Few questions

[mystvearn]

I am new here. I got directed directly to this forums from another site.
Questions:
1. After the anime ending at ep 45, is there more to it? Like more in the manga or something? Where to get it?
2. Was that Taiki sub story a teaser for something in future, or ep 46-68?
3. Anime Stopped at ep 45 because there is really nothing more to highlight about youko? So whats the Taiki story doing in the anime? Its more of offtrack.
4. Is this 12 kokuki based on some chinese folklore or something? Looks like taken from there. Maybe a game or something.
5. What other merchendise other than the 2005 calender that I can find. Got the OST already.
6. Is there a sequel? The ending did not satisfy me, though it does sum the story. Not sure how many years Youko ruled

Thanks

[Niwashi2]

1. After the anime ending at ep 45, is there more to it? Like more in the manga or something? Where to get it?

The anime is based on a series of novels. In total there are seven novels and a collection of short stories. Of those, four of the novels are covered in the anime (though of course in novel form they can go into a lot more detail and there were some significant changes made in the anime).

There's a good FAQ here:
http://www.otyaku.com/animeObserver/juu ... fo_FAQ.htm

None of the novels have been published in English, but there are a number of fan sites working on unlicenced translations:

http://www.otyaku.com/animeObserver/index.php
At this site, Harunako has several translations going on:
Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora (The Shore in Twilight, The Sky in Daybreak) - Translation is ongoing, currently in the middle of chapter three.
Higashi no Wadatsumi, Nishi no Soukai (The Sea God in the East, The Vast Sea in the West) - The first three chapters are done, but Harunako has moved on to translating Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora and isn't currently updating this one. (I hope he comes back to this eventually - maybe when Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora is finished.)
Kasyo no Yume -- Toei (The Dream of Kasyo: -Prosperity in Winter-) - This short story is complete. It's just one of the short stories in the Kasyo no Yume collection.
Mashou no Ko (Son of the Demon) - The translation of this novel seems to have stopped after just seven pages worth.

http://www.eugenewoodbury.com/shadow/shadow_title.htm
Tsuki no Kage, Kage no Umi (Shadow of the Moon, a Sea of Shadows) - 31 chapters done so far.

http://students.washington.edu/alo/novel/index.html
Kaze no Umi, Meikyuu no Kishi (Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Maze) - being translated from the Chinese version, currently on chapter 10

http://12ktp.inspirelight.net/
Tsuki no Kage, Kage no Umi (Shadow of the Moon, a Sea of Shadows) - Only four pages translated, and the translation seems to have stopped there.

2. Was that Taiki sub story a teaser for something in future, or ep 46-68?
3. Anime Stopped at ep 45 because there is really nothing more to highlight about youko? So whats the Taiki story doing in the anime? Its more of offtrack.

The original plan was to include Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora and its sequel in the anime as well, which would tie the stories together. In that novel, Taiki and Tai-Ou have dissapeared and Risai goes to Kei to get Youko's help in finding them. The problem with it is that the sequel was never completed. The existing novel (Tasogare no Kishi, Akatsuki no Sora) only gets as far as retrieving Taiki. The planned (but never published) sequel was supposed to cover finding the emperor and restoring the kingdom of Tai. The producers of the anime stopped where they did in part because they weren't willing to include that story without the sequel that should complete it being ready. (The reason they didn't then just switch to covering another of the novels instead was because the other novels don't involve Youko, who they wanted as a lead character throughout.)

There were some other reasons for stopping then as well, primarily that their lead character designer fell seriously ill about that time.

4. Is this 12 kokuki based on some chinese folklore or something? Looks like taken from there. Maybe a game or something.
5. What other merchendise other than the 2005 calender that I can find. Got the OST already.
6. Is there a sequel? The ending did not satisfy me, though it does sum the story. Not sure how many years Youko ruled

[mystvearn]

Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora
(風の万里　黎明の空)
"Thousand Miles of Wind,
Sky of the Dawn"

Youko, Suzu and Syoukei free Wa Province in Kei



Tonan no Tsubasa
(図南の翼)
"The Aspired Wings"

Syusyou becomes Empress of Kyou


Tasogare no Kishi,
Akatsuki no Sora
(黄昏の岸　暁の天)
"Shore in Twilight,
Sky at Daybreak"

Risai meets Youko to request help in summoning Taiki

Kasyo no Yume
(華胥の幽夢)
"The Dream of Prosperity"

