Anime

## Synopsis

The stage is **Saiunkoku** (彩雲 *Saiunkoku*), a fictional country based off of Imperialistic China. Noble but poor, and a princess of the Kou Clan, Kou Shuurei dreams of becoming a government official so that she will have the power to help those in need. This desire is driven by tragic memories of her childhood in which she was forced to watch people suffer and die during the fight for the throne. At the moment, women are not allowed to take the Imperial Exams. But one day soon, the new Emperor will ascend the throne and begin his training and in its wake, the road to the Imperial Exams for new officials will be open.

Shuurei and the new Emperor, that brother's complex emotions, her growing friendships with government officials and fellow initiates, intimate stories, dangerous power struggles, powerful families covertly pulling strings in the Imperial Palace, and a gorgeous court romance unfolds!

## Series Composition

The **Saiunkoku Monogatari Anime** adaption is mostly true to the original light novels. The first series is an adaption of Volume 1: The Crimson Wind Of Beginning to the first half of Volume 6: The Diminishing Sand In The Silvery-White Hourglass. The second series is an adaption of the second half Volume 6: The Diminishing Sand In The Silvery-White Hourglass to Volume 12: The White Rainbow Is Rising Into The Heavens.

The light novel preceding The White Rainbow Is Rising Into The Heavens, Volume 13: Amber Glistens At Dawn, was released near the end of the second series. Since this volume had been put on the market while the anime was still being broadcast, Madhouse felt that there was not much point in producing a third series of the anime at the same time as the novels were being written.

It should be noted that despite the first series being based off of a little over 5 volumes and the second series being based off of a little under 8 volumes (each containing a number of episodes adapted from relevant stories in the Gaiden novels), many parts of these novels were cut out of the anime (especially from the second series), modified or rearranged. Some original episodes were also created (including flashback episodes) and some episodes are not in chronological order (according to the novels).

### Episode Titles

Most of the episode titles are based on old Japanese and Chinese Proverbs. Some titles are a direct copy of Proverbs while other use only a small section of the relevant proverb with slight alterations. The proverb will often relate to the lesson the characters in an episode learn or they relate to the plot of the episode. This practice was dropped in the Second Season.

## Cast

### Japanese Cast

* **Kuwashima Houko** as **Kou Shuurei**
* **Seki Tomokazu** as **Shi Ryuuki**
* **Midorikawa Hikaru** as **Shi Seiran**
* **Morikawa Toshiyuki** as **Ran Shuuei**
* **Hiyama Nobuyuki** as **Li Kouyuu**

### English Cast

* **Kelly Sheridan** as **Kou Shuurei**
* **Brad Swaile** as **Shi Ryuuki**
* **Andrew Francis** as **Shi Seiran**
* **Michael Adamthwaite** as **Ran Shuuei**
* **Andrew Toth** as **Li Kouyuu**

## Staff

### Japanese Staff

#### Producer

* **Shimogawara Ikuko** (下河原 郁子 *Shimogawara Ikuko*)
* **Shibata Yuji** (柴田 裕司 *Shibata Yuji*)

#### Series Composition

* **(First Series)** **Yoshida Reiko** (吉田 玲子 *Yoshida Reiko*)
* **(Second Series)** **Maruo Miho** (丸尾 みほ *Maruo Miho*)

#### Script

* **Yoshida Reiko** (吉田 玲子 *Yoshida Reiko*)
* **Fujisaki Ayuna** (藤咲 あゆな *Fujisaki Ayuna*)
* **Sunayama Kurasumi** (砂山 蔵澄 *Sunayama Kurasumi*)
* **Fudeyasu Kazuyuki** (筆安 一幸 *Fudeyasu Kazuyuki*)
* **Yamada Yuka** (山田 由香 *Yamada Yuka*)
* **Maruo Miho** (丸尾 みほ *Maruo Miho*)

#### Storyboard

* **Yokoyama Hiromi** (横山 広実 *Yokoyama Hiromi*)
* **Fujiwara Jun** (藤原 潤 *Fujiwara Jun*)
* **Shishido Jun** (宍戸 淳 *Shishido Jun*)
* **Tamai Kimiko** (玉井 公子 *Tamai Kimiko*)
* **Ohata Kiyotaka** (大畑 清隆 *Ohata Kiyotaka*)
* **Kimiya Shigeru** (木宮 茂 *Kimiya Shigeru*)
* **Takahashi Takeo** (高橋 丈夫 *Takahashi Takeo*)
* **Miura Yo** (三浦 陽 *Miura Yo*)
* **Kamakura Yumi** (鎌倉 由実 *Kamakura Yumi*)

#### Episode Director

* **Ohtani Hajime** (大谷 肇 *Ohtani Hajime*)
* **Yokoyama Hiromi** (横山 広実 *Yokoyama Hiromi*)
* **Shinohara Makoto** (篠原 誠 *Shinohara Makoto*)
* **Kawajiri Shota** (川尻 祥大 *Kawajiri Shota*)
* **Yamauchi Tomio** (山内 富夫 *Yamauchi Tomio*)

#### Production Coordination

* **Kashiwagi Atsuko** (柏木 敦子 *Kashiwagi Atsuko*)
* **Ihara Hideo** (伊原 英夫 *Ihara Hideo*)

#### Art Director

* **Nishikura Tsutomu** (西倉 力 *Nishikura Tsutomu*)

#### Background Art

* **Inoue Kumiko** (清水 智子 *Inoue Kumiko*)
* **Fujino Makiko** (藤野 真木子 *Fujino Makiko*)
* **Fukuda Manabu** (福田 学 *Fukuda Manabu*)
* **Shirata Mayumi** (しらた まゆみ *Shirata Mayumi*)
* **Fujiwara Rina** (藤原 理菜 *Fujiwara Rina*)

#### Conceptual Design

* **Kazuo Watanabe** (渡辺 和夫 *Kazuo Watanabe*)

#### Color Design

* **Tanaka Chiharu** (田中 千春 *Tanaka Chiharu*)

#### Edited By

* **Kashiko Kimura** (木村 佳史子 *Kashiko Kimura*)

#### Animation Producers

* **Maruyama Masao** (丸山 正雄 *Maruyama Masao*)
* **Yoshimoto Satoshi** (吉本 聡 *Yoshimoto Satoshi*)

#### Animation Production Assistant

* **IMAGIN Co.,Ltd.** (イマジン株式会社 *Imajin Co.,Ltd.*)

#### Animation Director

* **Park Ki Duk** (朴 起徳 *Park Ki Duk*)
* **Tamai Kimiko** (玉井 公子 *Tamai Kimiko*)
* **Choi Kyong Seok** (崔 慶碩 *Choi Kyong Seok*)
* **Park Nam Yul** (白 南烈 *Park Nam Yul*)
* **Kim Seong Jong** (金 成宗 Kim Seong Jong)
* **Maeda Tatsuyuki** (前田 達之 *Maeda Tatsuyuki*)
* **Shimizu Tomoko** (清水 智子 *Shimizu Tomoko*)

#### Key Animation

* **Mika Takazawa** (高澤 美佳 *Mika Takazawa*)

#### Clean-Up Animation

* **Hitomi Takei** (ひとみ たけい *Hitomi Takei*)

#### Sound Director

* **Fujiyama Fusanobu** (藤山 房伸 *Fujiyama Fusanobu*)

#### Recording Engineer

* **Yamashita Hiroyasu** (山下 裕康 *Yamashita Hiroyasu*)

#### Director of Photography

* **Shinya Matsui** (松井 伸哉 *Shinya Matsui*)

#### Photography

* **Kawano Natsuka** (かわの なつか *Kawano Natsuka*)
* **Suga Tomohiro** (すが ともひろ *Suga Tomohiro*)

### English Staff

#### Executive Producer

* **Katsuhiko Tsurumoto**
* **Yushin Soga**

#### Producer

* **Dennis Hrehoriac**
* **Sawako Furuya**

#### Casting Director

* **Gregory Berry**
* **Randi Riediger**

#### Dialogue Editing

* **Aaron MacDonald**
* **Derek Seaborn**
* **Donovan Johnson**
* **Gabriella Cheung**
* **Masako Uchiura**
* **Matt Gauthier**
* **Ryan McKinnon**
* **Willis Lombard**

#### Re-Recording Mixing

* **Derek Simpson**
* **Keith A. Goddard**
* **Mark M. Pinder**

#### Recording Engineer

* **Donovan Johnson**
* **Michael Iske**

#### Talent Coordination

* **Robin Maria Koning**
* **Theresa MacFarlane**

#### Video Post-Production

* **Kimmy Alexander**
* **Michael Hey**
* **Sean McConkey**
* **Shannon Lum**

#### Voice Direction

* **Karl Willems**
* **Keith A. Goddard**
* **Marc Matsumoto**
* **Michael Dobson**

## OP & ED Songs

### OP Theme

* **Winds of Beginning** (はじまりの風 *Hajimari no Kaze*)

　　　　Lyrics: Michikawa Himari (路川ひまり *Michikawa Himari*)

　　　　Composition: ID

　　　　Arrangement: YAMAGIMAN

　　　　Artist: Hirahara Ayaka (平原綾香 *Hirahara Ayaka*)

### ED Theme (First Series)

* **The Best Unrequited Love** (最高の片想い *Saikō no Kataomoi*)

　　　　Lyrics: Sachi Tainaka (タイナカ サチ *Sachi Tainaka*)

　　　　Composition: Sachi Tainaka (タイナカ サチ *Sachi Tainaka*)

　　　　Arrangement: Koyama Akihira (こやま あきひら *Koyama Akihira*)

　　　　　　　　　　 Fujii Takeshi (藤井 丈司 *Fujii Takeshi*)

　　　　Artist: Sachi Tainaka (タイナカ サチ *Sachi Tainaka*)

### ED Theme (Second Series)

* **Tomorrow** (明日へ *Ashita e*)

　　　　Lyrics: Teruya Miho (照屋 実穂 *Teruya Miho*)

　　　　Composition: Teruya Miho (照屋 実穂 *Teruya Miho*)

　　　　Arrangement: Febian Reza Pane (フェビアン・レザ・パネ *Febian Reza Pane*)

　　　　Artist: Teruya Miho (照屋 実穂 *Teruya Miho*)

## References

* Anime News Network
* Wikipedia