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大奥 [Ōoku] #14
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 14
With the death of her monstrous father, Iesada is finally assured that she can have a consort who will survive life in the Inner Chambers. And she is delighted that the new spouse chosen for her is intelligent, kind and considerate of her past trauma. But the consort Taneatsu comes to the court with a past of his own—and an assignment from his liege lord that could pit him against his beloved shogun.
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2017
3 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Fumi Yoshinaga
156 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 25, 2021
This is the fourteenth volume of this gorgeously rendered—in lush period costumes--alternative history set in the Edo period of Japan, wherein a large percentage of the male population had died out from the Red Pox, creating a huge shift in gender/power relations, as in women take power and the historical harems are now inhabited by men for the women in power. To even have a husband is a sign of wealth and power. But do politics work very much differently, with women in power? Not really, it seems. Anyway, I had not read this series at all for a couple years, so I had to read all my reviews of previous volumes just to begin to catch up.
At the conclusion of volume twelve US Admirable Matthew Perry was arriving in Japan, signaling a huge shift in Japanese history, but at the outset of volume 13 we head back again to take a closer look at key events seventeen years earlier, as the cure for the Red Pox has been found, the male population is returning, and gender/power relations are also returning back to what they were, in some respects, to what had been the case before a roughly two century interruption.
In this most recent volume, we continue the political struggle as Japan considers Perry’s threat/invitation (which actually did happen, historically, complicated now by women being in power, since all other nations have men in power.
In this volume Emperor Iesada takes on a new consort; we know from previous volumes that she was deeply traumatized by growing up with a father who both systematically removed (poisoned) her husbands and then took her place (yes, incest). But her new consort, Tanneatsu, whom she initially doesn’t trust for all sorts of reasons, is a kind and intelligent young guy who provides love and healing, allowing her to regain her place in power. So this is a relatively mellow volume, love-focused, in the backdrop of political intrigue, and I like it very much.
There are things that bug me about this series that I always have to say: The translation that attempts to mimic medieval English feels occasionally stilted (though somehow it seems to be getting better!); there are many pages in which the words drown out the images and many characters—and there are also SO many characters--are hard to distinguish from each other (thus requiring the guide to characters that opens the volume). But this is still one of the best manga series in history for adults.
At the conclusion of volume twelve US Admirable Matthew Perry was arriving in Japan, signaling a huge shift in Japanese history, but at the outset of volume 13 we head back again to take a closer look at key events seventeen years earlier, as the cure for the Red Pox has been found, the male population is returning, and gender/power relations are also returning back to what they were, in some respects, to what had been the case before a roughly two century interruption.
In this most recent volume, we continue the political struggle as Japan considers Perry’s threat/invitation (which actually did happen, historically, complicated now by women being in power, since all other nations have men in power.
In this volume Emperor Iesada takes on a new consort; we know from previous volumes that she was deeply traumatized by growing up with a father who both systematically removed (poisoned) her husbands and then took her place (yes, incest). But her new consort, Tanneatsu, whom she initially doesn’t trust for all sorts of reasons, is a kind and intelligent young guy who provides love and healing, allowing her to regain her place in power. So this is a relatively mellow volume, love-focused, in the backdrop of political intrigue, and I like it very much.
There are things that bug me about this series that I always have to say: The translation that attempts to mimic medieval English feels occasionally stilted (though somehow it seems to be getting better!); there are many pages in which the words drown out the images and many characters—and there are also SO many characters--are hard to distinguish from each other (thus requiring the guide to characters that opens the volume). But this is still one of the best manga series in history for adults.
March 12, 2022
Un autre très bon volume dans la série avec quelques éléments (dont un tout à fait neuf dans la série) que je trouve intéressants.
