Saiunkoku is a world of eight provinces or houses, each named after a different colour. The new Emperor, Shi Ryuuki, has gained for a reputation for being uninterested in courtly matters and for flaunting his love for men. Shuurei, although born of the important Kou family, has difficulty making ends meet. She easily accepts an invitation to be the Emperor's concubine in order to turn him into a good ruler. 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, together with the many companions she meets along the way, continues moving bravely forward while trying to fend off the Emperor's advances.
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 1) - inner seraglio
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 2) - plot in the palace
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 3) - the first female official
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 4) - ordeals of the new officials
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 5) - governor of sa province
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 6) - sa clan`s conspiracy
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 7) - complicated emotions
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 8) - crumbled ambitions
Saiunkoku picture scroll (part 9) - light and dark
Every good story has a hidden side
A frog in a well does not know the great ocean
The talented hawk hides its talons
Casting pearls before swine
There is no genius without hard work
Lacking the finishing touch
Even the strongest swimmer may drown
Wanting to borrow a cat's paws
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Good things come to those who wait
There is no cure for lovesickness
Discretion is the better part of valour
From a gourd comes a horse
On a rock for three years
Children do not know their parents' hearts
There are no devils in the world
Let sleeping dogs lie or poking a bush draws out snakes
You can't hide by burying your head in the sand
If you love your child, send her on a journey
Flowers blooming from dead wood
The wise know when to approach danger
Where there is life, there is hope
It's the company that makes travel unpleasant
Water on a sleeping ear
An accidental resemblance
Ravens in the moonless night
The prettier the flower, the higher the branch
Worry gives small things large shadows
Many years' worth of thoughts in a single day
Women are brave
A diamond in the rough
A woman's word is her bond
No use crying over spilt milk
Poison gets the better of poison
Meeting is the beginning of parting
All is right in the world
Tears fall like rain from heaven
There is no today after today
Fate is an inscrutable and interesting thing
There's no place like home
Doesn't matter whether you're laughing or crying
Birds of a feather flock together
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Love is not stingy in giving
A peal of thunder in the blue sky
Wholeheartedness penetrates stone
Exhausting human abilities, one waits for heaven's will
Meeting the buddha in hell
The awaited person finally comes
The husband is always the last to know
If justice is not allowed to be seen, there will be no heroism
Hastiness will lead to failure
Enter the lion's den
A short amount of time
Flames before the wind
Up and down seven times
The road is distant after dark
Counting your chickens before they hatch
All is lost that is given to a fool
A frog's child is a frog
An insect in a lion's body
Misery loves company
One good turn deserves another
Even with trouble, youth is sufficient enough to pay
Even the wisest will flee when they are fools
Better to be the one who waits than the one waited for
The story of saiunkoku
The further you are, the more i think about you
The silent firefly's body consumed by love
One reaps what one sows
A painful reluctance
As the seasons change, so does the mind
Bluer than indigo
Crossing a dangerous bridge
Fortune is where one finds it
The eyes are the mirror of the soul
Close friendship
Destined partners cannot be separated
NextFilm 2025