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I feel the need to parse a few comments you guys made. 1. 35:16 Did Aaron mention something about Lord Ishido being Lady Mariko's father? Lady Mariko's father was Akechi Jinsai, not Ishido. Her father-in-law was Hiromatsu (Buntaro's dad). So, what did I miss? 2. Remember that Mariko's father (Akechi Jinsai) killed Lady Ochiba's father. Lord Toranaga was Akechi Jinsai's closest ally and therefore Lady Ochiba believes that he is also responsible for her father's death, so she hates Lord Toranaga. 3. The shinobi were hired by Ishido to kidnap (not kill) Lady Mariko and hide her away somewhere. And then Ishido could have said that she left during the night. 4. As hinted at by Lady Ochiba, Lady Mariko's death will cause the Higher Families in Osaka to turn against Ishido.
This show seems to rely on that ever proven method of building characters up so that you feel some kind of personal attachment to them, only to take them out in the most cruel manner possible.
Anna Sawai deserves all the awards for this performance. She communicates so much with just her eyes. Her sacrifice ensures that all the hostages will have to be released and potentially join Toronaga's side. Ishido and Ochiba have proven they cannot be trusted by hiring shinobi.
Still can't believe she was the same person in Legacy of Monarch...the difference in her performances is so shockingly wide it's as if the one in Monarch was her untalented twin sister. It's like a fascinating case study on just how big an impact a good director and writer can have on an actor's performance.
@@kritsana1414no they were sent by ishido that is why he sent yabushige the message he knew he would do it and he probably kept that a secret even from ochiba so that will probably make her change sides?!
@@Bruno77806 it's probably be like you said but don't you think that would be way too obvious? And have you notice that the Shinobi didn't touch any of toranaga's women and child? Man that makes me wonder..
John offering to be Mariko's second was an incredibly powerful scene to me, especially after she essentially told him "I care about you, but I must do my duty" with the previous exchange. This was John telling her "I will help you do what you must do, no matter the personal cost to me". I feel like John finally understood Mariko's secret heart between those moments, and when he offered to be her second she knew what that meant for him. It was an incredibly selfless gesture and one that was also incredibly romantic.
It's extremely important that Mariko's very last words in life start with a reference to herself as "I, Akechi Mariko..." Earlier in this episode during the confrontation with Ishido, she referred to herself as "Toda Mariko, daughter of Akechi Jinsai..." That shift in self-reference is the most crucial development in her story. Her actions in both the novel and the two miniseries' adaptations were ALWAYS about restoring her family's good name. The genius of Toronaga is that he understood her at that level. He then used that knowledge and rather than let her "die a useless death" he used her intelligence, cunning, loyalty, passion and love for her family's name (and her deep love for her father) to create circumstances that undermined both Ishido's and Ochiba's power over the noble families they need to exercise control over to stay in power.
The best part is that Toranaga didn’t even appear in this episode, just like the Lannisters never appeared in the episode of Red Wedding, and yet it’s so clear to everyone that Toranaga (like Lannisters) is winning.
this cleared a lot of my misunderstanding about toranaga's thought process, as well as mariko's intentional death. @wayneparker9331 let me use your comment, so that i can help other people understand too, thank you
I’ve heard other people say that it’s a reference to the heir and the fact that he’s not the Taikos real son. Basically the leafless branch is the lineage of the Taiko.
This was the most Game of Thrones experience that we've had in a long time. From the conversation with Regents to the sudden death of Mariko. Just perfect.
Just to clarify, the Shinobe were there to *kidnap* Mariko as a middle ground plan for Ishido and Ochiba. They couldn’t kill/execute Mariko or have her kill herself in shame because that would spark outrage and revolt in Osaka and to let her leave and return to Toranga with her retinue would make the other highborn hostages to ask to leave. So by kidnapping her and making her “disappear” and silence her, there’s no open opposition for Ishido since Mariko is partially acting on Toranga’s behalf as his voice in court. But now that Mariko has been murdered, Ishido is fucked and Yabushige knows it.
I think Mariko killed herself all Shinobi didn't know that she'd be standing on the other side of the door, she chose to do so by herself and i think it would be way too simple if ishido was the one that sent the Shinobi, it's too predictable so I'd say the Shinobi are toranaga's and that shinobi at the door that tab on his shoulder is Buntaro. Please don't mind my bad grammar.
Mariko did two things. 1: She showed everyone being held that the regents do not all hold equal power which is what the former Taiko wanted until his son was old enough to lead. And 2: Mariko was sent to test the defenses and no one was any wiser because of who her father was. Anna Sawai needs all the awards for her acting. She's incredible in this role.
The daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, the most famous traitor in Japanese history, died saying she would protest Ishido's shameless attack. Toranaga used Hiromatsu and Mariko to great effect. Realists are smart and cruel.
Why saying he's a realist? I don't see the link between smart and cruel people, and being realist. Smart and cruel people are generally power hungry. Is being power hungy and cruel a "realist" take on the world/this life?
Ok, that seppuku scene alone should get Anna Sawai her Emmy because that fear in her eyes when she realizes Kiyama wasn’t coming to second her was heartbreaking. I literally started weeping because you could feel her fear. And when Anjin stepped up to second her, that relief in her face was seldom. My god, this episode had me in tears all throughout. Her performance was beautiful and tragic. Mariko-Sama has become one of my favorite characters in TV and to see her character arc come full-circle was wonderful.
That alone should be prevented. Even if this is just a creation, Japanese culture will be misunderstood and spread. Women don't commit seppuku, and she's a Christian, so it's impossible.
Complete BS. There's a story by Yukio Mishima where a husband and wife commit suicide. He does harakiri. She cuts her own throat. Tale of the Heike has a number of Samurai women committing suicide by drowning themselves. A Japanese woman wouldn't have disemboweled herself. She would have had to open her kimono exposing her breasts...nope.
Ochiba will never trust Toronaga because she believes he conspired to kill her father. But you can tell she has warm feelings for Mariko and probably wishes they could still be friends.
