I know that subtitles are divisive. Sure, a lot of people automatically subtitle everything they watch on TV now, but when it’s a foreign language series or film that requires English speakers to rely on those same subtitles to understand the dialogue, for some reason, people can get a bit put off by it. And I get it. You can’t mindlessly scroll on your phone or fold the laundry or work out or cook dinner while watching a program where you need to read the dialogue on the screen. But sometimes, a series comes along that is so enticing, so well-written, so well-acted, so perfectly put together that even the need to read about half of the show’s dialogue on the screen becomes just a minor roadblock in a truly exceptional experience. And that is absolutely the case with Shōgun, the latest adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel.
Now, if you’ve read the novel or seen the 1980 miniseries adaptation of the same name, you might be wondering why you should commit more time to a story you already know. Well, my argument would rest on one point and one point only: This is not the same version as was made in 1980. It’s so much grander. More lush. With so much more time and attention to detail. And it’s a whole five episodes longer, which allows for more time with our characters, more time to delve into the politics underlying every action taken in the series, and more time to truly understand just what is at stake for everyone across the expansive game board of the series. And if you’re new to this story – as I was when I started watching – are you ever in for a treat.
Shōgun tells the story of the meeting between John Blackthorne* (a great Cosmo Jarvis), an English sailor who pilots a Dutch ship to Japan in hopes of disrupting the Portuguese (and Catholic) hold on the foreign nation, and Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada, just sensational in a very complex role), one of the five regents ruling Japan until the late Taiko’s adolescent son comes of age. It’s a meeting of opposites, with Blackthorne declared a barbarian for being not only a foreigner but also not aligned with the friendly Portuguese and Toranaga dealing with his own set of threats to his power that are not improved when he takes a liking to this strange foreign man and takes him under his wing. Naturally, our odd couple begin to understand more of each other (although most of it is Blackthorne learning to understand Japanese power structures, respect, and ceremony – something that is also learned by non-Japanese audience members along the way, as Blackthorne is our point of view character to much of the intricacies of feudal Japanese culture). Along the way, we meet a host of additional characters, perhaps most importantly the Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai, whose performance is the heart and soul of much of the series), daughter of a disgraced lord whose marriage to a well-respected samurai is rocky to say the least, a Catholic convert who knows enough Portuguese to translate for Blackthorne and whose role in the political and military intrigue within the series is far more pronounced than one might initially expect.
*A fun trick of the series is that all conversations in Portuguese are conducted in English – although the show makes it clear that the characters are meant to be conversing in Portuguese for story purposes. This means that English-speaking audiences can have a break from those subtitles when such conversations occur. Which is more often than one might expect.
The series has everything you could hope for in an epic tale of war and colonialism in feudal Japan, including some pretty robust and complex roles for women in the story (yes, there are romantic entanglements throughout the story, but the women we meet all have agency – as much as one can have in this society – and are provided with opportunities to direct the plot and action at key points along the way). And that’s not even getting into how absolutely gorgeous this series looks. It’s clear no expense was spared on anything that makes its way on screen. From amazing fight sequences, to gorgeous set pieces, and exquisite costuming, the minutia of the story was created with just as much care as the writing, directing, and performances. It all blends seamlessly together to create a story that you cannot help but be swept up within. And that’s even with needing to read subtitles to understand a good chunk of the story. It’s rare that I’m compelled to leave my phone at my side for an entire episodes of television, but I find that happening frequently while I watch Shōgun. And I suspect you will feel the same if you give it a chance. After all, it’s the best show you aren’t watching.
Shōgun airs new episodes Monday nights on FX on Hulu (available on Hulu and Disney+ with a Hulu subscription).
