Ono Fuyumi - The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow

[oyceter]

This is the first of a series of books set in the twelve kingdoms universe, although from what I've heard, all the books are only loosely connected and don't need to be read in order.

Nakajima Yoko is an average girl, save for her naturally brown-red hair (I see anime and manga influences!). Until one day, a strange man appears, gives her a sword, and transports her to the land of the twelve kingdoms. Yoko doesn't want to be there, but there's not much she can do.

Unlike almost all the other person-from-our-world-transported-to-another books I've read, the introduction of the new world is miserable. Yoko hates it and hates it and hates it, and had I not been warned that it gets better, I might have given up reading. Also, I'd seen the first five episodes of the anime prior to reading the book and really disliked it. I didn't hate Yoko as much as I did in the anime, possibly because I knew more what to expect, possibly because the book gives more of a look at Yoko's thoughts, possibly because Yoko learning to fight in the book only takes a chapter or so instead of several episodes.

The book often feels slow and episodic, which isn't helped by the occasional giant infodump. However, things really start to fall into place in the final quarter, and although the final bit is extremely infodumpy, it is infodumpy in that kind of "Ohhhh, so that's what all that meant!" way, which I kind of miss from all the fantasy series I read as a teen. Plus, the big reveal was surprising and really cool, and I ended up loving Yoko by the end.

The prose frequently felt flat to me. I'm not sure if it's the style of the original or the fault of the translator. That said, I'm really glad the publishers kept the illustrations, which I love, and I am so happy they kept all the Chinese characters in the book! I don't know how confusing they were to other people, but it helped me a lot when it came to keeping track of stuff.

I also loved the worldbuilding, which, as previously mentioned, is explained in infodumpy ways, but is cool enough that I was looking forward to the infodumps. It's extremely Chinese, and I kind of love that a ton of it is about government and ruling correctly. Well, that and people growing from trees!

In conclusion: a little clunky at times and somewhat slow to start, but the ending really made all the build-up worth it.

Also, there is a cute rat!

Question: Is the anime just an adaptation of this book? Or does it include other volumes as well?

Links:
- rachelmanija's review

Comments

[inkstone]

The anime includes other novels. Episodes 1-13 are based on this book. Episodes 15-21 are based on the second. Episodes 23-39 are based on the fourth. Episodes 41-45 are based on the third.

Episodes 23-39 are where Yoko becomes really awesome and you meet the other two members in the Trio of Win.

[oyceter]

Oooo ok. That sounds promising! Although it may have to wait until winter vacation, given how little TV I watched last year while in school.

[rachelmanija]

Oh, I'm glad you did end up feeling that it was worthwhile! I had thought it might hit some of your buttons.

The third book is all about good government. It has a subplot about levees!

[inkstone]

I haven't read the third book but the anime episodes based on it are among my favorites. I love the part about the levees!

[oyceter]

I did! Like you say, it's a little clunky, but the way my brain is working right now, I kind of prefer clunky infodumps to careful worldbuilding being woven in, since I completely fail at picking up the latter completely.

Levees! Awesome!

[zekkass]

The anime's first 12ish episodes are an adaptation of this book. Then the rest of it is an adaptation of other arcs, which I haven't seen yet.

[oyceter]

Cool, thanks!

[puck]

The anime is an adaptation of I think the first four novels. Maybe five? Only four of them are translated right now, and it's hard for me to keep up with the titles, ahaha. ;;;

[oyceter]

Got it, thanks!

[chomiji]

Rakushun is wonderful! I also really liked Enki.

I loved the Chinese characters, the discussions of the names (for things, people, and places), and the illustrations.

The prose was kind of awkward and flat. That was one of my main issues with it. And I really disliked what was happening to Yoko while it was happening (on my first read), but it was very effective.

(I did write the first two up after I read them: http://chomiji.livejournal.com/tag/twelve+kingdoms .)

[oyceter]

Yay! I will read as soon as I can connect to LJ again...

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get into this book but I read the two Taiki volumes. Ono doesn't clunk terribly in Japanese but I'd hate to have to translate her because then she probably would. It's part of the language. Japanese is quite happy to repeat words or phrases when good English writing looks for a different way of saying whatever each time; Japanese includes a lot of explanation and clarifying of things that already seem obvious to an English reader; and Japanese doesn't tell you many things you're used to being told in English, so passages seem half-baked and awkward. A good translator can smooth all this over, but if they're also a faithful translator a lot of the clunk remains.

That said, I looked at the beginning of translation of Sea of Shadow and wasn't impressed. It clunked.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I think the translation was either too literal or just clunked. Because I can see how pieces of it sound like Japanese and how they might be phrased in Japanese, but it's not like other works in Japanese haven't been translated without clunking.

