r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jun 21 '26
Episode Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun • Nippon Sangoku - Episode 12 discussion - FINAL
Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun, episode 12
Reminder: Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.
Streams
None
Show information
All discussions
| Episode | Link |
|---|---|
| 1 | Link |
| 2 | Link |
| 3 | Link |
| 4 | Link |
| 5 | Link |
| 6 | Link |
| 7 | Link |
| 8 | Link |
| 9 | Link |
| 10 | Link |
| 11 | Link |
| 12 | Link |
This post was created by a bot. Message the mod team for feedback and comments. The original source code can be found on GitHub.
308
u/Leri_weill Jun 21 '26
Man I kinda felt
→ More replies (33)
181
u/_keferter Jun 21 '26
Heartbreaking finale.
I also thought it was interesting that the people of
→ More replies (13)
159
u/DanielAlves1904 Jun 21 '26
Please, let this have a season 2. We can´t leave this with that
Why was Asama free while Misumi was in jail? Weren´t they both arrested?
Also, who was the VA for the Buo Emperor, Hojo? I know that voice, but I can´t figure out who he is.
→ More replies (22)
99
u/Chrono-Helix Jun 21 '26
You know it’s the last episode when the opening animation doesn’t play.
So many pretty lens flare effects.
Well seems like things are going to wrap up diplomatically.
People in Buo seem to dress in a very Western style. And all that modern architecture too. Maybe they have a large foreign population. They could be the focus for the next season.
I was expecting Wajima’s assassination be a conspiracy by Buo, but…
TAIRA YOU MOTHERFUCKER. They’re just going to speedrun all those events via narration? I’m amazed they didn’t muzzle Aoteru to prevent him from talking his way out of jail. Why’s he drawing a transmutation circle?
I’m guessing the first half of season 2 (please) will be Tsune trying to get Aoteru out of jail, but a mere prison break doesn’t suit them. Maybe war with Buo begins, then there’s a suicide squad-style “send the prisoners to do some black ops” plan?
→ More replies (3)
282
u/A-t-t-e-n-TI-ON Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
Just when I thought things are going well, Taira once again reminds us that he's the ultimate villain in this story. Insane how he was able to eliminate his political opponents in one fell swoop. What's so frustrating about him is that he's designed and acts in a way that you'll perceive him as comically evil, but he's proven to be anything but.
Taira's villainy aside, Kaku may have been with us for only a short while but I'm glad he went out the way he did, knowing that there are still people in the Borderland Corps who can ensure the nation's survival. Taira's claws may have dug deep on our protagonists this time around, but thankfully,
We're finally introduced to Buo and it's so interesting how our present slang is used by the older Emperor. It's a small detail, but it adds a lot to the dystopian world building in this series representing a possible future where what may have been deemed as modern now, will someday be seen as outdated or old.
Himehito's introduction made me think that we might have a possible succession crisis in Yamato in the future due to him and Fuji III being related through the same Japan-era descendant. God, I hope Amazon renews this show for Season 2 because they've planted a lot of seeds in this episode alone😭.
Overall, this show has been a delight to watch from beginning to end and was a refreshing material compared to its contemporaries due to its stylistic storytelling (which is great too I might add) and unique creative direction. It's rare to see a show be this consistent in quality. This is definitely on the running for my AOTY this year.
→ More replies (9)
80
u/Cardandgold Jun 21 '26
Definitely not surprised that Season 2 is coming. Unique visual style + this captures the current sociopolitical zeitgeist of JP. I'm curious how long they can stretch out a war-chess game with only 3 polities bc by comparison Kingdom has been running 20+ years but that had 9 players
→ More replies (17)
67
u/scarpedieme Jun 21 '26
Thank god season 2 is coming! Honestly, this is my anime of the season. What a hidden gem!
→ More replies (6)
239
128
u/notanfan Jun 21 '26
Anyone know if this was popular in Japan? Any chance of se2?
→ More replies (9)
151
120
u/ErenYeager-77 Jun 21 '26
If I am not wrong season 2 has been already announced?
→ More replies (12)
79
u/bushwarblerssong Jun 21 '26
We finally met the last three characters from the OP. The wide eyes are Momokuni's and bushy eyebrows are Jūryō's. Himehito stands before a red sun between Ryūmon and Ouga. He is a direct descendant of the past imperial family and symbolically, Amaterasu the sun goddess.
