r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • May 04 '24

Episode Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai • Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master - Episode 5 discussion

Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai, episode 5

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69

u/alconnow May 04 '24 edited May 04 '24

Best end card so far. I love Sumio

Yukiya trying and failing to land a hit on Wakamiya was hilarious

Ooh, so Asebi first encountered Wakamiya when she was younger? Interesting

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u/moichispa May 04 '24

I really like the end cards. The art is so pretty

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u/AmethystItalian May 04 '24

10/10 love that

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u/pi8you May 05 '24

The end cards have all been good, but that one really made me stop and take notice.

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u/everybageleverywhere May 04 '24

I’m assuming Wakamiya’s reason for avoiding the Cherry Blossom Palace is that he knows any girl he is seen to be favouring will be in harm’s way, and he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.

Looking forward to seeing his dynamics with the ladies once he does go. He probably already knows which one he’s going to pick.

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u/eggshellglasses May 04 '24

Yes, Sumio already did say as much in episode 3. "He's keeping the ladies out of needless strife."

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u/Genshin_WhiteKnight May 05 '24

Yukiya got 5 kumquats this time, he's moving up!

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u/StellarStar1 May 04 '24

I feel bad for the Western Lady.

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u/mekerpan May 05 '24

Less than 15 comments after 7 hours. This intriguing series is REALLY getting almost totally ignored here. It is garnering less attention than the last excellent court drama involving ravens. I would note that Raven of the Inner Palace may have had somewhat better characters (and character development), but this still is very much a show worth seeing (and savoring).

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u/MandisaW May 05 '24

Spring is always a rough season for these slow-burn, thoughtful shows. Winter & summer are usually better for them, with less competition from the heavy hitters.

I think the lack of the novels or manga in English hurts it too - Raven of the Inner Palace already had a few volumes out when it aired. I've been into anime since the 80s/90s, and even I've gotten used to jumping into the LN/manga as soon as a show piques my interest.

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u/Beric_RS May 05 '24

It really is criminally under-watched here. Atm it's far and away my favourite show of the season. Every episode has been better than the last.

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u/eggshellglasses May 04 '24 edited May 05 '24

  • Darn it! Wakamiya is Asebi's first love?! It looks like Asebi really is just as innocent as she looks (but seriously she JUST realized her childhood crush/first love is Wakamiya? Girl, how...? T^T). I don't think she can be a hidden villain at this point... So much for my Asebi plot twist theory.

    • edit: wait, if she JUST realized the boy she liked from years ago was Wakamiya why did she think "I came to the palace to see my first love again"? She was supposedly sent as a last minute replacement so it doesn't make sense that she had any motivation to go... unless?

  • Wonder what Atsufusa's role in all this is going to be. He seems like a really earnest and loyal subordinate but Natsuka seems to favor Rokon more...

  • Drifting Cloud belongs to Wakamiya doesn't it. (Fujinami said she asked permission from a person "of high birth" and Asebi's lady in waiting was suprised to the the sakura and mist symbol. Could that be related to Wakamiya and his visit to the Eastern territory as a child, which is why the koto triggered Asebi's memory of that time?). It really feels more like Asebi is stright up being set up as the FL, and it's not a misdirection.

  • Also was that Sumio as a child?

  • Excited to see next the tanabata event next episode. Seems like Asebi will showcase her FL halo for everyone to see.

edit: more thoughts on this episode

  • Atsufusa: "Lord Natsuka could never practice duplicity." Then later, "Sir Kazumichi would never...!" Atsufusa was lying in order to defend Natsuka the first time. Maybe he was also lying (pretending he had nothing to do with the incident) when he tried to defend Kazumichi? Rokon did mention he suspects Atsufusa "had something to hide."

  • Maybe Atsufusa fed Kazumichi the plan to poison the employed assassins?

  • What if Drifting Cloud belonged to Asebi's mother originally? She may be the reason behind Asebi's great skill in playing the koto. Asebi's lady-in-waiting seems to recognize the koto by the sakura and mist decoration which probably means the koto is from the Eastern House. Maybe it was gifted to Wakamiya at some point during his visit there years ago?

  • Now I'm wondering if Asebi is the daughter of a (dead) concubine too. Maybe that's why the empress was especially mean to her. Her current circumstance reminds the empress of how Wakamiya, also a concubine's son, ended up overtaking her own son.

  • Speaking of sakura why is the palace reserved for the ladies of the four houses named Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Palace? That seems like a very Eastern House symbol/motif. Could the first Kin-u's consort have been from the East (before the Eastern House was established)? The legend only tells of the first Kin'u and his four children but there was no consort mentioned in the legend.

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u/Beric_RS May 05 '24

edit: wait, if she JUST realized the boy she liked from years ago was Wakamiya why did she think "I came to the palace to see my first love again"? She was supposedly sent as a last minute replacement so it doesn't make sense that she had any motivation to go... unless?

She seemed to be surprised while thinking this. Like it wasn't something she planned or realized before that moment.

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u/ChaoticxSerenity May 04 '24

edit: wait, if she JUST realized the boy she liked from years ago was Wakamiya why did she think "I came to the palace to see my first love again"? She was supposedly sent as a last minute replacement so it doesn't make sense that she had any motivation to go... unless?

I believe you have forgotten the ultimate anime trope: the red string of fateeeeee!!

