Fumiko

I also think a Taiga can only vaguely be judged after the first third regarding cast etc. since it takes its time. If someone drops out after the first episode the theme might not be their thing or due to possible lack of interest regarding historical settings.

Only few hours left until the first episode.

The last decent Taiga were Gunshi Kanbei and Kirin ga Kuru and I think Seiten was ok. Dousuru Ieyasu will be fine I think and there are certain events I am looking forward to.

After Dousuru Ieyasu I hope that Hikaru Kimi e centered on Murasaki Shikibu/Genji Monogatari will be a big success so that we might get a Taiga for once centered on Nara period or Asuka period (this is sadly so unlikely since NHK has very little budget for costumes in general especially not from these eras and also the sets of these eras).

Otherwise the Sengoku era and Bakumatsu/Meiji era are totally burnt out.

Regarding Sengoku the only few possibilities are left:
1. Clan centered Taiga like Gunshi Kanbei again. Maybe a Tachibana clan Taiga with Tachibana Ginchiyo as a lead would be cool.
2. a possible Hosokawa Gracia Taiga has been talked about in the past
3. an Oda Nobunaga/Oda clan centered Taiga remake (I think this will happen for sure especially after Ieyasu got a remake now).

As for Bakumatsu/Meiji
1. I think Hijikata Toshizo as a Taiga theme will likely happen in the future to remake the Shinsengumi as a theme (in the Shinsengumi Taiga Kondo was named the lead, Hijikata despite being the actual lead was considered the deuteragonist).
2. Something similar to Seiten again. Some scholar figure again.

Definitely a Taiga I plan to watch when I have time. Good cast (Matsu Takako, Nomura Mansai etc.) and the era is not covered much, Hino Tomiko also only has some novels centered on her and little else.

Recently rewatched some episodes after many years. This and Taiheiki were gold standard Taiga. Hideyoshi even features some of the cast of Taiheiki.

Takenaka is the best Hideyoshi. One/Nene was a good counterpart.
Good supporting cast: Sanada Hiroyuki (Mitsunari) and Matsu Takako (Chacha).

The theme is amazing. It looks just as great as Kusa Moeru and Taiheiki.
Sadly even the omnibus DVD of Tokimune is super rare (the Taiga is highly demanded
likely due to Ghost of Tsushima's popularity but it's not really available to watch). Hope that NHK reprints Tokimune DVDs at some point.

This Taiga was peak casting and acting wise for sure. It also made Sanada Hiroyuki who plays Ashikaga Takauji into a star

Taiheiki should also receive more adaptions in media and manga in general (only Elusive Samurai is set in that time frame).

There are many good Ieyasu depictions but Aoi's Ieyasu is something else, best portrayal of Ieyasu for sure.

Wonderful Taiga loved the cast.

Mayu was so excellent in this movie, I often remember it.

Really hope that the writer is planning another sageuk some time in the future.

Annual historical Japanese drama focusing on a single theme. Taiga means 'big river' since it is 'flowing' through the entire year.

Some themes due to the approximately 50 episodes are super streched out - other themes are so eventful that they are super rushed despite 50 episodes.

This Taiga has Tokugawa Ieyasu as a theme who would actually need two Taiga to depict his entire life since his life was super fulfilled/eventful.

For Ieyasu's life 50 episodes aren't even enough. Ieyasu has so many battles, wives, children, retainers that he would actually need two Taiga to depict his entire life XD.

This Taiga is essentially a remake of the old Tokugawa Ieyasu Taiga focusing on Ieyasu's rise. The other Taiga focusing on Ieyasu was Aoi Tokugawa Sandai (focus on Sekigahara, Siege of Osaka, Shogunate)

Dousuru Ieyasu will certainly not be able to show Ieyasu's entire life since that would be impossible in one Taiga even with 50 episodes.
I think that it will either stop shortly before Sekigahara or with Sekigahara (the Siege of Osaka and the Shogunate won't be shown since this was covered masterfully in Aoi Tokugawa Sandai anyway)

In scenes with Muan (when she presents him the baby) her eyebrows cracked me up particularly 😂.