This was the last poem of the the actual japanese woman Mariko was designed after : Only by knowing when to fall Do flowers become flowers And people become people by : Hosokawa Gracia I loved watching this reaction with you all.. can not wait for the finale, but I'm also abit saddened it must also end.
Not sure if this was true or not, but apparently there's this unpopular, recently-resigned Japanese politician who used this verse to describe his departure from office. The descendants of Hosokawa Gracia were so pissed off that they protested over on twitter in Japan.
anna sawai rightfully gets the bulk of praise for this, but i’m also fascinated by how open fumi nikaido’s face as ochiba has been the entire episode. besides the flashback scenes, this is the only episode we see these characters interact and yet they sell years of friendship and sisterhood with just how they look at each other, just amazing acting all around. also, glad aaron mentioned it-at least mariko got to spend one last night with blackthorne before she finally gets her wish to leave the world as akechi mariko.
This episode is the first piece of television in a long time to stir such an array of emotion from joy to complete sorrow in 60 minutes... multiple times. There is no way that Mariko actress Anna Sawai does not get an Emmy nod for this series.
Mariko's struggle with Christianity and being Japanese/Samurai was very powerful in this episode. I feel like it was very well done. She had felt like there was no one for her after her family was killed, but there was God that could give her some purpose. But she had grown to be so much more than that and no longer had to hold onto her religion because there was someone there for her....someone who, like God, wanted to see her live and to have a purpose.
Others have probably said it. Mariko being in Osaka was a lose-lose to Ishido. Leave, and he loses all leverage on all noble prisoners. Kill her, and you're the guy who killed the last remaining member, a woman none the less, of a noble house, and everyone will be outraged. So Ishido tries the one remaining thing. He "let's her go" then turns around and tries to capture her "I don't know what happened to her, I let her go". But Mariko went there for one of two things. She would either get out, or die. They were about to be captured in that room, so she made them kill her.
Yabushige has got to be the most likelable snake I've seen on tv. Like, he's clearly a scumbag, but his actor plays him with so much charisma. Spoiler Alert I know Sekigahara was an afterthought in the book, I hope it's at least a good Chuck of the final episode.
He plays it so differently to how a snake is usually portrayed. Like, he doesnt hide it at ALL, he waves his snakeness around like a flag, which is what makes him charming I think
The thing is, he's become so likeable in the last few episodes that it took the latest back stabbing to remind us that "Yeah, I keep forgetting he's that guy."
At the end of this episode, that face Mariko has when she says "Let it come." is so powerfully sad. Her seppuku was cancelled and she has had some hours with Blackthorne with whom she could start a new life, but this hope is brief, she is still being chased by death, and she still has her duty to fulfill: "I have to die right now, giving up my future with the man who loves me and whom I love".
I’ll post this here too. Anna Sawais has to get the Emmy. Her portrayal of Mariko is not only the best acting I have seen all year, it’s some of the best acting I have ever seen. Building on one of the most incredible, strong and complex characters ever put to paper, the show was able to elevate Mariko into new dimensions; The writers gave Mariko focus and stoicism, and Sawai gave her heart and raw, unbridled power. Not many people can believably play a one-man army able to topple an empire. What a lightning storm of a performance she gives in episode 9 and all throughout this series. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of an Emmy
Mariko is the catalyst that would bring forth the Crimson sky. She changed the cloud that was casting over Osaka. She took away Ishido’s hold over the other regent. Toranaga is a master strategist, taking advantage of every disadvantages.
Mariko did whats called a 'big brain' move. They were only trying to abduct her. If she's abducted, she can't kill herself or leave. She knew if she died in this attack, she not only saves her own soul from damnation from suicide but also frees all the hostages and discredits Ishido as she is a noblewoman who was 'totally not a hostage' And Father dome-head drops his soundcloud rap and historically is the one who buries her christianly Also Mariko's death was so poetic cos she tried to die by ice but died by fire but not by her own hand
@@KoiYakultGreenTea The only guy that can make that goofy hair cut look cool. The scenes where he's riding the horse with his cape, his nicely shaped beard, etc. bro is too cold
@@NoCluYT the beard game in this show is so good. Not just on the Europeans but the Japanese too. Most Japanese struggle to grow a beard or pull off a good one but literally everyone in this show has magnificent beards that's unique to their personality and rank. And those without show their youth and lesser rank.
That slow zoom onto Calvin as the sheer inanity and subject of that conversation forced him to focus and resist his own impulses as he was stuck between Eric and Aaron... Much respect to both Calvin and the editor of that shot!
i am so heartbroken 😭 i cried a little bit last episode but i had a steady flow of tears from the moment anjin asked mariko to live for him up until the end credits played. if anna doesn’t get some nominations (at the very least) i will be so upset. her performance the entire show, and this episode in particular, was phenomenal. favorite moment of the episode was when anjin took on the burden of being her second. such a beautiful moment that showed the depth of their feelings. what Aaron said about her reaching for his hand after ishido’s interruption; that hadn’t even occurred to me.
The shinobi wasnt there to kill Mariko but to kidnap her, maybe Ishido dont want her to reunite back with Toranaga. Probably Yabushige agree with Ishido's deal since the original plan is only to kidnap her.
If she dies as a prisoner his reputation is ruined and his political allies revolt. If she leaves and takes the 'not hostages' with her he looks weak and his reputation is ruined. On the other hand theres option C, have her kidnapped and kept under his close supervision so she cant do A or B until after Toronaga is locked up, then it doesnt matter.
The role of Mariko is inspired by the historical figure of Hosokawa Galasha. Hosokawa Galcia refused to be taken hostage by Ishido in Osaka and, unable to commit suicide, her vassals took her life on the orders of Hosokawa Galasha's husband. The vassals then blew up the entire house to prevent Galacia's body from being searched. I do not know the original story and the 1980 TV show, but the story is based on historical facts and scripts.
I somewhat remember that in the book, the shinobi who took over for the dude (who was his relative i think?) who ordered for the bomb to be used to enter the room thought about what a fkn moron he was.
