half of
Tsuki no Kage. She became a lot more masculine, which I find pretty funny.
Not only tough to write, but also tough to read.
Probably that will be the case, or there will also be another POV from a character who currently is in Tai.
Indeed. That's why I looooove character development.
Well, since the start, I kind figure that she will be more masculine than feminine.
Ever since Shinchosa hinted at a 新作 (new work) being published after their version of Tasogare no Kishi, fans have been feeling antsy and are anticipating a new novel soon. The 2ch thread (sorry for bringing up 2ch all the time) is relatively active and are still getting several posts a day.
I don't mind her short stories either, but I do wish she wrote something that contributed to the main story. The recent short stories that were published in Hisho no Tori were mostly events that happened in the past. Even a short story about Shun, which we know nothing about, would be nice.
I actually really want to read a short story about Asen and how he felt being compared to Gyousou. It would be a great lead up to the novel that would resolve the situation in Tai, and it might also give some insights as to why he rebelled against Gyousou in the first place.
Well, as long as she is still writing, there's still hope.
Shun, eh? Indeed I am curious about it too.
It will be tough I think. Asen is counted as antagonist, and so far, Ono-sensei does not seem to be the type to write from that kind of POV.
Yeah, there are A LOT more loose ends that haven't been tied up yet. It seems as if Ono-sensei wanted to use those loose ends for other plot points after Taiki's story. As I'm looking at her Wikipedia page, there was a huge gap between 2003 and 2012 where she didn't publish a single novel so there was something that hindered her from writing anything, period... let alone a complex series like the 12K. Hopefully Shinchosa re-publishing the novels would get her motivated again.
Ryuu is an interesting situation, and I'll let you finish Rakusho no Goku first before going further. Once again, there's no rush.
I hope so too.
I'll start reading that soon.
Anyway, I just realized something after reading Tonan no Tsubasa. Don't you think it is interesting that the kingdoms that last the longest are actually those that are ran by cooperation of many people? Like in Sou, the whole family rules, while in En, the ministers (with Shouryuu and Rokuta "forced" to participate) rule.