The Inner Palace is a video unlike any other. First released in two parts by Max-A in 2006, it is a historical drama set in the Edo period at the Ooku – the inner palace of Edo Castle where only women and the Shogun were allowed. It is said that thousands of women served the Shogun within these quarters.
With its incredibly large cast, this video depicts the relationships the Shogun might have had with his concubines, as well as the power dynamics between the women.
Honestly, I cannot hope to do this video justice, but it will be evident that this is a big budget production. Not only is there a massive cast starring big names like Mihiro and Yoshizawa Akiho, but the set/location and costumes look great.
If you look past the sex scenes (which are nothing to be sniffed at), it's actually a very well produced drama. In fact, a softcore edit of this video was also released.
This is exactly the kind of big budget production I always hope the JAV industry will return to making. Alas, they just don't make this type of video anymore, and this video has been delisted from most retailers, making one of the greatest JAVs ever made start to fade into obscurity.
If you can find a copy of this video, I hope you will check out this absolute treasure of a video.
Score: 9/10
Version reviewed: MRMM-014 / MRMM-015 (2013)
Previous releases: DM-001 / DM-002 (2006), DMX-001 / DMX-002 (2007), XV-750 (2009)
Softcore release: PMX-005 / PMX-006 (2006)