Le premier est l'arrivée du choléra dans la société qui permet de continuer à adresser les questions d'hygiène et de santé publique alors que la variolisation a fait son effet et que le pourcentage d'hommes a finalement remonté. Ce volume ne se concentre pas tant sur les dynamiques de genre (bien qu'elles ne sont évidemment jamais évacuées), mais dépeint une société déjà beaucoup plus proche de la nôtre (on semble s'éloigner un petit peu de l'aspect uchronique, j'ai hâte de voir comment ça se poursuit, se développe ou si c'est simplement temporaire) avec un inceste commis par le père de la shogun, mais aussi le manque de considérations des diplomates étrangers à l'égard d'une femme. L'introduction du savonnage des mains obligatoire au pavillon (pour éviter la propagation du choléra) est marquant de la popularisation des pratiques sanitaires pour contrer les épidémies et rappelle tristement que ce n'est toujours pas un acquis pour beaucoup trop de monde [même en temps de pandémie, c'est catastrophique le nombre d'hommes qui ne se lavent pas les mains en sortant des toilettes ou encore en entrant dans l'établissement public malgré les consignes, ça paraît que c'est une fiction ici parce que les hommes effectuent ce simple lavage de main].
Le grand élément intéressant et nouveau que je relève dans ce volume est l'attention porté sur le soin et la guérison. Pour la première fois, sans être complètement joyeux ou utopique, des personnages affrontent et se cicatrisent de traumatismes qu'on leur a imposé et trouvent refuge dans la rencontre de l'autre et l'échange. Un gros point bonus de réflexion sur le soin avec la dame Ise No Kami et la construction d'un narratif de soi pour donner un sens à sa vie qui est méta-commenté dans le récit par la shogun et son époux. Bref, un volume très pertinent et sympathique au niveau des relations d'attention et de soins qu'il me semble pas encore avoir vu dans la série.
Ce volume, bien que touchant des questions de relations internationales (surtout vers la fin), s'est avéré beaucoup plus intime que les précédents avec la construction de relations entre une poignée de personnages qui permet une exploration plus profonde des thèmes que j'ai pu relevés.
Le premier est l'arrivée du choléra dans la société qui permet de continuer à adresser les questions d'hygiène et de santé publique alors que la variolisation a fait son effet et que le pourcentage d'hommes a finalement remonté. Ce volume ne se concentre pas tant sur les dynamiques de genre (bien qu'elles ne sont évidemment jamais évacuées), mais dépeint une société déjà beaucoup plus proche de la nôtre (on semble s'éloigner un petit peu de l'aspect uchronique, j'ai hâte de voir comment ça se poursuit, se développe ou si c'est simplement temporaire) avec un inceste commis par le père de la shogun, mais aussi le manque de considérations des diplomates étrangers à l'égard d'une femme. L'introduction du savonnage des mains obligatoire au pavillon (pour éviter la propagation du choléra) est marquant de la popularisation des pratiques sanitaires pour contrer les épidémies et rappelle tristement que ce n'est toujours pas un acquis pour beaucoup trop de monde [même en temps de pandémie, c'est catastrophique le nombre d'hommes qui ne se lavent pas les mains en sortant des toilettes ou encore en entrant dans l'établissement public malgré les consignes, ça paraît que c'est une fiction ici parce que les hommes effectuent ce simple lavage de main].
Le grand élément intéressant et nouveau que je relève dans ce volume est l'attention porté sur le soin et la guérison. Pour la première fois, sans être complètement joyeux ou utopique, des personnages affrontent et se cicatrisent de traumatismes qu'on leur a imposé et trouvent refuge dans la rencontre de l'autre et l'échange. Un gros point bonus de réflexion sur le soin avec la dame Ise No Kami et la construction d'un narratif de soi pour donner un sens à sa vie qui est méta-commenté dans le récit par la shogun et son époux. Bref, un volume très pertinent et sympathique au niveau des relations d'attention et de soins qu'il me semble pas encore avoir vu dans la série.
Ce volume, bien que touchant des questions de relations internationales (surtout vers la fin), s'est avéré beaucoup plus intime que les précédents avec la construction de relations entre une poignée de personnages qui permet une exploration plus profonde des thèmes que j'ai pu relevés.
