Explosive
Summary
Shōgun isn’t as action-packed as I’d have liked, but what we get is nicely done with some great swordfights and a major highlight is the end of episode 4. I imagine in the future seasons we will get some battle scenes as it all seems to be leading up to it. The performances are faultless and Hiroyuki Sanada is as magnetic as ever making this well worth watching for more patient viewers.
Plot: Set in Japan in the year 1600, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.
Review: I remember the original series of Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain way back in the 80’s, but I think I was too young to get into it. When I heard we were getting a new adaptation of the novel of the same name, I was intrigued because anything starring Hiroyuki Sanada is immediately better due to his presence. I’ve always been fascinated by Japanese culture and Shogun really explores the ancient ways of honour, loyalty and sacrifice.
Cosmo Jarvis plays the protagonist John Blackthorne who isn’t an especially sympathetic person at first, but when he is taken prisoner by Toranaga (Sanada) he slowly begins to adapt to the culture. At various points he is appalled by some of the customs and how his captors (who eventually become semi-allies) seem to treat life and death so casually. All Blackthorn wants is to get his ship back and continue his war with the Portuguese, but Toranaga likes to keep him around for his own amusement.
Blackthorne befriends his translator Mariko (Anna Sawai from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) and as expected a forbidden romance ensues. Both manage to show restraint for the most part especially when Mariko’s husband returns, but they struggle to hide their feelings for each other.
Shogun is more of a political drama and not quite the action epic I was hoping for; I was expecting some battle scenes, but I think that will come in future seasons. We do still get some sword fights and Mariko has a moment to shine when she takes up her staff against several guards at Ishido’s compound. It has some awesome moments of violence especially the cannon scene at the end of episode 4.
Shogun may be a little slowburn and talky for some tastes, but I think the performances were impeccable and I particularly enjoyed Tadanobu Asano as the unpredictable Kashigi Yabushige. The costumes and set design are all faultless and I found myself genuinely caring about some of the major characters. Despite Blackthorne’s obvious flaws you still kind of root for him and can see where his culture shock comes from.
Season 2 and 3 are on the way and I’ll be there to see how the story ends as I’ve never read the book it’s based on.
Overall, Shogun is a stunning achievement for a television series with impeccable performances and memorable characters. It has some impressive action scenes, but I was hoping it would have had some bigger battles, which will likely come later. This is still top-tier television and worth checking out if you’re looking for something a little more cerebral.