Shogun needed to feel authentic, exceed expectations and crucially measure up to its predecessor. A trick this excellent series from Disney+ pulls off in minutes remaining faithful to the novel.
Co-creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo go beyond conflicting cultures to embrace universal themes. Pulling together all the subtle threads in this historical drama and putting their characters front and centre.
With Asian cinema legend Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4) as the formidable Yoshii Toranaga, Shogun gets off to a strong start, as he delivers a performance of delicate intensity, revealing Toranaga to be both a political animal and master tactician.
His opposite number is John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), a marooned mariner who finds himself stranded in Japan unable to leave. A role that evolves as the culture tempers his arrogance and Blackthorne develops into a man of contradictions, defined by subtleties Jarvis takes his time to explore.
Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) is the final puzzle piece, torn between her role as wife, mother, and interpreter to Lord Toranaga. As part of this relationship triangle Mariko remains the most conflicted since she is bound by tradition yet attracted to progressive ideas. That clash of allegiances and opposing agendas, gives Shogun its beating heart.
Her evolution and uncertainty over this first season is only matched by Blackthorne who clashes with Spanish Catholics. Locking horns over religion and the disregard they have for this ancient culture.
Where Catholics such as Father Martin Alvito (Tommy Bastow) seek to keep warring Japanese factions in the dark, it falls to Blackthorne to battle against language barriers using little more than his integrity.
As the momentum of this historical drama carries audiences along, Shogun reveals its hand one card at a time. Amongst the numerous aces it conceals amongst this ensemble cast, fans of Asian cinema may recognise Tadanobo Asano hiding in plain sight as Kashigi Yabushige. An actor known for his early work with Takashi Miike on Ichi the Killer.
Elsewhere are veterans of the industry playing diplomats who rule as regents in the absence of an emperor. As Lord Sugiyama (Toshi Toda), Toranaga’s chief adversary Lord Ishido (Takehiro Hira) and others come together, Shogun puts politics front and centre.
Shogun then becomes about power rather than the pursuit of peace. With threats from all sides, Toranaga must adapt or die, outwit his enemies, and stop their plotting.
Like Game of Thrones, this James Clavell classic feels rich, fully realised and populated by people with obstacles to overcome. Emotional stakes are high, losses land at a gut level and violence comes with consequences. As Shogun continues, a story emerges that is laced with universal truths and feels undeniably authentic.
Beyond the peerless production design and seafaring sequences, this adaptation makes a complex tale easy to watch. With subtitled Japanese throughout and English being substituted for Portuguese, certain dramatic concessions have been made. However, that intentional change is the only one in a series which will soon be regarded as a classic.
Shogun feels like an old-fashioned Tinseltown saga in the making, with an attention to detail matched only by The Last Emperor. Shows like this come round rarely and Shogun has the potential to leave a legacy equal to Bernando Bertolucci that pays homage to its predecessor in the process.
Shogun premieres on February 29th exclusively on Disney+
