(L) Saiunkoku Monogatari (1st Series) The Story of Saiunkoku

[LunaNeko]

Thanks We Suck for providing us with awesome translation! I was confused by first 2 episodes that were subbed by someone else.
Although I have a tiny request, I burned VCD to watch it with friends on weekend and for some reason we could barely see subtitles, it never happened before, so I was wondering if its possible to make subtitles maybe a bit larger or bolder????


Since I watched first 3 episodes again, I ran into question - Shuurei and Kourin and other lady (darn, always forget her name) they were all talking about Shuurei having kids with emperor and stuff, weren't they aware that she was only there for the short time, basically just temporary filling in the position of Emperor concubine??? That confused me a lot...

[teh_suck]

I'm not sure that it would have been widely known that Shuurei was there temporarily, so even if Kourin and Shusui did know that, people in their position shouldn't have known that, so they would have had to act like they didn't.

[Codex]

Originally Posted by LunaNeko

Since I watched first 3 episodes again, I ran into question - Shuurei and Kourin and other lady (darn, always forget her name) they were all talking about Shuurei having kids with emperor and stuff, weren't they aware that she was only there for the short time, basically just temporary filling in the position of Emperor concubine??? That confused me a lot...

Well, it was a deal between Shou Taishi (representing the three advisors) and Shuurei. Only her father and Seiran were also present at the time. I doubt they would have bothered to tell other people what the arrangements were.

[poisonakki]

well spoiler about reishin from novel info

Spoiler:

Reishin is the man who stole Kijin's (mask dude) woman Apparently the woman kijin loved choses his bestfriend over him (unsure why other than love i guess). Since that day he's worn the mask. Reishin is married to this woman. The anime isn't too consistant about drawing reishin according to time line . The only episode they paid attention to that detail is the one about shuurei's mom (where she introduce baby shuurei to her teenage uncle)

Originally Posted by Codex

Spoiler:

Yes, I just read it last night myself! It's hilarious, but I especially liked the ending, where Reishin's friend Yuusyun was actually able to completely throw him off ... it's great to see that his friends know how to manage him XD.

Heheh ... also, I'm sure it was the "Examination of Doom" not only because of the examiners, but the examinees as well. Reishin and his friends probably passed at the top of the class too, because they weren't affected (that is, if they were friends from before the exam)!

Anyway, the saddest thing about this is ... we'd NEVER get to see his face XD. They probably have no idea how to draw it, and probably won't want to try!

Also, I'd like to repost my question on the VK forums about continuity here, since there's more plot discussion in this thread:

In this extra chapter, we see Reishin as a newly minted official visiting Shouka's home. Shuurei is already born, and Seiran is there as well, setting the time period to less than 13 years in the past. Reishin wears his hair in a ponytail, seems young and playful and without a care in the world.

In episode 15 of the anime, however, Kouyu tells the story about how he was adopted 13 years ago by Reishin. Certainly, he has to be more established to adopt a child, probably married and not just a young official who just passed a grueling national examination and climbs trees with his friends.

[Codex]

Originally Posted by poisonakki

well spoiler about reishin from novel info

Spoiler:

Reishin is the man who stole Kijin's (mask dude) woman Apparently the woman kijin loved choses his bestfriend over him (unsure why other than love i guess). Since that day he's worn the mask. Reishin is married to this woman. The anime isn't too consistant about drawing reishin according to time line . The only episode they paid attention to that detail is the one about shuurei's mom (where she introduce baby shuurei to her teenage uncle)

Spoiler:

Well, it's not necessarily about the art. It's just that ... isn't he a bit young and irresponsible to be adopting a child?

[Codex]

By the way, I heard that some of the novels are available in Chinese. Does anyone know where they can be bought online?

