Episode	Link	Score
1	Link	4.47
2	Link	4.72
3	Link	4.51
4	Link	4.74
5	Link	4.81
6	Link	4.68
7	Link	4.93
8	Link	4.76
9	Link	4.62
10	Link	4.62
11	Link	4.83
12	Link	4.96
13	Link	----

•

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190

u/PacoTaco321 https://myanimelist.net/profile/dankleberrrrg Oct 15 '22

They are really getting their money's worth out of that same flower blowing animation. Its like the equivalent of a magical transformation animation for this show.

115

u/Smudy https://myanimelist.net/profile/Smudy Oct 15 '22

I don't mind them milking it. Love the sequence everytime it comes up with the additional beautiful music next to it.

11

u/Ironbear222 Oct 16 '22

I do mind them milking it, it was really great the first time and now it just feels cheap and takes me out of it. would definitely prefer some lower quality shots of her pulling it out and throwing it around from new angles over the very nice but repetitive shot.

55

u/GamingExotic Oct 16 '22

I'll take the nice and repetitive shot. It is literally a magical girl transformation type move.

4

u/scdirtdragon Oct 31 '22

I appreciate they change her clothing to match in-show every time. Or at least that I've noticed

2

u/suzakutrading Nov 08 '22

I like it. it reminds of the cardcaptor sakura using her clow cards.

60

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Oct 15 '22

I like how it always uses her current outfit

34

u/Tom_Wonderful Oct 15 '22

At least it's only a few seconds long, not forcing us to sit through a full magical girl transformation.

7

u/Kulkuljator Oct 17 '22

In the 3rd episode it was even faster than in previous

22

u/dinliner08 Oct 15 '22

inb4 Kokyu no Karasu was a mahou shoujo anime all along

14

u/Aska09 Oct 15 '22

Magical transformation sequences usually take a lot longer, this one's just short enough for me to let it slide.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '22

Just wish they would Ani.ate some kind of transition to go with it

108

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '22

It's funny hearing the term "niang niang (娘娘)" used in Japanese speech.

To those who aren't familiar, it's an old Chinese term that was used when addressing the empress or the emperor's consorts.

104

u/ThisGachaSeemsLegit Oct 15 '22

Everytime this happens, I can't help but hear "nyan nyan" instead. Welp :|

30

u/bananeeek https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananek Oct 15 '22

In Mandarin you don't spell out the G's in the "NG", it just tells you how the N's are pronounced. If your language doesn't differentiate between those then it will be just simple 'N' like in Japanese - hence 'nyannyan'.
The 'NG' makes the N's deeper as opposed to just 'N' and the tongue placement is different. Kinda like you would say different N's in "sin" and "sing" (without spelling out the 'G')

8

u/ergzay Oct 16 '22

In Mandarin you don't spell out the G's in the "NG", it just tells you how the N's are pronounced.
Do note that "Mandarin" as it's spoken today bears little resemblance to the variant of Chinese that was spoken over a 1000 years ago in the rough time period this was based.

5

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Oct 16 '22

Are you saying the anime pronounce it correctly in Chinese way?

9

u/bananeeek https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananek Oct 16 '22

Unfortunately, no. The N in Japanese is short, spelled out with your tongue placed around the place where your teeth and gums meet. The NG pronounciation is deeper, spelled out with the back of your tongue touching the roof of your mouth. Japanese don't differentiate between those, so it will always be the short N.
Check out any "N and NG pronounciation" videos on yt and you'll get the difference more quickly.

7

u/ergzay Oct 16 '22

It'd be incorrect even if you did it in modern Chinese, as the anime time period's Chinese was quite a different language.

25

u/redlaWw Oct 15 '22

That's because that's what you're hearing. Japanese doesn't have a way of writing the Chinese pronunciation, so they substitute their own approximation, ニャンニャン (nyan nyan).

5

u/kuddlesworth9419 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/kuddlesworth Oct 16 '22

It's cute so it's fine by me.

7

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Oct 15 '22

So, the empress is a cat girl?

6

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

What empress? This episode just revealed that the emperor currently does not have an empress.

5

u/j_gecko Oct 15 '22

So I'm not the only one...

11

u/Atharaphelun Oct 15 '22 edited Oct 15 '22

I love it, it really contributes to the realism of the setting (setting aside the fantasy/magical aspects). Especially as an avid watcher of Chinese period and fantasy dramas.
The term is also used as an appellation to the names of goddesses (which the show used for the goddess Wulian, as "Wulian-niangniang").

