#koukyuu no karasu 1

[sasaranomiya]

Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 3)

Alright here's the end of the first chapter

Ok tbh now that the official version of volume 4 is out i am not sure what to do with this translation. im pretty sure i said before that i would drop it once the official translations catch up and i do still mean it (especially now that i have so much on my plate) but i don't want to abandon this blog. Maybe i'll post summaries for the later books? idk yet

thanks to everyone who supported me so far!

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After a while, Shuuji arrived, looking fearful of her surroundings. Her face was pale.

“La…Lady Raven Consort, I told you to forget about the ghost…”

“Were you threatened by the ghost?”

Shuuji’s eyes widened. “You know?”

“Did it tell you that you’re cursed? Don’t worry, it was lying.”

“Is…is that true, Lady Raven Consort?”

Shuuji, looking like she was about to burst into tears, tried to cling to Jusetsu. Onkei stopped her. “No need,” Jusetsu told him, then took Shuuji’s hand. When Onkei let go of her, she crumpled down on the spot. She cried as she squeezed Jusetsu’s hand.

“Lady Raven Consort, I’m scared.”

“What scared you?” Jusetsu asked, soothing a sobbing Shuuji.

“Yesterday…it happened yesterday evening. After finishing work, I was walking in the outer corridor when something rolled down at my feet. When I stopped and looked, I saw that it was a cocoon. And then, more cocoons fell down, and just when I was wondering what was going on, I saw a shadow on the nearby lattice window…” Shuuji trembled. “It was dark inside, so I couldn’t see them very well, but they seemed to be a palace lady. She was standing beside me, facing me. Then, she spoke. If you meddle in my business any more, I’ll put a curse on you. It was a terrifying voice. I lost my nerve and ran into the room where everyone else was. When I told them that I saw a ghost, they said that we had to investigate, so I went back with them even though I didn’t want to. As might be expected, the ghost was nowhere to be found, nor the cocoons. I was just so scared and didn’t know what to do…”

So, she went to Yamei Palace again and told Jusetsu to leave the ghost alone.

“Hmm,” Jusetsu, who was listening with her head tilted slightly, nodded.

“By ‘terrifying voice,’ what kind of voice was it specifically? A high voice or a low voice? A thin voice or a thick voice?”

 “Specifically…? Well…” Shuuji closed her eyes, as though to remember.

“It wasn’t a high-pitched voice. It wasn’t deep either…yes, it wasn’t a young voice. It was hoarse, like there was something wrong with their throat, and that might have been why I was so frightened. Because it wasn’t the voice of a young palace lady at all.”

“Do you recall hearing that voice before?”

“No, I haven’t—oh, but…” Shuuji put her hand to her mouth. “Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve heard it… No, but I’m not very sure.”

“You said you ran into the room where everyone else was. Who is ‘everyone’?”

“The palace ladies… I think they were all there, but I was also upset and don’t remember clearly.”

“Hmm, I see,” Jusetsu peered into Shuuji’s face. “Listen, that was not a ghost. The reason is that my barrier extends here. Ghosts won’t appear within it. It’s impossible.”

Shuuji was staring intently into Jusetsu’s eyes, as though drawn into them.

“Y-Yes…, Lady Raven Consort!” Shuuji nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushing. “Ah, then someone did something like that…? Who is it?”

“Most likely someone who doesn’t want to be investigated.”

The ghost that threatened Shuuji and the ghost that stole the cocoons were probably the same person.

Jusetsu had said that there were two ghosts, but one of them was fake.

“May I look inside the room?”

Before she heard a reply, Jusetsu went up the stairs and entered the room where the palace ladies were working. There was a fishy smell and steam enshrouded everything. Large cauldrons with boiling water were placed in two kilns. The cocoons were being boiled inside them. Palace ladies standing next to them were picking up boiled cocoons, quickly finding the thread end, and pulling out the thread. They were incredibly fast. The pulled-out threads were winded around thread reels.

After removing the material that would become silk thread, there was another palace lady who removed the cocoons with transparent larvae from the cauldrons, another who changed the water, and another who removed the thread from the reel. The palace ladies’ cheeks and hands were red from the heat, and sweat was beading on their foreheads and necks.

They were all silently engrossed in their work and didn’t even notice Jusetsu’s entrance. Jusetsu’s eyes landed on the kiln containing cocoons at the edge of the room. Even to an untrained eye, she could tell that there were some dirty cocoons mixed in. These were probably the bad cocoons that had been sorted out. Jusetsu immediately left the room so as to not disturb the palace ladies’ work. “Are those the bad cocoons you have at the edge of the room?” she asked Shuuji, who was waiting in the outer corridor. “Yes,” Shuuji answered.

“Are you going to throw them away?”

“No, we can’t present them to the emperor, but we take the thread and make them into palace lady uniforms or cotton.”

“Have they been kept there since yesterday?”

“Yes. The good cocoons are kept under strict guard in a separate room, but the bad ones are…”

“Then those must be the cocoons used to threaten you yesterday.”

Anyone who knew where they were could easily take them out.

“Then, who was the palace lady who pretended to be a ghost and threatened me?”

It’s not them, Shuuji said, looking towards the room where steam was leaking.

“If it was one of my friends, I would know who it was even in the dark. Even their voice…”

Jusetsu watched as the steam unraveled and disappeared.

“I think it would be quicker to have them come out before us than to find out who they are.”

As the evening approached, Jusetsu changed from her eunuch uniform to her usual black robes and headed to the mound with Onkei. She walked around the old moss-covered mound and looked up at the trees.

She had known that someone had been visiting this place from the last time she came here. She knew because the undergrowth had been trodden on.

“Niangniang, they’re here.”

At Onkei’s whisper, Jusetsu hid behind the mound. Onkei hid among the trees.

Under the dim shade of the trees, there was the sound of someone’s footsteps approaching. They were light. They were probably a slender person, not very tall. The person seemed to stop in front of the mound, but then slowly approached a tree, making sure that their footsteps were concealed. It was a large old tree with hollows everywhere. When he put his hand there, Jusetsu called out to him.

“The cocoons are no longer there.”

The man jumped and turned around, his hand still reaching inside the hollow. Jusetsu stood up, and Onkei also appeared from the trees.

“Do you remember my face? We talked behind the mulberry storage room today.”

He stared at Jusetsu’s face and let out a small “Ah.”

“You’re not a eu…”

The man who said this with a pale face was the young eunuch who had told Jusetsu about how they used mulberry branches to make dyes and firewood as he tied them together.

“I hear your name is Rijou.”

She had Tan Kai look into the eunuchs who worked at the cocoonery. Everything from their identities to finances.

“I know exactly what you did. You pretended to be the ghost of a palace lady, sneaked into the cocoonery, and stole the cocoons.”

When it became clear that someone had pretended to be a ghost, it became obvious that the palace ladies had nothing to do with the matter. If it had been a palace lady who stole the cocoons, they wouldn’t have needed to pretend to be a ghost. Just as Jusetsu had once suspected, one only had snatch some cocoons while working and claim that a ghost had appeared.

Rijou had a small stature and wide eyes. He could easily transform into a palace lady by putting on makeup. If he made himself look like a woman, it would be difficult for even those who knew him to notice. Just like how at first, even Shuuji didn’t recognize Jusetsu when she was dressed as a eunuch.

“Ah…ugh…”

Rijou’s face was pale, and he was trembling. He didn’t seem to be the most daring person. He backed away a step, then suddenly tried to run. Onkei moved quickly, but before he could do anything, Rijou tripped on grass and fell. Onkei grabbed his arms and pinned him down. Rijou struggled, but Onkei’s arms didn’t budge.

