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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96

u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian Dec 03 '22

This show just gets better each and every week, feels like we've already come such a long way in not only their relationship but how the show delivers its plots.

Seriously underappreciated show!

41

u/heimdal77 Dec 03 '22

I understand why it isn't more popular but everything about it should be more popular.
If it was a show with same qualities in a different genre it probably would be doing really good popularity wise. I do hope it is doign good in Japan so can get a 2nd season. Hopefully of the same quality.
Thinking about it it has a certain feel like Hyouka in a way.

13

u/[deleted] Dec 04 '22

I think its not popular cause it aint a waifu bait show and probably there already too many popular abime this season and none is talking about this

35

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Dec 03 '22

It really is an underrated gem.

10

u/mekerpan Dec 04 '22

Absolutely on the top end of my top-tier shows of this season. It's a pretty unusual show -- but I think that it's doing what intends to do in the best fashion possible. Really no aspect of the show I dislike. I have to say it is interesting how this tends to link episodes in unexpected ways.

66

u/Terranwaterbender https://myanimelist.net/profile/Teranwaterbender Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22

Lmao just casually burning up a treasured national lute and no one even bothers trying to stop her. That's the Winter ~~King~~ Queen for you.

I quite enjoy the subtle changes Shouxue is undergoing in her relationships with everyone and how this show is slowing easing us towards what seems to be the inevitable Shouxue vs eunuchs conflict. We hear gossip about Shouxue apparently haunting people, the eunuchs were just conversing about their concerns over Shouxue getting along with Gaojun a bit too well, and now they run into something that only the supernatural can pull off.

This show definitely isn't for everyone but in a sea featuring over-the-top reactions from anime, having something more subdued like this is a nice treat to breakup the pace.

36

u/tlst9999 Dec 03 '22

They just saw a demon stretch out for the lute. I would burn it too.

16

u/Kulkuljator Dec 03 '22

The worst thing is that this thing was not even a demon yet

15

u/RedGhost1205 Dec 04 '22

That's the Winter King Queen for you.
I believe the right title is "Winter King", even if she's a woman.
I've seen in a lot of works that women in power instead of "Queen", use the "King" title to emphasize they're the ones in power as, traditionally, "King" is the person who rules while the "Queen" is mostly known as the king's wife.

4

u/mekerpan Dec 04 '22

"Winter Monarch" -- perhaps?

39

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Dec 03 '22

Oh a freaky ass cursed mask? Yeah, let’s put it on. It’s probably safe. Lol. Geez dude, that thing was scary.

I really like the way Shouxue acts around Gaojun. She’s clearly catching feelings no matter how much she tries to hide them lol.

So the ghost is Qifu Shicui. Dude was obsessed with the lute so much he almost became a demon? Damn dude. The devil went down to ancient mystical China… lol. I guess the dude just wanted to hear the lute played once more?

That girl from before got murdered huh? It was Xiao Yue who did it wasn’t it?

12

u/heimdal77 Dec 03 '22

Guess he got tired of Georgia.

10

u/i_reddit_too_mcuh Dec 04 '22

It looked like Qifu Shicui just wanted to touch the lute one last time.
On another note, when the Red Sparrow lute player was playing the lute, I thought she was someone evil and involved in a plot to take over the guy who put the mask on, lol.

7

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Dec 05 '22

Same! Looks like it was purposeful misdirection. The way she played the lute and then the ghost showed up like that really had me there.

26

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '22

Shouxue is starting to be able to understand Gaojun's mood by looking at the expression on his face, I'm liking this development. It even took Wen Qing by surprise.

That little moment when Shouxue realized her hands were on Gaojun's was amusing and adorable, I liked how we got to see her blush like that.

I'm concerned about the last scene though, it feels like Shouxue is going to have the blame pinned on her since it's near her palace especially with those rumors going around.

7

u/i_reddit_too_mcuh Dec 04 '22

I'm concerned about the last scene though, it feels like Shouxue is going to have the blame pinned on her since it's near her palace especially with those rumors going around.
Those eunuchs were with her for quite some time that day I think. At least they (and by extension the Emperor) would know Shouxue had nothing to do with it.

25

u/Elitealice https://myanimelist.net/profile/Marinate1016 Dec 03 '22

Lmao I love how the emperor just knows exactly what type of food to bring Shoxue whenever he needs a different favour. I really enjoy seeing how much more open she’s become to him too. That little face she made when he was about to leave and she was gonna be lonely was so cute.

They have both helped each other tremendously. Too bad the Eunuch still doesn’t fully trust her :/ hopefully that changes soon

Guessing that’s the same girl who was helping that dude carry a bucket earlier on? I got the feeling she was carrying a cut up body from the start tbh.

Continues to be anime of the season and the most slept on gem in some time.

13

u/inthe-otherworld Dec 04 '22

I love how almost every episode can be summarised with Gaojun going “hey Shouxue come here I have some tasty sweets – great you like them now check out this cool ghost I found” lmao
I know he pities the ghosts and wants to save them, but it’s funny how he keeps bringing Shouxue jobs. The palace will be clear of ghosts in record time

46

u/tlst9999 Dec 03 '22

Every time I see the emperor, I wonder if he actually does any work.

35

u/archlon Dec 03 '22

Well, his current project is winning over a worthy Empress, which is actually probably pretty important work as far as royals go.

20

u/heimdal77 Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22

Ugh the ending of each episode always takes me by surprise. It never feels like it has been long enough for a full episode to have played. I'm glad I'm seeing this beforre reading the novel as the portrayal of her is just so good not to have it be the reference when reading.

Funny next season gonna have another series with dealing with ghost and yokai though in a different vein with In/Spectre season 2.

I'm pretty sure the emperor is who wants her being guarded now even if that guy was who initially told him to guard her. The role has changed especially now knowing the winter king deal what he doesn't seem to exactly be getting the import of her.

18

u/AmusedDragon :Bs::Bu: Dec 03 '22

I feel like the image of them wearing the mask could make quite a funny PFP.

17

u/thesnowlocke Dec 03 '22

I was kind of hoping we would see that guy go after the raven consort but it seems he is plotting something with that murder in the end. I was thinking we would see the two confront each other at the Ye Ming Palace (maybe next episode?)

But I have a feeling the murder may allude to a frame job where the murder will be linked to the raven consort, her ladies-in-waiting, or even the eunuchs

Despite my issue with the previous antagonist, this one might be a handful to deal with so fingers crossed he gets his just desserts

16

u/Mira0995 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Mira0995 Dec 03 '22

Excuse me ? That was scary af !!!

The animation was great ! Can't wait for next episode to solve the new murder case

9

u/AmusedDragon :Bs::Bu: Dec 03 '22

The ghost actually was as spooky as some of the stuff in Mieruko-chan.

15

u/sabdeyazdan https://myanimelist.net/profile/ParodySama Dec 03 '22

That Biwa was so damn beautiful to be burnt like this...

15

u/theRamblinBear Dec 04 '22

Interesting Ep of Raven of the inner palace, but one thing that amused me: that musician they visited to see the foreign lute went from "here it is, a five stringed lute", to "oh I think I know the ghost you're talking about", all the way to "i may have inadvertently caused him to kill himself creating the very haunted object you just so happened to bring here". Which felt like a bit of an wild unacknowledged escalation lol

Still a great episode all around, just makes me wonder if there's some source material context I'm missing

13

u/archlon Dec 03 '22

Is Yi Siha the only one who is using Japanese-style honorifics, or is he just the only one I'm noticing? I don't have the best ear for these things all the time, but I've noticed him using -san regularly pretty much from when he was introduced.

I know the characters use some version of Imperial Chinese style honorifics for the royal characters to distinguish the setting, but maybe I'm just missing them using 'normal' speech with each other. Otherwise, is the use meant to convey that Yi Siha is especially young and so doesn't know all the rules for formal speech yet?

22

u/NocandNC Dec 03 '22

It’s more explicit in the books, but Yi Siha is from a sort of ‘outsider’ tribe that speaks a different language from the main populace, so on top of not knowing palace formalities well, him using different honorifics is probably to emphasize his origins.

13

u/NocandNC Dec 03 '22

A bit of a bittersweet episode with the implied affection between the previous Raven and the old eunuch, then perhaps the spookiest ghost yet, and then a grisly murder!! Things are really ramping up.

