The youngest of the five brothers of the Ran family. He is eighteen years old. It is said that, out of his four older brothers he was the most worthy of the name Ryuuren Ran because he is a genius. He calls his older brothers foolish and doesn&#039;t call them by their name, rather: Shuuei = &quot;foolish elder brother the fourth&quot;. Recently, he&#039;s called Shuurei, Soul Friend #1, and Eigetsu, Soul Friend #2 (He refers to Yougetsu as Soul Friend #2.5).    He does things on his own time and is quite impulsive: when he was going to buy ingredients for chicken stew with Shuurei, he ended up buying soy beans, then he traded that for boiled eggs, then traded the eggs for spring onions, then the spring onions for wood blocks, then flowers, then fish, then straw, and then he gave away the straw to a little girl and just ended up with one stalk of straw. Later in the series, he goes ghost hunting after hearing about a late-night ghost. He also pulls out his flute and plays it without warning, often off key. Since he can&#039;t be easily told what to do and is very unpredictable, he&#039;s necessary in the Ran family. Although, because of this behavior many find him weird and annoying, so they usually distance themselves from him. Shuurei was the only one who put up with him, so he said that she&#039;s now his soul friend. Also according to Kurou he is also a candidate for Shuurei&#039;s political marriage.     (Source: Wikipedia)

Saiunkoku is a world of eight provinces or houses, each named after a different colour. The new Emperor, Shi Ryuuki, has gained 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. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

[Profile](https://osawa-inc.co.jp/men/kiuchihidenobu/)

Canadian voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and the Calgary-based Blue Water Studios.

1997 Daegyo Broadcasting Voice actor in Korea

Shuurei needs to deal with more obstacles in the new series. More danger comes her way but at the same time meeting friends who will help her with her work as an official. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office. The emperor Ryuki, however, refuses to take command, leaving everything to his advisors. Shurei is asked to become a consort to the emperor to persuade the ne’er-do-well ruler to govern.
 
Shurei enters the palace as Ryuki’s consort, but he has yet to seek her out. It is rumored that men, not women, share the emperor’s bedchamber. Shurei must think of a way to stop the emperor from shirking his responsibilities, but she has to find him first!
 
(Source: Viz Media)

The story, which takes place in the fictional medieval empire of Saiunkoku, follows the adventures of Shuurei Kou, a descendant of a noble family that has fallen on hard times. 
Her father works as a librarian in the Imperial palace, a post which offers prestige and respect, but little compensation. Shuurei teaches in the temple school and works odd jobs to make ends meet, but her dream is to pass the imperial examinations and take a post in government, a path forbidden to women. 
Shuurei's plans come to an abrupt halt when the Emperor's Grand Advisor makes a startling offer, which is joining the imperial household for six months as the young Emperor's consort, and teach the Emperor to be a responsible ruler. If she succeeds, the financial reward will be great. 
The story details Shuurei's growing relationships with the Emperor and other members of the court, the intrigues that surround imperial politics, and her commitment to better herself and her country. 
Note: This entry consists of 18 regular volumes, 4 volumes consisting of side stories, and a single volume consisting of short stories.