What Makes ‘Shōgun’ A Must-Watch Historical Drama?

John Blackthorne shipwrecked on the shores of Japan and viewers’ hearts when ‘Shōgun‘ premiered on February 27, 2024. ‘Shōgun’ follows the adventure of an English sailor in the foreign lands of Japan. The historical drama was initially meant to be a miniseries. However, observing its immense success, the producers have decided on two more seasons. So, what makes the series a must-watch for viewers?

The episodes of the show came out weekly after it aired in February and put the viewers under a historical-fantasy spell. ‘Shōgun’ is the first non-English language series to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series among seventeen others. The Korean series ‘Squid Game‘ was nominated for the award in 2022 but did not win.

All About ‘Shōgun’: Plot, Cast And Episodes

‘Shōgun’ is a book adaptation of a 1995 novel with the same title by James Clavell. The series revolves around Lord Toranaga, an ambitious daimyo, and John Blackthorne who shipwrecks on the shores of Japan. The Englishman makes his way through the foreign land and gets caught up in the political fights among the Japanese daimyos. John thrives in risk and puts his stakes in the fight to hold the largest land that will change his life forever.

Related: Watch: ‘Shogun’ Star Anna Sawai Gets Emotional Speaking To Tom Hiddleston About Playing A “Real Japanese Character” She Can Relate To In The Series

‘Shōgun’ was released on Hulu and FX in February. The first season ran for ten episodes ending in April 2024. The Hulu series has been appreciated for remaining faithful to the book’s premise. The creators, Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks have tried to maintain the authenticity of the series with mostly Japanese dialogues and natural cinematography. The team refused to use warm or cool tones for the scenes or any slow-motion effects. “No affected sources. Period,” Shōgun‘s cinematographer, Marc Laliberté said.

‘Shōgun’ is a rich representation of Japanese history and culture with the power struggle between warlords making an excellent plot. The series employs, Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne, and Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko.

Is ‘Shōgun’ Based On Willaim Adams?

As mentioned, ‘Shōgun’ is a book adaptation of a James Clavel novel which in turn is based upon the real English navigator, Willaim Adams. Adams was sailing in De Liefde and was one of the few survivors from a long, dangerous voyage to Japan. William and Jan Joosten, his second mate, came to become advisors to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a shōgun, a military ruler of a large piece of land, appointed by the Emperor.

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Willaim rose through the ranks and got deeply involved in the Japanese Navy. Eventually, he came to be known as Miura Anjin, which translates as pilot of Anjin. Willaim became a Hatamoto, a samurai under a shōgun, and explored the Southeast Asian seas. He was the first Englishman to voyage to Thailand and the third to Vietnam.

However, in ‘Shōgun’ Blackthorne has less engagement. His character is neutered as compared to the 1980 adaptation. The series is more focused on the Japanese cast and their feud over power and land rather than Blackthorne’s conquests.