Ooku: The Inner Chambers (2023) s01e04 Episode Script
Episode 4
[birdsong]
[groans]
Wonderful, it looks like the swelling
has already reduced significantly.
Already, huh?
It's thanks to your care, that's certain.
[kitten meows]
- What is it, Waka-Murasaki?
- [purring]
Are you hungry?
Master Arikoto. Waka-Murasaki!
You have chosen such an elegant name
for a cat such as this one.
Do you think so?
- [Murase] Excuse me. Sorry to bother you.
- [both] Hmm?
I have arrived to escort you today,
my lord.
- [Arikoto] Grooms of the Bedchamber?
- [Murase] Indeed.
Initially, this position was intended
for the female personal attendants
of the shogun.
The women were also
candidates for our liege's concubines.
Following in that custom,
we call the men who were assembled here
to be the grooms of our liege
the Grooms of the Bedchamber.
We felt it was a fitting description.
So there are other Grooms?
I haven't run into any around yet.
Why, then, was I brought
here in the first place?
Well, perhaps the best way
to think about it
is that our liege is a very
picky and difficult customer.
[sighs]
ŌOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS
[Murase] I would like to introduce to you
Master Arikoto,
the son of
Lord Madenokoji Arizumi.
[all] Oh!
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I am Madenokoji Arikoto.
Uh, my name is, uh Katsuta Yorihide.
And I am Wada Masataka.
Sunami Shigesato.
So you're the one we've heard about?
The former monk who has renounced his vows
because he got too greedy.
[sighs]
Huh. You are easy on the eyes, I suppose.
It's good to finally know
what our liege prefers.
Soft, effeminate lover boys like you.
Young maidens do not
appreciate true men, do they?
Come on, come on.
You had better be careful.
Even if you are called upon to report to
our liege's bedchamber to attend to her,
you might be killed if you displease her.
Huh?
It has been said that shortly afterwards,
our honorable liege, by her own hand,
slayed the first man she laid with
three years ago.
According to her, he had injured
her body in some way, and, well
It seems that her violent temper
is equal to that of her father's.
I wonder if such a delicate young man
from Kyoto
can tame such an unruly wild horse?
Being an ex-monk and all,
I don't think he has much experience
even riding a horse, let alone a woman!
[all laughing]
[Katsuta] Good one! Good one!
"The superior man is confident
without being arrogant."
Huh?
Interesting. I always thought
that the men who were our warriors
would be more reserved
and much more reticent, or stoic.
Who knew they would be
such talkative chatterboxes,
like a gaggle of
ladies-in-waiting at the imperial court?
- Wha
- [growls]
Our liege is a lady
of great pride and dignity.
Even a small hint
of condescension from you,
and she would notice it plainly,
right away.
And you'd be gone, because
she'd see through you in an instant.
Say what you will about me,
go ahead and talk all you want.
But I would strongly advise
you not to speak ill about her,
let alone compare her
with an unruly wild horse.
How dare you speak to us that way?
Do you have no manners?
You're right about that.
You could not be more right, sir.
I only meant to come and say hello,
and it seems I overstayed my welcome.
Please excuse me.
[growls]
[Gyokuei] Here is your supper, sir.
Thank you, Gyokuei.
But I must say, the food served here
in Edo
still doesn't quite sit right with me.
It's salty, and the flavor
in their broth is so faint
[Arikoto chuckles]
We shouldn't complain about the food.
[laughs]
Just appreciate what we have.
Hmm. Is everything all right, Master?
Please take the tray away
Wh what is it?
Tell me, what's the matter, Master?
- [meowing]
- [Arikoto groans]
- [Gyokuei] Hey!
- Huh?
Which one of you plated
the food on this tray, huh?
This shan't be excused
as just mere negligence!
Which one of you put
the carcass of a rat in this soup bowl?
[chuckles] "Oh no! This shan't be,"
he says.
Got no idea.
Maybe it wanted to go for a swim,
so it got up on the table
and jumped
into the bowl on its own?
[cooks laughing]
Hey! Do none of you have any decency?
That's enough!
It was you, wasn't it?
And what are you gonna do about it, kid?
- Good evening. Please excuse me, sir.
- Huh?
Did you happen to see a boy of 14,
15 years of age
with a top knot in his hair?
You're the new servant page
for the shogun, huh?
That's right
- If you happen to see my attendant
- Man whore.
[gasps]
[spits] A poor noble youth sells his body
to rise above his station
to the status
of the shogun's servant page?
How far we've fallen from
the time of heroic wars.
[tense music]
- A dead rat?
- [Gyokuei] That's right!
I want you to go down there
and reprimand those cooks in the kitchen
for what they did!
You're the one who has to do it,
because they'll only listen to you.
Oh. Oh, yes, that is probably true.
I will see that this gets addressed.
I can talk to them
and let them know something like this
should never happen again.
See to it that it doesn't!
