Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Story of Saiunkoku (彩雲国物語, Saiunkoku Monogatari?, lit. Tale of the Land of Many-Coloured Clouds), often rendered Tale of Saiunkoku, is a series of Japanese novels written by Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura.

The story currently consists of 12 volumes; it is serialized in the Japanese magazine, The Beans. The story is set in a fantasy realm resembling medieval China and contains strong drama, comedy and romance elements.

A manga version, also illustrated by Kairi Yura, is serialized in Beans Ace, which is published by Kadokawa Shoten. Currently two tankōbon have been released. The first drama CD was released in 2005.

The anime series, produced by Madhouse Studios, is directed by Jun Shishido. The first season began airing in April 2006 and completed in February 2007 with 39 episodes. The second season, titled Saiunkoku Monogatari 2nd Series (彩雲国物語 第2シリーズ, Saiunkoku Monogatari 2nd Series?) began airing in April 2007 and will consist of another 39 episodes. As of July 2006 it airs on Saturday mornings on NHK in Japan.

Furthermore, Geneon Entertainment has announced it will release the first DVD of the series in August 2007 in North America.

Setting

According to legend, Saiunkoku was once infested by demons who threw the country into turmoil and made the people miserable. A brave young warrior named Sō Gen gathered together the eight Enlightened Sages of Color and drove away the demons.

Sō Gen then forged the nation of Saiunkoku and became its first emperor. After Sō Gen's death, the eight sages disappeared, but according to legend they still exist among the people. A beautiful shrine was built for the Eight Colored Sages; it still stands within the Imperial City.

Saiunkoku had always been divided into eight distinct provinces named after colors of the rainbow. Six hundred years ago, the Emperor commanded that the ruling family of each province change their names to match the province they ruled. Commoners were forbidden to share the same family names as nobles.

Provinces and ruling families

Each province in Saiunkoku is ruled by a noble family of the same name. All eight provinces and families are named after colors.

* Ran (藍, Ran?, Blue) — The most powerful clan in Saiunkoku, although they play a dormant role in the political issues of the country.
* Kō (紅, Kō?, Red) — Equal power to that of the Ran clan. Along with the Ran clan, the Kō clan is known to be the 'highest of nobility'.
* Heki (碧, Heki?, Green)
* Kō (黄, Kō/Ki?, Yellow) — Although pronounced the same as the 'Red' (紅) clan, the kanji (黄) means 'yellow'
* Haku (白, Haku ?, White)
* Koku (黒, Koku ?, Black)
* Sa (茶, Sa?, Brown) — Known as the least distinguished clan in Saiunkoku
* Shi (紫, Shi?, Purple) — The family of the Emperor

Characters
Names are in Western order, with the surname after the given name.

The Kō (Crimson) clan

Shūrei Kō (紅 秀麗, Kō Shūrei?) is a fictional character in the novel, manga and anime series, The Story of Saiunkoku.

First appearance: Novel, Manga Volume 1
Episode 1 (in the anime)
Created by: Sai Yukino
Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima

Profile
Nicknames :Soul Friend #1
Age: 16 (at the start of the series)
Gender: Female
Title: Kō Princess
Emperor's Consort (former)
Kiyō Official
Provincial Governor
Known relatives: Shōka Kō (father)
Reishin Kō (uncle)
Kurō Kō (uncle)
Shōkun Kō (mother, deceased)

Background

Shūrei Kō is the daughter and only child of Shōka Kō of the Kō clan, one of the two most powerful clans in Saiunkoku.

She is sixteen years old when the story begins. As a descendant of the direct line, she has the title hime, which means 'princess' or 'lady'. Despite the high social status of her family, Shūrei grew up in relatively impoverished circumstances. Her father's job brought little income, and much of the wealth of their family home was given to the needy during the devastating war for the imperial succession eight years ago.

There are no servants at the Kō residence, so Shūrei has grown adept at household chores such as needlework, cooking and cleaning, traits unusual in a lady of high social standing. She has also held a number of odd jobs to earn money, acting as a professional erhu player, working as an accountant at Kōchō's brothel in the Red Light District, and serving as a teacher at the local temple.

Childhood

Shūrei suffered from a weak constitution as a child, but when her mother died after a sudden illness, Shūrei's health immediately recovered. This left her with feelings of regret and survivor's guilt over her mother's death. She still experiences fear and panic during summer thunderstorms, which remind her of her mother's sudden passing. Shūrei grew up side-by-side with Seiran and often confides in him, telling him virtually everything.

She deeply cares for him, but it is unclear whether she has romantic feelings for him. Shūrei experienced first-hand the chaos the nation suffered during the fight over the succession, and her childhood dream was to become an imperial official and serve in government. She yearned for the power to change the lives of the people for the better. Shūrei studied for the official examination with her father, but after she learned women were ineligible to take the exam, she abandoned her dream to the children she taught at the temple school.

Story

Due to Shūrei's status and abilities, Grand Master Shou offered her 500 gold pieces to become the Emperor's consort for six months. Shūrei's education, high social rank, relative poverty, and lack of influential relatives made her the ideal candidate. The Grand Advisors hoped Shūrei would be able to inspire and instruct Ryūki, who had shown no interest in governing after ascending to the throne, to become a better emperor.

