Twelve Kingdoms - DVD Vol 3 of 10

I just finished volume three of the The Twelve Kingdoms. This four episode DVD wraps up the first segment of the story: Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow. I have been pleased so far with the story. I have always appreciated it when writers are able to build a world that has it's own rules and laws and can do so believably and with a depth of history. This is also one of the main reasons I liked Banner of the Stars so well. I also find myself liking the characters in this story so far. Yoko makes some tough decisions taking on responsibilities that will cause her to miss her old life while Sugimoto also grows up some.

The only problem I have is with episode 13. The explanation for the hunting down of Joei is done too quickly and we don't get to see exactly why Yoko feels as she does at the end of the episode when she's talking to Sugimoto.

Also, episode 14 is a filler episode in which Yoko and Rakushun talk about the events that have happened in the previous 13. If I were watching these weekly as they were broadcast then that would be fine but, watching them on DVD in succession made this a redundant story. It did put all of the information we've learned so far about the Twelve Kingdoms together in a nice neat package though.

I should have the next DVD arriving soon and can't wait to see how the next segment, Sea of the Wind, Shore of the Labyrinth, will turn out and who that mysterious boy that Sugimoto met back in Japan is.