It's late now, I have to go. [grumbles]
[Murase] You don't look so well.
And your sleeve seems to be coming off.
Shut up! It's none of your business!
Just leave me alone.
[door closes]
[wincing]
[groans]
Damn it, those brutes were careful
to only hit me in places
where it would be hidden.
[whimpering]
Master Shigesato, come on!
Let us have our turn when you're finished
[Sunami] I know. I'll share.
[groaning]
- [grunts]
- [Sunami] You like that?
You must have experience from being
a catamite for the monks at the temple.
Made a plaything of by the "chaste" monks
every night?
Hmph, that's exactly right!
And so, this is nothing to me.
Although you're different.
I will kill you someday.
That is a promise,
you no-good plaguesome brat!
[growls]
[screams]
[thinks] I'll kill them
[Arikoto] "And my friend tells me,
'Things have not gone so well.'"
"'I'd rather rest
at the foot of Nanshan mountain.'"
"Please just go now."
"Do not ask me any more questions.'
"White clouds drift with no end."
By "Things have not gone so well,"
we can infer that this friend means
that he wants to withdraw,
away from society,
because he finds that
a proximity to others
does not agree
with his sensibilities any longer.
- To this friend, he says that
- [Sunami] Hey! Master Arikoto.
- Time to report to the dojo.
- [gulps]
It is part of our duty as men in the Ōoku.
We are required to train in swordsmanship.
We need to protect our liege
from any and all danger.
- [grunts]
- [gasps] Aah! What do you want?
What do you think you're doing? How rude!
No matter what it is
you may have been before,
now you will carry two swords
as a samurai.
You must do everything you can
to become a man of the Ōoku.
- [Sunami grunts]
- [Arikoto gasps]
I'm coming along as well!
[buzz of conversation]
Master Sawamura. As the sword master,
please allow this man to experience
what swordsmanship truly is.
Master Arikoto, that man
- He's the one who slayed Master Myokei!
- [gasps]
[melancholy music]
[Gyokuei breathing shakily]
[Iemitsu] O-Man!
O-Man! O-Man! It's me!
Where could he be right now?
With respect, Master Arikoto headed off
to the dojo a little earlier in the day.
Huh? He went to the dojo?
My liege, if you would be so kind,
please refrain from ever straying outside
of the first wing from here on out.
I have been strictly ordered
by the Honored Kasuga
that this rule must be followed.
- [cat meows]
- Hmm?
Ugh, don't act so familiar with me!
I don't like animals!
[sighs]
[man 1] Master Sawamura, give a good
thrashing to this pale-faced weakling!
- [man 2] Absolutely!
- [man 3] That would be a treat!
Do not hold back. Come right at me.
I do not deny that it was me
who killed the attendant monk
who accompanied you to the Outer Chambers.
You can think of me as your sworn enemy.
[Arikoto sighs]
I cannot strike you.
At one time, I served the Buddha.
I don't want to strike someone
with my heart clouded by hate.
[yells]
[gasps]
[Sawamura] This might be a wooden sword,
but if it had struck you just now,
you would surely be dead.
[Arikoto] I have no doubt.
So you don't care If you live or die?
Hm. Very well.
Then I will have you
do some practice swings.
- [all murmuring]
- [growls] Damn that Sawamura.
He found a way to ruin everything.
So now you can repeat that
another 500 times.
You cannot be serious!
He's never even held a sword in
his hands until a few moments ago!
That's why it is only 500.
For the men whose job is
to guard the castle,
I make them do it
one thousand times a day.
Then I shall do it one thousand times.
[laughter]
Master Arikoto
Very good! Very good! This'll be fun.
- [man 4] Show us one thousand swings!
- You may begin!
For one.
[dramatic music]
- And two.
- [men exclaiming]
Now three.
Four.
Five.
[narrator] Naturally, after 50 times,
Arikoto started to run short of breath.
[gasping]
Wow! You're unsteady already!
You must have weak knees!
- And 77!
- [Arikoto sighs]
[man 5] What's the matter?
[man 6] What an utter disgrace.
- He won't last even 100 times.
- [Sawamura] 78!
[man 4] Hey, what's going on?
[grunting]
[narrator] However
302!
The tip of the sword was not straight
when you raised it up.
Do it again! 302!
303!
304!
305!
[Arikoto gasping]
[Sawamura] 802.
[groans]
803!
[groans]
[Sawamura] One thousand!
[panting]
[sighs]
One thousand completed.
Not bad. That will be all for today.
Master Arikoto!
[gasps] I can't believe it!
Why did you do something so reckless?
It pained me to watch you go through that.
[Arikoto] Gyokuei
[sighs] Forgive me
- [Gyokuei sobs]
- [Arikoto] But I didn't do any of this
out of stubbornness
or anything like that.
You see, I
[sighs] It's just that
[sighs] I can't
I don't want to have to think anymore
[gasps]
[Iemitsu] O-Man.
