Shogun, the Review | Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai shine in the biggest epic of the year

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“Shogun” is an absolutely unmissable 10-episode miniseries that is now available on Disney+.

Adapted from the novel by James Clavell, the 10-episode miniseries “Shogun” takes place in Japan in the year 1600, the beginning of a civil war that defined the century. Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) fights for his life when his enemies on the Board of Regents unite against him. In turn, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), the English captain of an abandoned boat in a nearby fishing village, brings with him secrets that could help Toranaga tip the balance of power and devastate the influence of Jesuit priests and Portuguese traders.

Thus, the destinies of Toranaga and Blackthorne become inextricably linked to the interpreter Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a Christian noblewoman and the last survivor of a lineage that fell from grace. While serving her lord amidst this turbulent political landscape, Mariko must balance her closeness to Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her, and her duty to her late father. Unlike many war-centered productions, “Shogun” does not seek to glorify the conflict, but rather explores the events that precede it.

“Shogun” thus immerses viewers in these tumultuous events in 17th century Japan, without having a great need to explain each connection and each context of its characters. It is an intelligent series that trusts its audience, thus providing a rich television experience interested in challenging the conventions of the genre in which it is part and subverting the very expectations that the audience places on it.

For this reason, it is important to clarify that at no point does “Shogun” intend to be the next “Game of Thrones”. This is a comparison that has been systematically made and has already been clarified by one of the series’ directors, Jonathan van Tulleken. For him, the production portrays “a dangerous world where violence can come out of nowhere, but the real danger lies in the machinations. A conversation can be as dangerous as anything else.” Van Tulleken also argues that a better comparison would be “Succession” or “House of Cards”.

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SHOGUN IS NOT THE NEW GAME OF THRONES

And yes, for those who expect epic battles and explosive moments all the time, “Shogun” will certainly be a disappointment. Since the series adopts a deliberately slow and contemplative pace, investing time in building the characters and the consequences of each one’s actions. It is an epic that devotes more time to personal and internal wars and poetic beauty than to the bloody conflict itself.

At the center of the plot are three essential characters: Yoshii Toranaga, John Blackthorne and Toda Mariko. Toranaga is the type of omnipresent character, who, even though he has less time on the scene than expected, becomes the fundamental piece of everything that happens in the series. At all times, the viewer questions the truth of what is said and seen, because Toranaga is involved in an internal chess game in which everyone is a top available to be used and manipulated.

Playing this astute leader is veteran Hiroyuki Sanada, who has the opportunity to play with the type of role he usually plays in American films and show the extent of his dramatic range. He rarely raises his voice, containing all his power and threat in a look or in the way he dramatizes his lines. It’s a charismatic performance that justifies very well why the characters would allow themselves to be so involved in Toranaga’s game.

In turn, John Blackthorne is a subversion of the hero archetype. He is the opposite of Toranaga, loud, grumbling and always ready to get on the boat and start a war. This is also where “Shogun” raises our expectations, as the initial fear is that Blackthorne will be another example of “white saviour”. However, the character’s story moves away from this, showing a man who is integrated into a culture and trapped by it. Cosmo Jarvis is fun because he knows exactly what his purpose is in the series and embodies that awkward figure of the classic hero perfectly.

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ANNA SAWAI: THE REVELATION OF SHOGUN

Finishing off the main trio is perhaps the biggest star of the series, Toda Mariko, an influential woman who doesn’t have a reason to live. Mariko just wants to be able to join her family and honor her family’s complicated legacy. Toranaga knows this and sees her as the perfect asset to her plan. Thus, Anna Sawai has in her hands a figure that is constantly divided, a conflict that she conveys with the naturalness and magnetism of her facial expressions.

In addition to the hard core, the series presents a range of varied characters played by a very well-oiled and cohesive cast. It is worth mentioning Tadanobu Asano as Yabushige, a lord without any backbone who tries to navigate between his obligations to Toranaga and his intention to stay alive and in power, after Toranaga receives his end. Asano sells very well the idea of ​​a man on a tightrope who cannot be trusted, but that the characters end up doing so because his smile and attitude are irresistible.

At the end of the day, what remains of “Shogun” is a war epic about the time before the conflict and how each decision impacts each person’s destiny. It all comes down to Toranaga’s quote, “Why is it that only those who have never fought in battle are so eager to participate in one?” We are facing an epic that is about war, but rarely makes it the main show.

And you, have you seen “Shogun” on Disney+?