September 4, 2025
Vol. 9 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 10 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 11 ★★★★☆
Vol. 12 ★★★★★
Vol. 13 ★★★★★
The romance between Iesada and Taneatsu is so sweet. They're easily my favorite couple in this series along with Iemitsu and Arikoto. I love their dynamic together. On the other hand, the political part of the story is looking grim. The shogunate is stuck between a rock and a hard place: damned if they do, damned if they don't.
Vol. 10 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 11 ★★★★☆
Vol. 12 ★★★★★
Vol. 13 ★★★★★
The romance between Iesada and Taneatsu is so sweet. They're easily my favorite couple in this series along with Iemitsu and Arikoto. I love their dynamic together. On the other hand, the political part of the story is looking grim. The shogunate is stuck between a rock and a hard place: damned if they do, damned if they don't.
March 12, 2022
So much happened in this volume. This one had some parts that were hard to read but it made for a great story. Can’t wait to read the next volume!
March 21, 2019
Ooku is one of my favorite manga series. An alternate history where Japan was hit with a males-only plague, thus reducing the population for centuries to a 1:5 male:female ratio, with Fumi Yoshinaga's beautifully-rendered drawings? Yes please!
As a whole, I love the series's take on what might happen if men were susceptible to a deadly disease. In earlier volumes, we see the cultural change take place over a generation until it's hard for the populace to imagine a world where men aren't regarded as weak, delicate beings who should be kept from physical labor and governance. There's no conspiracy to remove men and trumpet that women are superior, but their scarcity turns men into delicate flowers: they must be kept safe, they do have a use (many men sell sexual encounters to women who want children), and having an actual husband is a sign of wealth.
Over the previous 13 volumes, we see how the plague started, affected Japanese society, and the resulting cultural changes became entrenched and accepted. We've gone through a bunch of different female shoguns over a couple hundred years of story.
As someone whose Japanese history knowledge comes mainly from media because little is taught in school, I find the series makes much more sense when the volumes can be read in quick succession. I don't have the background to easily remember what real world events were going on or being replaced in this fictional world, and because it's supposed to be realistic, I found character designs were often easy to confuse, especially when there's a timeskip or flashback. It's only after 10 volumes or so that the books started including a timeline of shoguns and their main advisors (the other main characters), which helped greatly with story recall and keeping things straight.
In this most recent volume, we're in the middle of an extended story as Japan comes out of its isolation (in-universe explained as a way to prevent other nations from finding out the Japanese male population has been so heavily reduced), as Matthew Perry sails into the harbor and demands Japan open up its borders, just as he did in reality.
Unlike reality, this Japan needs to keep up the illusion of power so that outside countries don't attempt to invade (this is, after all, right after Britain did all the bad, China-ruining stuff with the Opium Wars), and they might've just found a vaccine for the plague, bringing male population levels back up near parity--which has societal affects as the culture swings back to male headship.
In the midst of all this, the current female shogun--incestuously abused and traumatized--deals with arguing advisors and lords, and her newest consort might have secret plans of his own.
Because so much is going on, the story has slowed down to focus on all these different facets, and it works. So well. Characters are likable (when they're meant to be), and the reader continues to be thrust into political disputes, backstabbing, and the intricacies of royal life and manners.
This is one of the series I would absolutely recommends to people who don't normally like graphic novels/manga for the silliness or absurdity. As long as you don't actually mind reading a comic (and the right-to-left Japanese style), this is an excellent AU history with a setting we don't often see in American media.
As a whole, I love the series's take on what might happen if men were susceptible to a deadly disease. In earlier volumes, we see the cultural change take place over a generation until it's hard for the populace to imagine a world where men aren't regarded as weak, delicate beings who should be kept from physical labor and governance. There's no conspiracy to remove men and trumpet that women are superior, but their scarcity turns men into delicate flowers: they must be kept safe, they do have a use (many men sell sexual encounters to women who want children), and having an actual husband is a sign of wealth.
Over the previous 13 volumes, we see how the plague started, affected Japanese society, and the resulting cultural changes became entrenched and accepted. We've gone through a bunch of different female shoguns over a couple hundred years of story.
