Saiunkoku Monogatari (The Story of Saiunkoku)

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Alternative Titles

English: The Story of Saiunkoku

Synonyms: The Tale of Saiun Country, Story of the Land of Many-Colored Clouds, Kokumono, Saimono, ColourCloud Palace

Japanese: 彩雲国物語

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 39

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 8, 2006 to Feb 24, 2007

Premiered: Spring 2006

Broadcast: Unknown

Producers: NHK, Sogo Vision

Licensors: Funimation, Geneon Entertainment USA

Studios: Madhouse

Source: Light novel

Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Historical, Drama

Duration: 25 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 8.03¹ (scored by 24,397 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #533²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1392

Members: 65,252

Favorites: 1,092

8.03

Ranked #533Popularity #1392Members 65,252

Spring 2006TVMadhouse

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Episodes: /39

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Synopsis

Most people think being born into a noble family means a life of comfort and wealth. That couldn't be further from the truth for Shuurei Kou. Despite the Kou family being an old and important bloodline, they've fallen on hard times. Shuurei's father works as an archivist in the Imperial library, which is a prestigious position, but unfortunately not one that pays much. To put food on the table, Shuurei works odd jobs such as teaching young children or playing live music in a restaurant―and even then, it's barely enough.

Then, one day, a court advisor makes Shuurei an offer. If she becomes the concubine of the new, but lazy, emperor and teaches him how to become a good ruler, then she will receive 500 pieces of gold. Never one to turn down good money, Shuurei accepts the proposition. After all, the new emperor only prefers men so her virtue is safe… or so she thinks.

The more time she spends in the palace, the more her old dream of becoming a court official is reignited. There's only one problem: she's a woman and women do not become government officials. Shuurei may be able to turn the emperor into a good ruler, but will it be at the expense of her own aspirations?

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Saiunkoku Monogatari
Sequel:	Saiunkoku Monogatari 2nd Season
Summary:	Saiunkoku Monogatari Recaps

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

Kou, Shuurei

Main

Kuwashima, Houko
Japanese

Shi, Ryuuki

Main

Seki, Tomokazu
Japanese

Shi, Seiran

Main

Midorikawa, Hikaru
Japanese

Li, Kouyuu

Main

Hiyama, Nobuyuki
Japanese

Ran, Shuuei

Main

Morikawa, Toshiyuki
Japanese

Sa, Sakujun

Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito
Japanese

Ran, Ryuuren

Supporting

Kiuchi, Hidenobu
Japanese

Rou, Ensei

Supporting

Itou, Kentarou
Japanese

Kou, Reishin

Supporting

Madono, Mitsuaki
Japanese

Kou, Houju

Supporting

Nakata, Kazuhiro
Japanese

More staff
Staff

Shishido, Jun

Director

Sakoi, Masayuki

Episode Director

Yoshida, Reiko

Script, Series Composition

Yamada, Yuka

Script

Edit Opening Theme

"Hajimari no Kaze" by Ayaka Hirahara

Edit Ending Theme

"Saikou no Kataomoi" by Sachi Tainaka

More reviewsReviews

Feb 20, 2009

39 of 39 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

adamantine (All reviews)

205 people found this review helpful

Oh, Saiunkoku Monogatari. I will never understand why this show isn't more popular. But I digress.

Story: 10

At first glance, the plot may seem a bit shallow - a girl becomes the consort of a reluctant Emperor, let the silliness begin! - but wow does it become so much more. Essentially, Saiunkoku Monogatari is an engaging drama filled with political intrigue disguised as a simple reverse harem story. Even the simplest details connect to overall story and the plot becomes more and more developed as the show progresses.

Animation: 8

Not much to say here other than Saiunkoku Monogatari does have an overdose of bishies. Don't let read more

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Jun 22, 2007

39 of 39 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

jet2r0cks (All reviews)

119 people found this review helpful

Almost everyone who has seen Saiunkoku Monogatari has compared it to Fushigi Yuugi. Sure, there are similar elements, such as the ancient China setting, the characters\' appearance and of course the reverse harem. However, I think that the thing that links both series the most is that they\'re both really good.