I haven’t had a gut punch like that from a tv show in years. Incredible episode from a incredible show. I can’t believe we’ve already reached the end. “Flowers are only flowers because they fall.”
eric saying to kick mariko during her seppuku attempt actually made me giggle 🥲 thank you eric ❤️ especially because i’d been down from that ending ALL DAY after watching it early this morning
When he said that it kinda reminded of Odysseus's wife Penelope which would weave every day and then undo it at night so she could delay marrying the suitors
The goal of the shinobi was to capture Mariko, not to kill everyone in the toranagas compound. The shinobi only killed the toranaga guards because they are a threat. They purposely left the other woman alone.
The fact that the Anjin was willing to go against all he wanted to do in saving her only because he wanted her to have the peace of mind that she won't go to hell broke my heart.
It seems the second wave of Ninjas were intended to capture Mariko and the Anjin alive, not to slaughter like the first wave. Mariko's death was not their modus operandi nor would bring Ishido a moral victory. Again, Mariko out maneuvered her opponent by sacrificing herself as bishop for the eventual Queen checkmate.
from the book, I remember the 2nd in command of the shinobi or some such coming upon the scene and pondering what a moron the main leader who ordered the explosive entry was.
I knew this was coming, but they did it so well that it hit really hard. Both book at 80's it was Blackthorn who used the threat of Seppuku to gain advantage. They do go in on how weak it leaves you to commit and be stopped. Why she collapsed and needed to be helped up.
Aaron is me at the end of the episode. This episode was so amazing, it had me on the edge the entire time. The emotional investment I had throughout from Anjin stepping in to be her second, the moment i believed "It's gonna happen", the reprieve from the insane high anxiety/stress when Ishido came in to stop it. For the first time in maybe ever i paused a show because my anxiety was through the roof and I had to take moment to compose myself before she died. All of the crazy knots that it put in my stomach, getting a moment to breathe after she got her permits, seeing John and Mariko finally just accepting their feelings and being together, and then just lose her at the end to the explosion. I made the EXACT same face as Aaron. Just a look of defeat, one that was brought forth by the emotional rollercoaster the writes put us on where all of our energy is gone to the point we just sit their blankly going "WTF".
This is the first show in many MANY years in which I just want to scream "SHOGUN IS THE BEST SERIES EVER!!!" out of the window, every. Single. Episode.
Anna Sawai had better win ALL of the awards. She was absolutely phenomenal in this episode and amazing throughout the entire series. Mariko is a damn near impossible role for any actor. She's playing a 1600's Japanese woman, she's expected to be stoic, mild mannered & subservient. Anna isn't granted the ability to showcase her strength & power like Sanada can with "power stances" and emoting like he did in episode 8. But Anna did a beautiful job subtly showing Mariko's strength. And I feel like this series did a phenomenal job adapting the story to focus on the tragedy of Mariko/Akechi Tama. I just wish I could have 1 "stick of time" (or even just 5 minutes) with Anna to tell her what a tremendous job she did. Her "Anji-sama, let it happen" will haunt me for the rest of my days. I feel like there were many messages in that. 1) It could've been an invitation for him to join her...something she had denied her husband. 2) It was a message for him to not mourn too much for her. 3) It could've been her way of saying "thank you for showing me that life isn't cruel & hard but also can be beautiful & joyful.
omg, Eric bringing up Bibleman just transported me 30 yrs back in time. We were shown those videos all the time in Sunday school. I honestly can't remember anything except a vague impression of its Batman-esque trappings, but still what a throwback.
I know it's been said already, but..... Thank God this show is here, this is how you make a believable badass woman. She has been brilliant from square one and this may be one of the best female story arks and portrayals in any TV show I have ever watched. I also think Anna sawai is gorgeous, can't wait for the finale!
The moment when Blackthorne was prepared to second Mariko despite his continuous hesitation to not make Mariko have to commit suicide and the look she gave him... that scene was just stunning
Hey friends, thanks for the reaction! Just a quick note from a die hard book reader (who has no complaints with the adaptation, btw). The Shinobi were sent to capture Mariko. Not kill her. If Mariko died in the attack, it would make a martyr of her and her message - no one can keep a true samurai from leaving, one way or another, prison can't hold a samurai who has made up their mind against it. So Mariko knew she had to avoid capture above all else. And saw that there was no escape from the situation except by her death, so she stepped forward and committed seppuku with the explosion rather than suffer the indignity of capture and torture at Ishido and Ochiba's hands. It was witnessed by other great Ladies who had come to witness her seppuku and got cut off from returning home. Their deaths would have been terrible complications for Ishido. Mariko knew what she was buying with her death, and it was much more than just personal revenge.
What a moron the lord was. He repeated the same gambit and expected a different result. She responded to being captured her and held hostage by sincerely threatening her life. Did he think this was going to go any different after giving her an even more desperate scenario? the same thing happened, but faster, and thus, irrevocable.
Leafless branch...After a leaf has fallen ("OCHIBA"=fallen leaf) Crimson Sky must be the revolt Osaka is fearing, that was ignited (quite literally) by Mariko's death
Anna Sawai with another brilliant performance! She was awesome in Monarch, she's even more amazing in Shogun - future shines bright for her indeed 💯💯💯 Anyway, another heart rending episode - and the Wave Crew's reaction towards the end shows it 😔😔😔 Onto the finale next week ⚔️⚔️⚔️
I'm just starting to watch right now. But, I read the book, saw the mini-series, and saw this episode already. I swear to dawg you two better be there for that sweet, innocent man. Because this episode is going to break our Aaron.
The following may be a spoiler. The spectacular end of "Hosokawa Garasha," the model for Mariko, is well known in Japan. Even though Galasha's father was "Akechi Mitsuhide" who had defeated his lord "Oda Nobunaga" and was therefore stigmatized as a traitor. In his last days, he gave his life to his own lord "Tokugawa Ieyasu" (the model of Toranaga). Ishida Mitsunari, the model for Ishido, is said to have refrained from taking women and children as hostages due to Garasha's bombing death. (At that time, taking women and children hostage was a common practice in battles between feudal lords.) As a result, he saved the lives of many women and children, and brought positive results to the greatest war that later split Japan in two.
