Hana no ran

Japanese period sagas may require enormous dedication, but few have come close to the magic of Hana no Ran. Ryoza Yuzuk is the dramatic core of this drama, the story of dynastic tensions in 14th-15th century Japan. As the ambitious wife of a shogun who'd rather spend his time in aesthetic pleasures, she's a villain in a modern sense; she's also wonderfully winning. Very few taira dramas have rendered the tension and violence of the time with such impact. Each episode is a fizzing fuse waiting to go off at any moment. Conversely, Hana no Ran takes greater care than most to suggest the rigidly ordered Shinto practices that guided (and often encroached on ) everyday life. Maybe the outstanding example of its genre.

Apparently, this may still be available, though English subtitles were only available when it aired domestically in 1995.