English Dub Review: Raven of the Inner Palace: “Water’s Voice”

Overview: When an old woman hears the voice of a deceased, young lady she once cared for emanating from water, she asks the Raven Consort (Alexis Tipton) for help in the matter. 

Our Take: Most of the cases have been plentiful in heart, but they have begun to feel similar in tone and lessons with regards to coming to terms with a loved one’s demise. However, Raven of the Inner Palace has taken the time with the last few episodes to shake up the formula and keep us guessing with a tale of a consort’s murder and her attendant she left behind.

While grief is the main throughline in all of the deceased parties, we get to see a different darker side to it in the court lady, An Huilan and her relationship with the consort she served, Xi Wanlin, known as the Magpie Princess. There is a complexity to Wanlin’s grief in how twisted it is with her own selfish aspirations tangled in that make it a bittersweet resolution gathering any justice. Shouxue helping her own eunuch is a warm sentiment and juxtaposition from theirs. 

It interestingly delves into Shouxue’s own ideals in how she does her best to remain a helping third party, not to dispatch her own unfair judgment. Also, in the midst of the case, there is building tension with Master Feng Xiying’s pupil, Feng Xiao Xue, gunning for her as she has a nightmare about him, the “Owl.” He has a creepy demeanor in his big eyed gaze. Beyond that, her continuous suffering is harshly startling in the physical pain she is forced to endure, as the Raven Consort, in containing Niao Lian. 

With Feng meddling in the case with An Huilan and the grieving woman Liu turned away previously, how he plans to move pieces in place to kill her and what his role is, in relation to her, is intriguing.