Netflix has been taking great care of its anime catalog for some time now, as evidenced by its monthly releases. This is evident in a recently premiered series that has caught the attention of both anime enthusiasts and those with less extensive knowledge of the genre. And there is a good reason for that. Because if there’s a series with the potential to succeed, it’s Ooku: The Inner Chambers.
The first reason to generate interest is its highly peculiar synopsis. In the Edo period, spanning from 1603 to 1868, a disease called “Red Pox” begins to afflict the population, primarily affecting men. Eighty years after the first outbreak, seventy-five percent of the male population has disappeared. As a result, women have assumed all traditionally male roles, including that of the Shogun, the powerful warlord who, at that time, held more power than the Emperor himself. Due to the scarcity of men, they are protected and their rights are restricted. The younger and more attractive men have the opportunity to serve in the Shogun’s Inner Chambers as concubines, shaping the story of Ooku.
With a clear political focus and strong feminist undertones, Ooku: The Inner Chambers was originally published as a manga in the Melody magazine from 2004 to 2020 by mangaka Fumi Yoshinaga. The manga received several awards, including the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2009, and was adapted into live-action in 2010 and 2012, with a film in the first case and a film and series in the second.
Now it arrives on Netflix as an anime in its first adaptation to the medium. It is produced by Studio DEEN, best known for their work on Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works and The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light, and directed by Noriyuki Abe, known for directing Bleach and Black Butler. This promises, at the very least, a carefully crafted adaptation with a director who brings extensive experience and good taste, and a studio with resources and experience in handling complex adaptations. That’s why you shouldn’t miss Ooku: The Inner Chambers, as it is potentially one of the most intriguing series of 2023.
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