O-Man!
- O-Man!
- [slap]
[gasps]
Uh
Oh. Oh, m my liege? [groans]
Hmph.
The sword master told me about it.
So, you collapsed in the dojo after
doing a set of practice swings, was it?
Truly pitiful.
And yet, for some reason,
Den'emon was still praising you,
despite you passing out.
[meowing and purring]
[Iemitsu] Hmph.
Waka-Murasaki is what I named her.
[Iemitsu] Waka-Murasaki
[purring]
[gentle music]
[chuckles]
She is adorable, isn't she, though?
[Iemitsu] I hate it
because it is adorable.
It is small and warm, just like a baby.
It reminds me of my daughter.
[gasps]
What is it? You think it's strange
that I should have a daughter?
She was born when I was 15 years old.
It was soon afterwards that she died.
[Arikoto] Oh!
Oh
Hmph. Are you disappointed
that I'm not a virgin?
No, not at all, my liege.
A mother losing her child
is one of the deepest sorrows
to exist in this world.
You have my most profound sympathy.
[narrator] And ever since that day,
Iemitsu started to visit
Arikoto's chamber frequently.
- [meowing]
- [Iemitsu laughing]
[Arikoto chuckles]
Get it! Yeah, get it!
O-Man, I was wondering.
Has anyone ever told you
the story of the seven-colored meals?
Seven-colored meals?
Apparently, ever since he was young,
my late father never had
much of an appetite.
So every morning, Kasuga would prepare
seven different breakfasts for him.
Now, now, Master Takechiyo.
Since there's so many options,
there must be at least one here
that pleases you.
And that was how the Ōoku was created.
Huh?
See, Kasuga knew that he preferred
young men over young women,
so she thought that
if she collected many women,
there would have to be
at least one among them
that maybe my father would fancy.
And she's applied the same
principle with me now too.
So that is the reason why we have
four men currently in the Ōoku.
Oh, I see.
[meows]
[Iemitsu chuckles]
[laughs]
[laughs]
It's so funny, isn't it?
Kasuga comes off
as such a cunning, calculating schemer,
and everyone is always so afraid of her!
But her method all boils down
to the seven-colored meals!
[both laugh]
How does she not see it at this point?
My father never learned to love and enjoy
the body of a woman
until he was much older,
and by then,
e didn't have many years left.
Kasuga may be a formidable woman,
but as a mother, she's a doting fool.
[thinks] This lady
She might be difficult to please,
but she is far from foolish.
[cicadas chirping]
Mmm.
Our liege just called me "O-Tama."
She just renamed me
right there on the spot.
All she said was,
"So you're Gyokuei, huh?"
"Then let us call you O-Tama."
[laughs] There is nothing
you can do about that.
That is just how she is.
But why, though? She calls
you by your name, Masasuke, doesn't she?
- Doesn't seem fair to me.
- Now, now, Gyokuei.
You must eat your meal with a gentle mind.
[meows]
You know, our liege sure has come around
regarding Waka-Murasaki.
- Now she really loves this cat, huh?
- [meows]
You must not call this cat Waka-Murasaki,
as it is considered to be rude.
Since the cat was a present
from our liege,
she must be called "the honorable cat."
Better pay special attention
so she doesn't get hurt.
Hmm.
[cicadas chirping]
From what I understand,
you're telling me
our liege has been visiting that fellow's
chamber quite often these days?
Yes. It seems that our liege
has gifted him a cat.
[Wada] Apparently, the two of them spend
a lot of time together playing with it.
[Katsuta] I'd say
it's only a matter of time
until he is invited into her bedchamber.
[Sunami grunts]
All while you sit here
and call yourselves men?
We entered this Ōoku with the promise that
we could be the father of the next shogun!
And even if that doesn't happen,
we still will never be allowed
to set foot outside of these walls
until we die!
Does that sit well with you?
Because I won't stand for it!
[both sigh]
Yes, well
I hear him, but what can we
possibly do in this situation?
I know. I do understand how
Master Shigesato feels, though.
To rot away in the Ōoku, without
accomplishing anything in life
It's hard to stomach.
[Sunami] Agh!
This place is too big! Going
to the latrine can be such a hassle!
- [meows]
- I know, I know, there, there.
I'm sorry to squeeze you
into my clothes here like this.
[meows]
Waka-Murasaki please forgive me for this.
Waka-Murasaki is missing?
Yes, my liege.
I haven't seen her anywhere
in my chambers this morning.
- Gyokuei is searching
- [Gyokuei] Master Arikoto!
[panting] Something terrible has happened!
The honorable cat is
The honorable cat is
[dramatic music]
[Sunami] I do not know anything
at all about this, I swear!
But the evidence, Shigesato.
The bloodied corpse of the honorable cat
was indeed found in the garden
right in the vicinity
outside of your chamber door.
[whimpers]
Inspect Shigesato's sword immediately.
