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大奥 [Ōoku] #11
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 11
Tokugawa Harusada connived for years to place her son in the shogun’s seat, and now she’s enjoying holding all the reins of power while Ienari is relegated to breeding duties. But although his mother sees him as nothing but a mindless studhorse, Ienari has been reading The Chronicle of a Dying Day and dreaming of a better future for his country—one free of his mother’s increasingly cruel control.
232 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2014
6 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Fumi Yoshinaga
158 books248 followersJapanese: よしなが ふみ
Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.
In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."
Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.
She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.
Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.
Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.
In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."
Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.
She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.
Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 24, 2017
Since my library system stopped buying volumes in this series a couple years ago, I forgot about this series, but thought of it recently in conjunction with discussions of The Handmaids Tale, and so bought this volume. I am reading this eleventh volume more than TWO YEARS after the tenth volume, so I obviously had to go back and look at reviews of the previous volumes so I could know what is going on.
The story is set in Edo period Japan, and imagines an alternative history where a plague, the red-faced pox, kills off most of the males, and women take over power. One question is, would women rule the world differently, or would they put in similar systems of coercive power. Ooku is a special, highly secret set of chambers that is essentially a male harem, so there's gender reversal, and the rulers are now female, with all that attends to that power dynamic. In the first volume we get to see one young man enter these chambers and we get to see the highly structured social system within, just as we have learned exists in any harem, or maybe any tightly constructed social system, but there are ironies, of course. We also get glimpses of the world that the young man leaves behind, a world where women must assume, thanks to the plague, traditional male roles, and we get to see what effect the scarcity of males has on procreation, marriage, and other aspects of society. Male prostitutes proliferate, for instance. This is not kid comics. It reminds me now of Game of Thrones with its complicated political intrigue, its graphic sexuality, and its graphic violence. The point for Yoshinaga is a close social/cultural examination but she also features a range of sexual orientations, queering the history of the period in a variety of ways.
I love the delicate period artwork and have always disliked the translator’s awkward attempts to convey the period’s language. But in this volume I can see she has improved, it’s not as stilted. Overall it’s a very interesting and complex story which gets better and better, though the first volume is sort of breath-taking. It's Japanese alt-history where we imagine what might have happened with women in power.
The eleventh volume is particularly brutal, featuring psychopath leader Tokugawa Harusada. Shudder. (Stop thinking of her, Dave!). A vaccine exists, can it be given to all males? If it is even feasible, would people want it? We seem to be heading toward an ending, but I see there are at least three more volumes. I highly recommend it for those interested in gender/sexuality politics and history.
The story is set in Edo period Japan, and imagines an alternative history where a plague, the red-faced pox, kills off most of the males, and women take over power. One question is, would women rule the world differently, or would they put in similar systems of coercive power. Ooku is a special, highly secret set of chambers that is essentially a male harem, so there's gender reversal, and the rulers are now female, with all that attends to that power dynamic. In the first volume we get to see one young man enter these chambers and we get to see the highly structured social system within, just as we have learned exists in any harem, or maybe any tightly constructed social system, but there are ironies, of course. We also get glimpses of the world that the young man leaves behind, a world where women must assume, thanks to the plague, traditional male roles, and we get to see what effect the scarcity of males has on procreation, marriage, and other aspects of society. Male prostitutes proliferate, for instance. This is not kid comics. It reminds me now of Game of Thrones with its complicated political intrigue, its graphic sexuality, and its graphic violence. The point for Yoshinaga is a close social/cultural examination but she also features a range of sexual orientations, queering the history of the period in a variety of ways.
I love the delicate period artwork and have always disliked the translator’s awkward attempts to convey the period’s language. But in this volume I can see she has improved, it’s not as stilted. Overall it’s a very interesting and complex story which gets better and better, though the first volume is sort of breath-taking. It's Japanese alt-history where we imagine what might have happened with women in power.
The eleventh volume is particularly brutal, featuring psychopath leader Tokugawa Harusada. Shudder. (Stop thinking of her, Dave!). A vaccine exists, can it be given to all males? If it is even feasible, would people want it? We seem to be heading toward an ending, but I see there are at least three more volumes. I highly recommend it for those interested in gender/sexuality politics and history.
March 10, 2016
This is the final volume in the fabulous Ooku manga series, and the story closes with a bang. The last two volumes start with a much needed cast of characters and family tree diagram, which help the reader navigate this epic story. There is almost nothing I can say about this volume that would not be a spoiler for those who have not read the last book, so all I'll say is that in this volume we get the back story of our first real psychopath - Tokugawa Harusada, and I for one am really glad her eyes did not alight on me for any reason.
