Six Crimson Cranes

Princess Shiori of Kiata carries forbidden magic. On the day of her unwanted betrothal ceremony, she loses control of it, drawing the attention of her stepmother, Raikama. Raikama uses dark magic to banish Shiori and transform Shiori’s six brothers into cranes, warning that a spoken word from Shiori will cause one brother to die. In exile, Shiori works to break the curse with help from her former betrothed, a dragon, and a paper bird animated by her own power. The story draws on “The Wild Swans” and Asian folklore.