The Summer of Saiunkoku continues, this time in article form!
Once upon a time there was a poor girl named Hong Shurei.NoDream of marrying a prince. Instead, Shurei saw the struggles of the people around her and dreamed of becoming a public official, an impossible dream since women were prohibited from holding public office. However, when the law changed to allow their entry, Shurei soon discovered that her dream was not without nightmares, as deep-seated prejudices lurked everywhere she looked, and these were not the kind of monsters one could draw a sword and slay.
Despite its fantastic shoujo setting,The story of SaiunkokuIt’s not a traditional fairy tale, and Shurei’s journey is much closer to unjust reality than escapist fiction. This allows the series to explore systemic oppression, workplace bullying, and the importance of structural support, especially in systems that claim to be merit-based. Through its young and marginalized officials,saunkokuprovides an intersectional critique of the bootstrap mentality, highlighting how oppression creates obstacles that often require more than just “hard work” to overcome.
Click here for the full article on Anime Feminist!
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