[ryublade]

Regarding Reishin's adoption of Kouyuu:

Spoiler:

It's possible that Reishin could have adopted Kouyuu at a young age. Even though he was just a young official, he was still the head of the Kou clan which means he had enough power and wealth to do pretty much as he pleased. In the CD drama, from the way Kouyuu tells the story of his adoption, it seems that Reishin just picked up Kouyuu and dropped Kouyuu off at Reishin's mansion. Kouyuu was then just educated and left pretty much alone in the huge mansion for the longest time since Kouyuu mentions that he had eventually forgotten the "actual" fact of his "abduction" by Reishin off the streets and replaced the memory with a childish fantasy of being taken in by a "kindly, older and mature gentleman (someone like Shou taishi). When he finally got to see Reishin again, Kouyuu was so hopeful and used such polite language to impress Reishin but was supposedly shattered by the reality of Reishin (Kouyuu doesn't actually says but the implication is there; knowing Reishin's real personality). When Kouyuu finally manages to ask why Reishin adopted him, Reishin tells him that he was a replacement for Seiran since Shouka had adopted Seiran and Reishin wanted to share the same experience as his respected elder brother. Poor Kouyuu.

To those who have the novels, please feel free to discuss with the rest of us. Just remember to use spoiler notation for those who don't want to be spoiled. As for me, I wish I could read the novels. Originally, I had planned to try the chinese translations but my chinese is really too poor to be able to read a novel.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Codex

By the way, I heard that some of the novels are available in Chinese. Does anyone know where they can be bought online?

Try yesasia and amazon

they are a bit expensive through.

I currently hunting through the chinese bookstores in chinatown. Maybe i will get lucky.


If anyone is intrested i have found site that is posting chinese manga. The were upto chapter 4 last time i check. You can't download but you can read it. Give me a PM if anyone is intrested.

[Codex]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

Try yesasia and amazon

they are a bit expensive through.

I currently hunting through the chinese bookstores in chinatown. Maybe i will get lucky.

Ah, I forgot about yesasia. I had no luck running a search on amazon.cn; is that the only Chinese amazon site? But anyway, yesasia only has the 3rd and 4th novels (search for "cai yun guo wu yu"), although a search for "Yukino Sai" under Chinese books yielded another edition of the novels by a different non-Taiwanese publisher. They're all in traditional Chinese fortunately.

In any case, although they're a bit more expensive than regular books, it doesn't seem too bad ... about $9-10 per volume, and free shipping. It just seems like a bit of a wait. I guess I'll put in an order now, and continue the hunt with the bookstore in my local Chinatown.

[galen]

this is the site for the Taiwanese publisher. If I'm not wrong you can order from them directly here. This is the complete novel set. http://www.walkersnet.com.tw/fiction...-99A349B9B02E}

Although I can't figure out if they ship internationally, since I can't seem to find shipping information without signing up as a member. Someone might like to sign up though, seeing as they publish the Chinese versions of a lot of stuff, like Shana, as well.

[ryublade]

Thanks to We Suck for epi 9.

Spoiler:

Finally, we get to see the infamous Hijin Kijin and Shuurei's uncle. It was hilarious when Kijin agreed to drink tea and opened the lower half of his mask to do so. And Shuurei's uncle! If I was Shuurei and didn't know of the uncle and niece relationship, I would avoid him just on principle since he acts so suspicious and strange And Ryuuki is so cute when he senses Shuurei's presence

As for Seiran, this episode really hints that he's not so nice as he seems. Apparently, he too has a darker side to him. The anime doesn't show his darker side so much but in the novel, it is more apparent that he can actually be quite cruel and manipulative to others without a qualm. (Saiunkoku seems to be full of two faced characters. No one is who they seem. Which only makes it more interesting, in my opinion)

[shaselai]

Anyone know if the novel ended? And if it did did Shuuri ends up with Seiren or the emperor? I feel so bad for Seiren thus far. (like she said, he seem to always get the "short end of the stick"). spoilers welcome..

[Yaoi_Pocky]

Originally Posted by shaselai

Anyone know if the novel ended? And if it did did Shuuri ends up with Seiren or the emperor? I feel so bad for Seiren thus far. (like she said, he seem to always get the "short end of the stick"). spoilers welcome..