(Various short stories: Tai, Hou, Kei, Sai, Sou)

This stories above should be the continuation rite? So if this is a novel, meaning that there are no pictures in it? And since the fansubs have not finished lots of a chapter, is best to say that there will be no more 12 kokuki in the future?
Thanks about the mechandise info. Looks like I'll be scouting a while

[Lannie]

"4. Is this 12 kokuki based on some chinese folklore or something? Looks like taken from there. Maybe a game or something. "

Yes, and no. ^_^

12 Kokki is not taken directly from any specific folktale or myth. However, it does incorporate many ancient Chinese mythical elements such as emperors being blessed by sacred beasts, kirin. Also immortal hermits, gods, and demi-gods living in/around/near sacred mountains is also a staple of Chinese mythology, in both folk traditions, Daoism, and Buddhism. There's other elements at well, I just can't think of them off the top of my head.

12 Kokki is set in a stylized versioun of Zhou (sometimes spelled Zou) dynasty China. Zhou dynasty is considered one of China's classical ages or golden ages. Confucius the sage lived at the end of the Zhou dynasty. His philosophies and teachings were not new, they were actually a throwback to earlier Zhou culture. Confucius wanted to restore China to a perfect civilized society. The 12 kingdoms are rooted in that classical Zhou age. However, they are molded and influenced by each specific ruler and outside cultural influence. For example, medieval Japanese architecture and culture can be found in En because both kirin and ruler were born and raised in medieval Japan. Civil service exams which are found in the 12 kingdoms date from a later period of Chinese history (somebody help me here was it Song or Tang?) than the Zhou. Speaking of Buddhism, it is mentioned in 12 kokki that sankyaku built Buddhist temples in parts of the kingdoms (Sou and Sai?). I'm sure that Youko and Taiki will introduce their own cultural contributions based on modern, and traditional, Japanese sensibilities.

Overall, Ms Ono's fantasy world does bear more of a resemblance to classical China than let's say Fushigi Yuugi's world ever did. Not that I didn't enjoy FY, but that was clearly meant to be shoujo fluff, while Ms Ono invested a great deal of time planning out the specifics of her world.

Sorry for the long-winded answer! As an Asian studies major, I can sometimes get carried away! ^_~

[mystvearn]

lack of publicity

[Jinx999]

12 Kokki is not taken directly from any specific folktale or myth. However, it does incorporate many ancient Chinese mythical elements such as emperors being blessed by sacred beasts, kirin. Also immortal hermits, gods, and demi-gods living in/around/near sacred mountains is also a staple of Chinese mythology, in both folk traditions, Daoism, and Buddhism. There's other elements at well, I just can't think of them off the top of my head.

12 Kokki is set in a stylized versioun of Zhou (sometimes spelled Zou) dynasty China. Zhou dynasty is considered one of China's classical ages or golden ages. Confucius the sage lived at the end of the Zhou dynasty. His philosophies and teachings were not new, they were actually a throwback to earlier Zhou culture. Confucius wanted to restore China to a perfect civilized society. The 12 kingdoms are rooted in that classical Zhou age. However, they are molded and influenced by each specific ruler and outside cultural influence. For example, medieval Japanese architecture and culture can be found in En because both kirin and ruler were born and raised in medieval Japan. Civil service exams which are found in the 12 kingdoms date from a later period of Chinese history (somebody help me here was it Song or Tang?) than the Zhou. Speaking of Buddhism, it is mentioned in 12 kokki that sankyaku built Buddhist temples in parts of the kingdoms (Sou and Sai?). I'm sure that Youko and Taiki will introduce their own cultural contributions based on modern, and traditional, Japanese sensibilities.

1) While the sighting of a Kirin was an auspicious event during a ruler's reign, I don't think that a ruler had to be blessed by a Kirin in China. The 12K is, however, very similar to the Chinese concept of "The Mandate of Heaven", except with a single ruler, instead of a dynasty.

2) Relating the 12k to a particular Chinese dynasty is, I think, a mistake. While Confucius made a point of the wisdom of ancient rulers and the like, he was, I think, far more of an innovator than he claimed. A lot of the 12k culture, technology and aesthetics are, as you pointed out, from far later in Chinese history. A better way of describing the 12k would be to say that they are ideally based on a rather purer form of Confucianism than that precticed in China, i.e. without the principles incorporated from Legalism. (Although the fallen King of IIRC Han was a Legalist.)