Shurei Hong has already taken some strange risks in life, first becoming a consort in an agreement to reward her financially-strapped family if she could convince the Emperor to take an interest in governing his kingdom, then boldly refusing to stand down as a government official after passing the national exam (in the top three, no less). After accepting the harsh treatment of others with a smile, she and the youngest passing examinee, Eigetsu To, (also in the top three) begin to earn the respect of others in the government, but just as things begin to improve, the validity of Shurei’s examination is called into question. Was the exam tampered with? Does she even deserve to serve in the government?
This series follows nothing if not a political vein, but is surprisingly upbeat and fun to watch. Rather than have the viewer attempt to follow a complex web of deceit, betrayal, and false friendships, Story of Saiunkoku chooses to focus largely on the promise that good-hearted and noble persons can yield for the governments they serve. Also, the storylines and character profiles are amazingly straightforward, preventing the migraines that often accompany convoluted political narratives. I picked this series up on the 16th episode, and while I am now intrigued enough to seek out the previous episodes, I wasn’t in the least encumbered by my lack of backstory or prior familiarity. Don’t mistake that there are no plot-twists, but each one is handily explainable and fits perfectly into the plot without any jagged edges or unbelievable ventures.
No stranger to hardship, Shurei and her companions rise above expectations in every occasion, and do so with a kindhearted determination that makes them easy to root for. Each character, in turn, reveals multi-faceted motivations at every turn, which only enhances their personalities and the viewer’s fondness for them.
It also doesn’t hurt that the art and style of this anime is simply astonishing in its simple beauty. Every character is visually pleasing, and the setting and costume styles seem to be based on all that is best from the popular ideals of asian art and wardrobe. The music is also wonderfully rich, and when Shurei (or any other character) plays the erhu, the tune is wonderfully blended into the background, as well as being refreshingly new every time.