Shōgun

...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 like it, the acting is really good, the visuals are awesome, the pacing is good and the overall story is great, so why does it fall short for me? Because it is an increadibly shallow adaptation of Clavell's book.

Clavell's book is about a stranger in a strange land, meaning understanding cultural differences, and the major themes are about honor, duty, sacrifice, and power. And that is the problem as I see it because besides the acting and the visuals - which are great - the story actually lacks these elements or gloss over them as if they are not important. But they are! It's what makes the book (and the 80's version great). Here's a couple of examples: We don't really get to know why Blackthorne (Anjin) is important, or the role of christianity in Japan, or pretty much any other social aspect of Japanese culture. There is sub-plot about a petulant and reckless son, which I don't remember from the book, and I have no idea what the point of him is, except for the writers to add to the story themselves. Similarly, Mariko from the book and the 80's version is probably my favorite character after Blackthorne, and I don't really recognize her in this version; by making her tougher, they also make her more distant and it diminishes her inner strength which makes her less sympathetic (to me at least).

In a nutshell this is what i see as the problem, when the show sticks to the book's original themes it is awesome, when they they don't you see actions taken where you sit back and say "that was weird why do that?" And here's the kicker, the very best dialogs and scenes are taken verbatim out of the book, so it's not like the writers don't understand that the source material is superior.

Still, the show is absolutely watchable, but I always measure a show's quality by whether I want to rewatch it, and I doubt it, instead I actually feel like watching the 80's version instead - that's not really a glowing endorsement is it?

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.

This is stunning television. The costumes, the sets, the historic period acting are all phenomenal. This show simply oozes dedication to detail and money. So with just two episodes in I can say that this will hook you almost immediately and for fans of Japan and its ancient culture it is almost a must-see.

Knowing the book the casting is near pitch-perfect or at least close enough to it. Maybe Lady Mariko doesn't look as I imagined her from the book but the actress still delivers a good performance and I am deeply appreciative of this show for making a worthy effort to depict the vast and intricate world of James Clavell's masterful historic novel.

However, maybe the book is too big to fit into the confined space of a TV series. For obvious reasons the showrunners had to rush through so much that is explained and described in detail in the book. In order to do the book justice it would have taken almost two seasons of television to show the story of John Blackthorne before he even reaches Osaka. Much of the underlying conflicts and the delicate web of diplomacy and intrigue the main characters have to navigate are cut short in the TV show. There also is a weird shift in perspective which strays from the book. Whereas the involvement of Portuguese foreigners in the politics of early 17th century Japan is treated as just another aspect in a mostly internal Japanese power struggle, the TV show almost sets the Portuguese up as the main antagonists of the show during its first two episodes. I hope the shows swings back to the Japan-centric story it is meant to be.

Bottom line: This is great television but I recommend reading the book eventually.

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.