“N-No…I…”

Rijou began to cry. He was not yet twenty, a young man who seemed able to do both good and bad things with ease.

“I know this wasn’t your plan alone. You were probably instigated by the eunuchs in charge of taking the pupae outside. Did they tell you that you would make money?”

She asked him this, thinking that he would confess if she asked in this way. Rijou nodded readily.

“Yes…that’s right. But it wasn’t for money. At first, it was just a game between friends.”

“A game?”

“I would disguise myself as a palace lady and see if I get found out or not. It was…a bet.”

Jusetsu had heard that many eunuchs indulged in gambling. This was because there was hardly any entertainment here.

“So, have you been sneaking into the cocoonery since before?”

“No, at first I just wandered outside and bet on whether other eunuchs or palace ladies would recognize me, but it went so well that I was told that it wasn’t a bet anymore, so they told me to pretend to be the rumored cocoonery ghost. But doing only that would be boring, so we bet whether or not I can take a cocoon…”

Perhaps the prank went too far.

“I was planning to return the cocoons right away, because there was no point in keeping them. I thought I should drop them in a corner of the room and return them that way. But when Mr. Sekian learned about my plan…”

“He’s the eunuch in charge of transporting pupae. Is he not your friend?”

“He is my superior. Mr. Sekian told me that I should sell the cocoons to a silkworm farmer. That was scary, so of course I told him no, but then he said he’ll reveal that I stole the cocoons…he threatened me by saying that it was a serious crime…”

Rijou started sniffling. He looked very much like a child when he did that.

“Mr. Sekian said that because of his job, he was acquainted with carp merchants and knew of silkworm farmers who might be willing to buy cocoons. He said he would talk to them and sell the cocoons the next time he brought the pupae outside, so I should hide them until then.”

“So, you hid them in a tree hollow until the time came to go outside to deliver the pupae?”

“I knew this place because I come here to get firewood to use in the cocoonery. I thought that this tree hollow would be perfect.”

Keeping them close at hand could be dangerous in case someone investigates. Therefore, Jusetsu had the idea that the cocoons were probably hidden somewhere else, and this was the place that came to mind. It was supposed to be a place that no one went near, but there were signs that someone had been here. After looking around, she found a cloth bundle that had been pushed into a tree hollow, containing the two cocoons.

The thread was retrieved from the cocoons today, and the pupae would be delivered to the carp merchants tomorrow. So, Jusetsu deduced that he would be coming here today.

“You were the ones who threatened the palace lady, Nen Shuuji, yesterday.”

“I was told to pretend to be a palace lady again and to just stand there, so that’s all I did. He said that we were just going to scare the palace ladies a little. I thought it was just a prank. It was Mr. Sekian, not me, who dropped the cocoons and threatened her with a fake voice.”

As for Sekian, Tan Kai should have had him tied up right now.

In any case, it was good that the cocoons hadn’t been taken outside, but there was the danger that the Saname silkworms leaking out into the world. After informing Banka and Koushun, she had to leave the handling of the matter to them.

Jusetsu left the mound with Rijou tied up by Onkei. It was already completely dark. She suddenly stopped and turned around. The area in front of the mound became slightly brighter. There was a palace lady standing there. She turned towards Jusetsu and bowed once. Then just like that, she faded away and disappeared. Jusetsu stared at the mound, which had sunk into darkness once again.

She probably wasn’t a palace lady who died from the silkworms’ curse.

In fact, it seemed like she even loved silkworms.

Jusetsu wondered if she showed up in the cocoonery because she truly just wanted to take care of the silkworms.

After that, Jusetsu lifted the barrier around the cocoonery, but the ghost didn’t appear again, perhaps because this year’s silkworm cultivation was over.

“In a book written in the previous dynasty, there is a story about a woman who loved the silkworms so much that she refused to marry and was executed,” Koushun said. “It’s written as a story that circulated throughout the public, but it might have been something that actually occurred in the inner palace.”

“Then, by refusing to marry, do you mean that she rejected the emperor’s advances?”

That would probably be why she was executed.

“The fact that you knew such a book existed is astonishing,” Jusetsu said with some admiration.

After a moment’s silence, Koushun answered, “I learned about it from Shiki.” He was an honest man.

“Shiki knows most of the books in Koutou Academy.”

Reiko Shiki was a scholar of Koutou Academy. Before that, he was a deputy inspector in Ga Province.

Jusetsu had visited Koutou Academy before. It held a large number of books, from bamboo strips to paper scrolls. If he already grasped them all, then he truly was a talented man.

Jusetsu stared at the surface of the pond that spread out in front of him. A distorted moon was reflected on the rippled surface of the water.

The two of them were standing by the pond at Yamei Palace. Ei Sei was standing a little distance away, so no one could hear their conversation.

“You’re friendly with Shiki, aren’t you.”

Her murmured voice seemed to glide over the ripples.

“I wouldn’t call it friendly,” Koushun’s voice was tinged with perplexity. “He is my vassal, after all.”

He wasn’t just a vassal either. Shiki was probably the one person who could understand Koushun’s darkest depths. They both kept the cold flame of revenge burning in their hearts. It was something Jusetsu simply couldn’t understand.

Every time she thought about it, Jusetsu felt a feeling like smoldering embers. It was like she was being enveloped in fog or sinking into the deep sea. She felt insecure and restless.

“…What’s wrong?”

Koushun’s hand reached out and touched her cheek, then immediately pulled away. She looked up at him. He said that he would find a way to save her. Find a way to free her from Wulian Niangniang. If there was such a path, he wanted to choose it.

He heard Jusetsu’s silent cries for help.

When she heard that, Jusetsu had unexpectedly burst into tears. Koushun wiped them for her. Since then, she no longer put herself on guard when he touched her. And he also touched her naturally, without hesitation or indecision.

Some kind of barrier had been removed—completely removed.

Jusetsu wanted to ask Reijou, the previous Raven Consort who raised her, this question.

Is this okay?

Of course, I won’t get a “yes.”

The water's surface swayed. The distorted moon was hidden by thin clouds.

After a while, Jusetsu heard a new rumor from Jiujiu. It was said that the palace ladies of the cocoonery had begun visiting the mound. It was now a common rumor that the ghost of the palace lady was a guardian deity of silkworms.

This seems to be how gods are created, Jusetsu thought.

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[revenantghost]

Koukyuu no Karasu illustration by animator Takakura Kae (@takakura00) to celebrate the release of episode 1

[mazojo]

Winter 2022 Anime Opinions

As always my thoughts because no one asked

From least to fav here are my overall thoughts:

Urusei Yatsura (2022)

I am just not the target audience for this. This is probably a nostalgia ridden show that people who watched the original will love and enjoy but I am not that person and with the two eps I watched I had enough. The jokes were not funny to me all characters were annoying and yeah the animation is nice but I will not put myself through something I will not enjoy for it tbh. Watch it if you liked the original ig

Tonikaku Kawaii: SeifukU

I dislike tonikaku with a passion it gives go girl give us nothing to the negative 20 no flavor no taste still the same shiz as the show so yeah. Watch it if you liked the series lmao its more of the same

Shinobi no Ittoki

I guess…… Its really kinda bland and I can’t pinpoint why. The concept is interesting but it just doesn’t hold up in its execution and I dont care for it run sorry do better I guess

Fumetsu no Anata e 2nd Season

I try so hard to care, SO hard. Since season 1 I have found this show to be kinda…. All over. Like the only storyline I cared about was the one with the kid with the mask last season and since that its just been meh to me. Like, we already kinda know how everything is going to go and all the arcs are kinda the same, they show us someone, we care for them for like half an episode, they die, repeat.

