New Netflix anime shows story with inverted roles and women in prominent positions

Produced by Netflix in partnership with DEEN studio, Ōoku: Inside the Castle is the highly anticipated adaptation of renowned manga by Fumi Yoshinaga, bearing the same name. Published in Melody magazine between 2004 and 2020, the manga consists of a series of 19 volumes. Its notable quality earned it recognition by winning awards from the Japan Media Arts Festival and the Japanese Association of Feminist Fantasy and Science Fiction. Inspired by the Ōoku, the historic quarters of the women of Edo Castle during the Tokugawa shogunate period, Ōoku: Inside the Castle offers a fascinating narrative that unveils the story of the castle's inner chambers, where gender roles are inverted. In this fictional world, women assume power and become the dominant force, transforming the hereditary structure and challenging the social norms of the era. The story begins in the Edo era, specifically during the shogunate period of Tokugawa Iemitsu. In this historical context, a deadly disease called red-faced smallpox begins to spread rapidly, causing an alarming mortality rate, reaching nearly 80%. However, what makes this disease even more intriguing is the fact that it exclusively affects boys. This peculiarity of red-faced smallpox triggers a series of events and transformations in the society portrayed in Kaze to Ki no Uta. With boys being the primary victims of this devastating disease, women find themselves in the role of leaders and protectors of the community. This inversion of gender roles redefines social dynamics, as women become the central nucleus of power and governance, challenging existing patriarchal structures. Ōoku: Inside the Castle promises to be a captivating work, filled with intrigue, politics, and reflections on gender and power. With its historical setting and the author's ability to create complex characters, this adaptation will certainly bring relevant questions about society to light, while offering an engaging and emotional narrative. Manga fans and period story enthusiasts will certainly await with great anticipation the debut of the highly anticipated adaptation on Netflix.

Men are rare in the storyline of Ōoku: Inside the Castle

In Ōoku: Inside the Castle the disease creates a significant disparity between men and women, triggering a drastic social transformation. Boys become a valuable rarity, raised for the purpose of becoming grooms or being sold to brothels. Meanwhile, women emerge as the dominant workforce, and the hereditary structure adopts a matriarchal approach, even affecting the shogunate itself. This is the main plot of the anime, bringing a peculiar perspective on the subject, which caused great controversy at the launch of the original manga. [caption id="attachment_255940" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image: Reproduction/Twitter[/caption]

Meet the voice actors cast of the Netflix anime

For the anime Ōoku: Inside the Castle, Netflix and DEEN studio brought together big names for the voice acting of the adaptation. Highlights go to Mamoru Miyano, Eriko Matsui, Yuki Kaji, Kikuko Inoue, Jun Fukuyama, Tomokazu Seki, Miyuki Satou, and Sanae Kobayashi.

Watch the trailer for Ōoku: Inside the Castle, Netflix's new controversial anime

https://youtu.be/vAybfUg6vUc