Here's my take on this. Mariko and Yabushige are all willing participants in Toronaga's great plan, to let the Shinobi into the compound and carry out the killings was planned by Toranaga to make it appear that the slaughter was ordered by Ishido. Mariko was always going to make the ultimate sacrifice, as she had been longing for death which would bring her peace, and knowing her death either by her own hand or by Shinobi would serve the main purpose of framing Ishido causing a revolt from the high families destabilizing Ishiro's position at the head of the Council and the secondary purpose of bringing honor back to her family name in her service to Toranaga, This was made clear in the last episode when Toranaga asked Mariko "are you ready to do your part?". Yabushige looks like he is the ultimate double agent, loyal to Toranaga but outwardly shows himself as self serving, with questionable loyalty.
It would be great if Mariko were still alive, but the historical facts are as follows. Mitsunari Ishida (Ishido in SHOGUN), who was an enemy of Ieyasu(Toranaga in SHOGUN), tried to take Garasha Hosokawa (Mariko Toda in SHOGUN) hostage at Tamatsukuri's Hosokawa mansion in Osaka, but Garasha refused. The next day, Mitsunari went out to use his force and had his soldiers surround the mansion. When the vassals told Garasha everything, Garasha prayed a little, then gathered all the maids and ladies in the mansion and said, ``As my husband has commanded, I alone want to die,'' and led them outside. . Later, as suicide is prohibited in Christianity, the chief retainer, Hidekiyo Ogasawara (Shosai), intervened with Garasha and committed suicide by setting explosives in the mansion and setting it on fire so that no body would be left behind. Her death haiku was, ``Only when you know when it is time to scatter can flowers in this world become flowers and people become people.'' A few hours after her death, Father Niecchi Sordi Organtino visited the burnt remains of the Hosokawa mansion, picked up Garasha's bones, and buried them in the Christian cemetery in Sakai.
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I feel the need to parse a few comments you guys made.
1. 35:16 Did Aaron mention something about Lord Ishido being Lady Mariko's father? Lady Mariko's father was Akechi Jinsai, not Ishido. Her father-in-law was Hiromatsu (Buntaro's dad). So, what did I miss?
2. Remember that Mariko's father (Akechi Jinsai) killed Lady Ochiba's father. Lord Toranaga was Akechi Jinsai's closest ally and therefore Lady Ochiba believes that he is also responsible for her father's death, so she hates Lord Toranaga.
3. The shinobi were hired by Ishido to kidnap (not kill) Lady Mariko and hide her away somewhere. And then Ishido could have said that she left during the night.
4. As hinted at by Lady Ochiba, Lady Mariko's death will cause the Higher Families in Osaka to turn against Ishido.
I love the silenced reactors in the final scene... from Blind Wave, CinePals, ReelRejects, and SleepyWaffles. Brings back days of GOT.
Who knew Calvin perfected the eight fold fence technique as well 😂
for reference, the line in the sand is Blackthorne mentally making his own confession
@@GopherBaroque61 Theyre talking about the show Monarch. theyre in there together as well
Toranaga really sent his 3 most chaotic energy pawns to ishido to deal with 😂
And now Ishido is in Check.
Toranaga be like, I have enough headache dealing with these fools, here let my enemy have a taste LOL
sacrificed his queen for his gambit
I feel cheated and betrayed and I hate what this show does to me every week. I love it!
We have been hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amok, and flat out deceived! (I also love it so much lol)
So you became Buntaro, then.
@@KrafterAnonymous We've been Ned Starked
This show seems to rely on that ever proven method of building characters up so that you feel some kind of personal attachment to them, only to take them out in the most cruel manner possible.
It hurts sooo good!
Anna Sawai deserves all the awards for this performance. She communicates so much with just her eyes. Her sacrifice ensures that all the hostages will have to be released and potentially join Toronaga's side. Ishido and Ochiba have proven they cannot be trusted by hiring shinobi.
Still can't believe she was the same person in Legacy of Monarch...the difference in her performances is so shockingly wide it's as if the one in Monarch was her untalented twin sister. It's like a fascinating case study on just how big an impact a good director and writer can have on an actor's performance.
同意します。沢井アンナさんは、幼少期から英語圏での生活が長いですが、日本・欧米の素晴らしい文化の融合、思想が入り交じってる、両面の良さを持ち合わせた彼女は、ハリウッドで飛躍すると思います。
I think Shinobi is Toranaga's they were there to make sure that the Crimson Sky is completed
@@kritsana1414no they were sent by ishido that is why he sent yabushige the message he knew he would do it and he probably kept that a secret even from ochiba so that will probably make her change sides?!
@@Bruno77806 it's probably be like you said but don't you think that would be way too obvious? And have you notice that the Shinobi didn't touch any of toranaga's women and child? Man that makes me wonder..
The slow zoom against the intro music had me dying. Thanks for the chuckle.
Them atheists being stuck in this convo 😅
Same haha
Calvin zoom talking to the camera with his eyes.
Note: Shinobi didn’t come to kill her, they wanted to capture Marilko… that’s why with her final act she sacrificed herself to mess up Ishidos plan
John offering to be Mariko's second was an incredibly powerful scene to me, especially after she essentially told him "I care about you, but I must do my duty" with the previous exchange. This was John telling her "I will help you do what you must do, no matter the personal cost to me". I feel like John finally understood Mariko's secret heart between those moments, and when he offered to be her second she knew what that meant for him. It was an incredibly selfless gesture and one that was also incredibly romantic.
I couldn't stop crying !!!
It's extremely important that Mariko's very last words in life start with a reference to herself as "I, Akechi Mariko..." Earlier in this episode during the confrontation with Ishido, she referred to herself as "Toda Mariko, daughter of Akechi Jinsai..." That shift in self-reference is the most crucial development in her story. Her actions in both the novel and the two miniseries' adaptations were ALWAYS about restoring her family's good name. The genius of Toronaga is that he understood her at that level. He then used that knowledge and rather than let her "die a useless death" he used her intelligence, cunning, loyalty, passion and love for her family's name (and her deep love for her father) to create circumstances that undermined both Ishido's and Ochiba's power over the noble families they need to exercise control over to stay in power.
