Tuesday, December 15, 2009

In depth series review, Story of Saiunkoku part 1

Shurei demands more blog love

In an effort to not become overly bored with covering Magic Knight Rayearth I have decided to start reviewing other shows as well. Well that and I wasn't watching my Netflix que that carefully and this show came in the mail; not that I am regretting it. Story of Saiunkoku or Saiunkoku Monogatari as it was originally called was a bit of a sleeper hit of 2006 overshadowed by other shows and is now being released domestically on DVD and so I am finally getting around to seeing it. I have heard this show described as imagining Fushigi Yugi if Miaka had more than two brain cells to rub together but that is a lazy comparison.

What Saiunkoku is though a psuedo-china albeit one without hyper kung fu or talking monkeys (at least it is as far as I know). What it does have is King Ryuki who has no desire to govern and wastes the day away and there is a rumor that he likes men. Enter Shurei Hong a hardworking and intelligent young woman tired of a life of genteel poverty. One day a high ranking court offical shows up and offers her a job for 500 gold coins. She hops at the opportunity before hearing what the job is, which is to join the imperial harem in order to straighten the king out so to speak. This proves to be a very big problem for the imperial palace is a veritable maze and there is a definete lack of "this way to the king" signs. In fact when Shurei finally find the deliquent monarch he is trapsing around under an assumed name.