Plot: Set in Japan in the year 1600, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.
Shōgun Mini-Series was So Good.
Pros: I like how supper this show is with its action, drama, suspense & direction in its storytelling. I like the pairing of John & Toad together. The combat in this was brutal & proficient and I like how this series wrapped up at the end.
Cons: The dialogue were difficult to get everyone was saying at times & it was hard to keep up with the story at times.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Historical drama
Created by Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Based on Shōgun by James Clavell
Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Tommy Bastow & Fumi Nikaido.
Composers: Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Nick Chuba
Executive producers: Michaela Clavell, Rachel Kondo, Michael De Luca, Edward L. McDonnell, Justin Marks
Producers: Jamie Vega Wheeler, Eriko Miyagawa, Hiroyuki Sanada, Erin Smith, Tom Winchester
Editors: Maria Gonzales (eps. 1, 4, 7 & 10), Aika Miyake (eps. 2, 5, 8 & 10), Thomas A. Krueger (eps. 3, 6 & 9).
Production companies: Gate 34, Michael De Luca Productions, FXP
Network: FX on Hulu, FX
Casts & Characters:
Main:
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1543–1616): A powerful bushō and lord of Kantō. One of the five Regents ruling Japan on behalf of the late Taikō‘s young heir. He is a descendant of the Minowara clan (Minamoto clan) which once ruled over Japan as shōguns. He possesses a brilliant mind for military and political strategy.
- Cosmo Jarvis as Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, known to the Japanese as the “Anjin” (William Adams, 1564–1620): A Protestant English maritime pilot who served on a Dutch fleet seeking to establish trade with Japan. He finds himself and his crew captive to the powerful Lord Toranaga.
- Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko (Hosokawa Gracia, 1563–1600): An intelligent highborn woman with strong loyalty to Toranaga. She is a Catholic convert who serves as a translator between Toranaga and Blackthorne.
- Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige (Honda Masanobu, 1538–1616): The scheming lord of Izu who serves Toranaga.
- Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari (Ishida Mitsunari, 1559–1600): A former peasant turned powerful bushō, one of the five Regents, Toranaga’s chief rival, and ruler of Osaka Castle.
- Tommy Bastow as Father Martin Alvito, SJ / “Tsuji” (João Rodrigues Tçuzu, 1561–1634): An empathetic Portuguese priest and reliable translator.
- Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata (Yodo-dono, 1569–1615): The only consort of the late Taikō who bore an heir, her son Yaechiyo.
Supporting:
- Néstor Carbonell as Vasco Rodrigues: A Spanish sailor in league with the Portuguese who befriends Blackthorne
- Tokuma Nishioka [ja] as Toda “Iron Fist” Hiromatsu (Hosokawa Fujitaka, 1534–1610): Toranaga’s most trusted general and close confidant
- Hiroto Kanai [ja] as Kashigi Omi (Honda Masazumi, 1566–1637): Yabushige’s bright nephew and the lord of Ajiro
- Yasunari Takeshima [ja] as Tonomoto Akinao / Muraji: A Christian fisherman in Ajiro, who can translate for Blackthorne and is secretly a loyal samurai serving Toranaga
- Moeka Hoshi [ja] as Usami Fuji: Hiromatsu’s granddaughter and later Blackthorne’s consort
- Yuki Kura [ja] as Yoshii Nagakado (Matsudaira Tadayoshi, 1580–1607): Toranaga’s impulsive yet adoring son
- Ako as Daiyoin / Lady Iyo (Kōdai-in, 1549–1624): The wife of the late Taikō, who later became a Buddhist nun upon his death
