English Dub Review: Raven of the Inner Palace: “Glass Prayer”

Overview: Liu (Alexis Tipton) helps the sorcerer Bangyue and his love Mingzhu while also assisting Emperor Gaojun (Christopher Wehkamp) with his supernatural predicament that has haunted his sleep. 

Our Take: When Bangyue takes hold of Jiujiu, you would not be remiss for thinking it would offer some sort of conclusion to the promise he made to Shouxue of what she could have. But alas, there is no payoff of the sort with it being inconsequential. Instead, it is yet another sad, heartwarming tale of lost souls being reunited in Bangyue and his half aunt, Mingzhu, entering the afterlife together. While sweet in sentiment, some are starting to blend together in how similar they unfold, so hopefully there can be more deviation moving forward. 

Thankfully, the sorcerer’s presence was not necessary with Liu going out of her way to help Gaojun by expelling the entity Ningguang in his bedroom, haunting him, despite their conflict. This is a nice moment in how much she attracts people with her heart and kind deeds. There is also a sweet twist to Gaojun’s ghosts in Ding Lan and his mother’s spirits protecting him rather than plaguing him. 

Liu’s warmth extends to how she is evolving by making friends and enjoying simple activities like enjoying tea with Huaninang. Her newfound friends and social engagements make for a compelling internal crux in how she contemplates how she is proceeding as the Raven Consort with her predecessor’s tutelage of isolation in mind.

Gaojun reverses laws to kill Luan clan members, making a promise to never do her harm and treat her like the true Winter King in her presence in an honorable, humbling show of faith towards Shouxue. With Gaojun officially her friend, committing to be there for her, it is a wholesome step forward in their friendship as well as towards a brighter future in letting go of the past for the both of them.