Oooku

Edo-period Japan stands strong and proud, decades after its imminent doom was prophesied. The new shogun, Yoshimune "Nobu" Tokugawa, encounters an array of traditions that, to her modern judgment, make little sense. An epidemic exclusively rages among men, resulting in men making up only one-fifth of the population. Still, three thousand young, agile, and beautiful men serve in the Oooku—the shogun's Inner Chambers.

To unearth the origins of the existing hierarchy where women head their families and govern the nation, Nobu reviews the chronicles of the odd disease. Customs and traditions have changed to accommodate for the plague; these new laws dictate the current culture and reflect the cruel story of the first female shogun, Iemitsu Tokugawa. Most notably, these customs seem to lead back to the moment a young monk, Arikoto Madenokoji, must abandon his way of life and devote his remaining days to the shogun and her Oooku.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Madenokoji, Arikoto Main

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Tokugawa, Iemitsu Main

Matsui, Eriko Japanese

Tokugawa, Yoshimune Supporting

Kobayashi, Sanae Japanese

Mizuno, Yunoshin Supporting

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

no Tsubone, Kasuga Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Onobu Supporting

Satou, Miyuki Japanese

Nobutsuna’s Wife Supporting

Mizuguchi, Matsuri Japanese

Omine Supporting

Senkuma Supporting

Kitajima, Mizuki Japanese

Oei Supporting

Saitou, Takayuki Producer

Abe, Noriyuki Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Ooba, Hideaki Episode Director, Storyboard

Ezoe, Hitomi Episode Director

Reviews

Jul 1, 2023

KurochuDeviluke

Recommended

Studio DEEN has always been one of the most criticized animation studios for being too inconsistent. Sometimes they make awful adaptations with pitiful animation quality and other times they just produce brilliant and cared series like this.

Imagine that suddenly world turns around and a huge percentage of men simply die due to a pandemic disease. Women now has the power and young men became a valuable treasure due to their capacity to procreate with so many women. Even being prostituted and sold for a lot of money. And everything setted in Edo period. That's what Oooku is about.

One of the things that impressed ... me the most was how the author wasn't afraid of anything. She didn't care of any kind of controversy, she felt just free enough to draw the story she wanted without avoiding any kind of subject. Prostitution, LGTB issues, empowerment of women... Oooku is such a well-written and complete work that cover whatever you can think of.

When it comes to animation quality and sound, I have to congratulate Studio DEEN again for this. Obviously, this isn't a crazy visual spectacle like Ufotable or KyoAni shows, but the dedication that animators put on this series is clear. And the OST suits it pretty well.

To sum up, this is such an interesting and dramatic story that could get anyone easily addicted to it. Especially for those interested in historic series. It has been an amazing surprise. I really hope to see more seasons coming soon.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 6, 2023

AveryFB

Mixed Feelings

Informative

I Will Write Write This Review Spoiler Free

I feel very conflicted on how to rate this, on the one hand, it doesn't leave you feeling good in the end, its like My Lie In April but more depressing. On the other hand, very few anime make me feel such emotion even if that emotion isn't a good one. Oooku: The Inner Chambers is only worth watching for a very specific type of person. If you like a Tragic Romance anime that is very dark than this may appeal to you. If you are person who would like to watch an anime and not feel like ... crap than I would avoid this one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 16, 2025

OtakuGirrl

Not Recommended

Set during the Edo period, this story flips traditional gender roles on their head. A devastating pandemic known as the Redface Pox has decimated the male population, leaving women to outnumber men four to one. Over the span of 80 years, society has drastically shifted, women now govern the nation, while men, stripped of status and stability, are often left to fight for survival. Marriage is now a privilege reserved for the wealthy, and conventional family roles have all but vanished. The plot centers on the female shogun ruling Edo Castle and the lives of the many men confined within its inner chambers.

The premise immediately ... caught my interest, it’s a bold and fascinating setup, and I was genuinely excited to dive in. But the actual experience was incredibly difficult. The main couple is constantly torn apart, and the story is filled with emotionally heavy, often heartbreaking moments. What affected me most, though, were the scenes involving sexual violence. That kind of content is really hard for me to sit through, and it cast a shadow over the entire series. I kept holding out hope for a satisfying or redemptive ending, but in the end, I was left feeling let down. If I could do it over again, I think I would’ve chosen to skip this one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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Shoujosei in Historical Asia

by MissGeurts

13 Entries · 45 Restacks

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Manga 'Oooku' Gets Anime Series in Summer 2023

The Netflix Anime Special Stage at AnimeJapan 2023 announced an anime adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's Oooku (Ōoku: The Inner Chambers) manga on Saturday. The ani...read more

Mar 24, 2023 9:01 PM by Vindstot | Discuss (20 comments)

	Poll: Oooku Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Mirorin - Jun 29, 2023	54 replies	by shatteredmoons »» May 29, 3:48 PM
	Poll: Oooku Episode 9 Discussion SabreDrago - Jun 30, 2023	10 replies	by Sun_Chan »» Aug 30, 2024 2:02 AM
	Poll: Oooku Episode 8 Discussion SabreDrago - Jun 30, 2023	7 replies	by Sun_Chan »» Aug 30, 2024 1:45 AM
	Poll: Oooku Episode 7 Discussion SabreDrago - Jun 30, 2023	9 replies	by Sun_Chan »» Aug 30, 2024 1:38 AM
	Poll: Oooku Episode 6 Discussion SabreDrago - Jun 30, 2023	9 replies	by Sun_Chan »» Aug 30, 2024 1:23 AM