History YMMV / TheTwelveKingdoms

** She is far more fortunate than other people such as the peasants of Hou who were executed mercilessly by the hundreds of thousands for ridiculous reasons; Shoukei who was pulled out her royal life and forced to live in a Rike, often being tortured and almost executed by the peasants in a brutal fashion; or Youko who was brought to an unknown world and was battling against dozens of youma every hour to survive in the wilderness and had lost both her "friends" in the process, with the male friend going insane and the female believing that it was her destiny to kill her and later finding it hard to trust anyone when one of her acquaintances attempts to sell her to a brothel. Suzu's problems are absolutely petty in comparison to the others but she fusses more than anyone. She forces her mistress' Sekko youma to take her to the Sai Kingdom by screaming and kicking at it and her creepy fantasies about the Kei-Ou, with the belief that she will manage to instantly befriend her because she is also a Kyoukai to live her days in luxury in the palace, certainly do not help.

** She is far more fortunate than other people such as the peasants of Hou who were executed mercilessly by the hundreds of thousands for ridiculous reasons; Shoukei who was pulled out her royal life and forced to live in a Rike, often being tortured and almost executed by the peasants in a brutal fashion; or Youko who was brought to an unknown world and was battling against dozens of youma every hour to survive in the wilderness and had lost both her "friends" in the process, with the male friend going insane and the female believing that it was her destiny to kill her and later finding it hard to trust anyone when one of her acquaintances attempts to sell her to a brothel. Suzu's problems are absolutely petty in comparison to the others but she fusses more than anyone. Her creepy fantasies about the Kei-Ou and belief that she will manage to instantly befriend her because she is also a Kyoukai and then be able to live her days in luxury in the Kei Palace, do not help.

* TheScrappy: Suzu is far whinier than Youko was at beginning of the series and thus ''unbearably annoying'' for the overwhelimng majority of the fanbase. She was a Kyoukai with no special skills whatsoever but was allowed to travel with a Shuusei troupe for 3 years upon arriving. Despite this, she never makes any effort to learn about the language or culture of the Twelve Kingdoms. She is later given the ability to speak the language and immortality after being registered as a Sen-Nin by her mistress. Despite having lived in the Twelve Kingdoms for ''at least 105 years'' because of Sen-Nin status, she is still very ignorant and quite the idiot with some of the decisions she makes. Although her mistress did treat her poorly, she exaggerates the abuse and she often causes many of the mistakes in the first place with her absent-mindedness. She is far more fortunate than other people such as the peasants of Hou who were executed mercilessly by the hundreds of thousands for ridiculous reasons; Shoukei who was pulled out her royal life and forced to live in a Rike, often being tortured and almost executed by the peasants in a brutal fashion; or Youko who was brought to an unknown world and was battling against dozens of youma every hour to survive in the wilderness and had lost both her "friends" in the process, with the male friend going insane and the female believing that it was her destiny to kill her and later finding it hard to trust anyone when one of her acquaintances attempts to sell her to a brothel. Suzu's problems are absolutely petty in comparison to the others but she fusses more than anyone. Her creepy fantasies about the Kei-Ou and belief that she will manage to instantly befriend her because she is also a Kyoukai and then be able to live her days in luxury in the Kei Palace, do not help.

* TheScrappy: Suzu is far whinier than Youko was at beginning of the series and thus ''unbearably annoying'' for the overwhelimng majority of the fanbase. She was a Kyoukai with no special skills whatsoever but was allowed to travel with a Shuusei troupe for 3 years upon arriving. Despite this, she never makes any effort to learn about the language or culture of the Twelve Kingdoms. She is later given the ability to speak the language and immortality after being registered as a Sen-Nin by her mistress. Despite having lived in the Twelve Kingdoms for ''at least 105 years'' because of Sen-Nin status, she is still very ignorant and quite the idiot with some of the decisions she makes. Although her mistress did treat her poorly, she exaggerates the abuse and she often causes many of the mistakes in the first place with her absent-mindedness. She is far more fortunate than other people such as the peasants of Hou who were executed mercilessly by the hundreds of thousands for ridiculous reasons; Shoukei who was pulled out her royal life and forced to live in a Rike, often being tortured and almost executed by the peasants in a brutal fashion; or Youko who was brought to an unknown world and was battling against dozens of youma every hour to survive in the wilderness and had lost both her "friends" in the process, with the male friend going insane and the female believing that it was her destiny to kill her and later finding it hard to trust anyone when one of her acquaintances attempts to sell her to a brothel. Suzu's creepy fantasies about the Kei-Ou and her belief that she will manage to instantly befriend her because she is also a Kyoukai and then be able to live her days in luxury in the Kei Palace, do not help.

