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Jun 29, 2023 6:07 AM
#1
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
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Words cannot describe how thrilled I was when I read that one of my favourite manga ever would get an anime adaptation. Specially something as niche as Ooku is. I don't if it was the covid period that made it possible by stoking up interest to anything that could be pandemic related.

As for the adaptation itself, they did some changes and fast forwarded some places, specially at the start. I don't know why, maybe they chose a couple of the arcs to adapt since they don't believe they'll get more than one season. Let's see how things develop in the next couple of episodes. But it would be fine. They cannot adapt the whole thing in one season.

I really hope more people pick this fabulous story up.
FarabeufJun 29, 2023 2:07 PM
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Jun 29, 2023 6:31 AM
#2
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Sep 2021
68
This first ep was amazing. Everything from the plot, and music were splendid. Having the first ep 1 hour was a amazing production call, the reason is bc if they would’ve kept the first ep 32 min people who have seem much historical might drop it, but having the show be 1hour can allow the viewer to get more hook on the plot. I haven’t read the manga but I heard very good thing about it. Il give this first ep 7.89/10.
!Now on to the ep 2!
Jun 29, 2023 9:32 AM
#3
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Feb 2020
30
I am watching it right now! So excited. I loved the manga so much. Hope the anime did a faithful adaptation

Back here after watching the first episode.
It was amazing. They improved the character designs. They look a lot more pleasant in the anime than in the manga. I liked the animation and the music. The voice actors are well-casted.
So, now we go back to first female Shogun Iemitsu and the entirety of the Tokugawa Shogun until Yoshimune. I see that this season only covers Iemitsu's story. For anime watchers, it'll only get better. This isn't a harem. It's a well woven manga spanning across decades telling stories of love, politics, betrayal, and so much more.
Yoonzino_03Jun 29, 2023 1:29 PM
Jun 29, 2023 12:26 PM
#4
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Sep 2015
5973
I've to say that Netflix picking this is a big statement from the company, they're trying to find a feminist story that is also a very Japanese in tradition, these used to be contradiction since Japan was a male-dominated country (some argue that it's still is), but this story, this fictional pandemic setting allow a feminist environment to realistically happened under the Japanese tradition, and no element is out-of-place. I can see all of these could happened in real life (except the gender-specific pandemic). If Netflix's Devilman is a statement that they're not afraid to get dirtied creating a violence anime, then this anime is a statement that they're not afraid to be called woke for creating a feminist anime.
Jun 29, 2023 2:53 PM
#5

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Jul 2011
4361
Glad Netflix picked this up!! I've been wanting to read it but I'm down to just binge watch it.

I thought Mizuno would be one of the protagonists, but I guess the main character is our shogun! So far it's been interesting and nice aesthetic.
Jun 29, 2023 2:57 PM
#6
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Dec 2021
856
is this a romance? anilist has it tagged as romance
Jun 29, 2023 3:01 PM
#7

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Jan 2021
152
So, did Studio Deen get this right ir did they fuck up like they did with Nanatsu, Orphen and  Junji Ito?
Jun 29, 2023 3:44 PM
#8
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Aug 2020
2529
i really enjoyed this first episode.

 i was not expecting to like it like that.

 it's an original concept, and everybody can not enjoy this type of anime without a big open mind...
otakuweek on insta for News /recom etc

just have a look, you won't regret it...
Jun 29, 2023 4:08 PM
#9

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May 2018
10627
This looks like Josei to me and some of the other publications from the same magazine have descriptions like "A 31-year-old woman dreams..." and "Yukiko, a salarywoman in her thirties...".
Another tag would be also appropriate - Alternative History.

So far Oooku sounds like an interesting idea - paradigm shift, political intrigues...

Haigen said:
Having the first ep 1 hour was a amazing production call

1. 80 minutes actually.
2. Didn't really matter since all the episodes were released at once.
alshuJun 29, 2023 4:13 PM
Jun 29, 2023 4:47 PM
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Feb 2016
76
alshu said:
This looks like Josei to me and some of the other publications from the same magazine have descriptions like "A 31-year-old woman dreams..." and "Yukiko, a salarywoman in her thirties...".
Another tag would be also appropriate - Alternative History.

So far Oooku sounds like an interesting idea - paradigm shift, political intrigues...

Haigen said:
Having the first ep 1 hour was a amazing production call

1. 80 minutes actually.
2. Didn't really matter since all the episodes were released at once.
Actually is shojo
Jun 29, 2023 6:48 PM

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AestheticLaifu said:
alshu said:
This looks like Josei to me and some of the other publications from the same magazine have descriptions like "A 31-year-old woman dreams..." and "Yukiko, a salarywoman in her thirties...".
Another tag would be also appropriate - Alternative History.

So far Oooku sounds like an interesting idea - paradigm shift, political intrigues...


1. 80 minutes actually.
2. Didn't really matter since all the episodes were released at once.
Actually is shojo
Actualy, it is a Josei.  Melody is a Josei magazine
Jun 29, 2023 7:50 PM
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Sep 2021
68
alshu said:
This looks like Josei to me and some of the other publications from the same magazine have descriptions like "A 31-year-old woman dreams..." and "Yukiko, a salarywoman in her thirties...".
Another tag would be also appropriate - Alternative History.

So far Oooku sounds like an interesting idea - paradigm shift, political intrigues...

Haigen said:
Having the first ep 1 hour was a amazing production call

1. 80 minutes actually.
2. Didn't really matter since all the episodes were released at once.

My mistake i meant 80 min . Even tho all the ep air some people dont like joei/shoujo historical and drop after an ep if they dont like it, but having the first ep 80min long allow the viewing to get more into the world that is the reason why i it was good production call. Its just like in oshi no ko, having the first be 1hour allow people to be more invested in the characters and plot. Sry my English is kinda bad.
Jun 29, 2023 10:16 PM
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Aug 2022
2
Wow. This is actually not bad at all. Historical is probably one of my fav genre. The Highness is so smart and right, i love her. Also.. Sugishita kinda hehe
Jun 29, 2023 10:25 PM

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Aug 2016
3621
This 1st episode was a suprise. wish it had better visuals, though.
:v
Jun 29, 2023 11:06 PM

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Dec 2020
200
fudish123 said:
So, did Studio Deen get this right ir did they fuck up like they did with Nanatsu, Orphen and  Junji Ito?

I haven't seen it but what did you expect from studio deen, ill try to read the manga
Jun 30, 2023 12:17 AM

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10627
Haigen said:
but having the first ep 80min long allow the viewing to get more into the world that is the reason why i it was good production call. Its just like in oshi no ko,

It could work for a show which airs once weekly like Oshi No Ko, but this thing here was released at once and I don't see a reason why the length of the episodes would matter.
For example if I disliked it (which is not the case), nothing would stop me from dropping it 10 minutes in or so. I have dropped shows even seconds in.
Are we talking about some very childish logic like "You should finish your first episode or you will be grounded!". Maybe the japnese kids and teens are like that, being brought up to be super polite, but this here is supposed to be targeted at a bit more mature audience.
Jun 30, 2023 12:46 AM
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May 2020
362
So this is based on an award winning manga from 2004 to 2020.
The cgi is mixed for me not a fan. Which is a shame. But it does have a sense of humor.
But I love all the Netflix haters when this might be the only studio that survives.
Definitely a slow burn and no fan service here boys move on!
Jun 30, 2023 5:35 AM
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Sep 2021
68
alshu said:
Haigen said:
but having the first ep 80min long allow the viewing to get more into the world that is the reason why i it was good production call. Its just like in oshi no ko,

It could work for a show which airs once weekly like Oshi No Ko, but this thing here was released at once and I don't see a reason why the length of the episodes would matter.
For example if I disliked it (which is not the case), nothing would stop me from dropping it 10 minutes in or so. I have dropped shows even seconds in.
Are we talking about some very childish logic like "You should finish your first episode or you will be grounded!". Maybe the japnese kids and teens are like that, being brought up to be super polite, but this here is supposed to be targeted at a bit more mature audience.

I totally get what you are saying but, Keeping it the first ep 80min gives a good opener to what a story is about and allow more time for the viewer to think whether to keep watching Or drop it. All im saying is that its a good way to start off an anime. You wont probably get what saying anyways. I know probably reply back with another reply you don’t have. Ok! Welp see ya have happy day.
HaigenJun 30, 2023 5:41 AM
Jun 30, 2023 10:24 AM
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Jun 2023
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KiraYoshikage said:
AestheticLaifu said:
Actually is shojo
Actualy, it is a Josei.  Melody is a Josei magazine
melody is a josei magazine now, but it was still a shoujo magazine when Ooku began publication 
Jun 30, 2023 11:35 AM
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Feb 2017
7
I love the way they actually though of the consequences and cultural changes a social gender swap would cause! And that it is only the case in isolated Japan, and not the rest of the world... I love that even though the shift happened not that long ago, it is already considered a "from the dawn of time" think most people don't question! Such a careful and well planed story!
Jun 30, 2023 2:33 PM

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May 2010
414
I was a little unsure about how well I'd be able to tell characters apart at first, but it ended up OK.The fact that the characters don't know the origin of their traditions was an interesting twist that I wasn't expecting.
Jul 1, 2023 6:28 PM
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Jun 2023
11
I screamed when I saw this show up on Netflix. Not sure why, but I had no idea this was coming and this was an old favorite manga of mine! Loved the nice, long first episode to start us off, time to binge the rest~
never knows best

Jul 3, 2023 10:54 AM

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May 2010
414
I was surprised by the length of the first episode since I have never watched an anime that did that, but I think it was good for setting up the story.
Jul 5, 2023 11:29 AM

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May 2018
742
Mizuno must’ve had nerves of steel to be able to get it up and perform knowing he was going to executed some time afterwards.


"Are you intoxicated, or just insane?"
Jul 6, 2023 11:03 PM

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Sep 2018
4857
What a first episode, Oshi no Ko, eat your heart out. Incredibly unique and interesting.
Jul 9, 2023 11:20 PM
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Mar 2015
12762
Got to love the shogun for saving our boi for his gril and sending the pretty boys out to sow their seeds
Jul 26, 2023 7:42 PM

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Oct 2022
43
Animation quality is a bit noticably sub-par but the source material is clearly great and presents a fascinating and wholly unique world for its narrative, looking forward to see if there's good meat in the story to dig my teeth into :p
Aug 11, 2023 4:22 PM

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Feb 2019
8243
If she would’ve actually had Mizuno executed this was gonna be a 5/10 at most lmao. So glad he ended up happy with his childhood friend. The shogun going around trying to have sex with all the ugly old dudes had me dying as well.

When dude first got to the Ooku and they were trying to sexually assault him I was like wtf. Glad that didn’t happen in the end. But a very promising and fun twist on history.
Aug 12, 2023 12:32 PM
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Mar 2022
54
wow what an interesting anime we have here fr I'm so suprises 🤩🤩
Aug 13, 2023 9:16 PM

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Aug 2019
1460
Yet again I feel a disconnect from the anime fanbase at large, because forget about "Oshi no Ko." This should've been the one-hour long first episode that's getting talked about (I did not expect that going in and was surprised at first, but I enjoyed every minute of this episode and it did not waste a single second). Some things are good but will unlikely get that mainstream buzz, so I'm unsurprised this isn't, but I can dream of a world where this is one of the most talked about animes of this year. Mizuno is my Ai. As much as I like him, I'm not complaining that he was a character to introduce the workings of this world through before he went off and had his happy ending. I'm getting mixed signals, but it looks like my man Sugishita is going to be a prominent character moving forward and I'm rooting for him to move up through the ranks.

Overall, I was already interested in this series knowing what I did about the premise before going in, but this first episode sold me - to the point where I'm nervous that it's not going to live up to all the potential that it has. It's rare for an anime/manga to center around gender the way this series is and there's so much that it can do with it. I was scandalized. I was intrigued. I'm both excited to see how far "Oooku" can go with it and scared that it will drop the ball because it'll be so easy for it to. At the moment, I'll try to level my excitement to a tentative optimism, but this is a good start!




EDIT: Also need to mention Yoshimune since I forgot to talk about her, but I was expecting her to be an antagonistic figure that showed how the flaws of the old system continued into this new system and would be an obstacle to overcome. However, with the Mizuno twist and what follows afterwards (that was so funny), it becomes clear that that's not the case and she'll be a leading figure in trying to bring about equality. Different from what I was expecting, but I'm interested. Someone mentioned how funny it is that she's going after the less conventionally attractive men and that was pretty amusing. Nice of her to make their day, but I'm hoping it's less pity and more her having eccentric tastes.
bucciestAug 14, 2023 9:34 AM
Aug 28, 2023 3:49 AM

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This is just uncomfortable to watch, it feels like they took the premise of World's end harem, but instead of making it a borderline hentai, it's a court drama where men act like women would if the plague didn't happen.
Aug 28, 2023 6:20 AM
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
11343
JaniSIr said:
This is just uncomfortable to watch, it feels like they took the premise of World's end harem, but instead of making it a borderline hentai, it's a court drama where men act like women would if the plague didn't happen.
Ooku is more than a decade older than World Ends Harem so if anyone took the premise, it was the other way around. Plus the source material could not be more different in quality, both art, characterization and overall storyline.
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Aug 28, 2023 7:30 AM

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Jul 2021
6803
Farabeuf said:
JaniSIr said:
This is just uncomfortable to watch, it feels like they took the premise of World's end harem, but instead of making it a borderline hentai, it's a court drama where men act like women would if the plague didn't happen.
Ooku is more than a decade older than World Ends Harem so if anyone took the premise, it was the other way around. Plus the source material could not be more different in quality, both art, characterization and overall storyline.

You know, the age of the source material and your opinion on World's end harem doesn't really matter.

The important part is that it's really weird watching a series where you recognise all the female character tropes, except they are just played by men.
The backstory alluded to a plague, not mass brain transplantation between the two sexes. I'd expect a better exploration of how a mass male extinction would affect society.

Anyway, I am admittedly at the very beginning of the plot still, but the first impression is not positive.
Aug 28, 2023 10:15 PM
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
11343
JaniSIr said:
Farabeuf said:
Ooku is more than a decade older than World Ends Harem so if anyone took the premise, it was the other way around. Plus the source material could not be more different in quality, both art, characterization and overall storyline.

You know, the age of the source material and your opinion on World's end harem doesn't really matter.

The important part is that it's really weird watching a series where you recognise all the female character tropes, except they are just played by men.
The backstory alluded to a plague, not mass brain transplantation between the two sexes. I'd expect a better exploration of how a mass male extinction would affect society.

Anyway, I am admittedly at the very beginning of the plot still, but the first impression is not positive.

You’re the one who brought in Worlds End. No one else here has reached for that one around these parts.

And if my opinion on something “doesn’t really matter “ as you in your high throne like to say, why come into a discussion thread where only you opinion matters. Strange.

Carry on
FarabeufAug 28, 2023 10:19 PM
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Aug 28, 2023 11:01 PM

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Jul 2021
6803
Farabeuf said:
JaniSIr said:

You know, the age of the source material and your opinion on World's end harem doesn't really matter.

The important part is that it's really weird watching a series where you recognise all the female character tropes, except they are just played by men.
The backstory alluded to a plague, not mass brain transplantation between the two sexes. I'd expect a better exploration of how a mass male extinction would affect society.

Anyway, I am admittedly at the very beginning of the plot still, but the first impression is not positive.

You’re the one who brought in Worlds End. No one else here has reached for that one around these parts.

And if my opinion on something “doesn’t really matter “ as you in your high throne like to say, why come into a discussion thread where only you opinion matters. Strange.

Carry on

So why are you insisting on talking about that so much, when the only reason I mentioned it was because they both had a virus killing men?
You know, you had a chance to talk about your favourite manga or whatever instead.
Sep 12, 2023 4:23 PM
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Mar 2019
7380
Really nice opener for History buffs.
Did not think Yunoshin would only be in the first episode, he got his happy ending though.
Now for the real storyline.

Sep 30, 2023 11:38 AM

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May 2020
741
Whoa, honestly, I didn't expect this to be this funny in the beginning.

Yunoshin has been a funny character so far. The way O Nobu calls him a lecherous pervert who can't keep it inside his pants 🤣🤣🤣.

But aren't all the men inside the Inner Chamber supposed to be virgins? Guess Pages aren't required to be virgins. Yunoshin can get really cool when serious.

I like this new shogun. She saved Yunoshin and also allowed him to have a new life away from Ooku.

Fujinami thought he could seduce the shogun with those 50 guys wearing similar clothes as Yunoshin, but the plan backfired. Expected it, loved it. Kashiwagi guy wanted to rise above in ranks. I feel good that he was dismissed along with others.

Whoa, Omitsu is cool, and knows how to put Fujinami in place. Perfect aide to the shogun.

The shogun is going to read the past. Let's see how this goes.
Oct 25, 2023 12:04 AM

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Mar 2012
665
after another horrible first episode i watched today, wow, i'm impressed.
this is like Y mixed with the barbie movie, during the shogunate and that sounds a bit like a hentai plot but it's actually the most though provoking and interesting anime i've watched in a long while. now it's 4am and i wanna binge watch instead of going to bed. 🤡

i looked up the manga and they don't have it available in my country. );
Nov 8, 2023 12:11 PM
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Feb 2013
34
trash, don't watch
Dec 17, 2023 9:25 PM
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Feb 2015
338
The Woman Shogun is MVP here, she's cunning, brilliant and does thing in fair judgement and have thought the rule as ridiculous, totally agree. The Nobu name accidental with his sweetheart was heartbreaking and the reverse concubine world in the Oooku are interesting.

I guess this is just the beginning of heartbreaking, angsty historical romance. Just my thing
jumbosanDec 17, 2023 9:29 PM
Feb 18, 10:53 PM
CD enthusiast

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Jan 2024
379
Not exactly the most unique premise, and so far it seems that the world isn't too different despite women gaining power over men, but the historical and cultural aspects make it all the more intriguing regardless.

Also, maybe it's a Japanese thing, but it's interesting that the court prefers feminine men, not unlike eunuchs or something. None of the men have facial hair, and despite many of them being over 30, they continue to maintain the appearance of teenage boys. Not suggesting anything in particular, but it's a curiosity nonetheless ;-)

Look forward to watching more!
Apr 25, 8:22 AM

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Nov 2012
4558
good start, after a train-wreck catching up on some netflix with drifting dragons, make my day and the average yakitori, feel like I've been on a good run with Good night world, Grimm Variations and now this!
I have a third testicle that gives me psychic powers

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