▁neither ▁the ▁series ▁nor ▁the ▁an ime ▁concentr ates ▁sole ly ▁on ▁You ko ▁and ▁they ▁do ▁tell ▁stories ▁of ▁other ▁characters . ▁The ▁an ime ▁uses ▁You ko ▁as ▁a ▁fr aming ▁device ▁for ▁telling ▁other ▁stories ▁while ▁the ▁nov els ▁do ▁not . ▁ ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁Tw elve ▁Kingdom s ▁has ▁a ▁monarch ▁and ▁a ▁Kir in , ▁a ▁myth ological ▁be ast ▁who ▁first ▁selects ▁and ▁then ▁serves ▁the ▁monarch ▁of ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁kingdom ▁and ▁can ▁assume ▁human ▁form . ▁Though ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁r ul ers ▁and ▁Kir in ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁focus ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁many ▁are ▁encountered ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁and ▁play ▁a ▁significant ▁role . ▁ ▁The ▁nov els ▁focus ▁on ▁several ▁characters ▁other ▁than ▁You ko , ▁including ▁Ta iki , ▁a ▁tim id ▁rare ▁black ▁Kir in ▁who ▁serves ▁the ▁r uler ▁of ▁Tai , ▁and ▁En ki ▁and ▁Sh our y u u , ▁the ▁Kir in ▁and ▁King ▁of ▁En ▁respectively . ▁Other ▁major ▁characters ▁include ▁Ke iki , ▁the ▁Kir in ▁of ▁Ke i ▁who ▁brings ▁You ko ▁to ▁the ▁Tw elve ▁Kingdom s ; ▁Gy ous ou , ▁a ▁general ▁chosen ▁by ▁Ta iki ▁to ▁become ▁King ▁of ▁Tai ; ▁Sh ush ou , ▁the ▁Queen ▁of ▁K you ; ▁Sh ou ke i , ▁the ▁dis posed ▁prin cess ▁of ▁Hou , ▁and ▁Su zu , ▁a ▁pe asant ▁girl ▁who ▁is ▁unexpected ly ▁transport ed ▁from ▁Japan ▁to ▁the ▁Tw elve ▁Kingdom s .