The story focuses on Shuurei Kou, a resident of Saiunkoku. She dreams of becoming a government official and throughout the series, we see her chasing that dream, as well as juggling love, friendship and work at the same time.

I greatly admire Shuurei, as well as the other women characters in this series. She\'s definitely not like Miaka, personality-wise (she does look a bit like Miaka). She\'s smart, capable, and courageous; She carries with her all the virtues that women should have, and the story focused more on her qualities rather than her appearance (honestly, the boys are prettier than Shuurei). I believe that Saiunkoku Monogatari is one rare anime that portrays how women can make a huge difference in their societies. First you have Shuurei, who defied all odds and emerged superior in the end. There\'s also Sai Rin, who surpassed her male sibling and became one of the heads of the merchant alliance. There\'s Eiki, who refuses to have anyone tell her what to do.

Even with the slightly feminist theme, I do believe that Saiunkoku Monogatari can gain a male audience. The male characters are also very chivalrous and noble. My favorite would be Ensei and Seiran. Both of them are ready to give up their lives for the future of their loved ones. There\'s also Eigetsu, who is able to accomplish so much at such a young age. If you\'re not satisfied with that, there\'s always the chinese proverbs that are given in every episode (they double as episode titles).

Madhouse never fails to amuse me. I always say that anything Madhouse makes is automatically a must see for me. However, I am a bit disappointed this time. The animation for Saiunkoku Monogatari wasn\'t so impressive (but the last few episodes improved). I noticed that the movements weren\'t so smooth (Fight scenes need work), and I wasn\'t a fan of the color scheme either. It wasn\'t that bad, but it wasn\'t that good either.

Voice acting was very interesting. I actually had a chance to see clips of the voice actors working, and it was very entertaining to watch Houko Kuwashima (Shuurei) and Tomokazu Seki (Ryuuki). I think they did a very good job of portraying their respective characters\' personalities.

The music wasn\'t that impressive at first either, but in time I started to like it. I even had the lyrics to the opening and ending themes memorized. I guess I didn\'t like it too much because I usually prefer contemporary anime music, but it did fit the theme of the series very well. I think they even used Chinese instruments to produce the music.

Truth be told, I usually prefer anime series that are set in modern time and in the real world. The fact that it\'s set in ancient China threw me off at first, but by watching it I was able to see what a gem it really is. It was very entertaining, educational and even funny at times. Saiunkoku Monogatari was able to sway my preference because it is truly an inspiring tale and it should be seen by everyone (And I can\'t wait for the second season!).

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Aug 28, 2009

39 of 39 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

Venneh (All reviews)

39 people found this review helpful

TITLE: Saiunkoku Monogatari (The Story of Saiunkoku)

LIGHT NOVEL, ANIME: Saiunkoku Monogatari was originally a series of light novels written by Yui Sakino and illustrated by Kairi Yura. As of the time of this review, the series is still ongoing, with fourteen collected novels and three side story anthologies.

The anime adaptation of Saiunkoku Monogatari was directed by Jun Shishido (well-known for his work on Hajime no Ippou: New Challenger and as an episode director on Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad) and was produced by Studio Madhouse (well-known for their work on Death Note and Dennou Coil). It aired on Japanese TV from read more

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Jan 1, 2008

39 of 39 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

KuroiNamida (All reviews)

35 people found this review helpful

Many people say Saiunkoku Monogatari is like Fushigi Yuugi. I, however, find them very different. Fushigi Yuugi is more fictional and serious, while Saiunkoku Monogatari will almost always have you cracking up and is completely realistic. They do both have female main characters that work hard to achieve their goals though.
Speaking strictly about Saiunkoku Monogatari, there is an overall plot that contains many shorter stories within it. One of the best things about this series is that it seems spontaneous - one event leads directly to another. However, this shift is never fluid. There are always obstacles that the main character - Kou Shurrei - read more

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