Ōoku: The Inner Chambers S2 Bakumatsu Arc' Cast: 6 Members Revealed

The official Twitter account for the new live-action series of Fumi Yoshinaga’s Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga announced six cast members for the second season’s “Bakumatsu Arc” on Monday. The second season premiered on NHK on October 3, marking the first screen adaptation of the “Cure Arc” and “Bakumatsu Arc” from the manga. Aimer has lent her voice to the theme song “Shiroiro Kagerō” (White Mayfly) for this captivating arc.

Directing the series’ second season are Taku Ōhara, Sō Suenaga, Hideaki Kawano, and Takafumi Kimura. Notably, Yoshiko Morishita, known for her work on live-action JIN, is returning from the first season to craft the scripts.

The initial ten-episode season made its debut on NHK in January, primarily focusing on the Iemitsu, Tsunayoshi, Yoshimune, and Imperial Restoration arcs. Kohta Yamamoto, acclaimed for his work on Attack on Titan The Final Season and Kingdom, composed the music for the series, with Lilas Ikuta performing the theme song “Tanpopo” (Dandelion).

The cast includes (pictured above from left to right, starting with top row):

Kenjiro Tsuda as Ii Naosuke
Ryо̄ Kimura as Nakazawa
Masanobu Takashima as Tokugawa Ieyoshi
Wataru Takagi as Hotta Masayoshi
Tsubasa Nakagawa as Nakano
Ryо̄suke Mikata as Katsu Yoshikuni/Kaishū

In Edo period Japan, a peculiar malady called the Red Pox begins to afflict the male population. Within eighty years, men’s numbers dwindle by seventy-five percent. Women step into roles traditionally reserved for men, even ascending to the position of Shogun. The men, treasured as the life-givers, are zealously safeguarded. The most exquisite among them serve in the Shogun’s Inner Chamber…

Yoshinaga initiated the manga in Hakusensha’s Melody magazine in 2004, concluding it in December 2020. The manga’s 19th and final volume was published by Hakusensha in February 2021, with Viz Media releasing the English version in March 2022. The manga garnered several accolades, including the 2009 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2009, among others.

The manga’s narrative has previously inspired a live-action film adaptation in 2010, a live-action television series titled Ōoku: Arikoto・Iemitsu Hen in October 2012, and a second live-action film titled Ōoku: Eien – Emonnosuke・Tsunayoshi Hen in December of the same year. Additionally, an anime adaptation made its debut on Netflix on June 29.