By Sienna Thompson, Film & TV Social Media Editor
Set in Japan in the year 1600, we witness Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) fight for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. However, tensions further arise as John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), a risk-taking English sailor, ends up shipwrecked in a nearby fishing village.
FX clearly took extra measures to ensure this show was historically accurate. Set during a time of tensions between Catholics and Christians, and the discovery of Japan by Europeans, obvious research was undertaken to create an extremely authentic depiction. Despite being produced by an American company, there was no severe westernisation of this part of history. With a predominantly Japanese cast, majority of the dialogue was also in Japanese.
A noteworthy choice FX made was for the English dialogue included in the show. Blackthorne, despite being English, was surrounded purely with either Japanese or (due to international affiliations) Portuguese characters. As a result, he spoke in Portuguese which FX presented as English dialogue. Despite my having no problem using subtitles with shows, it was personally a nice break from a lot of heavy reading Shōgun entails.
Acting as his translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) and Blackthorne develop a close relationship as she educates him on Japan’s culture and the current conflicts between Toranaga and the Council. Both Jarvis and Sawai give excellent performances in their roles, with perfect blends of comedy and tension. Their witty conversations were some of my favourite parts of the show.
Aesthetically Shōgun is stunning. FX’s budget is clear as seen with the cinematography. Shots showing Japanese architecture and nature are breath-taking, as well as the variety of costumes. Yet, there is no sugar-coating of the gore that occurred in this period, and as a result on the show. The violence presented was a lot more intense than expected, though understandably accurate and necessary.
Shōgun is a refreshing show to watch and enlightened me on the history of Japan. I find it difficult to find any area to critique and am excited for the next few episodes to come. If you’re looking for a change in your streaming activities, I would highly recommend Shōgun.
Episodes air every Tuesday on Disney plus until 23rd April.
