Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood

Set in a Japan where old rituals rub shoulders with new science, Joran imagines 1931 as a city of gleaming power and hidden dangers. The prince Tokugawa Yoshinobu tightens his grip on the nation while the streets pulse with technological advances and esoteric Onmyodo. Behind the glitter, a shadowy conspiracy called Kuchinawa plots to strike at the regime. The government answers with Nue, a secret unit tasked with eradicating threats to the state. Sawa Yukimura works for Nue, but her life is defined by a brutal past. The Kuchinawa boss destroyed her family, and vengeance has become the lens through which she reads every mission she undertakes. No spoilers, only the tension between duty and rage.

Released in 2021, Joran is the creation of Rika Nezu. The voice cast includes Suzuko Mimori, Shouta Aoi, and Raychell, with Ayasa Ito and Chikahiro Kobayashi in supporting roles. The available materials do not list a director.

At present there are no widely documented major awards or nominations for Joran. The series has not been cited in major award cycles and no wins are attributed to it in public records available for 2021 and 2022. This is not unusual for niche anime releases.

Visually the show leans into a bold retro aesthetic that blends 1930s Tokyo textures with futuristic tech and a thread of mystic Onmyodo. Its contrasts invite comparisons to other historical fantasy anime and have sparked discussions among fans about how myth, power, and style can collide on screen.

Reception appears mixed with an audience score around 6.4 out of 10 from 41 votes. The show wrestles with themes of political control and oppression, personal trauma, and a tension between tradition and progress. Sawa is caught between loyalty to a secret police faction and the pull of revenge, creating a grim look at what people will do in the name of justice.