She immediately agreed to the deal, swayed by the money (dearly needed for repairs to the house) and the opportunity to help influence her country for the better. Another factor was the persistent rumour that the Emperor was homosexual, which meant she would not have to worry about Ryūki's romantic or physical interest.

Shūrei's unique combination of kindness, shrewdness and hard work earned her a good reputation during her stay in the Imperial Residence. She gained the friendship and respect of many up-and-coming officials including Kōyū Ri who agreed to tutor her. Shūrei's mission ultimately succeeded; Ryūki became an active and respectable ruler thanks to her efforts. With her mission a success, Shūrei returned home, but as she was leaving, Ryūki finally revealed his romantic feelings for her with a very public kiss. Shūrei, however, doesn't appear to return Ryūki's feelings.

The summer after Shūrei left the Imperial Residence, Kōyū Ri offered her a one-month position doing odd jobs for the Department of Treasury and Taxation. She had to dress up as a man to do so, but she won the respect of her employer, Kijin Kō, and met the Minister of Civil Affairs, Reishin Kō. Their support was key in the passing of a law to allow women to take the official examination. Shūrei passed the exam with the third highest score of the year, taking the "Tanka" spot, and at the age of seventeen became Saiunkoku's first female official.

At first, most of the officials hated the idea of having a female official. Higher ranking officials started to respect her after she passed a verbal test of the official exams in front of the entire counsel. After proving herself capable of performing the duties of an official, Shūrei, along with the other Shinshi, was officially inducted as an official. When the time came for the newly inducted officials to be assigned, Shūrei, along with Eigetsu, was assigned to be the governors of Sa (Brown) Province. This became the first time in history that two people became governors of one region.

Sources

* Various Saiunkoku Monogatari manga chapters, light novels, and anime episodes.

Seiran Shi (茈 静蘭, Shi Seiran?) is a fictional character in the novel, manga and anime series, The Story of Saiunkoku.

First appearance: Manga volume 1
Anime Episode 1
Created by: Sai Yukino
Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa

Profile
Nicknames: "Flower" of the Royal Princes
Little Whirlwind
Age: 26 at the start of the series[1] (approximate)
Gender: Male
Title: Prince (exiled)
Forest Army's Captain (former)
Royal Guard's Captain (former)
Exclusive Officer
Known relatives: Ryūki Shi (younger brother)
Senka (father, deceased)
Four brothers (all deceased)
Mother (deceased)
Grandfather (deceased)

Name

Seiran's surname 'Shi' (茈), is pronounced the same as the Emperor's family name, but has different kanji.

During a conversation with Shōka, Yōsei Shō comments on how the 'Shi' in Seiran's name means the flower of Zi Cao, which is connected to the royal family (due to its purplish color). He then goes on to say that Shōka gave him a fitting name, hinting that he has knowledge of Seiran's true identity.

Personality

Seiran can be construed as an intelligent and gentle person. He often puts others' well-being before his own and can sometimes be considered as being over-protective. He usually keeps to himself and does not let anyone get too close to his mysterious past.

Shūrei Kō, his childhood friend, often goes to him when she feels concerned about something or just to have a relaxing conversation. Rather than being directly involved in their actions, Seiran prefers to support others by watching and helping from the shadows.

Still, he is always ready for action when he feels that those he cares about are in danger. Even though he is often seen with an amiable disposition, he could be quite ruthless to those who put his loved ones in danger; he has no qualms in implementing any means necessary in order to protect the people he cares for.

Background

Seiran Shi is introduced as a low-ranking army officer and the sole remaining retainer in the Kō household. Thirteen years ago, Seiran was taken in by Shōka Kō, and had made a vow to spend his life repaying that kindness. He helps the Kō family by protecting them at their home, performing repairs on the family estate, and taking small guard jobs to earn money. He is very skilled in both fighting and swordsmanship.

True identity

Seiran is later revealed to be Prince Seien, the second oldest of the six royal brothers (all born to different mothers), making him Ryūki's older brother.

He was known as the "flower" of the royal princes due to his handsome looks, kind heart, and also his physical and intellectual superiority over his brothers. At the age of 12, (in the anime) he decided to participate in the Palace's Annual Fighting Tournament. After Seien won the tournament, the Emperor (his father) said that he, having distinguished himself in both the scholarly and the martial arts, was worthy enough to receive their family's esteemed twin swords, Kanshō and Bakuya. He gave one of the twin swords, Bakuya, to his little brother, Ryūki; out of all his other brothers, Seien was the only one who treated Ryūki with kindness.

Due to Seien's potential abilities, his brothers and other royal families grew jealous of him. It did not take long for them to view him as a threat in the race for becoming heir to the Emperor's throne. Not wanting to be just another low-level official, his grandfather, along with his mother, conspired to make Seien a emperor. Due to a trap by the other royal families, who wanted to do away with Seien, their conspiracy was quickly discovered. Seien, who knew nothing of the plot, and his mother were exiled for treason, while his grandfather was executed. The other royal families, who saw this as a chance to completely annihilate him once and for all, sent assassins to kill him. He killed all the assassins and survived all the attempts on his life; however, his mother was killed by an assassin. Like Ryūki, Seien also had a mother who regretted giving birth to one of the Emperor's children. She was a sickly person who would often tell him that she would have had a better life if she had never gave birth to him, even with her very last breath. Though Seien was unsure of his love for his mother, he expressed that he did not hate her because he is grateful for the life she gave him.

