Shogun Primer + Best Samurai Movies
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- āđāļāļĒāđāļāļĢāđāđāļĄāļ·āđāļ 27 āļĄ.āļ. 2025
- #tyandthatguy #tvreview #shogun #samuraimovies #hulu
SHOGUN PRIMER + BEST SAMURAI MOVIES
Ty Franck (one half of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatham ('Amos Burton' on The Expanse) decided to discuss the recent Shogun mini series on Hulu and also how mini series / the original were major pop culture events as well as water cooler talk back in the 80s.
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I once again tuned in to hear Wes' great intro line and was not disappointed. I loved Ty's knowledge and respect for Japanese movies and for Kurosawa. What I really liked and had me laughing out loud is the interaction between Ty and Wes. Two good friends talking and sharing the moment. Thank you guys for another great show. I loved this episode from beginning to end. Thank you.
Moeka Hoshi is consort Fuji/scene stealer and 100% agree with Ty. However, Iâm surprised Ty didnât say the same for Tadanobu Asano (Yabushige). The guy has a collection of âyouâre kidding me?/Youâre gonna get me killedâ expressions. And manages to keep it subtle enough that he doesnât end up ordered to off himself.
I 100% agree, that guy is hilarious without being over the top or not fitting for the situation. He might be a real douchebag from time to time, but he has a great attitude to many things :D
I particularly like his character because it is one who is not 100% defined by traditions but threads a thin needle to not openly defy anything.
I don't know what's in the novel, but Mariko could have been much more of the same, if she had been kept closer to her historical inspiration, Akechi Tama (a woman who wasn't just denied her request for permission for suicide, but actively used the threat of suicide to gain autonomy even from Tokugawa, the inspiration for Torinaga).
If there's any comedic relief in this series, that actor and his expressions are it.
@@pierrechildress8875 âI guess itâs time to write another willâĶâ
A couple minor corrections:
1) The Last Samurai is indeed fictional, but its plot is heavily based on two historical events during the Meiji Restoration and modernization period: The Boshin War and the Satsuma Rebellion, both of which featured elements of the samurai class rebelling against Imperial forces. Although it was less about a loss of a traditional way of life (highly romanticized in The Last Samurai) and more about the loss of status and privileges that the samurai class had previously enjoyed for centuries under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Put simply - those with only a surface level knowledge criticize The Last Samurai for being a "white savior" film (it isn't), while those who have studied Japanese history criticize it for overly romanticizing the Samurai and obscuring their motives for resisting reforms.
2) While Ty makes a great point about Shogun and The Last Samurai serving as bookends in American media for the Tokugawa Shogunate and its period of relative isolation, I do have a minor correction. During the Sakoku ("locked country") period from the 1630s to 1853 (when Commodore Perry forced Japan open to Western trade), Japan was generally closed to European trade, with one key exception - the Dutch. The Dutch East India Company was granted what was basically a monopoly on Japanese exports to Europe (and what imports to Japan were permitted, such as scientific and technical innovations), and were one of only three nations in the world which were allowed limited trade access to Japan during this time, along with the Chinese and Koreans (though limited trade was also permitted with the Ainu tribes and Ryuku Kingdom).
So all of this is to say that Japan was not completely isolated commercially or technologically. But they were very concerned with the spread of foreign religion, ideology, and anything that could weaken the central government.
3) Finally, although European arquebus-type small arms were indeed a significant development for Japanese warfare when they were first contacted by the Portuguese in 1543, the Japanese had actually possessed gunpowder weapons based on Chinese designs for several centuries before this. However they were pretty rudimentary siege and hand canons compared to the matchlock weapons the Portuguese had, which were lighter, more accurate, and more reliable.
The East India Company is the world's first megacorporation.
@@shaggycan Well, I've definitely heard the Dutch East India Co. referred to as the world's first multinational corporation (MNC), a thesis which I agree with.
Megacorporations are a scifi concept whose definition is a little murkier. But critically, one commonality seems to be that they are beyond and above the reach of state power and laws. This was not really true of either the Dutch EIC or the British EIC (who were very much instruments of their home countries, dependent, not truly independent of them). I'm not sure if we've seen a true megacorp yet, but we may well before the century is over.
@@Brendissimo1 they definitely had many features of the concept.
They were a worldwide enterprise with their own army. The main reason why they were reined in was because they were rivalling the power level of the British Empire itself. They probably had more money than the entire government for a while there. They even ran India pretty much for a time. I would say they qualify.
