Shogun is an epic historical drama Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. It is based on a book of the same name by James Clavell. This show’s major commendable point is there are no major action sequences in this show. In spite of that, it is one of the most captivating dramas I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I have seen such a captivating drama since Game of Thrones – well, the first four seasons of Game of Thrones to be precise. And Shogun is being compared to Game of Thrones. But I think it is more like House of the Dragon than GOT. It is because Shogun is slower and more subtle with its characters, just like House of the Dragon. If I compare both these shows, Shogun fares better in my opinion or at least I like it better.
This show is absolutely dripping with atmosphere. It’s dark, moody, somber and presents a sense of desperation and hopelessness in its setting. It basically transports you to 1600s Japan. Japanese culture is presented really intricately. The traditions, the customs, clothing, transport, the samurai; every detail adds to the experience. The culture, the brutal culture of the Japanese; it’s insane just how much pain they have put themselves through. Relatives get beheaded left and right, someone’s husband and kids die and they are told to be a consort to some high-ranking man. And they do not protest these orders, they think it is their duty to obey their lord. People are so loyal; they kill themselves to help their lord achieve his goal. And it’s not a fair fight in which they lose their life; they just commit suicide. The women presented in this show are so incredibly strong. They are married off without their consent, and they can be ordered to die along with their husband because their husband showed a mild outburst of anger in an inappropriate situation. Still, they carry on with their life with a smile on their faces. You will never know what they have been though, by just looking at them.
There are a lot of heartbreaking moments in this show and they are conveyed with minimal dialogue. I’ll talk about probably my favorite scene of the show. It’s when two characters are sitting and one character looks to their right where the translator used to sit and says “No translator.” Then we cut to the other character tearing up. It is heartbreaking and poignant and it’s achieved through minimal dialogue.
Now, I’m talking about these characters as if they are real people. It is because that’s how well-developed and well-acted they are. I don’t know if it’s the book or the writers of the show or both, but the character work is amazing in this show. The greedy, slimy characters whom you think you will hate in the future, turn out to be a lot more complex than you assumed. The quiet, mostly silent, and reserved characters turn out to be completely broken inside or secret masterminds behind the scenes. Some just kill innocent villagers to troll a man.
I think older time periods provide a really good base for good stories, because the life was difficult back then, there were strict, unfair rules. Basically, there was a lot of pain and trauma in people’s lives which I think makes for much more interesting and captivating tales. Putting characters through great misery and challenging their views is what makes for interesting stories.
There is another unique thing I noticed. In most of the shots, there was a fish-eye kind of effect. Nothing too distracting, I just felt like pointing it out.
I found absolutely no shortcomings of the show or I just didn’t notice them. But there are some things that might bother some people. First is that the pace of the show is a bit on the slower side, and the second point is there are no major action scenes or war scenes; it is mostly character drama. I had no problems with this show at all.
Thank you!
