Review: OOKU: The Inner Chambers Volume 11

OOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS, VOL. 11
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Fumi Yoshinaga
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERER: Monlisa De Asis
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7979-5; paperback (November 2015); Rated “M” for “Mature”
232pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is an alternate history and romance manga created by Fumi Yoshinaga.  The series presents an alternative version of Japan’s history in which a strange disease, called the Redface Pox, begins to kill young men and boys  in the 1600s.

The male population falls to about one-fourth of the female population, and men eventually become protected as precious “seed bearers.”  Japan becomes a matriarchal society, with women taking on the roles traditionally held by men, including the role of Shogun.  This story focuses on life at Edo Castle and is set inside its Inner Chambers, a sort of harem filled with men who serve the female Shogun.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 11 (Chapters 44 to 47) opens early in the reign of the 11th shogun, Lord Ienari, the first male shogun in 150 years.  Tokugawa Harusada has schemed for many years to make her son, Tokugawa Ienari, shogun, but she is the one who truly holds the reigns of power.  Ienari is merely a “studhorse,” pleasuring the now female-dominated Inner Chambers.  However, Ienari has been reading “The Chronicle of a Dying Day,” and he dreams of a better future for his country.

Meanwhile, after being thrown out of Edo Castle, former Inner Chamber men, Kuroki Ryojun and Ihei, operate an infirmary together.  Kuroki, an assistant to the late Aonuma, who found a way to cure the Redface Pox, experiences a great change in his life.  Now, he must rediscover his former mentor's miracle.

Is it okay if I still continue to admire the Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga?  I have asked this question before because, for a long time, this manga seemed to focus on something different with each volume.  That annoyed me, and I thought that meant the narrative was problematic.  Instead of giving it a negative review, I found myself enjoying Ōoku.  I had to accept the series for what it was and not for what I thought it should be.  My very reservations seemed to suggest that this was an exceptional comic book.

At times, Ōoku is a character drama, historical fiction, historical drama, alternate-world fantasy (or science fiction), soap opera, backstairs drama, or royal drama – depending upon the volume I read.  Just go with it, Leroy.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers Volume 11 embraces it all.  In the chapters that comprise this volume, creator Fumi Yoshinaga fashions humanity for her characters and then, begins an excavation of their personalities, motivations, psych profiles, and desires.  Why do people do what they do the way they do it?  Who knows?  It seems like a deeply held secret, even to the creator of such complex and winning characters.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Ooku: Japan Goes Dutch

I read Ôoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 9 (Ooku: The Inner Chambers)

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Ooku: Ieshige the Oaf

I read Ôoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 8 (Ooku: The Inner Chambers)

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Review: OOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS, VOL. 7

OOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS, VOL. 7
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Fumi Yoshinaga
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERER: Monlisa De Asis
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4220-1; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
224pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN

Fumi Yoshinaga is the prolific female Japanese graphic novelist and mangaka known for her comics in the shojo and shonen-ai genres. She has created such manga as The Moon and the Sandals and Antique Bakery.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (The Shogun’s Harem) is her current series and began publication in 2005. This alternate-Earth story is set in Japan and imagines a strange new disease, called the Redface Pox, which kills young men and boys. The male population begins to fall in the 1600s to about one-fourth of the female population. Men eventually become protected as precious “seed bearers,” and women take on the roles traditionally held by men, including the role of Shogun. This story focuses on life at Edo Castle and is set inside its Inner Chambers, a sort of harem filled with men who serve the female Shogun.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 7 (Chapters 23-26) opens with the death of (Tokugawa) Lord Yoshimichi. Her demise signals that various domain lords (daimyo) are jockeying to position themselves as the next shogun. Ietsugu, the daughter of Ienobu, the previous shogun, is only five-year-old and is also sickly and not expected to live long.

Ietsugu’s protector. Manabe Akifusa, believes Lord Yoshimune, lord of the Kii domain, is plotting to be the next shogun. However, Sir Gekko-In, Ienobu’s concubine and Ietsugu’s father, and his supporters in the Inner Chambers are standing in Yoshimune’s way. Ejima Shinzaburo, Groom of the Bedchamber and Senior Chamberlain of the Inner Chambers, will be the key to whether Yoshimune’s gets her way or not.

Also, a new shogun wonders if Japan is the only place that has been stricken by the Redface Pox. If so, does a lack of men capable of being warriors make Japan vulnerable to outside attack?

The seventh volume of the Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga arrives over a year after the sixth volume was published. Creator Fumi Yoshinaga inserts enough captions and exposition to explain the characters and situations to him readers familiar with the series get familiar with this section in the narrative. New readers will need a little more context.

Early in the series, Ōoku examined gender roles in a society where male dominance suddenly became a thing of the past, a necessity after a plague had wiped out a significant portion of the male population. In fact, the plague continues to hang over the narrative. One of the most interesting things about this series is how Yoshinaga imagines what role reversal might look like in 17th and 18th century Japan. In a sort of alternate history/science fiction way, the Redface Pox plague can be used to explain Japan’s “closed country” police which began in the mid-1600s and lasted until the arrival of the United States Navy forced the country open in 1854.

Whatever themes and philosophies Yoshinaga wishes to explore here, she does through character drama and palace intrigue. Considering that this series has depicted brutal murder and assault, I can honestly say that what is in Vol. 7 is the most intense character drama yet in this story. I’m not naïve about the world, but I was astounded by the extent to which the characters playing in Chapters 23 to 26 were willing to go to get what they wanted. There is a real-world verisimilitude here that gives me the chills. I think readers will be interested to know that Fumi Yoshinaga never holds back here. Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is drama writ out entirely in capitol letters.

A+

VIZ Media a Hit with YALSA

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA TITLES RECOGNIZED BY YALSA’S 2010 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS

Annual Booklist By Young Adult Library Services Association Recognize Acclaimed Manga Titles For Quality And Broad Appeal

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that several of its manga titles have made the list of 2010 Great Graphic Novels For Teens by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

The noteworthy list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens was presented at the ALA Midwinter Meeting last week. The VIZ Media manga, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teen readers.


The VIZ Media titles making the list included:
CHILDREN OF THE SEA Vol. 1 • by Daisuke Igarashi • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
KIMI NI TODOKE Vol. 1 • by Karuho Shiina • rated ‘T’ for Teens
KIMI NI TODOKE Vol. 2 • by Karuho Shiina • rated ‘T’ for Teens
OOKU: INNER CHAMBERS Vol. 1 • by Fumi Yoshinaga • rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences
OTOMEN Vol. 1 • by Aya Kanno • rated ‘T’ for Teens
MIXED VEGETABLES Vol. 1 • by Ayumi Komura • rated ‘T’ for Teens
PLUTO Vol. 1 •  by Naoki Urasawa • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
PLUTO Vol. 2 •  by Naoki Urasawa • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
PLUTO Vol. 3 •  by Naoki Urasawa • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
SOLANIN • by Inio Asano • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
TEGAMI BACHI: LETTER BEE Vol. 1 • by Hiroyuki Asada • rated ‘T’ for Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 1• by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 2 • by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 3 • by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 4 • by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens


“We’re very pleased to announce this diverse collection of manga titles that have been recognized by YALSA’s 2010 Great Graphic Novels For Teens, with 3 making it to the top ten.” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing for VIZ Media. “These series were created by some of the most imaginative minds in the manga genre and offer readers great stories ranging from science fiction and historical-based drama to romantic shojo and slice-of-life graphic novels aimed at female readers. YALSA provides librarians with valuable tools and information to help them select compelling titles for readers, and we invite them to consider these series which have been recognized for their innovation and quality.”

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the U.S. leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists.

For more information on these and other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit http://www.viz.com/. [END]