From that network that brought us The Shield and American Horror Story comes a series just as gritty and visceral as its predecessors. Shōgun, however, is a little more authentic.
Scratch that. A lot more authentic. Produced by and starring Japanese icon, Hiroyuki Sanada, the show is an immersive tale about feudal Japan at the beginning of the 17th century. Movies such as Martin Scorsese’s Silence have depicted this period before, but not from this perspective. The impressive production depicts the complex political landscape as military leaders vie for power following the death of the Emperor. Though we are introduced to the events by the shipwrecked Englishman, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), it’s really a story about Japan.
Every detail in Shōgun is important, down to the gestures the characters make. The series hired gesture experts to make sure the series was as close to the times as possible. This all came to be with the book that started it all. Shōgun is a work of historical fiction that was a significant part of introducing the West to Japanese culture.
Who wrote Shōgun?
In 1975, writer James Clavell impressed the publishing world with his work of historical fiction. Based on true events, the author spun an immersive tale in his 1,000-plus-page book, Shōgun. Despite its heavy material, it made a stronghold on the New York Times best-seller list and opened up a world that lacked representation.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, Clavell was first inspired to research feudal Japan after reading an interesting passage in his daughter’s textbook about an Englishman who became a samurai. The characters are fictionalized representations of real people in the book, but Clavell wanted the utmost authenticity where it counted. The author’s writing was the main reason why Shōgun rose in popularity. The page length may be long, but that didn’t stop readers from ripping through it like a Jodi Picoult beach read. The world was well-researched and fascinating. The characters were vivid. And the material would go on to be adapted not once but twice.
Shōgun first reached the small screen in the NBC miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshirô Mifune. Premiering in 1980, the dialogue was spoken in English, and any Japanese was not subtitled. This element has been changed for the FX adaptation. Just as Clavell intended, FX’s Shōgun aspires to be as authentic as possible. Viewers get a closer look at the internal lives of the Japanese characters in the 2024 adaptation. Most of the actors speak Japanese, and the production hired an international crew. This marriage of fiction and history continues to impress audiences half a century after its publication. Fans can watch the Shōgun on FX and stream it on Hulu.
