"It's all your fault, Nakajima" - The Twelve Kingdoms, Episode 4 (十二国記/Juuni Kokuki)
Because who else's fault would it be?
Original Writer: Fuyumi Ono
Illustrator: Akihiro Yamada
Publisher: Kodansha, Shinchosha
Anime adapted by: Studio Pierrot
Original run: April 9, 2002 – August 30, 2003
I like the Otherworlder’s Meetup trope, the disorienting sense of being separated by hundreds of years of experience even if it hasn’t been nearly that long. I hope we never see him again.
Takki putting a hand on Nakajima’s shoulder was enough to dispel some of the doubt that that creature had sewn into her mind. Whether this creature is an ally or enemy, he knows what we’ve known all along about Nakajima, that her thing is to fall on crutches once she’s hit with problems she can’t manage. The student council president position. Asano. Asano squared.
Naturally, Nakajima would be unsuspecting as she went searching for Takki. Just like when she walked into Hairou village and immediately received hostility. Nakajima smiles as she enters the courtyard, the birds are chirping as Takki has brought them to somewhere they would start their new lives.
Nakajima hears the truth and this is why the many villains we see doing this should invest in locks, bells or even claymore tripwires. Nakajima’s too trusting, too easy to take advantage of, too easy to eat into, and the resistance of using Jyouyuu even against other humans wanes as she now needs to fight her way out.
Why didn’t Takki just sell them off quietly? Maybe it was to allow Sugimoto to retain the moral high ground. Getting jacked in their sleep, there’s probably no way she could blame Nakajima, right?
Right?
Wrong.
It was obvious from the get-go that Takki was bad news. All the way through to the obvious manner Nakajima found it out. (Don’t read my Episode 1 first review, I’m embarrassed. Takki—I’m disgusted). Nakajima experiencing betrayal in the worst way, she and the group are then sold out by the greedy old man. Takki arguably owed them nothing, but the old man was from their country. He’d suffered similar things to them given he’s Kaikyaku. Nakajima could’ve even helped integrate him into society. Perhaps these were some of the things that were going through Sugimoto’s head when she decided to trust him.
I think there was genuinely great friction between Sugimoto, as well as Nakajima who showed a lot of growth. Nakajima’s kindness will get her and others killed. Her desire to be liked, to keep all sides happy, and how she’s fine not controlling her own narrative all came to the fore in this episode. Leaning on her emotional crutch, Asano, will she deny that she has feelings for him when that conversation eventually blows up?
Given the attention of the writers and anime staff in fleshing out Nakajima’s character arc, I’m confident Sugimoto’s will be satisfying as well. She blames Nakajima for everything that’s happened but has no words for Asano who has backed those decisions every step of the way. She advocated murdering Takki. Not that she would be the one to do it—that’s Nakajima’s job. Just like it’s Nakajima’s job to fetch the clothes from the market. Just like it’s Nakajima’s job to defend them from Youma. Just like it’s Nakajima’s…you get the point.
While she can say, and Nakajima is meek enough to allow this idea that their misfortunes stem from not escaping from Takki earlier, her blind faith in the old man automatically invalidates any complaint she might ever have. Unless her aim was to never trust anybody and live like vagrants, defending themselves from endless pursuers—saddled with a murder charge—she remains a hypocrite.
And perhaps she accepted that sort of life, but you can be sure the bulk of responsibility would’ve still laid at Nakajima’s feet.
The creature haunting Nakajima also showed an interesting side. I had him nailed on for an absolute villain, but now he’s been downgraded to “serious asshole”. He really struck at Nakajima’s weak points and the curious part is I’m not sure what his intentions are.
This isn’t the Nine Tails trying to make Naruto give up on hope (yet). He’s told her to avoid Takki (and Sugimoto) to save her life. He’s dishing out these harsh words which might orient and serve as motivation one day.
Whether it’s out of enjoyment or something else, he’s not allowing her to shy away from reality.
He’s got me curious.
Final thoughts:
The best episode so far. As mentioned earlier—I originally wrote it here—I’m convinced that everyone involved in the production of this anime is aware and committed to each character getting their own development and arc. I appreciated Nakajima's growth on display; the give-and-take approach of how she takes steps forward and back moved me from neutral to a tepid supporter. Fight back, sometimes!
Rereading this—why does the first part read like a story?!
This post is the fourth in a series of reviews of The Twelve Kingdoms. If you’d like to be kept updated on any new reviews, please consider spicing up your inbox by clicking below.
It makes for a good change to “Is this you? IP: 192.168.0.1 has accessed your location from Tromsø, Norway.” Brighten things up with some anime instead.
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