Some time later, a mysterious man found Seien laying on the ground unconscious. Unbeknownst to Seien, this man brought him into the Satsujinzoku, a murderous band of thieves in Sa Province (Brown Province). During his time in the band (who knew nothing of Seien's past), he was given the nickname Little Whirlwind (小旋风, Shōsenpū?). He also encountered a young man, Ensei Rō, who also became part of the Satsujinzoku. The two soon discovered that they could no longer allow the existence of the contemptible band of thieves and proceeded to destroy the band themselves. Seien left Sa Province after the conflict with the Satsujinzoku.

According to Shūei Ran, there were no traces of Seien's whereabouts after his exile. Although, because 'Seiran' was taken in by Shōka nearly a year after Seien's exile, it is believed that Seien spent a year in Sa Province, the place he was officially exiled to, before he wandered off.

Kō Household

After traveling away from Sa Province, he soon found himself wandering alone. As he was about to give up, a married couple, and their daughter, found a debilitated Seien lying on the snow-covered ground. This group turned out to be members of the Kō household, one of the most powerful clans in all of Saiunkoku. Without knowing nor asking who he was, the married couple, Shōka and Shōkun, decided to take in Seien into their home, while their young, good-natured daughter, Shūrei, decided to take it upon herself to befriend Seien.

Since Seien did not speak at all during his initial stay in the Kō household, Shōkun gave him the name 'Seiran' (静蘭), meaning 'Silent Orchid'. The first time he spoke was when Shōkun blew up a medicinal soup she was concocting for Shūrei, in which Shōkun replied, "You...can speak?" He was also given the surname 'Shi' (茈), which is pronounced the same as the Emperor's family name.

During his stay in the Kō household, he undertook the position of retainer, doing many of the house chores himself.

Having gone through many unpleasant events as 'Seien', he decided to wholly devote himself into being 'Seiran'. Due to this and the fact that he wants to repay Shōka and his family, he did not reveal his true identity as Seien, a prince of Saiunkoku, to any member of the Kō household. Nevertheless, it is later revealed that Shōka knew of his true identity beforehand, unbeknownst to Seiran.

Story

Prior to the start of the story, thirteen years have passed since he was taken into the Kō household.

First series

When Taishi-Shō offers Shūrei a job to temporarily pose as the Emperor's consort, he also offers Seiran a temporary post as a captain of the Forest Army.

During Seiran's stay in the Imperial Palace, he participates in a Fighting Tournament. In this tournament, the Emperor, Ryūki Shi, discovers his identity as Seien, Ryūki's older brother, when Seiran uses his twin sword style. Some time before the tournament Taifu-Sō and Shūei Ran had also figured out that Seiran was in fact Prince Seien during a sparring session.

When Shūrei is later kidnapped by Grand Guardian Sa (Sa Enjun), Seiran had to confront him, who happens to be aware of the fact that Seiran is the former Prince Seien. Grand Guardian Sa reveals his plans to assassinate Ryūki and then place Seiran on the Emperor's throne as his puppet Emperor. Seiran is of course against it, and states that if people knew he was alive, another civil war would begin. Seiran proceeds to attack him, but unfortunately, Grand Guardian Sa had released a paralyzing toxin in the room and Seiran starts to feel its effects. Before he falls unconscious, he is able to throw a dagger at Grand Guardian Sa's back, which leads to Grand Guardian Sa's death.

When Seiran is about to be taken away by the guards, he is secretly saved by the Black Wolf, while Shūrei is rescued by Ryūki at another location.

Since Ryūki now proves himself to be a capable Emperor, Shūrei and Seiran no longer had the obligation to stay at the palace, and they go back to live at the Kō household.

During a summer heatwave, nearly a month later, Shūrei encounters Ensei Rō, an old acquaintance of Seiran's. Although, Seiran is not too thrilled in seeing his old "friend", who calls him "Little Whirlwind". A series of events once again puts Shūrei in harm's way. Frustrated in not always being able to be by her side, Seiran decides to formally enlist as an official soldier.

Now an official member of the military, he is assigned as an exclusive officer, in charge of defending Shūrei and Eigetsu as they travel to Sa Province. Unfortunately, their journey begins with a rocky start; once they enter Sa Province, Seiran and Ensei are arrested for being members of the Satsujinzoku. Fortunately, they escape their captors, and proceeds to journey alone, whilst fighting off enemies who are hunting them down, until they once again meet up with Shūrei and the others.

Their reunion, however, is ruined by Sakujun Sa, the man responsible for Seiran's introduction into the Satsujinzoku many years ago and also for the chaos inflicted upon Sa Province.

Since meeting him, Seiran begins to show his darker side. He completely despises Sakujun, and for the first time, he proclaims himself Prince Seien (to himself). Upon learning that Sakujun has grown a liking for Shūrei, he urges her not to fall for him. In an effort to protect his loved ones from Sakujun, he asks Shō Sai to acquire a deadly poison, vaguely expressing what he will use it for, leading Shō to describe his words as those of a "true ruler."

Relationships

Shūrei Kō

Having watched over Shūrei since childhood, Seiran has grown quite protective of her; he once threw a boy, who was constantly hitting on her, into a river, in the middle of winter. Shūrei grew up side-by-side with Seiran and often confides in him, telling him virtually everything. She also constantly worries about him because he always keeps to himself and does not express himself to her, while she often expresses her worries to him and sometimes even seeks his advice.

Due to spending so much of their time with each other, many of the townspeople have mistook them for a couple on several occasions. Though they have a strong bond, neither side have shown any romantic feelings for the other. Seiran wants the best for Shūrei and acts more like an older, over-protective brother towards her.

He has yet to reveal his past to her, making her unaware of the fact that he is Ryūki's older brother, Seien.

Ensei Rō

In many ways, Ensei Rō could be considered Seiran's closest friend. Having known Seiran since their days as part of the Satsujinzoku in Sa Province, Ensei knows more about Seiran than most. He can easily tell whether or not Seiran is agitated, angry, or concerned. He also knows of the painful experiences that Seiran has gone through and is aware that he is the former Prince Seien.

Since they have gone through so much with each other, Seiran, when in the presence of Ensei, feels comfortable enough to act in a way that he does not with anyone else. He is often seen as being cruel towards Ensei and sometimes even makes fun of him. Also, rather than keeping to himself, Seiran usually speaks to Ensei in a direct manner.

Although they are close friends, Seiran considers Ensei and himself complete opposites. He speaks of Ensei as a person who lives in the light and prefers to avoid darkness. On the other hand, Seiran is a person who would take advantage of the darkness, as long as he is able to protect those he cares for.

Ryūki Shi

Seiran's true identity makes him Ryūki's older brother and, arguably, the true heir to the throne. However, Seiran has shown no interest in claiming the throne for himself, preferring to act behind the scenes and assist his younger brother. He states that he is happy for Ryūki and is certain that he will be a great Emperor. Seiran had also said that back in his days as Seien, the one person who truly loved him, without hidden motive, was Ryūki. He goes on to say that the only reason he stayed in the palace was because Ryūki was there.

Even after discovering Seiran's true identity, Ryūki harbors some jealousy over the fact that Seiran spends more time with Shūrei and that she confides in him more. Though initially surprised at Ryūki's advances towards Shūrei, Seiran later shows signs of supporting their supposed relationship. He wants nothing more than Ryūki and Shūrei's happiness.

Ryūki had once described Seiran as, "Stubborn and unwavering, standing at the ready, and not flattered by power. He has a self-respect that runs close to arrogance, as well as an unshakable self-confidence and belief, who would not bow his head unreasonably."

The Shi (Purple) Clan

Ryūki Shi (紫 劉輝, Shi Ryūki?) is a fictional character in the novel, manga and anime series, The Story of Saiunkoku.

First appearance: Novel, Manga Volume 1
Episode 1 in the anime
Created by: Sai Yukino
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki

Profile
Age: 19 (at the start of the series)
Gender: Male
Title: Emperor
Known relatives: Seiran Shi (Elder brother),
Senka (Father),
Four brothers (all deceased),
Mother (deceased)

Background

Ryūki is the youngest of his five royal brothers. Even so, he didn't have much attention from his father, the Emperor.

Childhood

As a child, Ryūki was badly treated by his mother and his brothers, except for his brother Seien, who seemed to be the only one who truly cared for him. His other brothers and mother used to beat Ryūki and lock him in a closet for hours at a time, telling him his birth order was bad and that he stole affection from his siblings.

These experiences led to a lingering fear of the dark and sleeping alone. Ryūki often took refuge in the garden or the Imperial Archives, where he first encountered Shōka Kō. Shōka tutored the young prince and encouraged War General Taifu Sō to teach him swordsmanship.

In a short story titled In the Lily of the Valley Season, it was revealed that his mother (at that time) was about to throw a vase on Ryūki's head, but luckily, his elder brother Seien is there to stop her in time.

Seien warned her that he could easily throw her into the pond nearby. She realized that he is capable of doing so. Then after they left, Seien was putting some medicine on Ryūki's wounds. Ryūki refused to move to Seien's palace no matter how many times his brother asked him.

And approximately six months after the incident, his mother's body was found floating in the pond at her palace by Ryūki. Her face was terribly disfigured, it was because of the poison mixed in a bottle of cosmetics, but the poison was not lethal. The cause of her death was an impulsive suicide from the derangement triggered by the disfigurement.

Love Interest

Shi Ryuuki has fallen in love with Ko Shuurei since the first time they've met though she at first, believed that he is only interested in men. But in episode 7, just before she left the palace, Ryuuki confessed to her that he is also interested in women before proceeding to giving her a kiss on the lips in front of everyone much to Shuurei's embarrassment and annoyance.

Summary

Ryūki Shi is the reigning emperor of Saiunkoku. He is nineteen years old when the story begins. The youngest of six brothers, he was an unlikely candidate to ascend to the throne. Of his five elder brothers, four killed each other over the succession and one was exiled for treason.

As a child, Ryūki was badly treated by his mother and his brothers, except for his brother Seien, who seemed to be the only one who truly cared for him. His other brothers and mother used to beat Ryūki and lock him in a closet for hours at a time, telling him his birth order was bad and that he stole affection from his siblings.

