FX’s Shogun is now considered to be the best television shows to ever come out in 2024 so far. The show tells the tale of the ancient Japanese politics and the mode of warfare in the 17th century which becomes difficult after the arrival of the English sailor is considered sort of epic and intimate.
Shogun is Television on a Grand Scale
FX is known for making great TV shows like The Bear, The Americans, and others, now they are trying to create their own Game of Thrones with Shogun. The book’s enormous dimension and the performance in the TV show feature some breathtaking setpieces that showcase the productions’ stunning design and visual effects.
Despite the epic battle scenes in the tv show, the most dramatic and highlighted scene of the whole tv show is the scene of an earthquake which destroys Toranaga’s whole force.
Shogun TV Show’s Origin
It is based on the Australian-born British writer James Clavall’s 1975 best seller of the same name and also on the 1980s historical drama mini-TV series.
Shogun tells the story of a mysterious Japanese leader Lord Toranaga who is fighting to protect his kingdom for peace against a council of governors who fear his power and obey him, also the show highlights how Christianity was spread in 17th-century Japan by the Portuguese missionaries who are residing in Toranga’s kingdom as their allies.
But Toranaga’s belief gets broken by the sudden appearance of the English sailor John Blackthorne who states that the Portuguese are not the loyal allies they seem to be. But the most crucial part of the story is Blackthorne’s ship cannons, a new weapon that could triumph to victory if anyone holds the Englishman.
Shogun On Comparison With Game of Thrones
Jonathan van Tulleken, the director of FX’s Shogun stated and explain about how his new historical drama show is considered different in comparisons with HBO’s Iconic Fantasy TV show Game of Thrones. The latest TV shows follows the same footstep of the previous 1980s mini TV series and even some parts are inspired from the Broadway musical of Shogun.
While talking in an interview, Tulkien expressed disagreement after comparisons were made between the drama TV show and the fantasy TV show Game of Thrones. He stated that ‘Shogun truely is a character piece and it is about this intrigue. This is a dangerous world where violence can come out of nowhere, but the real danger is in the machinations. A conversation can be as dangerous as anything else. A better comparison [than Game of Thrones] would be Succession or House of Cards.’
He further stated that ‘This is made hand in hand with the Japanese because it is a story about two cultures encountering each other and seeing ourselves in each other. We are way past [the western gaze] in terms of audience sophistication and the stories we want to tell. What we really want to tell is a story of political intrigue, imprisonment and entrapment.’
The Key Performances in the TV Show
The main lead actor of the TV show is Cosmo Jarvis who played the role of the English sailor John Blackthorne quite brilliantly in the TV show where he shows that the English sailor is a civilized man in the land of the animals.
But as the season progresses he understands to appreciate the importance of the Japanese Language and also the sense of honor towards Lady Mariko and Lord Toranaga.
On the other hand, Lord Toranaga is played by the charming and veteran actor Hiroyuki Sanada(The Wolverine, John Wick Chapter 4) who displayed the role of a 17th-century Japanese feudal lord perfectly.
The main highlight star of this TV show was Anna Sawai(F9) who played the role of Lady Mariko who often gets lost in completing the demands of her religion and sometimes her sense of honor but from the start, she becomes a key adviser for Lord Toranaga and also a translator for John Blackthorne.
Shogun is currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar and the tenth episode is slated to release on 23rd April.
