Shogun (2024)

Highly addictive series..

I remember being enthralled with the 80’s version miniseries as a child, and I am happy to report that this one is even better.

The whole show is a piece of art- from the stunning cinematography, gorgeous costuming, haunting music, amazing cast, and the well-paced storytelling..

The story portrayed here is of Japan’s feudal history and it is fascinating: illustrating their strategy, politics, samurai, ninja assassins, Lord’s and Ladies, war games, and even everyday life of its people- it’s enough to send you into a deep dive of Japan history, or at least make you curious enough to read the book inspired by these events.

I can’t believe how fast a one hour episode seems to fly by.. really top-notch in every way.. I wouldn’t be surprised to see several, well-deserved Emmy nominations for this series..

Highly recommend!

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A Dive Into The Unknown

Episodes 1-6

First of all, I started watching this show without knowing anything about it, but I saw very high ratings, so I thought I'd give it a shot. At the time of this review i've watched six episodes, and I have to say I don't regret diving into it.

Every aspect of the show is polished to perfection, every scene is breathtaking and the ones taken at night are beautifully lit and have a great atmosphere when the scenes during the day are very gloomy and foggy

In terms of story, Shogun is exceptionally addictive because it happens at very interesting times and I think anyone who is even slightly interested in Japan will like it. Another factor that makes this show so interesting is the characters, each of them has their own story, and none of them are there without a reason, their dialogues are well thought out and their decisions are not irrational. I really like that the Pilot brings that little bit of a comedy to it

The cast is well-chosen and the performances of the actors are just chef's kiss

The only thing I didn't catch was the soundtrack but that's probably because I was so invested in story that I didn't notice

So overall the show is great and i can't wait for more episodes to come

Episodes 7-9

After watching 3 more episodes I have to say that this is still a great show and it didn't lose the quality of the first 6eps. The color scheme changed as most of the scenes felt like it was a constant sun down.

As we got closer to the end, the scenes became more and more intense, especially in episodes 8 and 9 which are my favourites overall

Episode 10

As expected the ending did not disappoint. we got a beautiful closure of the story without any loose ends. I have to say this was one the best series i've seen not only because i loved it that much but also because it was so well made.

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"We live and we die"

Shogun is based on the popular novel by James Clavell which in turn was very loosely based on historical events from Japan around 1600 C.E. I devoured the book years ago and watched the original mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain and Mifune Toshiro. I have been both excitedly and trepidatiously waiting for this updated version to come out. There were some improvements and also disappointments with the latest rendition.

“Why is it those who have never been in battle are so eager to be in one?”
English pilot John Blackthorne is one of a handful of survivors aboard the Dutch ship Erasmus that lands in a Japanese fishing harbor. He and his men are taken prisoner by the village’s manager, Omi. Elsewhere, Lord Toranaga is called to the Osaka castle to meet with the other four regents of the Taiko’s heir who are bent on taking him down. He tells them he has no intentions of starting hostilities with them, but they intend to force him to commit seppuku. Back at Ajiro, Omi and his uncle and lord, Yabushige, decide the ship and its weapons might help them to make allies when the war starts. Though they are vassals of Toranaga they believe him to be a dead man. Before they can put any plan into action Toranaga’s right hand man, Hiromatsu, shows up laying claiming to the ship and its contents for Lord Toranaga, including Blackthorne. Toranaga has Mariko serve as Blackthorne’s interpreter as they can both speak Portuguese. All three, Toranaga, Blackthorne, and Mariko will face death and deception on numerous occasions and will have to use all of their abilities to change the fates laid out before them. The Portuguese and changing alliances of the regents and the heir’s mother’s influence are a powder keg of explosive political desires.

“A woman must stare without fear into the cruel eyes of fate and make herself seen”
Blackthorne was disappointing in this version of Shogun. Gone was the inquisitive and crafty personality along with the better relationship with Toranaga. As played by Cosmo Jarvis, he came across as a punch-drunk prize fighter. The slow build up in the book to understanding the language and world around him seemed fast tracked. Also, the key moment when his mental shift went from English to Japanese in the book was disappointingly left out. The scene would also have bookended Mariko’s emotional scene in the 9th episode. That key scene was also what caused the bonding between him and his interpreter. Shoving it in near the end of the drama felt awkward. Another awkward development was that it took a moment to figure out that when people were speaking English, it was supposed to be understood as Portuguese. In the book Latin, English, and Spanish were also spoken, so I suppose it simplified things for the actors and writers, and especially for English speaking audiences and making it more accessible to them to use just the one language. Okay, rant over. Mariko was more severe in this interpretation of her character, but she was as always highly capable and intelligent, understanding the political undercurrents of people’s actions. In fact, Mariko’s actions were as important and vital to Toranaga’s mission as any man’s, maybe more so. Like Toranaga, she was thankfully introduced earlier in this drama than in the book. There were other women who played important roles—Fuji (Fujiko) the reluctant but devoted consort, Kiku the courtesan, and Ochiba the heir’s plotting mother.

