Saiunkoku Monogatari

Shuurei Kou, the daughter of a noble yet impoverished family, is a clever young lady who dreams of becoming a government official and contributing toward her country. However, her dream is out of her reach as such a position is forbidden to women. While her father works a low wage job as an archivist at the palace, Shuurei has to juggle odd jobs to make ends meet. Then, one day, an unexpected visit changes her life.

Shuurei is called to assist Ryuuki Shi, the new emperor who is known for slacking on his duties and preferring the company of men. Tempted by the generous compensation, she readily accepts the chance to become the young emperor's consort for six months. Luckily, she is not alone as Seiran Shi, her trusty friend, joins her as Ryuuki's bodyguard. While tasked with transforming the new emperor into a responsible ruler, court life and politics prove troublesome as Shuurei faces the challenges of her new life.

Set in a fictional country, Saiunkoku Monogatari centers on the idea of meaningful leadership, its adversities and the rewards that come alongside a prospering nation.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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

Maruyama, Masao Producer

Shishido, Jun Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Sakoi, Masayuki Episode Director

Ootani, Hajime Episode Director

Reviews

Feb 20, 2009

adamantine

Recommended

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 ... that deter you though. None of the characters are there just for looks.

Sound: 8

Pretty well done score. Some of the highlights include anytime Shuurei plays the erhu and the OP/ED themes.

Character: 10

This show has a lot of characters, but they are introduced slowly and all of the major characters have their backgrounds fleshed out enough. Shuurei is easily one of the best female protagonists I've come across. She has a girl power! attitude that never comes off as obnoxious. Her interactions with the rest of the cast are entertaining to watch. She has a magnetic personality, but not to the point of ridiculousness (Honda Tohru comes to mind). Though truth is, I kind of like all of the characters. Some stand outs include Seiran (one of my top ten favourite characters ever) and Ryuuren with his crazy flute.

Enjoyment: 10

The plot twists, the characters, the everything. I finished this show some time ago, but I wouldn't mind rewatching it. It's the kind of show where you miss little details the first time around.

Overall: 10

My enjoyment of this show compels me to give it a 10. The story is just so much more than a little blurb of a summary. The characters really grew on me, the soundtrack added to the mood. The beautiful backgrounds always caught my eye. There's just so much substance to this show - it's not for someone looking for a simple story. Prepare to be sucked into the world of Saiunkoku Monogatari, I know I was.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Nov 13, 2009

shootdawoop

Mixed Feelings

I couldn't fall in love with this dull "romantic" anime. It was more about government than love, honestly I wouldn't watch this anime if you want some comedy and romance. It'll kill your vibe to watch anime for about two weeks. The characters are explained well, but the whole story was a bit above average because of some of the fighting/government scenes. Overall, it's not something I would recommend for starting anime watchers, but veterans who have nothing else to do.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 21, 2016

GrayRealm

Not Recommended

I've just finished watching Sainkoku Monogatari, and I can tell that it was quite horrible....

The anime has nice artwork, good sound, and nice music, there's an interesting atmosphere, but....

The story ruins it all. The very first story arc was quite interesting, but once it was over, everything fell apart.

The biggest problem is that main heroine has a bad case of a "Mary Sue" syndrome. She acts in reckless and outright stupid fashion at any opportunity she gets, but is ALWAYS saved by some convenient deus ex machina. Every single time, someone mysteriously arrives, intervenes and saves Shuurei (main heroine) from another trouble she managed to ... get herself in. So instead of a story about a girl overcoming difficulties to achieve her goals, we have a whole world set up in such way that she simply can't fail. Everybody will fall for Shuurei, tell her how amazing she is, praise, etc.

Basically, it is only worth watching if you want to see some bishounen flirting with main heroine, but if you want interesting plot, believable story, then every episode past the first story arc is not worth watching.

This is one of the most disappointing anime I've seen this year, for sure.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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	Poll: Saiunkoku Monogatari Episode 1 Discussion bluegummiworms - Jan 8, 2009	22 replies	by GavrocheN7 »» Nov 14, 11:36 AM
	Poll: Saiunkoku Monogatari Episode 33 Discussion tofei - Jun 28, 2012	5 replies	by Bidoof_PMD-EOS »» Mar 22, 7:47 AM
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	Poll: Saiunkoku Monogatari Episode 3 Discussion bluegummiworms - Jan 8, 2009	16 replies	by agricheria »» Mar 3, 4:38 AM
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