Shōgun

When I saw the title on the Disney channel I assume it's one of those mock Asian war drama we always see on the screen with fake mock Asian token actors like we always see. I can not be more wrong. The richness in characters is built on real Japanese actors who are world class actors in the film/Tv industry and the depiction of the religious and political tension is something I have not seen on a main stream service for long time. Not to mention how rare we get to hear Japanese spoken with majority of the air time on an English language channel. This authentic Japanese/Englsih drama is exceptionally well made and has the potential to lead the white audience into a new realm of Asian western fusion genre. I expect some awards to be won shortly.

With only 2 episodes out so far, I find this show to be really well done whether or not you have read the book or saw the 1980 mini-series with Richard Chamberlain. Hiroyuki Sanada is one of my favourite actors and his performance, as well as the other cast members is superb. The show is very authentic looking and most of the dialogue is in Japanese, which really adds to the atmosphere and gives you a sense of being in 1600s Japan. Except for one scene (IMHO), the cinematography is really good. Unlike the 1980 series, there is a darker "feel" which better portrays what was going on at that time. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the series.

...this is not that.

While it was certainly groundbreaking and a huge hit at the time, in retrospect great parts of it was rather cheasy and cheapish, and come on, none of us REALLY bought Richard Chamberlain as a rugged and battle hardened sea officer ;)

The 2024 version feels a great deal more modern and budgeted bigger.

It's rougher, it's dirtier, the action scenes are crafted much better, the camera work is much better and reminds you of a Hollywood blockbuster, the lighting and visuals are stunning to the point of being art, and they are underlined by sound effects and a score which amplifies the mood of every scene perfectly.

The script is much richer and intricate than the original series, with better dialogue allowing the much enlarged gallery of characters more complexity and debth, which is especially important to American and European audiences, when depicting a very "foreign" culture... and it is all perfectly executed by a stellar cast, some of whom are getting their international breakthrough on this show.

I just love it, it's probably not only the show of the year, but something we will constantly crave more of in years to come, and which competitors will try to copy.

I should mention this is based off the first 6 episodes, so we are yet to see large scale battle scenes (but looking at the teaser clips, they look exellent), and we are yet to see the all important ending so I will reserve a possible 10 for then - but I am quite hopeful that is where it lands.

It's a show that makes you annoyed it is a limited series, by nature of James Clavell having written only one novel on feudal Japan.. but I actually predict this will be such a big hit, that FX will attempt to have scripts written for either a prequal, continuation - or spin offs - because that period of Japanese history is ripe with potential - and come on, who doesn't like samurais?

This is a must see show, even if you don't like samurais, even if you don't like period dramas, even if you don't like foreign language entertainment, even if you don't like subtitles - because if you don't watch it, you will be the person left out of the conversation, when the topic becomes entertainment.

Enjoy :)

I've just finished the first two episodes and I cannot wait for more! The atmosphere, plot, acting are superlative. The politicking and scheming are prime Game of Thrones but I hate making that comparison as I want this show to stand on its own. The scheming between the various lords and the Portuguese faction is titillating and suspenseful as we watch various characters play the game. I love it! I cannot wait for next week. I haven't felt this way about a show in a long while. Highly recommended if you enjoy top tier drama.

Funny to see most one star review being uneducated people who complain about subtitles.

Japanese should never be dubbed. If you can't read, move to something your level like barbie.

It was refreshing to see a period Japanese drama on Disney+ as a change form the constant mediocre super hero or Star Wars shows put out by Disney studios these days.

I loved the authenticity of the costumes, locations and above all casting - especially using all Japanese origin actors for the Japanese characters (unlike Shardlake which did not respect the ethnicity of the English characters). This made the series so much more believable and enthralling and by the end I was really invested in the characters and what happened to them.

If you have a VR headset I would recommend watching the series in a virtual cinema with headphones, it is an amazing experience! While Disney does not have its own VR app., the Bigscreen app does support Disney.

I won't give away any of the story but just say that Shogun is definitely worth watching! I hope there will be a second series.