These experiences led to a lingering fear of the dark and sleeping alone. Ryūki often took refuge in the garden or the imperial archives, where he first encountered Shōka Kō. Shōka tutored the young prince and encouraged War General Taifu Sō to teach him swordsmanship.

Due to his father's dying wish, Ryūki ultimately rose to the throne. However, he avoided any involvement in politics or government, wandering the palace for hours so no one would be able to find him. He even spread rumours that he preferred the company of men to fuel speculation he could not produce an heir.

Ryūki secretly hoped that Seien, his beloved older brother, would eventually return and take his place as Emperor. Ryūki's avoidance of responsibility came to an end when he met Shūrei, who told him of her dreams of making a better life for the nation's people. Ryūki decided to take on his responsibilities and become a respectable Emperor.

When Ryūki first met Shūrei, he was charmed by her earnest and nurturing personality, going so far as to compare her to a nagging mother while devouring half a dozen of her red bean-paste buns. Ryūki's romantic pursuit of her has been complicated by his lack of experience courting women and Shūrei's initial belief that he is homosexual and therefore more interested in Seiran.

Even after discovering Seiran's true identity, Ryūki harbors some jealousy over the fact that Seiran spends more time with Shūrei and she confides in him more. Ryūki's devotion to Shūrei has also revealed a capacity for subterfuge and cunning, providing an explanation for his survival during the fight over the succession. When Ryūki agreed to participate in politics, he initially pretended ignorance of government in order to study together with Shūrei. He used his fear of darkness as an excuse to sleep in her room at the palace.

He also concealed from Shūrei the attempts to poison her in order to determine the true identity of the conspirator, going so far as to take poison that was intended for her. After Shūrei left the palace, Ryūki sent her many absurd gifts such as boiled eggs, blocks of ice, and even a voodoo doll made from straw.

To get Shūrei back to the palace and enable her to pursue her dreams, he passed a law allowing women to take the official exams. Before sending Shūrei to Sa Province as co-governor, Ryūki privately told her that he would not take anyone else as his wife other than Shūrei.

The Ran (Indigo) Clan

Shūei Ran (藍 楸瑛, Ran Shūei?) , Seiyū - Toshiyuki Morikawa

He is the General of the Shaorin army. Also part of the Ran family, one of the two greatest clans. The fourth oldest of five brothers. A very skilled swordsman and is usually calm, but likes to tease others. He was supposed to be guarding the Emperor with Kōyū, but since Ryūki was nowhere to be found, he and Kōyū were left in the library for a month being bored.

He claims to be Kōyū's best friend, though Kōyū keeps denying it. Shūei is usually the one that gets Kōyū all riled up by mentioning things like his lack of direction and his woman-hating ideals. Unlike Kōyū, Shūei is a womanizer. He often mentions how nice it is to spend time with women and was seen surrounded by a horde of women after winning the fighting tournament. He's also a regular at the Red Light District and usually spends time with the number one woman in the number one brothel.

Along with Kōyū, Shūei also receives a flower and swears his loyalty to the current Emperor, establishing Ryūki's reign since the top two upcoming officials of the palace now back him up. He knows Seiran's true identity.

Later, he reveals to Kōyū that nine years ago, his elder brothers ordered him to track down Prince Seien's whereabouts, but he didn't succeed.

Shūei often flirts and sleeps around with the palace ladies. He does this in the hope of attracting the attention of Shūsui. It was love at first sight when Shūsui helped him once in the past. Shūsui does not remember the meeting between them.

Ryūren Ran

(藍 龍蓮, Ran Ryūren?) , Seiyū - Hidenobu Kiuchi

He is the youngest of the five brothers of the Ran family. He is eighteen years old. It is said that, out of his four older brothers he was the most worthy of the name Ryūren Ran because he is a genius.

He calls his older brothers foolish and doesn't call them by their name, rather: Shūei, "foolish elder brother the fourth". Recently, he's called Shūrei, Soul Friend #1, and Eigetsu, Soul Friend #2 (He refers to Yōgetsu as Soul Friend #2.5).

He does things on his own time and is quite impulsive: when he was going to buy ingredients for chicken stew with Shūrei, he ended up buying soy beans, then he traded that for boiled eggs, then traded the eggs for spring onions, then the spring onions for wood blocks, then flowers, then fish, then straw, and then he gave away the straw to a little girl and just ended up with one stalk of straw.

Later in the series, he goes ghost hunting after hearing about a late-night ghost. He also pulls out his flute and plays it without warning, often off key. Since he can't be easily told what to do and is very unpredictable, he's necessary in the Ran family. Although, because of this behavior many find him weird and annoying, so they usually distance themselves from him. Shūrei was the only one who put up with him, so he said that she's now his soul friend.

He travels to different places playing cards, but is only allowed to wander around if he takes the official exams and finishes in the top three. He wanders off again and is finally seen again taking the final exams with Shūrei and Eigetsu. He declares that Eigetsu is also his soul friend since he's Shūrei's friend. He passes the Official Exams with the second highest score, taking the "Bougen" spot.

