Shogun Season 1 Review – A roaring, epic triumph

FX has into the mind of James Clavell by adapting his best-selling novel of the same name, Shogun. This is the second time the series has been adapted, the first being in 1980, which was a massive hit for ABC. Academy Award-nominated writers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo co-wrote the ten-episode Season 1 for FX. 

Shogun Season 1 review and plot summary

Shogun follows the story of a mysterious European ship washing up on the shore of a Japanese fishing village. Lord Yoshii Toranaga realizes that something onboard that ship could tip the scales of power and destroy his enemies. 

Set in the 17th century, Shogun dives deep into the political landscape as civilization is scoped in the world of war, love, and clashing cultures. 

After John Blackthorne’s ship washes up on Japanese shores, he quickly finds himself in the middle of a power struggle where warlords are vying for the top of the food chain, aka trying to become Shogun. Although many want him dead, Lord Yoshii Toranaga requests a sit-down meeting with Blackthorne as he believes he can potentially help them in his battle with Lord Ishido. 

Just because you spend a lot of money doesn’t always mean you will get a great product. In recent memory, movies like Flash, Morbius, and Wonder Woman 1984 had lavish budgets but looked mediocre. FX reportedly spent nearly $200 million to bring Shogun to life, and unlike the projects I mentioned, it was well worth it. From the opening moments to the closing credits, I was simply blown away by what was presented. 

I promise you, you’ve never seen anything like this series before, nor do I think we ever will again. Shogun feels larger-than-life on so many levels. You have an incredible production design that settles us directly into this period, followed by eye-popping costumes with precision detail, and a sound team that blew me out of my chair. It’s simply a masterpiece on a technical level. 

Now, you are probably wondering, does the production get matched with excellent writing and acting? The answer is yes, 100%. The writing team of Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo don’t shy away from highlighting this incredible cultural dynamic that not only diversifies the story to teach but also allows you to sink your teeth into the political world of these early centuries. They wrote a captivating, well-balanced story that checks all the boxes. 

Much of the world will be introduced to Cosmo Jarvis within the series as John Blackthorne. For me, Jarvis delivered a knockout performance in the 2020 film Funny Face, and I’ve been yearning to see more of him on my TV. Jarvis has to deliver a complex performance here as we see Blackthorne attempting to adapt to a world where not only does he not speak the language but he also doesn’t understand the political atmosphere he washed up in. Jarvis forces audiences to join Blackthorne as he fights for his life at every turn.

Is Shogun Season 1 worth watching? 

Blackthorne’s fellow protagonists in the series are Lady Mariko and Yoshii Toranaga. The former is played by Anna Sawai, who has delivered not one but two fantastic performances in Pachinko and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Mariko’s empathetic nature grounds the series in a much-needed way. Even on this grand scale, Sawai steals the show with the subtle allure of her eyes and voice, with a slight dab of powerful vengeance.

Toranaga is played by the legend Hiroyuki Sanada. Sanada has been there, done it, and been back again, and he shows that he is one of the best with his portrayal of the powerful Yoshii Toranaga. 

Shogun is a rare one-of-a-kind show that comes along to prove the power of television. It’s an epic exploration of a powerful story of political prowess that highlights the good, bad, and ugly of it all. We’ve seen some great shows over the years, but nothing as big of a risk as Shogun. Not only do I recommend the series, but it’s the type of show you will watch multiple times. 

What did you think of Shogun Season 1? Comment below.

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