The blade here is stained red
with blood. Is it possible
[gasps]
You shall die now, by my hand!
[Sunami] My liege!
I beseech you to stop now, my liege!
Step aside, O-Man!
No, I cannot do that.
Out of my way!
[gasps]
[Kasuga] My liege.
If I may intervene as well?
Using your sword on a low fellow like
this will only serve to taint the blade.
Please, allow me
to take care of this for you.
Kasuga!
Shigesato.
You know what you need to do.
Gah!
[gasps]
[Iemitsu] Hmph!
[chuckles]
[both gasp]
Oh
I hear that your master's hands
had never held a sword,
and yet he was able to finish
all one thousand swings!
Many people have said that
the sword master, Master Sawamura,
spoke very highly of him,
a rare occurrence indeed!
Well, of course!
My master did do all one thousand swings.
And they were all with good form, too.
Hmm!
And you heard about what happened
to Sunami Shigesato.
Oh, about him killing the honorable cat.
Well, my master stepped in
to plead on his behalf,
fully knowing he could end up
taking the sword himself.
- No way!
- Is that really true?
And because he did that, Shigesato was
able to die an honorable death
by committing seppuku like a samurai.
- Wow!
- Amazing! What a master you have!
[chuckles]
[narrator] The dynamics inside the Ōoku's
chambers were starting to change.
[birdsong]
These days, I get to hear many stories
from the people who work in the kitchen,
and there was one story regarding
the sword master I wanted to share.
According to the story,
it seems that Master Sawamura
walks outside the castle every night
with only a few guards to accompany him.
And when he returns,
he is holding in his hand
a long tassel of some woman's hair.
Hmm.
As of late, there is a samurai in Edo
who slashes maidens' hair
as if to test the sharpness of his sword.
Many young women have met the same fate.
[gasps]
What is this? Why are we here?
It is the grave of Waka-Murasaki.
If you like, offer some prayers,
so the soul of Waka-Murasaki can rest
in peace and harmony, my liege.
No. I won't.
It's not like prayers would be able
to bring her back anyway.
I don't see the point.
Well, my liege.
I believe that funerals are held
for the sake of those who are left behind.
Not for those who have left their body.
And while you chant prayers,
you calm your heart and mind,
remember your lost one,
and offer more prayers.
As one repeats that process, I do believe
that one starts to heal from the sorrow
of losing the loved one.
- Otherwise
- [grunts] Those are just nice words!
[gasps]
The only people such platitudes work on
are the ones who were already happy
to begin with!
What are we supposed to do
if the waves of grief give us no rest,
so much so that chanting prayers
provides no relief,
no matter how much you repeat them?
[gasps] You stopped me,
but all I had to do was slay Shigesato,
and that would have
been the end of the story!
[gasps]
Rather than spending my time chanting
prayers and sitting around crying,
I cut down my enemy!
If I had let you kill him, that wouldn't
have brought back Waka-Murasaki, either.
Terrible things happen in the world
where no one is to blame.
What about when there's an enemy, but you
cannot touch them? What would you do?
What a silly question. I would simply
slay someone who happens to be nearby.
There are plenty of people around here
whose lives aren't really worth living.
[gasps]
[thinks] What kind of
- My liege.
- What is it?
Did you by any chance ever happen
to decide to vent such anger
on the young maidens of Edo?
[gasps]
What are you asking?
In the town of Edo, I saw a maiden
whose hair had been cut short.
Apparently, there is a samurai
who lurks around in the streets
for the sole purpose
of slashing maidens' hair.
[Iemitsu sighs]
Your point?
Hmph.
Hmph.
[grunts]
[groans]
[gasps]
Are you satisfied now?
Indeed it is true, I ordered Sawamura
to go out there and cut off wenches' hair!
It's nothing but a silly,
harmless prank, though.
It's not like I was ordering him to kill
those wenches or anything like that.
[gasps] That's so foolish of you!
What did you say?
You might feel better, my liege,
but what about the maidens
whose hair was chopped off?
Why would you do such a foolish thing?
To be so needlessly cruel
to people who are your subjects?
[Iemitsu laughs]
My subjects? Are they really? Hah!
You're the one who's foolish!
No one around here truly thinks of me
as their liege!
I am nothing but a walking womb
to host another Tokugawa child
to continue this damn bloodline!
Kasuga coddles me because I suppose
she sees so much of my late father in me!
I didn't
Gah! [grunts]
I didn't choose to live my life like this,
hiding away in the Ōoku,
spending my days dressed as a man!
When I first arrived, I met a maiden.
She had just lost her brother
to red-face smallpox.
That's how it is for most of us.
Yet most people, they attempt to accept
the fates that they cannot change
and find a way to learn to live with them.
[poignant music]
[sobbing]
I am no different from them!
Was I not brought here,
against my will, for your pleasure?
If you think you are the only one
who suffers and feels pain,
you could not be more wrong!