Though, while the others were all concentrating on studying in the dorms, Ryūren didn't study once and preferred to sleep, eat, and play his flute. The preparatory dorm he was staying in ended up being called the Cursed 13th Building because his flute playing drove other examinees insane and seven officials resigned after having incomprehensible conversations with him. After passing the exams, he decided to skip out on the Shinshi Ceremony, which inducts the examinees into becoming officials. He claimed that the wind called to him to start a new voyage. He most likely left to wander around again since he already fulfilled his promise in ending up in the top three in the official exams.

When Ryūren once again showed up in the palace, Ryūki gave him an important task, which he claims will help Shūrei and Eigetsu a great deal. This task turned out to be the delivery of the governor's seal to Sa Province. After helping out Eigetsu and Shūrei, Shūrei decided that she didn't want him to get involved any further because the situation might become even more dangerous. As he walks away from the capital, he tells himself that he knows it'll become more dangerous and that's why he wanted to stay. He mentioned that the only 2 people in the world that could take advantage of him would be his soul friend No. 1 and 2. Namely, Shūrei and Eigetsu.

The name, Ryūren, is not a name by birth. The clan enthrones it, and only once in every few years will there appear a clan member who is worthy of this name. In other words, the person who inherits this name will eventually become the head of the clan. Ryūren was given the name at the age of four, and possesses the tag "Twin Dragons of the Lotus Spring"[双龍蓮泉].

He claims to have no interest in becoming neither an official nor the head of the Ran clan. In season 2 we find out he wishes to marry Shūrei and Kurō is taking his proposition seriously.

Ran Triplets

The three older brothers of Shūei and Ryūren Ran head the family. The three brothers live in the water city which is a stronghold of the Ran family. In episode 23 of Season 2, it was revealed that the three older brothers are actually triplets.

Imperial city of Kiyō inhabitants and officials

Shūsui (珠翠, Shūsui?) , Seiyū - Akemi Okamura

She is Shūrei's main servant at the palace. She was revealed to be a part of the Wolves of the Wind as an assassin. Sa-Taihō had believed that she was an assassin loyal to him, but was actually working as a double agent under the orders of Shō-Taishi.

She is deeply fond of Shōka, but he doesn't seem to feel the same way. She was terribly bad at embroidery, but is somewhat improving. She made a handkerchief that she intended to have a sunflower-like floral pattern, but Shōka mistook it for a lion.

Kōrin
Seiyū - Eri Sendai

Introduced as Shūrei's other servant at the palace. She was adopted by Taihō-Sa after he saw her collapsed in front of his house due to the war eight years ago. She looks up to him a lot and was even willing to poison Shūrei and then sacrifice her life for him by drinking poison.

After his death, she was sent to Taihō-Sa's wife so she could live there. She traveled back to the capital with Ensei later in order to deliver information about the situation in Sa Province.

Whilst traveling back to Sa Province with Shūrei, Eigetsu, Ensei and Seiran, she was mistook to be Shūrei and thus kidnapped and imprisoned by Sōjun along with Eigetsu. During her imprisonment, she succeeded in re-writing the poem, which made the poet Mei Senshi famous on demand, thus convincing Meishō and Sōjun that she is indeed Shūrei. Kōrin and Eigetsu later escaped to Kinka with the help of Sōjun's younger brother, Kokujun.

Reunited with Ensei, Seiran and Shūrei in Kinka, Kōrin shows some signs of having romantic feelings for Eigetsu; her manner towards him is a mixture of concern, annoyance, and often, exasperation.

When the bond between Eigetsu and Yōgetsu is weakening, he leaves Kōrin by telling her that he loves her and finally kisses her. They reunite after Yōgetsu sacrifices himself in return for Eigetsu to be with her.

Yōsei Shō (Taishi-Shō)
Seiyū - Kōji Ishii

He is one of the three Grand Officials of the Palace. Taishi is his title and not his name. It was his plan to bring Shūrei to the palace as the temporary wife of the Emperor.

He also had a master plan to expose the true mastermind of the plot to kill the Emperor. He says that he doesn't serve the country and is only loyal to a worthy Emperor. By introducing Shūrei to the palace, the Emperor was finally worthy to rule and Taihō Sa's plot to kill the Emperor was exposed.

He had been able to control the Black Wolf and the Wolves of the Wind, but after risking Shōka's daughter and Seiran's life, Shōka decided not to follow his orders any longer and vowed to kill him.

He served the previous emperor. He saw Taihō-Sa as a close friend of his for many years and was saddened by his passing, but thought that it had to be done. He and Taifū are also great friends.

He seems to be more than human since he was seen as a young man with a white aura surrounding him when he went to comfort his friend, Enjun, during his last moments. Later, it is shown that he is able to summon Enjun's spirit. It is later revealed that he is one of the eights sages, the Sage of Shi, that served the first Emperor.

He once made a pact with someone that he will only serve the emperor he deemed fitting and will do everything he can to help him survive and nothing more. That's why during the imperial succession battle eight years ago; he did not do anything to ensure that the country is in great condition. He did only the bare minimal to ensure the country will survive while he searched for the king worthy of him. When he realized that Ryūki was finally turning into the kind of king he was searching for, he made sure that no one threatens Ryūki's place on the throne.

