 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 975 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 13UP | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 10/06/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 11/19/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
SYNOPSIS:
Saiunkoku is a country with eight powerful houses governed by one emperor. However the new leader Ryuki Shi cares not for his new role and is rumoured to spend his days chasing after noblemen in his court. Enter Shurei Hong, a princess whose family has fallen upon hard times. Her dreams of becoming a government official are unattainable since she is a woman, but a twist of fate gives her the chance of a lifetime. If she agrees to become the emperor’s consort and turn him into a respectable ruler, she will be greatly rewarded... Contains the entire 39 episode series on 9 discs in one thinpack box set!
REVIEW:
The anime is based on the light novels by Sai Yukino and beautifully illustrated by artist Kairi Yura. The heroine is a girl from a noble family that has fallen on hard times. The land has suffered and the girl Shurei has grown stronger and selfless because of it. She has a strong sense of right and decency and considers the needs of the people before all else. Incensed at the rumors of an apathetic ruler, she reluctantly but determinedly decides to take on the dubious and improbable task of making Ryuki a ruler worthy of his people. She must contend with rumors of him being a playboy amongst the male members of the court and she must ensure that he is learning the proper rules, decorum, and protocol expected of a person in his position. All in all, the odds are stacked again her, but what no one could have expected was the romance and incredible journey it would take her upon. A journey that would see the state of the country she loves rest in her hands. The tale of Shurei is the tale of Saiunkoku, the land that she loves. Her time posing as Ryuki’s consort in order to tutor him is one that appals her pride but she is a woman who bows to necessity if it is for the greater good. She is also a woman who longs to be a government official in order to help the people, a selfless goal thwarted due to her gender being disallowed such a position, but an ambition and selfless desire that inspires the ruler she is trying to instil such virtues upon. Ryuki is much more than meets the eye, as are most of the people in his court. A guard who stays close to him is more than a simple loyal soldier and there is a hint of a romantic triangle that evolves over time between the three of them. Ryuki falls in love with Shurei and is stirred to become a better man. In turn he shows Shurei that there is always more to learn, and more to him, than she could have ever guessed. As the story progresses he makes her dream come true by giving her the opportunity to study and take the exams to become an official. Even there drama finds her when she must deal with sexism and ridicule as well as sabotage and accusations of cheating. When she is at last the first female government official, she and the youngest ever official, a boy named Eigetsu, are given the task of quelling trouble in the discontented land of Sa. Her travels there will unravel a plot that could threaten to topple the country and imperil all she holds dear. The final act of the anime sees Shurei embroiled in political intrigue, potential coups, assassins, and secrets all of which she must carefully negotiate in order to save the Land of Sa, serve the ruler she now respects, and save herself from a marriage proposal that might be too dangerous to refuse! Overall it is a wonderfully layered if sometimes slow paced story. It has a rich cast of interesting characters that keep things around Shurei exciting and occasionally perilous. There are many back stories involving them that enrich the overall tale and world development portrayed in the anime. The only criticism aside from its slow pace is the unresolved state of her relationship with Ryuki at the end of the anime. It was a main attraction to the story and it would have been nice to see a greater resolution portrayed. The animation was produced by Madhouse, an extremely versatile animation studio that has done well known anime titles such as Batman Gotham Knight, Strawberry Panic, Texhnolyze, Gunslinger Girl, and Chobits to name but a few in their vast repertoire. For Saiunkoku, the studio offers an appealing soft pastel look suited to a series translated as “Tale of the Land of Colored Clouds” with gentle colors. There are beautiful details in the backgrounds and landscape and appealing designs to the period piece costumes and hairstyles. It also holds a lovely score with an irresistible opening theme song.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features include clean opening versions 1 and 2, clean ending of episode 39, and Geneon previews.
IN SUMMARY:
Saiunkoku is one of those rare anime epics that only come once in a while. Along the lines of Fushigi Yuugi and Twelve Kingdoms, it is a layered fantasy saga that is involving, charming, and heart warming. |
