Television Shōgun (FX Networks series) - premieres February 27, 2024

[RedDevilQuebecois]

This is arguably the most anticipated TV show at the moment. Here are the trailer and a video about the making of the series.



Some of you may already be familiar with the old TV series featuring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune. Some of you may already have read the 1975 novel. Nevertheless, this new take promises to be something else as critics are already in love with this. The story is a real-life version of Game of Thrones when you think about it. And besides, I'm a massive Hiroyuki Sanada fan.

The novel's author James Clavell purposefully changed the names, but many of the characters existed in real life and the events were the build-up to the critical Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Here are the real-life counterparts to the characters if you're interested in finding out who they were and what they did.

Spoiler: Characters (left) and historical figures (right)

John Blackthorne – Miura Anjin (William Adams) (1564–1620)
Yoshi Toranaga – Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616)
Yoshi Sudara – Tokugawa Hidetada (1579–1632)
Yoshi Naga – Matsudaira Tadayoshi (1580–1607)
Ishido – Ishida Mitsunari (1559–1600)
Ochiba – Yodo-dono (1569–1615)
Yaemon – Toyotomi Hideyori (1593–1615)
Onoshi – Otani Yoshitsugu (1558–1600)
Harima – Arima Harunobu (1567–1612)
Kiyama – Konishi Yukinaga (1555–1600)
Sugiyama – Maeda Toshiie (1539–1599)
Zataki – Matsudaira Sadakatsu (1560–1624)
Toda Mariko – Hosokawa Gracia (1563–1600)
Toda Hiro-matsu "Iron Fist" – Hosokawa Fujitaka (1534–1610)
Toda Buntaro – Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563–1646)
Toda Saruji – Hosokawa Tadatoshi (1586–1641)
Kasigi Yabu – Honda Masanobu (1538–1616)
Kasigi Omi – Honda Masazumi (1566–1637)
Goroda – Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582)
Nakamura – Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536–1598)
Akechi Jinsai – Akechi Mitsuhide (1528–1582)
Lady Genjiko – Oeyo (1573–1626)
Martin Alvito – João Rodrigues (1561/1562–1633/1634)
Johann Vinck – Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (1556?–1623)
Spillbergen – Jacob Quaeckernaeck (?–1606)
Father Dell'Aqua – Alessandro Valignano (1539–1606)
Brother Michael – Miguel Chijiwa (1569?–1633)
Captain-General Ferriera – Horatio Neretti, captain of the Black Ship in 1600

 

[One Night Only]

Isn't this a one season thing anyway? Its not gonna be a 6 season show.

Also, are they releasing all at once or weekly do we know?

I'm excited for it for sure.

 

[The Cat]

Oh wow. I loved this as a kid. The one scene I'm thinking about I couldn't believe at the time.

Will definitely watch this.

 

[sport2793]

Isn't this a one season thing anyway? Its not gonna be a 6 season show.

Also, are they releasing all at once or weekly do we know?

I'm excited for it for sure.

Since it's on a network I think it will be 1 ep a week but anyone feel free to correct

 

[One Night Only]

Since it's on a network I think it will be 1 ep a week but anyone feel free to correct

Its Disney+ in UK I think.

I prefer the 1 ep a week tbh so it's not all spoilers to death after 8 hours of release.

 

[nimic]

I'm extremely excited about this. There are some solid-looking shows coming up with this and Constellation for example.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

I don't know if this part will feature in Episode 1. If it doesn't, then the historical context is laid out very well here as a prologue.

 

[Phil Jones Face]

Excited for this. I remember playing Shogun:TW as a teenager and it really piqued my interest in the Sengoku period. Western cinema really doesn't give it enough exposure.

 

[Ish]

Excited for this....

 

[GaryLifo]

I read every Clavell book I could get my hands on back in the day. Shogun is one of his best.

I'd love them to do a new version of Noble House too.

 

[lilcurt]

Excited for this, never read the novel or seen the previous incarnation but from trailers and a little research it sounds like it could be special.

If it is a one season and done show even better. Refreshing to just watch a story you know will have a beginning, middle and end without risk of cancellation or writers getting bored of it (GoT).

 

[WI_Red]

My favorite novel of all time. I read it first at 12 and then once a year until my paperback copy fell apart some time in my early 20’s. Really looking forward to this.

