Gunshi Kanbei (2014)

Director: Kimura Takafumi, Doi Shohei, Hosaka Keita
Genres: Historical, Drama
Tags: Historical Fiction, Jidaigeki, Taiga, Sengoku Period

If you want to know the sentiment towards Taiko during his later years, Gunshi Kanbei has good depiction of it. This is important to understand why conflicts between Ishida and Tokugawa exist in the first place. Gunshi Kanbei is 85% following history while Shogun is 95% fiction.

Similarities: Kanbei was a Christian samurai so you will get good depiction of Japanese Christian during the time. However Kanbei character has not represented in Shogun.

Downside:
1. Gunshi Kanbei span over 50 episodes
2. Gunshi Kanbei doesn't focus much on Tokugawa (Toranaga in Shogun)
3. Gunshi Kanbei can't match the Shogun budget

Both set in the end of the warring era, but each represents the opposing view to the other. It is great to watch the different point of view and understand that era better. Justice vs Survival & strength!

Since Kuroda Kanbei was the strategist for Hideyoshi, both dramas will share many similarities. Gunshi Kanbei tells more in depth on the western politics and spans until Sekigahara War. Takenaka Naoto also played as Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Gunshi Kanbei. Although the writing for the character was a bit different.

Although the plot of these two dramas takes place at different times and even in different countries, however, I believe that Jeong Do Jeon and Gunshi Kanbei are very close in spirit. In both dramas, we see the rise of great strategists who overcome physical and moral challenges to become legendary people from historical books.

Both Kanbei and Jeong Do Jeon were advisers to future rulers. Thanks to their efforts, such great powers as Tokugawa Shogunate and Joseon were founded. Throughout the story, Kanbei and Jeong Do Jeon, influenced by the injustice of the world they live in, form their own philosophical beliefs.