Shogun Matches Game of Thrones' Brilliance

A glowing review of the show Shogun in which I go into great aspects like the incredibly dense and political plot with so much intrigue, complex characters, and the outstanding production value.

Thank you to my Patrons: Logan Farmer and Jernej

Music:
Ghost of Tsushima OST

[tannguyentrong]

Before episode 10: It's Game of Thrones if Ned Stark was smart.

After episode 10: It's Game of Thrones if Tywin Lannister was the main character.

[felixwohlfarth]

8:50 "Gives her character an explosivly outstanding resolution"

I'm crying

[frankvandorp]

The acting in this show is absolutely brilliant. Every muscle twitch in the characters' faces is there by design, and gives away important information on their feelings and thoughts, much more than their words.

[orzhov]

At first I was disappointed we didn't see the Battle of Sekigahara, but then I realized that the battle itself was never the point. Mariko's sacrifice and the realization that Toronaga truly was the villain who was willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to become Shogun, was more powerful then any on screen battle we could have seen.

[clayongunzelle]

When yabushige is on screen I don't need subtitles 😅😅😅 his facial expressions say everything

[JJ-byyh]

For non Japanese language speakers, you can not begin to appreciate the nuances in HOW the nobles speak. It’s an entirely different way of speaking than everyday Japanese. Even to this day. And to say one had to be careful in the words one spoke is an understatement. My wife (Japanese) said she would not have survived long in that era and it would have been exhausting living as a courtesan.

[geoffmaloney]

I really like how the producers of the show treated the audience with respect and realised that we are adults and can understand the nuance and subtlety of reserve that was inherent to the actual being of the production.
Two examples really stood out for me. The first when Blackthorne's consort Fuji raises her voice at and say 'ANJIN-SAN' when he refuses to give up his pistols. She then proceed to threaten Omi beckoning him to leave at gunpoint.
The other when Mariko in front of the whole council of regents raises her voice to Ishida and said. 'The matter is closed when you have the manners to allow me to finish'.
Out of context many would say so what? But in the context of Japanese 16th century, culture, manners, ritual and duty, it was so impactful.
A masterclass of production and respect for the intelligence of the audience.

[tticusFinch]

"Flowers are only flowers because they fall
But, thankfully, the wind."

I won't tell you how much I cried when I first heard that.

[DtWolfwood]

Looking to see Anna Sawai get the best actress Emmy.

[rickraw]

My opinion it was spectacular in every way, from choosing the perfect characters, cast and the dialogue for each one. It was an emotional, exciting and left you glued to the screen.

[maximjanssens]

I felt that there was a ned stark esque moment, when you find out toranaga is actually kind off evil and sacrificed multiple people including his son to become shogun was a shocking reveal for me.

[bishbosh]

IM SO GLAD you've made a video on this show. Personally I didn't enjoy it, but I'm hoping your review and analysis will shed more light on it and explain things I didn't understand and give me some appreciation for it in a way I cannot create myself

[Justbkstuff]

Shogun is a once in a decade kind of show. So glad to watch it week by week. Episode 9 was a master piece and I refused to believe otherwise.

[easternlights]

I don't think the team behind Shogun could (or should) do a GoT spin off. So much of this show's excellence is tied to how much they cared about representing Japanese culture and history faithfully. Each line written went through several rounds of experts and translators to make sure it was something a person of that particular standing would say. Almost half the crew was flown in from Japan, not to mention they had Hiroyuki Sanada as producer checking everything. The result was that instead of being merely set in Japan, the story of Shogun literally could not happen anywhere else, the culture informs everything the characters do.
The reason Shogun turned out this good is because of the deep love and care the creators have for Japanese history and culture and how they made it an integral part of the story, not because they are simply good at medieval themed political dramas.
So I don't think this success would translate well to a GoT spin-off.

[thepowerofsand]

The greatest thing about the show is its subtlety. It respects the audience enough to not chew out every plot twist to them and makes watching so much more satisfying.
(Understanding Toranagas sickness or Blackthorns dream in the last episode)

[Masax]

When you make the point about having to do learning as a viewer about a new culture, I was so happy. I was always into feudal japan and learned a lot about the real history about it due to interest, and it felt crazy satisfying watching a show with really good story writing, that also stays to serious historical accuracy and meticulous attention to detail. The contrast of the culture and customs was well executed and didn't feel gimmicky, and they kept it respectful to real history and traditions without it getting in the way of telling a good story.

[michaelhall]

As someone who came of age with James Clavell’s epic novel and the 1980 miniseries, it’s fascinating for me to listen to someone reviewing this show more in the context of it being its own thing, or even as a comparison to “Game of Thrones.” As an adaptation that is pretty faithful to the source material thematically but makes some fairly substantive departures from it in terms of plot and character, it would also be fascinating to know what Clavell would have made of it.

[mirikaku]

To make such far culture and medieval era so close is testament to how the story was
Well narrated and actors so talented.

The hundreds of people behind the scenes. As Hiroyuki Sanada said it was truly a DREAM TEAM of eastern and western professionals putting together a masterpiece.

[standardchampion]

Brilliant show. All the superlatives. Having no expectations, I only tuned in to check out Sanada and was immediately enthralled. It delivers everything at a high level--even a 'surprise' ending! And instantly iconic, quotable, meme-able; Chiseled directly into the zeitgeist. Its better that we are left yearning for more. That suffering is the cost of watching this masterpiece.

[immersion]

This show didn’t follow the same path GoT went down. It focused on the game, not Hollywood spectacle. Action sequences were quick and resolute with little fluff. Toranaga was a master of the game and we all fell for his tricks without even realizing it. He was no hero; He wanted Shogun the entire time. There never was a hero or a villain. Just the game.