Taishi-Shō's name has been revealed to be Yōsei by Eiki Hyō (Sa) in episode 36

Taifū-Sō
Seiyū - Mitsuru Ogata

One of the three Grand Officials of the Palace and a War Hero. Taifu is his title, not his name. He is a fighting master and had served the previous emperor. He is great friends with Taishi, and has taught both Ryūki and Seien (Seiran) how to fight.

He often knows the plans that Taishi comes up with and is aware of the actual existence of the Sages.

Kochō (蝴蝶, Kochō?) , Seiyū - Kaori Yamagata

Kochō is the mistress of Kōgarō, a pleasure house in the red-light district. Shūrei had been working for her for many years as an accountant, and she feels fond of the younger girl. Not only is she one of the most sought after courtesans. Also it is revealed that she is also the underground boss in charge of the red-light district. She bestows Shūrei with a makeup set, with the lesson to use it for strength and support.

Dr. Tō

An old doctor who works in the Imperial Palace. At one point he is seen treating Ryūki. When Shūrei asks the Palace's doctors to help her with treatment of the Sa Province disease, Dr. Tō convinces the other doctors to join Shūrei's cause and learn surgery.

Sa Province inhabitants and officials

Ensei Rō (浪 燕青, Rō Ensei?) , Seiyū - Kentarou Itou

First seen as a traveler who was taken in by Shūrei when she saw him passed out, due to a summer heat wave, near the entrance of her house. She invited him into her house to eat. When Seiran returned home, Ensei recognized him and called him "The Little Whirlwind". He seems to be an old acquaintance of Seiran, but Seiran doesn't seem to like his presence even though they seem to have a friendly relationship. They were most likely old acquaintances during Seiran's time in Brown Province. Seiran assigned him to be Shūrei's temporary bodyguard while he's off fighting bandits. Also assigned to be the temporary administrator for the Department of Treasury and Taxation by Kijin. Seiren finds out he's been defending against thieves from Brown Province every night.

Ensei used to be the Governor of Brown Province. Before he took office, high officials from Brown Province were assassinated or bribed so no one wanted to become an official there anymore. Grand Guardian Enjun Sa announced that whoever could turn the tables on an assassin would be made provincial Governor.

At the age of 17, Ensei was appointed as temporary governor and was able to defeat all the assassins that sneaked up on him and he was even great at governing. Though, once Enjun died, no one wanted to accept Ensei as a high official since he didn't even take the imperial examination. He then left to see the new Emperor and asked him to appoint a legitimate governor. The reason the thieves were after him was because there was a bounty placed on his head. He returned to Brown Province and then came back to escort Kōrin to the Capital. He once again returns to Brown Province, but this time as Eigetsu and Shūrei's official assistant.

He has a cross-shaped scar under his left eye.

The character of Ensei Rō seems to be based on Yan Qing, a character in the classic Chinese tale, Water Margin. His use of a staff, hand-to-hand combat and the kanji for his name (燕青) is proof; though it does not seem that he has any tattoos.

Meishō (瞑祥, Meishō?)

Meishō is the leader of the Satsujinzoku, the Killing-Blade Outlaws, which is supported by Sakujun Sa. He takes advantage of the unstability of the Sa Province and gains control of certain major cities, working with Chūshō Sa and the Sa Clan. Though he works with them, Meishō conceals Sakujun's involvement, allowing Soujun to believe that the Satsujinzoku answers to Chūshō.

Meishō has a past with both Seiran and Ensei, but he did not know that both of them were involved in wiping out the Satsujinzoku over a decade ago. In the end, he loses his life to Seiran in combat.

Shōrin
Seiyū - Noriaki Sugiyama

Shōrin is the leader of a group in Sa Province called the Condors. Together with his younger brother, Yōshun, he is entrusted by Ensei to look after Shunki.

It seems his father incurred a great debt of gratitude with Shōka Kō in their past. Though only thirteen, Shōrin is quite skilled as a tracker and has displayed acrobatic skills and good endurance. At Shunki's request, he takes her into Kinka in order to help Kokujun.

Yōshun

Together with his older brother, Shōrin, he is entrusted by Ensei to look after Shunki.

Shō Sai (柴 彰, Sai Shō?) , Seiyū - Susumu Chiba

Shō is the head of the merchant guild in Kinka, second largest city in Sa Province. He decides to help the new governors of Sa, Shūrei and Eigetsu, in exchange for peace within the province. He is the younger twin of Rin Sai.

Though his father is the head of the military of Kinka, he and his sister opt for the merchant life instead. He repeatedly promotes the idea of using eight-tenths of his power to help, saving two-tenths for emergencies.

Shin Sai (柴 進, Sai Shin?) , Seiyū - Jin Nishimura

The military commander of the city of Kinka in Sa Province, Shin is mistaken by Shūrei for the head of the merchant guild when they first meet. He is the father of the twins, Shō and Rin Sai, and was angered when the two chose to pursue the merchant's path.

Rin Sai (柴 凛, Sai Rin?)

She is Shō's sister. She is married to Tei shun as the result of a long-standing romantic relationship. Rin was the Head of the Merchant Guild in Koren, but choose to become an inventor after her time as guild head was over. When Shūrei tries to call the doctors to treat the disease in Sa Province, Rin takes it upon herself to design a smooth knife suited to surgical operations. Rin is apparently renowned as the "manliest woman in Sa Province."