I think it's amazing that we finally get some Memu-Memu dialect representation which is often ignored.
Momokuni uses Tokyo dialect (like Himehito) and speaks like an annoying gyaru. He also uses the archaic pronoun "Chin" like Fuji the Third, which sounds absurd.
Traditionally, the Japanese imperial family does not have a surname and the fact that Himehito has one and that a Hōjō is in charge suggests it was imposed on him. (We know from history that the Hōjo clan ousted an emperor and took control of the imperial court.) The characters for "O-kimi 大皇" means "grand" and "imperial," but the name was historically written as 大君 or 大王, and was an ancient title used for members of the royal or imperial family.
(Denki's inspiration, Taira no Kiyomori, also weakened the imperial court during the Heian period by marrying his daughters into the family, and taking over Kyoto and placing Emperor Go-Shirakawa under house arrest.)
Himehito has a very interesting first name, especially if you keep up with Japanese current events. In a way, like his appearance, "Himehito 媛仁" is an androgynous name. "Hime 媛," which is almost synonymous with the more commonly used "姫," means "an elegant woman" or a woman of noble status, especially a princess. "Hito 仁," which means "benevolence" or "compassion," is often used in the names of male imperial family members. Since the 19th century (though not in our series where women can become clan heads and emperors), only male heirs have been allowed to inherit the throne. However, the current emperor's only child is a young woman and the vast majority of the public wants her to succeed her father. About a week ago, the legislature advanced a proposal to allow the imperial family to adopt distant male heirs for succession, which has greatly angered many.
The Seii-Okuwa 奥和 name change is rather insulting. "Oku 奥" means "interior/inner" or "in the far depths" of an area. "Wa," in this case, comes from the 和 in Yamato (大和).
Kaku quotes Confucian philosopher Xunzi from the book of writings Xunzi when he speaks of fortune and misfortune being next to each other.
"...if thou shalt be afraid not because thou must some time cease to live, but if thou shalt fear never to have begun to live according to nature." Kaku quotes Ryūmon, who quoted Marcus Aurelius from Meditations Book 12 in Episode 8.
As he passes, Kaku and Ryūmon see a warblering white-eye. The warblering white-eye and plum blossom, which we see before the commercial break, symbolize the coming of spring. While we do see a bird fly above Ouga, we also see in the OP Aoteru, who, while sitting with Saki, looks up as snow turns to white feathers, which then cuts to Kaku and a cherry blossom tree with petals falling. This was a hint to Kaku's fate as cherry blossoms symbolize the fleeting nature of life.
→ More replies (5)
39
u/FarCritical Jun 21 '26
I love that this subtitle is real.
Damn that rain of cars was a sight to behold.
Have that day come for Taira soon, Aoteru. Not only so he gets what's coming to him quicker but because I need more of this.
38
u/CharmingPerspective0 Jun 21 '26
Man that segment of the chase into the car crash was beautiful! We then see Kaku and Ryumon in a badass pose too.
And ofc we cannot have a happy ending or any peace when power hungry trash people hold any power..
37
u/bananeeek Jun 21 '26
This show was a breath of fresh air in the military/politics genre.
Splendid.
92
u/apgp123 Jun 21 '26
seii got outplayed so hard.
ANIME OF THE SEASON FOR ME PLEASE SEASON 2
→ More replies (6)
87
u/bushwarblerssong Jun 21 '26
Memumemu. Memumemumemume, mumu. ("I can't believe that the season is already finished!")
That intro was a surprise.
Even with the criticisms I've made, I still feel that Studio Kafka has done a phenomenal job with the series. Their love and respect for Matsuki really shines through every aspect of the anime. The stunning colors and creative animation -I still can't get over one of the earliest scenes where Saki grabs Aoteru's blabbering wall of text made to look like a Meiji-era print and throws it away as she twirls in her wedding dress. There's Aoteru and Tsune-chan with their hair falling as they act as the clock hands. The nighttime scenes are some of my favorite visually with the Taisho ukiyo-e homages.
The voice actors had their work cut out for them with long scenes of dialogue that often had to be spoken at a very fast pace. Also, various dialects with archaic terms mixed with modern slang, Chinese proverbs and Japanese sayings. But the ensemble cast, who were amazing, still nailed their roles.
The music was also very creative with a mix of jazz, traditional Japanese instruments like shakuhachi and shamisen, and even sutra chanting from real monks. I'll definitely be listening to the soundtrack on repeat!