* TheScrappy: Suzu is far whinier than Youko was at beginning of the series and thus ''incredibly annoying''. She was a Kyoukai with no special skills whatsoever but was given the ability to speak the language and immortality after being registered as a Sen-Nin. She never makes any effort to learn about the language or culture despite having lived in the Twelve Kingdoms for ''at least 105 years'', yet continues to complain about how difficult life is. Although her mistress did treat her poorly, she exaggerates the abuse and she often causes many of the mistakes with her clumsiness. She is far more fortunate than other people such as the peasants of Hou who were executed mercilessly by the hundreds of thousands; Shoukei who was forced to live in a Rike and was often tortured and almost executed by the peasants in a brutal fashion or Youko who was brought to a new world and was battling against dozens of youma every hour to survive in the wilderness and had lost both her "friends" in the process, with the male friend going insane and the female believing that it was her destiny to kill her. Suzu's creepy fantasies about the Kei-Ou and her belief that she will befriend her because she is also a Kyoukai and then live her days in luxury in the Kei Palace, does not help.

* TheScrappy: Suzu is far whinier than Youko was at beginning of the series and thus ''incredibly annoying''. She is incredibly lucky yet complains and complains. She was a Kyoukai with no special skills whatsoever yet was given the ability to speak the language and immortality after being registered as a Sen-Nin.

** Suzu's backstory.

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] AppealToForce: Without a kirin's direct demonstration of the monarch's receiving the MandateOfHeaven ([[spoiler:or without the latter's literal ContractualImmortality]]), victories such as Youko's re-subordination of her own [[spoiler:illegally-dispatched]] royal army, and subsequent 'major alterations' to her [[spoiler:previously corrupt]] court would have been all but impossible due to [[HumansAreFlawed human nature]], especially [[CorruptPolitician as regards politics]]. Bottom line: if she hadn't been made a [[GodEmperor Goddess-Empress]], possessing the fealty of even supernatural beings, Youko wouldn't have been able to escape being a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Strawman [[AndThenWhat conveniently forgot to mention]] that failure to live up to the [[ComesGreatResponsibility divine responsibility]] necessarily results in [[BoltOfDivineRetribution fatal judgment]], or that a strong-willed, good, absolute monarch can cleanse a land of corruption/evil approximately [[DemocracyIsBad infinity times faster than democracy]]. Eventually, Youko herself explains to her court, and even Keiki, what she believes the real problem is: [[spoiler:an entire culture encouraging terror at the prospect of challenging, but especially speaking out against, wrongdoing by superiors]]. Kei doesn't get better until she forces it to do so.

* Actual CharacterDevelopment: As also alluded to below in WhatMeasureIsANonBadass, Youko begins as a 16 year old girl who is not only terrified of supernatural events and/or violence suddenly happening around and to her out of nowhere, but at being told that all responsibility for a foreign land that she knows nothing about rests on her shoulders via a [[BecauseDestinySaysSo divine mandate]] that she had no say on, whatsoever. By the conclusion, she has [[spoiler:imposed a new, respect-based worldview on a culture that desperately needed it]], [[spoiler:doesn't bat an eyelash when either dueling murderous officials to the death or staring down tens of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers (who, she herself points out, are in fact required to obey all her commands without question)]], and [[spoiler:shows willingness to enact firm (if temporary) judgment on once-close friends who turn on her out of misguided good intentions]]. If there's a more blatant example of a story where StatusQuoIsGod is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], go and find it.

* Actual CharacterDevelopment: As also alluded to below in WhatMeasureIsANonBadass, Youko begins as a 16 year old girl who is not only terrified of supernatural events and/or violence suddenly happening around and to her out of nowhere, but at being told that all responsibility for a foreign land that she knows nothing about rests on her shoulders via a [[BecauseDestinySaysSo divine mandate]] that she had and has no say on, whatsoever. By the conclusion, she has [[spoiler:imposed a new, respect-based worldview on a culture that desperately needed it]], [[spoiler:doesn't bat an eyelash when either dueling murderous officials to the death or staring down tens of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers (who, she herself points out, are in fact required to obey all her commands without question)]], and [[spoiler:shows willingness to enact firm (if temporary) judgment on once-close friends who turn on her out of misguided good intentions]]. If there's a more blatant example of a story where StatusQuoIsGod is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], go and find it.

