Due to the fact that the previous text was stripped of some things, this one will be its opposite. Well, at least partially - the beginning will be general. This part is intended for those who are still wondering whether it is worth watching this anime. All the disadvantages I wrote about have not changed - the heroes still suffer from the popular disease called plot-shield, there are elements that are more suited to fantasy manga than the real battlefield, but ... If you do not mind, these are the only disadvantages, I have noticed. At least in the case of the plot, because the anime has better animation, lines and CGI, it still doesn't look very good. Well, but at least he does not reject the viewer anymore, which is a big progress. And then there's censorship - not as much as in the previous season, but still pissing you off. Fortunately, to a lesser extent.
When it comes to the good sides, they are mostly characters. They differ from each other, they have different ways of fighting, leading their soldiers and using their abilities, sometimes they have enormous charisma. Basically, these are mostly well-drawn characters. I would not say that they are outstanding creations and I know better titles in this respect, however I can definitely say that they are heroes and heroines made of meat and blood. I don't often get this feeling when learning about new stories (in various forms), but I have the impression that these characters are living their lives after I turn off the TV or put the book on the shelf. As in "One Piece", "Hunter x Hunter", "Legend of the Galactic Heroes", "City Hunter", where the characters are just as lively and "fleshy". If you broke into anime and saw the previous title thanks to my recommending lyrics, then this title is a must also! Or at least give a chance, which I will explain in more detail in the spoiler lip. For now, as an encouragement, I will say that this is an adaptation of a real story. It is about the Warring States Period that began in 480 BC. Many of these characters are either historical characters or were inspired by them. Right, of course, it's a comic book story after all. Kind of like "Vikings", only given in anime form. With all its advantages and disadvantages.
As for the other advantages - we have a lot of battles. Both on the battlefield and popular in anime mind-games. Whether it's negotiating, setting tactics or alliances, or fighting at the political level. Both with opponents and theoretically allies who are waiting for the right moment to stab their "colleagues" in the back. Thanks to this, the anime is not boring, and we do not have really unnecessary episodes - except for those absolutely necessary for the plot. Because characters cannot only fight, sometimes they also have to rest, explain some things to each other. You can see that in other areas as well - there's always something going on in this anime. From a certain point in time, each episode is mega-filling in terms of content. Just like in "Full Metal Panic 4". On a smaller scale, of course, but I experience such sensations much more often due to the number of episodes. The author's creativity and the ability to keep the viewer's attention are also important. This is no longer the same title as it was at the start of the first season. We already have a specific goal, which is a gigantic field full of ideas and inspiration from which to draw to create a long and suspenseful comic book series. Such a great, epic story like "One Piece". Only here, instead of adventures, we have plenty of wars and fights. Both between gigantic armies and charismatic, outstanding individuals. Speaking of outstanding individuals, as I wrote on the occasion of "Banshee", or the reviews of the previous season - women have features that make them more potential than men. However, they are limited by some aspects - strength, physical resistance, muscles, spatial orientation. On the other hand, when women know a territory or a place, they can develop it better and take advantage of the advantages and disadvantages. Or at least that's what I read once, and it seems to be confirmed by my daily practice (according to the slogan - a man built the world, and a woman showed him how to use it and how to live in it). However, it is enough to strengthen them as much as the male heroes, and we will be able to admire their possibilities. At this point, I am finishing the spoiler-free part, and at the same time, I encourage you to watch this title. It's worth going through 1 season. Well, unless you don't mind reading on a mobile phone - apparently manga is much better in every aspect.
THIS IS WHERE SPOILERS BEGIN !!!
I'll start with my favorite. Ou Ki is a terrible motherfucker, in a positive sense. The personification and at the same time an emanation of what an ideal commander should be. It is big enough to be respected by any opponent, but at the same time it is not too big, which would make it lose agility and speed. He can be warm, affectionate and gentle like the best father (or a gay nurse, as one of the Polish politicians said - apparently guys do surprisingly well in this profession), and at the same time ruthless and cruel - when he goes berserk, he will not stop attacking, until he breaks his opponent to pieces. Besides, he is a brilliant tactician, strategist, arrogant warrior who is not afraid of death. Not only because of his courage, but also his warriors, with whom he often fights. They, in turn, repay, fighting fiercely like lions. All in all, a pile of muscle stuffed with 120% pure charisma. It is a pity he was killed in season 1. But what a death it was! Ladies and gentlemen, his opponent had to prepare a special trap and take some outstanding generals and strong armies with him, so that he could barely defeat "Monstrous Bird Quin". Initially, I was afraid that the author had made a mistake and wasted such an opportunity - he created a great character who was at the peak of his power (or shortly after reaching the peak). However, as I watched, I gradually changed my mind. I changed them 100% when I recently heard a vlog from my friend Rafał about why he loves "One Piece". In one of his points, he wisely noted as my friend Hyrule that Eiichiro Oda introduced some characters at the beginning of the story, and although many chapters have passed since then, they have lost none of their majesty and power. So far, everything seems to indicate that it is similar in the case of Ou Ki. Although this is probably a skeleton, we keep hearing about his achievements, which only deepens the respect for him. Plus, this guy has the best lips in M&A history. Annihilation lips no dick can escape from! Such a rude (or silly, pick your way) joke at the end. In addition, the creator was inspired by the creation of this hero Wang Yi - a real person.
