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Shōgun is a Japanese-American historical drama television miniseries created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. It is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, which was previously adapted into a 1980 miniseries. Shōgun premiered on February 27, 2024, on Hulu and FX.
Shōgun follows “the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai; John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance”.[1][2]
Cast
In the following lists, the names in parenthesis represent the historical figure upon which the character is based.
Main
Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1543–1616): A powerful bushō and lord of the Kantō. One of the five regents ruling Japan on behalf of the late Taikō’s young heir. He is a descendant of the Minowara clan (Minamoto clan) which once ruled over Japan as shōguns. He possesses a brilliant mind for military and political strategy.
Cosmo Jarvis as Pilot-Major John Blackthorne / “Anjin” (William Adams, 1564–1620): A Protestant English maritime pilot who served on a Dutch fleet seeking to establish trade with Japan. He finds himself and his crew captive to the powerful Lord Toranaga.
Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko (Hosokawa Gracia, 1563–1600): An intelligent highborn woman with strong loyalty to Toranaga. She is a Catholic convert who serves as a translator between Toranaga and Blackthorne.
Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige (Honda Masanobu, 1538–1616): The scheming lord of Izu who serves Toranaga.
Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari (Ishida Mitsunari, 1559–1600): A former peasant turned powerful bushō, one of the Regents, Toranaga’s chief rival, and ruler of Osaka Castle.
Tommy Bastow as Father Martin Alvito, SJ / “Tsuji” (João Rodrigues Tçuzu, 1561–1634): An empathetic Portuguese priest and reliable translator.
Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata (Yodo-dono, 1569–1615): The only consort of the late Taikō who bore an heir, her son Yaechiyo.
Clavell’s Shōgun is historical fiction. The character of Blackthorne is loosely based on the historical English navigator William Adams,[3][4] who in Japan rose to become a samurai under a powerful daimyō. That daimyō was later the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose reign lasted from 1603 to his death in 1616 and on whom Shōgun’s character Yoshii Toranaga is based.[5][6]
1 “Chapter One: Anjin” Jonathan van Tulleken Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks
February 27, 2024
2 “Chapter Two: Servants of Two Masters” Jonathan van Tulleken Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks February 27, 2024
3 “Chapter Three: Tomorrow Is Tomorrow” Charlotte Brändström Shannon Goss March 5, 2024
4 “Chapter Four: The Eightfold Fence” Frederick E.O. Toye Nigel Williams & Emily Yoshida March 12, 2024
5 “Chapter Five: Broken to the Fist” Frederick E.O. Toye Matt Lambert March 19, 2024
6 “Chapter Six: Ladies of the Willow World”[15] Hiromi Kamata Maegan Houang March 26, 2024
7 “Chapter Seven: A Stick of Time”[16] Takeshi Fukunaga Matt Lambert April 2, 2024
8 “Chapter Eight: The Abyss of Life”[17] Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Shannon Goss April 9, 2024
9 “Chapter Nine: Crimson Sky”[18] Frederick E.O. Toye Rachel Kondo & Caillin Puente April 16, 2024
10 “Chapter Ten: A Dream of a Dream”[19] TBA Maegan Houang & Emily Yoshida April 23, 2024
Reception in Japan
In Japan, the series was acclaimed by audiences on Eiga.com [ja].[57] Japanese comedian and history buff Kunihiro Matsumura also praised the series for its authenticity. Ken Matsudaira, who played Tokugawa Yoshimune in The Unfettered Shogun and played Tokugawa Ieyasu (who was the model for the main character, Yoshii Toranaga) three times in his acting career, praised Sanada’s skilled acting and his effort to bring more historical authenticity to the series, for which Sanada also serves as a producer.[58] In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sanada expressed his thoughts on the show’s Japanese reception. “I was a little worried about the Japanese reaction because they know what is authentic, and what is not. But surprisingly, all the reviews and the reactions from the audience were great. That was exactly what we wanted.”[59]
Acclaimed video game designer Hideo Kojima, known for founding Kojima Productions, gave the series a glowing review, likening it to “a Game of Thrones set in 17th century Japan”, and praised the show’s scale, details, cast, costumes, sets, props, and VFX, as well as citing star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada’s presence in the series.[60]
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