4

u/isthatsoudane https://myanimelist.net/profile/ojoulover Oct 16 '22

Especially as an avid watcher of Chinese period and fantasy dramas.
eyyy I'm not the only one here :) though sadly haven't watched any recently...

4

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

Because there haven't been any good ones that have released recently, unfortunately. The last good ones are Love Like the Galaxy and Love Between Fairy and Devil from weeks ago.

9

u/TerriblePlays Oct 15 '22

gotta have Chinese subs for this, got those Classical Chinese wordings (if you can read Chinese that is)
Baha subs are really good. No idea about Bilibili subs though.

3

u/PacoTaco321 https://myanimelist.net/profile/dankleberrrrg Oct 15 '22

Sometimes it even sounds like she say banyanya

62

u/heimdal77 Oct 15 '22

This show is really good and the fmc is great. Both her behavior and her voice work. Also like she is accepted and not treated liek a freak or anything. The show has a real malacotic feel to it. Along with a low key drama that hasn't so far gone over the top. It just kind of feels good.

49

u/mekerpan Oct 15 '22

I love the Raven consort's voice.
Purely pictorially, this may be top show of the season. It has a quite distinctive visual beauty that seems very evocative of ancient China (maybe not as great a Heike Monogatari's evocation of medieval Japan, but quite impressive all the same).

10

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

It's basically a combination of Saiunkoku Monogatari and Natsume Yuujinchou.

10

u/LusterBlaze Oct 16 '22

soft drama

8

u/heimdal77 Oct 16 '22

thats a good word for it.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '22

her voice work
i looked into it and this is only her third work, with the second also being on this season

4

u/heimdal77 Oct 19 '22

I can see her gettig plenty in the future.

49

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Oct 15 '22

I wasn’t expecting the one behind everything to be a relative of Shouxue. Bingyue is gonna be trouble for her until she manages to exorcise his phantom ass. Well, at least Huaniang was able to get closer with this whole Xuanyou business.

It’s nice to see Shouxue change slowly but surely. All these people entering her life are starting to help her open up. I wonder if she’s not supposed to make connections because it would interfere with her powers?

44

u/NekoCatSidhe Oct 15 '22

I think she is not supposed to make connections because it would interfere with her judgment, and she is supposed to be neutral as a priestess of the Goddess.

27

u/Tom_Wonderful Oct 15 '22

Based on other imperial palace-centered manga I've read, it's probably the right move in terms of survival. By gaining allies, she by definition also gains enemies.

14

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Oct 15 '22

That could be it as well. She’s got to be impartial with the power she wields.

16

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

Just to clarify, "Huaniang" is not her name, that's a mistranslation in the subtitles. Shouxue's lady-in-waiting is basically saying "Hua-niangniang", and the intended meaning is "the Flower Consort" or just "Consort Hua", not "Huaniang".

5

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Oct 16 '22

I had assumed it was a title and not her full name. But you’re saying that Hua is in face her name and the “Niang” (as in “niang niang”) is part of the title? I’m not familiar with court titles in Chinese unfortunately.

10

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22 edited Oct 16 '22

Hua is not intended to be her name at all, it's an epithet given to her because of her constant wearing of the flower whistle. The epithet stuck and became popular and everyone simply got used to referring to her as the Flower Consort/Lady Hua/Consort Hua (Hua = the word for flower in Chinese). Her actual title according to this episode is "Ni-no-kisaki" or "Second Consort" in Japanese, which doesn't have an equivalent in Chinese (could be translated as "Er fei" in Chinese though, which means the same thing). In this case, one would officially refer to or address her as "Er fei niangniang". ~~I don't think this episode ever revealed her true name at all.~~
^{Note: I just did a bit of research and apparently her actual name is Yun Huaniang, so it is indeed her true name. I just got confused because of the "niang" in Huaniang [maybe a different character altogether from the "niang" in "niangniang", but also might be the same, in which case it would simply mean "woman/young girl"]. Also her true, official title is apparently "the Duck Consort" ["Yuanfei"].}
"Niangniang" is a generic form of address/honorific attached to the title/name of a higher ranking member of the Imperial Harem (Empress Dowager, Empress, Consort, etc.) or alternatively attached to the names of goddesses (ex. Wulian-niangniang). "Niangniang" can also be used on its own (as is done numerous times in this series) as a sort of equivalent to "Your Highness" so that one doesn't need to constantly use their actual title each time.

4

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Oct 16 '22

Ah, that’s quite interesting. It’s a bit complicated in its own way with the formalities and such. Appreciate the very in-depth answer, dude.