Bocchi the Rock! 

I TRIES SO HARD TO CARE TOO I AM SO SORRY. This has been like the number 1 show this year but I… I dont know I just dont like it ASDFGHJ I am not a big fan of cute girls doing nothing specially mixed with the uwu social anxiety quirky. Like they dont paint it in a bad light like most shows do and the art style is very unique but I just dont… Give a shit adfgdhjf I tried I promise but hey if you are into this shows probs the one for you.

Mushikaburi-hime

This one is boring I am ngl. Its not bad but like… Its not good either. Ive seen this trope done SO many times its just boring. It hasn’t done anything bad per se but I just dont really care for it much. I like my romance with spicier ships so yeah I mean if you like cute royal same old same old couples then watch it.

Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman.

Do you like boobs????? Do you like boobs ON your screen for 23 minutes??????? Then you will for sure enjoy this one fellas! ASDFGHJ I… I am not the biggest fan of ecchi so this is a lot for me but hey if you like this fan service trash then you go bestie. Character design is cute I dont care for any characters as of the moment so yeah I guess its something

Chainsaw Man

This is the one that gets me cancelled ASDFGH. I am not going to say much other than I've never been a fan of chainsaw man since the manga and you can write me all the essays y'all want but I just.... Dont care sorry lol ADFSJAK Its just not for me; I am not saying its bad per se, I am just not the person that enjoys this type of shows. Akiangel as the only thing that matters of chainsaw man fr fr

Aru Asa Dummy Head Mic ni Natteita Ore-kun no Jinsei

This is trash but it goes higher just because Its what it is and delivers just what I expected. The reincarnated person is annoying as fuck but the girls have cute dynamics so that's why it goes higher. Its just 3 minutes skits of the girls being cute so yeah its okay

Koukyuu no Karasu

I feel like this is a good show but I am just not the target for this adsfgh its a show you gotta pay attention to understand and a lot of history goes behind it and it just kinda bored me but I know its not bad. I just dont think its for me but that's okay I might keep watching it.

Eternal Boys 

Its okay. Its a nice concept and I have only watched like 3 eps but its a nice message I guess. Its short and whatever so it doesn't take much time to watch but its not something revolutionary. I like idol shows so maybe I am giving it more than what it is.

Mob Psycho

This is the one that gets me cancelled part 2 SKSKSK. I am not going to lie besties, I am not the biggest mob psyhco fan. Its okay, I just never got into the hyper around it sorry :(( I really wish I could because I know its a good story and I ddi like that last episode a lot but like,,,,, I feel like the story was over last season ASDFGH But hey I am glad y'all enjoyed it a lot!

Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season

I am ngl, I am like on ep 2 of bnha season 6 but have seen the Dabi scene like 20 times thanks to social media and I got no choice but to Stan. I dont like this arc of bnha as y'all know but it seems more interesting than last season and I like the way the animation direction is going so I will give them points for it.

Do It Yourself!! 

Lesbians your honor!!!! I like this one! Its cute girls doing silly lil stuff and I am not a big fan of the genre like I said but this one is more entertaining for me, maybe because I am more into DIY shit but its cute!! Nothing big happens tbh but its a soft watch to put in the background if y'all enjoy this

Romantic Killer

This was cute! A refreshing romcom from the ones weve gotten recently tbh. I liked it even though I have a different interpretation of the road they took it in the end but it was a fun show to watch with some nice gags and cute characters, defo give it a go!

Renai Flops

Okay hear me out. This one is in a weird place but hear me out. I hate everything this anime stands for because it was such a cliche weird and ecchi but it was such an interesting train wreck I HAD to keep on watching every episode and when I least expected it I was suddenly on ep 6 and the twist left me screAmiNG. It kinda goes downhill again after ep 7 but just because it took me so off guard (dont wanna spoil it but aloO) it goes high up, gg 1 for the ecchi trash 0 for Maria this round.

Yowamushi Pedal: Limit Break

Ngl this season of yowapeda hasn't been as hyped as I hoped for me but I care so much about the characters I will place it high up SKSKSKSK its basically more of the same; I honestly miss the upperclassman a lot but its okay my babies appear like for .2 frames and I start sobbing

Akuyaku Reijou nano de Last Boss wo Kattemimashita 

okaY is this trash??? yes. Do I care??? nO. I LOVE MY SILLY LIL TROPES OKAY ITS FUNNY AND SILLY AND DUMB AND THEY ARE CUTE SO IT GOES UP OKAY I LIKE HAMEFURA WHAT DO YALL EXPECT FROM ME. still kinda trash but like, guilty pleasure trash.

4-nin wa Sorezore Uso wo Tsuku

THIS IS HOW YOU DO CUTE GIRLS (AND TSUKASA LY BESTIE) DOING CUTE STUFF IN A GOOD WAY. If you like Saiki K you'll like this show. I dont know how to explain it but it gives the energy from Saiki K and I loved it they are very important and relevant.

Spy x Family Part 2 

Its more of the same of part 1 y'all know spy x family its a good show I love them all I love when my families are found go stream it look at Bond and Anya being best family

Tiger & Bunny

The gays are back for more and better! Not my favorite season buT I still care about them all so much that I dont care SKSKSK go stream tiger & bunny I dont have much more to say

Cool Doji Danshi 

Do you love dumb people??? Me too! then this anime is for you ! Its silly short and goes to the point. It doesnt try to be something its not and I like my anime silly and dumb. If you are looking for something easy and silly watch this.

Blue Lock

Guys guys my favorite comfort soccer players are finally animated!!! Watch it. If y'all follow me y'all know I am annoying about blue lock. Its the only anime that has Bachira AND Reo imagine the odds!!! Its a great sports anime and the characters are great and I love it and its my comfort okay

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun 3rd Season

Lets all pretend for a second we are all surprised M!ik is number one woah Maria that is so weird your favorite manga animated as number one????? did not expect it that's wild. Anyways M!ik supremacy today tomorrow its the Lied arc and Iruma and that one episode were Iruma cries made me emo and I love it and I think you should all be super cool and interesting and go watch m!ik it would make us all a better society.

[dailyanimeoped]

undefined

Opening 1 - Koukyuu no Karasu

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

What I’m Watching - Fall 2022

Remember last season when I just straight up didn’t do this

Chainsaw Man - I think this show’s popularity speaks for itself really

Spy x Family Part 2 - I liked part 1

Mob Pyscho 100 III - AOTY

My Hero Academia Season 6 - Groan.

The Eminence in Shadow - Could be very droppable and is an isekai but from a friend’s description who read the manga adaptation long before the anime was announced this sounds fun, MC more of a chuunibyou that’s hyped as shit to be isekai’d than anything else.

Do It Yourself! - original cute girl anime with fucking dope character designs, actually my second most hyped anime behind Mob

Koukyuu no Karasu - episode 1 of this is already out and I’m gonna watch it shortly so we’ll have a real first impression, but mostly this just sounds pretty interesting and very different so I’m curious really

Bocchi the Rock! - Right behind DIY in terms of hype, read 15 chapters of the manga on the anime getting announced and it seems mostly quite standard cute girls in a band anime which I love, though the fact that it’s Cloverworks specifically has me extra hype because hey they love going lavish with their productions, and I’m all for cute girl shows getting that treatment.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - uh-oh I’m watching my first Gundam

Cool Doji Danshi - not really seen many cute boys doing cute things shows so gonna give this a shot because easy to do so plus it airs on a fairly calm day for me plus it’s only got 15 minute eps so hey why not

Management of Novice Alchemist - girls are cute, that’s literally it.

