FX’s Shogun is easily the best television show of the year so far. The story of feudal Japanese politics and warfare in the 17th century, which becomes complicated after the arrival of an English sailor, is at once epic and intimate. Read this also Shogun creators on the need to adapt the book for this generation: ‘Where have we got it so wrong over the years’
premises
Based on James Clavell’s 1975 bestseller of the same name, Shogun tells the story of Lord Toranaga, a mysterious Japanese leader who struggles to maintain peace against a council of regents who fear his power, as well as Portuguese missionaries. Is also controlling the spread of Christianity through. , Their efforts are confounded by the sudden appearance of an English sailor, John Blackthorne, who claims that the Portuguese are not as generous allies as they seem. More importantly, Blackthorn’s ship is armed with cannons, a new weapon that could be the key to victory for whoever controls the British.
Shogun is mass television
After creating great shows like The Americans and The Bear, Omen is FX’s attempt to create its own Game of Thrones. The book is epic in scope, and the show features some stunning setpieces that showcase the best in production design and visual effects. Despite the action sequences, by far the most surprising sequence involves an earthquake that destroys Toranaga’s forces.
A window into Japanese culture
It’s not just elaborate production design, Shogun is a painstaking recreation of Japanese culture, including the traditions, language, and social customs of the time. A highly successful miniseries adaptation in 1980 focused on the white Blackthorn and did not even subtitle the Japanese dialogue. The modern version makes no such mistakes, the show is primarily subtitled in Japanese and the translations have been carefully chosen to highlight the nuances of the dialogue. Importantly, Toranaga is Blackthorn’s narrative equal, if not the outright leader.
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Key Players
The show stars Cosmo Jarvis who plays Blackthorn. Jarvis’s Blackthorn starts out broad and loud, with the general Western assumption that he is a civilized man in a land of barbarians. Over the course of the season, as he learns to appreciate Japanese culture and understand their sense of honor, Jarvis’ performance mellows and becomes more quiet and internal. Toranaga is played by veteran actor Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4) in a charming and enigmatic performance that includes bursts of vulnerability. Special mention should be made of Tadanobu Asano (Thor) as Yabushige, a scheming lord who has been pledged to serve Toranaga, but is constantly crossing paths with all sides in an effort to come out of the conflict alive. Is.
The real star of the show is Anna Sawai (F9) as Lady Mariko. The only truly bilingual character on Shogun, Mariko is a complex character torn between the competing demands of her duty, her religion, and her sense of honor. As the only person who can communicate with Blackthorn, Mariko becomes a key confidant of Toranaga. It’s a star-making role for Sawai who delivers a carefully calibrated and sensitive performance that also allows him to play a scoundrel as the plot demands.
the saga ends
Through the first nine episodes, we see Toranaga as a skilled practitioner of the political game, playing chess while his opponents are playing checkers. Meanwhile, Blackthorn has gone from a pawn to someone who is at least somewhat trusted by Toranaga. It’s been a thrilling and spectacular journey so far, with the final episode ending on a devastating cliffhanger that could have significant implications for Blackthorne and Toranaga. Now the stage is set for an explosive climax next week.
If you haven’t been watching the best show of the year, it’s not too late to start. You can enjoy the season this weekend before the season finale on Tuesday. Shogun is streaming on Disney+Hotstar.