- Ned Dennehy as the Captain-General: The Dutch captain of the Erasmus, who died at sea
- Hiromoto Ida as Kiyama ukon Sadanaga (Konishi Yukinaga, 1555–1600): One of the five Regents, who converted to Catholicism, due to the wealth the Portuguese acquired for him
- Toshi Toda [de] as Sugiyama Josui (Maeda Toshiie, 1539–1599): One of the five Regents, who is descended from a rich clan
- Takeshi Kurokawa as Ohno Harunobu (Otani Yoshitsugu, 1558–1600): One of the five Regents, a once great warrior afflicted with leprosy, which drove him to become a devout Catholic
- Yuki Takao as Usami Tadayoshi: Fuji’s impulsive husband and a samurai serving Toranaga
- Yuka Kouri [ja] as Kiku: A crafty and beguiling courtesan from Izu and Omi’s concubine
- Sen Mars as Nakamura Yaechiyo (Toyotomi Hideyori, 1593–1615): The only son and heir of the Taikō
- Dakota Daulby as Salamon: A surviving crew member of the Erasmus who Blackthorne later encounters living in the slums of Edo
- Nelson Leis as Hendrik: A surviving crew member of the Erasmus
- Hiro Kanagawa as Igarashi Yoshimito: An older, eye-patch-wearing samurai serving Yabushige
- Yuki Kedoin [ja] as Takemaru: A young samurai serving Yabushige
- Nobuya Shimamoto as Nebara Jozen: Ishido’s loyal retainer and an old friend of Yabushige
- Yutaka Takeuchi as Akechi Jinsai (Akechi Mitsuhide, 1528–1582): Mariko’s late father and a powerful warlord who betrayed and killed Lord Kuroda, tarnishing his family’s legacy
- Joaquim de Almeida as Father Domingo: A Franciscan friar who befriended and lectured Blackthorne about Japanese politics
- Yukijiro Hotaru as Nakamura Hidetoshi, later the Taikō (Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 1537–1598): The retired Kampaku who appointed a council of five regents to succeed him until his heir comes of age
- Shinnosuke Abe as Toda “Buntaro” Hirokatsu (Hosokawa Tadaoki, 1563–1646): Hiromatsu’s son, Mariko’s husband, and a talented samurai serving Toranaga
- Louis Ferreira as Ferreira: The Portuguese captain-general of the Black Ship, the largest trade ship that handles commerce between the Portuguese Empire and Japan
- Paulino Nunes as Father Visitor Carlo Dell’Acqua, SJ (Alessandro Valignano, 1539–1606): A senior Italian priest and the highest-ranking representative of the Catholic Church in Japan
- Yoriko Dōguchi as Kiri no Kata (Lady Acha, 1555–1637): Toranaga’s wife
- Mako Fujimoto as Shizu no Kata: Toranaga’s younger, pregnant consort
- Yuua Yamanaka as Toda Ryûji: Mariko and Buntaro’s son
- Junichi Tajiri as Uejiro: An elderly gardener at Blackthorne’s estate in Ajiro
- Eisuke Sasai as Lord Ito: An influential warlord and Noh performer who is invited to join the council of five Regents
- Yuko Miyamoto as Gin: The madam of the Ajiro teahouse
- Eijiro Ozaki as Lord Kuroda Nobuhisa (Oda Nobunaga, 1534–1582): The former daimyo and Ochiba’s father, who was killed by Akechi Jinsai, Mariko’s father, in 1578
- Eita Okuno as Saeki Nobutatsu (Matsudaira Iemoto, 1548–1603): Toranaga’s half-brother and a powerful warlord
- Takaaki Hirakawa as Mizoguchi: A warlord who was defeated during Toranaga’s first battle in 1554
- Yoshi Amao as Sera: A samurai general based in Edo and one of Toranaga’s vassals, who refuses to submit to the Regents
- Hitoshi Masaki as Tomono: A samurai general based in Edo and one of Toranaga’s vassals, who refuses to submit to the Regents
- Haruka Igarashi as Rin: Toranaga’s daughter-in-law and Ochiba’s younger sister who lives in Edo
I recommend watching this mini-series on Disney+.
Rating: 10 OUT OF 10 STARS
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident TV reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe