[also a repost from LJ]

This novel covers the part about Shuurei working in the finance ministry and Ryuuki trying to get the bill to allow women to take the exams passed. Eh, I’m debating whether I should continue to put this novel blogging on this blog, or move it to the wordpress.com blog, because I know most of you don’t watch Saiunkoku, and even if you do, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be interested. I like Saiunkoku, but for some reason I don’t feel a huge need to pimp it to others.

I think Seiran’s uh… “dark” nature comes out more in the books. There’s a point where he subtly impresses on Shuuei and Kouyuu that they should bring ingredients when they come over to Shuurei’s house. Honestly, when I watched the anime, this aspect of him kind of slipped past me until the scenes where he declares his enmity to Sakujun. (Well, also the scenes where he gets irritated with Ensei, but since they really are friends, it doesn’t come off as inner darkness, more as irritability. XD But yeah, without his darker side, Seiran would be a much less interesting character.)

The two generals of the Left and the Right of the Urin Army are given slightly more characterization in the novels. It says that the Koku (black) and Haku (white) families have historically been gifted generals. The two current generals both want Seiran in their army (and it seems that they might suspect his past?), but Seiran refuses because he’s satisfied where he is and he doesn’t want to be exposed.

Some of the conversations are also longer and more detailed in the novel. For example, when Ensei is cheering Shuurei up, and when Chamberlain Kei discusses “Shuu-kun”’s situation with Li Kouyuu. Also when Kouyuu talks to the Kijin about the um, situation in his backyard (meaning after he has arrived with Ryuuki, Seiran, and Ran Shuuei), Kou Kijin is like “what a dumb king” and he notes that Kouyuu is irritated at this, because he (Kouyuu) can insult Ryuuki, but he gets annoyed if other people do it. Then he defends Ryuuki to Kou Kijin and says that he believes Ryuuki will become a great king.
(Interestingly, after this, Reishin pops out (meaning this occurs later than it does in the anime). Their conversation is longer than it is in the anime, and we learn that there was a woman who rejected Kou Kijin because… he was too pretty! And then she married Reishin. (!!! I want to see what this woman is like… 0_o) After this, Kou Kijin started to wear the mask. And yet they remain good friends, despite their continuous mutual insults. Also after Kijin tells Reishin he thought about marrying Shuurei, he taunts Reishin by saying that Shuurei hugged him and didn’t want to let go (omitting the details), which of course is a direct hit. XD

Also, the conversation between Shusui and Shouka relates hints of backstory, like Eiki’s name, and the recently dead Hokuto (a friend of Shouka, member of the Wolves of the Wind, the father of the two boys).

As for Doctor You, Shou Taishi recommends him as a source of medicine for heat exhaustion. (Ryuuki has spread a rumor that Shou Taishi’s sealed vase which actually contains the spirit of Sa Enjun has dried plums which will cure heat exhaustion, which causes people to harass him.)

The two “chivalrious thief band” brothers (Shourin and Youshun) make an appearance at the beginning of this novel. (The ones who Shunki was hiding out with. In the anime, they only appear later in the story, in Sa Province.) They hang around the city, then bust into the palace and interrupt Kou Kijin and Chamberlain Kei’s conversation. After this, there is a subplot that is not in the anime where they throw salt at Kou Kijin (believing him to be a ghost or a monster) forcing him to take off his mask, and steal the key to the treasure storeroom. Ensei and Shuurei find them (dressed all in black, Youshun had gotten heatstroke), and they also meet a unmasked Kou Kijin (and are shocked by his beauty; but Shuurei doesn’t know he is Kou Kijin because he is not wearing his mask, haha. What a useful disguise). They take the boys to his mansion. Dr. You treats Youshun. Then Ensei asks Kou Kijin if he can meet the bandits from Sa province in his manor. The rest proceeds much as it does in the anime, except that there is direct discussion of Tei Yuushun (who BTW, from flipping ahead in the books, becomes a much more important person than you think he might be), so that there isn’t an “huh? Who is this guy?” effect when he later pops up, I suppose. At the end the two brothers return with Ensei back to Sa Province after meeting with Shouka and Shusui.

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