The trailers and posters/promo material look extremely gorgeous ❤️.

I adore this Taiga so much one of my absolute favorites 💖.

A typical subpar Mitani Koki Taiga again. A bad and boring depiction of the Hojo clan, rather watch Kusa Moeru instead. The only thing not featured in Kusa Moeru is Kikuchi Rinko‘s character Iga no Kata and her teen son Masamura.
Battles were a joke especially, Awazu, Dannoura, Hatakeyama rebellion.
The costumes were mostly recycled from older Taiga productions thus super boring as well.

Good performances:
Koike Eiko as Masako was ok not close to Iwashita Shima‘s Masako though.

Sakoda Takaya as Noriyori (finally Noriyori got a bit depth for once)

Hotta Mayu as Hina/Hime no Mae (she was cute, how she met Yoshitoki is historically inaccurate though, he bombarded her with letters in history)

Yamaya Kasumi as Setsu/Wakasa no Tsubone (enthusiastic portrayal)

Yokota Eiji as Wada Yoshimori (best Wada depiction I have ever seen on film)

Yamamoto Koji as Miura Yoshimura (Yamamoto is always excellent in Taiga)

Oguri Shun got better as Yoshitoki when Yae finally was killed.

Suda Masaki‘s Yoshitsune had many similarities with Homura Tatsu‘s Yoshitsune.


Bad performances:
Oizumi Yo as Yoritomo was insufferable

Aragaki Yui‘s Ito Yae role was horrible. Her fictional later relationship with Yoshitoki and her being Yasutoki’s mother was gross, Yae was historically his aunt, she was in her 20s and already sleeping around and impregnated by Yoritomo with Sentsurumaru when Yoshitoki was only 11 thus they were not even from the same age group. Yasutoki‘s mother (Yoshitoki was 20 when Yasutoki was born) was unknown in history.

Sakaguchi Kentaro‘s Yasutoki was a bland Mary Sue. The real Yasutoki was way more competent and older and more unfaithful to his wife (they divorced in reality and weren‘t a good couple as in this Taiga).

Kakizawa Hayato as Sanetomo. This clown Sanetomo had nothing to do with the real Sanetomo. The real Sanetomo was an expert politician (he had a higher political position than his father Yoritomo ever had at age 27) who negotiated with the relatives of his wife at the imperial court, an expert waka poet, a tragic figure and he had a very close and good relationship with his wife Bomon Nobuko who remained a nun after his early death for over 50 years. Rather watch Shinoda Saburo’s excellent portrayal of Sanetomo in Kusa Moeru, read the popular Azuma Kagami manga or the Sanetomo and Nobuko novel 言の葉は、残りて by Sato Shizuku if you want information about Sanetomo‘s rule.

It‘s definitely more than than the last adaptions but since it‘s only 10 episodes and since the casting announcements definitely stopped maybe they are testing whether it‘s successful and then they later adapt arcs like Iemochi for example with new episodes.

The first teaser and pictures look excellent and promising. The cast is amazing so far and seems to be really well chosen. Hope that the rest of the cast is announced soon.

Asada Jiro has written When the last sword is drawn (made into a good movie) and Wachigaiya Itosato (liked the movie adaption with Fujino Ryoko). Thus I will check out this novel adaption as well (despite the story being only comedy this time) especially since the cast looks great.

I hope that the screenwriter (since this seems to be her first work and it‘s not based on a novel or webcomic etc.) gets another sageuk in the future I loved it. It has one of the most satisfying endings for a show I have seen with the exception of the Once upon a time spinoff Once upon a time in Wonderland.

I also hope that the dvd (since it will be released this December) will be easily accessible.

A really satisfying ending. I loved that everything came to a conclusion. The ending of QD was how such a spiteful person would go.
The family was really close and had many good scenes together.
The umbrella scenes were perfect and loved the little final scene with Ilyeong XD.