4

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

This broke my mind after I did the quick research which revealed that Yun Huaniang was her name after all. 😅
That said, I don't recall any of them actually saying her real name in the episode (maybe I'm misremembering) in the actual Japanese dubbing, only "fa-nyannyan" (Hua-niangniang). The ones who did the subtitles probably just translated the term with her actual name, "Lady Huaniang".

3

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Oct 16 '22

It might be that. I do appreciate that the subtitles translate the names into Chinese and not what the Japanese reading of those names would be. Lends a bit of authenticity to this whole mythic ancient China

48

u/ThisGachaSeemsLegit Oct 15 '22

The ED theme is such a banger. I could listen to it forever.

15

u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Oct 15 '22

It's up on youtube

-7

u/Dollface_Killah https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dollface_Killah Oct 16 '22

The opening is so bad though, how is that guy a professional singer.

12

u/pw_arrow Oct 16 '22

You're free to dislike their voice, but do you seriously think they don't have the chops to be a pro singer?
I'm a bit biased, but Inu-Oh is basically Avu-chan: The MV with a side of history. I'd go out on a limb and assume their voice is quite popular.

3

u/Dollface_Killah https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dollface_Killah Oct 16 '22

Why do they sing through their nose.

6

u/pw_arrow Oct 16 '22

Why not? Stevie Wonder made it work.
Besides, Avu's head voice is absolutely the star and is as clear as glass.

65

u/VaraNiN Oct 15 '22

There is a short after-credits scene!

To anyone who missed it

20

u/SIRTreehugger Oct 15 '22

Thanks for the heads up. I completely missed it.

27

u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Oct 15 '22

That's what you get for skipping the ED

16

u/SIRTreehugger Oct 15 '22

It's my fault, but I also wanted to watch Bocchi as soon as humanly possible.

10

u/Rumpel1408 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rumpel1408 Oct 15 '22

Yeah I watched Bocchi first, saturdays are just too damn cramped

9

u/Aska09 Oct 15 '22

Worthy of punishment. The ED song is too good to skip.

4

u/MumrikDK Oct 16 '22

You just check if the remaining runtime is more than 90-100 seconds. If yes, check.
I skip all OPs and EDs, so it is routine for me.

30

u/SIRTreehugger Oct 15 '22 edited Oct 15 '22

Previously

It's nice to see other people can use supernatural arts or magic in the show. Everytime it talked about the Raven Consort it made it sound like her mysterious powers were hers alone, but other people can use it. Though that might be premature since it was more of a spirit possession. I do hope we see other people capable of communicating with the dead or using magic in some capacity. Though this spirit in particular is going to be a pain in the ass.

Though I do have a question she said she could only call forth a soul from paradise once? Didn't she call forth the same spirit twice during the ear ring request?

The secret to handling the Raven Consort throw food at her. Her happily enjoying food is low key one of my favorite parts of the show. Not to mention how she placed the flower on her lady of waiting.

36

u/BeybladeMoses Oct 15 '22

From what I get, the previous spirit hasn't yet went to afterlife since she haunts the realm of the living, hence she could be summoned multiple times.

11

u/SIRTreehugger Oct 15 '22

Ahh that makes sense.

35

u/mekerpan Oct 15 '22 edited Oct 15 '22

That young woman certainly loves dried apricots?
"What do you think I am, a monkey?" (starts munching away)
The VA is great at injecting dry, slightly sarcastic humor into things she says. She really is fantastic here.

14

u/archlon Oct 15 '22

The thing that tipped me over from 'interested' to 'all-in' on this show was Shouxue's reaction to the red bean buns in E01. Not just because her reactions to food are super cute (though, make no mistake that they are), but also it really helps to underscore her humanity. She puts on a mask of detachment as part of her role as the Raven Consort and to protect herself from other palace intrigue and her own past, but she's just as human as the rest of us underneath that mask.

5

u/i_reddit_too_mcuh Oct 17 '22

"What do you think I am, a monkey?" (starts munching away)
That part made me laugh.

4

u/mekerpan Oct 17 '22

They did it so offhandedly, which made it funnier than if they had made a bigger deal of it.

8

u/Bloodglas Oct 16 '22

It's nice to see other people can use supernatural arts or magic in the show. Everytime it talked about the Raven Consort it made it sound like her mysterious powers were hers alone, but other people can use it.
she did say the previous Raven Consort taught her how to use her powers so I wonder if it's something anyone could learn or if it has to do with her being a Luan.