Xin is not my second favorite character, but I can definitely appreciate him for not being another boring and stereotypical protagonist. Ie. sure, he is a hotheaded fool who also displays the other stereotypical traits of a typical Japanese cartoon protagonist, but stands out from the crowd. Not very much, because it basically has a lot of similarities to Naruto, Goku and other archetypes of battle-shounen heroes, but after the first season he was among the protagonists I like. Yes, it pisses me off with its powerful plot-armor, but you can turn a blind eye to it. I liked his wise speech from one of the last episodes of Season 2 (an interview with Karyo Ten). "When you go to war, you have to reckon with the fact that you will kill a lot of people or your friends will die. Sometimes it is a matter of luck or bad luck, you generally have no influence on your fate. This is life, you have to accept it." I will definitely support him in achieving his goal - the unification of China with the king.
Speaking of him, although Ei Sei was created from the beginning to be a strong and intriguing character, he did not win my recognition. Don't ask why, I just didn't like him. I changed my opinion when I saw his first political skirmishes and learned how difficult they are. Not only does it have quite a limited room for maneuvering, but it also competes with a powerful opponent, i.e. its own chancellor. Ryo Fui is an extraordinary motherfucker. I think if I compare him to Emhyr var Emreis from "The Witcher", I will not offend the Emperor of Nilfgaard. The Chancellor, like the aforementioned celebrity, has giant balls, a character of steel, not to mention the control of his emotions. We could see it perfectly in the scene when he was negotiating the terms of the alliance with the man who prepared the Ou Ki trap. The conditions he set for Ri Boku seemed impossible to meet. His ultimatum to Prime Minister Zhao definitely crossed the thin line between prudence and madness, and Ri Boku would probably have disagreed with him were it not for Chancellor Qin's strength of character. This opponent must be faced by Ei Sei. Even so, the young king remains cool and tries to make the best of his limited possibilities of action. You can see from his activities and words that he well remembered and understood the words of Sun Zi (one of the greatest thinkers of the Far East, the man who wrote one of the most important books in the world - "The Art of War"). The king uses every opportunity to manifest his character. He knows that if he squanders those few opportunities to gain the approval of his potential allies, they will go to the chancellor - thereby further reducing their chances of fighting him for power in Qin. To do this, he uses cunning and cynicism - he pretends to be weak when necessary. For example, in a situation where he needs to be in the shadows or make opponents consider him a Ryo Fui puppet. However, when he has to manifest his strength and has the opportunity to do so, he uses it 100%.
To some extent, it is thanks to his mother. Ei Sei not only did not have a very easy life, but his mother treated him like ordinary shit. In a way, I don't blame her. The Queen-Mother herself was a victim of palace intrigues. She was even more humiliated than Cersei Lannister during her penitential march through the capital of the Seven Kingdoms from Game of Thrones. Her dignity was taken away, expelled from the country, insulted, beaten, and she had to prostitute herself to survive. It is true that this lady likes this sport (which was clearly suggested to us several times, reportedly even more in the comic), but she did not think about the pleasure when she fought for survival. As befits this type of title, she is a ruthless and uncompromising female dog. As with the chancellor, her sexual prowess is rivaled in her prowess in achieving her goals, in behind-the-scenes activities and conspiracies. Like a racial, cynical and ruthless leader (in other words, a statesman), he will go to any motherfucker to achieve his goal. Not only when it comes to cruelty, but also manipulation - things where women are sometimes more creative than men. Yeh, too bad the anime is censored against the comic. I am very intrigued by what it looked like according to the author's vision. It is true that its animated version has a great voice actress, and the Pierrot studio shows as much as it takes for a slightly smarter viewer to guess what the creators do not want to show, but it's not the same. Btw. Finally, I was blown away by the scene where the King's advisor sent an experienced XD fucker to her. Forgive me for misusing this word lately, but it suits her and she wouldn't be offended. When you watch it, you will understand why.
