Shōgun: Is the Highest Rated Series Of The Year And These Are The Reasons To Watch It
James Clavell published the novel Shōgun in 1975 and, almost 50 years later, the story of the novel comes to streaming in the form of an epic series that tells a story of war, conquerors, struggle for power, alliances, betrayals and intrigue, which It takes place in the Japanese empire of the 1600s. The novel had already been adapted in the 80s, with Richard Chamberlain as the protagonist. Still, in one of the best times for television, it is back with high-impact production, which is at the level of projects like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. The series follows a British navigator who, in the 1600s, finds himself working as the pilot of a Dutch ship seeking to reach Japan, where they not only want to establish a trade route but also seek to stop the Portuguese and the Spanish, who they reached Japan and created one of the most powerful trade routes in the world, while also seeking to spread Catholicism and use the faith to gain power in the empire.
It is a complex story, with great moments of action that change perspective. The idea is not to see the point of view of the conquerors, who consider all those who are different barbarians, but to present the protagonist, the navigator, as a visitor within a complex civilization, rich in traditions, culture, and history, with its customs and with a unique system, where he ends up being the barbarian. Shōgun exceeds all expectations, it is fun, intriguing, intense, and sometimes also mysterious. It is a great story of power struggle and has everything to become one of the great series of today.
When and Where to Watch Shōgun?
The series premieres on February 27 and can be seen on two platforms simultaneously, FX Networks and Disney+. The series is set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a civil war that will mark a century. Hiroyuki Sanada plays the role of “Lord Yoshii Toranaga” who is fighting for his life as his enemies in the Council of Regents gang up against him. When a mysterious European ship is found abandoned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, “John Blackthorne” (Cosmo Jarvis), arrives bringing with him secrets that could help Toranaga turn the tide of power and destroy the fearsome presence of the Blackthorne’s enemies, the Jesuit priests and the Portuguese merchants. The destinies of Toranaga and Blackthorne become inextricably linked to their interpreter, “Toda Mariko” (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman, the last of a disgraced lineage. As she serves her lord in this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound bond with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her, and her duty to her deceased father.
Also starring is Tadanobu Asano in the role of “Kashigi Yabushige,” a known traitor and close ally of Toranaga; Hiroto Kanai as “Kashigi Omi,” the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne’s ship is found; Takehiro Hira as “Ishido Kazunari”, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s main rival; Moeka Hoshi as “Usami Fuji,” a widow who must find new purpose amid her lord’s war; Tokuma Nishioka as “Toda Hiromatsu,” Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend; Shinnosuke Abe as “Toda Hirokatsu” (“Buntaro”), Mariko’s jealous husband; Yuki Kura as “Yoshii Nagakado”, the cheeky son of Toranaga who has a strong desire to get involved; and Fumi Nikaido as “Ochiba no Kata,” the heir’s revered mother who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son’s power.
A Well-Deserved Perfect Grade
Shōgun is one of the first series of 2024 that has received a perfect rating, obtaining 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And this is not an exaggeration, the series deserves that rating for many reasons, such as the choice of actors, such as the legendary Hiroyuki Sanada (47 Ronin, The Wolverine) and Anna Sawai, whom we just saw in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Cosmo Jarvis, who plays the navigator at the center of the story.
Another reason why she deserves 100% is because of her extraordinary costumes, which are a way of highlighting Japanese culture and its attention to detail. There is also the issue of large settings and a script that was written in English and Japanese, which helps to better understand the difficulty that the protagonist faces for not speaking the language. The series also talks about how the Japanese line of succession worked, the title of the Shōgun (who was something like a ruler with divine right), the conflicts between Catholicism and Protestants, and the struggle to create and establish trade routes, while the powers of Europe sought to conquer more territories and bring their faith to the “savages”.
A Story of War and Conquest, Based on Real Events
Shōgun is based on a novel and many fictional elements and characters never existed, but the interesting thing is that it also takes inspiration from many real political, cultural, religious, and war-related events. We can see, for example, the customs of the samurai, what life was like in Japan at a time when the Shōgunate no longer existed, and how power was divided between different feudal leaders, who also fought among themselves for power. On the other hand, we can see the reality of life for the explorers, pirates, and merchants on the ships, how Catholicism spread, and the very real conflict that England, Spain, and Portugal were part of, not only because of an issue of imposing faith, but by the need to gain power, money, influence, and control in the rest of the world.
An Epic Production
Shōgun is a gem, it impacts from the first scene and continues to surprise as it reveals new places, territories, and characters. Every detail was carefully constructed, and the costumes are historically accurate and have many interesting details that are full of meaning. Each scene has a great visual impact, and even shocking images of death and blood are used to make a greater impression and show the story realistically and brutally. Furthermore, it is a series that seems to go against the current trend in which everything is too dark and there are moments when you can’t see anything. And yes, there are many very well-made series today, but Shōgun really goes all out and doesn’t spare any details.