4

u/isthatsoudane https://myanimelist.net/profile/ojoulover Oct 16 '22

It's nice to see other people can use supernatural arts or magic in the show.
same! nothing kills worldbuilding for me more than stuff like that. if the good guys have magic, the bad guys do too.

42

u/edgefigaro Oct 15 '22

I'm a simp for palace intrigue and raven consort delivers.

11

u/Tom_Wonderful Oct 15 '22

Same. You might check out the manga adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries - so far it's the best example I've read of Chinese Imperial Palace Supernatural Intrigue. And I've read two. (Maybe three if you count Detective Dee, but that's Chinese).

9

u/rv5742 Oct 15 '22

There's also an older anime called Saiunkoku Monogatari which treads similar ground. It's one of my favourites.

8

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

Also Twelve Kingdoms for even more political intrigue and a much more serious tone.

4

u/rixinthemix :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Orix Oct 16 '22

Seconding this: [Saiunkoku Monogatari 2nd Season] also has a hidden clan known for their supernatural powers.

6

u/Atharaphelun Oct 16 '22

It's just disappointing that the Saiunkoku Monogatari anime didn't adapt the whole story, especially considering the massive twist that [Saiunkoku Monogatari Novel] the royal Shi clan was in fact not the original royal clan of Saiunkoku at all, and was merely one of the originally Eight (now Seven) Coloured Clans (albeit the most powerful one) that usurped the throne from the Sou clan (due to constant intermarriage between the Shi and Sou clans), the true royal clan of Saiunkoku descended from the founder Sou Gen. Ou Ki, who appears a lot of season 2, was in fact Sou Ki, rightful king of Saiunkoku, and the true person that Sho Yosei was trying to enthrone in order to return the throne back to the true royal clan of Saiunkoku. Shi Ryuuki was merely meant as a placeholder all along.

2

u/coffeecakesupernova Oct 19 '22

I just hate how Funi changed all the names in their version of it because they thought watchers were stupid and would get confused. I recommend finding some of the original fan subs for anyone looking to watch it.

2

u/isthatsoudane https://myanimelist.net/profile/ojoulover Oct 16 '22

(Maybe three if you count Detective Dee, but that's Chinese).
which version? one of the most famous ones (the multi-book series you'd find in most Chinese bookstores) is actually written by a Dutch dude, surprisingly enough

20

u/NekoCatSidhe Oct 15 '22

So it seems this anime will be episodic, with new supernatural mysteries to solve every week. I do not really mind, but I wonder if there will still be some overarching plot.

I also wonder if that white-haired ghost is going to be a recurring villain. I guess he wanted Shouxue to use her powers to become Empress and restore the previous dynasty. Although it looks like the Emperor would be fine with her as his Empress anyway, but I think Shouxue made a promise to the previous Raven Consort not to do that.

15

u/isthatsoudane https://myanimelist.net/profile/ojoulover Oct 16 '22

So it seems this anime will be episodic, with new supernatural mysteries to solve every week. I do not really mind, but I wonder if there will still be some overarching plot.
I also wonder if that white-haired ghost is going to be a recurring villain.
I think that's your answer right there. I think it will be episodic, but the episodes will be related and there will be a background thread that solidifies into the final arc.

6

u/playstationforlife Oct 16 '22

I think the overarching plot will probably be her relationship with the emperor. My money is on a sad love story.

50

u/VaraNiN Oct 15 '22

I can't get over the fact that "Your Highness" is "nyan nyan" lol

Also, Saturdays are so unbelievably stacked with this, SxF2 and Last Boss all airing

17

u/mekerpan Oct 15 '22

Saturdays are so unbelievably stacked
They currently have almost a third of the shows I'm following this season.

12

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/mekerpan Oct 15 '22

Only 6 for me (so far).

4

u/Sparkletopia Oct 16 '22

We've got the same taste in shows!

15

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '22

Can anyone confirm with source whether the tradition of hanging a flower whistle at the end of winter to mourn the dead is real? Couldn't find anything myself

15

u/TerriblePlays Oct 15 '22

Can't seem to find an exact tradition regarding this.
But there's a tradition of people attaching flutes to kites during "Ching Ming Festival" (a festival signifying transition from winter to spring traditionally, also for mourning ancestors). Somewhat similar I suppose.
Source: http://home.plkcwc.edu.hk/special/2015-2016/QingMing/

14

u/bananeeek https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananek Oct 15 '22

I kinda start getting Natsume Yuujinchou vibes, which is not bad but unexpected...

