Ensei’s troubles finally catch up with him, but Shurei has other things on her mind.
Creative Staff
Story: Sai Yukino
Art: Kairi Yura
Translation/Adaptation: Su Mon Han
What They Say
Shurei has been disguising herself as a boy to assist Kijin Ko, the esteemed Minister of the Treasury. Despite Ryuki’s plan to allow females to take the civil service exam, many remain opposed to the idea, including Kijin. Will Shurei be able to convince the discerning minister to change his mind?
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Continuing from the last volume, Shurei is still working in the Treasury department as an aid while most of the staff suffers from heat stroke. This volume is much less action packed than the previous, with the exception of the daring accidental theft of the key to the treasury by two little mountain bandits.
This volume takes a slower approach, with less intrigue and more reflection by Shurei and her friends. Shurei confronts a personal, unreasonable fear that she was the cause of her mother’s death, while Ensei and Ryuki both comfort her in their own unique ways. There is some action going on in the background, but we don’t get to see it, being a personal matter of Ensei’s that he has to deal with.
Both Shurei and Ryuki are working hard to earn the respect of the court. Shurei just works as hard as she can because that is the type of person she is. Ryuki is fighting against his own lack of experience and the constructed persona that he hid behind for years. His advisors are careful to point out that any misstep that he makes could potentially set back his goals by years. However, Ryuki can only open the door for Shurei to advance toward her dream. It’s Shurei who is going to have to work to achieve it.
That’s what keeps Saiunkoku throughly modern, and feminist, despite the classical setting. Shurei had an easy way to power and prestige if she chose to remain as Ryuki’s consort. In most stories that would be the happily-ever-after of it, the princess marrying the prince (or Emperor in this case.) Instead the fairy tale takes a sharp left, Shurei wants to change the way the country operates to give other women without her family prestige a chance to make a difference. The men around her know that any help they provide is going to look like a weakness, and their hands are tied.
Like a few other people out there, I’m already familiar with The Story of Saiunkoku, to a certain point, from the anime. This volume covers events which they chose not to adapt for the anime, or should I say adapted differently. A huge surprise for anime only watchers is the reveal of The Minister of the Treasury’s face, which serves as both a running gag and a clever plot device. The two bandit kids also don’t make an appearance until much later in the anime as well.
The art in this series continues to be fantastic. There is a scene early on in this volume where Shurei and Ensei make their way up through the forest outside the city to Shurei’s mother’s grave. The artist and her assistants take the time to painstakingly detail the trees and flowers, rather than slap some tone behind the characters and call it a day. The book is full of attention to details like that, whether in the elaborate costuming or in the scenery. The first printing of this volume contains a couple of bright color illustrations at the front of the book.
In Summary:
This part of The Story of Saiunkoku ends on a quiet note. Shurei’s hard work isn’t ending anytime soon, now that she has a path to travel to see out her dream. She continues to win friends in high places and probablt enemies as well. The artwork continues to be beautifully detailed, and the story wastes few pages without being rushed. I hope this manga adaptation continues past where the anime left off because I’m dying to find out where Shurei’s story leads. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good romantic fantasy.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Released Date: August 2nd, 2011
MSRP: $9.99
1 thought on “Story of Saiunkoku Vol. #04 Manga Review”