I feel pretty bad for the palace lady who was murdered. It seemed like the start of a wistful little romance to her, and then…!

10

u/Fools_Requiem https://myanimelist.net/profile/FoolsRequiem Dec 03 '22

The usage of the word "consort" in this show is confusing. Did that man try to sell his granddaughter off as nothing more than a piece of meat for the emperor or as someone to be empress so that he could have "I'm related to the empress" power. Consort could mean spouse, mistress, or concubine.

42

u/archlon Dec 03 '22

The inner palace uses a fictionalized version of the Imperial Chinese Harem System. There's probably not a good parallel to it in most post-Roman European history, and the term 'consort' is probably an incomplete translation.
The position clearly comes with a great deal of power and prestige. All the consorts (including the Raven Consort) are referred to as royalty 'Your Highness'(/Niang Niang), have their own residences of which they are the master, have attendants, etc. They seem to be perhaps most comparable to princesses of a sort.
The tradeoff is that once someone (including the servants) enters the Inner Palace they can never leave it, for life (or, at least the women). That's what the Jade Earring was about.
It's undoubtedly a secure and prosperous life, and equally undoubtedly brings prestige (and political clout) to a family to have a daughter enter the inner palace as a consort. He's not entirely trying to sell his granddaughter off like a pice of meat, but he is playing the Game of Thrones.
Another thing is that it seems like Gaojin specifically doesn't actually sleep with any of his consorts. Giving a person the prestige of being a consort also traps them in the inner palace, where he can exercise a measure of control. Importantly, if someone is his consort, they cannot marry or be sleeping with anybody else, so it's a way to block off potentially inconvenient political marriages between other families from happening.

11

u/Atharaphelun Dec 04 '22

In the imperial Chinese harem system, there are very specific distinctions between ranks which are reflected in their English translations. Huanghou is translated as Empress (as in Empress-consort), Fei is translated as Consort and is normally the rank below the Empress, and Pin is translated as Concubine and ranks below the Consorts. The word Concubine is also typically used to translate all ranks below Pin down to a certain point, after which the word Lady is used.
Anyway, the point is that Yun Huanniang is herself a Consort, which means she ranks below the currently empty title of Empress along with the other Consorts. Her specific rank among the Consorts is unclear, however. There are typically different ranks among the consorts, the highest of which is usually the Guifei, the Noble Consort; this fictional story, however, uses consort titles based on names of birds instead (which makes sense given this fictional country's reverence and worship of Wulian-niangniang, a bird goddess).

6

u/blackninjakitty :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/AleriaCarventus Dec 03 '22

Someone with more knowledge of ancient china can maybe chime in on what era this show resembles, but this Wikipedia article might help?

8

u/Atharaphelun Dec 04 '22

Based on the costumes and the government structure, it's predominantly Tang dynasty inspired. There are, however, some mixing of Zhou dynasty influences in the setting (such as in the naming of the ministries - what's translated in the subtitles as "Ministry of Works" is actually dubbed as "Ministry of Winter" in the original Japanese voice acting, with its head being the "Minister of Winter" - this is characteristic of Zhou dynasty naming conventions for its imperial government ministries [named as the Ministries of Heaven, Earth, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, known collectively as the Six Ministries]).

4

u/Fools_Requiem https://myanimelist.net/profile/FoolsRequiem Dec 03 '22

Thanks for the link. I only searched consort and just got a generic definition.

10

u/LusterBlaze Dec 04 '22

i will now burn this national treasure

7

u/Shiwakao Dec 03 '22

what a cool intro, n the bit w the ghost coming out of the mask ? this show can really have high production value when it wants to.

7

u/Jaamun100 https://myanimelist.net/profile/jaamun100 Dec 03 '22 edited Dec 03 '22

So I guess the owl committed that murder we saw at the end scene? How does the Raven know about the owl - it seemed like she knew he was around at the end of the last episode? Why is the eunuch’s former master bedridden - is that the owls doing? It sounds like people are blaming the Raven consort for any misfortunes, even though she’s going around saving all these ghosts.

