In the book, they boiled that crew member for HOURS. Yabu gave them orders not to let him die before dawn, so they would lower and raise the heat accordingly. They began in the late afternoon/early evening and they indeed kept him alive until dawn. He screamed the entire time.
@@TheBombasticFatRat what's funny is that was never part of japanese or samurai culture, it was invented by the writer. unlike europens that did boil people alive
@@princesadelaosNothing prevented the local lord, the absolute ruler of his lands, from ordering the execution of a person as he wanted. It was really not customary to cook samurai; after all, these are noble people who treat each other with respect, even if they are enemies. Another thing is that some peasant or gaijin could be killed as they please. Read what the Japanese did with captured Chinese and Koreans, for example.
@@Raven-lg7td For example, 2 Japanese officers in 1937 argued which of them could kill 100 Chinese faster with a katana in captured Nanjing during the Sino-Japanese War. I really DO NOT recommend Googling photos of the Nanjing Massacre, but I will say this: in terms of the degree of cruelty and cenism, this is comparable to what the Nazis did in the death camps.
Yeah. Considering one reason they rebelled in the late 19th century was because the new Government wanted to take away their right to kill anyone who disrespected them, they aren't really "the good guys."
Everyone involved - and the cast and much of the crew are largely Japanese and of Japanese ancestry - are focused on historical accuracy, warts and all, and it's sooooo good.
A Fiefdom is the land of a Noble such as a Duke, Earl, and Baron. It’s like a small Kingdom within a Kingdom and the Lord profits from it (Farming, Tenants, Trade, etc.
In 1600, the population of Japan was about 1/4 of Europe's. If Japan was split between five Regents, each fief was comparble to a smaller or even medium sized European nation.
@@chrisleebowers Fiefs weren't just the land ruled by Dukes in Europe or Daimyos in Japan. Even the lowest ranking nobility such as Knights or Samurai owned Fiefs of land, which could be as small as a few hundred acres or could be as large as thousands of square miles.
It is a real delight to listen to Néstor Carbonell (Rodrigues) because he speaks perfect Spanish (he lived in my country for a while) and goes from English to Spanish to slurred Japanese with commendable agility and grace. "I like you inglés" and "que viva españa" cracked me up. His explanation of the 3 hearts of the human being is marvellous.
I’ve never been so hooked on a miniseries like this since Chernobyl. The acting, writing, direction, and especially the costumes and sets! Everything is perfect
LOL, Osaka harbor was a real shot. It was built in Canada. Also, what Yabushige was doing in the water wasn't a seppuku,, just wanting to die by sword, on his own terms. You need a whole ritual for it to be considered a seppuku (a fragment of that is shown at the end with Tadayoshi).
The 1980 TV mini-series "Shogun" was quite a major "television event" at the time and it starred the legendary Toshiro Mifune (Akira Kurosawa's favorite actor who starred in some of his movies like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress and Rashomon) as Lord Toranaga!
I remember watching the whole mini-series back in 1980, but it was so long ago that aside from Richard Chamberlain, that`s about it. I`d even forgotten about Toshiro Mifune. Been awhile, lol.
This is a case of a good mini series and when you Remake it better. This should be the way people need to watch and study both the 1980 mini series and the 2024 one. Which is a case of a classic and good yet when they Remake it was not a copy and paste they improved and make a better product. Here is a good thing Remake to be better. Best TV show/mini series I have seen in a long time.
As a leading character in a Hollywood production, yes, because he has so many years of experience in Japanese film and TV as one. (Actually, I know him as a leading dramatic actor better, and learned about his action movie work later.) Even “Twilight Samurai/Tasogare Seibei” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. His MCU appearance was like an afterthought. Johnny Depp got the spotlight for “Minamata”, but he proves he can do most anything-historical drama, action film, and contemporary drama alike. He performed in “King Lear” with the Royal Shakespeare Company, even.
and me, and that made me realize Shogun 2 was also the best Total War game, the UI and mechanics are just perfection, as well as the great setting of course. Watch out for realm divide!