Since I started the topic of female characters, I will take it a bit further. Not much, because both ladies didn't have much airtime, but they presented themselves well enough that I can't wait for more threads with their participation. Yo Tan Wa (queen of the mountain people) shocked me at first. I was expecting a mega chad, as in the case of Lin Pao or Ou Ki, and after removing the mask it turned out that ... she is a woman. Because who else could I expect? Ok, there were women with a strong character who knew how to effectively manage the state (not to look far, the King of Poland Jadwiga Andegaweńska), but people from the mountains were guided by more pure power, so it would be more difficult to control them. Don't get me wrong, this is not a right-wing incel argument that mocks women who, in their opinion, are completely unfit to rule (which is partially true in the sense that it is harder to find a woman who qualifies to be a good ruler). ). I just saw savages who are extremely strong, even for the realities of "Kingdom", and I didn't expect a female ruler to be their ruler. It turned out that Yo Tan Wa was a perfect fit for this company - she showed them the way to use their possibilities, not relying solely on barbaric power. Because there is no need to pretend, strength alone is not enough to build a strong state. Trade, diplomacy, managing people or resources, the ability to make alliances, the strong character and charisma of the leader (and many other things) are equally important. Without these aspects, the people of the mountains sooner or later (rather faster) would be devoured or massacred by other nations. The Queen provided them with the possibility of survival and expanded their community.
In my opinion, women in these aspects show talent more often than men - they have a more agreeable nature, it is easier for them to do several things at once, they have greater mental resilience and other things that I wrote about in this post or season 1 review. This is due to evolutionary biology, culture, a different social role, less physical strength, a differently developed brain, and hence - developing other ways of coping with problems and seeing them. I really like how the author makes great use of it to create and develop characters. I didn't expect to say this for Kingdom, but I think the author might be better than "Hunter x Hunter" on this point. Well, I'll go a step further - maybe in the future I will compare it even to Hiromu Arakawa, who is for me the Empress in this type of comics. The characters are not one-dimensional, you can feel that they are flesh and blood personas, you can "feel" their presence, as in the case of DBZ (on Namek), "One Piece", FMA, or HxH. It's been a long time since I have seen a series or anime in which I would like so many heroes!
As for Ka Ryo Ten, I wasn't a fan of her at first, but I changed my mind during the first season. She was not an annoying girl accompanying the protagonist, as is the case in many titles. The young girl knew how to take care of herself, has a strong character and, like the queen-mother, did not have an easy childhood. However, I really liked her when she returned in Season 2, replacing a friend who went for revenge. Thanks to her, Shin's squad not only survived the worse period, but above all climbed to an even higher level. It was also then that she showed her true character and tenacity. The girl copes with tactics noticeably better than many of the current commanders. As befits a good tactic, he knows how to use the advantages of his troops or geographic conditions. He also knows how to quickly resolve conflicts in the most beneficial way for him - he makes the best possible decisions, he does it quickly and decisively, which is also part of the qualities of experienced and effective commanders. This is especially evident in Season 3, when several countries attacked the kingdom of Shin.
Finally, I will return to the male characters, and more specifically to 3 of them (with minor references to two, i.e. five heroes in total). I'll start with Shin's rivals Ou Hon and Mou Ten. As for the character and creation as a whole, the former was just ok for me. Well done, but this is one of the character archetypes in manga of this type. It is slightly better with the effeminate boy. This one is also not very original, but now I only remember Yang Wenli from "Legend of the Galactic Heroes". Both characters like to win with minimal effort. Some of you may say that everyone wants it. I agree with that, but on the other hand, it is worth noting that not everyone thinks about how to solve a problem in the simplest and cheapest way possible. Sometimes it comes from acting too quickly, reactionary, and sometimes it results from stupidity or ignorance. The former concerns commanders who cannot cope with their emotions (ergo - they cannot control them), the latter also concerns Shin (although he learns it gradually, along with acquiring experience and knowledge from colleagues), but also fools whose he defeated. I really liked how to try to get rid of a sniper that was taking out more important soldiers in battle (thereby breaking or damaging the chain of command in enemy armies). You can see the great skill of a manga author on these small examples, which are numerous. Both in terms of story writing, drawing, character creation. Especially if you like historical and war titles. There are too many elements here that can entertain fans of realism, but in my opinion, if you give "Kingdom" a chance, you can be delighted with it. And so that Oh Hon wasn't sad that I wrote too little about him, I like this "Vegeta". Such an experienced, a bit arrogant, but really talented boy. Talent partially justifies his pride, but I prefer his colleague who works, as Sun Zi more or less wrote - "Hide your power and possibilities, let the opponent not know what you can do!" Either way, they are both very cool rivals for the main character and his troops.