“She hides herself in the sun. Conserves her energy, waiting for her moment. You might never know she is there.”
What was well done was that they didn’t just show the story from the Englishman's perspective as an introduction to Japanese society and history. Much of the drama was in Japanese and though the political maneuverings were narrowed down for the small screen, many of the primary characters were fleshed out. Sanada Hiroyuki as Lord Toranaga gave a quietly powerful performance as the most cunning man in Japan. Toranaga was introduced early and used often to exploit his screen presence. Outwardly, Toranaga proclaimed he had no desire to be Shogun, but he used his extensive network of spies to lay in place a long-term plan to do just that. As a falconer, he broke many men to his fist. Everyone was a possible enemy and he kept his plans in his secretive heart. He even manipulated disasters to his benefit, always knowing when to use his human chess pieces and when to sacrifice them. The English pilot, Anjin, came at the right time, a chess piece that might prove valuable. Sanada’s scene with Nishioka Tokuma as Hiromatsu when all seemed lost was one of the best and most touching of the drama. The two actors traded deep feelings with flickers of their eyes and micro expressions that conveyed the depth of their friendship, loss, and commitment.

“Some are born under a banner of greatness, others must claim it”
The sets and costumes were luxurious. I wish they hadn’t been so committed to using blue filters because it looked as if the land of the rising sun was perpetually in twilight and fog. There was gore, but more for the shock value of the realistic violence without being overly gratuitous. There were scenes of sexual intimacy that also didn’t delve into gratuity. But fair warning, the writers weren’t afraid to use Clavell’s salty language.

“Loyalty does not have an end”
Despite some of my reservations about Blackthorne’s character and actor, and a few of the changes made to the story, I enjoyed this drama. The production values were of a high quality for television. Clavell had a great regard for Japan despite having been a POW during WWII. It was clear he felt Blackthorne was indeed the barbarian in need of civilizing as evidenced when the pilot met his crew later in the drama. The original mini-series didn’t subtitle the Japanese dialogue so that the audience would be as lost as Blackthorne. This time, we were treated to what was going on with the different characters as they made allies, betrayed each other, and played a dangerous game to have their man become the next Shogun or as in the case of the Portuguese, do whatever was necessary to maintain their monopoly in the region. And there were those like Yabushiga constantly trying to play both sides against the middle to survive the coming storm. Having read the book and watched the original mini-series when I was much younger, I am favorably biased toward this story. This was not a white savior tale, the book and the drama tell you who was pulling all the strings. As did the historical figure he was based upon, Blackthorne had his uses, but ultimately this was Toranaga’s journey to becoming Shogun.

“If I could use words
Like scattering flowers and
Falling leaves
What a bonfire my poems
Would make”
-Mariko

23 April 2024

Edit-I go back and forth on the rating for this drama. 8.75 If Cosmo had done a better job this would have scored much higher for me.

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The rating of this show tells you everything you need to know about the people who use this website

If this show wasn’t Japanese and also Western audience targeted it would be rated MUCH higher here. Unfortunately it’s not Koreaboo bait or the same murder, chaebol, romance storylines recycled for the 100th time (which aren’t apparently held to the same standard as this, so weird right?). It’s a shame that people are making bigoted or simply downright ignorant comments because they are very upset at the success of Shogun.

This shows sitting at insanely high critic and fan review score, it’s widely regarded as one of the best shows of the past year (if not of all time) and will be nominated for Emmys in EVERY single category it is eligible. Such a shame it’s not good enough for the people of MyDramaList :(

Is Shogun perfect? No certainly not, it has its faults and I could see why some people may take more issue on those than others. There’s criticism to be made around the development of characters like Toranaga not being flushed out or the performance of the Anjin by Cosmo Jarvis, but from start to finish it delivers a fantastic story filled with surprising twists and unexpected turns.

Shogun tries its best to remain as authentically Japanese as it can with the dialog, customs and acting. The latter of which is the standout, I’m not to big of a fan of Cosmo but besides that every single performance was stunning. Toranaga, Yabushige, Fuji, Ochiba, Mariko the list goes on and on. These are award winning, critically acclaimed level performances. The setting, tone and shooting locations absolutely nail not only what the book portrayed but also what Japan may have been like during this period.

