The acting in this show is absolutely brilliant. Every muscle twitch in the characters' faces is there by design, and gives away important information on their feelings and thoughts, much more than their words.
At first I was disappointed we didn't see the Battle of Sekigahara, but then I realized that the battle itself was never the point. Mariko's sacrifice and the realization that Toronaga truly was the villain who was willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to become Shogun, was more powerful then any on screen battle we could have seen.
"Says here in my history book that the good guys always won. What are the odds?" -Norm MacDonald. At least Shogun is honest about what it usually takes to establish a unity and peace lasting several centuries. Look back in history and you're rarely going to find winners who are also saints.
Villain sounds a bit extreme to me. He is no saint, that’s for sure, but his main objective (apart from becoming shogun) always seemed to avoid massive bloodshed and the divide of the realm. He accomplished that with a few carefully placed sacrifices.
For non Japanese language speakers, you can not begin to appreciate the nuances in HOW the nobles speak. It’s an entirely different way of speaking than everyday Japanese. Even to this day. And to say one had to be careful in the words one spoke is an understatement. My wife (Japanese) said she would not have survived long in that era and it would have been exhausting living as a courtesan.
Interesting! I heard it is like the English equivalent of people speaking Shakespearian English: sure we can understand it (basically) but speak it? Super hard.
I really like how the producers of the show treated the audience with respect and realised that we are adults and can understand the nuance and subtlety of reserve that was inherent to the actual being of the production. Two examples really stood out for me. The first when Blackthorne's consort Fuji raises her voice at and say 'ANJIN-SAN' when he refuses to give up his pistols. She then proceed to threaten Omi beckoning him to leave at gunpoint. The other when Mariko in front of the whole council of regents raises her voice to Ishida and said. 'The matter is closed when you have the manners to allow me to finish'. Out of context many would say so what? But in the context of Japanese 16th century, culture, manners, ritual and duty, it was so impactful. A masterclass of production and respect for the intelligence of the audience.
Interesting. I saw the exact opposite in the show. The translations in the subtitles are written at a 9th, perhaps 10th grade level. It sucks out all double-entendre's and nuances. There is no poetic language utilized except in ham-fisted scenes where people declare that they are going to speak poetry, rather than merely expressing themselves poetically. The script and director filmed each episode in such a way as to hide details from the audience, in order to ad-hoc justify why a situation went the way it did down the road. It appears as though a lot of Deus Ex Machina's plop down out of the never-endingly-cloudy skies and just seem to make sure Toranaga always comes out ahead. I never got that feeling from the 1980 rendition nor the book, but I got the feeling in spades that the modern rendition wanted its audience to feel stupid. To your two examples, both simply work in a modern contextual reading of the situation: The first scene exists to endear Fujiko to the audience and to Blackthorne. She raises her voice because that's the universal human way to demonstrate that something is important. Your second example is Mariko merely utilizing her signature ice-queen bitter sarcasm. Its strength would be stronger if we, the audience, witnessed Mariko being anything other than absurdly depressed and suicidal or sarcastic.
Emmy lost its credibility.Better call saul got nominated 58 times but never won a single emmy.I really wish tadanobu osano wins an emmy for best supporting role.But it is always some random hbo show that will win emmys.
My opinion it was spectacular in every way , from choosing the perfect characters, cast and the dialogue for each one. It was an emotional , exciting and left you glued to the screen.
I felt that there was a ned stark esque moment, when you find out toranaga is actually kind off evil and sacrificed multiple people including his son to become shogun was a shocking reveal for me.
I don't think the team behind Shogun could (or should) do a GoT spin off. So much of this show's excellence is tied to how much they cared about representing Japanese culture and history faithfully. Each line written went through several rounds of experts and translators to make sure it was something a person of that particular standing would say. Almost half the crew was flown in from Japan, not to mention they had Hiroyuki Sanada as producer checking everything. The result was that instead of being merely set in Japan, the story of Shogun literally could not happen anywhere else, the culture informs everything the characters do. The reason Shogun turned out this good is because of the deep love and care the creators have for Japanese history and culture and how they made it an integral part of the story, not because they are simply good at medieval themed political dramas. So I don't think this success would translate well to a GoT spin-off.
What the fuck are you talking about? Shogun was based off a book, and the show runners stayed faithful to it while really nailing the setting and chracters. The same approach could be applied to any adaptation. Theres nothing special about japan, as a setting when compared to any other country.
The greatest thing about the show is its subtlety. It respects the audience enough to not chew out every plot twist to them and makes watching so much more satisfying. (Understanding Toranagas sickness or Blackthorns dream in the last episode)
IM SO GLAD you've made a video on this show. Personally I didn't enjoy it, but I'm hoping your review and analysis will shed more light on it and explain things I didn't understand and give me some appreciation for it in a way I cannot create myself
When you make the point about having to do learning as a viewer about a new culture, I was so happy. I was always into feudal japan and learned a lot about the real history about it due to interest, and it felt crazy satisfying watching a show with really good story writing, that also stays to serious historical accuracy and meticulous attention to detail. The contrast of the culture and customs was well executed and didn't feel gimmicky, and they kept it respectful to real history and traditions without it getting in the way of telling a good story.
Brilliant show. All the superlatives. Having no expectations, I only tuned in to check out Sanada and was immediately enthralled. It delivers everything at a high level--even a 'surprise' ending! And instantly iconic, quotable, meme-able; Chiseled directly into the zeitgeist. Its better that we are left yearning for more. That suffering is the cost of watching this masterpiece.