The best part is that Toranaga didn’t even appear in this episode, just like the Lannisters never appeared in the episode of Red Wedding, and yet it’s so clear to everyone that Toranaga (like Lannisters) is winning.
this cleared a lot of my misunderstanding about toranaga's thought process, as well as mariko's intentional death. @wayneparker9331 let me use your comment, so that i can help other people understand too, thank you
did she really die this way in the book?
@@hazri8758As I recollect (it's been a good many years), it was exactly this way.
@@patrickmcdaniel4651 I was still in denial, thinking she might not actually die. But it was on screen 😭
“Ochiba” means “fallen leaf” in Japanese.
So you can tell that the poem Mariko read was kind of a jab at lady ochiba.
That and that poem (haiku) is a subtle sign to Ochiba that this is Mariko last duty to end it all, here in the castle.
I’ve heard other people say that it’s a reference to the heir and the fact that he’s not the Taikos real son. Basically the leafless branch is the lineage of the Taiko.
This was the most Game of Thrones experience that we've had in a long time. From the conversation with Regents to the sudden death of Mariko. Just perfect.
Game of thrones seems so immature, shallow, and tacky now I have seen this masterpiece. 😂
that slow zoom on Calvin had me laughing way too much.
Same 🤣🤣🤣
You could actually watch as his soul left his body
I was relating lmao
Just to clarify, the Shinobe were there to *kidnap* Mariko as a middle ground plan for Ishido and Ochiba. They couldn’t kill/execute Mariko or have her kill herself in shame because that would spark outrage and revolt in Osaka and to let her leave and return to Toranga with her retinue would make the other highborn hostages to ask to leave.
So by kidnapping her and making her “disappear” and silence her, there’s no open opposition for Ishido since Mariko is partially acting on Toranga’s behalf as his voice in court.
But now that Mariko has been murdered, Ishido is fucked and Yabushige knows it.
I think Mariko killed herself all Shinobi didn't know that she'd be standing on the other side of the door, she chose to do so by herself and i think it would be way too simple if ishido was the one that sent the Shinobi, it's too predictable so I'd say the Shinobi are toranaga's and that shinobi at the door that tab on his shoulder is Buntaro.
Please don't mind my bad grammar.
*Mariko has to die for the Crimson Sky to be completed
@@kritsana1414no the shinobi definitely are not from Toranaga. They are from Ishido
yes toranaga set a 2 way trap to enact crimson sky.
And bonus points for being murdered gets you into heaven 👍🏻
The slow zoom in on Calvin while the main theme is playing was hilarious.
Mariko did two things. 1: She showed everyone being held that the regents do not all hold equal power which is what the former Taiko wanted until his son was old enough to lead. And 2: Mariko was sent to test the defenses and no one was any wiser because of who her father was. Anna Sawai needs all the awards for her acting. She's incredible in this role.
The daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, the most famous traitor in Japanese history, died saying she would protest Ishido's shameless attack. Toranaga used Hiromatsu and Mariko to great effect. Realists are smart and cruel.
Why saying he's a realist? I don't see the link between smart and cruel people, and being realist. Smart and cruel people are generally power hungry. Is being power hungy and cruel a "realist" take on the world/this life?
Ok, that seppuku scene alone should get Anna Sawai her Emmy because that fear in her eyes when she realizes Kiyama wasn’t coming to second her was heartbreaking. I literally started weeping because you could feel her fear. And when Anjin stepped up to second her, that relief in her face was seldom. My god, this episode had me in tears all throughout. Her performance was beautiful and tragic. Mariko-Sama has become one of my favorite characters in TV and to see her character arc come full-circle was wonderful.
That alone should be prevented.
Even if this is just a creation, Japanese culture will be misunderstood and spread.
Women don't commit seppuku, and she's a Christian, so it's impossible.
Complete BS. There's a story by Yukio Mishima where a husband and wife commit suicide. He does harakiri. She cuts her own throat. Tale of the Heike has a number of Samurai women committing suicide by drowning themselves. A Japanese woman wouldn't have disemboweled herself. She would have had to open her kimono exposing her breasts...nope.
@@Marss13z I thought she was going for her own heart.
@@Marss13zas a catholic she did not want to end her life since that is a mortal sin. Hence someone else giving the killing blow was very important.
Women can't commit seppuku though.
Ochiba will never trust Toronaga because she believes he conspired to kill her father. But you can tell she has warm feelings for Mariko and probably wishes they could still be friends.
This was the last poem of the the actual japanese woman Mariko was designed after :
Only by knowing when to fall
Do flowers become flowers
And people become people
by : Hosokawa Gracia
I loved watching this reaction with you all.. can not wait for the finale, but I'm also abit saddened it must also end.
Not sure if this was true or not, but apparently there's this unpopular, recently-resigned Japanese politician who used this verse to describe his departure from office. The descendants of Hosokawa Gracia were so pissed off that they protested over on twitter in Japan.
anna sawai rightfully gets the bulk of praise for this, but i’m also fascinated by how open fumi nikaido’s face as ochiba has been the entire episode. besides the flashback scenes, this is the only episode we see these characters interact and yet they sell years of friendship and sisterhood with just how they look at each other, just amazing acting all around.
also, glad aaron mentioned it-at least mariko got to spend one last night with blackthorne before she finally gets her wish to leave the world as akechi mariko.
This episode is the first piece of television in a long time to stir such an array of emotion from joy to complete sorrow in 60 minutes... multiple times. There is no way that Mariko actress Anna Sawai does not get an Emmy nod for this series.
Lady Ochiba was a true actor on and off screen, so much emotions on her eyes, Anna Sawai too, their facial expressions tell so much tale.
She is one of the popular young actress in japan
The look of utter despair sitting in long silence after the end of the episode was very relatable. I’ve never been so pleased!