For the question above: a single season, 10 episodes. Tomorrow the first 2 drop.

 

[WI_Red]

Watched the first episode. Pretty good, a bit choppy but understandable as they needed to introduce us to the main characters.

 

[Hamnat]

I liked the first episode. A lot of characters introduced and going to take a bit to get to know them all. It looks beautiful, the sets, the locations. There is a lot of focus on character work and the intersection of the different cultures and traditions. Did not really have any complaints after the first episode so good start.

 

[reelworld]

I read every Clavell book I could get my hands on back in the day. Shogun is one of his best.

I'd love them to do a new version of Noble House too.

If I remember correctly Noble House tv show isn't as good as Shogun.

 

[Dargonk]

Watched the first two episodes, and its been enjoyable so far. The world looks and feels believable which is always a good start. I'm interested in where it will go, particularly as someone who hasn't followed that portion of history a lot.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Seriously good so far.

the cauldron execution was brutal

 

[nimic]

Yeah looks great.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Really enjoyed the first 2 episodes so far. Great intrigue, great cast, great sets.

Can someone answer why...

Spoiler

They wanted Blackthorn dead before they voted on impending Toranaga? Why did the two things have anything to do with each other/couldn't they just kill him after Toranaga was dead?

 

[ha_rooney]

Loving it so far. Feels a bit like season 1 Game of Thrones.

 

[Spark]

Really enjoyed the first 2 episodes so far. Great intrigue, great cast, great sets.

Can someone answer why...

Spoiler

They wanted Blackthorn dead before they voted on impending Toranaga? Why did the two things have anything to do with each other/couldn't they just kill him after Toranaga was dead?

Spoiler

Good question, I think it's because they know that Blackthorne likely knows about Macau and the Ronin stationed there. The Christian regents are looking to backstab Ishido at some point, backed by European firepower.

That's my take on it. Having watched the first eps, I think I might rewatch it again. A cracking show, I'm already gripped.

 

[GhastlyHun]

I also read every (?) Clavell novel and liked the old Shogun miniseries a lot. I think I will wait until more of this is out.

 

[Habs]

First two episodes were excellent

 

[WI_Red]

I also read every (?) Clavell novel and liked the old Shogun miniseries a lot. I think I will wait until more of this is out.

Speaking of the original mini series, some fun facts (taken from Wiki, so who knows if true):

1. It was the first time the word "piss" was used on network television. Not content with breaking that taboo they went ahead and showed Omi pissing on Blackthorne (obviously a first as well).
2. It was the first show to depict a man being beheaded.
3. It was the first network show to have men wearing fundoshi (aka, male string bikini).
4. It was the first network show to show a naked female breast.
5. It was the first, and still only, American network show to be entirely filmed in Japan.
6. Sean Connery was the first choice for the role of Blackthorne.
7. It was the second most watched TV show of all time in the US, behind only Roots.

All that being said, I don't think it can be streamed on any service, at least none that I could find. I would love to be able to re watch it as it has been decades (!!) since I last saw it.

 

[simonhch]

Series is really good so far. Enjoying it a lot.

 

[Affirmation]

This has potential to be something special. Just watched the first episode and was captivated from the beginning. The reviews are already calling it a masterpiece in television it seems. I'm hyped to watch the second episode.

 

[harms]

Really enjoyed the first 2 episodes so far. Great intrigue, great cast, great sets.

Can someone answer why...

Spoiler

They wanted Blackthorn dead before they voted on impending Toranaga? Why did the two things have anything to do with each other/couldn't they just kill him after Toranaga was dead?

Spoiler

Looks like simple politics to me. The main bad guy (sorry, I'm yet to remember all of their names, Ishi...) is the one who is pushing the decision for Toranaga's impeachment. He needs their votes, so they are in the position of power to ask for what they need first (to kill Blackthorn who knows about the Portuguese base and their possible involvement in the revolt). Since Blackthorn doesn't matter much to him, he'll likely accept (as he did) in order to accelerate the impeachment.

 

[harms]

Looks excellent so far. Impeccable cinematography.

