Ooku Review – Fascinating Retelling of Edo Era
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) | Click here for audio version
Set during the Edo period in Japan, the 2023 anime series Ooku is an alternate fictional retelling of the country’s history, where a deadly disease kills over 75 percent of the male population. Based on a Manga series of the same name by Fumi Yoshinaga, the anime is spread over ten episodes. Called the Redface Pox, the pandemic only affects young boys and men, forcing women to take over male roles in agriculture and trade, eventually turning Japan into a matriarchal nation. While the shogunate (the government of Japan’s dictator) refuses to adapt to changing times at first, it’s also taken over by women in the end. And the Ooku is an organized harem of sorts filled with handsome men who serve the Shogun.
The reversal of traditional gender roles serves as a riveting fictional setup, yet it continues to be steeped in reality – women are not portrayed as physically stronger just because they are now the dominant gender in society. If anything, it’s more challenging to be a woman than ever, as they have to take on both the roles of childbearing and earning, although they do have an upper hand in all matters of the state.
The first episode starts with a brief origin story of the pox and fast-forwards 80 years later, when female Shoguns have become the norm, and the male population has stabilized at 25%. So, men are precious commodities, and the government-licensed red-district Yoshiwara is populated with male prostitutes who women visit for both pleasure and their precious seeds. Only the very rich can afford grooms for themselves, while the Shogun has the luxury to choose from hundreds of handsome men who reside within the walls of Ooku. I wanted to see at least one subplot set in Yoshiwara, partly due to its depiction in the “Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc.” But viewers must content themselves with tales unfolding in the Ooku, which is what the whole story is about after all.
Largely faithful to its source material, the anime adaptation only omits a few of the raunchier dialogues due to lack of time but retains all the other violent and sexual content. The first episode serves as a stand-alone story, following a samurai’s entry into the Ooku as a mere page boy and his rise to the ranks of the inner chamber, which consists of the lucky few men who become the Shogun’s concubines. His journey also gives viewers a glimpse into the hierarchy and politics within the Ooku, where a complex system of various roles exists, and the men aren’t allowed to step out or discuss their lives with outsiders. So while some men might only get to do menial cleaning tasks through their lives, others may have a shot at becoming the next Shogun’s father.
From episode two onward, the story moves back to the beginning of the Redface pox outbreak, as the new Shogun goes to her library to find out how things were eighty years ago. One of the most powerful characters in the series is the last male shogun’s wet nurse, a shrewd woman called Kasuga, who grooms Lemitsu – Japan’s first woman Shogun. The slow shift of power balance between the genders is masterfully explained through the reign of a young Lemitsu, who grows exceedingly fond of one man in the Ooku. But despite her powers as the Shogun, Lemitsu also carries the burden of being a baby-maker, responsible for producing the next heir.
The characters are designed just like their Manga counterparts, but the anime is obviously a lot more colorful and vibrant. Honestly, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the animation quality, because I wholly invested my attention to the interesting developments in the tale. From love, lust, power, politics and faith, the anime series covers several themes and is a gripping fictional fest. The first ten episodes of the series only cover Lemitsu’s rule, leaving ample scope for further seasons. Made for adult viewers, “Ooku – The Inner Chambers” a fantastic exploration of what history might have been like if women were at the helm of everything.
It’s an 8 out of 10. You can stream the series on Netflix.
