#ryuuki

☆ the story of saiunkoku.

SAIUNKOKU MONOGATARI (Fantasy/Drama/Romance/Comedy) 2006-2007 - 39 episodes

Jun Shishido

Rating: 10/10

For all those who are looking for an engaging shoujo, with a heroine who is completely out of the classical scheme and a story where the romance is almost missing because the subjects are so far from this rather banal genre? In that case, this anime is for you. Immersed in a magnificent universe inspired by the Chinese medieval period, Saiunkoku Monogatari is a wonderful escapade in a fragile kingdom that needs a woman to save it.

Shuurei is the descendant of a renowned line of aristocrats who have become poor, and who struggle every day to obtain enough to feed her and her father. Brave and strong-willed, she faces her situation with great maturity despite her young age. Ryuuki, on the other hand, is a lazy emperor who is totally disinterested in the affairs of the state. Their meeting in sordid conditions will be the beginning of a very important change for the kingdom and for Shuurei. Invested in the mission of making the emperor responsible, she dreams deep down of taking the exam to become a high official in the palace, even though women are forbidden to enter. As they get to know each other, opening up little by little to reveal their deepest wounds, their relationship will gradually lead them towards their respective goals.

Playing perfectly between comedy and drama, Saiunkoku Monogatari is a succession of good surprises from start to finish. Apparently cliché at first sight, we discover as the episodes progress characters of a rare and worked complexity as well as an original plot. Far from the classic shoujo heroine, we discover a Shuurei ready to put her future and her independence before any love relationship, determined and fighting while keeping her sensitivity and her love for her neighbor. On the other hand, Ryuuki turns out to be a self-effacing young man, unsure of himself and uncertain of how to lead the country, and whom Shuurei's presence will help enormously to overcome his fears and weaknesses.

A Spotlight on the English Grammar Lessons Taught by Class E in Korotan C - Part 2 

Here’s the second half of English grammar lessons I found interesting in Korotan C! We see some lessons similar to those found in Korotan A and B, like Takebayashi’s and Terasaka’s maid-themed English lessons, but there’s also some new lessons as well, like Mimura’s and Hazama’s media-themed lessons.

Page 1: Yuuma Isogai’s lesson – Serving customers

“The Prince of Part-time Jobs – You’ll be able to perfectly serve foreigners visiting Japan, too!”

Isogai teaches the reader English you can use if you’re servicing customers during your part-time job. He divides the lesson into two parts: English for when customers enter the shop, and English for when you’re placing orders. As one would expect from an ikemen, his English is top-notch and polite.

Page 2: Kouki Mimura’s lesson – Movies which had their titles altered when imported to Japan

“He loves movies – A single title can make a totally different impression!”

In a combination I never would have expected to see, Mimura teams up with Karma to cover English movies which had their titles altered when they were imported into Japan. They explain the differences between the original and imported title, cover a little bit of history about the movie, include manga panels that kinda fit the movie’s title/theme, and include some trivia, too. For example, today I learned that Go Nagai, the mangaka who made Devilman, makes a cameo appearance in the second “The Toxic Avenger” film, and I learned that all thanks to Mimura and Karma :D   

Page 3: Ryuuki’s lesson – Ruined Words

“A high school student of ruination – It sounds cool in English, but…”

Ryuuki prepares to teach us English words that sound cool at first, but is actually really lame when translated into Japanese. Before he even gets to begin, Kurahashi hijacks his lesson and teaches us more English names for animals. I like Kurahashi’s lessons, but Ryuuki’s lesson sounded interesting, so it’s a bit of a shame we don’t get to learn from him.

At the bottom of the page:

Ryuuki: “This isn’t even my page anymore...…. it’s ruined!”

Kurahashi: “Now, now, don’t worry about it!”

Page 4: Kotarou Takebayashi’s and Terasaka Ryoma’s lesson – English Conversation for the Maid Café

“From the veteran Maid Master Combo - One of Korotan’s most popular segments!!”

Takebayashi teaches the reader English words one could use at a maid café while Terasaka provides commentary. He divides his lesson into three sections: one about maids, one about the menu, and one about “services”.

Page 5: Kirara Hazama’s lesson - Books which had their titles altered when imported to Japan

“The witch of writing – She performs magic with words!?”

Like Mimura’s lesson, Hazama covers English books which had their titles altered when they were imported to Japan. She explains the differences between them, along with some commentary.

Page 6: Korosensei’s and Gakuho Asano’s lesson – Compound Relative Pronouns