At the end of April, the first season (and we still hope it's the last) of the series 'Shōgun' concluded on FX and streaming service Hulu, becoming a real hit and a pleasant surprise for many movie fans. We tell you why the project about feudal Japan...

At the heart of 'Shōgun' lies the eponymous epic novel by American writer James Clavell, written in 1975. The work is part of the so-called 'Asian Saga' — a cycle of six books by Clavell with a common setting (Asia, as the name suggests). The adaptation has garnered a heap of laudatory reviews from the press (99% on Rotten Tomatoes) and received high audience ratings (8.1/10 on Kinopoisk and 8.8 on IMDb at the time of writing). Such figures cannot but impress. The series was certainly intriguing, but few could have imagined it would turn out this cool. So what is the secret of its success? How to explain…

What's the Plot?

1600. A Dutch trading ship, the 'Erasmus', washes ashore in Japan. The surviving crew are taken prisoner by the samurai of the village of Anjiro, and the ship, goods, and weapons are confiscated. Local Catholics demand the execution of the barbarians (they don't need Protestants here), but the English pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) miraculously escapes death. However, his troubles are far from over, as he is separated from his crew and, along with Kashigi Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano), is sent to Osaka as a prisoner.

In the fortress city, he meets one of Japan's five rulers — Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), whom the other four regents want to execute quickly to seize control of the country. However, the feudal samurai is very cunning and delays his death with the help of the foreigner, who reveals that Portuguese Catholics are colonizing the Land of the Rising Sun through their faith. Now John Blackthorne, by fate, is drawn into the dangerous political games of medieval Japan, and his only thread to understanding what is happening is Toranaga's translator — Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai).

Beautiful as Cherry Blossoms in Bloom

The FX show is not the first adaptation of Clavell's book, which in its time became extremely popular and sparked a keen interest in Japanese history and culture. Literally five years after the novel's first publication, a five-episode adaptation aired on NBC, with the author himself serving as executive producer. In the new 'Shōgun', among the executive producers is the writer's daughter — Michaela Clavell. It is noticeable that she and the other creators approached the transfer of the text to the screen with great reverence. Among them was Hiroyuki Sanada, who was responsible not only for embodying the image of Toranaga but also for the authentic depiction of medieval Japan.

Considering that not a single frame was shot in the Land of the Rising Sun, the project turned out very authentic. The series was actually filmed in Canada, but I'm sure no one will be able to nitpick that what's on screen isn't Japan. Of course, it's unlikely that most viewers (including me) can judge how accurately the spirit of the early 17th century is conveyed, because no one lived there, and there are clearly not many historians among those who watched. But everything looks as if the events on screen are really happening 400 years ago (where else can someone so easily have their head cut off or be boiled in a cauldron?), so the creators did a great job with the sets, staging, costumes, hairstyles, and makeup. 

When watching 'Shōgun', you want to savor every frame (except those reflecting the cruelty of the past). You can endlessly watch raindrops dripping from the roof, a rehearsed tea ceremony, or the meaningful glances of characters between dialogues. The series is beautifully shot, and the cinematography with all the camera flyovers and wide shots deserves special praise. And the cold color grading perfectly reflects the atmosphere of a cloudy and somewhat gloomy country, isolated from the continent and surrounded by seas.

However, what happens on screen is not an action story about samurai, and most battles end with the first swing of a katana, while the main war takes place not on the battlefield. If you expect the show to be a dynamic historical action film, you might be greatly disappointed, getting a conversational drama with a rather slow-paced plot. But at the same time, every frame feels epic, and it's clear that no expense was spared on the visuals. The project was approached with risk but with maximum reverence and dedication, and it paid off.

The Shogunate Is Near

Many have already compared the project to 'Game of Thrones' in medieval Japan, and it's hard to disagree with these people. However, 'Shōgun' is more leisurely and less fragmented (after all, there won't be an 8-season story here). The expensive show does not seek to recoup its budget through special effects and running around, so it primarily focuses on characters and a story that raises a host of serious themes, such as human differences (linguistic, religious, cultural, racial). 

And in this case, the project is more like Denis Villeneuve, where blockbuster scale entered into an ideal symbiosis with a twisted story about political and religious strife with a bunch of terms you'll have to figure out. 'Shōgun' is simply replete with Japanese words (besides the fact that people generally speak Japanese here) like 'daimyo', 'suzerain', 'hatamoto', or 'seppuku', but there's a great life hack: open Wikipedia, skim through the top terms, and pretend you didn't just learn these words but have always been an expert (I personally did that).

Evgeny Belousov

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To be honest, I don't have the authority to compare the series with the previous adaptation or the book, but I can confidently say that this 'Shōgun' works great for an unbiased (and source-independent) viewer, and that's why it became a real surprise of 2024. Few people were eagerly awaiting the show and expecting such a spectacle, but now, after the wave of praise for the project, FX is considering a second season, even though the novel has been fully adapted (hopefully they won't go through with it). 

Unsurprisingly, the series is a pure unexpected but deserved hit, where all elements fit together perfectly: strong adaptation, powerful direction, meticulous approach to production, and excellent acting. The trio of main characters develops wonderfully over the ten-episode run and clearly paves their way to awards and new career heights. 

Aristocratic and beautiful Anna Sawai simply shines on screen as Toda Mariko and makes viewers fall in love with her (and not only). Hiroyuki Sanada is completely unlike his recent character from , and that's extremely pleasing, because the Japanese actor finally got a worthy role where he can show not only martial arts skills but also acting skills. And Cosmo Jarvis, we will clearly see more often in bigger projects than before. What can I say? Such is the anticipated 'Shōgun Effect'. Perhaps we won't see a better series in 2024, and not because something bad will come out. No. It's just that the bar is now very high. Jumping over it will be extremely difficult.

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What's the Verdict?

It can be said that 'Shōgun' came out at the best possible time, hitting both Hollywood's Asian trend (recall last year's ) and viewer fatigue from formulaic, faceless, expensive blockbusters. The FX series is a true breath of fresh air in modern cinema. The creators were not afraid to take risks by focusing on meticulous adaptation work, and at the same time did not turn the project into a stereotypical samurai chew.

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In essence, the secret of success turned out not to be so complicated, because sometimes it's enough to be in the right place at the right time and not try to put on armor that isn't yours. For some, this approach will be a surprise, but there will also be those who understand that it was meant to be and could not have been otherwise. After all, a samurai has no goal, only a path. True, this time it led not to death, but to great success.