As someone whose Japanese history knowledge comes mainly from media because little is taught in school, I find the series makes much more sense when the volumes can be read in quick succession. I don't have the background to easily remember what real world events were going on or being replaced in this fictional world, and because it's supposed to be realistic, I found character designs were often easy to confuse, especially when there's a timeskip or flashback. It's only after 10 volumes or so that the books started including a timeline of shoguns and their main advisors (the other main characters), which helped greatly with story recall and keeping things straight.
In this most recent volume, we're in the middle of an extended story as Japan comes out of its isolation (in-universe explained as a way to prevent other nations from finding out the Japanese male population has been so heavily reduced), as Matthew Perry sails into the harbor and demands Japan open up its borders, just as he did in reality.
Unlike reality, this Japan needs to keep up the illusion of power so that outside countries don't attempt to invade (this is, after all, right after Britain did all the bad, China-ruining stuff with the Opium Wars), and they might've just found a vaccine for the plague, bringing male population levels back up near parity--which has societal affects as the culture swings back to male headship.
In the midst of all this, the current female shogun--incestuously abused and traumatized--deals with arguing advisors and lords, and her newest consort might have secret plans of his own.
Because so much is going on, the story has slowed down to focus on all these different facets, and it works. So well. Characters are likable (when they're meant to be), and the reader continues to be thrust into political disputes, backstabbing, and the intricacies of royal life and manners.
This is one of the series I would absolutely recommends to people who don't normally like graphic novels/manga for the silliness or absurdity. As long as you don't actually mind reading a comic (and the right-to-left Japanese style), this is an excellent AU history with a setting we don't often see in American media.
October 17, 2018
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This continues to be one of the best manga out there in terms of nuance, writing, artwork, and subject. For those who haven't picked this up, the manga is an alternate history of Japan in which the rulers were women rather than men (due to the male population being decimated by a disease targeting them). So while the names are familiar (especially to those who know Japanese history), the stories are quite unique and distinct. With 14 volumes, we are given a sweeping history including the arrival of the Dutch and then the American 'black ships'. At this time, the disease has a cure and men are starting to become numerous - are the days of the female rulership over?Story: Emperor Iesada grew up with a father who both systematically removed her husbands and then planted himself in their place. Bitter and jaded, she leads a lonely and sexless life until her father finally dies and frees her of his 'attentions.' She has hesitated to take consorts but finds herself saddled with a young man who was clearly chosen to use his good nature and looks to spy for his family while also influencing her. But to her surprise, She finds herself liking and respecting her new consort, even knowing his role is to increase his family's power and presence at the imperial court.
This is one of the more gentle stories in the series. It follows Tanneatsu - a kind and intelligent young man who finds himself at the mercy of his family's ambitions. Although he had no desire to go to the capitol, he makes the best of it while there. His growing relationship with the damaged Iesada is nicely written and a joy to read.
In between the workings of the inner chambers, Ieasada is also dealing with the question of what to do with the Americans - allow them beyond the harbor or straight out declare war on them. Her country is divided and the male population, as it continues to grow, is beginning to assert authority again and question the matriarchy.
As always, there is so much going on here and the read fascinating. The illustration work is excellent and I've enjoyed all the subtleties in character emotions and thoughts. There is a good reason this was Eisener nominated - it's one of the best stories out there right now in manga form. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
May 22, 2019
honestly i love how smart iesada is? she's so incredibly intelligent! she's been hampered in so many ways but now that she has support i think she has good odds of leading japan well through their re-opening! also her romance with taneatsu is -kisses fingers-
4 stars
4 stars
February 4, 2019
More good stuff! Drama and intrigue and passion and death. Amazing art
Read
October 12, 2022Yoshinaga: Look at this woman being sexually assaulted! Isn't it awful that she has no control over her own sexual autonomy?
Yoshinaga four seconds later: Whoah look at all these male concubines who are so hype to sleep with their shogun! And a good thing, too, because they literally have no job other than that and in fact must sleep with her whenever she asks! It's fine though because the shogun is hot :D
It's probably insane to reference a furious Rebecca Solnit review when discussing a yaoi mangaka's foray into alt-historical fiction, but I'm going to do it anyway. I don't understand how some people can acknowledge the violence inherent in misogynist rape, but when it comes to class power structures which demand sexual subservience (both with male and female concubines, in this case) to a leader whose only authority comes from their lineage, all of a sudden the trespass is invisible because it isn't always explicitly gendered.