4-nin wa Sorezore Uso wo Tsuku - Honest to fuck this seems very droppable, especially considering it airs on a Saturday as well, but it technically has cute girls and it most certainly has a great voice cast, so I’m gonna give it a shot.

Akiba Maid War - how hype does the title sound alone

Eternal Boys - I will literally die if I don’t watch every idol anime that airs every season

Pui Pui Molcar: Driving School - MOLCAR SEASON 2 BABY WOO

And that’s all of them. They’re fairly spread out over the week for me and there are a fair few there that I wouldn’t mind dropping if they turn out to suck, so this feels comfortably doable. I have no other observations to make here.

[sir-klauz]

My 2023 January Anime Watching List and recommendations!

(Reblog, like or comment if you go on to watch any of these after reading this! This list is in no order of preference. This is not relevant to when they were released but most of these were released in 2022-23.🍵)

1. Tomo-chan Is a Girl!

2. The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

3. By the Grace of the Gods (1st and 2nd Season)

4. Spy x Family Part 2

5. Blue Lock

6. Buddy Daddies

7. Chainsaw Man

8. Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

9. Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! Double

10. Koukyuu no Karasu

And unfortunately I can’t add anymore photos but, these as well:

11. Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman.

12. The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting

13. Black Butler, rewatch, season 1-2

14. The Way Of The House Husband, 1-2

[jinx2109]

Anime - Q4, 2022

1. Gundam Witch from Mercury 

2. Bocchi the Rock 

3. I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss 

4. Do It Yourself

5. Laid Back Camp Movie  Some great anime in the past 3 months.  So much has happened in the past year. Or maybe not so much, things were getting so repetitious that the monotony may have made me ill.  Just as how I’d used to go through anime in the past. If there’s a nice ad, I pick it up, keep a look out. When it airs, I may follow. 

When a new season start, I do a quick run through the titles, cover art, trailer, synopsis. There’s no specific number, no specific, but I’ll be watching a number of them, at least 1st to 3rd episode. And drop some along the way.  Just found out lately there’s a genre by the name of “Iyashikei”  癒し系, a sub-genre of “slice of life” genre. And that’s one genre that I really like. But also, not quite a genre I would watch while it is still airing.  Couple more anime that was not bad, but I’ve dropped along the way. I may go back to it if there is more time at hands.  1. Koukyuu no Karasu (Raven in the Inner Palace) 2. Bibliophile Princess 3. Chainsaw Man  Ok. To be fair. I dropped chainsaw man partly cause my brother told me the ending already. And maybe I am thankful for that, since I really don’t have as much time on hand.  I came back to a blog (instead of insta) largely due to the dichotomy of my work life, and my private life. 

Having work colleagues on my instagram isn’t exactly the most fun. While my thoughts are alright, perhaps people wouldn’t care at all when I was studying overseas. But I just feel so immensely judged when back home. 

So I’m here looking for a space to express. Haha. But I may work on that spare Insta account too. After all, it’s much quicker to look through the thumbnail photo on instagram to know which anime/ series/ movie/ books I’ve watched and liked.  And the original instagram? I don’t know. That’ll be my submarine tank stalking other people. LOL

[stupendousbasementluminary]

أنمي Koukyuu no Karasu الحلقة 12 مترجمة

أنمي Koukyuu no Karasu الحلقة 12 مترجمة

Fuufu Ijou ، Koibito Miman الموسم 1 الحلقة 11 مترجمة باللغة الإنجليزية مشاهدة وتحميل الأنمي الرومانسي More Than Married، But Not Lovers Fuufu Ijou، Koibito Miman الحلقة 11 مترجمة ، الموسم 1 ، أنيمي ، الموسم 1 ، مسلسلات الأنمي الرسوم المتحركة دراما 7.5

[animeplyx]

Raven of the Inner Palace (Koukyuu no Karasu) | Episode 1 Preview (English Subs)

[thefinalcinderella]

Tsurune Book 3 Prologue

Damn I can’t believe Book 3 is actually going to be a thing...

I hope they don’t pull that “theater bonus short story booklet” thing like they did for violet evergarden

Also translating this prologue reminded me how much I hate researching obscure kyudo and shinto stuff aaaaah even koukyuu no karasu wasn’t this bad and I’m pretty sure the author made some stuff up for that one

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. A kanmuri is a cap worn by Shinto clergy

2. A sakaki is a species of evergreen sacred to Shinto

3. Ok this was hard to look up but by 7-5-3, it means wrapping 7 pieces of rattan together around a bow, and then wrapping 5 pieces, and then wrapping 3. By the way, apparently you need permission to use this bow

4. Hamayumi refers to a bow that can repel evil

5. A ridgepole-raising ceremony is performed after the framework of the house is finished. A priest comes to do the ceremony and a symbolic depiction of a drawn bow is aimed in the evil direction to drive off evil

6. To be specific, men and women who were born in a year with the same Zodiac sign as the current year

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A white dragon was spanning the sky.

The footprints of wild rabbits were etched into the shining snow, and while many trees on the mountains were shedding their leaves, red nandina berries were swaying under evergreen leaves. This place was usually quiet, with only the chirping of birds and familiar faces passing by, but on this particular day, there was a procession of people.

It was a small shrine in the town. The middle schooler Minato had came here for the Setsubun Festival. Setsubun was an event to get rid of evil spirits and welcome fortune before the beginning of spring.

Shuu and Seiya, his fellow first years who were also in the Kirisaki kyudo club, were there as well. Like the people who couldn’t wait for the start of the festival, the three couldn’t hide their excitement. While keeping a proper distance, they proceeded to stake out a spot for themselves.

“I throw beans every year at my house, but this is the first time I’m going to a festival like this.”

Seiya’s cheeks loosened at those child-like eyes that were filled with curiosity.

“That’s right. I could hear your loud voice saying ‘Demons out, fortune in’ even at my house, Minato.”

“Oh, you could hear me? I knew Kuma was reacting to it.”

Kuma was Seiya’s family’s dog. When it sensed Minato, it would look out from the hole in the hedge and wait, waving its tail wildly on the other side of the hedge. It seemed that it desperately wanted to play with him. Apparently, Kuma thought of Minato as a brother.

Shuu, who was on the other side of Minato, was muttering, Demons out, demons out.

Seiya narrowed his eyes.

“Shuu, were you saying that to me just now?”

“Sorry. Me of all people accidentally leaked out my true thoughts. You always follow Minato whenever I invite him somewhere.”

“It’s useless to try to get rid of me. Besides, Minato can be absentminded sometimes, so I couldn’t let him be impolite towards the son of the Fujiwara family. I have to keep an eye on him.”

“It’s not something worth bothering the second son of the Takehaya family.”

“No, no, don’t be so reserved.”

Sandwiched between a young lord and a knight, the commoner Minato was overwhelmed. Their exchanges were always like this. The fact that Shuu, who wasn’t interested in people very much, reacted this much might be proof that those two got along well.

Lured by the lively atmosphere, even the birds began to chirp in high-pitched voices. He wondered if his eyes were going bad. The area around himseemed hazy. The sound of bells being shaken by a shrine maiden echoed, and a figure appeared out of the haze. A priest, wearing a kanmuri (1) and a bright costume of lapis lazuli and scarlet, headed toward the main shrine. Once inside the main shrine, he recited a ritual prayer and waved a sakaki (2) at the worshippers surrounding him.

