Ok, I do love the show so far.. But... * Spoilers *

What is with the constant flashbacks, summaries, and "Oh, you know that character you didn't care about that was mentionned 5 episodes aggo? Let's spend 10 episodes explaining who what when he is..." ?

Let me expand a little on that though.

After seeing much praise for 12 Kokuki, I decided I would definitely have to see the TV series.

For the record, I am no newcomer to Anime, as I have been watching it since I was about 6 (now 35), starting with Grandizer.

Now at my age, I have had the pleasure to enjoy such wonders (in no specific order) as Lodoss, GiTS, Akira, Venus Wars, Mononoke Hime, Laputa, Bubble Gum Crisis, Tenchi Muyo (original OAVs), Space Adventure Cobra, Harlock, Harlock SSX, Gatchaman, Captain Futur, S-E Lain, Patlabor2, Macross, Macross Plus, Gundam 0083 and many others...

About 12 Kingdoms, I have to admit I was expecting something closer to Lodoss, but I was actually pleasantly surprised to see this mix of Fantasy and Mythical China. I really enjoyed the beginning, despite the animation being a tad bit sub-par to current standards. The design was pleasant enough, and the imagination behind the world and the story was really making me enthusiastic.

I am now at episode 23, and I feel a little bit let down.
It started at episode 12 I think, which would be the events occuring after the final battle between Youko and King Kou. Everything was pretty much perfect until then. At this point, I was expecting a ton of problems still and convoluted script events so that Youko could finally free Keiki, still detained by the fake Queen in Kei. So in order she still had to:
- Gather an army with the help of King En
- Lead that army (condition posed by the Heathens, no army from a kingdom can invade another to battle and go across Kai's frontier).
- Arrive at the palace and lay siege after defeating a huge flying army
- Fight expert fighters in the palace to arrive where Keiki is.
- Free Keiki
- Lead a campaign across the kingdom fighting the loyalists to the fake Queen for a month, ending up in a confrontation with her and killing her.

All of that, treated .. in 10 minutes?

Following this, from episode 13 to current 23, it's all about flashbacks about the Taiki... where they spend each and every episode's first 2 minutes to retell the past episode. Oh .. and we had so far, in only 23 episodes, not 1 but TWO "What happened so far" episodes, filled with -only- flashbacks.

Now I am all about details and building a good story with interesting characters, but it is starting to get -Real- old.

A month of battles and interesting evolutions is treated in 10 minutes, and the -one- day preceeding the crowning of Youko is treated in 10 episodes with all flashbacks / backstory?

I do hope we're done with the "What has happened so far" episodes made entirely of flashbacks at this point, and that the story of Taiki is now done. Let's get back to -something- happening.


Anything.

P.S: Taiki Taming the Setsuo (sp?) and finally trasnforming was the high point of those episodes. But we are talking 2x1 minute scenes in 10x26' episodes...


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Heroes - BSG - House / These are Good Times