Yūshun Tei
Seiyuu: Kanna Nobutoshi

One of Shūrei's and Eigetsu's assistant officials. He is a very good friend of Kijin and Reishin, who both took the official exams with him when they were young.

He married Sai Shō's sister, Sai Rin; they are referred to as newlyweds in episode 38.

Miscellaneous

Eigetsu To (Yōgetsu) (杜 影月/阳月, To Eigetsu/Yōgetsu?) , Seiyū - Daisuke Namikawa

He is a shy yet intelligent thirteen-year-old boy who is from the Seika Village, Koku Province. He came to the Capital to take the Imperial Exams after passing the Provincial Exams at the age of twelve. All the people in his village gave his money to him, to wish him well. He later lives with the Kō family since he sends most of what he earns to his village.

Eigetsu possesses dissociative identity disorder. He turns into a completely different person after consuming alcohol. Yōgetsu is the name of his other persona. In this state, he becomes more confident and somewhat arrogant, but more mature when it comes to certain things. Yōgetsu also has cat-like eyes, a deeper voice, and prefers to have his hair loose. He has superior fighting abilities, agility, and great strength. He was able to stop the blade of a sword with two fingers, then breaking it, and even throwing the guy holding the sword into a wall.

Also, after winning a drinking contest at the Red Light District, he ended up beating up three guys from a notorious gang and stole their money afterwards. Before passing out, he insisted that Shūei, who found him after the fight, bring him to the number one brothel in the Capital. This resulted in Eigetsu waking up at the brothel not knowing how he got there or the exact details of what happened while he was intoxicated.

Yōgetsu still retains Eigetsu's intelligence making him very calculating and strategic. He also spends most of his money on special, expensive sake without telling Eigetsu, leading him to believe he was robbed. Even though Yōgetsu calls Eigetsu a dim-witted fool, he always looks out for him. He even made sure that Eigetsu's Exam token was safe since he thought that Eigetsu would lose it during all the commotion. He gave the token to a businessman and asked him to deliver it, along with the sake he ordered, to the number one brothel the following night.

Eigetsu tells people that he's weak against alcohol and that he prefers not to even smell it. He's definitely aware of the existence of Yōgetsu since they are able to communicate once Eigetsu consumes enough alcohol (Eigetsu, who got thrown into a barrel of alcohol, asked Yōgetsu to save Shūrei when they got involved in a fight). The Bosses of Downtown even started arguing about who could claim Eigetsu into their clan after seeing his monstrous abilities. Though, Eigetsu already decided on taking the Exams and becoming an official.

Eigetsu passes the Official Exams with the top scores, being the youngest person in history to pass at the top of the year, taking the "Jougen" spot. At a banquet, he got asked by many high officials to marry into their family and was forced to drink Sake causing him to have to run out so he wouldn't cause a ruckus as Yōgetsu inside a noble's house. Even being the Jougen, after becoming a Shinshi, many officials gave him trouble, like asking him to shine their shoes and "accidentally" kicking him, since he turned down all the marriage proposals.

Eigetsu, along with Shūrei, was assigned to be one of the governors of Brown Province. He made history after becoming the youngest governor the country has ever had and by being part of the first co-governors system. His first job as an official proved to be a difficult one. After entering Brown Province, he was separated from Shūrei and the others and was left with Kōrin, who was pretending to be Shūrei. Shortly after being separated, they were captured by the Satsujinzoku. Fortunately, once they entered the capital they were saved by Seiran, Ensei, and Ryūren (and Yōgetsu) and were finally able to reunite with Shūrei.

In the second series, it has been revealed that Yōgetsu is actually a spirit of one of the eight legendary Sages. Many years ago, when Dōshu found Eigetsu, Yōgetsu saved Eigetsu's life by putting half of Eigetsu's soul into Dōshu, thus granting him 20 more years to live. However, Eigetsu later loses the half that is in Dōshu, shortening his life span greatly. When it came down to when Eigetsu's life was to end, Yōgetsu sacrificed himself and went into a deep slumber in order to let Eigetsu live.

Yō Kai

The Governor of Koku Province who is also a renowned ladies' man. Yō was the guardian of Eigetsu when he applied for the ministerial exams, and passed Shin Kai's medical documents onto Shūrei. Yō has an agreement with Shūrei that he will become the governor of Sa Province upon her or Eigetsu's death.

Dr. Yō

A mysterious old friend of Shō-Taishi. He also took care of Shūrei when she was young. Dr. Yō is a renowned legendary doctor who lives outside the capital, but Shō-Taishi called him to the capital when news of the Sa Province disease spread. Dr. Yō's expertise in surgery is used to teach the imperial doctors in treatment of the disease.

Riō Hyō
Seiyū - Toshihiko Seki

He is the head of the Hyō clan. He appears to have past links with Shōka, and travels to the capital to meet Shūrei, who looks like his true love. When Shōka and Riō meet face to face, Riō mentions how Shōka stole his bara-hime (which is revealed to be Shōkun) and Shūsui.

Dōshu (堂主, Dōshu?) , Seiyū - Kōji Yusa

A kind doctor, who was Eigetsu's mentor. His real name is Ka Shin, which was revealed in episode 6 of the second season