I liked Lin Pao very much and some of his people - especially my grandfather and the orphan he adopted. The great general convinced me with his attitude - just like Reinhard Lohengramm, Yang Wenli from LotGH, or Ou Ki from "Kingdom", he doesn't give a shit who he comes from. It does not matter to them whether their soldier comes from the peasant or noble caste, or is an orphan or a slave. According to them, a person is defined by his actions, not his origin or social status. I also saw a resemblance to Whitbeard from "One Piece". It is true that Ou Ki also had a paternal attitude towards his warriors, but it made me feel more like a friend. In the case of Lin Pao, I felt a genuine paternal concern and tenderness, and for more equal partners (such as the grandfather who watched the battlefield from a moving tower) - even more respect than Ou Ki ever showed. Many scenes of this type do not make a big impression on me, such as the above-mentioned example from OP, but Lin Pao's attitude towards allies or his pupils has touched me many times, made me laugh or lit a fire in me. I liked two people the most - the grandfather who watched the battlefield from the moving tower and the fighter who fought Shin twice. I liked both of them for the same thing - character, design and approach to strategy and tactics. I also liked them for how well they performed these roles and used the advantages of both types of command. The one who fought the protagonist made a smaller impression on me in this aspect, because we saw better commanders of this type (e.g., to not look far, Lin Pao), but most of the fighters will not look too impressive compared to the experienced, hardened and eminently charismatic units. As for my grandfather, he was a formidable opponent because he was prepared for many situations and it was hard to surprise him. Ironically, it was because of this tactic that he died.
I would love to describe the rest of the characters and share my opinion with you, but maybe I'll finish it sometime. Let me know if you want such a text. Now I will deal with what I like best - politics, war, conspiracies and diplomacy. Not without significance is also the fact that there is always something going on. I don't know about the manga, but in the anime one story ends, we get a short break, and then we get another strong and important arc or topic. Something of the aspects I was talking about in sentence 3 of this paragraph, or a mixture of the two. Since I compare "Kingdom" to the best, I will only say one thing - I have the same feeling as when I watch or read "Legend of the Galactic Heroes". In both cases, you can see that the author of the prototype has a lot of knowledge (or at least can disguise it well by describing and presenting, like Sapkowski in his books) and did in-depth research. You can feel it at every step. Even if they sometimes fail (which I did not notice after the end of the first arc), later we get so many great conversations, conspiracies, planning the next moves, world-building on these issues that we forgive small mistakes. As I wrote in one of the previous paragraphs, there are SO much good things here that you can throw away complaints about DBZ-like powers in the trash. This can be seen in many examples, and there are more as we go deeper into history. Rafał once told me that "Kingdom" in some respects is even better than LotGH. I did not believe it at the time and doubted his words, but now I can see it with my own eyes. Qualitatively they are on a comparable level, maybe LotGH wins (but not much), but quantitatively ... Let me put it this way - nec Hercules contra plures. Kingdom just floods the Tanaka's book, like the Zergs slaying an entire army of Protoss or Terran with their masses. Two of my friends whom I trust (Anonymous Gaal and Rafał aka Hatnik) said that the level of this manga is only rising. By the end of the events of Season 3, there was not a single sign that they were wrong. Ba - absolutely nothing proves that history is going to spoil. I don't hear a word of criticism about it from anywhere on the internet. If I were to list all the examples, I would have to look at the whole thing again, meticulously note each case and it would be material for at least one long text. Like this review.
Examples? Please. Starting with one of the most important aspects - politics. This one is eternally alive in this title, as in "Game of Thrones". You can see that it is a bit simplified (I use this word because I do not know any better) in terms of what is in LotGHu. However, in my opinion, this is because the story takes place at completely different times. The times when political thought was not so extensive and there was no place to draw from. Nevertheless, it is still alive in this series - just like the world in OP, HxH, FMA, or LotGH. I have the impression that when I turn off an episode, chancellors, prime ministers, kings and generals are still fighting with each other to increase their power or territory. Constant conspiracies, plotting how to weaken someone's position or put yourself in the best place at the time. Prime Minister Qin is a bastard opportunist who thinks and acts all the time. It doesn't matter if the country is at war or celebrating peace. Ri Boku, who also plays many pianos - first proposed the Qin alliance, thus distracting them from himself + securing on one side, and at the same time preparing the coalition for the invasion. The same goes for Ei Sei and his faction - when his country was attacked, he had to sacrifice part of his kingdom to persuade one of the strongest armies to leave the coalition. So far we don't see much of the diplomacy aspect, but what we got was very good. An epic scene where the (then) Chancellor and Ri Boku were literally measuring their dicks, cojones size and strength of character. At that time, the atmosphere was so tense that one ill-considered move, one unnecessary word was enough to end the prognosis with a bloody slaughter. The same can be said about the scene I was just describing - the negotiator Qin came to another king and said he would double the price that the coalition commander had offered them. If only the heroes did not have such a plot-armor, everything would be beautiful ... Well, as I have said many times - if there is a price for this very good show, I am willing to pay it.