The most iconic part simply remains the ending. Most (and that’s not an exaggeration), Asian dramas I’ve seen start falling apart near the end. They take a fantastic show and drag it on for a lifetime while making stupid writing decisions leading up to the end (COUGH QUEEN OF TEARS COUGH). Shoguns ending is so perfect. The acting is so subtle but emotionally powerful, the choice to not show the battle but leave with a somber tone is an amazing decision from the show runners. The finale leaves you satisfied but also wanting to know so much more.

Shogun will go down as an all time great show and take home several awards which it fully deserves.

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FINAL WORTHY, BUT DULL...

The last episode was out of sync with the others, it was a dull, slow episode with no great depth to the story. I think episodes 9 and 10 could have been combined, the makeup of the old and bedridden Anjin made me laugh, which is a shame because it was the only technical slip-up in this remarkable drama, and it didn't even impact the logical experience of the drama, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

The story, development, and pace were well done and detailed, we had competent art direction that accurately studied Japanese culture at the time. As for the story, I was a little frustrated because I thought we would have the war in the last episode, but instead, we had an excessive amount of dialogue and the closure of some character arcs. I still want to reflect on whether we had an open or semi-open ending because we now know that he managed to return to England and took memories with him, but Toranaga said he would never leave Japan, yet as we observed, he did leave.

The highlight of the acting and deserving of award nominations for best actress goes to Anna Sawai, who played the unforgettable and masterful Mariko.

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A strange Overlord

It was a beautiful series that I can say was extraordinary. It was a series with a very good story and, according to him, very well constructed, acted and directed. I especially congratulate the Japanese players. I congratulate the director separately. Likewise the fiction.
First of all, the story was very good. The atmosphere and life of that time, especially the missionary movements, and the harmony or perspective of foreigners and local people are reflected beautifully. In addition, sections from Japan's administrative order and social life at that time are also given. It satisfied me in terms of credibility and reality. They have given everything in its place. Missionary movements and sectarian concepts, and therefore the fights and hostilities that arose, disturbed me a little. It connoted something like Christian propaganda. I felt uncomfortable. That's why I made a note. Otherwise, it was a perfect series, ten out of ten for me. This introduction of Christianity and its sectarian concepts was not pleasant. I think they wanted to give missionary movements as well. They wanted to show its positive effects on the people there. They even specifically included the initiative of a noblewoman to serve the church as a nun. I didn't like these. But I said it might also reflect the events of the time. A time when feudalism dominated.
The actors, the Japanese actors, were very successful. The little man became a giant with Hiroyuki Sanada's play, the Shogun image was very good. It looks good. He played very well. I liked Anna Sawai very much. I think his role was superior to all of them and he nailed it. I really liked Asamo Tadanobu. He became a person with a personality and charisma. These players were very remarkable. Of course Cosmo Jarvis. He showed a good appearance in this series, but his acting is questionable. I watched him for the first time. I did not like. But it remained normal within this story and game.
I recommend everyone to watch it.

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Good, but the old TV series were better

Yea, that muted ending and furniture of a protagonist didn't do it for me. Never once was he shown to be actually needed by Toranaga and he wasn't even funny to be his pet clown, because they communicated too seldom here. And many important scenes about the protagonist were cut to make time for a parade of side characters.
And too many times it seemed that Toranaga was just plain lucky and adapting, not megaminding everything ten steps ahead. Yea, he was a ruthless liar who surrounded himself by people he could easily manipulate, but he wasn't omniscient to predict all random things. Like, what happened to his son, or his brother betraying him, or what happened to Mariko.
And speaking of Mariko, she was more of a protagonist in this show than ML or Toranaga combined. MVP, but disappointingly way too suicidal.
My favorite character in this drama is not her though, but Yabushige - the most human and entertaining one to watch. He was squirming on the frying pan for the whole series trying to get the most profit, but failed expectedly :).

Anyway, it's still a good drama. Production quality, especially the costumes were great. Too bad they didn't show the epic battle of Sekigahara, but it wasn't in the book, so ok. I'd give it an 8. But old TV series in terms of the plot and characters were still better, imho.

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A BIG NO!!

I was pretty excited to watch this due to the high ratings, but it didn’t keep my interest. I literally suffered through maybe 5 episodes, but dropped it. Very boring for me, but I can’t put my finger on why… I think because I’m comparing it with the acting and strong plots in other period Dramas I’ve watched. Dramas that I binged watched because they were so good. Dramas like: The Red Sleeve, The Crowned Clown, A Frozen Flower, all the Rurouni Kenshin Dramas, Empress Ki, Mr. Sunshine, Moon Lovers, just to name a few. Shogun just wasn’t good, but I guess it’s because I am comparing it to the ones I listed. I gave it a 4 for the production value. I was happy to drop it, my suffering is over. Maybe I’ll just re-watch Moon Lovers

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