* Actual CharacterDevelopment: As also alluded to below in WhatMeasureIsANonBadass, Youko begins as a 16 year old girl who is not only terrified of supernatural events and/or violence suddenly happening around her out of nowhere, but at being told that all responsibility for a foreign land that she knows nothing about rests on her shoulders via a [[BecauseDestinySaysSo divine mandate]] that she had and has no say on, whatsoever. By the conclusion, she has [[spoiler:imposed a new, respect-based worldview on a culture that desperately needed it]], [[spoiler:doesn't bat an eyelash when either dueling murderous officials to the death or staring down tens of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers (who, she herself points out, are in fact required to obey all her commands without question)]], and [[spoiler:shows willingness to enact firm (if temporary) judgment on once-close friends who turn on her out of misguided good intentions]]. If there's a more blatant example of a story where StatusQuoIsGod is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], go and find it.

* Actual CharacterDevelopment: As also alluded to below in WhatMeasureIsANonBadass, Youko begins as a 16 year old girl who is not only terrified of supernatural events suddenly happening around her out of nowhere, but at being told that all responsibility for a foreign land that she knows nothing about rests on her shoulders via a [[BecauseDestinySaysSo divine mandate]] that she had and has no say on, whatsoever. By the conclusion, she has [[spoiler:imposed a new, respect-based worldview on a culture that desperately needed it]], [[spoiler:doesn't bat an eyelash when either dueling murderous officials to the death or staring down tens of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers (who, she herself points out, are in fact required to obey all her commands without question)]], and [[spoiler:shows willingness to enact firm (if temporary) judgment on once-close friends who turn on her out of misguided good intentions]]. If there's a more blatant example of a story where StatusQuoIsGod is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], go and find it.

* Actual CharacterDevelopment: As also alluded to below in WhatMeasureIsANonBadass, Youko begins as a 16 year old girl who is not only terrified of supernatural events suddenly happening around her out of nowhere, but at being told that all responsibility for a foreign land that she knows nothing about rests on her shoulders via a divine mandate that she had no say on, whatsoever. By the conclusion, she has [[spoiler:imposed a new, respect-based worldview on a culture that desperately needed it]], [[spoiler:doesn't bat an eyelash when either dueling murderous officials to the death or staring down tens of thousands of battle-hardened soldiers (who, she herself points out, are in fact required to obey all her commands without question)]], and [[spoiler:shows willingness to enact firm (if temporary) judgment on once-close friends who turn on her out of misguided good intentions]]. If there's a more blatant example of a story where StatusQuoIsGod is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], go and find it.

* Actual CharacterDevelopment: As also alluded to below in WhatMeasureIsANonBadass, Youko begins as a 16 year old girl who is not only terrified of supernatural events suddenly happening around her out of nowhere, but at being told that all responsibility for a foreign land that she knows nothing about rests on her shoulders via a divine mandate that she had no say on, whatsoever. By the (current) conclusion, she has [[spoiler:imposed a new, respect-based worldview on a culture that desperately needed it]], [[spoiler:doesn't bat an eyelash when either dueling murderous officials to the death or staring down tens of thousands of hardened soldiers (who, she herself points out, are in fact required to obey all her commands without question)]], and [[spoilers:shows willingness to enact firm (if temporary) judgment on once-close friends who turn on her out of misguided good intentions]]. If there's a more blatant example of a story where StatusQuoIsGod is subverted, go and find it.

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] AppealToForce: Without a kirin's direct demonstration of the monarch's receiving the MandateOfHeaven ([[spoiler:or without the latter's literal ContractualImmortality]]), victories such as Youko's re-subordination of her own [[spoiler:illegally-dispatched]] royal army, and subsequent 'major alterations' to her [[spoiler:until-then considerably corrupt]] court would have been all but impossible due to [[HumansAreFlawed human nature]], especially [[CorruptPolitician as regards politics]]. Bottom line: if she hadn't been made a [[GodEmperor Goddess-Empress]], possessing the fealty of even supernatural beings, Youko wouldn't have been able to escape being a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Strawman [[AndThenWhat conveniently forgot to mention]] that failure to live up to the [[ComesGreatResponsibility divine responsibility]] necessarily results in [[BoltOfDivineRetribution fatal judgment]], or that a strong-willed, good, absolute monarch can cleanse a land of corruption/evil approximately [[DemocracyIsBad infinity times faster than democracy]]. Eventually, Youko herself explains to her court, and even Keiki, what she believes the real problem is: [[spoiler:an entire culture encouraging terror at the prospect of challenging, but especially speaking out against, wrongdoing by superiors]]. Kei doesn't get better until she forces it to do so.

** Justified AppealToForce: Without a kirin's direct demonstration of the monarch's receiving the MandateOfHeaven ([[spoiler:or without the latter's literal ContractualImmortality]]), victories such as Youko's re-subordination of her own [[spoiler:illegally-dispatched]] royal army, and subsequent 'major alterations' to her [[spoiler:until-then considerably corrupt]] court would have been all but impossible due to [[HumansAreFlawed human nature]], especially [[CorruptPolitician as regards politics]]. Bottom line: if she hadn't been made a [[GodEmperor Goddess-Empress]], possessing the fealty of even supernatural beings, Youko wouldn't have been able to escape being a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Strawman [[AndThenWhat conveniently forgot to mention]] that failure to live up to the [[ComesGreatResponsibility divine responsibility]] necessarily results in [[BoltOfDivineRetribution fatal judgment]], or that a strong-willed, good, absolute monarch can cleanse a land of corruption/evil approximately [[DemocracyIsBad infinity times faster than democracy]]. Eventually, Youko herself explains to her court, and even Keiki, what she believes the real problem is: [[spoiler:an entire culture encouraging terror at the prospect of challenging, but especially speaking out against, wrongdoing by superiors]]. Kei doesn't get better until she forces it to do so.

** Justified AppealToForce: Without a kirin's direct demonstration of the monarch's receiving the MandateOfHeaven ([[spoiler:or without the latter's literally ContractualImmortality]]), victories such as Youko's re-subordination of her own [[spoiler:illegally-dispatched]] royal army, and subsequent 'major alterations' to her [[spoiler:until-then considerably corrupt]] court would have been all but impossible due to [[HumansAreFlawed human nature]], especially [[CorruptPolitician as regards politics]]. Bottom line: if she hadn't been made a [[GodEmperor Goddess-Empress]], possessing the fealty of even supernatural beings, Youko wouldn't have been able to escape being a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Strawman [[AndThenWhat conveniently forgot to mention]] that failure to live up to the [[ComesGreatResponsibility divine responsibility]] necessarily results in [[BoltOfDivineRetribution fatal judgment]], or that a strong-willed, good, absolute monarch can cleanse a land of corruption/evil approximately [[DemocracyIsBad infinity times faster than democracy]]. Eventually, Youko herself explains to her court, and even Keiki, what she believes the real problem is: [[spoiler:an entire culture encouraging terror at the prospect of challenging, but especially speaking out against, wrongdoing by superiors]].

** Justified AppealToForce: Without a kirin's direct demonstration of the monarch's receiving the MandateOfHeaven ([[spoiler:or without the latter's literally ContractualImmortality]]), victories such as Youko's re-subordination of her own [[spoiler:illegally-dispatched]] royal army, and subsequent 'major alterations' to her [[spoiler:until-then considerably corrupt]] court would have been all but impossible due to [[HumansAreFlawed human nature]], especially [[CorruptPolitician as regards politics]]. Bottom line: if she hadn't been made a [[GodEmperor Goddess-Empress]], possessing the fealty of even supernatural beings, Youko wouldn't have been able to escape being a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Strawman [[AndThenWhat conveniently forgot to mention]] that failure to live up to the [[ComesGreatResponsibility divine responsibility]] necessarily results in [[BoltOfDivineRetribution fatal judgment]], or that a strong-willed, good, absolute monarch can cleanse a land of corruption/evil approximately [[DemocracyIsBad infinity times faster than democracy]]. Eventually, Youko herself explains to her court, and even Keiki, what she believes the real problem is: [[spoiler:an entire culture encouraging terror at the prospect of challenging, but especially speaking out against, wrongdoing]].

** Justified AppealToForce: Without a kirin's direct demonstration of the monarch's receiving the MandateOfHeaven ([[spoiler:or without the latter's literally ContracturalImmortality]]), victories such as Youko's re-subordination of her own [[spoiler:illegally-dispatched]] royal army, and subsequent 'major alterations' to her [[spoiler:until-then considerably corrupt]] court would have been all but impossible due to [[HumansAreFlawed human nature]], especially [[CorruptPolitician as regards politics]]. Bottom line: if she hadn't been made a [[GodEmperor Goddess-Empress]], possessing the fealty of even supernatural beings, Youko wouldn't have been able to escape being a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Strawman [[AndThenWhat conveniently forgot to mention]] that failure to live up to the [[ComesGreatResponsibility divine responsibility]] necessarily results in [[BoltOfDivineRetribution fatal judgment]], or that a strong-willed, good, absolute monarch can cleanse a land of corruption/evil approximately [[DemocracyIsBad infinity times faster than democracy]]. Eventually, Youko herself explains to her court, and even Keiki, what she believes the real problem is: [[spoiler:an entire culture encouraging terror at the prospect of challenging, but especially speaking out against, wrongdoing]].

** Youko's reaction to poor [[spoiler: Rangyaku]]'s horrible death.

** [[spoiler: Asano's]] death in [[spoiler: Shoukei's arms]], and when [[spoiler: Youko, Shoukei and Suzu mourn together for him.]]

* TheWoobie: Taiki

* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Face it, fandom. If Youko had not been "a coward", "a pushover", and a "zero whiner and unsympathetic lead", she ''would have not grown into the physically/mentally strong yet still kind and sensitive ActionGirl we love''. It's pretty repulsive to see people whine and complain about how Youko starts out as a total moron, refusing to see that she was raised in a very exigent household (specially thanks to her ''very'' demanding father) as well as subjected to lots of pressure to become a YamatoNadeshiko, so it's very understandable to see her stumble and be terrified at first. Dissing and badmouthing the flawed and insecure Youko from the beginning is '''''NOT''''' the best way to praise how she develops through the series.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome:
** Youko facing down the manifestation of her doubts and fears... [[spoiler:and cutting his head off.]]
** Youko facing down an entire army and telling them to kneel... [[spoiler:and they do.]]
** We needn't forget the battle of wills between Taiki, a timid ten-year-old boy, and Gouran, a massively powerful changeling demon. [[spoiler:Taiki wins and makes Gouran his servant.]]
** '''Shoryuu:''' "I am the King of En!".
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming:
** Youko's reunion with Rakushun.
** When Keiki is rescued by Youko and sees [[spoiler: the recently {{HeelFaceTurn}}ed Yuka]] is with her, and Youko refers to her as "her friend". Made even cuter by [[spoiler: Yuka]]'s embarrassed reaction.
** Sanshi bringing Taiki back to Mount Hou through a portal looks very much like a mother rescuing her drowning child.

* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Face it, fandom. If Youko had not been "a coward", "a pushover", and a "zero whiner and unsympathetic lead", she ''would have not grown into the physically/mentally strong yet still kind and sensitive ActionGirl we love''. It's pretty repulsive to see people whine and complain about how Youko starts out as a total moron, refusing to see that she was raised in a very exigent household (specially thanks to her ''very'' demanding father) as well as subjected to lots of pressure to become a YamatoNadeshiko, so it's very understandable to see her stumble and be terrified at first. Dissing and badmouthing the flawed and insecure Youko from the beginning is '''''NOT''''' the best way to praise how she develops through the series.

* WhatMeasureIsANonBadass: Face it, fandom. If Youko had not been "a coward", "a pushover", and a "zero whiner and unsympathetic lead", she ''would have not grown into the physically/mentally strong yet still kind and sensitive ActionGirl we love''. It's pretty repulsive to see people whine and complain about how Youko starts out as a total moron, refusing to see that she was raised in a very exigent household (specially thanks to her ''very'' demanding father) as well as subjected to lots of pressure to become a YamatoNadeshiko, so it's very understandable to see her stumble and be terrified at first. Dissing and badmouthing the flawed and insecure Youko from the beginning is '''''NOT''''' the best way to praise how she develops through the series-

** Shoukei throwing stones at the Wa executioners, just like the son of the old peasant woman.
** [[spoiler: Asano's]] death in [[spoiler: Shoukei's arms]], and when [[spoiler: Youko, Shoukei and Suzu mourn together for him.]]