Shogun Is One of The Decade’s Best Shows
BOOO! You probably thought I was dead. Two weeks without a post. Rest assured, I am alive. Today we’re talking about Shogun. And truth be told, I don’t have too much to say. I’m basically just here to give it my stamp of approval. Because, (observe title) I think it’s one of the best shows of the year and probably of the decade. That’s just my opinion though. I don’t watch much TV.
Shogun is based on a book by James Clavell. A 1,000+ page book as a matter of fact. It so happens I’ve read said book. Love it. It’s a quick read despite what you may think. Lots of sex and a healthy portion of violence. A deeply cultural novel, steeped in history. And I was very impressed by how the show was the same way.
It’s interesting- the trailer for this show would have you thinking it’s a samurai sword love fest, drenched in violence and war. This is true in some ways, but not in the way you would expect. Shogun (book or movie) always surprises people because it’s actually very slow and very political and yet it always sucks them in. This rendition of Shogun is no different.
I do think it stands out, obviously stylistically, but also because of how well it uses it’s action to drive it’s longer narrative stretches. The action in this show is brutal and desperate. You come away not with a “I hope the good guys win”, but more of a “Sucks it came to that.” Because death in the world of Shogun is horrifying more often than not. People get beheaded, pulverized, boiled alive, impaled (often by themselves) and more. It’s a real buffet of horrific ways to go.
The characters are the driving force of the show. Blackthorne, our English sailor protagonist, Mariko, his translator and handler and Toranaga, the Japanese warlord that reluctantly takes him in, are some of the most compelling characters in television so far. Blackthorne’s rugged, often savage (in comparison) nature playing off his much more formal Japanese counterparts is an intriguing and occasionally humorous dynamic. The show does a great job of showing why he would culturally be considered a savage, with his very crude and bombastic personalty and style contrasting heavily with the grace of the Japanese. It sets the stage for us to learn more about our characters through Blackthorne’s perspective, which then allows us to see these characters arcs independent of Blackthorne. This is very important for the show- in the book there’s large sections where Blackthorne gets told things that are going on. Obviously this would be terrible television. But the show does a good job of actually showing you and it balances the various arcs well.
The acting in this show is incredible. Rich characterizations, courtesy of rising stars like Cosmo Jarvis and Anna Sawai, veterans like Hiroyuki Sanada and other strong character actors who make every character feel multi-dimensional, no matter how little time they actually appear in the show. This is something Shogun does well- feature a lot of smaller characters that allow us to see a much wider panorama of the setting without upsetting the central focus on our characters. This allows a stronger depiction of Japan in this time period and allows the show to show off many sides of the culture.
The writing in this show was excellent. In my opinion, it had its own style, showing a restraint that was very compelling. It felt real, but in a way that makes reality feel mythical. It was clear that what was happening in the show was important. It had a weight that made any joy feel earned and sorrow feel expected. The dialogue was multi-faceted and gave the actors a lot of space to perform. The way such a delicate balancing act that is Shogun holds together so well is a testament to what was clearly a skilled writers room.
To kind of, summarize, this is a show that I really admired on a technical level. It isn’t easy source material to deal with and it was dealt with very deftly. It’s not an easy performance for actors either- I mean half of this show is in Japanese- you have to convey complex, layered emotions while also pretending like you don’t understand what is fully being said in some cases. This whole show and it’s execution came down to balance. And they nailed it.
You’ll probably notice this review is a little light on plot information and spoilers. That’s because it’s not a review. It’s a recommendation. And I do recommend this show. It’s been one of my favorites of the decade and it’s the type of show that I don’t really want to overanalyze. I know what I saw. And it was damn good. And I think you would like it too.
