Koukyuu no Karasu (Raven of the Inner Palace)

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Kokyu no Karasu

Japanese: 後宮の烏

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 1, 2022 to Dec 24, 2022

Premiered: Fall 2022

Broadcast: Saturdays at 23:30 (JST)

Producers: Aniplex, Movic, Shueisha, Kansai Telecasting, BS11, Tohan Corporation, Marui Group

Licensors: None found, add some

Studios: Bandai Namco Pictures

Source: Light novel

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery

Themes: Historical, Mythology

Demographic: Josei

Duration: 23 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 7.53¹ (scored by 32,626 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #1794²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #2211

Members: 90,830

Favorites: 602

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7.53

Ranked #1794Popularity #2211Members 90,830

Fall 2022TVBandai Namco Pictures

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Episodes: /13

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Synopsis

Among the royal court, there is an individual feared as much as revered: the Raven Consort Ryuu Jusetsu. Residing in her jet-black palace and isolated from the emperor, she is the subject of countless rumors. Claimed to possess mystic abilities, she is said to take on any request—from finding lost items to inflicting curses. While some call her an immortal sage, others believe her to be a terrifying revenant. But such comments fail to faze Jusetsu, who prefers to spend her days in quiet solitude. That is, until the emperor, Ka Koushun, barges into her court and asks for her assistance with a mysterious case.

The young emperor's request requires Jusetsu to step out of her palace for the first time. Despite Ka Koushun's frequent visits annoying her to no end, she cannot bring herself to turn him away. Her predecessor's teachings echo in her ears: the Raven Consort is destined to remain forever alone and never desire anything. Yet Jusetsu finds herself making the first of several bonds when she asks Jiujiu, an innocently inquisitive court girl, to be her sole attendant.

Together, they begin fulfilling requests from the people of the palace. However, unknown perils lurk in the outside world, and drawing attention to herself may bring Jusetsu face-to-face with a past that is better left undisturbed.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Koukyuu no Karasu was released on Blu-ray and DVD in six volumes from December 21, 2022 to May 24, 2023.

Episode Videos

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Adaptation:

Koukyuu no Karasu

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Characters & Voice Actors

Ryuu, Jusetsu

Main

Mizuno, Saku
Japanese

Ka, Koushun

Main

Mizunaka, Masaaki
Japanese

Ei, Sei

Supporting

Yashiro, Taku
Japanese

Jiujiu

Supporting

Kouno, Marika
Japanese

Tan, Kai

Supporting

Okamoto, Nobuhiko
Japanese

On, Kei

Supporting

Shimazaki, Nobunaga
Japanese

Han

Supporting

Nukui, Yuka
Japanese

Ishiha

Supporting

Hirata, Mana
Japanese

Un, Kajou

Supporting

Ueda, Reina
Japanese

Sai, Enrin

Supporting

Kugimiya, Rie
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Miyawaki, Chizuru

Director, Setting

Aketagawa, Jin

Sound Director

Kuji, Gorou

Episode Director, Storyboard

Yasumura, Ryou

Episode Director

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Opening Theme

"MYSTERIOUS" by Ziyoou-vachi

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Ending Theme

"夏の雪" by krage

Reviews

Feb 9, 2024

Bkfootlettuce

Recommended

The art style and character design was truly beautiful. I found the show very captivating and it held my attention well which can be rare. I loved the side characters, storyline, and how each episode there was a new mystery to unfold. This show felt as if there was a lot of effort put in from the writers and animators which really made it special.

I started this show thinking that it was a romance, but nothing fully blossomed in that department.
When I finished it, I double checked to find that it’s not actually categorized as a romance so that makes sense. If there ...

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Jan 12, 2024

whiteflame55

Mixed Feelings

On a visual level, it's certainly pretty and detailed, and the characters look and act distinctively, particularly the lead. I think the titular Raven, Shouxue, shows some excellent character development over the run of the series, both through her own personal changes and through the development of who she is and how she fits into this world, especially with her supernatural elements. There's also a lot to love about the setting. Much like a more recent series that I loved, Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, this deals in the elements of the inner palace and how they interplay after a coup de etat at the very ... beginning. It's a solid premise for what could have been, and at times was, a very interesting show.

So, why am I struggling? There are two problems.