The scholarly class of Japan generally kept up with scientific and geographical developments in the west and Asia during its âisolationâ.
Regarding 1), The depiction of the samurai in The Last Samurai wasn't wrong only due to their romanticized traditional way of life and motivations, but also the way they fought in the Boshin War. In reality, both sides used guns, and both sides had European allies/suppliers (the French on the losing samurai side and the British on the winning pro-Emperor side). In fact, the rebellion against the Shogunate ostensibly started because the Shogunate bowed to foreign pressure to open up. (This is often misrepresented in Japanese media, too.)
You could add as 4) that the Taiko wasn't like the king of Japan, it was something more special and subtly sinister. Japan had an unbroken line of Emperors, but at one point at the time of the European Middle Ages, the imperial clan lost true power to the feudal lords and continued to be "in power" as mere figureheads, held hostage by whoever achieved the position of top military leader: that's the shogun. In the century prior to the time of the story of Shogun, the warring of the feudal lords became so bad that even the shogun became a figurehead, but, after much warring, one lord reunified the country and became shogun, again holding the Emperor hostage, with the official position of kampaku (regent). In his final years, he officially retired while still holding de-facto power, and that "retired regent" position was called taiko.
Tokugawa (the real Torinaga) was a very cynical manipulator who managed to hold hostage both the imperial clan and the heir to the previous shogun while claiming to be a loyalist, and turned the attempts of his rivals to free the hostages into casus belli and/or an ostensible evidence of disloyalty.
The performances in Shogun is so good, I agree that Moeka Hoshi portrayal of Usami Fuji is so good, but they are all very good. Saw a interview with Hiroyuki that he had been involved with the series for the last 5 years.
To me the spectrum of Japanese actors has an interesting duality. On on hand, there is some pretty bad acting in the truckload of TV shows produced, even in the best shows. On the other hand, there is an amazing number of incredibly good, very subtle actors in movies who are barely known outside Japan, and they were attracted to this job and honed this talent while receiving much less pay for much more work and living with less job security than the best Western actors.
For example, who ever heard of actress Machiko Ono? But what she did in Like Father Like Son was Oscar-worthy, IMHO.
Smiles. Yes, Lady Fuji is my favorite.
2:15 That's kinda funny, because Allan Quatermain was based on a series of books, the first one written almost a century before _Raiders of the Lost Ark._
But yeah, Richard Chamberlain's movies _did_ come off as a knockoff version of Indy. But iirc, AQ movies were made long before Chamberlain's. It's even possible that Indy was based off of AQ.
It is already said Wes, Fuji the consort speaks with her eyes. And the lord that is also hilarious is Kasigi Yabushigu played by Asano who was also Thor sidekick in the MCU. Hobar I think was his name their. It gets worse for the Toda family later on. Shogun book is 1200 pages btw. It is my summer read alternating with Lord of the Rings... the best shows I've watched is Shogun, both versions. And The Expanse .. I write science fiction and I teach Japanese Swordsmanship in Chattanooga.
Expanse guysâĶ you should know very well the film SunshineâĶ much in common sci fi. Hiro Sanada is great in it. Maybe you guys should also do a sunshine review?
I have just noticed that Ty has a Space 1999 Eagle transporter model on the lower shelf behind him. It's out of focus but it's there. You should do a show about Space 1999
Shogun is such a good show. Many of the episodes have scenes that just stay with you.
Without spoiling anything:
E8 - one scene had me yelling at the tv; whilst the other was so beautiful, intimate and sad.
E6 - this was so emotional. in my opinion had one of the best scenes in all of tv. If an Emmy can be awarded to for a single scene then this scene should win it.
E5 - just 4 people sitting around eating dinner. I held my breath the entire time.
E4 - that conversation by the hot spring.
E3 - a single bow and acknowledgment between two people had me in tears.
I donât have the words to express how good this show is.
"Get back in character Ty!" lol
On a recent podcast, John Rhys Davies, who played Rodriguez in Shogun 1980, said the new remake was unnecessary. But I very respectfully disagree. Shogun 2024 looks and feels completely different, and the pace and spectacle is fantastic.
BTW: Cosmo Jarvisâs voice is giving me strong Richard Burton vibes! Maybe not quite as theatrical, but a joy to listen to.