[gasps]
[whimpers]
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY
[groans]
Wonderful, it looks like the swelling
has already reduced significantly.
Already, huh?
It's thanks to your care, that's certain.
[kitten meows]
- What is it, Waka-Murasaki?
- [purring]
Are you hungry?
Master Arikoto. Waka-Murasaki!
You have chosen such an elegant name
for a cat such as this one.
Do you think so?
- [Murase] Excuse me. Sorry to bother you.
- [both] Hmm?
I have arrived to escort you today,
my lord.
- [Arikoto] Grooms of the Bedchamber?
- [Murase] Indeed.
Initially, this position was intended
for the female personal attendants
of the shogun.
The women were also
candidates for our liege's concubines.
Following in that custom,
we call the men who were assembled here
to be the grooms of our liege
the Grooms of the Bedchamber.
We felt it was a fitting description.
So there are other Grooms?
I haven't run into any around yet.
Why, then, was I brought
here in the first place?
Well, perhaps the best way
to think about it
is that our liege is a very
picky and difficult customer.
[sighs]
ŌOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS
[Murase] I would like to introduce to you
Master Arikoto,
the son of
Lord Madenokoji Arizumi.
[all] Oh!
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I am Madenokoji Arikoto.
Uh, my name is, uh Katsuta Yorihide.
And I am Wada Masataka.
Sunami Shigesato.
So you're the one we've heard about?
The former monk who has renounced his vows
because he got too greedy.
[sighs]
Huh. You are easy on the eyes, I suppose.
It's good to finally know
what our liege prefers.
Soft, effeminate lover boys like you.
Young maidens do not
appreciate true men, do they?
Come on, come on.
You had better be careful.
Even if you are called upon to report to
our liege's bedchamber to attend to her,
you might be killed if you displease her.
Huh?
It has been said that shortly afterwards,
our honorable liege, by her own hand,
slayed the first man she laid with
three years ago.
According to her, he had injured
her body in some way, and, well
It seems that her violent temper
is equal to that of her father's.
I wonder if such a delicate young man
from Kyoto
can tame such an unruly wild horse?
Being an ex-monk and all,
I don't think he has much experience
even riding a horse, let alone a woman!
[all laughing]
[Katsuta] Good one! Good one!
"The superior man is confident
without being arrogant."
Huh?
Interesting. I always thought
that the men who were our warriors
would be more reserved
and much more reticent, or stoic.
Who knew they would be
such talkative chatterboxes,
like a gaggle of
ladies-in-waiting at the imperial court?
- Wha
- [growls]
Our liege is a lady
of great pride and dignity.
Even a small hint
of condescension from you,
and she would notice it plainly,
right away.
And you'd be gone, because
she'd see through you in an instant.
Say what you will about me,
go ahead and talk all you want.
But I would strongly advise
you not to speak ill about her,
let alone compare her
with an unruly wild horse.
How dare you speak to us that way?
Do you have no manners?
You're right about that.
You could not be more right, sir.
I only meant to come and say hello,
and it seems I overstayed my welcome.
Please excuse me.
[growls]
[Gyokuei] Here is your supper, sir.
Thank you, Gyokuei.
But I must say, the food served here
in Edo
still doesn't quite sit right with me.
It's salty, and the flavor
in their broth is so faint
[Arikoto chuckles]
We shouldn't complain about the food.
[laughs]
Just appreciate what we have.
Hmm. Is everything all right, Master?
Please take the tray away
Wh what is it?
Tell me, what's the matter, Master?
- [meowing]
- [Arikoto groans]
- [Gyokuei] Hey!
- Huh?
Which one of you plated
the food on this tray, huh?
This shan't be excused
as just mere negligence!
Which one of you put
the carcass of a rat in this soup bowl?
[chuckles] "Oh no! This shan't be,"
he says.
Got no idea.
Maybe it wanted to go for a swim,
so it got up on the table
and jumped
into the bowl on its own?
[cooks laughing]
Hey! Do none of you have any decency?
That's enough!
It was you, wasn't it?
And what are you gonna do about it, kid?
- Good evening. Please excuse me, sir.
- Huh?
Did you happen to see a boy of 14,
15 years of age
with a top knot in his hair?
You're the new servant page
for the shogun, huh?
That's right
- If you happen to see my attendant
- Man whore.
[gasps]
[spits] A poor noble youth sells his body
to rise above his station
to the status
of the shogun's servant page?
How far we've fallen from
the time of heroic wars.
[tense music]
- A dead rat?
- [Gyokuei] That's right!
I want you to go down there
and reprimand those cooks in the kitchen
for what they did!
You're the one who has to do it,
because they'll only listen to you.
Oh. Oh, yes, that is probably true.
I will see that this gets addressed.
I can talk to them
and let them know something like this
should never happen again.
See to it that it doesn't!
It's late now, I have to go. [grumbles]
[Murase] You don't look so well.
