The Western Gaze: An Essay On SHŌGUN

What can Shōgun tell us about how we find meaning in our lives?
In this video essay/review, we will look at the FX series Shōgun, as well as the 1975 novel by James Clavell that inspired it and the 1980 NBC series that opened American eyes to Japanese culture. We will analyze the differences between the novel and its adaptations, and examine how each version displays Japanese culture differently and how each version shows us a different way that we can understand the "other" and how they find meaning in their lives.
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[@FrameDevice]

Welp, apparently we're getting Season 2 and 3.
Yay...?
Let me know what you thought of Shōgun in the comments! Did you prefer this version, or did you grow up with the old show?

[@easternlights3155]

This is some great content, just subscribed!
While I'm probably too young to have really grown up with the 80s version of Shogun, I did watch it when I was 14 (and my fascination with samurai culture took off). I did like it, but even then, I felt conflicted about the amount of focus placed on the Anjin-Mariko love story. I had a similar reaction to the book, the amount of fawning all the Japanese women did over Blackthorne threw me way off.
I absolutely adore the new version though. Taking stories that were well meant, but very much a product of their time and making them more historically and culturally accurate (while involving people from the country that is depicted) is definitely the right way to go.
I would have probably preferred it if FX quit while they were ahead and moved on to other projects, but I'm hopeful that if more seasons of Shogun are made, there is enough historical sources for the writers to draw from to make it work. With the changes and additions they made to season 1, they have already proven that they can go "off book" and still create good television, so I'm carefully optimistic.

[@FrameDevice]

Happy to have you! Thanks for subscribing!
And yeah, I'm personally far too young to have seen the original series, but I'm happy this version turned out as well as it did. From what I hear, the producers are in talks with the Clavell estate on how to proceed with the story. Which gives me some relief (also the fact that Hiroyuki Sanada seems on board with it, and I trust his judgment). I just remember how badly going beyond-book went for Man in the High Castle, which makes me wary of TV writers going beyond the source material.