“The performance of the ‘meigen ceremony’ will begin now,” an announcement said.

Minato asked Shuu, “What’s a ‘meigen’?”

“You’ll understand once you see it.”

People with bows went up the stage. They drew their bowstrings about thirty centimeters and released them.

Twang, twang, twang.

When the sound echoed, he felt as if his previously hazy field of vision was clearing up. The vibration, which resembled the sound of a koto, wiped away the impurities that covered his body.

“The meigen ceremony is a ceremony of drawing a bowstring without nocking an arrow to exorcise evil spirits and impurities. It has been handed down since the Heian period. In the imperial ‘dokusho meigen ceremony,’ an unlacquered plain wooden bow and a souikyuu bow with rattan wrapped around it in a seven, five, and three pattern (3), and the ceremony is said to be performed while reading the Kojiki and other ancient texts.”

“Bows sure are closely related to Shinto, huh. Like the Hamayumi and stuff.” (4)

“It’s because bows are religious tools. There are lots of ways to use the bow, such as horseback archery where you shoot at targets from a running horse, or the ridgepole-raising ceremony (5) when you’re building a house, where you display a bow and arrow pointing towards the northeast, the unlucky direction.”

“As expected of Shuu, you know a lot about bows.”

“It’s because I love Japan.”

Minato recalled a scene in Zen in the Art of Archery, when Eugen Herrigel became a disciple of Awa-hanshi, he drew a bowstring and let it ring out as the beginning of purification and exorcism.

The book described the days of the German philosopher Eugen Herrigel and Awa Kenzou-hanshi, a master archer who was known as the Bow Saint, and they were master and disciple. Herrigel aspired to be a mystic and chose kyudo as the gateway. What he meant by mysticism was the embodiment of liberation, or enlightenment through Zen. Awa-hanshi showed the embodiment of mysticism with the superhuman feat, the “target in the darkness,” in which two arrows were shot in the dark, the first piercing the target and the second also piercing the target while shattering the nock of the first arrow and tearing down its shaft.

Did Herrigel also experience bean-throwing? Did he view it as a strange custom?

At the signal of the taiko drums, men and women (6) lined up at the main shrine. When they shouted “Demons out, fortune in” and throwing the beans, people’s arms moved along with that motion. The sound of scattering beans chased the demons away. Minato and his friends reached out their hands to catch the beans.

Suddenly, the image of his deceased mother flashed across Minato’s mind, and he gently gripped his gloved hands.

——Mom, these are my bow friends. Can you see them?

Have I fulfilled my promise?

Cylindrical clouds, like bellows, continued to stream from the east to the faraway, distant west.

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[sasaranomiya]

Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 2)

The theme got updated apparently

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That night, there was an unusual preliminary announcement.

“Dajia will be arriving here shortly.”

A boy eunuch came to Yamei Palace to inform them. It was still the first watch of the night (seven to nine pm).

Jusetsu found it bothersome that Koushun would be go out of his way to send her a message beforehand, but since there was no point in telling the messenger that, Jusetsu simply replied, “I see.” The boy eunuch noticed Ishiha, who was feeding Xingxing in a corner of the room, and had an “Ah” look on his face. Ishiha made a similar face. “Do you know each other?” Jusetsu asked Ishiha. “We were together at Gyokou Hall,” he said. For a time, Ishiha worked as a servant at Koushun’s residence.

The two were smiling. They were probably good friends. It was adorable. Seemingly remembering his position, the boy eunuch hurriedly bowed and said, “Excuse me.” He was about to leave when Jusetsu took some boiled chestnuts on the tray and put them in his small hands. If he made Ishiha happy, then it might be a good idea to have him serve as the messenger in the future, she thought. At the same time, she asked herself if that was what a Raven Consort would do. Her heart was uncertain.

Jiujiu ran to the kitchen to prepare tea, and Ishiha retreated to his room. Koushun must have waited for the right time to come, since the tea was just ready when he arrived at Yamei Palace.

“There are no changes?” Koushun asked quietly, taking a sip of the gently steaming tea. His voice was quiet but held a hint of warmth, like the winter sun.

“Nothing has changed.”

Koushun’s expression remained unchanged by Jusetsu’s curt reply, and Ei Sei, standing behind him, only frowned. When she turned to look at him, he suddenly turned his head away. Normally, he would stare at her with a biting gaze. She was fine with it as long as he didn’t scowl at her.

On the table, there were the lotus seeds preserved in sugar brought by Koushun. They were Jusetsu’s favorites, which he often brought. After popping a seed coated in white sugar into her mouth, she looked at him.

“…What about you?” she asked quietly.

“Me?” Koushun looked back at her in surprise.

“You asked me, so I’ll ask you too.”

“I see. Well, as for me…”

He looked down a little thoughtfully. It was just like him to seriously think about his answer.

“I’m having a difficult time talking to the Owl.”

The Owl.

The executioner from Kakurenomiya who tried to kill Jusetsu. He was also the Raven’s brother. The Raven imprisoned within Jusetsu—

“…What do you mean by difficult time?”

The Owl said that he was currently imprisoned in Kakurenomiya. Apparently, it was because he had broken a prohibition against interfering with them. In prison, the Owl used a large conch shell as a messenger to deliver his voice. Only Koushun, who was injured by him, could hear him.

“It seems to depend on the tides and waves. It’s not a guarantee that his voice can reach me when I’m near the shell. But I can’t carry it around with me either.”

It would be acceptable if it was a small shell, but it was a large conch shell. It would raise questions if people saw him walking around with it, and moreover, talking to it. They might suspect him of being insane.

“…In the first place, the Owl approached us to find a solution, so there may not be a need to inquire further.”

Display your wisdom, the Owl had said. He told them to think of a way to save the Raven without killing Jusetsu.

“I don’t think so. There must be things that he knows that we don’t know. I would like to have more conversations to confirm that, but…”

“You ask me, but I wouldn’t know such things.”

“You were the one who asked, so I answered.”

“That’s not what I asked you about.”

 “Then what is it?”

Jusetsu was at a loss for an answer. What is it? What answer did I wish to hear?

“…I asked about you, so your answer should be about yourself.”

“I believe I did do so.”

“I didn’t ask about the Owl.”

“How particular you are,” Koushun replied dispassionately, but spoke after thinking it over in silence for a little bit. “I am the same as you. There hasn’t been anything unusual. I’ve been sleeping well lately, and I am in good health.”

“I see.”

Jusetsu didn’t really know what she wanted to ask, so that was all she said. However, after hearing his words just now, she felt relieved. Perhaps that was what she wanted to hear from the start. Koushun didn’t talk about himself voluntarily.

“The head of the Saname clan will be arriving here from Ga Province soon, so there are many things to worry about, though.”

“Saname Chouyou is coming here?”

“Yes. He is presenting silkworm eggs.”

“Silkworms from Ga Province? He’s presenting eggs instead of raw silk?”

“It’s part of his compensation for the previous incident.”

He was referring to the incident in which the uncle of the family head, who had been living under house arrest, had plotted to regain his interests. In the end, his past injustices and murders were soon exposed, and it was said that Chouyou himself beheaded his uncle. Because they had doctored the rice taxes that they were supposed to pay to the central government, the Saname clan had to receive a very severe punishment.

“I desperately wanted the Saname silkworm eggs, but they are never taken out of the province. I couldn’t forcibly take them away. I’m glad I was able to unexpectedly obtain them due to this incident.”

That meant that he used this incident as a pretext to make the request. Koushun’s expression remained cool, though.

“Is it because the raw silk from Ga Province is such high quality?”

“The quality of the luster is excellent, and it is durable. The cocoonery in the imperial court have been conducting research on it for a long time, but we just can’t get that luster with other silkworms. The silkworm eggs presented by Saname are the highest quality among their silkworms. I want to use them as a base to make further improvements and eventually standardize the silkworm varieties of Shou.”

His tone was calm, but he seemed to be extremely ambitious and motivated. It’s unusual for him to talk for so long, Jusetsu thought. At the same time, what caught her attention was the fact that he desperately wanted the Saname silkworm eggs.

The Saname silkworms are worth more than I expected.

“There’s a cocoonery in the inner palace as well.”

Jusetsu was inwardly startled at Koushun’s words. Of course, the cocoonery ghost and the loss of the cocoons were a secret from him. Especially if the cocoons were worth that much.

“The silkworms currently being raised there are Saname silkworms. The Crane Consort is in charge of it.”

“Huh,” Jusetsu didn’t say anything more and simply made a sound of acknowledgement.

“Apparently, the Crane Consort also took care of silkworms when she lived in Ga Province. She is also very knowledgeable about their ecology.”

“Huh…” She remembered that Jiujiu had also said something about that. “Is that so?”

“You didn’t know? I thought you two were close.”

“We haven’t seen each other lately.”

Jusetsu didn’t go to other palaces unless invited. Before, she often received invitations from Banka, but recently they had stopped coming.

“I see. It seems like she hasn’t been feeling well for a while now. I should go visit her.”

“Is she sick?”

The curse incident crossed her mind. Was that still having a lasting effect? However, Koushun denied it.

“She appears to be depressed. It’s suddenly getting colder. It might be because of that.”

“You didn’t go to visit her?”

“I have. We’re exchanging letters as well.”

That was right, Koushun was a conscientious person.

“I’m about to go there today as well.”

“Then you should go quickly. You need not visit me.”

“I didn’t mean to stay too long, but I wanted to see your face.”

Sometimes, Jusetsu felt as though she was standing there motionless at Koushun’s words. In such cases, she couldn’t respond.

Koushun stood up. Even when she looked at his face, it was as expressionless as ever, and she couldn’t read his emotions. When he was about to go to the doors, he turned around.

“I just remembered something. About Hou Ichigyou…”

He was an old man who was an imperial sorcerer in the previous dynasty. He was being pursued on the charges of sending the Owl’s tsukaibe, Shougetsu, into the inner palace, and was arrested in the entertainment district recently.

“His fever has subsided and he’s on the mend. You’ll be able to see him soon.”

Perhaps it was because he had got caught in the rain for a little bit when he was arrested, or perhaps it was due to stress, but Hou became bedridden with illness. Due to his old age, he couldn’t brush off even a minor sickness. He was moved to the inner court for monitoring and nursing.

Jusetsu was relieved to hear that he was on his way to recovery. She had so many things she wanted to ask about sorcerers and the Raven Consort.

“I’ll come again.”

After saying that, Koushun left through the doors. Jusetsu stood up, opened the doors slightly, and watched him and the eunuchs as they left. The sun set, and the lanterns held by the eunuchs were flickering dimly in the darkness.

Jusetsu stood there for a while, watching the lights becoming more and more distant. Suddenly, she noticed a light approaching from a different direction and stared at it. It was the figure of a palace lady that stood out against the light.

Shuuji.

Jusetsu descended the steps and went to her. Shuuji hurriedly knelt when she spotted her.

“L…Lady Raven Consort.”

“What’s wrong? Did the ghost appear?”

“No, that’s not it. Um…”

Shuuji’s face was so pale that it could be seen even in the dim light, and her voice was trembling. Something strange had clearly happened. However, the words that came out of her mouth were completely unexpected.

“Please just forget about what I requested of you.”

“What?”

“Please leave that ghost be. Please—”

Jusetsu frowned. “What exactly is going on? Tell me what happened.”

“No, nothing happened. Please forgive me.”

After repeating “Please forgive me” over and over again, Shuuji finally ran away. Jusetsu silently watched her receding figure. It couldn’t have been nothing.

What happened?

The next morning, Jusetsu once again dressed in a eunuch’s uniform and headed to the cocoonery. Even if Shuuji asked her to leave it be, with that frightened appearance, there was no way she would withdraw herself.

Before she headed to the cocoonery, she had some trouble deciding who to accompany her.

“Yesterday was Onkei, so please take me with you today.”

It was because Tan Kai had said that. Jiujiu couldn’t stay silent when she heard that.

“If you’re willing to take someone like Tan Kai with you, then take me as well.”

“What do you mean, someone like me? You can’t be a bodyguard.”

“I’m worried about you because you’re lazy.”

It seemed that Jiujiu didn’t get along very well with Tan Kai. Since they were arguing, it didn’t look like they would be able to go out. “I’ll bring Onkei with me,” Jusetsu decided. “If it’s Onkei, then it’s fine,” Jiujiu immediately backed down. Tan Kai complained until the end.

“My apologies. I will scold Tan Kai later,” Onkei apologized as they went to the cocoonery.

“I don’t mind adding him, but three strangers would be too conspicuous, wouldn’t they?”

“I’ll try not to stand out, then.”

A voice suddenly came from nearby, and Jusetsu stopped. Tan Kai appeared from between the trees.

“Did you follow us?” Jusetsu asked, somewhat taken aback.

“Tan Kai,” Onkei called out to him in a subdued voice. Jusetsu could tell that his reprimand was strong enough to be held back so much. If Ishiha was called in the same way, he would probably cry.

“My role is to protect you, Niangniang. But there’s no point in leaving me behind so many times. It’s lonely to be left alone.”

When Tan Kai said he was lonely, Jusetsu felt like she had done something bad.

“…As long as you don’t attract attention, I don’t mind if you follow me.”

“Of course, Niangniang. I can be useful.”

“Tan Kai…”

Onkei’s stifled voice turned colder. However, Tan Kai walked alongside them with an expression of feigned ignorance.

Tan Kai was faithful to his own desires. This was all the more so because Onkei was a self-restrained and overly modest servant. He was the type of person who had never been around Jusetsu before. Tan Kai was clearly aware of his desires to do this and want that. That was something Jusetsu didn’t have. She wasn’t used to it, so she had a hard time dealing with him, but at the same time, her interest was piqued. She thought that Koushun and the others should imitate Tan Kai’s free-spiritedness to some extent.

“Onkei, what have you found out about that mound?” Jusetsu asked him as they walked.

“A veteran eunuch knew what it was. It’s a silkworm mound.”

“A silkworm mound?”

“It used to be a place to discard the silkworms that died during the rearing process and the carcasses of pupae created during silk production. However, it seemed to have turned into a mound where the silkworms are enshrined.”

“So it was a grave for silkworms?”

“Yes. Now, we sell the pupae to carp breeders, so there is no need for a place to discard them.”

“Carp breeders?”

“They say they make for good bait. Every time, the pupae carcasses are stuffed into bags and taken outside by the cocoonery eunuchs.”

She didn’t know silkworm carcasses could be used for fish food. It was much better than just throwing them away.

“The ghost of the silkworm mound, huh,” Jusetsu murmured to herself. She dwelled in the mound and took care of the silkworms in the cocoonery. Was she cursed by the silkworms even after death?

All things considered, she was a tranquil ghost.

She was a ghost with no stagnation, resentment, or bitterness within her body. She simply took care of the silkworms silently and returned to the mound once she finished. A quiet ghost.

