Ōoku (TV series)
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Ōoku (大奥) was a Japanese drama produced by FujiTV. The story is set in the Edo period and is fiction set against a background of historical fact.
The name Ōoku means the shogun's harem. See the section "History of Ōoku" below.
The popularity of the show has produced five series (1968, 1983, 2003, and 2005) as well as a 2006 film, Oh! Oku.
This article is about a series that focuses on the last two shoguns. An earlier series of the same title was a saga of loosely related episodes progressing from the earliest Tokugawa shoguns to the end.
[edit] Main casts
- Tokuko - Miho Kanno
- Takiyama - Yuko Asano
- Maru - Chizuru Ikewaki
- Kazunomiya - Yumi Adachi
- Tougo - Ryuji Harada
- Iesada Tokugawa - Kazuki Kitamura
- Von Liquanstein - Vandon Linstein
[edit] Summary of the story
The story is set in Edo period in Ōoku, a place where thousands of women work for one general. The story is told from Maru's point of view. Maru is a girl from a merchant family. At that time, working in Ōoku was popular among girls. Maru was curious about Ōoku and took a job there out of curiosity. Other workers tended to bully her. One day, Tokuko, who was Tokugawa shogun's wife (御台所midaidokoro) saved Maru from the bullying. Maru and Tokuko become very close friends even though there was a great difference in their ranks.
Tokuko was born in high class Samurai family in Satsuma. She had a boyfriend, Tougo, who she wanted to marry. But for political reason, she had to marry Iesada Tokugawa and live her whole life in Ōoku. Tokuko is clever, tough and has her own beliefs, so she always wanted to escape from Ōoku. Maru helps Tokuko's surroundings and also supports her mentally. Tokuko didn't like the system and rules of Ōoku, so she takes defiant attitude toward Takiyama, the woman who administrates system in Ōoku.
Takiyama is the woman with the strongest authority in Ōoku. She is able to speak with the general equally. She is very strict to everyone especially Tokuko and Maru, who are considered outsiders. She was born in a very poor family, but because of her beauty, she got a job in Ōoku. She worked hard to protect Ōoku because it is the only place she can live.
Takiyama disliked Tokuko, not only because she was from Satsuma. Takiyama was envy of Tokuko because she was wife of Iesada Tokugawa. Takiyama used be Iesada's lover, but because of the distinction between their ranks, they couldn't marry or even love each other in official. Iesada's feeling goes toward Tokuko when he marry her. Though, Takiyama still couldn't forget about Iesada. Therefore Takiyama correspond to Tokuko especially strict. Takiyama indicates her worker to kill Tokuko by poison.
One day, Tokuko fell flat suddenly when she was eating her dinner. Someone poisoned her dinner. Tokuko narrowly escape death and starts doubting Takiyama. Takiyama ignored her doubts, but Tokuko found poison from the kitchen. She asked Takiyama what the poison was. Takiyama said that it was a medicine for not having baby. Tokuko was Iesada's wife, but he had already got a child who become the next general. Therefore, it was better for Tokuko to not have any children. Tokuko was shocked about the story Takiyama said.
Tokuko was in the depths of despair. Having children was her only hope in Ōoku. If she could have a baby, she would have a hope for living. Though, as Takiyama said, she was not allowed to have a baby. She completely lost her hope for living. At the same time, Iesada's body was eaten up by unknown illness.
One day, there was a fire in Edo castle and Ōoku was also damaged. Ōoku was in panic. Maru leads Tokuko to somewhere safe, but Tokuko suddenly went to the opposite side. Maru ran to Iesada to tell about Tokuko. Iesada went inside Ōoku again to find Tokuko. Takiyama tried to stop him but he won't listen. Though, he fell down spitting blood. Tokuko was found by Maru and hear about Iesada. She stays aside him, but there was nothing Tokuko can do. Iesada died taking Tokuko's hand.
Tokuko's lover, Tougo comes from Satsuma to help Tokuko escape from Ōoku, but she refuses his offer. Tokuko decided to live in Ōoku and do what she can do. She said to Tougo that she learned lot of things from Iesada. Takiyama hears this conversation and change her image of Tokuko. Iesada Tokugawa's age had ended.
[edit] History of Ōoku
Ōoku was a place built in the Edo period of Tokugawa, one of the famous shoguns (Japanese general). Ōoku was a home for producing the general's successor. If the general didn't have a child to take his place, it would have been a problem in Japanese society of that period. Because of the desperate need for an heir, thousands of women served for one general.
Ōoku was made inside the Edo castle in 1607, by Hidetada, another Japanese general. He made a special law for Ōoku to completely separate from the outside world. Therefore, people, especially women living in Ōoku couldn't go out of the castle without permission. This system lasted for nearly 200 years.