A "Fief" is the feudal holdings of a lesser noble. In Japan, these were usually measured in Koku, which was a unit of rice. 1 Koku would feed one person per year. So a Fief of 300 Koku was worth the same as enough rice to feed 300 people a year. Sometimes, a Fief might include mines, and their value would be explained as being equal to the amount of rice you could buy for their output. Of, a Fief might just be farmlands, in which case somewhere with good farmland would be smaller because it could produce more rice in a smaller area. And then you have things like "Well, I made my mines more efficient, so now I have grown my Fiefdom internally, and not through being granted by a lord".
It doesn't really explain this but the reason why Blackthorne keeps making assumptions calling the Japanese "Godless Savages" in this episode is actually because he and most of Europe have been fed lies. The Portuguese wanted to keep their Golden Goose hidden at the time, so fed back propaganda to Europe that there was nothing in the area of Japan other than cannibals and raiders. Blackthorne see's a man beheaded for no reason and another executed without trial. He see's nothing that convinces him what the Portuguese were making up was not true... ...then he see's Osaka in the distance and realises the scale of what he is now involved in. Its so epic.
Sorry but japan wasn't a golden goose lol that would be south east asia and colonies in india and later Brazil. Japan was a economic backwater at 1500 to 1800.
@@SafavidAfsharid3197no it wasnt bub and the Portuguese didnt think so circa rhe 16th century. They made billions of dollars back then which would equal trillions today. Not bad for a *backwater colony* huh?
I am old enough to have seen (many times) the first NBC miniseries of Shogun based on James Clavell's novel in 1980. In that, Blackthorne was played by Richard Chamberlain (who was dubbed King of the Miniseries partially because of how popular Shogun was). Toranaga was played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune, the star of many of Akira Kurosawa's great films like The Seven Samurai, Roshomon, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo. Rodrigues was played by a very young John Rhys Davies, just before playing Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark. All of the Japanese actors were Japanese as the entire thing was filmed in Japan. That production was based on Blackthorne's perspective. This new one is firmly based on the Japanese perspective. Just as a heads up...the main three characters, Blackthorne, Toranaga, and Lady Mariko are all based on real people. As are the Council of Regents, but beyond that it is hit and miss who is a real person renamed or purely fictional to flesh out the story that Clavell sought to tell. Hiroyuki Sanada in an interview compared the Japanese spoken in this as being akin to Shakespearean dialogue for an English speaker. This production is so amazing that the previous one is rather quaint. I still love it, but this one is superior in so many ways.
@@gonaye1 Fun Fact: the character of Blackthorne is based on a real-life historical figure, William Adams AKA "Anjin Miura" ( "Navigator of Miura Island"). He was the first Englishman to travel to Japan in the 17th Century, served Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became later Shogun ( Lord Torunaga in the show is based on him) as a military/ naval advisor ( he build European type ships for the Shogun, trained his men & organized trade expeditions to S. East Asia). Adams was even given the rank of Samurai and he married a Japanese noble woman. Today he´s highly regarded in Japan, with several memorials for him & his wife, a museum & there´s even the annual "Anjin Festival" in his honor.
Yes, I think that’s pretty accurate to say. I think sometimes individual characters are actually a composite of different people in addition to just fiction. There have been many portrayals of these people over the decades, including the Council of Regents (Go-Tairo), in Japanese film and TV productions. It is interesting to see how they are interpreted each time…of course, depending on the writing and the individual actor it can be quite different. Most Japanese dramas portray the actual historical figure by name, though. I think if James Clavell had attempted that, he would have had a lot of pushback, particularly without being a scholar of Japanese history per se. That’s probably why you don’t see decades of Japanese productions readily available in multiple languages. It’s still a pretty insular industry and country in general, and certain leaders like Toyotomi Hideyoshi are controversial.
