Today I’m going to explain a Japanese Drama
movie called “The Lady Shogun and Her Men”. Spoilers ahead!!
The premise of the movie is set in the era
of a fictional Japanese dynasty called the Shotoku.
A dangerous epidemic named red face pox spreads around the country.
The disease only affects men and eight out
of ten, who fall victim to the plague, die.
With time, the population of men decreases
at a frightening rate.
By the end of the plague, the male population
is a quarter of the female population.
This causes a drastic change in the hierarchical
structure of society.
The political and economic positions that
men held earlier are replaced by women.
Moreover, the laborers responsible to earn
an income for their families are also women.
Men are considered delicate luxuries who deserve
to be protected and nourished.
Their only job is to look beautiful and sell
seeds to the women who want children.
Being married to a man has become the greatest
of luxuries.
Since they are so rare, only the daughters
of the rich can afford to marry.
Several men go into prostitution to take care
of themselves and earn money.
In such a society, lives a middle-class family
named the Mizuno family.
They bear a nineteen-year-old son Unoshin.
Unlike most men who are only interested in
makeup and dresses, Unoshin is a samurai.
He has trained his entire life and is a great
warrior.
Although their family suffers financially,
Unoshin’s mother never allows him to get
into prostitution.
The Lady Shogun And Her Men Watch Online
He is thankful for her thoughtfulness and
loves her dearly.
But occasionally, he spends the night with
older women who are desperate for a baby.
He does so as a favor to those who have lost
their loved ones to the red face pox.
Out of the kindness of his heart, he refrains
from accepting their money as well.
The Mizuno house is always filled with women
asking for Unoshin’s hand in marriage.
He is not just a great warrior but is astonishingly
beautiful and very kind.
However, he rejects everyone’s proposal,
knowing that they only want him for his outer
beauty.
Unoshin is also in love with her childhood
friend Onobu.
They have always liked each other but never
had the guts to confess because Onobu belongs
to a wealthy family.
Because of the gap between their social and
financial status, Unoshin tries to keep his
distance from her but it never works.
When their family’s financial condition
gets worse, Unoshin decides to lend himself
to an Ooku.
It is the inner section of a palace where
the queen’s male suitors live.
They are trained to be beautiful so they can
one day attract the attention of the queen
also known as Lady Shogun.
The members of the Ooku are paid a hefty sum
for their services and if the queen likes
them enough, they even get additional privileges.
However, there are altogether three thousand
men competing in the Ooku.
Much like how women are traditionally portrayed,
the men are dramatic and are always competing
about materialistic things.
Unoshin tells Onobu about his plan to join
the Ooku.
She begs him to reconsider but Unoshin has
already made his decision.
He plants a goodbye kiss on her lips and walks
away.
In the following scene, Unoshin joins the
Ooku.
On his first day, a teacher shows him around
the place.
He is told that he belongs to the lowest rank
of men who have to clean up after the higher-ranking
men.
He eventually will get promoted if his services
are satisfactory.
The current Lady Shogun is a seven-year-old
girl so the men have a long wait before they
actually compete against each other for her
attention.
While in the orientation, the teacher and
Unoshin come across the most powerful man
of the Ooku, Fujinami.
Only one person can be in the right ranking
of men, which is occupied by him.
At the end of the orientation, Unoshin is
asked to never speak of anything he sees or
hears in the Ooku.
It is a tradition among the members of Ooku
to bully the newcomers.
They make fun of Unoshin’s hair and clothes
but he stands up for himself, teaching bullies
the importance of his haircut for Samurais.
While working, he is given more tasks than
others but Unoshin is used to working hard
to earn for his family.
He manages to make friends with a quiet kid
who he has to work with.
The man reveals that the goldfish in the tank
must be addressed with respect because their
position is lower than the animals of the
Ooku.
The bullies push Unoshin when he is carrying
food which leads to him starving for the two
first two days.
One night, three higher hanking men restrain
him in his sleep and try to assault him.
Unoshin, using his skills as a samurai, efficiently
kicks their asses and sends them away.
The next day, he tells a work buddy about
what happened and finds out it is normal for
men in the Ooku to maintain sexual relationships
with each other.
Since their Shogun is only seven years old
and no other women are allowed in the establishment,
they rely on each other to fulfill their sexual
desires.
Some even use their relationships with the
higher officials in their favor to be promoted.
Unoshin is shocked by the revelation because
women would kill to have a maile suitor outside
the palace while men are wasting their seed
on each other here.
He thinks the entire concept of Ooku is unnecessary
but knows that his thought on the system doesn’t
matter.
That afternoon, Unoshin sees some men fighting
in the dojo next door.
He uses his broom to practice his moves and
is spotted by the highest-ranking man, Fujinami.
The man praises Unoshin’s technique and
asks him to join the others in the dojo.
Even though the men in Unoshin’s position
are not allowed inside, Fujinami makes an
exception for him.
He is asked to fight the most talented fighter
in the dojo, Tsuruoka.
The others laugh at the decision, thinking
that Unoshin can never beat someone as talented
as Tsuruoka.
However, they are left stunned when he doesn’t
take much time before proving his worth.
Once Tsuruoka loses, he shows his arrogance
and belittles Unoshin for having an unworthy
talent because all that matters for men is
to be pretty and have good manners.
At night before going to sleep, Unoshin tells
his workmate that he doesn’t like the superficial
greatness of this place.
In turn, the friend reveals how he was penniless
outside the Ooku.
