Summary
After suffering defeat, Arikoto is forced to bed one of the courtesans breaking his vow of celibacy. Gyokuei, one of Arikoto’s followers, also decides to renounce his vows to stay by Arikoto’s side. In another display of brutality, Lady Kasuga has her men dispatch the remaining two courtesans.
Around this time, red-faced smallpox has reduced the number of men to half of women. Women slowly have to work in the fields to care for their families.
Once Arikoto and Gyokuei’s hair grows out, they are shuttled to the Ooku. Bowing his head, Arikoto is introduced to the shogun. Except, the shogun is not who he expected. Instead, he is introduced to a woman dressed as a man being referred to as “my liege.” She proceeds to insult him and he proceeds to talk back. She beats his face with a fan and orders him not to be seen until his face heals.
Arikoto finds out that Lord Iemitsu has died, and the young girl posing as a man is his daughter. We flashback to Lord Iemitsu 17 years prior. He’s a psychotic man that takes pleasure in killing others. Seeing a young woman walking alone at night, he rapes her to prove that he can lay with women as well as men. This results in a daughter and, eventually, the potential savior of the bloodline. It becomes apparent to Arikoto that he was forced into becoming a potential father to save the bloodline. In the end, the shogun gifts him a kitten showing a small bit of decency.
Thoughts
What a turn of events! You have to admire Lady Kasuga’s dedication to the cause. She is hellbent, on saving the family name to keep peace in the land. She even sends her son to his “death” to save the family name of the shogun. This demonstrates the strength of women in this alternative universe. It is interesting to see the building blocks of the future in the first episode. While Lady Kasuga’s actions are despicable, you can’t help but admire her tenacity and strength to do what needs to be done.
Filthy Casual for Life 
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