It is common nowadays to open Youtube or any side of the Internet and see a recurrent complaint in the hero and fantasy genres: There is no character development. Critics say that many characters in modern media are overpowered in some sort of way. Maybe they are presented as perfect personality-wise from the start, and they cross their adventure obliterating anything before them without a lesson or something that makes them grow. And if, for some reason they are flawed, they will never grow despite living through many events and life-changing experiences. The same flawed person that starts in Point A is the same that reaches Point B. There is no growth; there is no maturity. We can see that in anime as well.

Let me introduce you to "Juuni Kokuki" or "The Twelve Kingdoms", a series that aims to challenge the current status quo of overpowered characters that never fail and never experience a situation that makes them grow, as well as the contemporary perception of isekai.

I know many people will hear the term "isekai" and roll their eyes after what SAO and its spawns have done to the genre. But this story treats the isekai genre a bit more maturely, avoiding being boring or stale; there is no reincarnation or any modern trope, as seen in the current scene. At first glance, our main character is "kidnapped" to this new world. A world that has nothing to do with an imaginary medieval or post-medieval Europe. Instead, this new world takes inspiration from the pre-Sengoku era in Japan with solid elements of the Three Kingdoms era of China. Several new elements completely flesh out this setting, like a monarchy system protected by the will of the gods and dense and complex lore. In many places, this is a perk despite being too overbearing for new individuals trying to get familiar with this setting.

But the principal and foremost reason why this series is as unique as it is, is the presentation and growth of its main character, Youko. In the paper, Youko plays the role of the underdog who climbs the rank of the heroine of this story. But, unlike other series, the underdog is truly a character that lives up to that name. Insecure, low self-esteem, a character willing to lie to gain the approval of the rest... Youko is genuinely a person who does not seem to be the main character of any story and arguably is not even likeable at first. But, slowly, the story puts her in situations where her preconceptions and ideas are brought down to the floor, even her self-esteem. Still, all these opportunities are chances for her to grow and be a better person, not only in the emotional sense of her relationships with her peers and others but also a better person in front of the roles that life and destiny put in her way. And this transformation does not happen overnight. It happens slowly, and you see Youko falling to the floor many times until she learns to stand on her two feet and see straight into the horizon.

Such a unique way to show character development and growth is so rare (at least from my perspective) that it elevates this series to be one of its kind (again, from my point of view). And may I add that this happens not only with Youko, our main character but with others along the way, such as Suzu, Shoukei and more, even with dislikeable characters. And here is another achievement for this series, not all likeable characters and favourites start as likeable characters; their growth made them likeable. This is huge and not common in the fantasy genre. Witnessing the journey taken by any character from Point A to Point B is a treat. Any failure and fall to the floor is an opportunity for them to grow. Of course, some characters start at Pont A being extremely likeable, but they support our main characters' transformations. It's truly a worthy experience to witness.

To close this idea, the plot and storytelling are exceptionally good in presenting true underdogs that will grow... committing mistakes and falling to the ground as many times as necessary for them to grow and mature compellingly and naturally.

To close the positives, the lore and world are unique. Despite the East Asian inspiration, the music and folklore are so engaging that it takes a character on their own. Sometimes the lore can overwhelm the viewer, but at the end of the day, many strange concepts are mentioned so frequently that the viewer will be able to grasp the important ones and, little by little, start to get used to the other ones. My advice for new watchers is to go with the flow and not stress over the thousand names that will be mentioned... the storytelling is smart enough to repeat the important ones!

The world also benefits from the wonderful storytelling. Along the journey, the viewer will meet many characters along many of the Twelve Kingdoms in such a presentation that any of them can be the main character of their own little story. What I mean by this is that side characters have an appeal on their own. Even despite being present for a couple of episodes or less, they feel complex, they feel like living their own problems and objectives to achieve, and that is amazing; it adds depth, and as I said, any fan can theorise or imagine a fanfic focusing in any of them.

Not everything is perfect; I may cite as negatives the animation that clearly hasn't aged well after these decades. Early digital animation has a peculiar style that some may forgive, but others will take as kryptonite. Some sound cues also show their age. In sum, the animation quality and sound were proper of its era, for better or worse. Worry not that the small action scenes are well presented in this series despite being a couple of decades after its premiere. Let's say that this series is aware of its budget and strategically chooses what moments of action will take for a better presentation.

Another negative may be the way the series stops because any viewer will tell at the end that the will was to continue despite its sudden interruption but worry not that the main characters will have closure for their storylines. Or better said, the main characters will experience a high point in their journeys that can leave satisfied any viewer invested in them. Sadly some minor plotlines will remain open at the lack of continuation of this masterpiece. As this series presents events in arcs, the series will conclude after a complete arc, but there is still the feeling of an intended continuation from the people behind this project.

I recommend this series to anyone searching for a fantasy series within a unique world and for actual character development and growth. These two main selling points are so unique that they deserve a perfect score on my part.

Thank you for reading! ^^