First, the pacing. This is a very oddly paced series, chiefly utilizing a sort of mystery of the week format. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the show does a good deal to make sure we understand the passion of both the living and the dead in these cases, but since many of them are resolved in short bursts and most of the characters involved in them are one-offs shown for only a little while in that one episode, it's hard to get the sort of investment that you would from, say, The Apothecary Diaries. Instead, what these serve as are little ways to advance Shouxue's character and those directly around her, which is fine, but it makes the actual mysteries feel a bit empty. It doesn't help that larger elements of the series - a certain group of white-haired characters, a conspiracy around a pair of kings, and the supernatural Raven - seem to ebb and flow at various points in the series, disappearing for large chunks of it and leaving me wanting. And to top it off, far too much of this feels like it's very easily resolved. The new emperor can just do a lot without repercussions or broader concerns. Maybe that's appropriate given how long the various Raven Consorts have been around and the fact that they've largely just been set aside, but it begs the question of why this virtually impossible to accomplish for so long. It's essential to the plot and it just leaves me confused.

Second, I think this series is trying to spread itself too thin. I like when it gets personal or political. I would have loved to learn more about how Chinese leadership/society has been transformed by the presence of actual magic in their midst, the knowledge that real, verifiable ghosts are around and that supernatural threats are real and deadly. There's not a lot of that, this is much more localized, but at the same time it's not. By the end of the story, this becomes an issue of almost literal gods and a world much bigger than the palace. And then it just kind of... moves on. There's a sense of inevitability through the plot, including a scene where Shouxue is shown suffering from a monthly affliction that is clearly excruciating and a strong degree of certainty regarding her fate. That's all very big, and arguably could have been a better focus of the series. I still like what we got, but the attempt to tell multiple stories simultaneously just leaves too much in the way of plot threads dangling.

In many ways, this reminds me of Ancient Magus' Bride, and I think like that series, I could appreciate it more if its mysteries are teased out and more time is spent exploring this world. Sadly, a single short season isn't enough to make the most of this plot. If a S2 should arrive, I'll be ready to watch for more, but I can't say this wowed me as much as I'd hoped.

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Jan 5, 2023

PixelB

Not Recommended

Preliminary (7/13 eps)

Koukyuu no Karasu is an episodic mystery/supernatural show about the Raven Consort and the King. Don't expect too much outside of that. Barring the setting based in China, the show is actually quite tame and predictable.

First off is the story. Like I said before, it's episodic. There's not much to say. There are definitely arcs that touch upon a character's past, and these arcs eventually serve as character development. Each character isn't too static, and they definitely change enough for you to notice. That being said, most of the story arcs are merely one or two episodes regarding a not-too-difficult mystery or exorcism case that ... gets neatly wrapped up.

The mysteries are just plain awful. Rather than calling them "mysteries," they might as well be called fetch quests, because the story is always the same. There's a case about something mysterious or supernatural happening, the Raven "investigates" the issue for about 5 minutes and figures out the item/lore behind a ghost haunting something, and goes on to find the item that's conveniently within reach of Palace grounds. There's no sense of "mystery," as the author deliberately gives easy info-dumps in the form of people familiar with the ghost that provides all of the information necessary to solve. Basically, each mystery or case is extremely straightforward, and the only thing the Raven Consort has to do is interact with people who are well versed in the topic at hand to get immediate results

Thus, it comes down to the characters to carry the show. While Ryyu Jesetsu and Ka Koushun aren't exactly wooden puppets, they aren't good or dynamic enough for me to really think of them as being able to singlehandedly carry a show. While it's nice to see their pasts in an organic way or see their relationship develop closer with each case, it's really not enough of a reason to continue watching the show. How do I say this? The raven consort and the king might have been good enough characters if they were placed in a more thrilling story or plot, but instead they're just hunting down easy to defeat supernatural beings in a monster of the week format.

The other side characters are even less relevant. Wei Qing is the king's closest confidant, while Jiujiu is the Raven Consort's follower, but other than contributing a bit to the conversation sometimes, it does feel like their role is limited other than to point the main characters in the right direction here and there.

The art and pacing is also so-so. I wouldn't really call the animation poor, but the faces lack any facial expression and the movement is just really wooden or stiff. Ryuu Jesetsu's animation sequence when showing off her magic is cool, but it does get used quite a bit. Half the time I feel like I'm watching a slide-show, and it's quite self-evident that the anime is adapted from a light novel, and that adaptation did not translate too well into animated form. However, that's hardly the reason the show's bad.

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Poll: Koukyuu no Karasu Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Dec 24, 2022	81 replies	by LeenPhoenixRae »» 1 hour ago
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