One of the more intelligent shoujo series out there, with eye candy! A direct continuation from Season One; Saiunkoku is the story of Shuurei fulfilling her dream to be the first female official in the Imperial Court. In Season 2, her new task with co-Governor Eigetsu is to handle the disturbing rise of a new cult and a plague outbreak. Most of the handsome guys of the Imperial Court get relegated somewhat to the background, understandably as the action is taking place in the provinces. However, the next new arc brings in yet another pretty face, one who directly threatens the Emperor's tenous relationship with Shurei. (IOW, Ryuki, get your butt in line).

If you're looking for a series that offers period drama, politicking, intelligent as well as beautiful men (sure, all semes are supposed intelligent. they don't always demonstrate it) and some really gorgeous artwork and substantial plot, Saiunkoku is the anime for you.

i love saiunkoku monogatari, at the very least for its hot! hot! hot! bishounen.

but this is not your usual mindless shoujo and there's more to the story than shuurei. beneath the rosy pink exterior that is the 'main' plot, there exists political intrigue as old as several generations back - even to the very beginning of the history of Saiunkoku. intrigue between clans, between family members, all centered on gaining power in the most inconspicuous way.

you'd never know how important a detail is in its story line until you get the bigger picture, which saiunkoku monogatari unfortunately, cannot provide. it's not their fault however. with a plot of the original saiunkoku (the novel's) complexity, it's hard to compress it all into an anime series.

i advise those who love the series, and yet are left hanging to read the novels, if you can, and to read the summaries of the novels, which are available on the internet.

but we're not here to discuss the novel.

despite the lack, you'd find saiunkoku a heartwarming piece. the characters are unbelievably deep, each with their own rich history and background - an explanation of why they are what they are.

i've grown to love every last one of the characters, even the ones who are shown as the villains. you'd have fun pairing them up (i know i did, >:D). this is one series where you'll never be able to predict who's actually who and what is actually what because nothing in this show is actually just what it seems to be.

5 stars

Season 1 -- A must-see for all BL, shoujo, and fantasy anime fans. There is also a healthy does of vaguely complicated political intrigue that will keep you tuning in to the next episode. There are hints at various pairings, both het and yaoi! Many fans find Shuurei a strong and nontraditional shoujo heroine, but yours truly finds her a bit too silly to truly like. By the end of the first season, the viewer has a decent idea of whom to pair with whom.

Season 2 -- While the political intrigue continues to build, pairing enthusiasts will DESPAIR to discover that all previously potential yaoi pairings have been debunked. Viewers are teased with various male characters hitting on other males characters, as well as female characters, but all pairings hinted at in the previous season seem null and void. This was VERY FRUSTRATING to this particular ardent fan of the first season. The show begins to show its true colors as a reverse harem anime, where, one by one, the male characters begin to fall for Shuurei.

I give it three stars, for the wonderful first season and the genuinely intriguing storyline and beautiful artwork. But the devastatingly disappointing second season left me with a bad taste in my mouth.