Saiunkoku Monogatari
Posted on: November 6, 2007
summary of plot – concubine turned palace official makes good governor of neighboring province. a 2005 anime series now in it’s second season, i’m just about half way through the first season’s 39 episodes.
recommended by a colleague for it’s good storyline, i delved into the world of Saiunkokku during my short weekend break from the tedious norm that which we call life. verdict so far – pretty interesting bordering on so-so.
first 3 episodes almost saw me giving up. being brainwashed by the olden times tv dramas where kings and concubines know their place and power, this anime really caught me with my thoughts in disarray. not only is the king portrayed as ghey, but a simple-minded fool who does not know literally anything. bring in a poor girl as concubine with the intention of teaching the king his rightful ways, and it just gets pretty confusing…if this can be digested for what it is.
finishing episode 7 shed some light to the whole ordeal, in depth explanation on why and how things is as they are is put into place. makes it almost acceptable that this kind of situation can exist. also, this is when it gets plot heavy with conspiracies and palace politics involved.
once the show shifts into gear, you’ll be majorly surprised at how fleshed out the characters are, and if all goes well, you just might find yourself attached to them. new plots keep appearing here and there, new characters are introduced as new episodes come into play.
stick with it long enough and you will find it enjoyable. surprisingly good as it progresses is what it is. i have one gripe thought. the music does not convey the mood of the happenings. the fight scenes should be orchestrated with much more finesse and i have to say the supporting background sound is mediocre at best.
besides that small detail, the series is watchable. if compared with all the heavy mecha animes, bounching fan-service shows and harem slaves plots, this one would beat them all and grind them to a pulp. strong character development is it’s strength and interesting ongoing plots is what will draw you in.
Saiunkoku Monogatari translates to “Tale of the Land of Many-Coloured Clouds” or more fondly as my colleague would call it, Color Cloud Palace. watch it if you have nothing better to do. i know i am.
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