REVIEW: ‘Raven of the Inner Palace’ Explores Supernatural Mysteries

Deep within the Inner Palace, Shouxue, known as the Raven Consort, lives a quiet, solitary life. Her past, as well as her role at the palace, lies shrouded in mystery to most. But when a new Emperor comes to power, the course of her life will change drastically as supernatural mysteries within the Inner Palace and her past draw her into a growing world of struggle and friendship in Raven of the Inner Palace from BN Pictures.

Despite how varied the anime medium can be in its storytelling, with narratives ranging from devil hunting, to forming high school bands, and even super heroics, one descriptor rarely used to describe the works that make up this vibrant medium is reserved. Usually, emotions run high, characters often possess no concept of what an “indoor voice” is, and the frequent physical conflicts love to provide some of the biggest and loudest hits pop culture has to offer. So, when a series reigns in its emotions and allows a story to build up in a slower, more subdued manner like Raven of the Inner Palace does, it stands out. This subdued approach feels perfect for the ancient Chinese setting of the story, as well as the propriety the Imperial Court stands on.

As the slow-building mystery surrounding Shouxue and her role as the Raven Consort is explored over the series’ 13 episodes, most episodes feature their own, internal story surrounding some form of haunting, or other supernatural mystery for Shouxue and her companions to investigate. While typically ghostly in nature, there is nothing in this series that ever crosses the line into horror storytelling. A spooky atmosphere is generally present, but the ghosts are typically simply the victims that need saving, rather than malicious spirits stalking the living.

Rather than using its poltergeist for creeps and scares, Raven of the Inner Palace builds an air of tragedy through its world. While the sorrow suffered by Shouxue and those around her is often present, this makes the smaller moments of joy shine brightly. While Shouxue begins the series in near-total isolation, over time she finds a small circle of friends coming together around her to either aid in her work, or simply to share their time with her. This growing camaraderie keeps the show from ever stooping from tragic in its narratives to outrightly depressing.

While I loved Raven of the Inner Palace’s determination to keep its story and tone cohesive, shunning the usual comedic elements many series would force in, there are episodes where the low-key energy and tone of the show stray a bit too close to boring. Reserved characters are cool, but there are moments where situations elicit so little response that it can be hard to tell if the characters are being stoic, or if a situation just isn’t a big deal.

The visual presentation does a great job of building the mystery and spirituality that the show is founded upon. Shouxue is always elegant in her designs and how the series showcases her magic delivers a strong display that feels impressive, while maintaining the series’ more refined and reigned in approach. However, every use of her magic is usually displayed through the same animation sequence, even if the effects of the spells vary from episode to episode.

Raven of the Inner Palace delivers a unique story of mysticism, magic, and monsters. While it sometimes holds too much back, its more mellow tone makes its story stand out in a way that I enjoyed overall. I look forward to the next time I can visit with Shouxue and her friends.

Raven of the Inner Palace is streaming now on Crunchyroll.