This wonderful manga series is the best of the comic genre - wonderfully and intricately plotted with fully fleshed out characters, set in an alternative historical setting in Edo, Japan. The story is set roughly over a 150 year span, and generations and Shoguns rise and fall over that time frame.
I am lucky enough to have come to this series after all the books were published, so got to enjoy reading them one after the other. However, the final pages of this book seems to have left open the possibility of future installments, and I for one would be delighted. Pretty please Ms. Fumi Yoshinaga?
This wonderful manga series is the best of the comic genre - wonderfully and intricately plotted with fully fleshed out characters, set in an alternative historical setting in Edo, Japan. The story is set roughly over a 150 year span, and generations and Shoguns rise and fall over that time frame.
I am lucky enough to have come to this series after all the books were published, so got to enjoy reading them one after the other. However, the final pages of this book seems to have left open the possibility of future installments, and I for one would be delighted. Pretty please Ms. Fumi Yoshinaga?
August 25, 2025
Vol. 6 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 7 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 8 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 9 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 10 ★★★☆☆
My favorite volume in a while. That's not to say previous volumes aren't good, but this one is more up my alley. First of all, Harusada is a fantastic villain. She's the first character in this series that I find despicable and irredeemable. Her actions are more horrifying when you realize she's doing this simply because she's bored. I sympathize with Ienari and look forward to seeing how he'll try to wiggle out of her grip. On top of that, the search for the Redface Pox cure continues. Seeing Aonuma and Gennai's legacy persist after their deaths is enough to make me emotional, but Kuroki returning to his research all to protect his son truly gets to me. The power of love!
Vol. 7 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 8 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 9 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 10 ★★★☆☆
My favorite volume in a while. That's not to say previous volumes aren't good, but this one is more up my alley. First of all, Harusada is a fantastic villain. She's the first character in this series that I find despicable and irredeemable. Her actions are more horrifying when you realize she's doing this simply because she's bored. I sympathize with Ienari and look forward to seeing how he'll try to wiggle out of her grip. On top of that, the search for the Redface Pox cure continues. Seeing Aonuma and Gennai's legacy persist after their deaths is enough to make me emotional, but Kuroki returning to his research all to protect his son truly gets to me. The power of love!
September 18, 2022
We pick up this volume 5 years after the end of the last and we see the fall-out of events. The ooku is now full of women and the Shogun is, once again, a man. But he has limited powers as his (very) evil mother continues to scheme and hold most of the powers in the realm.
I really really hated Harusada - the author did a great job with this character. I was angered by her evil and her ennui. Especially in contrast with Shogun Ienari - who is sweet and genuinely wanting to do well by the people.
This was a chilling volume - not to my exact taste but very well done. It's the start of a new arc so a lot of the characters are new. As a result, I wasn't too invested in the new characters. The older ones from the earlier volumes are great though.
I intellectually understand that this is a very strong volume in its exploration of cold abuse of power. The contrast of Harusada with the love between common families was clear. Just something about this chilled me - the balance between her evil and the rest of the tale was not to my taste.
For personal enjoyment I am giving this 3.5 stars with the extra 1/2 star added for the technical achievement in the volume. Chilling!
I really really hated Harusada - the author did a great job with this character. I was angered by her evil and her ennui. Especially in contrast with Shogun Ienari - who is sweet and genuinely wanting to do well by the people.
This was a chilling volume - not to my exact taste but very well done. It's the start of a new arc so a lot of the characters are new. As a result, I wasn't too invested in the new characters. The older ones from the earlier volumes are great though.
I intellectually understand that this is a very strong volume in its exploration of cold abuse of power. The contrast of Harusada with the love between common families was clear. Just something about this chilled me - the balance between her evil and the rest of the tale was not to my taste.
For personal enjoyment I am giving this 3.5 stars with the extra 1/2 star added for the technical achievement in the volume. Chilling!
September 25, 2015
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
These may be released in Japan at the rate of only one a year but Ooku: The Inner Chambers really is some of the best literature out there (graphic novel/manga or otherwise). Years and dynasties come and go with each volume - but always at the center are the politics and lives affected by the 'red pox' in this alternate universe Japan.Story: Just as the Hollander physician Aonuma had begun to find a preventative inoculation to the Red Pox that had decimated Japan's male population, Senior Councillor Matsudaira Sadanobu came into power and outlawed Hollander studies. Aonuma's disciples fled after his beheading and live quiet lives of country doctors. Years later, the first male Shogun, Ienari, has taken the throne but he is firmly under the control of his mother, Lord Harusada. Although Ienari has a good heart, his mother is quite a very different animal. Subtle and devisive, even her son fails to recognize her her vicious depths. Ienari wants to bring the Hollander medicine back into study and save other boys like himself - something his mother won't allow. But when Ienari starts to have sons himself - sons that are very expendable to his mother - the Shogun realizes he will have to find a way to overthrow his mother's callous rule.