And your sleeve seems to be coming off.
Shut up! It's none of your business!
Just leave me alone.
[door closes]
[wincing]
[groans]
Damn it, those brutes were careful
to only hit me in places
where it would be hidden.
[whimpering]
Master Shigesato, come on!
Let us have our turn when you're finished
[Sunami] I know. I'll share.
[groaning]
- [grunts]
- [Sunami] You like that?
You must have experience from being
a catamite for the monks at the temple.
Made a plaything of by the "chaste" monks
every night?
Hmph, that's exactly right!
And so, this is nothing to me.
Although you're different.
I will kill you someday.
That is a promise,
you no-good plaguesome brat!
[growls]
[screams]
[thinks] I'll kill them
[Arikoto] "And my friend tells me,
'Things have not gone so well.'"
"'I'd rather rest
at the foot of Nanshan mountain.'"
"Please just go now."
"Do not ask me any more questions.'
"White clouds drift with no end."
By "Things have not gone so well,"
we can infer that this friend means
that he wants to withdraw,
away from society,
because he finds that
a proximity to others
does not agree
with his sensibilities any longer.
- To this friend, he says that
- [Sunami] Hey! Master Arikoto.
- Time to report to the dojo.
- [gulps]
It is part of our duty as men in the Ōoku.
We are required to train in swordsmanship.
We need to protect our liege
from any and all danger.
- [grunts]
- [gasps] Aah! What do you want?
What do you think you're doing? How rude!
No matter what it is
you may have been before,
now you will carry two swords
as a samurai.
You must do everything you can
to become a man of the Ōoku.
- [Sunami grunts]
- [Arikoto gasps]
I'm coming along as well!
[buzz of conversation]
Master Sawamura. As the sword master,
please allow this man to experience
what swordsmanship truly is.
Master Arikoto, that man
- He's the one who slayed Master Myokei!
- [gasps]
[melancholy music]
[Gyokuei breathing shakily]
[Iemitsu] O-Man!
O-Man! O-Man! It's me!
Where could he be right now?
With respect, Master Arikoto headed off
to the dojo a little earlier in the day.
Huh? He went to the dojo?
My liege, if you would be so kind,
please refrain from ever straying outside
of the first wing from here on out.
I have been strictly ordered
by the Honored Kasuga
that this rule must be followed.
- [cat meows]
- Hmm?
Ugh, don't act so familiar with me!
I don't like animals!
[sighs]
[man 1] Master Sawamura, give a good
thrashing to this pale-faced weakling!
- [man 2] Absolutely!
- [man 3] That would be a treat!
Do not hold back. Come right at me.
I do not deny that it was me
who killed the attendant monk
who accompanied you to the Outer Chambers.
You can think of me as your sworn enemy.
[Arikoto sighs]
I cannot strike you.
At one time, I served the Buddha.
I don't want to strike someone
with my heart clouded by hate.
[yells]
[gasps]
[Sawamura] This might be a wooden sword,
but if it had struck you just now,
you would surely be dead.
[Arikoto] I have no doubt.
So you don't care If you live or die?
Hm. Very well.
Then I will have you
do some practice swings.
- [all murmuring]
- [growls] Damn that Sawamura.
He found a way to ruin everything.
So now you can repeat that
another 500 times.
You cannot be serious!
He's never even held a sword in
his hands until a few moments ago!
That's why it is only 500.
For the men whose job is
to guard the castle,
I make them do it
one thousand times a day.
Then I shall do it one thousand times.
[laughter]
Master Arikoto
Very good! Very good! This'll be fun.
- [man 4] Show us one thousand swings!
- You may begin!
For one.
[dramatic music]
- And two.
- [men exclaiming]
Now three.
Four.
Five.
[narrator] Naturally, after 50 times,
Arikoto started to run short of breath.
[gasping]
Wow! You're unsteady already!
You must have weak knees!
- And 77!
- [Arikoto sighs]
[man 5] What's the matter?
[man 6] What an utter disgrace.
- He won't last even 100 times.
- [Sawamura] 78!
[man 4] Hey, what's going on?
[grunting]
[narrator] However
302!
The tip of the sword was not straight
when you raised it up.
Do it again! 302!
303!
304!
305!
[Arikoto gasping]
[Sawamura] 802.
[groans]
803!
[groans]
[Sawamura] One thousand!
[panting]
[sighs]
One thousand completed.
Not bad. That will be all for today.
Master Arikoto!
[gasps] I can't believe it!
Why did you do something so reckless?
It pained me to watch you go through that.
[Arikoto] Gyokuei
[sighs] Forgive me
- [Gyokuei sobs]
- [Arikoto] But I didn't do any of this
out of stubbornness
or anything like that.
You see, I
[sighs] It's just that
[sighs] I can't
I don't want to have to think anymore
[gasps]
[Iemitsu] O-Man.
O-Man!
- O-Man!