This drama was the first to properly represent Japanese culture. In the past, movies and dramas produced overseas had many mistakes about Japanese culture and history. My greatest joy is being able to help people from all over the world learn about Japanese culture and history.
Even though it's fictionalized, it's so refreshing to see a proper historical drama that's educational as well as interesting and well-made. I think people are interested in learning more about the history of different cultures, but there isn't enough material available when it comes to TV shows and movies.
0:05 into the video "I decided .." Jaby already about to get whipped. Achara's look made me choke on my drink LMAO Joke aside that's a great pick and I'm so glad you guys chose to react to Shogun. Based on the first 2 episodes this show sure has an enormous potential.
This is where the fun begins!!!!! I'm loving this series so far. Plus, Hiroyuki Sanada is playing a lead role! Now this, puts a smile on my face 😌 So glad you two are going to react to this series! 🙏🏽💪
@@RohanKumaar I'll try my best, lol. From my understanding, Lord Toranaga *Hiroyuki Sanada's character* is an honorable Lord. However, the people in the council want to execute him. However, since he heard of the arrival of a Jack Blackthorne *The English man* he takes advantage of the situation to prevent his execution. Jack Blackthorne just wants to receive wealth by making trades with England, Portugal, Japan and China. Which is why he says he's just a mechant. Kashigi Yobushige *The man who fell by the damage rope and almost perform seppuku* is a malicious man, who is planning on betraying Lord Toranaga. Hope this helps! 🙏🏽💪
@@Dracobyte IMDB synopsis: "Based on the New York Times bestseller, this sweeping saga chronicles the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive."
One day in my teenaged years (I was probably 15) I found an over-1000-paged novel titled "Shogun" at my local videotape/book rental club in my hometown here in Nigeria, and was transported into another world entirely! Still my favorite novel-reading experience ever, and probably sowed the seeds of my later fascination with Japanese culture and history (and later tech and creative outlets - music, animation, etc.). I am stoked to see how they depict and capture this powerful story in live action and would like to actually watch the series on my own later on. Excellent work on the series and what a first episode! As long as they maintain this quality in the writing and production throughout, I think they have an instant classic on their hands!
21:15 Yes! Hiroyuki Sanada said in a interview that when asked about doing this film, he wanted to make sure it had a lot of respect to Japanese culture and not just another "westernized" series. I respect that! 🙏🏽💪
I saw the original Shogun which featured legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune. I loved it and this new version is equally excellent One thing I've noticed is that the book and OG Shogun had some humorous moments, but this version is playing it more serious and gritty
Hiroyuki Sanada has surpassed Ken Watanabe for sure. I think Tadanobu Asano (Kashigi Yabushige) is getting there too. Asano played Hogun in the MCU and was also in 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves and Hiroyuki Sanada. But man, this show is so good.
The attention to detail is superb. It really feels like the period. The lack of movement in the acting by Japanese actors is stunning, the body language is brilliant. All in a look or word or a slight facial expression.
The weight and rope at the start is for Depth Sounding, measured in fathoms, with 1 fathom being 6 feet. You were close though because the phrase plumbing the depths comes from Depth Sounding as you use what is essentially a big plumb line (line, in this case rope) with a lead weight on the end.
They really set an amazing tone in this show, and I absolutely **adore** Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne..! I grew up with the 1980s miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune, and it is just fantastic, and later I went on to read the novel it's based on probably about as many times as I watched the miniseries (5+ at minimum). So suffice to say I was both looking forward to and dreading the result of this remake, but after the first two episodes I am fully locked in. :) I guess the rave reviews is answer enough (presumably given both by people who did and who did not watch or read the original series/novel) that this new show makes sense on its own, but when I watched the episodes I was kinda wondering to what extent. The original series, and obviously the novel, paints a much more elaborate back story to the events portrayed, and in the first episode at least we rarely leave Blackthorne's POV, giving the audience an excellent opportunity to follow his "fish out of water" journey as it were.
