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hogun is one of the shows that can take their audience on an immersive journey to a strange, almost fantastical world. In this instance, that world happens to be Japan in the 1600s, away from the Western civilisation, with deeply entrenched cultural values native to the land and representative of its isolation from most of the world. This is what makes the show deeply fascinating. The makers have done a great job of creating this exotic world using spectacular editing, cinematography and Atticus Ross’ remarkable score.
The main characters are introduced in the middle of a leadership crisis as Taiko, the emperor equivalent, has just died and his designated heir is too young to take over. The Council of Regents is divided but not overtly so. Besides being different from similar period dramas set in the Western world, where disputes are typically obvious, this factor makes the unfolding events quite unpredictable.
To represent alienation from the Japanese culture of the times, the main point of reference is John Blackthorne, an English sailor who has washed up on the Japanese shore with a handful of surviving sailors who after a testing journey had abandoned all hope of reaching the other side of the world. Blackthorne is the only one allowed to represent his crew among the Japanese nobles. As events unfold, Blackthorne wins over some of the nobles and proves himself to be useful to Lord Yoshi Toranaga, played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Toranaga, one of the nobles on the council of the deceased Taiki, finds himself cornered by the rest of the council members and soon gets labelled a traitor. As the viewers are taken through the stories of the various characters, including Toda Mariko, portrayed by Japanese actress Anna Sawai, who acts as translator between the Englishman and Lord Toranaga, they find out more about Toranaga’s origin and plans.
Shogun is based on a 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell that has been previously adapted for a television mini-series by Paramount Television which ran on NBC in 1980. The show should be a treat for anyone interested in history, culture, war, diplomacy and drama. It is available to stream on Hulu.
Several characters nudge Lord Toranaga to become a Shogun. The title is bestowed upon a military commander-in-chief under a feudal system. Toranaga boasts a lineage of former Shoguns. However, Toranaga seems reluctant and resists these suggestions, maintaining that the era of Shoguns has been over for a hundred years. He suggests that a more peaceful posture is to be preferred and would benefit Japan.
The culture of Seventeenth Century Japan or, as Blackthorne likes to call it, ‘the Ja-pans,’ supports this preference for peace over self-interest. There are several instances of self-sacrifice ‘seppuku’ by cutting open one’s stomach if one has caused dishonour to oneself or one’s tribe. There is even an instance of a samurai sacrificing both himself and his infant son to kill off his line of descendants because he has shown himself to be unworthy [by speaking out of turn]. So strict is the adherence to good form that sacrificing one’s personal ambition in the face of the communal good is not only considered noble but the norm. Anyone acting otherwise would risk being seen as a rebel.
The political games are strange, unpredictable and impossible to anticipate. One can therefore understand Lord Toranaga’s refusal to fight the council and assert his point of view despite earnest appeals from his allies.
The only Western presence in Japan before Blackthorne’s arrival has been some Portuguese Catholic missionaries with an assortment of Spanish sailors. Blackthorne, a Protestant, reveals to the Japanese court (Toranaga in particular), how the Catholic Portuguese are profiting from Japan and how they view the nature of their relationship with the Japanese beneath the guise of civility and the pretense of mutual respect. This, in addition to the ship and artillery that Blackthorne has brought, makes Blackthorne rise in importance as Toranaga’s dispute with the council grows more intense. He also develops romantic interest in Lady Mariko, who is married to an emotionally distant but brave and honourable samurai.
The show features impeccable performances by the cast which includes Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Tommy Bastow and Fumi Nikaido. Sanada is also a producer of the show.
The show keeps FX’s streak of quality television productions going. The experience benefits from the Japanese characters communicating in Japanese so that the immersive elements is not diluted for the sake of English speaking audience, although the show does replace Portuguese with English (which makes it mildly confusing at the outset).
Shogun is based on a 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell that has been previously adapted for a television mini-series by Paramount Television which ran on NBC in 1980. The show should be a treat for anyone interested in history, culture, war, diplomacy and drama. It is available to stream on Hulu.
The author writes about culture, art and identity. More of his work can be found on instagram.com/un.eeeb