He was married, then divorced for not giving
his wife a child after several years.
Ooku is the only place he can survive even
though he has to work hard during the day
and the men take advantage of him at night.
This puts things in perspective for Unoshin
and makes him realize how hard it is for men
outside.
He was poor but was lucky enough to have been
born into a good family.
The next day, news about Unoshin’s bravery
spreads around the Ooku.
Many teenage boys try to pursue him, complimenting
his looks.
When it gets dark, Tsuruoka comes to meet
Unoshin and challenges him to another fight
for his honor.
Unoshin doesn’t want to compete against
him but has to give in to his orders.
The fight starts and Tsuruoka is beaten this
time as well.
The loss is so humiliating for him that he
commits the unthinkable.
While he struggles on the ground, Unoshin
shows mercy and kills him with his sword.
The next day, he is asked what happened at
night.
As he was instructed, he denies meeting Tsuruoka
altogether.
Satisfied by the answer, the higher official
lets him go.
That day, the seven years old Lady Shogun
passes away from an illness and a new older
Shogun is appointed.
She is a strict woman who is willing to work
hard for the betterment of society, unlike
the previous Shoguns who favored doing minimal
work.
On her first day of duty, she fires a woman
for suggesting she wear fancier clothing.
She doesn’t want the workers of the palace
to be bathed in extravagant jewelry while
the country’s economy is collapsing.
Everyone else keeps low in front of her after
that.
The next day, she goes to the city disguised
as a commoner.
She comes across the harsh way the people
live their lives.
Most men are prostitutes who are owned by
a brothel that treats them as commodities.
People work for the entire day to eat a single
loaf of bread at night.
Lady Shogun notices a kid running away from
the brothel’s owner after getting beaten
and helps him by handing him an expensive
piece of cloth.
In the Ooku, the Lady’s arrival has brought
immense joy as the men start preparing themselves,
hoping to catch her eye.
Only the highest class of men are brought
in front of Lady Shogun, so Unoshin has no
hopes of meeting her.
But that is until Fujinami promotes him.
Starting the next day, he prepares the dress
he will be wearing when he first sees her.
Unlike most men who go with extravagant materials
and colorful designs, Unoshin chooses a simple
black cloth and minimal design for his dress.
His dress is made by a skillful tailor named
Sakewa.
He does an excellent job on the attire and
impresses Unoshin.
He wants to reward the tailor for his work
but has nothing in his possession that could
be valuable to him.
Hence, Unoshin plants a kiss on his lips as
a thank-you gift.
With time, the two become close friends are
share several intimate moments together
On the day of the ceremony, everyone laughs
at his horrendous choice.
He is told to keep his head low in front of
Lady Shogun.
If she asks you what your name is, she would
have chosen you as a suitor.
The ceremony starts and Lady Shogun trips
on her way to the throne.
Someone from the men snickers which catches
her attention.
When asked who it was, Unoshin comes forward.
After taking a look at his face and simple
garment, Lady Shogun asks him his name, surprising
everyone.
They are set to spend the night together the
next day.
Later that day, Unoshin is informed that since
Lady Shogun is a virgin, he will be considered
an elite for taking her virginity.
But since the act is also the greatest form
of crime, he has to be executed in the morning.
Unoshin is shocked but accepts the punishment
as his fate.
Moreover, a lot of money will be sent to his
family as his insurance so he has nothing
to complain about.
At the same time, Lady Shogun is also told
about this rule which she was unaware of till
now.
In only a day, she had grown infatuated with
Unoshin and the thought of him being killed
doesn’t appeal to her.
Then, we see Fujinami chatting with the teacher
over a board game.
It turns out that they saw Unoshin as a threat
and deliberately made him appeal in front
of Lady Shogun to get rid of him.
After his death, the teacher plans to woo
Lady Shogun and be the father to the next
Shogun.
Before going to the intimacy room, all Unoshin
can think of is his childhood love Onobu.
He imagines confessing his feelings to her
and is devastated that they could never be
together.
After that, he is made ready with makeup and
perfume and finally meets the Lady in her
room.
She starts a conversation by asking him his
full name and reveals that her given name
is Nobu, which sounds very similar to Onobu.
Unoshin cannot help but get emotional at the
mention of his lover’s name.
With tearful eyes, he asks for permission
to call the Lady by her name for the night.
Unoshin is grateful that he at least gets
to spend the last night of his life with someone
that has his lover’s name.
Following that, the two enjoy a night of passion
and sorrow.
The next morning, Unoshin wakes up and is
told that he did his job well.
Then, he is kneeled in front of the officials
and executed with a katana to his neck.
We see his work friend and Sakewa crying,
mourning his death.
His family receives the money and a letter
of condolence but is told that he died of
a disease.
The scene changes to a few months later.
Onobu has not forgotten her only love.
She cries in his memory every day and visits
his grave frequently.
On one of such visits, she is left speechless
because Unoshin stands in front of her, alive
and well.
He reveals that Lady Shogun was kind enough
to spare his life the day he was supposed
to be executed.
She never supported the harsh ways of the
palace and sent a man in secret to help him,
making it seem like the execution was successful.
Onobu embraces him in a hug, promising to
never leave his side.
In the last scene, we see Lady Shogun ordering
all the men from Ooku to go out and live their
life freely.
She also provides them with starting funds
to make their life easier.
Their departure will ensure more childbirth
and less burden on the royal treasure.
Thank-you.
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