“…What about the other matter?” Jusetsu asked Onkei to investigate one more thing in addition to the mound.

“There are fifteen palace ladies working in the cocoonery, and five more are added during the busiest periods. All of them are ladies of Hakkaku Palace, and when they aren’t looking after the silkworms, they return there.”

“They aren’t from Ga Province, are they?”

“No, they are all daughters of imperial capital merchants, wealthy farmers from neighboring villages, and scholar bureaucrats. The main caretakers are the daughters of farmers. Many of the farmers also raise silkworms, after all. Apparently, they learned how to raise Ga Province silkworms directly from the Crane Consort.”

“I see. You did a good job, researching all of that in only half a day.”

She thanked him. Onkei smiled slightly.

“Haha. Niangniang, are you thinking that the palace ladies are suspicious?” Tan Kai interjected. “The loss of the cocoons was the work of a palace lady, not a ghost. Isn’t that right?”

He was perceptive. Jusetsu had Onkei investigate the backgrounds of the palace ladies who worked at the cocoonery.

“If that ghost had been stealing cocoons, then the rumors should have been about that in the first place. However, that wasn’t the case. The ghost only appears to take care of the silkworms. Also…the silkworms of Ga Province are of high value. It would be reasonable to assume that someone took advantage of the rumors of the ghost to steal the cocoons.”

“You’re saying that it was a palace lady taking care of the silkworms who was able to do that?”

“The cocoons disappeared while the palace ladies were taking care of them. It would be difficult for anyone else to do it. They said that the room and clothes of the ladies were searched at the time of the loss, but there must have been some way to hide the cocoons. It is more reasonable than thinking that an outsider did it.”

“So, you’re going to go cross examine the palace ladies now?”

“I won’t do something like that. There is a palace lady I must question first.”

“That Nen Shuuji girl?”

“No. –Onkei.”

Onkei nodded as though he knew what she was thinking. “I know who the palace lady was who said she saw a ghost on the day the cocoons were lost.”

Jusetsu smiled. Onkei understood very well.

“That palace lady stole the cocoons?” Tan Kai asked.

“If it was the palace lady who stole the cocoons, we can blame it on the ghost who appeared,” Jusetsu replied.

“But the ghost does exist, so it wouldn’t be strange for it to appear that day. It’s also possible that another palace lady took advantage of the ghost commotion to steal them—oh, did that palace lady say that there was a ghost because she knew that the cocoons went missing?”

That doesn’t make any sense, Tan Kai answered his own question.

“Precisely. If one were to take advantage of a commotion, one would make a scene at the moment the ghost appeared in order to divert everyone’s attention. However, in reality, such a commotion didn’t occur. It was only after the loss was discovered that she claimed to have seen the ghost.”

“Then, they were trying to steal the cocoons and pass it off as the work of the ghost?” Tan Kai said.

“Perhaps,” Jusetsu replied. She then asked Onkei, “What is the background of that lady?”

“She is the daughter of a wealthy farmer.”

“Then, she must also have connections to sericulture farmers.”

If she didn’t, then there was no point in getting her hands on one or two cocoons. She wouldn’t be able to make them emerge or breed.

“We don’t know the sexes of the lost cocoons, but if they crossbreed them with the silkworms from the sericulture farmers, they could create a silkworm breed that is descended from the Saname silkworms. Or, if the cocoons are a male and female pair, then the breed will be pure Saname. The closely guarded Saname silkworms will be leaked out into the outside world.”

“…It’s become serious, isn’t it?” Tan Kai scratched his head.

“It’s very serious. We’re preparing for the visit of Saname Chouyou. It would be very bad if the cocoons have already been taken outside.”

But this was the inner palace. There weren’t many opportunities to have contact with the outside world. The cocoons were probably still hidden somewhere.

“I think it would be better to inform Dajia—no, the Crane Consort first.”

“I’ll do it once we find out if it is the work of the palace lady. I’m also concerned about Shuuji.”

“She suddenly told you to stop investigating the ghost incident.”

“Yes. What do you think?”

“Yeah, that’s how it always goes,” Tan Kai said with a faint smile. “She must have been threatened.”

In front of the cocoonery, Jusetsu and the two eunuchs split into two groups. In order to avoid Shuuji’s notice, they had Onkei first ask for that aforementioned palace lady. Jusetsu and Tan Kai decided to wait for her behind an inconspicuous building.

Unlike yesterday, they went around the back gate and entered where no one could see them. Eunuchs were still working in the back building as seen from the front gate. They seemed to be cleaning with all the doors open. Some were carrying mulberry branches outside, while others were sweeping the floors with brooms.

“Was this the mulberry storage room?”

“Yes it was. They’ve finished taking care of the silkworms, so I guess they’re cleaning up.”

Jusetsu called out to one of the eunuchs who was tying mulberry branches together with a string. He was a small-framed, young, and quite good-looking eunuch. The eunuchs who worked at the consorts’ palaces were usually chosen for their looks. He seemed to think that Jusetsu was a fellow eunuch, as he wiped his sweat and casually replied with “What?”

“Are you going to throw away those branches?”

“Of course not,” the eunuch said with wide eyes. “You can’t waste even one thing in the inner palace. Everything belongs to Dajia. These can be used for dye or firewood.”

“I see. The pupae are also used as carp bait, yes?”

“Yep.”

The eunuch carried the bundle of branches and moved them next to the gate. There was a pile of branches there. While thinking about how these branches could be used for many purposes, Jusetsu went towards the cocoonery building. There was no one around the room where the silkworms were raised, because there were no more silkworms. On the other hand, she could hear the sounds of people working from another room.

“Now that the cocoon selection is over, the next task is to retrieve the threads.”

Hearing Tan Kai’s words, Jusetsu stopped. “Do you know much about silkworms?”

“I wouldn’t say I know much, but the family I was born into also raised them. It’s common for large mansions to build their own cocooneries and procure silk, in our dom…I mean, region.”

He was about to say “our domain.”

Jusetsu stared at Tan Kai’s face. She heard that before becoming a eunuch, he had been a bandit. But she didn’t know who he was before becoming a bandit. When he was captured by the constables, he was made to become a eunuch because of his good looks. Not only that, but there was an elegance to his features.

He might have come from some prestigious family. She wouldn’t pry into it unless he himself said anything, though.

“…When you say retrieving the threads, do you mean taking the threads from the cocoons?”

Jusetsu went to the back of the building.

“They boil the cocoons in hot water and look for the thread end. Then, they pull out the thread. I watched them do it when I was a child, and it’s really an expert skill. They boil the pupae inside to kill it. There is another way to kill the pupae by drying the cocoon, but that doesn’t produce the unique luster, apparently.”

Indeed, steam was coming out from the lattice windows of the room. As she peeked into it, a voice called out to her.

“Niangniang,” It was Onkei. There was a palace lady standing behind him. She must be the one.

“This is the palace lady who saw the ghost on the day the cocoons disappeared, but…” Onkei said, but he looked a little confused. Jusetsu wondered why. “She says that she wants to tell you about the ghost.”

Hmm? Jusetsu tilted her head. What is the meaning of this?

“My name is Man Jakusui,” the palace lady introduced herself and bowed. Jusetsu had seen her in the cocoonery yesterday. She was an unassuming-looking girl with slanted eyebrows. Her cheeks were as white and smooth as a cocoon.

“You want to talk to me about the ghost?”

“Yes,” Jakusui straightened herself. “Um…yesterday, I was hesitating over whether or not I should tell you right away.”