To make such far culture and medieval era so close is testament to how the story was Well narrated and actors so talented. The hundreds of people behind the scenes. As Hiroyuki Sanada said it was truly a DREAM TEAM of eastern and western professionals putting together a masterpiece.
Thank you for speaking the words into existence that I couldn’t think of regarding the intro music and how it made you feel. I never skipped it either I loved it lol.
Except that if that’s actually the case, Littlefinger would be the first in Toranaga’s hit list. Nagakado died in the show and Toranaga took advantages the hell out of it and in real life, Tokugawa (Toranaga) murdered his own son on purpose to save himself.
I was so bummed out when I discovered that was the end of the entire show and there wouldn’t be another season. I love John Blackthorn and Toronaga so much and I want to see more of them.
Still reading the book before watching the show but I'm eagerly looking forward to it! If people want a great book series turned TV show comparable to Game of Thrones, I highly recommend "The Expanse". I say comparable to GoT because the books were written by George RR Martin's writing assistants and has a similar conflict of human factions fighting against one another via political scheming and literal warfare all the while an ancient inhuman threat lurks on the edges of the conflict before it becomes central to the human conflict. The difference with GoT though is that The Expanse show worked with the authors throughout the run which allowed it to keep its quality/faithfulness to the books, any changes from the books actually improved the story/characters, and it was ended before it could finish adapting the books. I also recommend people reading the final three books of The Expanse (the ones the show couldn't adapt before its cancellation) if they don't like the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy because it frankly mirrors a lot of the Sequels' plot points and character roles but with actual good writing to back it up.
As someone who came of age with James Clavell’s epic novel and the 1980 miniseries, it’s fascinating for me to listen to someone reviewing this show more in the context of it being its own thing, or even as a comparison to “Game of Thrones.” As an adaptation that is pretty faithful to the source material thematically but makes some fairly substantive departures from it in terms of plot and character, it would also be fascinating to know what Clavell would have made of it.
@@randomguy6679 Oh, definitely. For all its great casting, location photography and lavish budget I never much cared for the 1980 version. To my eye it’s mostly pretty by the numbers and uninspired, and there are a few moments here and there (e.g. Blackthorne’s over-the-top crazy act to get Toranaga successfully smuggled out of Osaka Castle) that have aged very poorly. This version wasn’t afraid to make some bold departures from the source material for cinematic purposes or to just modernize it, and for the most part I thought those worked really well.
@@michaelhall2709 Glad to hear it man! The writing in particular was a stand out for me, and to know that such writing strayed from the material impresses me even more.
@@randomguy6679 If you can handle the thought of tackling a book with so many pages that even the paperback edition could be used as a lethal weapon, you might want to give Clavell’s original novel a try. It’s consistently entertaining given its length, and you might find the differences with the FX miniseries to be very interesting. Plus, there’s an epilogue revealing the fate of one of the characters that’s not in the show, that forty years after reading it I’ve never forgotten.
There are a lot of debates between Shogun and GOT as for its brilliance. And the former mini series is based (at least quite inspired) on the real history, and the latter one is completely fictional. But I think the both are brilliant!
This bro there will genuinely never be another show like game of thrones it’s such a shame about the last few seasons the first 4 are literally the Star Wars/ Lord of the rings of TV
Best show in years! Loved the ending and there wasn't a bad episode. The only one I didn't love was the Kabuki one, but I get why it was in there. I just thought that part dragged.
This show didn’t follow the same path GoT went down. It focused on the game, not Hollywood spectacle. Action sequences were quick and resolute with little fluff. Toranaga was a master of the game and we all fell for his tricks without even realizing it. He was no hero; He wanted Shogun the entire time. There never was a hero or a villain. Just the game.
@@obryn “Unifying” Japan is a euphemism for conquering it. The series showed Toranaga to be a ruthless schemer willing to exploit the loyalty of his followers in his quest for power. Season 2, if the creators just follow the actual historical narrative, will show Tokugawa having no loyalty himself, readily betraying those who helped him rise to power.
@@destinationsunnyside250 How is it euphemism? That's exactly what he did 😂. You can call it conquering to but isn't an outside force like the Mongols who actually tried to conquer Japan and failed twice. Toranaga certainly wasnt the first to try to unify but is the one who reaped the benefits. You act like Toranaga was the only ruthless Shogun. They were all ruthless bud. 🥴
@@obryn Not to mention unifying the warring states gives Japan stability. Otherwise more and more people will continue to suffer in numerous wars for power. Sinister things were done but it ushered in an era of peace. Every other regent was just as bad as Toranaga except he was smarter than them and therefore won.
Based on how incredible Shogun turned out, I would love to see a continuation or spin-off based around the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate / Meiji Era period.
If you like, you could watch the original 1980s Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain and the legendary samurai actor Toshiro Mifune, and the book which the series were based on.
*The only thing I didn’t like about the finale* was the 30 second resolution of the Ishido / regents storyline.. *and no* I didn’t want a giant battle sequence - idgaf about those.. I just found it odd they resolve the biggest plot line with a small flash forwards sequence. Other than that loved the finale.
My exact take as well. I found it a shame they ended the show on an exposition after all that build up. Especially if your familiar with the events of the Battle of Sekigahara.
@@BrickProductionshome I too was salivating over the inevitable Battle of Sekigahara episode, but they would not of had the budget to do it justice. With the success of the series, such an episode would be a great way to begin season 2, with the money to do it right.
