The Twelve Kingdoms
Nakajima Youko is your average somewhat timid high school student. One day, a strange man named Keiki appears before her, swearing allegiance. Before she could properly register what was happening, demon-like creatures attack Youko and her friends, after which they are pulled into a different world. A world unlike what she has ever known. Separated from Keiki, Youko and her friends must do whatever they can if they wish to survive in this new world.
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Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow
14 episodes
Premiered Apr 9, 2002
The Sea of Wind, The Shore of the Maze
8 episodes
Premiered Sep 3, 2002
A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn
18 episodes
Premiered Oct 29, 2002
The God of the Sea in the East, the Mighty Ocean in the West
5 episodes
Premiered Jul 26, 2003
Ep 1Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - The First Chapter
The episode opens with Youko having a nightmare of a strange man showing her visions of monsters. Upon her arrival at school she is confronted by her friend Asano, then a girl named Sugimoto says hi but Youko ignores her... Later that day Youko feels bad and attempts to apoligize to Sugimoto but it would seem that Sugimoto isn't so forgiving. The next morning Youko is still having nightmares of the strange man. Youko is being nagged by her parents to get her hair dyed, but she ignores it and goes to school. That day at school Youko's teacher is giving her a hard time about rumors of her staying out all night and just then a mysterious stranger appears and bows down before her telling her to except her throne.. Just then a giant bird called a Kochou attacks the school. Youko and the stranger run up to the roof while innocent students get injured and killed by the Kochou. At the roof they are confronted by the Kochou and the strangers named is revealed.. He is Keiki and he gives Youko a
Ep 2Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - The Second Chapter
The episode opens right where the first episode left off.. Youko is flying with Kaiko and just as she is giving her the situation they are attacked by a youma and Youko falls. Elsewhere Sugimoto is with Keiki's youma Jyuusaku and they too are attacked.. Sugimoto falls but is saved by a group of youma. Youko awakes on a beach only to find that she isn't in Japan anymore.. She looks over a sea that has several whirlpools within it. Youko then discovers she has a magic ball on her sword that allows her to heal wounds. While searching the landscape Youko comes across a small town. She goes around asking if anyone knows Keiki.. Only to get attacked by the townsfolk. Her hinman takes over and tries to fight the villagers but there is just too many. She gets tied up and taken to a prison. In her cell she finds Sugimoto, who has also been caught. Sugimoto reveals to Youko that her face and hair are changing since she arrived in this world. They get taken to meet with a council that tells them
Ep 3Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - The Third Chapter
The chase continues.. The youma chasing them are a pack of Kiki. They attack the man stearing and the wagons tips over. Youko, Sugimoto and Asano are still tied up. One of the guards unties them and tells them to run for it, just as he gets killed, but before the others can run they are surrounded. The hinman takes Youko over once again and makes her kill the Kiki. In a palace near by we see the King of Kou and the mysterious figure from before.. It is a woman named Kourin. King Kou tells her that the kaikyaku are a bad omen to the land and that she must use her shirei to kill them.. Kourin is depressed about this. The next morning Youko and the others are looking for food and they come across a town. They break into a house and look around. A woman named Takki arrives and calls them theives. Sugimoto grabs her from behind and tells Youko to kill her.. Youko can't do it and breaks down in tears.. Takki starts to feel pity for them and offers them to stay the night. During the middle of
Ep 4Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - The Fourth Chapter
Auzaru tells Youko that nobody cares about her, and how nothing would change if she were to die. He shows her a collection of masks.. With the faces of everyone in her life. He puts them on one by one mimicking the voices of Sugimoto and Asano.. Making Youko feel worthless. She says she doesn't believe him and he tells her to beware of Takki.. For she isn't who Youko thinks she is. Just then he dissapears and Youko finds herself inside a tent. She comes outside and finds Takki and the rest. They've all been looking for her. Later that night at a inn Takki tells Youko that the next morning Asano should stay behind in the room while they go to meet her mother.. That way less attention would get brought to them. Youko agrees. In the morning Asano watches out the window as the 3 girls leave.. He argues with himself about why Sugimoto is being so shy around him. Outside his room a old man heres him talking and walks in.. He understands what Asano is saying. Meanwhile in town, the girls arri
Ep 5Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - The Fifth Chapter
Kourin tells Sugimoto how it was her who saved her when she first arrived in this land. She tells her that there is someone that needs her help and to come with her. Sugimoto agrees gladly thinking that her time has finally come and she is the chosen one. Asano is still comforting Youko as Sugimoto walks up to get her bag. She tells them that she's going on alone and that Youko is the reason the youma have been attacking. Asano tries to stop her but its no good. Youko and Asano are now alone. They find a strange glowing tree and spend the night under it. The next morning they go to town to try to get some food but no one is willing to hire them. That night while in the woods Asano goes to try to find that tree again while Youko stays behind. Auzura appears before her again and shows her visions of her teacher and mother talking badly about her. He puts on a mask of Asano and mocks him saying that he is only using Youko for her abilities. Auzaru tells Youko to kill Asano, but just then
Ep 6Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow - The Sixth Chapter
In Kou, King Kou is yelling at Kourin for not allowing Sugimoto to finish off Youko. King Kou sends Sugimoto off to a house out in a field where he will allow her to live. Back in the forest Youko awakes in a house.. She is greated by what seems to be a giant talking rat.. His name is Rakushun and he tried to get her to eat. He finally gets her to eat some peaches. When he leaves to go get some water, Auzaru appears and tells her not to trust the rat. Rakushun comes back in. Youko asks him if he knows Keiki, but Rakushun doesn't know him. Just then a officer comes to the door and Youko hides. He tells Rakushun how their looking for a man and woman (Asano and Youko) and that theres a reward. He tells them he knows nothing of it. Youko asks him why shes doing this and he says because he wants to help her. Later that night Rakushun tells Youko about the twelve kingdoms and how it was created. That night when Youko is alone in her room, Auzura appears and tells her the rat will betray her.
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