“What is it?”

“It was different.”

“What’s different?” Jakusui wasn’t getting to her point.

“So, um…” The reason Jakusui was stumbling over her words so much was because she didn’t know how to put it into words. Jakusui gestured frustratedly and repeated her words.

“It’s the ghost.”

Jusetsu was silent for a minute.

“The ghost was different. In other words, are you trying to say that the ghost you saw and the ghost from yesterday are different people?”

“Yes, yes,” Jakusui nodded several times.

What does that mean?

“When the cocoons disappeared, we were in the process of checking the conditions of the cocoons. We observed the progress of each cocoon on the holders and recorded it down. These records are important at every stage of rearing. They will be used as reference for producing more good-quality cocoons during subsequent rearings. As we were concentrating on this task, I suddenly noticed that the palace lady across from me was different from the one I was used to seeing, so I looked up. Then…”

It was a face I had never seen before.

“I heard that the cocoonery is haunted, so I thought, Oh, this is the ghost. I don’t even remember the details of her outfit or hair, but the ghost from yesterday had a completely different face. It’s more, well…childish, I feel. She had a cute round face and wide eyes.”

Also, she added. “Although it was faint, it looked like she was wearing makeup. We don’t wear makeup. This is to avoid accidentally contaminating the room and the silkworms, especially when the cocoons are formed. If the cocoons get dirty with white powder or rouge, they will be ruined.”

“But the ghost was wearing makeup.”

“Yes. I was busy, so I can’t stop working even when I think I see a ghost. Also, I was so scared and surprised that I couldn’t even make a sound. I guess you could say that I was afraid of raising my voice and being noticed… That was how I felt at the time. I tried not to look at her too much, but I tried to catch it out of the corner of my eye, and the ghost quickly moved from its spot.”

“Moved? It didn’t disappear?”

“She disappeared from my sight. She didn’t vanish into mist. Everyone around me was working busily, so once it disappeared from sight, it could get lost in the shuffle. But then, once we found out that some cocoons went missing, there was a big panic.”

Jusetsu pondered. If this palace lady is the one who stole cocoons, there would be no need to talk about this. All she had to do was to say that she saw a ghost, and that it was definitely that ghost. Because Jusetsu had no way of determining whether or not that was a lie. All Jakusui needed was to have the guts to stick with her lie, and if she didn’t, she would be coming clean. She didn’t need to talk about this unnecessary stuff.

“…Why didn’t you tell me right away yesterday?”

“I was wondering if I was imagining things, and what if the ghost cursed me too for telling someone about—”

“Cursed? What do you mean, you too?”

“Oh, um, there was a ghost commotion last night.”

“A ghost commotion…”

She suddenly had a realization. So that’s what that was about?

Jusetsu turned to Jakusui. “Can you call Nen Shuuji over here?”

“Yes, it’s no problem.”

Jakusui jogged back to the cocoonery.

“Are you letting that palace lady go?” Tan Kai asked doubtfully.

“Yes” was all Jusetsu said.

“Then, Niangniang, you think her story was true. That means…”

“There are two ghosts.”

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[revenantghost]

Koukyuu no Karasu illustration by animator 向 書君 (@xsj1992) to celebrate the release of episode 1

[mazojo]

Fall 2022 Anime Watchlist

Akuyaku Reijou nanode Last Boss wo Kattemimashita - September 24

Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season - October 1

Spy x Family Part 2 - October 1

Koukyuu no Karasu - October 1

Shinobi no Ittoki - October 4

Vazzrock The Animation - October 4

Mob Psycho 100 III - October 6

Do It Yourself!! - October 6

Mushikaburi-hime - October 6

Tiger & Bunny 2 Part 2 - October 7

Boku ga Aishita Subete no Kimi e and Kimi wo Aishita Hitori no Boku e - October 7

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun 3rd Season - October 8

Bocchi the Rock! - October 9

Blue Lock - October 9

Yowamushi Pedal: Limit Break - October 9

Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman. - October 9

Cool Doji Danshi - October 11

Eternal Boys - October 11

Chainsaw Man - October 12

Renai Flops - October 12

Aru Asa Dummy Head Mic ni Natteita Ore-kun no Jinsei - October 13

Urusei Yatsura (2022) - October 14

4-nin wa Sorezore Uso wo Tsuku - October 16

Bokura no Yoake - October 21

Fumetsu no Anata e 2nd Season - October 23

Romantic Killer - October 27

Suzume no Tojimari - November 11

Tonikaku Kawaii: Seifuku - November 22

Kagami no Kojou - December 23

[tetrix-anime]

Koukyuu no Karasu (Raven of the Inner Palace) - Episode 1 Preview

[minsarasarahair]

Koukyuu no Karasu (Raven of the Inner Palace)

Date Release: October 1 2022

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’m Interested in: Fall 2022

1. Chainsaw Man: Airing October 12th.

Synopsis: Denji has a simple dream—to live a happy and peaceful life, spending time with a girl he likes. This is a far cry from reality, however, as Denji is forced by the yakuza into killing devils in order to pay off his crushing debts. Using his pet devil Pochita as a weapon, he is ready to do anything for a bit of cash. Unfortunately, he has outlived his usefulness and is murdered by a devil in contract with the yakuza. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Pochita merges with Denji's dead body and grants him the powers of a chainsaw devil. Now able to transform parts of his body into chainsaws, a revived Denji uses his new abilities to quickly and brutally dispatch his enemies. Catching the eye of the official devil hunters who arrive at the scene, he is offered work at the Public Safety Bureau as one of them. Now with the means to face even the toughest of enemies, Denji will stop at nothing to achieve his simple teenage dreams. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

2. Spy x Family Part 2: Airing October 1st.

Synopsis: The second part of Spy x Family.

3. Mob Psycho 100 III: Airing October 6th.

Synopsis: Third season of Mob Psycho 100.

4. Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season: Airing October 1st.

Synopsis: Sixth season of Boku no Hero Academia.

5. Koukyuu no Karasu: Airing October 1st.

Synopsis: Deep within the inner palace lives a special consort who does not serve the emperor despite her position, known as the Raven Consort. People who have seen her say she looks like an old woman, while others say she looks like a young girl. Stories talk of her use of mysterious arts and how she can take on any request, be it death curses to finding lost things. Koushun, the current emperor, goes to visit the Raven Consort with that intention, without knowing that their fated meeting will become a taboo that will overturn history. (Source: Shikarito, edited)

6. Mushikaburi-hime: Airing October 6th.

Synopsis: For as long as she could read, Eliana Bernstein—more commonly known as the "Bibliophile Princess"—has preferred the company of books to that of people. However, as a noble, it is her duty to find a suitor. Fortunately for her, Crown Prince Christopher Selkirk Asherald proposes a deal: He will protect her free time, and, in exchange, Eliana will be his fiancée in name only. The years they spend together are bliss, as Eliana learns to open herself to others. But all good things must come to an end. For Eliana, who loves books more than people, ending their fake relationship should be no big deal. But as Christopher grows close with another girl, Eliana begins to realize that she isn't as indifferent to him as she once thought. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

7. Uchi no Shishou wa Shippo ga Nai: Airing September 30th.

Synopsis: Mameda is a shapeshifting Tanuki girl who dreams of becoming human someday. One day, she turns into a black-haired beauty and heads out to Osaka, but is soon discovered! One beautiful woman relentlessly says to the depressed Mameda, "Go back to where you came from!" calls herself Rakugo-ka (Rakugo storyteller). The Taisho Rakugo fantasy that will make you smile begins here! (Source: MAL News)