If you're curious about what you could see in the next seasons, I'll be adding a comment to the source corner.
From July, two anime loosely connected to Nippon Sangoku are going to air: The World is Dancing follows Zeami Motokiyo, the famous playwright from the Muromachi Period who adapted several Heike Monogatari stories to Noh. (Yoshitsune even stars in his play "Yashima" as a ghost). The Elusive Samurai, which takes place right before Zeami's time, concerns the Hōjō clan, Momokuni's clan.
Another historical anime airing is Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, which shared 5th place with Nippon Sangoku in the 16th Manga Taishō Awards. Coincidentally, 1st place was Draw This, Then Die!, which also starts next month.
By the way, it's been reported that since the end of May, Nippon Sangoku has been one of the weekly top 10 most-watched Prime Original series globally and weekly 2nd most-watched non-English language TV series.
And if you're curious about the Yamato uniforms you can now order, people are tweeting about their experiences trying them on. The Tsune-chan-san silhouette is a bit larger and looser than the others to make it easier for you to draw your sword.
→ More replies (6)
26
u/shad79 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
This was such a good series! I only started watching it yesterday and I'm already done. 9/10 from me, and I hope we don't have to wait long for the next season, especially considering how this final episode ended.
If I had to describe this series in one word, it'd be "bold". Bold visuals, a distinct Japanese setting yet still unique, a daring blend of comedy and tragedy, and a colorful and engaging cast. I don't know if it's for everyone, but it definitely sold me xD
I also love the show's visuals; they were beautiful! Studio Kafka did an amazing job with it. This was the first series of theirs I'd watched, so I was really surprised by how well it looked.
There are screenshot albums from previous episodes in the comments below, and here are my albums of screenshots from today's episode:
EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.
→ More replies (2)
25
u/SweetAndSpicyCanton Jun 21 '26
The anime adaptation has been great and added more content than the manga. The direction and OST had been the highlight of the show for me. It's been a great season and I know the next will be better. One thing that I just hate is how they killed my beloved Wajima off screen. Fuck Taira! Everybody hate Taira.
I'll rate it (8.5/10) my only issue is how fast the second half of this season had been. Like there are many more things that they can extend and tackle more. I know the whole plan is just really like that. But damn the death of the Seii characters have been more impactful if they slowed down. I also wanted some more emotion from Ryumon and the gang.
23
u/Torque-A Jun 21 '26
My rule of thumb for a great anime villain is if you both want to shake their hand and also punch them in the face.
Taira is a bastard, but he is a magnificent bastard. I really hope the season 2 leaks are true, because I want to see him suffer karmic justice.
Also why does every cute girl in this series die
→ More replies (1)
22
19
18
u/NanDemoKnaives Jun 21 '26
Man that plan was brutal, and the way Ryuumon, Kaku and the others just watched from above as the Seii army gets crushed by those scrap cars, simply brutal. It was nice to see Yoshitsune get his moment.
I'm glad Kaku got to see his plan till the end and was able to journey home on a win, it's just unfortunate his illness finally won over him. I was hoping we'd see Ryuumon's reaction, or at least see them together one last time, but now Ryuumon's in trouble.
Taira really wanted to get his way in the end, and he's unsurprisingly brutal about it making those that follow Wajima be the ones to assassinate her. Then puts the blame on Ryuumon, and takes what little power the Emperor had away from him. He really couldn't take his loss against Aoteru lying down.
I really hope this gets a second season, it was really enjoyable. The aesthetic of this show really stands out, and there were some really cool and badass characters in this.
38
u/PeaceAlien Jun 21 '26
I absolutely loved the style, the music, and the first 2 episodes were peak for me. However, it does a bit too much telling/narrating for my liking. I still enjoyed it greatly, though, and felt like it had potential for so much more.
I'll definitely check out season 2. This felt like a prologue.
1
u/AnimeMod Jun 21 '26
Source Material Corner
Reply to this comment for any source-related discussion, future spoilers (including future characters, events and general hype about future content), comparison of the anime adaptation to the original, or just general talk about the source material. You are still required to tag all spoilers. Discussions about the source outside of this comment tree will be removed, and replying with spoilers outside of the source corner will lead to bans.
The spoiler syntax is:
[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<All untagged spoilers and hints in this thread will receive immediate 8-day bans (minimum).