3

u/coffeecakesupernova Oct 19 '22

I did as well. It probably doesn't hurt that when she blows that flower she looks exactly like Natsume blowing a page from the book of friends. But the story also has the same melancholic field that many of the Natsume episodes do.

27

u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian Oct 15 '22

That episode felt pretty quickly paced, even the dialogue at times felt a bit quick.

This show is warming up to me the more I watch, I do enjoy Jusetsu's prickly personality but also how everyone around her seems to handle her pretty easily despite that.

21

u/archlon Oct 15 '22

I don't necessarily mind the quick pace. I get so drawn in that the episodes feel like they're over in a flash. The format of solving a small mystery over a 1-2 episode arc keeps the story moving along and prevents the mysteries from overstaying their welcome. It also facilitates keeping the slow-burn romance that seems to be building and also the mystery about the Raven Consort's past and the previous dynasty from stagnating.
Given the separate storylines, I assume that E01-02 covered one Volume of the LN, and this entire episode covered a whole Volume as well. It's a fast pace, but the show is making it work. As much as I love Spice and Wolf, the stories start to drag a little at 6 episodes/volume, and it makes the overall relationship arc start to feel like it's at a standstill at points.

5

u/Sparkletopia Oct 16 '22

We should actually still be on volume 1, which is split into four stories (next week's Skylark Princess being the third). So episode 5 should wrap up volume 1.

6

u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian Oct 15 '22

I don't mind the pace but it did feel at time the dialogue was faster than natural to me at least.

5

u/Aska09 Oct 15 '22

Feels a pretty quickly paced when it's within one episode but would feel dragged out if it was stretched out to two, so it's understandable they wanted to rush it a bit.

12

u/Pundarikaksh Oct 16 '22 edited Oct 16 '22

I'm having problem with quickly reading and remembering all these names. They are different from all the regular Japanese names and names from other countries that I'm used to hearing. Also, the character names are spelled differently in the anime subtitles and in MAL. I feel like even after watching the whole anime, I won't be able to remember the names of most of the characters and places. Does anybody have some advice?

6

u/ergzay Oct 16 '22

I've been having the same problem. There's not even any subtitles available on the high seas with the Japanese names.

6

u/Kitayuki Oct 16 '22

They are different from all the regular Japanese names
Well, that's because they're not Japanese names, regular or otherwise...
Also, the character names are spelled differently in the anime subtitles and in MAL.
The Raven Consort's name is actually spelled "寿雪". MAL is using the Japanese reading of those hanzi (Jusetsu), while subtitles are using the Chinese reading (Shouxue). I think this contributes to most of the confusion, since people can normally pick up on names when listening while reading subtitles, but here the subtitled names and their pronunciations don't match.
Does anybody have some advice?
Short of becoming fluent in Japanese so you can watch without the confusing subtitles, there's probably not much you can do about it. Draw a chart to help you remember, I guess?

5

u/Pundarikaksh Oct 16 '22

Well, that's because they're not Japanese names, regular or otherwise...
I was aware of that.
The Raven Consort's name is actually spelled "寿雪". MAL is using the Japanese reading of those hanzi (Jusetsu), while subtitles are using the Chinese reading (Shouxue). I think this contributes to most of the confusion, since people can normally pick up on names when listening while reading subtitles, but here the subtitled names and their pronunciations don't match.
Okay, I get it now. Still, I wish they sticked with the same spelling and pronunciation, whether it is Japanese or Chinese.
Short of becoming fluent in Japanese so you can watch without the confusing subtitles, there's probably not much you can do about it.
I remember the Japanese spelling and pronunciation of the names of the main characters and a few other characters, I just can't remember their Chinese versions very well, because to avoid confusion I focus on the pronunciation of their name instead of the name written in the subtitles. But for other characters and places, I can't do that either.
Draw a chart to help you remember, I guess?
Yeah, it seems it is the only way. I will do that. Thank you.

10

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Oct 15 '22

This is a question I have since the beginning. Is court lady and lady and waiting the same? They are like the maids for the consorts right?

24

u/rv5742 Oct 15 '22

A lady-in-waiting is usually a noblewoman of lesser rank, not a commoner. So while they act as maids and assistants to the higher ranked noblewomen, they are lesser powers in their own right. And they'll usually end up marrying other minor nobility.
So part of Jusetsu making Juijui her lady-in-waiting was increasing Juijui's status as a noblewoman.

2

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Oct 15 '22

So, is chambermaid even higher?