Speaking of which, Rafał was not mistaken about wars and battles. These just look fucking epic. I could describe it in better language, but I find it unnecessary - with this one sentence I can describe the majesty of great armies, their charismatic commanders and the importance of these events. I do not know if Napoleon really said these words or if they were merely attributed to him, but this text reflects even better the epicness of these events - "Leave China, let it sleep, because when they wake up, the whole world will tremble." Every battle in this anime is impressive. Not because of the technical performance, because although it is better, you can see savings in the second and third plan (also in the S3). It is about planning and implementing it, not without significance are also great characters that motivate us to watch the next episode, just like our soldiers to one more spurt against the enemies. You can see that the author approaches them with appropriate reverence and does not repeat his ideas. Sure, you can basically say it about every manga that I can call very good, but in Kingdom, I feel it on every level. While watching this anime, I had the epiphany of seeing a scene many times. I commented on her "oh fuck, actually - I read about something like that!". The author draws handfuls from the rich history of Chinese civilization, which in its time was much more developed than Europe. (if I am not mistaken, it is at the stage of the early Middle Ages). Be it historical commanders, tactics, politics, diplomacy. Sure, there are some simplifications here, but as I said - it's just a comic book, not a historical chronicle. However, looking at it from the other hand, it was "Kingdom" much more that inspired me to get to know this topic than a well-written book presenting all the facts. Such is the power of well-written and well-thought-out stories. Even an anime that spoils the source material cannot take it away from it. And this sentence is perfect about the quality of the source material, which is ready-made material for a whole series of high-budget and delicious war titles.
When it comes to the audiovisual aspects, I don't have much to say. The soundtrack is basically the same, or at least I didn't hear any difference, at most there were some new songs. I didn't like the opening game at first, but the closer it was to the end, the less I scrolled it. Good, in the atmosphere of the series. The endings are good so far, the first of season 2 is my favorite of the anime, the second is worse, but I have no reason to complain. When it comes to graphics, CGI and dash, it's noticeably better. It's not a gigantic change, but I've finally started to like it and it doesn't look hideous. Okay, maybe not everything is successful, but now there are definitely fewer really weak moments. And when we see them, at least we can watch them without disgust. I hope that the 3rd and 4th seasons will maintain their upward trend in this regard. The same is with censorship, which is less felt. It's also nice to see that time passes in "Kingdom" and the characters change - ie get old or grow up, depending on the stage of life. I rarely see it in anime, and here it shows very well.
On my private Facebook account, I wrote that "Kingdom" is the second best anime I have seen this year. A few days have passed since then, and I stand by this opinion. I rarely complain about the lack of Polish manga versions, but for this title, I would place an order for an annual subscription. Paying in advance. After what I saw in season 2 and see in season 3 (because I couldn't help myself, I had to start season 3 after episode 39), I trust Rafał and Anonymous (one of the manga bloggers on FB) in 100%. As Anonymous said, "Even season 1, which is the weakest season of all, is way better than that shit we got in the anime." When I read it, I didn't believe it, but now I admit he is right - this comic book is a little work of art! Since anime is so delicious in terms of plot, I can't even imagine what a manga treat is. Visually, it definitely looks pretty, I already know that, but I melt with delight thinking about its content ... Oh, this comic must be published in Poland! However, the anime is strong 8/10. If you aren't bothered by elements that differ too often from the realistic world, then this is one of the better titles I have met.
Thank you for help and expertise to Rafał and Karol.
Adonis; the MC who is a human child was abandon in the slum to die but was found by Chloe. Chloe the witch was found of Adonis like he was her own son. She took care of him while on constant run from the human extermination squad.
Chloe was kind and nice, not just to Adonis but to everyone around her. She never wanted to fight the human or cause any bloodshed but she’s always finding herself in difficult situations until she was caught by the emperor.