As with all the Ooku books, it is very difficult to give a true synopsis of the story. There are so many layers and depths that all wind together into a fascinating story. While the previous volume looked like it would end with the cure of the red pox, instead a change in power destroyed all the advances and set the society back. In this volume 11, startling discoveries are going to be made and now it will all be a matter of whether or not Shogun Ienari has the will to wrest control of power from his mother.
We've seen some very interesting characters in the past but Lord Harusada is likely our first real sociopath. That she would end up ruling the country is interesting and certainly the slow reveal through the chapters of her machinations are quite disturbing. Author Yoshinaga really brings to fore the helplessness of everyone from councilors to peasants in the wake of one woman's terrible power.
Because of the superb writing, Ooku is one of the best values out there for dollar spent. This is definitely not your 12 year old's manga and is something you set aside a few hours to really lose yourself into that world. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
March 20, 2021
江戶時代的要員那麼容易下毒嗎?
重要人物想殺就殺想毒就毒
有點難想像
重要人物想殺就殺想毒就毒
有點難想像
December 9, 2018
I love this series. Just a giant political drama a screed. This volume especially heartless.
Read
July 19, 2022So I’m just going to be real with you and say that after Gennai and Aonuma exited the story, I kind of wasn’t sure I would be interested in anything else that happened. And there was definitely a dip in interest from me, but not because the remaining characters aren’t interesting in their own right, just that Aonuma and Gennai were the specific sort of thing I really like and I wanted more of them. Also, we are 100% entering “can’t tell characters apart” territory— again, not the fault of Yoshinaga, who has really done an admirable job with character design, but rather a combined issue between both the general style she’s working in and the fact that there are simply so many characters, all dressed similarly due to the historical period. Nonetheless, a continuation that leaves me excited for v12.
January 9, 2020
The 'adventures' of now less and less old-timey Japense politics continue! We've got a new shogun in Tokugawa Harusada, well, in her son Tokugawa Ienari. Not that he has much power, being utterly terrified by his mother for reasonable reasons. Those reasonable reasons? She's more than happy to murder people in cold blood and not care about the consequences. Alongside the puppet shogun's struggles we follow the work of men exiled from the Inner Chambers trying to keep their Hollander Studies alive.
I really hope this series continues to "present time" Japan! It's such an interesting take on gender dynamics. Also, I hope Harusada gets what's coming to her because ARGHJRH!
I really hope this series continues to "present time" Japan! It's such an interesting take on gender dynamics. Also, I hope Harusada gets what's coming to her because ARGHJRH!
October 13, 2020
Just such an amazingly good series. I wondered what could possibly compare to the last volume which was an emotional rollercoaster ending in heartbreak (for the reader!) but the power behind the throne in this volume is truly evil and I'm fascinated by how far she will go!
Usually even the 'bad' characters in Ooku have either understantable motivations or redeeming qualities but if this character doesn't get a 'King Joffery' ending I may be dissappointed!!
Usually even the 'bad' characters in Ooku have either understantable motivations or redeeming qualities but if this character doesn't get a 'King Joffery' ending I may be dissappointed!!
September 22, 2019
Ok things are getting good again, and frankly it was nice to read through a whole book at not have a main character die. They once again had a diagram and drawings of the main characters up to this point, which was a huge help reading through to refresh your memory about what has happened and to who.
December 23, 2019
Another great volume of the story, they do feel like they are getting much weightier in each volume. This one sees the continuation of the Kuroki's work (one of Aounuma's followers) outside the inner chambers, as well as the beginning of Harusada's reign with her son Ienari as a puppet Shogun. Harusada seems to be quite the devil.
January 7, 2024
The mother of the male shogun shows herself to be an evil woman.
The way Harusada treats the people around her is absolutely chilling. This is the perfect example of a reason no one person should be in total power.
The way Harusada treats the people around her is absolutely chilling. This is the perfect example of a reason no one person should be in total power.
August 27, 2024
Ok, todo lo de Harusada y como manipula a su hijo y a todos a su alrededor + la subtrama del aprendiz de Aonuma con su esposa fue increíble.
La trama está siendo extremadamente astuta, hilando los hechos reales con los hechos ficticios y me encanta. No tengo palabras para describir mi asombro.
La trama está siendo extremadamente astuta, hilando los hechos reales con los hechos ficticios y me encanta. No tengo palabras para describir mi asombro.
September 11, 2018
It's seriously hard to see how this series could get any better.
September 17, 2019
Wow, psychopaths have their place in any history, I guess...
