I feel like I am the only person in my family who never watched the original Shogun series! My son saw the trailer of this and he thought that it looked fantastic, and so did I! It was great having a show that we could watch together and it has been appointment viewing for us each week when a new episode would appear on Disney Plus which is where it airs in my country. With that being said, I must say that this review is only based on the first four episodes of the series.
How to Download Shōgun
Shōgun was released on February 27, 2024. You can download or stream the film from Disney+ or Hulu. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The TV Show Review
Shōgun Through the Lens: An Early Review
If you have any kind of interest in ancient Japan, I am sure that Shogun is going to greatly appeal to you. It was actually the video game, Ghost of Tsushima that made my son interested in this, granted, that is a completely different story. However, it was that game that made him take an interest in ancient Japanese culture so I am glad that a show like this came along as it is so different from everything else on TV or streaming right now.
A Tapestry of Intrigue and Culture: Shōgun’s Unique Appeal
By different I mean in terms of setting, you see, I know this is a lazy comparison, but with all the backstabbing and politicking, Shogun does have a bit of a Game of Thrones feel about it. I do want to mention that another reason I was attracted to this show was the cast, especially Hiroyuki Sanada who plays one of the main roles in Lord Yoshii Toranaga.
Characters that Resonate: The Heart of Shōgun
Lord Yoshii Toranaga is a powerful, brilliant leader who is willing to do whatever it takes when it comes to power. I guess you would have to say that the main character is John Blackthorne who is a British sailor who along with his crew has washed up on the shores of Japan. Blackthorne finds himself and his crew taken captive by Lord Toranaga, but he and Lord Toranaga develop a very interesting relationship.
So far though, neither of those two are my favorite characters. A third main player is here in the form of a woman who is a samurai. Lady Mariko is pretty badass and it is her story arc that I am mainly invested in. I say that, but Blackthorne’s transition into something else is really captivating too. This is a show that has a lot of stuff going on so it is not the kind of thing where you can be messing around on your phone only paying half attention to it!
A New Visual Standard: The Aesthetics of Shōgun
I cannot speak for how it compares to the original show (or even the book that the original show was based on) I can say that my father-in-law is a massive fan of the original and he says that he feels this is better in every regard. He has tried to get me to watch the original show many times as he has the DVDs but he says there is no point in me watching it now as there is no way it can compare to this new version.
While the story is great, Shogun is one of the best-looking TV shows of the year so far. You can just see millions of dollars on the screen in every episode, the sets, the costumes it all looks so authentic. Well, I assume it is authentic, even if it is not, it looks amazing. There is also a lot of action here and some of it is pretty damn brutal too, the fight choreography is very well done and it makes the whole thing just seem way more epic.
The Unmissable Experience of Shōgun
Shogun is one of those shows that you just need to watch. I can tell you how good it is, but this is the kind of show where words do not do it justice. As I said, the show is not yet done as I write this, but each episode so far has been better than the last so I cannot wait to see how they bring this to a close!