Mariko's struggle with Christianity and being Japanese/Samurai was very powerful in this episode. I feel like it was very well done. She had felt like there was no one for her after her family was killed, but there was God that could give her some purpose. But she had grown to be so much more than that and no longer had to hold onto her religion because there was someone there for her....someone who, like God, wanted to see her live and to have a purpose.
Others have probably said it. Mariko being in Osaka was a lose-lose to Ishido. Leave, and he loses all leverage on all noble prisoners. Kill her, and you're the guy who killed the last remaining member, a woman none the less, of a noble house, and everyone will be outraged. So Ishido tries the one remaining thing. He "let's her go" then turns around and tries to capture her "I don't know what happened to her, I let her go". But Mariko went there for one of two things. She would either get out, or die. They were about to be captured in that room, so she made them kill her.
the way i relaxed when she got the permit and the show said SYKE 😭
*psych
Yabushige has got to be the most likelable snake I've seen on tv.
Like, he's clearly a scumbag, but his actor plays him with so much charisma.
Spoiler Alert
I know Sekigahara was an afterthought in the book, I hope it's at least a good Chuck of the final episode.
He plays it so differently to how a snake is usually portrayed. Like, he doesnt hide it at ALL, he waves his snakeness around like a flag, which is what makes him charming I think
The thing is, he's become so likeable in the last few episodes that it took the latest back stabbing to remind us that "Yeah, I keep forgetting he's that guy."
Hate the game, not the Trojan Horse. Yabushige is just a pawn seeking survival.
@@shortdrink873 And whenever he tried to snake on someone, his plans ALWAYS blew up to his face (now literally). Can’t help but feel for him😂
Also, I think Yabushige is the “second” most likable TV snake. My most likable TV snake is and always will be Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman.
At the end of this episode, that face Mariko has when she says "Let it come." is so powerfully sad. Her seppuku was cancelled and she has had some hours with Blackthorne with whom she could start a new life, but this hope is brief, she is still being chased by death, and she still has her duty to fulfill: "I have to die right now, giving up my future with the man who loves me and whom I love".
I’ll post this here too. Anna Sawais has to get the Emmy. Her portrayal of Mariko is not only the best acting I have seen all year, it’s some of the best acting I have ever seen. Building on one of the most incredible, strong and complex characters ever put to paper, the show was able to elevate Mariko into new dimensions; The writers gave Mariko focus and stoicism, and Sawai gave her heart and raw, unbridled power. Not many people can believably play a one-man army able to topple an empire. What a lightning storm of a performance she gives in episode 9 and all throughout this series. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of an Emmy
Mariko is the catalyst that would bring forth the Crimson sky. She changed the cloud that was casting over Osaka. She took away Ishido’s hold over the other regent. Toranaga is a master strategist, taking advantage of every disadvantages.
Mariko did whats called a 'big brain' move. They were only trying to abduct her. If she's abducted, she can't kill herself or leave. She knew if she died in this attack, she not only saves her own soul from damnation from suicide but also frees all the hostages and discredits Ishido as she is a noblewoman who was 'totally not a hostage'
And Father dome-head drops his soundcloud rap and historically is the one who buries her christianly
Also Mariko's death was so poetic cos she tried to die by ice but died by fire but not by her own hand
Not Father dome-head 😂😂🛐🎤
@@CarFreeG he's got the most "baller" haircut in the show 😅
@@KoiYakultGreenTea The only guy that can make that goofy hair cut look cool. The scenes where he's riding the horse with his cape, his nicely shaped beard, etc. bro is too cold
@@NoCluYT the beard game in this show is so good. Not just on the Europeans but the Japanese too. Most Japanese struggle to grow a beard or pull off a good one but literally everyone in this show has magnificent beards that's unique to their personality and rank. And those without show their youth and lesser rank.
That slow zoom onto Calvin as the sheer inanity and subject of that conversation forced him to focus and resist his own impulses as he was stuck between Eric and Aaron... Much respect to both Calvin and the editor of that shot!
i am so heartbroken 😭 i cried a little bit last episode but i had a steady flow of tears from the moment anjin asked mariko to live for him up until the end credits played. if anna doesn’t get some nominations (at the very least) i will be so upset. her performance the entire show, and this episode in particular, was phenomenal.
favorite moment of the episode was when anjin took on the burden of being her second. such a beautiful moment that showed the depth of their feelings. what Aaron said about her reaching for his hand after ishido’s interruption; that hadn’t even occurred to me.
The shinobi wasnt there to kill Mariko but to kidnap her, maybe Ishido dont want her to reunite back with Toranaga. Probably Yabushige agree with Ishido's deal since the original plan is only to kidnap her.
If she dies as a prisoner his reputation is ruined and his political allies revolt.
If she leaves and takes the 'not hostages' with her he looks weak and his reputation is ruined.
On the other hand theres option C, have her kidnapped and kept under his close supervision so she cant do A or B until after Toronaga is locked up, then it doesnt matter.
@@voiceofraisin3778
Kidnapped by who though and for what means? Who needs her kidnapped so bad that it isn't obvious ishido did it?
@@mianrowan he already explained it.
I'm moved by the hearts of everyone who blends into the story. Thank you for your gratitude.
The language of the flower "Crimson Sky" is "I love you".
SHOCKED. 😳🤯Mariko is such a badass.
That fucking zoom in on Calvin hahahahaha
The role of Mariko is inspired by the historical figure of Hosokawa Galasha.
Hosokawa Galcia refused to be taken hostage by Ishido in Osaka and, unable to commit suicide, her vassals took her life on the orders of Hosokawa Galasha's husband. The vassals then blew up the entire house to prevent Galacia's body from being searched.
I do not know the original story and the 1980 TV show, but the story is based on historical facts and scripts.
Ochiba: “Don’t kill Mariko at any cost. It will spark a revolution.”
Meanwhile, Ishido and his shinobis: *Bombed Mariko*
Ochiba: “You had one job.”
i guess the original plan was to kidnap mariko, but it ended up killed her but in all way ishido is definitely fcked up
Ishido: Why the fuck did you bring C4s into an extraction mission. We need her in ONE PIECE and ALIVE!
I somewhat remember that in the book, the shinobi who took over for the dude (who was his relative i think?) who ordered for the bomb to be used to enter the room thought about what a fkn moron he was.
I haven’t had a gut punch like that from a tv show in years. Incredible episode from a incredible show. I can’t believe we’ve already reached the end. “Flowers are only flowers because they fall.”
eric saying to kick mariko during her seppuku attempt actually made me giggle 🥲 thank you eric ❤️ especially because i’d been down from that ending ALL DAY after watching it early this morning
When he said that it kinda reminded of Odysseus's wife Penelope which would weave every day and then undo it at night so she could delay marrying the suitors
Just the nastiest cliffhanger on this one 😭 can’t wait for next week already but also sad it’s almost over
Calvin Shogun Stare 😂
Anna Sawai's ability to communicate purely through her eyes is unprecedented.
Eric as Blackthorne: “I was about to kick you” almost made me choke on my coffee.
Just when the audience thought of course Mariko as an important main character would avoid killing herself, they blew her up. Well played...
これが日本のストーリーです。
いつも奇跡が起こる安っぽいストーリーと同じでは無い。
The goal of the shinobi was to capture Mariko, not to kill everyone in the toranagas compound. The shinobi only killed the toranaga guards because they are a threat. They purposely left the other woman alone.
This ep was so brutal, but so beautiful 😭
3:25 the slow zoom on Calvin while Eric and Aaron talk about Bible Man is so funny. That was the best intro ever
Been waiting all week for this!! - Such an amazing performance and its so good to be able to watch it all over again with you reacting.
The fact that the Anjin was willing to go against all he wanted to do in saving her only because he wanted her to have the peace of mind that she won't go to hell broke my heart.
32:02 Same reaction, I was speechless for almost the entire prayer in Latin. Lady Mariko ❤.
That slow zoom-in on Calvin's face though. With shogun music playing🤣🤣🤣
It seems the second wave of Ninjas were intended to capture Mariko and the Anjin alive, not to slaughter like the first wave. Mariko's death was not their modus operandi nor would bring Ishido a moral victory. Again, Mariko out maneuvered her opponent by sacrificing herself as bishop for the eventual Queen checkmate.
彼らが生け取りしたかったのはマリコだけです。
from the book, I remember the 2nd in command of the shinobi or some such coming upon the scene and pondering what a moron the main leader who ordered the explosive entry was.
Anna's crying face is so heartbreaking. Just looking at it makes me feel so upset 😭
Yabushige's reaction are gold, he's the low key mvp of the show.
And give Anna Sawai all the awards.
I knew this was coming, but they did it so well that it hit really hard.
Both book at 80's it was Blackthorn who used the threat of Seppuku to gain advantage. They do go in on how weak it leaves you to commit and be stopped. Why she collapsed and needed to be helped up.
Aaron is me at the end of the episode. This episode was so amazing, it had me on the edge the entire time. The emotional investment I had throughout from Anjin stepping in to be her second, the moment i believed "It's gonna happen", the reprieve from the insane high anxiety/stress when Ishido came in to stop it. For the first time in maybe ever i paused a show because my anxiety was through the roof and I had to take moment to compose myself before she died. All of the crazy knots that it put in my stomach, getting a moment to breathe after she got her permits, seeing John and Mariko finally just accepting their feelings and being together, and then just lose her at the end to the explosion. I made the EXACT same face as Aaron. Just a look of defeat, one that was brought forth by the emotional rollercoaster the writes put us on where all of our energy is gone to the point we just sit their blankly going "WTF".
I haven’t seen Fuji in 2 weeks. I am beyond disappointed
😂
Haha that slow zoom in on Calvin made me laugh.. this obviously a daily occurrence for him😂
This is the first show in many MANY years in which I just want to scream "SHOGUN IS THE BEST SERIES EVER!!!" out of the window, every. Single. Episode.
The last ending song after her death made me cry.
Calvin's super villian arc has begun...
It had already begun with the echo echo hate from ben ten lol😂
Anna Sawai had better win ALL of the awards. She was absolutely phenomenal in this episode and amazing throughout the entire series. Mariko is a damn near impossible role for any actor. She's playing a 1600's Japanese woman, she's expected to be stoic, mild mannered & subservient. Anna isn't granted the ability to showcase her strength & power like Sanada can with "power stances" and emoting like he did in episode 8. But Anna did a beautiful job subtly showing Mariko's strength. And I feel like this series did a phenomenal job adapting the story to focus on the tragedy of Mariko/Akechi Tama.
I just wish I could have 1 "stick of time" (or even just 5 minutes) with Anna to tell her what a tremendous job she did. Her "Anji-sama, let it happen" will haunt me for the rest of my days. I feel like there were many messages in that. 1) It could've been an invitation for him to join her...something she had denied her husband. 2) It was a message for him to not mourn too much for her. 3) It could've been her way of saying "thank you for showing me that life isn't cruel & hard but also can be beautiful & joyful.
I fucking love you guys.
Just that Calvin zoom gave me good chuckles
omg, Eric bringing up Bibleman just transported me 30 yrs back in time. We were shown those videos all the time in Sunday school. I honestly can't remember anything except a vague impression of its Batman-esque trappings, but still what a throwback.
I know it's been said already, but..... Thank God this show is here, this is how you make a believable badass woman. She has been brilliant from square one and this may be one of the best female story arks and portrayals in any TV show I have ever watched. I also think Anna sawai is gorgeous, can't wait for the finale!
I want to hear more about this "Bible Man" you speak of...
31:31 Fascinating how quick reloads at the time involved stuffing your bullets in one cheek.
The shinobi attack reminded me of the assassins attacking Lalo's home, with an insider letting them in.