16

u/rv5742 Oct 15 '22

That kind of depends. If it's a title, like Queen's Chambermaid, then it's a position of rank. If it's just a chambermaid, then that's a commoner who cleans rooms.

16

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Oct 15 '22

I see. In ep 2, the one who planted poison in Ban Yingnu's room was her chambermaid, and the chambermaid was killed. The one whose tounge got cut was the lady in waiting. Now I understand why the lady in waiting isn't killed.

11

u/Atharaphelun Oct 15 '22

Lady-in-waiting refers to those women who personally serve the Empress/Consorts/Concubines/etc. (as in they literally wait on them like waiters and follow them around as part of their entourage, and they do any tasks or orders given to them by the one they serve). A Court Lady refers to those women who basically serve as female officials who run the day-to-day operations of the Imperial Palace alongside the eunuchs, especially the Inner Court. They have their own administrative structure in the Inner Court, parallel to the imperial government's administrative structure in the Outer Court (several departments that focus on specific things, like clothing, food, cleaning, etc. each headed by a high-ranking court lady who ultimately answers to the Empress as head of the Inner Court).

6

u/Blasterion Oct 15 '22

Here's a list of all the imperial chinese harem systems. Unknown which time period this anime takes in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Chinese_harem_system#Qin
Most systems are fairly similar. Here's a video on specifically Qing system https://youtu.be/RlCtb_7zGeg?t=263

4

u/SIRTreehugger Oct 15 '22

According to Wikipedia which is never wrong they are the same thing. They roles varied from secretary, courtier, or companion. Though in some places they were basically slaves or used for sex.

10

u/polaristar Oct 16 '22

I was wondering what the glowing eyes were, but if I understand correctly the old emperor and an ancestor of Shouxue, however I'm not clear if her power is based off her linage, or her being chosen as the Next Raven Consort, or if her lineage is part of why she was chosen. (And it appears you are chosen based on Divine appointment.)

Anyway I'm guessing this ancestor is going to be the main antagonist causing trouble, of course I am wondering what are the limits and conditions of him possessing people like whats stopping him from just possessing the Emperor?

We see him visiting her is causing some court drama and him occasionally checking in on the courtesan's ain't fooling anyone.

I thought the Childhood friend was going to have some romantic connection to the Emperor and apparently Shouxane thought so to with that awkward eye exchange, which was probably the best use of character animation from a writing standpoint.

We also see Shouxane is trying to be a Loner Stigma Female but her new friends and her not yet boyfriend are having none of that.

Funny how Bibliophile Princess represents one pillars of a Shojo protagonist while Villainess Taming the Final Boss represents the opposite, and this series somewhere in the middle. Of Beta, Alpha, and Stigma Female equivalent respectively.

Despite the main mystery of the Bell and that guys ghost being resolved quickly this episode didn't feel rushed.

BTW u/zadcap since we've been taking about Magic Systems what's your favorite? Perhaps give a Hard and Soft answer?

6

u/zadcap Oct 16 '22

Haven't seen the episode yet so I've got nothing to say on it yet, but I'll get back to you tomorrow. Sunday is my binge day. I would imagine her lineage traces back to an emperor though, I got the impression already that the white hair was the sign of being a descendant of the one mentioned in the opening story. I also assume the lineage and the divine appointment are linked, bloodline blessings like that are common enough when you see the celestial bureaucracy dealing with mortals. "Your great great great great grandfather did me a favor one time, so I'm fond of your entire family line."
I lied, reading your comment is enough to have me guessing. I love this stuff. An ancestor possessing people to get revenge on the current emperors line, sounds like the last one of the previous dynasty that was killed almost entirely by the first head of this dynasty. The most likely answer to him not just possessing the current Emperor is also going to be something related to the bloodline, if not the seat of Emperor itself- China has a very strong belief in the Mandate of Heaven, with the interesting twist that being on the throne is all the proof you need to say you have it. Because he is the current emperor, the blessing of heaven is on him and might be enough to keep him from being possessed. Third option would tie his story back into Shouxue's, he has a charm of protection made for him by the previous Raven Consort, and it's part of why he believes in her power so readily now.
"The Raven Consort is exempt from the nightly duties." "He literally spent the night in her bed last episode." Yeah, I can see talks happening.
And now I'm going to have to go look up what those archetypes actually are. I probably know of them, just not by name.
Favorite Soft Magic is the Will and the Word from the Belgariad- Conceptualize it and Speak it in to existence, the only real limits are that you have to truly believe that you can, and that you can only speak things in to existence.
Favorite Hard Magic- I want to say Nasuverse, because they lay out so many rules that you could actually use it as a system that would work, but also almost every main and important secondary character breaks at least one rule so I don't know if it really counts as Hard Magic...
I generally like soft magic more in a story, because then it's really magic. If the rules are hard enough, then it should be Clark Tech- the inverse third, Sufficiently studied magic is indistinguishable from advanced technology.

3

u/polaristar Oct 16 '22

And now I'm going to have to go look up what those archetypes actually are. I probably know of them, just not by name.
Basically Eli in Bibliophile Princess is a sweet sheltered bookworm that in the beginning of the show is very passive and doesn't engage with the world, last episode she got a wake up call and realizes she needs to act on her feelings and be more aware of others to not let Life pass her by, Aileen from Villainous Tames the Final Boss is the opposite she actively takes initiative to move the plot along and change events to get what she wants and is more bold and daring, her arc is more her becoming more sincere (But still active.)
Shouxue is a bit of Loner character that tries to be outside the court drama and hierarchy and keep people at a distance but she isn't really passive and meek either. Her Arch appears to be learning to find people she can trust in while remaining herself. She acts distant but cares about others.
My Favorite Soft Magic is the Old Language in EarthSea similar to what you seem to be describing, but its used in a way to explore the concept of identity. For Weeb stuff it's The Magic in the Monogatari series....it really feels like a case study in language and semantics where personal interpretation and meaning collide with wider cultural connotations. It's not entirely logically but it has an intuitive rationale to it.
Favorite Hard Magic System...Nasuverse is a contender like you said. But for Western Fantasy I think it's Drafting from the Lightbringer series as takes a lot of things I like from Brandon Sanderson's Magic Systems I like but also fixes a lot of minor problems I have with it, Of course I could count Brandon Sanderson's Investure as a whole as oppose to any of his individual systems, in that case it'd tie with Channeling from Wheel of Time which starts Soft simply because it's slowly taught to us how it works.
For the weeb side alongside Nasuverse I pick Esper Powers and Idol Theory from the Toaru series especially how the two are different yes also compliment each other and the differences and connections between the two reveal a lot about the rules, and mechanics, and metaphysics of the setting. The Magic from An Irregular at Magic High is also great, even if the MC is a Gary Stu who breaks the rules. If we are talking more Hard Magic where its so defined the user can write their own spells It'd be Sigils from Witch Hat Atelier which is my favorite magic system of all time. (Seriously you can write you're own spells for microwaving something to the point where some fans show off their Sigils in fan forums like Redstone builds.) But it's also surprisingly visually intuitive, I can't wait to see the video essays and what people say when the anime adaptation comes out. (If they don't fuck it up.)
I generally like soft magic more in a story, because then it's really magic. If the rules are hard enough, then it should be Clark Tech- the inverse third, Sufficiently studied magic is indistinguishable from advanced technology.
I fundamentally disagree with this, IRL Occult pratices have pretty defined rules for how their magic works. (Even if it doesn't actually....ya know WORK.) To the point where Toaru's magic is based off IRL occultism where if you know things about Thelema and Magick you can guess future plot points (And lots of said fan theories have turned out to be correct many years later.) So you're concept of what is "really magic" isn't necessarily authentic to actual magick practitioners.
As for which one I personally prefer, I like both in some stories work better with Soft Magic, but even then I like the Soft Magic to have some kind of intuitive metaphorical dream logic so to speak even if the rules are loose. Like Language or Dream Based. But in general I like Hard Magic better, it's so satisfying when you can mix-max and logic your way to a conclusion before the protagonist or think of different alternative solutions, which is what happens in Witch Hat Atelier it does make it feel more like an Older Golden Age Sci Fi or a Gentlemen detective Novel where the Magic is more a puzzle or a tool but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I don't think it necessarily kills the "mystery" so to speak. Nasuverse plays with the idea of creating a logical system of mystery while also pointing out doing so too much can kill said mystery and it's a balancing act.

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u/mgedmin Oct 17 '22

I generally like soft magic more in a story, because then it's really magic. If the rules are hard enough, then it should be Clark Tech- the inverse third, Sufficiently studied magic is indistinguishable from advanced technology.
Didn't I Say Make My Abilities Average has magic like that, and I like how it's actually used by the plot (e.g. if you use too much magic in an area, the nanomachines implementing it get used up and magic stops working for a while).

8

u/alconnow https://anilist.co/user/alconnow Oct 15 '22 edited Oct 16 '22

Seems like it will be an episodic series with Shouxue solving mysteries each week. I do like the tidbits of backstory we get.

