I am kinda shit at keeping pace with modern television, I have a habit of neglecting the new to watch older stuff I haven’t seen before. But on occasion I manage to tag along on a newer release. This is one such time.
Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Shogun”.
The year is 1600. English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) ends up crashing on the shores of Japan, soon to be captured and finding himself at the mercy of Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada). And we see how the men affect each other’s lives, along with the effect their collaboration has on Japan. Part slow burn character drama, part political thriller, the narrative in “Shogun” starts strong and then just goes from strength to strength all the way to the end. We see how political allegiances within the country are frayed from the start, and the way we witness it develop over the 10 episodes, both through quieter discussions and more violent actions is utterly riveting. It’s a complex web of motivations, manipulations, and misconceptions, and it caught me off guard at every turn. But it’s also a story of people, and the profound effect we can have on each other, how we can learn from each other, and how we might not be so different despite coming from such faraway nations. It’s a masterfully constructed narrative that unveils marvelously over the 10 episode run.
The characters in this are some of the most richly written ones I’ve ever witnessed, with each one expressing so much with even the subtlest of posture shifts. And to see over the course of the series what their personalities are like, what makes them tick, and how their relationships develop makes for some of the strongest parts of the show. And the entire cast is just superb. Cosmo Jarvis, Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai (MVP of the show), Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Fumi Nikaido, Tommy Bastow, Nestor Carbonell, and so many more, there’s not a weak link in this, everyone is fantastic.
The score for the show was composed by Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross, and Leopold Ross and sweet mother of god, the music here is spectacular. Sweeping and epic, but also quiet and contemplative. Abrasive, yet tender. Serene yet intense. It weaves in and out between so many moods, but it all feels cohesive and works so well in helping create a stunning soundscape for the show.
Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, “Shogun” was developed for FX (streaming on Hulu/Disney+) by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, with writing and directing by various awesome people. And holy crap, I wish I had the words to describe the beauty of this production. Marvelous directing and cinematography, great outfits, really solid effects, great facial hair. You can tell that a lot of time, love, care, attention, and money went into making this look and feel special. And it all paid off spectacularly, everything about the production is immaculate. Also, this show is violent. Like, I was shocked at some of the gruesomeness in this show. It’s not just bloody for the sake of being bloody, but it’s really grisly and gory to really sell the weight of violence. I say this both further praise for the show’s craft and also as a warning for anyone who might have trouble with detailed, visceral violence.
This show has been very well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 99% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 85/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 9.0/10 and is (at the time of writing) ranked #29 on their “Top 250 TV” list.
So “Shogun” is one of the most riveting shows I’ve seen in quite a while and probably ever. It has a fantastic story, great characters, fantastic performances, great music, and fantastic directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Shogun” is a 9.95/10. So it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.
My review of “Shogun” is now completed.
Well now what the fuck am I supposed to look forward to every Tuesday?
TheMarckoguy 