 

[Ish]

This is great so far.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

I managed to watch all 2 episodes thus far. It is beyond anything I have imagined so far and it is a testimony to the level of commitment in replicating authenticity while building a whole atmosphere worthy of the best seasons of Game of Thrones.

I was surprised to see Tadanobu Asano with quite a somewhat "trashy" look as Kashigi Yabushige, but I guess it was clearly meant to show that he remains a small daimyō leading a small fief compared to the people inside Toranaga's inner circle. Asano's looks here sure gave me a little throwback to his portrayal of Temudgin in Mongol.

In episode 2, the flashback to the events that preceded the Taikō's death provide us quite a more solid idea as to why the other Regents want to get rid of Toranaga. He was already considered the wisest of them all by the Taikō himself.

Speaking of Hiroyuki Sanada's presence being the focal point to the series, he's not only the star of the series as Yoshii Toranaga - the character he always dreamed to be. Sanada is the man who keeps it together as a producer (for the first time), as someone who makes sure that everything is accurate to the last detail, and as the driving force who got so many Japanese actors into the project. We really owe the quality of this series mostly to him.

 

[Redplane]

Appreciate reading everyone s feedback. Haven't started it yet myself because I've learned my lesson in starting another show so early into its life, and will probably wait til I hear it held it's quality all the way through season end - but it all sounds very promising so far!

 

[Badunk]

Really enjoyed the first two episodes. Only (minor) criticism is how quickly Anjin is picking up the lingo. It's only been a matter of days and he's saying "yes" and "thank you". Since Japanese is completely unrelated to English, he should be completely oblivious to what his captors are saying for quite a while.

But it's shaping up to be epic.

 

[WI_Red]

Really enjoyed the first two episodes. Only (minor) criticism is how quickly Anjin is picking up the lingo. It's only been a matter of days and he's saying "yes" and "thank you". Since Japanese is completely unrelated to English, he should be completely oblivious to what his captors are saying for quite a while.

But it's shaping up to be epic.

Very, very minor books spoilers

Spoiler

It's not really discussed in the show all that much, but it can be inferred that he has a pretty good grasp with languages. He speaks Portuguese, Latin, Dutch, English, and I think Spanish. He also gets a translation dictionary right about the time of episode 2 ending, so his Japanese begins to get much better relatively quickly.

 

[Badunk]

Very, very minor books spoilers

Spoiler

It's not really discussed in the show all that much, but it can be inferred that he has a pretty good grasp with languages. He speaks Portuguese, Latin, Dutch, English, and I think Spanish. He also gets a translation dictionary right about the time of episode 2 ending, so his Japanese begins to get much better relatively quickly.

Cheers.

 

[Badunk]

New episode out.

 

[Badunk]

Another good episode. Shaping up to be one of the best shows in recent years.

 

[Superden]

The battle / action scenes are a bit meh, but the rest of it bloody good.

The anjin does sound a bit too much like an angry, randy boris Johnson though. Perhaps that's just me and this post belongs in a different thread...

 

[One Night Only]

The battle / action scenes are a bit meh, but the rest of it bloody good.

The anjin does sound a bit too much like an angry, randy boris Johnson though. Perhaps that's just me and this post belongs in a different thread...

Yeah, Anjin character just seems overacted so you can tell it's an actor attempting to play a role but not being convincing. Very strange considering how well acted the rest of it seems to be.

 

[Organic Potatoes]

Yeah, Anjin character just seems overacted so you can tell it's an actor attempting to play a role but not being convincing. Very strange considering how well acted the rest of it seems to be.

As a general rule, the white guy has to be the most annoying one in a show set in Japan.

What’s the over/under on how long until he hooks up with his translator? I give it 1.5 episodes.

 

[WI_Red]

My one issue with the show so far has been the “de-aging” of JB and Mariko. They are older in the book and, while still brash, JB is much more measured.

One of the main reasons I love this book so much is, unfortunately, also something not really possible in a movie/tv show. That thing is the inner monologues the characters have. Especially for Mariko it is incredibly enlightening and gives her character so much depth as she wars with duty to her lords (big and little L), with her duty to her self and culture, etc. Blackthorne also as he struggles with adapting to Japanese culture. I am hoping the show takes the time to flesh out the characters before rushing into the cool, made for tv, plot lines.