Cheers
Yeah, I have to disagree with John Rhys Davies as well. After seeing some side by side comparisons of scenes in both shows, the 1980s version feels a bit off. The best example being the scenes of Blackthorne drawing the world. The 1980s version has a feel of ânice girl brings her boyfriend to meet her dad on a picnicâ vibes as someone put it. Whereas this version feels like a horror reveal. Specifically the âreplace with Christiansâ and Portugal âownsâ Japan comments which become important parts of Toranagaâs drive.
The new show has one very well-defined and (from interviews) very conscious new take: while the old TV series (and, I presume, the novel) was a look at Japanese culture through European eyes, the new TV adaptation is a look in both directions. I particularly applaud the ingenious use of subtitles: when Mariko translates between Blackthorne and Torinaga or another Japanese character, it's never a literal translation but a conscious adaptation, and we get why she does it.
Just noticed that Ty has a Space 1999 Eagle on display : Respect ð
That is a show that I want but dread a remake of. As a kid I had a plastic Hawk but I've always loved the look of the Eagle, it was the first fictional spaceship to me that 'made sense'.
@@ptonpc I had an Eagle. And I agree. I'm amazed that there has been no remake, but it would be awful easy to mess it up.
I still have the original toy Eagle, with the detachable center cargo section.
There's a little button on top that releases the cargo hold. The door on the cargo hold also open.
@@MrVvulf had this one too but unfortunately it didnât survive ð
39:20 I loved Ty recognising you-know-who as the secret favourite character of the show!
There is a story about some friends of Kurasawa coming to him and asking
"Have you seen this movie 'Fistful of Dollars' with the American Clint Eastwood?"
"No," he replied, "I'd heard it's like 'Yojimbo'."
"It's not LIKE 'Yojimbo' they said. "It IS 'Yojimbo'. You have to sue them."
"I can't do that." Kurasawa said.
"Why not?"
"Because 'Yojimbo' is Dashiell Hammet's 'Red Harvest'!"
Kurosawa credited the film version of another Hammet novel, The Glass Key.
This isnât true. Kurosawaâs production company sued and itâs believed he made more money from that settlement then he made with Yojimboâs box office success.
39:30 wow I was thinking this too, couldn't believe Ty noticed! Also thought she was super cute too. ð Interesting looking.
wasn't Erasmus also the name of the hospital ship the roci ran into at eros? wonder if the book inspired the name
I love how Ty just explains the whole show lol.
Twilight Samurai is a top tier samurai movie, if you want something a bit different from the classics but with a deep and enjoyable feel to it.
This was a great episode, I am looking forward to watching Shogun!
Guys, please keep doing this show, it's so entertaining to watch. It'll be a sad day when the last "goodbye Ty" happens
Now I have to watch it.
Chambarra are not just about the fights, but often about the politics (that leads to the fights). Sanjuro (the more comedic "sequel" to Yojimbo) is one of my favourite Mifune films. After the Rain (1999), with a screenplay by Kurosowa. has some powerful sequences. The 2021 remake of Kobayashi's 1962 Hara-kiri" death of a Samurai is powerful, but only for those with a pretty strong stomach as a "joke" is taken too far,. but no one feels able to interfere without losing face (or causing others to lose face).
I've never read the book, and barely remember the original mini-series (didn't watch all of it), but this story has been great thus far. My wife who is Japanese enjoyed the first two episodes so far (had to skip over the torture/concubine scene in ep 1 as that disturbed her too much to continue watching) and a Japanese business partner thinks she and her husband might like (she's getting Disney+ to watch it). I've not heard from other Japanese who have seen it, but I do feel this series would be popular here in Japan. In large part, because as Ty pointed out the story is about Toranaga (Tokugawa in real life) and Blackthorn (William Adams in real life) is just a change to the current political situation.
The thing about this movie is that they should not have used actual real Japanese historical figures, thinly veiled by name changes. The story is total fiction and many characters are severely slandered in it, Buntaro (Hosokawa Tadaoki) and Mariko(Hosokawa Tama) for instance. They are portrayed in ways far different than in real life, very insultingly on many occasions. And Tama never even met William Adams.
I think y'all would love Blue Eyed Samurai ð
I love this show. A discussion on film and history between a gnome and an oompah loompah.
Silence was a great (if harrowing) film with Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver focused on the Portuguese attempts to Catholicise Japan.
Shelves?! This pod is getting way too fancy!
Japanese ghost stories: Kuroneko - Kaneto ShindÅ (1968), & Kwaidan - Masaki Kobayashi (1964). Classic horror.
Kuroneko is bad news for samurai. Lol
donât worry Ty, i fell in love with Fuji from her very first scene
The Pilot is the one who knows where you are going and generally the only one who can get you there. He's the rock star. When the body shuts down, it preserves the core. Scurvey affects the mind, and you can't have your Pilot addled. When they were rationing, he got the best rations. He was the strongest because in the open water, he's the only one who mattered. They could collapse at their posts but he had to be cogent.
Thinking of the scene where Amos and Alex fight out who gets to stay awake. Pilot was the most important person on that ship even before the captain self-canceled.
Vitamin C rich drinks work but just some raw fish, pemmican from raw dried meat or even beef jerky would work in preventing it, just do not only consume dry tack biscuits ð
And feudalism was an more decentralised system rather than top down, more confederal than federal in a way.
Did sailors of that time not know how to fish?
The recent live action Ruruoni Kenshin movies are excellent Samurai movies. Also it is very rare to have all 5 movies in a single series to be so consistently highly rated. All are 7.2-7.5 on IMDB, which is 13 Assassins rating.
Everything about how Toranaga moves strategically through the world, we learn in the very first scene he's in.
As a way of introducing a character, I thought this was top tier.
I on the other hand, after 8 episodes, I still wonder how many levels they want to show us in Torinaga.
The real-life Tokugawa was a cynical manipulator who plotted to gain ultimate power while talking about loyalty (holding both the Emperor and the heir to the Taiko under his thumb, and - spoiler alert - discarding the latter after provoking him to rebel). So far, on the surface, Torinaga seems to be the _truly_ honourable & loyal man who doesn't want power for himself. But now and then, there are signs that tell me that the showrunners might building towards revealing a hidden cynical power player: when he tells his son about not trusting anyone, when he keeps Yabushige close in spite of all the signs of his disloyalty, and finally in Episode 8 when he reveals he is plotting something to Mariko.
BTW one characteristics of the real-life Tokugawa definitely not given to the fictional Torunaga is that he was a lecherous womanizer. Tokugawa even tried to "pillow" Akechi Tama (the real-life Mariko) but she told him off by threatening suicide.
i gotta admit, i sorta love checking out McDonaldâs abroad, kinda like personally auditing âhow do they do America here?â
Makudonarudo in Japan is basically perfect, and shaka shaka-chicki is the best menu item at any McDonaldâs anywhere
if only they could somehow incorporate natto into a menu item
I never understand this American habit. Whenever I go abroad, I want to try foods I don't know from home, and there are much more interesting foods than (often sub-par) local variations on food I know from home. The only time I did that was at a castle in Austria when I felt cold and desired a hot soup, and they only had one from my country.
This also reminds me of my time in South Korea. It was a work trip with two colleagues from two other European countries, and the Korean partner gave us a "minder" who helped us navigate the foreign culture even off the work hours. Apparently, he did that before with Americans. On the first evening, he asked where we would like to go for diner, "McDonalds? Pizza Hut?" But we three Europeans replied unisono that we want to try local food only. So for the rest of the week, each evening, he took us to a different kind of Korean restaurant, and not flashy high-end restaurants in touristy spots but common ones in side streets with local clientele. It was truly great.
@@Daneelro to be fair, i was in Japan for years and went to MacDonaldâs maybe three times, and one of those was because it was my friendâs momâs favorite restaurant and she was constantly gifting us little 500ÂĨ gift cards - but i wonât lie that i didnât enjoy the spectacle when i did go. another point to make is that in the ten years iâve been back in the states, iâve been to MacDonaldâs maybe twice, so not a particularly fan anyway.
@@capguncarcrash OK, fair enough.
@@Daneelro It's not just American. I live in Singapore, and I have tourists from China in my country that refuse to try any of the varieties of food (we have a rich multicultural tradition here) when they visit - they only ever visit Chinese restaurants.
The sword of doom is also pretty epic.
So is there anyway to explain why Caprica fizzled?
Guys Tokyo Vice was right there! Ken Watanabe, yakuza, the 90s AND Anal Elderflower's japanese improved dramatically in S2. Not saying that I'm disappointed in you, cause Shogun does look like a badass show, just saying you can make it up to me by reviewing Furiosa when it drops.
