Netflix’s Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is an ambitious creation set in an alternate version of Edo-period Japan against the backdrop of a mysterious pandemic that is decimating the male population. The series delivers all the political intrigue you would expect from the feudal system, with one huge plot-twist. Who run this world? Girls.
The Ōoku itself is the name given to the massive male harem kept by the female Shogun to ensure the continuation of her line, and men who seek a within its walls receive compensation for their families, but are never allowed to leave again or reveal its secrets. Divided into a roles that will be familiar to fans of Memoirs Of A Geisha, some of the men work as servants and stewards of the Ōoku, while others, called Grooms of the Bedchamber, are the Shogun’s concubines.
With a story-within-the-story structure borrowing from nested narratives like The Arabian Nights, this anime introduces us to the fictional world through the story of young samurai, Mizuno Yunoshin, who joins the Ōoku to provide his sister with a dowry and spare himself the heartache of watching his childhood sweetheart from a richer family marry someone her parents will approve of.
Mizuno becomes acquainted with all of the rules of the Ōoku along with the audience, and the death of the seven-year-old Shogun, leaves a void filled by newcomer to the throne, Yoshimune, who is equally ignorant to the customs and ways of the lavish Ōoku which she finds foolish at a time when the realm is in need of economic reform.
She looks to the court scribe for guidance, and he recounts to her the history of the plague, and the creation of the Ōoku as a way to ensure peace and protect Japan from invaders or power-hungry usurpers who would try to capitalize on the sudden population-shift.
The narrative shifts to a flashback detailing the story of monk Arikoto who is forced to renounce his vows and enter the Ōoku to serve Shogun Iemitsu, the illegitimate child of the last male Shogun, who is posing as her father to avoid a complete political upheaval. The two fall in love but are unable to produce an heir, forcing Iemitsu to seek out other concubines, and placing a strain on their relationship.
In the meantime, we see parallel stories of the peasants and farmers also affected by the plague, and driven to starvation when there are not enough workers to feed the population. Women step into leadership roles and take on all the work previously done by men, while the remaining males are hidden at home by their wary families, sold for money, or willingly devoted to helping their communities reproduce.
This is definitely not an anime for children, but presents an intriguing alternative to series like The Handmaid’s Tale or Game Of Thrones where women are victims or political pawns for men. At times, the women of the Ōoku seem fairer than their apocalyptic male counterparts, but at others, we see that modes of oppression are merely flipped on their head. For Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, a world with women in charge is no guaranteed utopia, and the power they wield cannot even exempt them from their own suffering.
Watch On Netflix
The Ōoku itself is the name given to the massive male harem kept by the female Shogun to ensure the continuation of her line, and men who seek a within its walls receive compensation for their families, but are never allowed to leave again or reveal its secrets. Divided into a roles that will be familiar to fans of Memoirs Of A Geisha, some of the men work as servants and stewards of the Ōoku, while others, called Grooms of the Bedchamber, are the Shogun’s concubines.
With a story-within-the-story structure borrowing from nested narratives like The Arabian Nights, this anime introduces us to the fictional world through the story of young samurai, Mizuno Yunoshin, who joins the Ōoku to provide his sister with a dowry and spare himself the heartache of watching his childhood sweetheart from a richer family marry someone her parents will approve of.
Mizuno becomes acquainted with all of the rules of the Ōoku along with the audience, and the death of the seven-year-old Shogun, leaves a void filled by newcomer to the throne, Yoshimune, who is equally ignorant to the customs and ways of the lavish Ōoku which she finds foolish at a time when the realm is in need of economic reform.
She looks to the court scribe for guidance, and he recounts to her the history of the plague, and the creation of the Ōoku as a way to ensure peace and protect Japan from invaders or power-hungry usurpers who would try to capitalize on the sudden population-shift.
The narrative shifts to a flashback detailing the story of monk Arikoto who is forced to renounce his vows and enter the Ōoku to serve Shogun Iemitsu, the illegitimate child of the last male Shogun, who is posing as her father to avoid a complete political upheaval. The two fall in love but are unable to produce an heir, forcing Iemitsu to seek out other concubines, and placing a strain on their relationship.
In the meantime, we see parallel stories of the peasants and farmers also affected by the plague, and driven to starvation when there are not enough workers to feed the population. Women step into leadership roles and take on all the work previously done by men, while the remaining males are hidden at home by their wary families, sold for money, or willingly devoted to helping their communities reproduce.
This is definitely not an anime for children, but presents an intriguing alternative to series like The Handmaid’s Tale or Game Of Thrones where women are victims or political pawns for men. At times, the women of the Ōoku seem fairer than their apocalyptic male counterparts, but at others, we see that modes of oppression are merely flipped on their head. For Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, a world with women in charge is no guaranteed utopia, and the power they wield cannot even exempt them from their own suffering.
Watch On Netflix