On April 23, the epic historical drama series «Shogun» ended on FX and simultaneously on Hulu. Its plot is based on the novel of the same name by James Clavell, published in 1975. In the review below, we will analyze what exactly is remarkable about this project and what features have made it so popular.
Pluses:
an indescribably fascinating story in the authentic setting of early seventeenth-century Japan; a large number of interesting, even minor, characters and storylines; despite the lack of large-scale battle scenes, the story looks epic and keeps you in suspense; good acting performances; everything is done at the highest level technically
Minuses:
the lack of big fight scenes and an expressive climax may upset some viewers; Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne evokes mixed feelings
«Shogun»
Genre historical drama
Created by Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Tommy Bastow, Fumi Nikaido
Premiere FX, Hulu
Year of issue 2024
Website IMDb
In 1600, the Dutch merchant ship «Erasmus» arrives at the coast of Japan, and the inhabitants of a coastal village discover 12 sailors on board. They miraculously managed to survive the grueling, long journey. Among the barely alive Europeans is the English navigator John Blackthorne. It is he who is destined to conduct diplomacy with the local hosts, in particular, the samurai Kashigi Yabushige.
Blackthorne manages to bargain for the mercy of the authorities and save the lives of the team members, except for the one poor man who is boiled alive in a cauldron. Later, the long-suffering Englishman meets Yoshii Toranaga, one of Japan’s most powerful daimyo, his loyal servants, and Toda’s girlfriend Mariko, who was entrusted with the role of translator. He learns about local political strife and becomes useful to Toranaga in his fight against the conspirators, earning the honorary title of hatamoto. He also delves deeper and deeper into the strange and obscure culture of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The newest «Shogun» is the second television adaptation of James Clavell’s historical bestseller of the same name, following the successful 1980 show that aired on NBC and won an «Emmy» and a «Golden Globe» for best series. The novel by the American writer and screenwriter, who was a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II, was based on real-life characters such as the English navigator William Adams or the founder of the Edo shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The 2024 version of the film has won over both audiences and critics alike, receiving sky-high ratings (a magnificent 9 points on IMDb and 99% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes).
«Shogun» has received complimentary comparisons to «Game of Thrones», and some dared call it in some respects even better than its predecessor, emphasizing that the plot now gives enough space to Japanese characters, while the 1980 version mainly focused on Blackthorne.
Indeed, the perfectionist creation of showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks has become one of the most prominent series of the year. From the debut episode, the unhurried narrative is able to literally grab your attention, and then you just dissolve into this multifaceted story that cannot leave you indifferent.
The plot is built on continuous contradictions and antagonism. Along with the insidious wars of the powers that be, there is the confrontation between Catholicism and Protestantism (I remember Scorsese’s «Silence»). There is also a place for loyalty and betrayal, cruelty and tenderness, hatred and love.
When the narrative is told from Blackthorne’s point of view, the viewer also gets to know this bizarre world, its strange, sometimes incomprehensible and seemingly absurd rituals and traditions. At the same time, the immersion in the historical era is of the highest quality, obviously due to the impeccable technical performance.
Unsurpassed island landscapes, authentic costumes, hairstyles, armor, weapons, the number of severed heads per hour of running time-everything in the frame is designed to contribute to the atmosphere of Japan of that time. Here, every second person vows to perform a seppuku (some will even succeed), and the poetic lines of dialogues beg to be turned into hokku.
What is surprising is that «Shogun» managed to achieve such success despite the lack of action. Moreover, the actual dialogic narrative is devoid of large-scale battle scenes, so fans of Hollywood historical blockbusters like «The Last Samurai» may be left in awe after the ending.
The second half of the season runs the risk of making you feel as if the story is taking a wrong turn. However, it’s pointless to deny that the local court intrigues, irreconcilable conflicts between different parties, and exciting plot twists are not a great alternative to epic battles. And there is plenty of bloodshed in the movie.
It was also interesting to see how the world-famous Japanese stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Asano Tadanobu interact on screen, having already met on the set of «47 Ronin». They embodied the key characters of the Mortal Kombat universe in the latest film adaptation. One of the central, critical roles went to the beautiful Anna Sawai, and if in the previous project «Monarch: Legacy of Monsters» to the fate of her character, the local Mariko-san evokes a sincere audience response.
I’m also pleased to see that this year’s lineup offers really worthwhile projects for small screens. Next to «Shogun», there are great shows of different genres, such as «Masters of the Air», «3 Body Problem» or very recent «Fallout». So, in terms of quality TV shows, there’s nothing to complain about in 2024. Just as there is no point in doing something like that about the hero of our review, who draws you into the intricacies of his plot with such force. It is absolutely impossible to tear yourself away from the screen.