I’d heard a lot of good things about Shogun when it first started airing. Enough to make me sit up and pay attention, but not enough to get me to actually watch it. (Honestly, these days there are so many different things to watch, if I get something new, it typically has to wait in line.) Once the show was complete, I heard even better things, so it got bumped up on my priority list. The whole show is over on Hulu now. (Though now that it was so successful, they’re suddenly talking about making a second season. Regardless, the first season stands alone as a complete story, so you don’t have to worry about any cliffhangers that never get resolved.)
Denisa and I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Based on historical events in Japan, it would best be summed up as Game of Thrones, but take out the dragons and put in samurai instead. There’s no magic, but there’s plenty of political machinations, and a whole lot of violence. I think the thing that appealed to me most about it was how authentic it felt. Now, I’m no expert on Japanese history, so it could have gotten everything wrong, but it felt consistent. They present a culture that’s so foreign to anything and everything I’ve seen before. The people make decisions that make complete sense to them while absolutely no sense to me, as a modern American. The thought of killing myself because I might have shamed my superior wouldn’t even come up on my radar, let alone killing my entire family as well. It’s brutal and heart wrenching, and the show doesn’t shy away from it.
Would I say I feel like I know what life was like in feudal Japan now? Nope. But I sure did see a fascinating presentation of what it might have been like, and I’d like to find out more.
The story focuses on the events following the death of the king. His counselors jockey for position, as the heir is only a young child. At the same time, Christianity has come to Japan in the form of Portuguese priests, but one of the main characters, an English sailor, has arrived in hopes of breaking the grip the Portuguese have on trade with the nation. We see much of the story through that sailor’s eyes, so he’s as bewildered and confused as we are, which helps to make things less confusing, somehow.
The acting, plot, music, and production design are all top notch. Really, I can’t find anything to critique (though perhaps I’d be able to if I was more familiar with the history). In the end, I gave it a 10/10 and very much recommend it. Be aware going in that there are some very (very) violent things that happen in the show. Let’s just say I never want to meet the business end of a samurai sword. But if that doesn’t turn you off, there’s a bunch of great television in front of you.