#2024 shogun

[beatrixacs]

My final thoughts on Shogun

Overall rating: 9/10.

The show has its ups and downs - the downs mainly being the way they handled the romance in the show that could have been much better and much more impactful for a casual viewer, and the ups everything else.

I have never read the book - actually, I'm reading a copy I was lent by my colleague right now - but I have seen the 80s version many, many years ago and fell in love with it. By 'fell in love' I mean that I was up to 4:30 AM on Saturday because for some reason, the airing time was in the middle of the night.

I've always wanted to read the book (in my native language which is not English) but it was one of those that is rarely re-printed or found in second-hand bookshops. When they finally re-printed it in 2009, I preferred a different book with the money I could afford to spend, thinking that I would buy Shogun later when I save enough money.

Well, it was a mistake I regretted for long 15 years because the copies were quickly sold out and begging for re-print went unheard. It has a good ending, though. I can buy a new brand copy in May.

And I have FX Shogun to thank for that because they revived the interest.

When the news about the show broke out in 2018, I was excited but of course that my second thought was 'please, don't suck'. But then it seemed that the project was called off or something because I heard no news about it. You can imagine by happiness when the airing date was finally announced.

From the cast and photos to the trailers, podcasts, making of videos and the episodes themselves, the whole ride was amazing. The attention to detail was exceptional. The cast was superb. The whole feel of the show and the story was magnetic. Shogun Tuesdays rightfully became a concept people were looking forward to.

As I described above, I can't really comment on the changes as opposed to the book since I'm in the process of reading it for the first time but from my understanding, some of the changes were actually pretty good some of them less.

While I am the fan of "don't take too much liberties with the source material", one has to keep in mind that the source material might not be always as perfect or as easy to translate on the screen. That is why I am open to changes if they make sense. Since I haven't seen much outrage from the book fans (aside the romance), I suppose most of the changes were okay. At this point, I expect the book to give me better insight on the characters I saw on the screen because that is something only book can do.

As for the 80s show that has a special place in my heart, I actually want to avoid comparing them. You can feel that FX Shogun has a great respect for the legendary adaptation but they were bold enough to go their own way in some points and I'm glad for that. I don't want to watch a modern copy of something that has been already filmed, I want to watch a new, fresh adaptation of the book that shares some similarities but it's not the same.

Boths adaptations deserve praise. Both adapations are excellent in their own right. Those who haven't seen it yet, I say - do it.

All in all, I want to thank FX for bringing Shogun back on the screen (and on my bookshelf) and giving us one of the best series of 2024. I hope gets a lot of awards so the creators get the appreciation they deserve.

Arigato gozaimasu.

[dannypinot]

Anna Sawai wins for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Lady Mariko in Shōgun at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards

[ferrisbuellers]

ANNA SAWAI — 76th Primetime Emmy Awards (September 15, 2024)

[dailyflicks]

ANNA SAWAI as TODA MARIKO SHŌGUN — 1x09: "Crimson Sky" (2024)

[ariadnethedragon]

Blackthorne x Mariko

SHŌGUN (2024)

[jynjackets]

Shōgun makes Emmy history

[hokkienmee]

"That was very good. Very good." Shogun (2024)

[venka]

ANNA SAWAI at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards — September 15, 2024

[lafiametta]

The fact that Blackthorne turned out to be a total red herring may be my favorite way that Shōgun subverted expectations.

Because the show followed his journey, we assumed he would have some greater importance as part of Toranaga's eventual victory. Maybe he would have come to the rescue, heroically using his ship and the guns to attack Osaka castle, giving him prime of place as an ally and as a vital part of Toranaga's plan.

In the end, though, Toranaga had Blackthorne's ship destroyed — and was prepared to destroy any others he might build. Blackthorne himself turned out to be a funny foreign distraction, unimportant to the cause beyond just making headaches for Toranaga's enemies, kept around simply because he made Toranaga laugh.

[redsamuraiii]

Me, watching Feudal Japan genre resurgence in Hollywood:

[ladynamie]

SHŌGUN (2024) - Chapter Ten: A Dream of a Dream

[lousolversons]

Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun (2024)

[dannypinot]

Hiroyuki Sanada wins for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Lord Yoshi Toranaga in Shōgun at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards Bonus reaction from Takehiro Hira:

[ferrisbuellers]

ANNA SAWAI — photographed by Andie Jane for Vogue

[ihavemanyhusbands]

Shōgun BTS photos via Anna Sawai, Tokuma Nishioka, and Moeka Hoshi’s instagrams // @annasawai @moekappa382 @tokuma_nishioka 🤍

[ariadnethedragon]

SHŌGUN (2024)

Chapter 9: Crimson Sky