- [slap]
[gasps]
Uh
Oh. Oh, m my liege? [groans]
Hmph.
The sword master told me about it.
So, you collapsed in the dojo after
doing a set of practice swings, was it?
Truly pitiful.
And yet, for some reason,
Den'emon was still praising you,
despite you passing out.
[meowing and purring]
[Iemitsu] Hmph.
Waka-Murasaki is what I named her.
[Iemitsu] Waka-Murasaki
[purring]
[gentle music]
[chuckles]
She is adorable, isn't she, though?
[Iemitsu] I hate it
because it is adorable.
It is small and warm, just like a baby.
It reminds me of my daughter.
[gasps]
What is it? You think it's strange
that I should have a daughter?
She was born when I was 15 years old.
It was soon afterwards that she died.
[Arikoto] Oh!
Oh
Hmph. Are you disappointed
that I'm not a virgin?
No, not at all, my liege.
A mother losing her child
is one of the deepest sorrows
to exist in this world.
You have my most profound sympathy.
[narrator] And ever since that day,
Iemitsu started to visit
Arikoto's chamber frequently.
- [meowing]
- [Iemitsu laughing]
[Arikoto chuckles]
Get it! Yeah, get it!
O-Man, I was wondering.
Has anyone ever told you
the story of the seven-colored meals?
Seven-colored meals?
Apparently, ever since he was young,
my late father never had
much of an appetite.
So every morning, Kasuga would prepare
seven different breakfasts for him.
Now, now, Master Takechiyo.
Since there's so many options,
there must be at least one here
that pleases you.
And that was how the Ōoku was created.
Huh?
See, Kasuga knew that he preferred
young men over young women,
so she thought that
if she collected many women,
there would have to be
at least one among them
that maybe my father would fancy.
And she's applied the same
principle with me now too.
So that is the reason why we have
four men currently in the Ōoku.
Oh, I see.
[meows]
[Iemitsu chuckles]
[laughs]
[laughs]
It's so funny, isn't it?
Kasuga comes off
as such a cunning, calculating schemer,
and everyone is always so afraid of her!
But her method all boils down
to the seven-colored meals!
[both laugh]
How does she not see it at this point?
My father never learned to love and enjoy
the body of a woman
until he was much older,
and by then,
e didn't have many years left.
Kasuga may be a formidable woman,
but as a mother, she's a doting fool.
[thinks] This lady
She might be difficult to please,
but she is far from foolish.
[cicadas chirping]
Mmm.
Our liege just called me "O-Tama."
She just renamed me
right there on the spot.
All she said was,
"So you're Gyokuei, huh?"
"Then let us call you O-Tama."
[laughs] There is nothing
you can do about that.
That is just how she is.
But why, though? She calls
you by your name, Masasuke, doesn't she?
- Doesn't seem fair to me.
- Now, now, Gyokuei.
You must eat your meal with a gentle mind.
[meows]
You know, our liege sure has come around
regarding Waka-Murasaki.
- Now she really loves this cat, huh?
- [meows]
You must not call this cat Waka-Murasaki,
as it is considered to be rude.
Since the cat was a present
from our liege,
she must be called "the honorable cat."
Better pay special attention
so she doesn't get hurt.
Hmm.
[cicadas chirping]
From what I understand,
you're telling me
our liege has been visiting that fellow's
chamber quite often these days?
Yes. It seems that our liege
has gifted him a cat.
[Wada] Apparently, the two of them spend
a lot of time together playing with it.
[Katsuta] I'd say
it's only a matter of time
until he is invited into her bedchamber.
[Sunami grunts]
All while you sit here
and call yourselves men?
We entered this Ōoku with the promise that
we could be the father of the next shogun!
And even if that doesn't happen,
we still will never be allowed
to set foot outside of these walls
until we die!
Does that sit well with you?
Because I won't stand for it!
[both sigh]
Yes, well
I hear him, but what can we
possibly do in this situation?
I know. I do understand how
Master Shigesato feels, though.
To rot away in the Ōoku, without
accomplishing anything in life
It's hard to stomach.
[Sunami] Agh!
This place is too big! Going
to the latrine can be such a hassle!
- [meows]
- I know, I know, there, there.
I'm sorry to squeeze you
into my clothes here like this.
[meows]
Waka-Murasaki please forgive me for this.
Waka-Murasaki is missing?
Yes, my liege.
I haven't seen her anywhere
in my chambers this morning.
- Gyokuei is searching
- [Gyokuei] Master Arikoto!
[panting] Something terrible has happened!
The honorable cat is
The honorable cat is
[dramatic music]
[Sunami] I do not know anything
at all about this, I swear!
But the evidence, Shigesato.
The bloodied corpse of the honorable cat
was indeed found in the garden
right in the vicinity
outside of your chamber door.
[whimpers]
Inspect Shigesato's sword immediately.
The blade here is stained red
with blood. Is it possible
[gasps]
You shall die now, by my hand!