What's even more frustrating is that the manga continues to insist that every concubine in the Inner Chambers (which, again, is not an optional position, because the various retainers of the shogun essentially go hunting for men of her preference) just LOVES the shogun and thinks she is the hottest woman alive. Which is convenient, sure, but essentially the same as the "we need to get the BAD king out so we can get a GOOD king in" trope in children's literature, and this is an adult series. I'm tired of reading hereditary government apologism. 🤷
...and my usual moment to say I'm really enjoying the series overall and it's very well written I've just got to complain about something or else I'll just explode. One of my most fascinating reads this year!
October 23, 2022
After a difficult Volume 13, this volume was sort of a lovely, simpler story - more of a love story than the other volumes. Which, not surprisingly, worked much much better for me.
I loved the lead couple - they made me smile, they made me cry and they made me melt. Thinking about this volume still makes me grin - not sure I remember what else happened in the volume but who cares. 😁😁😁
There are historical events in the background - the US negotiations etc etc but this volume is very much about the love story for me.
I think the contrast with Volume 13 actually made this volume better. . There is a resiliency in Iesda which I found kind of inspiring.
Loved this volume .... though now I am dreading what the author is going to do to these characters in the next volume. She has a habit of gut punching me / us - right after happy interludes!
I loved the lead couple - they made me smile, they made me cry and they made me melt. Thinking about this volume still makes me grin - not sure I remember what else happened in the volume but who cares. 😁😁😁
There are historical events in the background - the US negotiations etc etc but this volume is very much about the love story for me.
I think the contrast with Volume 13 actually made this volume better. . There is a resiliency in Iesda which I found kind of inspiring.
Loved this volume .... though now I am dreading what the author is going to do to these characters in the next volume. She has a habit of gut punching me / us - right after happy interludes!
January 22, 2024
Shogun Iesada survives her molesting father and finds love with a third consort.
4.5 stars - these stories continue to amaze me. They are so deep with occurrences - people struggle, are poisoned, die, and it is rare indeed for someone to have happiness, even for a short time. In this volume, another beloved character dies. This series just does not ever allow for things to go well for everyone. And because I have so much buy-in, I care what happens to each and every character.
4.5 stars - these stories continue to amaze me. They are so deep with occurrences - people struggle, are poisoned, die, and it is rare indeed for someone to have happiness, even for a short time. In this volume, another beloved character dies. This series just does not ever allow for things to go well for everyone. And because I have so much buy-in, I care what happens to each and every character.
January 6, 2020
We see the Iesada find a little bit of happiness in her new consort. Takiyama finds this new consort to be quite different from what he expected. Masahiro wrangles politics around the trade agreement with the Americans, until she is forced into retirement due to illness. Still it's nice to see a little happiness for the shogun Iesada.
March 3, 2020
The United States of America have made forceful contact with Japan. The shogun and those who rule with her are faced with the need to make a trade agreement, against the will of many parts of the country. Also, the shogun's new consort, her third, is a bit of a surprise.
Still enjoying this! Will be interesting to see if we ever catch up with modern time.
Still enjoying this! Will be interesting to see if we ever catch up with modern time.
December 8, 2018
This contained one truly wonderful scene of emotion between Abe and the shogun, and some neat political intrigue. Otherwise, it is a rather slow-moving volume.
September 17, 2019
It is interesting how the couples come about in this series.
March 23, 2021
慶喜沒性轉，失望
Read
April 12, 2022真正愛到沒暝沒日，將軍大人的孩子留得住嗎。
December 17, 2022
Focuses on the slowly growing romance between Ietsu and Taneatsu. It's a very slow burn, but I liked it all the more for that.
August 14, 2023
Combined review of Volumes 13 & 14 here: https://www.skjam.com/2023/08/14/mang...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews