Ōoku: The Inner Chambers

I binge-watched this in one afternoon, and I must say it was a pleasant surprise. It's not just an excitingting glimpse behind the walls of a harem. It's not just an attempt to depict an alternative history where men and women have to exchange roles whether they want to or not. It is also a decent romantic drama. Sometimes, it is pretty raw, occasionally disturbing, but everything fits into the historical setting, and it makes sense overall. The authors seem to have put a lot of effort into planning the story and its many details. They present many problems, explaining or showing how they occurred. They seek solutions through individual characters, analyze them, and offer different perspectives. The results are often not ideal, but they fit beautifully into the historical context of Japan and its mentality. Everything holds together; most characters stay true to their character, and when they are moved somewhere, it makes sense, and everything feels natural. What disappointed me a bit was that the animation seemed mediocre, and the music was almost nonexistent. It's a shame not to utilize traditional Japanese musical instruments for an anime set in a historical context. However, it was still an exciting experience, so I'm giving it a 7/10. (30/06/2023)