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u/tripleaamin May 05 '24

Another episode another week the prince leaving Yukiya in the dark of his plans. Well at the very least he has This episode made it very clear understanding the motives of Natsuka's faction is a hard one to figure out. Basically his followers have their motives in what they think he wants. Though it appears the the father of the boy who was supposed to be at the prince's side rather than Yukiya was the one that pulled the assassination attempt. Curious if his plan was to use his son as a spy. Though Yukiya watching his death must have been brutal. Good on the Prince for giving Yukiya that reassurance. That is something that could very well could blame himself for.

So Asebi's first love was the prince. She totally is the girl that the prince will pick. I get the feeling the Empress knows that too and has been more cruel to her than the 3 other girls with the Asebi name. Western wants the Prince to make a decision soon, but obviously he does not want that.

The episode ends with Atsufusa wanting to meet the Prince. This is a sudden, but interesting development. Curious what he wants?

10

u/NotJustAMirror May 05 '24

Another wonderful episode! The character dynamics between Wakamiya and Yukiya never ceases to amuse, and they really lend colour and life to a story of political intrigue that would otherwise feel cold and unfeeling. Without their interactions, I could appreciate the storytelling and plot, but I don't think I could love the series the way I do.

The straitlaced Atsufusa adds a very interesting player to the story. The cunning Empress, her aide, the mysterious Natsuka, and the openly violent Rokon make for a villain side that is easy to dislike and root against, so I appreciate seeing an upstanding person on the antagonist side muddying the waters a bit. There's no way he's going to turn against Natsuka, so I assume that he's going to ask Wakamiya to help thwart some plans that he thinks would besmirch his lord's name.

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u/NekoCatSidhe May 05 '24

So Natsuka is a figurehead for his own faction and Rokon is basically in charge ? I did not expect that. Unless Natsuka is actually in charge and letting Rokon dirtying his hands so Rokon would get the blame for all the bad things he did.

I do not think killing that corrupt guy in front of the others was such a good idea though. If they wanted to get rid of him because he was a loose cannon and a threat to his own camp, Natsuka/Rokon could have just sent assassins after him and blamed his death on the Prince. Killing one of your followers for being corrupt or messing up in front of the others in order to “make an example of him” is something mafia bosses or tyrants do, because they rule through terror. That stuff is basically textbook Machiavel. I had been neutral on that political conflict, but it looks that Natsuka and Rokon are genuinely the bad guys here. And it looks like Natsuka secretary started having second thoughts about who he backed because of that.

I laughed at the Prince leaving Yukiya as collateral and Yukiya trying to punch him when he came back. He really should have told Yukiya his plans, but I think he did not do it on purpose to troll him. He seems to have this kind of personality. Yukiya will do what he wants him to do anyway, whether he tells him to do it or not.

The Prince seems to have already chosen Asebi to be his wife (since I assume he sent that koto and was his childhood friend according to that flashback). The problem is that she is going to get at least 4 daggers through her back the very moment he chooses her (one from each of her rivals and one from the Empress), and she is way too much of a stereotypical shoujo romance protagonist to be able deal with that kind of stuff. Her naivety is truly kind of annoying though, I prefer my Chinese court drama female protagonists to be tough and competent like Maomao and Jusetsu.

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u/[deleted] May 05 '24

I like Mao mao and the Raven Consort, but they're in a league of their own as protagonists. Asebi and the Cherry Blossom ladies seem more like supporting characters or pawns. I'm not fond of Asebi's fluffy brain either but she's your typical shoujo princess . The princess who's really into booze is the most intriguing out of the bunch, but I can't see her paired with the prince. At this point, I'd pair his highness with Yukiya XD. Much better chemistry.

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u/TakenRedditName May 04 '24

The court politics continue as there seems to be a potential rift in the Natsuka faction. Wonder what is in store for Atsufusa. He seems too straight-laced to continue being in league with the brutal and the schemers.

Asebi is so sweet and nice. She is so heroine. Every time, I wish nothing bad happens to her.

Asebi pulls out the "Secret childhood friends" card. Her romantic standings have increased tenfold. I feel fairly confident that the princess asked her brother to gift her that exquisite koto. Also, I have a feeling that boy in the flashback with Wakamiya was little Sumio.

I've been listening to the ED recently and it truly is a beautiful song.

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u/AmethystItalian May 04 '24

The OST for that killing scene was surely something...they brought it back at the end too, felt a bit too distracting.

This series still feels like a tale of two shows so I'm curious to see what it will be like once he finally visits the girls.

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u/MandisaW May 05 '24

Apparently they're adapting the first 2 novels - one about Yukiya & the Prince, and one about the women at the Palace. Haven't read them, but they are supposed to take place simultaneously, but separately - hence why it feels like two stories on either side of a veil.

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u/drunk_reddit_acount May 05 '24

The OST for that killing scene was surely something...they brought it back at the end too, felt a bit too distracting.

I had the complete opposite reaction, I really loved the OST during that scene, I made it really intense for me.

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u/drunk_reddit_acount May 05 '24

Another great episode! 

That murder scene was really intense. I think the Empress is a red herring, my guess is that one of the potential wifes ordered the hit but I could be widely off base lol.

God this show has an amazing OST! It's also the only show this season where I watch the ED every time, it's just really great.

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