First huge fan of Expanse both movies and read all books. Iâm reading the third book of the âHunger Gamesâ. Got me thinking it might be cool to have Wes (side character) tell what the experience was like being part of this huge blockbuster.
Peace!
Proposal for future top 5 for Shogun episodes: Top 5 remakes of Seven Samurai.
There are at least a dozen.
I think Ty's pretty far wrong about the Baby Cart series. Some are better than others but the high points are pretty great. Baby Cart at the River Styx & Baby Cart in Peril are fantastic, with a big finale with White Heaven in Hell.
100%
Give The Last Samurai! i love that movie.
I'd highly recommend The Twilight Samurai as well as a great Samurai film.
Second this.
Very different from most Samurai films, but so good.
I know its not a movie or classical Samurai movie, but Blue-Eyed Samurai anime is amazing! pls check it out!
Kurosawa was a big fan of John Ford and his westerns.
What about Zatoichi?!
19:44 speaking from experience?ð
Twilight samurai!
Sword of doom!
I like The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise, Watanabe, and of course HIroyuji Sanada (current shogun). The Last Samurai was actually Katsomoto and not Algren. : )
the Japanese have musket units but not as an army. They can't conceptualize it during that era because of the Warrior Class (Samurai) and using muskets was seen as absurd.
In the book opening chapters, Blackthorne has this rotten apple (with worms) hidden so at least he still has nutrition and prevent scurvy.
Dang I missed a good one!
Oh man I hate admitting out loud how much I LOVE The Last Samurai, but I really really do. I reconcile my love for it and my otherwise strong aversion to the âwhite saviorâ trope by telling myself the title isnât referencing TC as the last samurai, but saying itâs a story of the last OF THE samurai. Then I can watch delusionally in peace lol.
Anyway, Shogun has been so damn good. #SanadaHive all day. And 100% agree with Ty about Fuji
For years I didn't watch The Last Samurai because I thought they were putting Tom Cruise's character forward as the last samurai.
After finally getting around to watching it, I really don't think that's actually the case. Maybe I'm wrong and that's what they indeed meant it to be, but that would be ridiculous and so I choose to believe, and not verify, it's not the case and the clan he's with are the last samurai (plural).
@@corvuslight You're not wrong at all. Anyone who thinks Algren is the "last samurai" either never watched the film or suffers from a severe deficit of media literacy. The title has a dual meaning, and clearly refers to both Katsumoto and also the samurai class as a whole.
I'm in 2 minds about the Last Samurai. On one hand, the Big Yin (Billy Connolly) is in it.
On the other, it's a Tom Cruise vehicle, and that man gives me the creeps.
Definitely a curate's egg kind of film.
âThatâs not what the story of âShogunâ is.â It is in the 1980 miniseries adaptation.
A list of top samurai movies that does not include "Harakiri" (1962) is barely worth consideration.
Most lists from folks familiar with the genre that have seen ALL the classics and new movies place either "Seven Samurai" or "Harakiri" listed as #1.
Facts. Sadly I listened to this episode at work last week and so couldn't reply. But the top five they've given has entirely too much Kurosawa. Kurosawa is a good auteur filmmaker; however, he isn't a great samurai filmmaker (and indeed his best work aren't his samurai movies--e.g., see Stray Dog). For mine, I'd select these ones: 1) Harakiri, 2) Samurai Fiction, 3) Love & Honor, 4) The Seven Samurai, 5) Twilight Samurai. Also a huge honorable mention to the entire Zatoichi series (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatoichi). Finally, re: Kill Bill, part 1...this is rather completely an homage to the Samurai film genre and thereby, is a samurai film. Much as part 2 is an homage to the Wuxia film genre and thereby is a wuxia film. At least, that's my 5 pence.
The thing about Last Samurai is the character Cruise plays has so much hatred for himself and wants to die and is turned around by the top Samarai who understands the feelings he has and shows from having to kill indians especially woman and children. It's not just the fighting with sword it's the fight to find inner peace.
Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that Cruise's character is too prominent in the story, and historically, it's all a lie, even the samurai parts: the way of life, the motivations, the character of the conflict was all different.
In real life, the Shogunate was a very rigid feudal society where the samurai were the elite and had some absolute privileges, and they fought against the loss of those privileges. (Those villagers would have cowered in fear from the samurai, instead of joining in harmonious rural life.)
The conflict emerged when an incursion by an American battleship forced the opening up of Japan, weakening the shogunate. There was a both anti-colonialist and xenophobic popular movement to reinstate the Emperor (a powerless, purely ceremonial head of state for the past few centuries) as the true ruler and throw the foreigners out, which was instrumentalised by a clique around the Emperor who knew throwing he foreigners out is unrealistic but still wanted to regain autonomy through modernization.
In the civil war that grew from this, both sides invoked traditions (just different ones) and both sides relied heavily on foreign supplies of modern weapons (the Emperor's side from the British, the samurai from the French). Most of the samurai fell then, but a minority actually supported the Emperor, and could continue in a diminished position after that war. But when their remaining privileges were taken away step by step, they rebelled. They lost mostly because they were outnumbered, and also because they underestimated how well trained their conscript opponents were; not because they used medieval weapons against firearms.
Even the part about the guilt about killing Native Americans stinks. SaigÅ Takamori, the real-life inspiration for the character played by Ken Watanabe, was a proponent of Japan subjugating Korea, and that subjugation entailed bloodthirsty colonialist attitudes similar to the 19th century US Army treatment of Native Americans.
I will say that some people when visiting other countries will visit a fast food chain like McDonalds only once because they want to see how other cultures adapt something that they are familiar with. Now if youâre in Paris for two days and you say âfirst things first letâs hit McDonaldsâ thatâs another story
In the mid-17th century, Spain had hegemony in Europe. Philip II, whose territories included Christianity and Portugal, controlled the world's maritime trade with a powerful armada.
And he was trying to conquer China (Ming Dynasty) by using Japan's military power, which had succeeded in domestically producing guns. The method of increasing the number of Christian feudal lords through Christian missionary work, increasing their political power, and controlling them as territories was a specialty of Spain's world conquest strategy.
At that time, Japan's silver output exceeded 1/3 of the world's trading volume, and the Netherlands, which became independent from Spain, established the East India Company and exported cannons and gunpowder to export Japanese silver. It was successful. By teaching Ieyasu about Spain's conspiracy and driving out Christianity and Spain, only the Netherlands, which pursued only profit, continued to trade with Japan even during the Edo period of national isolation.
Ty "studios think the audience needs things spelled out"
Also Ty "what western audiences tend to miss"
Lol
Honestly John McClane was a pretty good samurai
There was also a religious reason to make contact with new cultures. Protolyze the heathens! The Japanese converts to Christianity (Roman Catholicism) ended up being quite troublesome (for example, the Shimabara Rebellion), which was one of the major reasons for closing the borders to foreigners. Too disruptive to the proper order.
Toranaga might not have asked for his vassel to kill himself, but because that samurai said he would kill himself and his first born publicly, torunaga had to enforce what he said.
Otherwise he would dishonour the samurai and himself.
Drawing his sword in that setting was automatic death sentence anyway. He would have known that for sure.
I think the scene is more subtle
Ishido insulted Torunaga. Someone had to stand up to Ishido, or Torunaga would be gravely insulted and lose position
However, standing up to Ishido would insult Ishido, and the realm, and all that. If such an insult could go unanswered, that too would mean grave consequences for Torunaga
So, the samurai speaks up, defending Torunaga's honor, AND THEN kills himself and his son AGAIN in service to Torunaga so that Ishido can't say that Torunaga is disrespectful
On a SciFi note, the Samurai act like Klingons, while the women could pass for Vulcans.
Shogun is total bullshit too. He just took real characters, changed their names and made up a fantasy story. It's actually insulting to many real famous Japanese historical figures.
At the time Shogun was written, this was still an acceptable practice among Western authors (see also Detective Dee series...).
Shogun for me is a show which started very strong and has been on the downhill since its mid-way point. Not merely due to the- admittedly massive- deviations from the source material in terms of all the main characters and portrayals, but more so that the writing and story seems intentionally shown to confuse you, the viewer, from 'figuring anything out.' This leads to characters breaking established rules given to the audience and other characters adhering to rules we only get to hear about after their minor victory for adhering to these unsaid and unknown rules. Also, I know it rains a lot in Vancouver, but did they have to film every single scene except two of them in the rain?
ðððŧ
Tom Cruise ...best Samurai....yep, just as believable as playing Jack Reacher....nuff said...
The Last Samurai is trash !
Expanse ð