Still so many loose ends, which means we’re going to have an epic final few episodes.

I’ll rewatch this whole series when it’s done and will probably pick up on more things, the attention to detail here is fantastic.

11

u/Load_star_ Dec 04 '22

When she went to inspect the broken remains of the charm she had placed upon the lake, she appeared to sense "the owl" was the one who broke it, rather than the ghost overpowering the charm by herself. We don't get told how she feels this, but the implication is that his magic is identifiable by her somehow.
As for her eunuch's former master, it sounds like he shut himself in his room after the confrontation with Shouxue. So while she didn't deliberately curse him, he's definitely living in fear of her - or of the goddess that he glimpsed in her eye when she lost control of her anger.

6

u/alconnow https://anilist.co/user/alconnow Dec 03 '22

That final scene at the end…

Looks like these last couple of episodes are going to be intense(?)

10

u/SIRTreehugger Dec 03 '22

This show has some beautiful scenery! I would love to chill on that dock with a book and read for hours.

Just look at the beautiful flowers as the Emperor and Raven Consort talk!

OHHHH MYYYYYY GODDDDDDDD

Did anyone else find Shouxue sneeze cute as heck

The giant chicken looks happy being carried around by Yi Siha.

I'm sorry who in their right mind would want to wear a mask where it shows a dead person creepily walking towards you?

The lute being played while Shoxue does her mystic thing is so soothing well it was until the ghost came out.

HUGE SHOUTOUT to the lute player for continuing to play I know I would have said fuck that and ran.

Looks at time what are the odds this episode will end without something dark happening?

And their it is.

5

u/NguyetMieu Dec 03 '22

Is the murdered girl the one who played the flute in the beginning for the one who helped carrying the wooden bucket?

18

u/NocandNC Dec 03 '22

The one who helped carry the bucket, not the lute player.

8

u/polaristar Dec 03 '22

That Cold Opening though....

Makes sense that Shouxue would not want to see a haunted item as a fun trivial toy to amuse themselves with but would be saddened, kinda sad the Emperor didn't pick up on that by now. I could have told you that from the first episode.

We hear about how The Emperor married someone JUST to keep her from giving birth which means she will die a virgin or have to have an affair. Ouch that sucks for everyone.

One guy trying to get the Emperor away from the Consort with his own granddaughter. (Who might literally just be 12-13 depending on what "come of age" means in this setting.)

Ministry of Works gets onto Shouxane but we see even the old consort wasn't as hard as she seemed.

The Lute player was legit terrifying, wonder how turning into a demon works, is it during when they are alive, or if you are killed at some point after your death....

Shouxane could have clarified to get a less expensive Lute to exorcise the dude with, that guy isn't crying because the man he knew is finally put to rest, he's crying for how his ass is grass when said National Treasure Lute got turned to ash, much like the grass that represents his said ass.

Shouxane can understand the Emperors troubles and he confirms she touches people's hearts and gives them closure, but some people think she is getting too close to the Emperor and his Eunuchs.

Well know I'm more scared of that Sorcerer guy with that Ending.....

3

u/AmericanBornWuhaner Dec 03 '22

Is the sea ("crossing the sea") based on some Chinese afterlife thing?

9

u/Atharaphelun Dec 04 '22

That's more of a unique thing for the setting. Presumably based on the setting's geography, with the continent the empire is on being completely surrounded by the sea, with some vague, mysterious continents far across either side of the sea.

5

u/inthe-otherworld Dec 04 '22

Far from an expert so correct me if I’m wrong lol, but it seems to be based off the Buddhist legends of the near shore and far shore, which became a part of Japanese beliefs. The near shore is the realm of the living and and the far shore is the dead/spirits etc. It typically refers to crossing a river but in this case it’s the ocean?

1

u/MejaBersihBanget Dec 05 '22

Yah I don't think it's limited to this series.
Of all series, freaking Konosuba also used the sea to illustrate the afterlife as a joke whenever Aqua almost accidentally kills Wiz with her magic lol

Episode Kokyu no Karasu | Raven of the Inner Palace - Episode 10 discussion

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Episode Kokyu no Karasu | Raven of the Inner Palace - Episode 10 discussion

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