[Sunami] My liege!
I beseech you to stop now, my liege!
Step aside, O-Man!
No, I cannot do that.
Out of my way!
[gasps]
[Kasuga] My liege.
If I may intervene as well?
Using your sword on a low fellow like
this will only serve to taint the blade.
Please, allow me
to take care of this for you.
Kasuga!
Shigesato.
You know what you need to do.
Gah!
[gasps]
[Iemitsu] Hmph!
[chuckles]
[both gasp]
Oh
I hear that your master's hands
had never held a sword,
and yet he was able to finish
all one thousand swings!
Many people have said that
the sword master, Master Sawamura,
spoke very highly of him,
a rare occurrence indeed!
Well, of course!
My master did do all one thousand swings.
And they were all with good form, too.
Hmm!
And you heard about what happened
to Sunami Shigesato.
Oh, about him killing the honorable cat.
Well, my master stepped in
to plead on his behalf,
fully knowing he could end up
taking the sword himself.
- No way!
- Is that really true?
And because he did that, Shigesato was
able to die an honorable death
by committing seppuku like a samurai.
- Wow!
- Amazing! What a master you have!
[chuckles]
[narrator] The dynamics inside the Ōoku's
chambers were starting to change.
[birdsong]
These days, I get to hear many stories
from the people who work in the kitchen,
and there was one story regarding
the sword master I wanted to share.
According to the story,
it seems that Master Sawamura
walks outside the castle every night
with only a few guards to accompany him.
And when he returns,
he is holding in his hand
a long tassel of some woman's hair.
Hmm.
As of late, there is a samurai in Edo
who slashes maidens' hair
as if to test the sharpness of his sword.
Many young women have met the same fate.
[gasps]
What is this? Why are we here?
It is the grave of Waka-Murasaki.
If you like, offer some prayers,
so the soul of Waka-Murasaki can rest
in peace and harmony, my liege.
No. I won't.
It's not like prayers would be able
to bring her back anyway.
I don't see the point.
Well, my liege.
I believe that funerals are held
for the sake of those who are left behind.
Not for those who have left their body.
And while you chant prayers,
you calm your heart and mind,
remember your lost one,
and offer more prayers.
As one repeats that process, I do believe
that one starts to heal from the sorrow
of losing the loved one.
- Otherwise
- [grunts] Those are just nice words!
[gasps]
The only people such platitudes work on
are the ones who were already happy
to begin with!
What are we supposed to do
if the waves of grief give us no rest,
so much so that chanting prayers
provides no relief,
no matter how much you repeat them?
[gasps] You stopped me,
but all I had to do was slay Shigesato,
and that would have
been the end of the story!
[gasps]
Rather than spending my time chanting
prayers and sitting around crying,
I cut down my enemy!
If I had let you kill him, that wouldn't
have brought back Waka-Murasaki, either.
Terrible things happen in the world
where no one is to blame.
What about when there's an enemy, but you
cannot touch them? What would you do?
What a silly question. I would simply
slay someone who happens to be nearby.
There are plenty of people around here
whose lives aren't really worth living.
[gasps]
[thinks] What kind of
- My liege.
- What is it?
Did you by any chance ever happen
to decide to vent such anger
on the young maidens of Edo?
[gasps]
What are you asking?
In the town of Edo, I saw a maiden
whose hair had been cut short.
Apparently, there is a samurai
who lurks around in the streets
for the sole purpose
of slashing maidens' hair.
[Iemitsu sighs]
Your point?
Hmph.
Hmph.
[grunts]
[groans]
[gasps]
Are you satisfied now?
Indeed it is true, I ordered Sawamura
to go out there and cut off wenches' hair!
It's nothing but a silly,
harmless prank, though.
It's not like I was ordering him to kill
those wenches or anything like that.
[gasps] That's so foolish of you!
What did you say?
You might feel better, my liege,
but what about the maidens
whose hair was chopped off?
Why would you do such a foolish thing?
To be so needlessly cruel
to people who are your subjects?
[Iemitsu laughs]
My subjects? Are they really? Hah!
You're the one who's foolish!
No one around here truly thinks of me
as their liege!
I am nothing but a walking womb
to host another Tokugawa child
to continue this damn bloodline!
Kasuga coddles me because I suppose
she sees so much of my late father in me!
I didn't
Gah! [grunts]
I didn't choose to live my life like this,
hiding away in the Ōoku,
spending my days dressed as a man!
When I first arrived, I met a maiden.
She had just lost her brother
to red-face smallpox.
That's how it is for most of us.
Yet most people, they attempt to accept
the fates that they cannot change
and find a way to learn to live with them.
[poignant music]
[sobbing]
I am no different from them!
Was I not brought here,
against my will, for your pleasure?
If you think you are the only one
who suffers and feels pain,
you could not be more wrong!
[gasps]
[whimpers]
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY