The series, which premieres Tuesday on FX, begins with the death of Taiko, whose only successor is a minor. He establishes a regency council made up of bitter rivals to rule on his son's behalf until he comes of age, one of whom, Ishido (Takehiro Hira), impeaches his fifth son ( and recruited three others into an alliance to kill him. , Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), perhaps the most powerful and influential daimyo. Characters are introduced at a breakneck pace, exploring the contours and customs of Japanese diplomacy, the way etiquette is surgically weaponized, the positions and animosities of the various regents, and the deals their subordinates make to gain political advantage. , and establishing the Portuguese (and Portuguese) way of doing things. The Catholic Church has infiltrated itself into this web of profit. Add to this the ambition of the Dutch, the hostility of Protestants towards Catholics, and the peculiar temperament of the novel's protagonist, an English pilot named John Blackthorn (Cosmo Jarvis).
I put Blackthorn last because his role in this remake is brilliantly, but subtly, recast. Blackthorn (based on a real person named Will Adams who traveled to Japan) was a character from the Western perspective of “The Shogun.” Although the 1980 miniseries featured Japanese celebrities such as Toshiro Mifune, it was actually a show starring Richard Chamberlain as an ordinary Englishman trying to survive in a sophisticated foreign society where he was considered a “savage.” Ta.
The FX version, which creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo spent a decade crafting, resists its charming but somewhat parochial storytelling shortcuts. without it Overcorrecting for impulses. The new series doesn't exactly de-center the English “anjin” (the Japanese character's name). He remains a convenient and charismatic catalyst for the plot, and his appearance perhaps provides an excuse for the disorientation viewers feel while watching the first episode. But he lives a man with Toranaga (who claims him as a vassal), Toranaga's bitter, honor-bound interpreter Mrs. Mariko (Anna Sawai), and (presumably) his lieutenant. He shares the top job with Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano), a capricious opportunist who enjoys being left alone.
The show strikes a balance by giving the Japanese characters more access and screen time and less opacity, while leaving Blackthorne in his earlier role as an audience surrogate. He is portrayed as a slightly different person. Jarvis brilliantly captures the position and resentment of an English pilot working for the Dutch army in 1600, but his passions are not ours. The distance gives me a sense of freedom. It also leads to better storytelling. Blackthorn's role in this story is often comical. He repeatedly throws stinky spanners into the works of polite Japanese society, making very Western claims such as: teeth The protagonist is repeatedly hurt as he continues to shape his own destiny. But far from belittling him or clowning him, the show (if anything) allows us to study Blackthorn faster than viewers.
However, he is far from the smartest character on the show. So when we see him strategically spar with Toranaga and Mariko-sama, and we see the latter try to defeat his successor's fearsome mother, Ochiha-sama (Fumi Nikaido); There is suspense and joy.
“Shogun'' will inevitably draw comparisons to “Game of Thrones.'' Because it offers a tried-and-true combination of lavish scenery, moral ambiguity, cliffhangers (literally, in one case!), and extreme, gory violence. Also, perhaps because it so satisfyingly blends the feel-good grandeur of epic poetry with psychological danger. But when it comes to story, strategy, catharsis, and women, Shogun easily surpasses the previous series. The women here, almost without exception (as in Thrones), suffer greatly from the unwilling artists through strategic but soul-killing restraints. That's a welcome position to occupy in the story. It's rarely well written, and acting out a way out of that particular social and psychological trap is rarely convincing. Mrs. Ochiba is a perfect example. Although she comes off as a villain of sorts (which, frankly, could have gotten a little more screen time), she's not the Cersei of the comics. The female actors have a tougher job, though they do a great job of selling (and making clear) the influence of political backstabbing among former allies without detracting from the performances of male actors like Asana and Sanada. It's simply true that Shogun is smarter and weirder. It talks about women's trauma and the need for a sense of purpose more than any other Game of Thrones movie has ever done.
The show isn't perfect. There is a complex plot and plot development that could possibly reach the level of plot holes. For example, I have often wondered why people outside Toranaga's circle (who at least understand the value of Blackthorn as a MacGuffin) never listen to British pilots. (One occasion in particular, when he commandeered a ship's crew for a short period). But they seem like nonsense given the satisfaction this series provides and all the original work that had to be erased.
Probably the best? It's funny, but it doesn't necessarily translate to “comic relief.” The humor in “Shogun” feels constructed and composed (one of the characters' girlfriends reacts to almost everything by smiling or laughing). Sometimes comedy can be dark. Sometimes it's even simple and obvious. This is to be expected when two cultures collide. But at times, especially the last few episodes, it will take your breath away. Not just the sarcastic audacity of the joke, but also the artistry of making the punchline feel like part of the payoff.
general (10 episodes) will premiere in two episodes on February 27th on FX and Hulu. Subsequent episodes will air weekly.