sukibelle

Saiunkoku is a world of eight provinces or houses, each named after a different color.
Set in the fictional empire of Saiunkoku, the story centers on Shurei Hong (Kou), a descendant of a noble family that has fallen on hard times. Her father works as a librarian in the Imperial palace, a post which offers prestige and respect, but little compensation. Shurei teaches in the temple school and works odd jobs to make ends meet, but her dream is to pass the imperial examinations and take a post in government, a path forbidden to women.
The new Emperor, Ryuuki Shi, has gained a reputation for being uninterested in courtly matters and for flaunting his love for men. So the Emperor's Grand Adviser makes a startling offer for her to join the imperial household for six months as the young Emperor's consort and teach the emperor to be a responsible ruler. She easily accepts the invitation. The mysterious Seiran, a young man who was adopted by her father, goes with her as Ryuuki's bodyguard. Entering the imperial palace revives Shuurei's dream of being a court official and if she succeeds, she will receive a reward of 500 gold coins.
The story details the hardships of creating change, especially as a woman, Shurei's growing relationship with the Emperor and other members of the court, the intrigues of imperial politics, and her commitment to better herself and her country. 

i honestly can't speak highly enough of this series. watching akatsuki no yona has got me feeling all nostalgic for it and i will 100% be re-watching it in the very near future. its been 4 years since i first saw it, i can't believe so much time has passed. the anime actually came out 9 years ago though, in 2006, so its definitely got that almost-90s feeling to the art xD as many anime around that time had. all the characters are extremely beautiful though *_* and the relationships they all form with one another are just such a delight to watch. there is sooooo much character development its unreal. 



if all thats not enough to convince you to watch it, then i have to throw in how breathtaking the OST is! saiunkoku has some of the most beautiful music i've ever had the pleasure of hearing. it's oriental themed (of course) and it was what piqued my interest in the amazing instrument that is the erhu, or 'chinese violin'. if you have never listened to erhu music then you're missing out! its got such a unique sound. 



well, thats about all for now xD of course, if you've already seen it then pleeeease reminisce with me in the comments!! its really sad how fandoms die down after the length of a series has run its course, i never see anything about saiunkoku and it breaks my heart, because its such an incredible series. it deserves tonnes more attention than half the stuff they put out these days!!