[issenllo]

The anime adapts the other books as well.

Not sure if you've seen rachelmanija's review of book 3

[oyceter]

I have, thanks for the link though!

[ginny_t]

The prose is bad, yes. I wonder how much of that is a difference in expectations from novels and how much is the translation/adaptation. I seen fan translations other light novels, and they were really rough.

The editing is atrocious. That's all on TP. I have no mercy for TP editing. In fact, there's a special flame of hatred burning in my heart for TP editing.

[oyceter]

Was it anything in particular re: the editing? I think I must have missed stuff b/c I was reading so fast.

Oh TP. Sigh.

[ginny_t]

I read it shortly after it first came out, so I only remember two examples. In one paragraph, the story seems to lose track of the gender of the previous Emperor (I know Japanese has gender-neutral pronouns and drops elements that can be inferred, but still.) The worst, the thing that had me shrieking and flailing what "wat" late in the book. I know spell check is no replacement for editing, and layout is done in specialised programs, but if it's not even a word, I have extra hate in my heart. Aside from those two things, it was just mediocre editing.

[oyceter]

Ohhhh that is bad! Pah!

[willow]

I could totally send you to fan translations so you can see if it really is the style of Tokyo Pop's translator, if you want. Or email said translations to you, since I have them lovingly on my harddrive.

[oyceter]

Oh thank you, although I think I'll pass for now, since I already returned the book to the library and can't compare.

[willow]

Ok.

But I do know that what I saw among Juuni Kokki fans about the translation did turn me off. The place names and royal titles etc, all seemed to be changed to give a more western pov. As well as the names of creatures - changing one particular thing to 'boggart' sticks in my mind particularly.

So I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was no poetry or rhythm kept to the translation. And I had seen a review that infuriated me, because someone called it boring and couldn't understand how it -could- be so boring and the general theme of their review seemed to be that because it didn't fall in line with western tropes, it was boring AND made NO sense.

But I know I'm a serious fangirl on this, because I love it so much. So I walk around with my own packets of salt to hand out while I'm oohing and ahhing.

I am sorry to hear that the Anime didn't draw you in. But there is no greater sign of how different our reading habits are, than the fact that you willing read historical romance. And then find the energy to write reviews. And are -happy- :p

Actually, I've been digging into manga a lot in the last week or two and most of the summaries that intrigue me end up leading to manga or manhwa that is so not for me, it really should have had a sign saying PERSONAL DISLIKE FOR WILLOW INSIDE. And almost everything I picked up going 'well, I want to read -something-' has happily surprised me. The best examples are HunterxHunter, Kekkaishi and Senki Senki Momotama.

[(Anonymous)]

I adore this series!! :) I've watched the anime and eagerly await the novel translations from Tokyo Pop. I enjoy Ono Fuyumi's simple style of writing which is an odd counterpoint to the complexity of the story.

It definately takes effort to get into this series! I stopped watching the anime a couple of times before I got enough momentum to finish the series. Because of the massive world building and numerous intertwined story threads, it's difficult to put together what you're watching the first time round. However, the anime really shines on the second (or more) watching. I really enjoyed the series as an adventure story, a fantasy, an individual's psychological rebirth and growth story, and a political epic where nations rise and fall.

The anime takes stories from several novels, but only represents about half of the story that is written. The following is a fan site that shows the breakdown of novels used in the anime. It's a really interesting website to browse, if you have time. There are fan translations of some of the stories as well.
http://eugenewoodbury.blogspot.com/2009/04/twelve-kingdoms-novels.html

sorry forgot to sign my name :P

[kothithelegu.livejournal.com]

kothithelegu here. :)

Re: sorry forgot to sign my name :P

[oyceter]

Ooo, thanks! I suspect I'll be much more into the anime now that I know some of the story... it'll make it easier to pick things up, and I'll probably figure stuff out from the anime that I missed in the book.

[oyceter]

OMG I had totally forgotten about people talking about the whole "boggart" thing! Actually, in that case, if you are good with sending me translations of the next two, I would be very grateful! Sometimes I have no idea what the editors at TokyoPop are thinking...

But there is no greater sign of how different our reading habits are, than the fact that you willing read historical romance.

Bwahaha! So true! I cannot explain my strange fondness for historicals, especially since the majority of them piss me off so much!

But I think I'll actually try picking the anime up again now that I know where it's going; I suspect I'll get a lot more out of watching + reading anyway, given how much plot my brain tends to miss.

Oh! Manga! What are the things you like? I am guessing you read more shounen than me, just from the examples?