October 23, 2021
下毒好像是件很容易的事？
January 19, 2022
Tokugawa Harusada is such a bitchhhhhh. Can't wait to read the next volume!!
Read
April 8, 2022無聊の治濟公
June 29, 2022
4.5 stars.
December 15, 2022
I think this is the first real villain this series has had so far. Complications, intrigue, and court politics, sure, but Harusada is outright wicked.
January 9, 2023
サイコパス治済（男の上様の母）が、キャラとしては嫌いじゃないんだよな...
次々人を操って殺してくの、ゲームみたいな感覚なんだろうなと思うと。
次々人を操って殺してくの、ゲームみたいな感覚なんだろうなと思うと。
March 4, 2024
this volume was intense 😳
June 16, 2024
More court intrigue and the pursuit of science.
March 3, 2016
~3/5
I have not read any of the previous volumes in this series, and this is typically not something I would pick up.
I’ve read a few other books by Yoshinaga, and I do like her artwork and storytelling. It’s pretty and realistic, very expressive and subtle, with some nice humor mixed in when needed.
I’m not a historical fan, so I will say that I didn’t fully enjoy the story line. Not having read the previous books, I was also a little lost in the story line, and had a hard time following a few times. There wasn’t any catch-up at the beginning, though.
I did like some of the humor, and the way that women are seen as the powerful, strong ones in society. That’s such a different vision than most have. I also liked how the fathers doted on their children, even if some of the sexual relations I didn’t like, what with some of the guys sleeping with a lot of women. I was also intrigued, and rather horrified, with Harusada’s character and underhanded scheming.
This was an interesting volume. I can see why a lot of people like it, especially fans of historic fiction, even if it’s not really for me.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
I have not read any of the previous volumes in this series, and this is typically not something I would pick up.
I’ve read a few other books by Yoshinaga, and I do like her artwork and storytelling. It’s pretty and realistic, very expressive and subtle, with some nice humor mixed in when needed.
I’m not a historical fan, so I will say that I didn’t fully enjoy the story line. Not having read the previous books, I was also a little lost in the story line, and had a hard time following a few times. There wasn’t any catch-up at the beginning, though.
I did like some of the humor, and the way that women are seen as the powerful, strong ones in society. That’s such a different vision than most have. I also liked how the fathers doted on their children, even if some of the sexual relations I didn’t like, what with some of the guys sleeping with a lot of women. I was also intrigued, and rather horrified, with Harusada’s character and underhanded scheming.
This was an interesting volume. I can see why a lot of people like it, especially fans of historic fiction, even if it’s not really for me.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
December 31, 2015
This manga is brilliance. I have hardly anything to say about this volume because I’ve said it all before in my reviews of its predecessors. The art is gorgeous, clean, and easy to follow. The physical book itself is beautifully printed with that velvety cover I love. The story is endlessly intriguing and perilously, emotionally gripping. And, as always, I so appreciate the translation notes at the end which help us Western readers feel that much more connected to the alternate history that has been playing out through the years of this series’ publication.
I do want to say that volume 11 is unique in that it feels like a second act after the last two volumes’ first act, or else a bridge between the horrific treachery in previous chapters and the--I desperately hope--vengeance and justice that is to come in future chapters. Nothing that happened in this book was particularly happy, a lot of it was just as atrocious as in volume 10, but it does feel like we readers will receive some reward for our suffering (suffering in the good way that one suffers in sympathy for the characters they read about) soon. At least as soon as the next volume comes out, anyway. I’m looking forward to it!
I do want to say that volume 11 is unique in that it feels like a second act after the last two volumes’ first act, or else a bridge between the horrific treachery in previous chapters and the--I desperately hope--vengeance and justice that is to come in future chapters. Nothing that happened in this book was particularly happy, a lot of it was just as atrocious as in volume 10, but it does feel like we readers will receive some reward for our suffering (suffering in the good way that one suffers in sympathy for the characters they read about) soon. At least as soon as the next volume comes out, anyway. I’m looking forward to it!
September 19, 2015
11 volumes in and this series still shows no sign of losing any steam. just when i thought yoshinaga fumi was going to integrate her alternate history back into "our" world, she goes and smashes all my expectations. love, love, love!
January 1, 2016
I am still loving this series, but the complexity of characters and politics is such that if I ever want to actually make sense from it, I'll have to read it all on one go, when the series is over.
Still, rather awesome, with intricate, complex characters which I love, especially the villains.
Still, rather awesome, with intricate, complex characters which I love, especially the villains.
January 30, 2016
oh wow. i feel like i can only describe this volume as a series of ever escalating YIKES
4 stars
4 stars
April 9, 2016
I can't stress enough how much I love this manga series. Now I have to wait till the end of the year for the next volume. So I'm going to read it all over again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews