Saiunkoku Monogatari Is Not an Epic Venezian Conspiracy

The World Needs More Neviril

I think my Aria the NATURAL backlog is now fully attributed to the fact that Saiunkoku Monogatari has taken over its role as an inoffensive no-brainer. I watch it to appreciate the reverse-harem almost, but more because Shuurei is just so cute and I WUB KUWASHIMA HOUKO…?

Nonetheless I think this show is getting the right amount of attention. I really don’t think it’s so good that you should drop a show just so you can watch it, but unlike Aria, stuff happens. It keeps my wandering mind focused when I put an episode in the media player once a week, on a tiring weeknight, for the fear that if I was watching Aria instead, I’ll fall asleep.

But I went into SaiMono thinking it’ll actually have an interesting setting and story, which so far neither has been the case. We see Shuurei, the only child of the court librarian (Chief IT officer?) learning her ropes as a girl who grew up during hard times, “taming” the delinquent King. Then she goes on this women’s suffrage bit, which is empowering and interesting but kind of, well, boring. Thankfully they’ve layered up enough mystery behind every single thing in the show that nothing is what it seems and there’s probably enough unexplained back story to make an entire anime series on its own. To be fair, yes, most of the potentially “interesting” stuff has not been explained.

Now, I’ve only seen about 12 episodes, but at this point they’re just doing the usual parade of tropes–the court queer, the double agent, the double-double agent, the secret successor, various lineage tricks, the “I understand you but I must fight you” crap, gender bending, typical puppetry and manipulation in politics, etc.

Does it matter? Not anymore. It feels almost slice-of-life, yet stuff goes on! I guess the production value is overshadowing the flaws of the adaptation at this point. A good thing, probably, because out of its planned 39 episodes, it will have a lot of room to hit some climaxes. I’m just wishing those would come soon, if not already! I gave Simoun at least 14 episodes, and 16 was sweet enough to sell me out to it. I hope that is the case with SaiMono.


5 Responses to “Saiunkoku Monogatari Is Not an Epic Venezian Conspiracy”

  • Anga

    Actually, that’s exactly the same reason why I prefer Aria over SaiMono. =) It has an ability to make you mentally rest and the effect in my head is equivalent to hours of sleep. Sleeping is nice. While in SaiMono I have to think (that’s fearsome thought) to enjoy it, way too inconvenient.

  • psgels

    Heh, don’t worry. I’ve seen u till episode 18 now, and the awesomeness has just been increasing for the past couple of episodes. Though if you want a light-hearted show, you might get disappointed. As the episodes progress, a lot more airtime gets focused at politics. ;)

  • wontaek

    Saiunkoku Monogatari’s main theme is about breaking of gender barriers in Political power, which is a very, very important theme in Asia, as there still is many unfair barriers for woman to advance in power or money in Korea or Japan. There is a reason NHK is doing this, after they did 12 Kingdoms where you had female monarch growing into power, and it is about educating the populace. The time slot of 9:00 am Saturday is much more favorable time to get main stream audience compared to 1:00 am slots, and it is for the sake of Asian society that I hope Saiunkoky Monogatari would gain wider audience. Now this may not mean a thing for male residence in Western nations, but for a piece that may have been chosen for social concern, it is rather exciting and intriguing. I do have to say ep. 18 was one of the better episodes of the series and things will get exciting again in ep. 25 or so when they get to heart of book 4 and book 5.

  • omo

    Oh, I’m totally aware of the women’s rights bit. In my other life, I work for a publication on women’s rights law based in the US, so this is actually all rather naive…if not even still rather paternalistic.

    But it adds to curiousity for me, probably as it does for you. I think all the more what unfolds at the end of the show can be something more memorable as a result? Or am I setting myself up for a big disappointment? I think it’s exactly that my perspective on women’s rights literature is way, way liberal than what possibly the typical “politically correct” Eastern norm (even for reformists) can be, in a mainstream story-telling, that I’m basically setting myself up to dislike the show for being wimpy.

    psgels: Heh, don’t worry. I’ve seen u till episode 18 now, and the awesomeness has just been increasing for the past couple of episodes. Though if you want a light-hearted show, you might get disappointed. As the episodes progress, a lot more airtime gets focused at politics. ;)

    Good! I watch GITS:SAC to relax–my brain is like an engine; it runs even on idle. When it stops it’s when I sleep. When I watch Aria it is still an active process!

  • anfiopy

    Excellent site, added to favorites!!

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