Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
AnastasiyaV
I really enjoyed this anime, though I'd definitely call this an acquired taste. It's one of those shows where you can clearly feel the lower budget at times, especially through repeated animations and the holes within some parts of the plot. Although, these flaws didn't take away too much from my overall experience.
I really loved the visuals of this anime, especially the inclusion of traditional Chinese art in certain scenes, which added a very cultural and authentic vibe. The character designs were also amazing, especially the MC.
The storytelling gives off similar vibes to The Apothecary Diaries. There's the same investigative and detective themes where the MC is solving problems within a palace setting, and light, slow-burn romance between the FL and ML.
One downside though is tha…
Read at the sourceDaemonLily
I can see why people are comparing this anime to Apothecary Diaries... however, I feel that the people comparing the two don't realize nor understand the complete and utter difference in the plot and story of the two. Indeed, the setting of Imperial China is similar if not roughly the same... though the entire point of the anime is vastly different between the two, and it is an insult to say that one is undeserving of recommendation when that is far from the truth, especially if you are one who fails to even grasp the depth and meaning of both of them - only to rate it due to "shallow perceptions" of each.
Personally, I believe it has a much better plot and story than Apothecary Diaries, although the animation is certainly not as good. While I am currently watching Apothecary Diaries Sea…
Read at the sourceNemethBooshi
After The Apothecary Diaries, I wanted to watch more anime similar to it. The show's rating and lack of online interest made me skeptical but I gave it a shot nonetheless. I'm happy that I did.
Chinese palace dramas are essentially a genre onto themselves so if that doesn't sound appealing to you then this is an easy skip. For those who do, this anime still stands out for its supernatural twist. By the end, I actually found that the show was more xxxHolic than The Apothecary Diaries.
There's a beautiful simplicity to the art but the animation is serviceable at best. I don't consider that a big detraction due to the show's light use of action and its relaxed pace. I do begrudgingly admit that for a show that came out in 2022, it looks and feels like an anime that came out in the late 2000…
Read at the sourceValentine07
(Spanish review below)
It feels... soulless?
If you've already seen 'The Apothecary Diaries' or 'Yatagarasu', 'Raven of the inner palace' has more or less the same essence, setting, power games in palaces, and a detective context. BUT 'Raven of the inner palace' doesn't have a soul like the others.
It's repetitive. Each chapter is the same as the previous one and the situations are resolved in exactly the same way (it even has the same animation).
The animation isn't as good as in 'Yatagarasu' and 'The Apothecary Diaries'. It's average, as is the character design.
It was really boring to watch. At first I had hopes because it seemed interesting, but it's not or at least the repetitive aspect kills the entertaining part.
The characters are stereotypes without much more to offer. I don…
Read at the sourceBkfootlettuce
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 is a second season I would absolutely watch it.
Read at the sourcewhiteflame55
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…
Read at the sourcevanelya10
If you are looking only for romance be prepared to be disappointed. Its not your typical romantic historic anime but it is worth watching.
I am really glad to see the main female protagonist show so much strenght and wisdom troughout the episodes. I really like her powers and how she manages to maintain herselft as an independent character even if she has some weak moments, it makes her more natural.
Love this type of each story episode and it was nice seeing such great animations moments and how they manage so create some beautiful scenes. F
For 13 episodes its an easy going but enchanting anime to consume.
Read at the sourceKozanS
Chinese (Chinese-inspired) inner palace (emperor's harem) setting has been getting popular in light novels and manga recently. This is the first anime based on the setting if I am not missing anything. If you are not familiar with the setting the inner palace is a restricted town where emperor's consorts and their attendants live. Each consort lives in a mansion (also called a palace), gets a title (Noble Consort, Pure Consort, etc) and has dedicated attendants. The inner palace also has a bunch of servants on general duties - laundresses, doctor(s), eunuchs as guards and to handle heavy work and so on. Emperor's mom (dowager empress) also lives in the inner palace, if alive. One of the consorts, usually the first one to birth a male child, will become the emperor. There is lots of plottin…
Read at the sourcemrfried
I normally binge watch anime, watching the entire season in 2-3 days but with Koukyuu no Karasu I found myself taking my time, and just make it 'last'
For me this is an easy 10/10
It focuses on supernatural events, mysteries and also intrigues, as such it is heavily story and character focused, it takes time to develop and build up to a lot of its mysteries, while mixing in shorter supernatural stories that last an episode or two. And because it's not some shounen action and doesn't seek to be dynamic and is instead focused on the characters and how they evolve and grow through the events, many people will likely find it to be slow and boring.