The moment when Blackthorne was prepared to second Mariko despite his continuous hesitation to not make Mariko have to commit suicide and the look she gave him... that scene was just stunning
Hey friends, thanks for the reaction! Just a quick note from a die hard book reader (who has no complaints with the adaptation, btw). The Shinobi were sent to capture Mariko. Not kill her. If Mariko died in the attack, it would make a martyr of her and her message - no one can keep a true samurai from leaving, one way or another, prison can't hold a samurai who has made up their mind against it.
So Mariko knew she had to avoid capture above all else. And saw that there was no escape from the situation except by her death, so she stepped forward and committed seppuku with the explosion rather than suffer the indignity of capture and torture at Ishido and Ochiba's hands. It was witnessed by other great Ladies who had come to witness her seppuku and got cut off from returning home. Their deaths would have been terrible complications for Ishido. Mariko knew what she was buying with her death, and it was much more than just personal revenge.
Great analysis but seppuku literally means "cutting (of the) abdomen" & is ritual suicide. You can't "seppuku by explosion. That's just suicide.
What a moron the lord was. He repeated the same gambit and expected a different result. She responded to being captured her and held hostage by sincerely threatening her life. Did he think this was going to go any different after giving her an even more desperate scenario? the same thing happened, but faster, and thus, irrevocable.
Leafless branch...After a leaf has fallen ("OCHIBA"=fallen leaf)
Crimson Sky must be the revolt Osaka is fearing, that was ignited (quite literally) by Mariko's death
I love your guys reactions sm
The reactions from everyone that didn't watch the original miniseries or read the book. Yep... yep... I remember feeling that too.
I thought Calvin was gonna commit seppuku during that zoom in!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mariko going out with a bang, jesus!
あほ？
Having that Latin song as all three of you have your mouths open while the camera zooms in
Priceless
Toranaga sacrificed his Queen to put Ishido in Check Mate.
The best damn show I have seen in years. I saw the original back in 1980 and read the book after that. I forgot she dies....I am still devastated.
Anna Sawai with another brilliant performance! She was awesome in Monarch, she's even more amazing in Shogun - future shines bright for her indeed 💯💯💯
Anyway, another heart rending episode - and the Wave Crew's reaction towards the end shows it 😔😔😔
Onto the finale next week ⚔️⚔️⚔️
I'm just starting to watch right now. But, I read the book, saw the mini-series, and saw this episode already.
I swear to dawg you two better be there for that sweet, innocent man. Because this episode is going to break our Aaron.
When she started unleashing those frustrated battle screams, that was just blood chilling.
Mariko was the "Crimson Sky".
52:10, “Let your hands be the last to hold her.” -was actually a callback to when Mariko said the same to Fuji as she held her son for the last time.
the floor sweeping dude was named "Rumba-Sama"😂
I love the jaw dropped so much, i watch it like 20 times 😂
The samarai scene with mariko tryna leave was epic. If only it was animated, sheesh the auroras on her be flamining red orange ready to kill
3:08 My 2 brain cells when I'm trying to study.
The following may be a spoiler.
The spectacular end of "Hosokawa Garasha," the model for Mariko, is well known in Japan.
Even though Galasha's father was "Akechi Mitsuhide" who had defeated his lord "Oda Nobunaga" and was therefore stigmatized as a traitor.
In his last days, he gave his life to his own lord "Tokugawa Ieyasu" (the model of Toranaga).
Ishida Mitsunari, the model for Ishido, is said to have refrained from taking women and children as hostages due to Garasha's bombing death.
(At that time, taking women and children hostage was a common practice in battles between feudal lords.)
As a result, he saved the lives of many women and children, and brought positive results to the greatest war that later split Japan in two.
i still hurt. 😞
Here's my take on this.
Mariko and Yabushige are all willing participants in Toronaga's great plan, to let the Shinobi into the compound and carry out the killings was planned by Toranaga to make it appear that the slaughter was ordered by Ishido.
Mariko was always going to make the ultimate sacrifice, as she had been longing for death which would bring her peace, and knowing her death either by her own hand or by Shinobi would serve the main purpose of framing Ishido causing a revolt from the high families destabilizing Ishiro's position at the head of the Council and the secondary purpose of bringing honor back to her family name in her service to Toranaga, This was made clear in the last episode when Toranaga asked Mariko "are you ready to do your part?".
Yabushige looks like he is the ultimate double agent, loyal to Toranaga but outwardly shows himself as self serving, with questionable loyalty.
It would be great if Mariko were still alive, but the historical facts are as follows.
Mitsunari Ishida (Ishido in SHOGUN), who was an enemy of Ieyasu(Toranaga in SHOGUN), tried to take Garasha Hosokawa (Mariko Toda in SHOGUN) hostage at Tamatsukuri's Hosokawa mansion in Osaka, but Garasha refused. The next day, Mitsunari went out to use his force and had his soldiers surround the mansion. When the vassals told Garasha everything, Garasha prayed a little, then gathered all the maids and ladies in the mansion and said, ``As my husband has commanded, I alone want to die,'' and led them outside. . Later, as suicide is prohibited in Christianity, the chief retainer, Hidekiyo Ogasawara (Shosai), intervened with Garasha and committed suicide by setting explosives in the mansion and setting it on fire so that no body would be left behind. Her death haiku was, ``Only when you know when it is time to scatter can flowers in this world become flowers and people become people.''
A few hours after her death, Father Niecchi Sordi Organtino visited the burnt remains of the Hosokawa mansion, picked up Garasha's bones, and buried them in the Christian cemetery in Sakai.
Buntaro sama isn't even in the friendzone. 😂
I thought she was safe, and then they fucking Glenn’d us. I’m crushed 😢
Glenn should have died under the fucking dumpster.
The way they give us relief then kick us back into depression is fucked up lol god damn
IF it was a cannon they used at the end, my god the full circle of John and Mariko's love and the conflict between the cultures. so much symbolism
Love your reactions to the episode.learn alot thank you.
From relief to instant depression 10 minutes later 😢
Greatest Push-In in reaction history! Well done, editor. Calvin's face and the music were perfection with that dumbass convo in the background. Haha
Wtf was that with the Calvin push in during the credits?! 😂🥰