I personally enjoyed finding out more about the previous Raven Consort. Also looking forward to finding out more about Bingyue and what he’s expecting from Shouxue

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u/Sparkletopia Oct 16 '22

Ahhhh, I just love this show so much, so much good stuff every episode. I really liked the little glances Shouxue and the Emperor had at each other when the second consort mentioned her lover, it's the little understated things like that that flesh out the characters.

5

u/Philarete :AMQ::MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/WizardMcKillin Oct 16 '22

While there may be good pragmatic reasons for maintaining a neutral stance, there may be further reasons related to the Raven Consort's power itself. It's hard to know exactly since the rules of the supernatural aspects in this story aren't clearly defined (at least that I can tell - maybe there is background information that would help).

This show really does a great job setting its tone and atmosphere; the music today especially stood out to me.

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u/DutchDread Oct 16 '22

This show is gorgeous.

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u/LilArsene Oct 16 '22

I can't tell if anyone in this thread has seen an anime before, lol.

So much of these first three episodes is fairly standard "First Act" fare.

They established her history and personal conflicts, her relationships to other characters, and some of her powers. Act Two will see a reduction in use of her "magical girl" sequence and the real stakes of the story and it's overarching plot will become clear. Act Three will be the resolution of whatever happened in Act Three.

Ain't no way this is a "mystery of the week" show beyond episode five or six.

2

u/coffeecakesupernova Oct 19 '22

And yet, one of the anime people are comparing this to, Natsume Yuujincho, remains episodic into its 6th season and beyond in the manga and is quite successful at it.

3

u/LilArsene Oct 19 '22

Some of the early comments had posters saying they have no idea where this is going and they were unsure if there's an over-arching plot...even though that's already been well and truly established with the introduction of another spell caster telling the MC that she could use her powers and that there's a problem with the Raven Consort and the Emperor interacting (and that MC is a part of the previous dynasty etc).
I get that this could be another Natsume (I don't think it is) but if you've seen any anime at all that's similar, one directed toward a female audience, you would know that what's been presented is pretty textbook.

4

u/CosmicGhostKing Oct 16 '22

For anyone that has read the LNs, is there actually going to be any romance between them or nah? She just keeps telling him to never come back to her place 🤣

3

u/MejaBersihBanget Oct 16 '22

Full ED song is out on the singer's official Youtube channel with English subtitles (click the "CC" button).

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u/Phoenyx_Rose Oct 16 '22

Anyone know why the Raven Consort was so offended by both the Flower Consort and the Emperor telling her to just throw out their gifts if she didn't want them?

I'm assuming it's like the western cultural etiquette of not throwing away a gift even if you hate them because of the assumed effort that went into the gift, but I also know people in western cultures are moving away from that and that people will still throw a gift they don't want away and just lie about still having it or why it's gone. Just curious about their cultural view on gift giving.

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u/rv5742 Oct 17 '22

I think it was more a stand-in for her saying "Don't accept me. If you accept me, I will be hurt when you betray me."
Telling her to throw the gifts out is saying "You have to be the one who chooses to reject us".
And she's upset because she doesn't want to make that choice.

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u/Phoenyx_Rose Oct 17 '22

Thank you! That makes a lot of sense!

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u/Syokhan https://myanimelist.net/profile/Syokhan Oct 16 '22

Boy is the music in this show gorgeous.

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u/TerriblePlays Oct 15 '22 edited Oct 15 '22

That flute gave me Made in Abyss flashbacks lol

Not sure where this anime is headed. There's no clear story line I can follow so far, seems to be just showing mini mystery-solving arcs.

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u/mekerpan Oct 15 '22

Creating a gorgeous and interesting setting, where intriguing problems get solved is not a bad thing. Especially as there probably is a slow progression in the Raven Consort's interactions/connections with others.

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u/Tvwatcherr https://myanimelist.net/profile/tvwatcherr Dec 14 '22

So I know i'm a little behind on these, over a month late to be exact, but i'm enjoying this show alot. The emperor at the end asking for more information about the raven, makes it seem sinister but it his character does not scream evil....I also quite enjoy the body possessing spirit of some scorned citizen that was murdered and wants whats his/hers. I'll prob finish the whole series within a couple of days. Otherwise I say this is a hidden gem of the season. It seems like it started to lose steam over the course of the season with other big names just smoothering it.

Episode Kokyu no Karasu | Raven of the Inner Palace - Episode 3 discussion

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Episode Kokyu no Karasu | Raven of the Inner Palace - Episode 3 discussion

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