The writing is superb, with the mysteries, while many centre around unravelling the circumstances of death that have occurred, it is not a murd…
Read at the sourceFirechick12012
Man, the fall 2022 season has put out a lot of female-led anime, hasn't it? And a lot of said female lead characters are actually treated with respect and important to the plot rather than just simply being eye candy. I mean, we got stuff like Bocchi The Rock, Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, Do It Yourself!!, and the subject of today's review, Raven of the Inner Palace. I don't really remember how I first discovered this, but thought the premise seemed interesting. Parts of it reminded me of Saiunkoku Monogatari, which is also a Japanese-animated Chinese period drama, though Raven of the Inner Palace is more of an episodic mystery series. We don't get a lot of Japanese-animated shows about Chinese characters much anymore, though I think part of that is because China has started putting out…
Read at the sourceWritaHolic
Koukyuu no Karasu isn’t exactly incredible, but it still provides the Fall 2022 season with a solid breath of fresh air.
In many ways, Koukyuu no Karasu reminds me of Production IG’s xxxHOLiC. Slice-of-life, supernatural mysteries with Asian folkloric influence and a tinge of gothic horror? Check. A main character who develops slowly but surely across the series as they struggle to find their identity and self esteem? Check. A relationship that’s cute and constantly shipped but has about 0.1% likelihood of becoming canon? Check.
Of course, xxxHOLiC and Koukyuu no Karasu differ vastly in setting, and that’s one of the latter’s greatest strengths. Koukyuu no Karasu is set in ancient China, which makes it stand out from the current, all-too common Western-RPG-inspired anime. The animation a…
Read at the sourceAkiraChinami
Change isn't easy. It's even less so when the subject of that change is an institution that has been in place for centuries. The role of the Raven Consort has been entrenched within the inner palace for at least a thousand years, and it is going to take more than one creepy guy embodying a god of death to undo it. But everything that has happened to Shouxue and Gaojun in this season has been in service of changing the role of the Raven Consort; from his unseemly interest in her (at least as far as others are concerned) to the slow reveal of her true purpose, the stage has been set for them to make meaningful changes.
That's what this last episode is largely in service of. We can see the small cracks beginning in the prison that holds the Raven Consort, namely the preconceptions and miscon…
Read at the sourceTheRomkey
Absolutely loved this entire show. It is a product of its genre, but in my opinion encapsulates the best elements from that genre to create an excellent, captivating story.
Anyone looking for a shoujo anime where the women are kind to one another, there is a budding love story which doesn't feel forced or contrived but shows two people getting to know one another and build deep love and respect over time, the artwork is beautiful and which has an underlying supernatural mystery to be solved, this is a show for you.
Each episode is better than the next and I have fingers crossed for a second season.
Read at the sourceNekoCatSidhe
This was an excellent, but underrated anime. There are not many fantasy anime with a Chinese Court Setting, so as a huge fan of the Apothecary Diaries manga, I really enjoyed that one. It had a great atmosphere, soundtrack, and main character, and I loved the episodic supernatural mystery-solving part of the show
Shouxue is the Raven Consort, a powerful sorceress living in the imperial palace with the status of a Consort of the Emperor without the "nighttime duty", that people come for help in case of supernatural trouble or mystery. The show starts when she meets Gaojun, the young Emperor who just came in power after a coup, after he want her to help a ghost move to the afterlife. There are actually a lot more to Shouxue powers than Gaojun and even Shouxue knows about, and the horror of…
Read at the sourceBeqkixbecca
Raven of the Inner Palace has been by far, the most underrated anime of the season. Fortunately enough, those who have picked it up have enjoyed it completely and had zero regrets. Honestly, this historical/mystery anime had me refreshing Crunchyroll every Saturday.