Nope, it's not even close to ending.

It's still being actively serialized in the Kadokawa Beans Novel Anthology, which bills itself as The Greatest Girls' Fantasy Novel Anthology In History (史上最強の少女ファンタジー文庫).

There are 10 novels out so far in Japan as of August 4, 2006 - 8 main story novels and 2 side stories.
A new novel (the 9th in the main story) will be released on September 1, 2006.
Its title: 紅梅は夜に香る (translation: The Crimson Plum Blossom Blooms Fragrantly In The Night).
(There's a preorder link for the novel at Kadokawa Shoten's Web site. It's in Japanese, however.)

[shaselai]

Originally Posted by Yaoi_Pocky

Nope, it's not even close to ending.

It's still being actively serialized in the Kadokawa Beans Novel Anthology, which bills itself as The Greatest Girls' Fantasy Novel Anthology In History (史上最強の少女ファンタジー文庫).

There are 10 novels out so far in Japan as of August 4, 2006 - 8 main story novels and 2 side stories.
A new novel (the 9th in the main story) will be released on September 1, 2006.
Its title: 紅梅は夜に香る (translation: The Crimson Plum Blossom Blooms Fragrantly In The Night).
(There's a preorder link for the novel at Kadokawa Shoten's Web site. It's in Japanese, however.)

Cool... but is Seiran still in the game or hes pretty much backed out for the emperor? it seems she will be with emperor at the end unless something happens... spoilers?

[Puchu]

I've been watching the raws now, and I'm currently ripping my hair out over the wait for ep. 17.

So, to make the wait just a bit more bearable, does anyone know any series like Saiunkoku? With that, I'm not neccessarily saying same setting or story, but same quality in characters, storyline and art.

Someone mentioned Fushigi Yuugi, so I found some eps, but the main character seemed annoying just during the two minutes I checked out. Just like you guys said. *sigh*

I'm seriously contemplating buying the novels, but my Japanese really isn't good enough to read anything but manga with furigana. And I'm currently so broke it hurts.

Saiunkoku is probably the best shoujo anime I've ever seen, and among the best animes, period. I lust for the new episodes...

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Puchu

I've been watching the raws now, and I'm currently ripping my hair out over the wait for ep. 17.

So, to make the wait just a bit more bearable, does anyone know any series like Saiunkoku? With that, I'm not neccessarily saying same setting or story, but same quality in characters, storyline and art.

Someone mentioned Fushigi Yuugi, so I found some eps, but the main character seemed annoying just during the two minutes I checked out. Just like you guys said. *sigh*

I'm seriously contemplating buying the novels, but my Japanese really isn't good enough to read anything but manga with furigana. And I'm currently so broke it hurts.

Saiunkoku is probably the best shoujo anime I've ever seen, and among the best animes, period. I lust for the new episodes...

12 kingdoms but that is more action oriented.

[horsdhaleine]

man... can't wait for ep 10 (subbed) and ep 17 (raw)... im craving for some ryuuki-shuurei love right now...

im wondering... how many volumes of manga version has been released? because i cannot read novels yet... but manga with furigana is okay...

[Myname]

Episode 3. First couple minutes where the emperor is talking to Seiran. He keeps saying "We", but who is this other person he is referring to? Or is it just the subs?

[Yaoi_Pocky]

Originally Posted by Myname

Episode 3. First couple minutes where the emperor is talking to Seiran. He keeps saying "We", but who is this other person he is referring to? Or is it just the subs?

This is the Royal We construct - a first-person pronoun used by royalty.

I have actually made a post explaining more about the Royal We construct on:
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...&postcount=188

In fact, we have received enough inquiries about the Royal We, we linked to the Wikipedia entry for it on our blog...

[horsdhaleine]

Originally Posted by Myname

Episode 3. First couple minutes where the emperor is talking to Seiran. He keeps saying "We", but who is this other person he is referring to? Or is it just the subs?

i think it is the royal we/ royal plural... royalties refer to themselves in first person plural...

ex: we are not amused (i am not amused)