I found this rendition of Shogun to match its visuals: Grey, flat, dour, and wet. Sanada as both producer and director and part-coreographer did not assist him in his role of Toranaga, in which he often just looks pissed off or tired. The way the show is filmed, and the script translated the way it is, (Written in English, then translated to Japanese, then modified to 17th century Japanese, then translated back to very simple modern English) lead me to see Toranaga not as a genius or a political player, but a man who kept getting absurdly lucky due to him having access to the script. There was no reason for him not to utilize Mariko by Episode 2, yet she was 'Crimson Sky all along.' Yet all of his actions beforehand do nothing at all to make her political theatre easier. Toranaga constantly feigning weakness does not entice any of the Regents to his side- why would it? The script was written in such a way as to intentionally obfuscate the viewer from using any sort of visual or written clues to deduce key characters motivations. In obsessing so much about having 'three hearts' and an 'eight folded fence' they forgot that getting to understand characters is the core tenet to establishing a connection to the audience. Blackthorne is a drunken fool who never becomes more intelligent until the plot requires it in episode 10, his waffling between sincere pledges of fealty to undermining himself and everyone around him a moment later didn't feel like a character trait to me, it felt like an intentionally done hatchet job on the character and the show would have made more sense without him. Mariko, rather than appearing strong, is sociopathically cold and distant to absolutely everyone. The way the show intentionally hides Toranaga's other children, casually disregards Mariko's child, etc.. Seems done not to further plot or character motivation, but to once again make the audience feel stupid on purpose. They focus so much on how lineage is critical to a Japanese noble family, but they have a single throwaway line of "You have other sons" to nullify the loss of Toranaga's only filmed son. The show trains the audience to think they are understanding how things work, but then the script in the corner allows a tired and pouty looking Toranaga to once again declare that he knew 100% of what was going to occur, like some sort of Kwisatz Haderach. A disappointing modern take on the classic novel.
I read the Shogun book and so naturally expected to be disappointed by the show but overall I was blown away. But it needed a proper action setpiece and I felt they could have done a lot more with the music.
I was SO shocked this isn't leading to more seasons, they should tell the entire creative team that naw there's 5 more seasons Edit: Yes the adapted story is over, I'm well aware, I mean more this in a sense that with a creative team and writers that work this well together, they need to make more like this. Even if it's not with the same characters.
I really wish someone make a series about Nobunaga, his rise from "The fool of Owari" to "Demon King". His family political intrigue is interesting enough...
sometimes its just better to keep it short and sweet didn't we learn anything from GOT the longer anything goes the more time there is to change anything about it that never needed to be changed in the first place
If one season of Shogun is head and shoulders above all 8 seasons of game of thrones, then Shogun has to be sweeping the Emmys. If Shogun fails to win for best limited series, that would be a hard pill to swallow. But, we'll see.
It was fantastic until half way through. The pacing started to really drag but it picked up again the last few episodes. It only followed a couple people throughout the show. Imagine Game of thrones with Just the Starks and occasionally the Lannister's pop up for a few min throughout the series. I wouldnt hold it up to House of the dragon. Still a amazing show. I think people are caught up in 1600s Japan, which is beautiful but it added 4 inches of icing to this cake.
Also, I understand all the english in this show was actually Portuguese. But they couldnt find anybody that looked Portuguese? They couldnt find Portuguese accents anywhere? Canada has a huge Portuguese population. It's kinda like having all the Japanese played by people from the philippines .
I felt a little disappointed by the ending, almost like it was missing a climax. I didn't need a big battle to enjoy a show like this, but it felt like they were building up to one the entire season, only to handwave it away in the final episode.
The shows garbage, I love Ghost of tsushima which is a drama based story driven game with twice the dialogue as this with all my heart and soul but this piece of shit was so tired and lame I couldn't even take it.
I just commented the same thing.. I don’t need a battle scene - cos some pretentious mf will say “you just want action” nah I’m happy with great dialogue - but the flash forward scene was treated so carelessly.
The difference between Shogun and GOT is simple: Shogun is an achieved masterwork of literature. GoT is an unfinished and rushed novel with certainly great moments but that falls flat due to the writer’s laziness.
Shogun is my favorite novel of all time. I loved the 1980's mini series, waiting to watch the new one. The Shogun novel is leagues better than ASoIF, so I can only imagine the new show is just as good if not better. I hope they stuck as closely as possible to the source material.
They definitely took some liberties, but only to make the story fit a different medium better. They stuck to the spirit of the novel exceptionally well, I think.
The show: First 3 episodes are like those wholesome love butterflies in your stomach, then by the midpoint u realize it was a big fart and ends like a wet fart requiring u to change clothes
@@lucasbelmonte2832 not officially renewed yet they're in the writers booth trying to develop the story. I really REALLY hope it falls through. I don't want this show to become the next Westworld (or Game of Thrones) in terms of its decline
@@adamlord6332 The difference here is that shogun is based off real history and real people, after the end of season 1 there’s 16 years of history to use, and it’s already been confirmed they are working with the estate of James clavell.
Saw the title and didn’t know whether it was genuine or sarcastic at first 😂 very glad to see good content, esp dei content proving that poc and women are not inherently shitty characters
@@firstlast9846this show is slightly worse than season 6 but much better than S7-S8 purely because I still cared about the characters in season 6 which I didn’t find in Shogun
Show is good but I feel like it’s overhyped a little, the last episode left many characters and plots lines unresolved and unceremoniously told to us via exposition. Ishido felt one dimensional and Ochiba should have felt 3 dimensional with her hate for Toranaga, her friendship with Mariko and her protective nature for her son but all three of these things are barely explored and given weight. Both their beef with Toranaga started off-screen and the resolution to their conflict was also off-screen, weak writing imo. Also I never bought Toranaga’s “smartness”, felt like the opposite of show don’t tell, the finale makes some past episodes lack sense like when Blackthorne is being disrespectful to Toranaga in front of all his men and his son but nothing comes from it. when it was ending I was just like “oh, I guess he won”. Kinda disappointed and unsatisfied but still good overall. 7-8/10
Stupid comment, with you coming across as a pretentious wannabe critic. You clearly don’t understand the meaning of show don’t tell, nor the cases of when and when not to use it. Perhaps you’re too retarded to pick up on subtext.
this is the most overrated show ever imo the story is meh it's completely carried by the beautiful visuals a lot of the dialogue sounds really unnatural 90% of the characters suck and I found myself not caring for anyone but maybe 2 people this show is a weak 7 at best I personally don't see it
@@nox4298it’s not even being a wannabe critic it’s basic stuff the characters and dialogue is flat as a pancake everyone is very boring that’s literally their first mistake of quite a few and it’s a huge one the reason GOT worked so well is all the characters were extremely well written (first half of it anyway) you hated them you cared for them etc this show doesn’t have that at all someone would die and you’d just be like ok
Season One was great, and it has some similarities with GoT, but I don't think it reaches the heights of seasons 1-4 of GoT. That is hard to match, and there are too many hollow comparisons these days.
When yabushige is on screen I don't need subtitles 😅😅😅 his facial expressions say everything
It’s the grunts for me!!
Lol! 😂😂
Bro just tired of shit@@pelagiavillarias2117
Before episode 10: It's Game of Thrones if Ned Stark was smart.
After episode 10: It's Game of Thrones if Tywin Lannister was the main character.
Fine by me, Tywin is peak
THis be accurate T_T
8:50 "Gives her character an explosivly outstanding resolution"
I'm crying
そういう表現はいかばかりか
Sending her on a trip to Belize
Yeah, that was the moment when her character development exploded. I also liked the mind blowing moment of Toranaga's son at the end of episode 7
@@AhmedAhmed-ft1md o god…
The acting in this show is absolutely brilliant. Every muscle twitch in the characters' faces is there by design, and gives away important information on their feelings and thoughts, much more than their words.
No hate.. but you just described general acting.
hell yeah especially that hiromatsu seppuku scene, there were so many little facial expressions.. Brilliant acting
@@winston7055 the dialogue is absolute wank tho
@@daquaviousbingleton9763 wdym?
@@mikasaackerman4781 the dialogue sounds super unnatural
At first I was disappointed we didn't see the Battle of Sekigahara, but then I realized that the battle itself was never the point. Mariko's sacrifice and the realization that Toronaga truly was the villain who was willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to become Shogun, was more powerful then any on screen battle we could have seen.
He wasn’t the villain, but he was definitely ruthless…No hero
None of the shoguns in Japanese history are good guys. In fact, there was a female shogun as well and she’s as evil as Tokugawa (Toranaga).
"Says here in my history book that the good guys always won. What are the odds?" -Norm MacDonald. At least Shogun is honest about what it usually takes to establish a unity and peace lasting several centuries. Look back in history and you're rarely going to find winners who are also saints.
@@nont18411 There has never been a female shogun
Villain sounds a bit extreme to me. He is no saint, that’s for sure, but his main objective (apart from becoming shogun) always seemed to avoid massive bloodshed and the divide of the realm. He accomplished that with a few carefully placed sacrifices.
For non Japanese language speakers, you can not begin to appreciate the nuances in HOW the nobles speak. It’s an entirely different way of speaking than everyday Japanese. Even to this day. And to say one had to be careful in the words one spoke is an understatement. My wife (Japanese) said she would not have survived long in that era and it would have been exhausting living as a courtesan.
Interesting! I heard it is like the English equivalent of people speaking Shakespearian English: sure we can understand it (basically) but speak it? Super hard.
@@tticusFinch I would totally speak that kind of japanese. but then I would be seen as a weirdo. It is so beautiful though....
And we never will, because the subtitles butchered all the nuance.
@@tticusFinch Not only its archaic form but also the difference of the level of formality and politeness that might be hard to translate into English
I really like how the producers of the show treated the audience with respect and realised that we are adults and can understand the nuance and subtlety of reserve that was inherent to the actual being of the production.
Two examples really stood out for me. The first when Blackthorne's consort Fuji raises her voice at and say 'ANJIN-SAN' when he refuses to give up his pistols. She then proceed to threaten Omi beckoning him to leave at gunpoint.
The other when Mariko in front of the whole council of regents raises her voice to Ishida and said. 'The matter is closed when you have the manners to allow me to finish'.
Out of context many would say so what? But in the context of Japanese 16th century, culture, manners, ritual and duty, it was so impactful.
A masterclass of production and respect for the intelligence of the audience.
Interesting. I saw the exact opposite in the show. The translations in the subtitles are written at a 9th, perhaps 10th grade level. It sucks out all double-entendre's and nuances. There is no poetic language utilized except in ham-fisted scenes where people declare that they are going to speak poetry, rather than merely expressing themselves poetically. The script and director filmed each episode in such a way as to hide details from the audience, in order to ad-hoc justify why a situation went the way it did down the road. It appears as though a lot of Deus Ex Machina's plop down out of the never-endingly-cloudy skies and just seem to make sure Toranaga always comes out ahead. I never got that feeling from the 1980 rendition nor the book, but I got the feeling in spades that the modern rendition wanted its audience to feel stupid. To your two examples, both simply work in a modern contextual reading of the situation: The first scene exists to endear Fujiko to the audience and to Blackthorne. She raises her voice because that's the universal human way to demonstrate that something is important. Your second example is Mariko merely utilizing her signature ice-queen bitter sarcasm. Its strength would be stronger if we, the audience, witnessed Mariko being anything other than absurdly depressed and suicidal or sarcastic.
"Flowers are only flowers because they fall
But, thankfully, the wind."
I won't tell you how much I cried when I first heard that.
Looking to see Anna Sawai get the best actress Emmy.
Emmy lost its credibility.Better call saul got nominated 58 times but never won a single emmy.I really wish tadanobu osano wins an emmy for best supporting role.But it is always some random hbo show that will win emmys.
Bro You called it
@@mamelucoderribado Thank you, very happy for her. 😀
Now if only my lottery numbers would hit.
My opinion it was spectacular in every way , from choosing the perfect characters, cast and the dialogue for each one. It was an emotional , exciting and left you glued to the screen.
I felt that there was a ned stark esque moment, when you find out toranaga is actually kind off evil and sacrificed multiple people including his son to become shogun was a shocking reveal for me.
Oh just wait until you see what the guy he was based on did in real life.
He was so good at playing the game that the audience was fooled.
How does that compare to Ned stark?
@@Voldermortizationplot twist esque, like Ned losing his head
He didnt intentionally sacrifice his son tho or am i missing something?
I don't think the team behind Shogun could (or should) do a GoT spin off. So much of this show's excellence is tied to how much they cared about representing Japanese culture and history faithfully. Each line written went through several rounds of experts and translators to make sure it was something a person of that particular standing would say. Almost half the crew was flown in from Japan, not to mention they had Hiroyuki Sanada as producer checking everything. The result was that instead of being merely set in Japan, the story of Shogun literally could not happen anywhere else, the culture informs everything the characters do.
The reason Shogun turned out this good is because of the deep love and care the creators have for Japanese history and culture and how they made it an integral part of the story, not because they are simply good at medieval themed political dramas.
So I don't think this success would translate well to a GoT spin-off.
What the fuck are you talking about? Shogun was based off a book, and the show runners stayed faithful to it while really nailing the setting and chracters. The same approach could be applied to any adaptation. Theres nothing special about japan, as a setting when compared to any other country.
i am down for a miyamoto musashi tv show though so someone get them on it
Very well said
Shogun is a once in a decade kind of show. So glad to watch it week by week. Episode 9 was a master piece and I refused to believe otherwise.
Not even the best show this year it’s mid af
@@daquaviousbingleton9763 Me when i rage bait
@@isak1496 I'm being dead serious most overrated show i've ever seen
@@daquaviousbingleton9763 I think you are just not very intelligent then
@@isak1496 why because a show you like is completely overrated
The greatest thing about the show is its subtlety. It respects the audience enough to not chew out every plot twist to them and makes watching so much more satisfying.
(Understanding Toranagas sickness or Blackthorns dream in the last episode)
IM SO GLAD you've made a video on this show. Personally I didn't enjoy it, but I'm hoping your review and analysis will shed more light on it and explain things I didn't understand and give me some appreciation for it in a way I cannot create myself
When you make the point about having to do learning as a viewer about a new culture, I was so happy. I was always into feudal japan and learned a lot about the real history about it due to interest, and it felt crazy satisfying watching a show with really good story writing, that also stays to serious historical accuracy and meticulous attention to detail. The contrast of the culture and customs was well executed and didn't feel gimmicky, and they kept it respectful to real history and traditions without it getting in the way of telling a good story.
Brilliant show. All the superlatives. Having no expectations, I only tuned in to check out Sanada and was immediately enthralled. It delivers everything at a high level--even a 'surprise' ending! And instantly iconic, quotable, meme-able; Chiseled directly into the zeitgeist. Its better that we are left yearning for more. That suffering is the cost of watching this masterpiece.
To make such far culture and medieval era so close is testament to how the story was
Well narrated and actors so talented.
The hundreds of people behind the scenes. As Hiroyuki Sanada said it was truly a DREAM TEAM of eastern and western professionals putting together a masterpiece.
Thank you for speaking the words into existence that I couldn’t think of regarding the intro music and how it made you feel. I never skipped it either I loved it lol.
I would like to see a Fargo formula; different cast, different story but loosely connected. Tai-pan should follow.
Lord Toranaga: ''All sacrifices are good to achieve power''
Littlefnnger: ''It'is may my father''
Except that if that’s actually the case, Littlefinger would be the first in Toranaga’s hit list. Nagakado died in the show and Toranaga took advantages the hell out of it and in real life, Tokugawa (Toranaga) murdered his own son on purpose to save himself.
I was so bummed out when I discovered that was the end of the entire show and there wouldn’t be another season. I love John Blackthorn and Toronaga so much and I want to see more of them.
bro sneaked ghost of tsushima music fits perfectly
One of the best shows this year for sure
Still reading the book before watching the show but I'm eagerly looking forward to it!
If people want a great book series turned TV show comparable to Game of Thrones, I highly recommend "The Expanse". I say comparable to GoT because the books were written by George RR Martin's writing assistants and has a similar conflict of human factions fighting against one another via political scheming and literal warfare all the while an ancient inhuman threat lurks on the edges of the conflict before it becomes central to the human conflict. The difference with GoT though is that The Expanse show worked with the authors throughout the run which allowed it to keep its quality/faithfulness to the books, any changes from the books actually improved the story/characters, and it was ended before it could finish adapting the books.
I also recommend people reading the final three books of The Expanse (the ones the show couldn't adapt before its cancellation) if they don't like the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy because it frankly mirrors a lot of the Sequels' plot points and character roles but with actual good writing to back it up.
As someone who came of age with James Clavell’s epic novel and the 1980 miniseries, it’s fascinating for me to listen to someone reviewing this show more in the context of it being its own thing, or even as a comparison to “Game of Thrones.” As an adaptation that is pretty faithful to the source material thematically but makes some fairly substantive departures from it in terms of plot and character, it would also be fascinating to know what Clavell would have made of it.
Would you say you liked the show as a whole?
@@randomguy6679 Oh, definitely. For all its great casting, location photography and lavish budget I never much cared for the 1980 version. To my eye it’s mostly pretty by the numbers and uninspired, and there are a few moments here and there (e.g. Blackthorne’s over-the-top crazy act to get Toranaga successfully smuggled out of Osaka Castle) that have aged very poorly. This version wasn’t afraid to make some bold departures from the source material for cinematic purposes or to just modernize it, and for the most part I thought those worked really well.
@@michaelhall2709 Glad to hear it man! The writing in particular was a stand out for me, and to know that such writing strayed from the material impresses me even more.
@@randomguy6679 If you can handle the thought of tackling a book with so many pages that even the paperback edition could be used as a lethal weapon, you might want to give Clavell’s original novel a try. It’s consistently entertaining given its length, and you might find the differences with the FX miniseries to be very interesting. Plus, there’s an epilogue revealing the fate of one of the characters that’s not in the show, that forty years after reading it I’ve never forgotten.
Ghost of Tsushima soundtrack in the background 🥵
Me and the Mrs watched this show because of this review, and I just want to thank you for your service. Amazing show
There are a lot of debates between Shogun and GOT as for its brilliance. And the former mini series is based (at least quite inspired) on the real history, and the latter one is completely fictional. But I think the both are brilliant!
Got is definitely loosely based on history but shogun is much more based on real events and real people than got
Finally one of my favorite creators uploads on another good show, stay blessed and never stop grinding
Because of Shogun my test in serials and movies overall has evolved and elevate
Since I saw the last episode I've been waiting for this video:)
Its good but GOT is still in its own lane
This bro there will genuinely never be another show like game of thrones it’s such a shame about the last few seasons the first 4 are literally the Star Wars/ Lord of the rings of TV
@@daquaviousbingleton9763lord of the rings maybe … but star wars is not some literary masterpiece LMFAO past or present.
Honorable Mentions:
Yabushige
Gin & Kiku
Omi
Father Alviro
I love whenever Mariko-sama says "So sorry..." because you know she aint
Best show in years! Loved the ending and there wasn't a bad episode. The only one I didn't love was the Kabuki one, but I get why it was in there. I just thought that part dragged.
This show didn’t follow the same path GoT went down. It focused on the game, not Hollywood spectacle. Action sequences were quick and resolute with little fluff. Toranaga was a master of the game and we all fell for his tricks without even realizing it. He was no hero; He wanted Shogun the entire time. There never was a hero or a villain. Just the game.
There is a hero. It is Toranaga, he is the one who unified Japan. He's based off of Ieyasu. Everyone else is just a pawn
@@obryn “Unifying” Japan is a euphemism for conquering it. The series showed Toranaga to be a ruthless schemer willing to exploit the loyalty of his followers in his quest for power. Season 2, if the creators just follow the actual historical narrative, will show Tokugawa having no loyalty himself, readily betraying those who helped him rise to power.
@@destinationsunnyside250 How is it euphemism? That's exactly what he did 😂. You can call it conquering to but isn't an outside force like the Mongols who actually tried to conquer Japan and failed twice. Toranaga certainly wasnt the first to try to unify but is the one who reaped the benefits. You act like Toranaga was the only ruthless Shogun. They were all ruthless bud. 🥴
@@obryn Not to mention unifying the warring states gives Japan stability. Otherwise more and more people will continue to suffer in numerous wars for power. Sinister things were done but it ushered in an era of peace. Every other regent was just as bad as Toranaga except he was smarter than them and therefore won.
Can’t believe I didn’t even realize it but Mariko being the Crimson Sky was sooo incredible, arguably just as entertaining if an army had marched
Based on how incredible Shogun turned out, I would love to see a continuation or spin-off based around the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate / Meiji Era period.
If something like this happens then it would be really fun to see the members of the shinsengumi and how they would be represented.
They are making 2 more season of shogun, but I think they will still be following toranaga and John
Love ur videos, keep going❤️
The most incredible show I’ve ever watched! Absolute masterpiece
Anna sawai wining an emmy. Did you do this review from the future because the show it history making in it's quality
This show had me researching the ceremonial preparation of matcha... f*ckin MATCHA! Absolutely amazing.
CdawgVA was amazing as John Blackthorn
If you like, you could watch the original 1980s Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain and the legendary samurai actor Toshiro Mifune, and the book which the series were based on.
I just love the subtlety and never sacrifice that part for entertaining audience
I didn't realize how much I cared for Mariko until episode 9 hit me like a fucking train.
Only had 2 complaints with the show. But definitely overall it was absolutely phenomenal 9 out of 10 as far as I’m concerned.
Using ghost of tsushima music for this is brilliant.
I agree that Shogun is an absolute masterpiece. Deff a show you have to watch multiple times to pick up on all of the intricacies.
I just wanted more action. Left me with blue balls
They are now making a season 2!!!
A Shōgun review with the Ghost of Tsushima soundtrack in the background? BASED
Using Ghost of Tsushima soundtrack in the background of the video was a clever choice.
The single season of Shogun was as impressive as eight seasons of Game of Thrones, and excelled in several aspects.
Shogun is the closest thing to GOT we’ve gotten since GOT, but no, it is not at the same level let’s not be silly
“In some areas,” I wonder what that could possibly mean
*The only thing I didn’t like about the finale* was the 30 second resolution of the Ishido / regents storyline.. *and no* I didn’t want a giant battle sequence - idgaf about those.. I just found it odd they resolve the biggest plot line with a small flash forwards sequence. Other than that loved the finale.
My exact take as well. I found it a shame they ended the show on an exposition after all that build up. Especially if your familiar with the events of the Battle of Sekigahara.
@@BrickProductionshome I too was salivating over the inevitable Battle of Sekigahara episode, but they would not of had the budget to do it justice. With the success of the series, such an episode would be a great way to begin season 2, with the money to do it right.
*fingers crossed that what happened to true detective won't happen to this show and that the other seasons are able to hold up to the first one*
you should do more shogun content
I found this rendition of Shogun to match its visuals: Grey, flat, dour, and wet. Sanada as both producer and director and part-coreographer did not assist him in his role of Toranaga, in which he often just looks pissed off or tired. The way the show is filmed, and the script translated the way it is, (Written in English, then translated to Japanese, then modified to 17th century Japanese, then translated back to very simple modern English) lead me to see Toranaga not as a genius or a political player, but a man who kept getting absurdly lucky due to him having access to the script. There was no reason for him not to utilize Mariko by Episode 2, yet she was 'Crimson Sky all along.' Yet all of his actions beforehand do nothing at all to make her political theatre easier. Toranaga constantly feigning weakness does not entice any of the Regents to his side- why would it? The script was written in such a way as to intentionally obfuscate the viewer from using any sort of visual or written clues to deduce key characters motivations.
In obsessing so much about having 'three hearts' and an 'eight folded fence' they forgot that getting to understand characters is the core tenet to establishing a connection to the audience. Blackthorne is a drunken fool who never becomes more intelligent until the plot requires it in episode 10, his waffling between sincere pledges of fealty to undermining himself and everyone around him a moment later didn't feel like a character trait to me, it felt like an intentionally done hatchet job on the character and the show would have made more sense without him. Mariko, rather than appearing strong, is sociopathically cold and distant to absolutely everyone. The way the show intentionally hides Toranaga's other children, casually disregards Mariko's child, etc.. Seems done not to further plot or character motivation, but to once again make the audience feel stupid on purpose. They focus so much on how lineage is critical to a Japanese noble family, but they have a single throwaway line of "You have other sons" to nullify the loss of Toranaga's only filmed son. The show trains the audience to think they are understanding how things work, but then the script in the corner allows a tired and pouty looking Toranaga to once again declare that he knew 100% of what was going to occur, like some sort of Kwisatz Haderach. A disappointing modern take on the classic novel.
I read the Shogun book and so naturally expected to be disappointed by the show but overall I was blown away. But it needed a proper action setpiece and I felt they could have done a lot more with the music.
Just finished the show. While it was a good show, I would not say it comes close to the brilliance of the first 4 seasons of Game of Thrones.
I think there is a lot to read between what characters say and what Mariko chooses to translate.
this man can not let go of got lmao
Mariko is for sure the best character in the show. Blackthorne is maybe the worst... yet of course he is also great.
I feel like the ends of the Stick of Time and Crimson Sky episodes had pretty big Ned Stark moments
Shogun is a lot closer to season 6 than the first 4 seasons of GOT. Pretty good with some amazing moments and a few not so amazing moments
Agreed actually
I was SO shocked this isn't leading to more seasons, they should tell the entire creative team that naw there's 5 more seasons
Edit: Yes the adapted story is over, I'm well aware, I mean more this in a sense that with a creative team and writers that work this well together, they need to make more like this. Even if it's not with the same characters.
They can adapt the other Asian Saga books, but there won't be any direct sequels, since Blackthorne's story is finished
The entire book was adapted. Nothing left to make.
I really wish someone make a series about Nobunaga, his rise from "The fool of Owari" to "Demon King". His family political intrigue is interesting enough...
sometimes its just better to keep it short and sweet didn't we learn anything from GOT the longer anything goes the more time there is to change anything about it that never needed to be changed in the first place
Nah just accept when you’ve got something good with a good resolution.. we don’t need another cinematic universe
If one season of Shogun is head and shoulders above all 8 seasons of game of thrones, then Shogun has to be sweeping the Emmys.
If Shogun fails to win for best limited series, that would be a hard pill to swallow. But, we'll see.
It's just not tf. Game of Thrones season 1 and 4 are better at the least and I'd argue 3 is also better.
love Shogun, Love GOT. Good vid
You are correct sir GoT seasons 1 through 4 was the best.
Imagine this with 4 seasons ... And a Battle of Bastards...
Your high!! Shogun is good but no we're near the realm of GOT. Especially after only one season. There will never be another game of thrones.
Tell me I'm not the only one who think that Blackthorne kinda look like Tom Hardy?
is that ghost of tsushima music in the bg???? no way
Tadanobu Asano best get nomination for best supporting actor Emmy!
1 minute - a new record !
It was fantastic until half way through. The pacing started to really drag but it picked up again the last few episodes. It only followed a couple people throughout the show. Imagine Game of thrones with Just the Starks and occasionally the Lannister's pop up for a few min throughout the series. I wouldnt hold it up to House of the dragon. Still a amazing show. I think people are caught up in 1600s Japan, which is beautiful but it added 4 inches of icing to this cake.
Also, I understand all the english in this show was actually Portuguese. But they couldnt find anybody that looked Portuguese? They couldnt find Portuguese accents anywhere? Canada has a huge Portuguese population. It's kinda like having all the Japanese played by people from the philippines .
@@superkoopatrooper4879who wasn’t played by a Portuguese person?
I felt a little disappointed by the ending, almost like it was missing a climax. I didn't need a big battle to enjoy a show like this, but it felt like they were building up to one the entire season, only to handwave it away in the final episode.
I would have loved to see it too, but apparently this is where the novel ended, so I get why they chose the same endpoint.
Whats the point? Ishida will get fcked at the end anyway
Climax of the story is the end of episode 9. 10 just sums up the płot.
The shows garbage, I love Ghost of tsushima which is a drama based story driven game with twice the dialogue as this with all my heart and soul but this piece of shit was so tired and lame I couldn't even take it.
I just commented the same thing.. I don’t need a battle scene - cos some pretentious mf will say “you just want action” nah I’m happy with great dialogue - but the flash forward scene was treated so carelessly.
1:54 little finger? more like tywin Lannister
The difference between Shogun and GOT is simple:
Shogun is an achieved masterwork of literature.
GoT is an unfinished and rushed novel with certainly great moments but that falls flat due to the writer’s laziness.
Shogun is my favorite novel of all time. I loved the 1980's mini series, waiting to watch the new one.
The Shogun novel is leagues better than ASoIF, so I can only imagine the new show is just as good if not better. I hope they stuck as closely as possible to the source material.
They definitely took some liberties, but only to make the story fit a different medium better. They stuck to the spirit of the novel exceptionally well, I think.
It would be awesome if you could shine some light on Tokyo Vice.
Yabushige n Mariko stole the show for me...what performances
8:40 good one
The show:
First 3 episodes are like those wholesome love butterflies in your stomach, then by the midpoint u realize it was a big fart and ends like a wet fart requiring u to change clothes
Imo, the ending is terrible.
I'm glad that Shogun ended after one season, because it will never become anything less than a perfect show.
uuuuuuh its actually getting 2 more seasons.
@@lucasbelmonte2832 not officially renewed yet they're in the writers booth trying to develop the story. I really REALLY hope it falls through. I don't want this show to become the next Westworld (or Game of Thrones) in terms of its decline
@@adamlord6332 The difference here is that shogun is based off real history and real people, after the end of season 1 there’s 16 years of history to use, and it’s already been confirmed they are working with the estate of James clavell.
Saw the title and didn’t know whether it was genuine or sarcastic at first 😂 very glad to see good content, esp dei content proving that poc and women are not inherently shitty characters
Please make some Shogun compilations
the first 6 seasons of Game of thrones ARE GREAT!
First 4 are masterpieces. 5 and 6 are okay. 7 and 8 are atrocious.
@@firstlast9846this show is slightly worse than season 6 but much better than S7-S8 purely because I still cared about the characters in season 6 which I didn’t find in Shogun
I'l have to give this one a watch, than🤯
Glad this show is getting love. Agree totally, it did give me that early GOT vibe
how
Antagonists need more development though, Ishido is boring af
Ghost of Tsushima soundtrack fits well for this video
I can't watch it😭😭😭😭(Don't have hulu). I recently read the book too and it was awesome. This is so sad😢
Show is good but I feel like it’s overhyped a little, the last episode left many characters and plots lines unresolved and unceremoniously told to us via exposition. Ishido felt one dimensional and Ochiba should have felt 3 dimensional with her hate for Toranaga, her friendship with Mariko and her protective nature for her son but all three of these things are barely explored and given weight. Both their beef with Toranaga started off-screen and the resolution to their conflict was also off-screen, weak writing imo. Also I never bought Toranaga’s “smartness”, felt like the opposite of show don’t tell, the finale makes some past episodes lack sense like when Blackthorne is being disrespectful to Toranaga in front of all his men and his son but nothing comes from it. when it was ending I was just like “oh, I guess he won”. Kinda disappointed and unsatisfied but still good overall. 7-8/10
Stupid comment, with you coming across as a pretentious wannabe critic. You clearly don’t understand the meaning of show don’t tell, nor the cases of when and when not to use it. Perhaps you’re too retarded to pick up on subtext.
this is the most overrated show ever imo the story is meh it's completely carried by the beautiful visuals a lot of the dialogue sounds really unnatural 90% of the characters suck and I found myself not caring for anyone but maybe 2 people this show is a weak 7 at best I personally don't see it
@@nox4298it’s not even being a wannabe critic it’s basic stuff the characters and dialogue is flat as a pancake everyone is very boring that’s literally their first mistake of quite a few and it’s a huge one the reason GOT worked so well is all the characters were extremely well written (first half of it anyway) you hated them you cared for them etc this show doesn’t have that at all someone would die and you’d just be like ok
@@daquaviousbingleton9763 what a load of retarded, albeit subjective, nonsense. Thankfully the vast majority would disagree with you.
@@daquaviousbingleton9763 utterly retarded take. Still funny 3 weeks later.
Are they not greenlighted for two more seasons!
Season One was great, and it has some similarities with GoT, but I don't think it reaches the heights of seasons 1-4 of GoT. That is hard to match, and there are too many hollow comparisons these days.