What this anime includes:
- Solving a new mystery all in one or two episodes.
- FL grows from an isolated person to someone who starts to care for those around her.
- A dash of romance between FL and Emperor.
- Great music choice and the animation was phenomenal.
The plot of the story is about a special consort, The raven, who has high power in the Inner Palace without having to do "nightly duties," or have to bow to the Emperor. This special consorts name is, Shouxue or Jusetsu. She has the ability to cast curses, call…
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
In an era of repetitive battle shonen and wish fulfilment fantasises, it’s so nice to see that Josei stories are still alive and well. None have been better in recent memory than Kokyuu no Karasu. A wonderfully crafted tale of loss, grief, acceptance and friendship and my pick for anime of the season.
Fall 2022 was packed. It was without a doubt one of the best seasons in the past few years, but despite all the big name titles this season, Kokyuu was without a doubt the best show for me. I knew it from episode one and even spoke about it at length in a Youtube video previewing the season.
My initial attraction to the series was the setting. We don’t often see Japanese anime take place in ancient China with a focus on mythology. It’s a time period and location with so much rich history an…
Read at the sourceMcsuper
After watching this show, I can confidently say these aesthetics were among my favourites of the year. The character designs were amazing, especially for Shouxue/Jusetsu, but for most of the characters as well. It captured the spirit of a period drama quite well, though I’m not sure the episodic nature of the show really helped it. While the world-building was really quite superb, there could have been more that could have been done to make this even better, perhaps more episodes would have flesh this world out even more.
STORY:
In a way, it felt like a “mystery of the week” type of series, with a new conflict being introduced almost every episode, and the episode ending off in the conflict being resolved. With many mysteries packed in one show, the quality of each mystery ended up being…
Read at the sourcedead_user_123454
Koukyuu no Karasu/Raven of the Inner Palace is based on the light novel series of the same name by Kouko Shirakawa, which was recently licenced by seven seas entertainment. Volume 1 is scheduled to be released in 2023, Theme of this series is based on ancient china, Raven of the Inner Palace is indeed a unique story filled of mystery, fantasy, and history.
Deep within the inner palace lives a special consort who does not serve the emperor despite her position, known as the Raven Consort. Some claim she is an elderly woman, while others claim she is young and beautiful.
So, Main Protagonist of this series is Liu Shouxue (Ryuu Jusetsu), the Raven Consort of the Inner Palace, She is young and beautiful, For a price, her dark arts have the ability to cast deadly curses, exorcise ghosts, and…
Read at the sourceKANLen09
"Deep in the inner palace, there lives a consort known as the Raven Consort.
She holds a special position, and despite her "consort" title, she does not perform night-time duties.
Though she lives there, it is said that she can perform mysterious arts and even gain some friends along the way, but she has no contact with the emperor, nor kneels before him.
Such is the Raven Consort."
The Fall 2022 season has seen quite a diversity of shows, but one show that I really AM desperate to talk about is Koukyuu no Karasu a.k.a Raven of the Inner Palace, novelist Kouko Shirakawa's only work (barring her 2 one-shot LNs released in 2015 and 2016), because this show isn't really that much discussed about outside of the anime and seems to have flown under the radar for such a hyped season as this. If…
Read at the sourceApplePieHunter
“Raven of the Inner Palace” was definitely one of the most surprising animes of the season. I went in with low expectations and a negative outlook but left feeling like I had an exhilarating trip through Chinese folklore. This is especially shocking considering I have a personal dislike of all things historical. Although I wouldn’t give “Raven of the Inner Palace” anime of the year or even the season, it ended up outclassing the majority of shows I’ve binged (and forgotten about) throughout 2022. So today, I want to talk about the 3 biggest features that make “Raven of the Inner Palace” stand out, and how these features come together to create a wonderful and unique historical experience that anyone can enjoy.
MYSTERIES AND SECRETS - A fantastic balance between the mystery of the Raven C…
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