They are doing "show, don't tell" with Blackthorne. He is a natural polyglot. On his arrival in the Japans, he spoke his native English, and at least Dutch {which is he is speaking with his captain on the ship} and Portuguese {which he is actually speaking with Rodrigo and the priest}. Him quickly learning "hai" and other Japanese words demonstrates his language skills without a long monologue.
Also, probably Spanish with Rodrigo, as well. Rodrigo would by at least fluent in not only his own language, but Portuguese as well. Since he is a hired pilot for the Portuguese.
Just want to say! I like you both so much, I am literally not watching the show yet, merely watching your highlights. But your coverage, appreciation and deconstruction has been fab and enough to get a strong understanding of the show. I draw comics for a living! I will watch the show when my deadlines are over...
This is placed at a time when Japan had already been experiencing a waring states period (Sengoku Jidai) for 150 years. Generations of war and rival leaders vying for power and control, either through politics and marriages or violence and war. Not a lot of room for mistakes and second chances - everything was held as significant.
So glad you're reacting to this fantastic show, and enjoying all the subtle intricacies and beautiful dialogue we're being treated to! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the remaining chapters!
Loved the ''original'' tv-series from the early 80s, with the greatest Japanese actor of all time, Toshiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain (watched it with my parents and my two older sisters, 1 episode once a week, can't remember how many episodes it had), but this new version is something else (can't wait for the 3rd episode). Love & P.E.ace from overseas The Netherlands.
I’m happy Sanada and other Japanese are so involved and don’t shy away from their history. Same with the Christians. Stomping on a cross or waging wars that was sanctioned by the church. Truly a brutal , imperialistic, and oddly fantastical era.
The other Regents fear Yoranaga because not only is he close with the young Taiko, and like an uncle to him, but he was the old Taiko's best friend. They blooded their blades side by side and earned much honor in the old conflicts. He was called to his side, and sat and talked about their youth together as the Taiko lay dying. The other Regents fear he DOES want to be Shogun and rule over them.
It's so good. SO good. Best show I have seen since Game of Thrones and it is arguably better, honestly, given the quality of the writing and the historical setting and accuracy being so amazing. The original 1980 miniseries has always been a favorite, but they really leaned into historical accuracy with this one, even though its a fiction based on that specific time period. I liked the second episode even more. Cannot wait for the rest!
16:57 An explanation of this scene might be found in books like Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim. We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting ones heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling. An amazing book to understand the Samurai mind-set if you like to read it.
Hiroyuki Sanada did talk about the type of Japanese they speak in the show in a recent interview & he made a comparison to English saying that he'd compare that version of Japanese to how Shakespearean English would compare to modern day English spoken by English speakers of today in England/The US for example. He & Anna Sawai pretty much agreed that even for them getting it right for the show was a bit of a challenge for everyone.
24:07 - It's funny you remembering the 1980 mini series as being "much more light hearted" because I watched it back in 1980 when I was a young teenager and definitely remember a man suddenly getting his head chopped off (I believe simply for not bowing his head or something like that) and also one of Blackthorne's crew getting boiled alive. I believe there was also a version of the mini-series that was edited down to a single theatrical movie, so maybe that cut didn't have those scenes?
Japanese of that era was different enough that it’s like how Shakespearean English is different from modern English, I think that’s what they were referring to
This show does a good job of making you care for characters despite the harshness of the world. That guy definitely boiled a man alive but I did not want him to die in those waves. Crazy
I am old enough to remember the miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and the great John Rhys-Davies, but the first two episodes of this version had me hooked right from the start.
The "lower" samurai who served a Sama were like the Bannermen serving a high House in "Game of Thrones". Their "fiefs" would be regions they controlled in service of their Sama. Having more territory by being given a new fief increased their own power, but also made them more important to their Sama, because they could raise larger armies of samurai and ashigaru to support their Sama in battle.
22:06 yeap you are right. basically in today's modern age we say "how ya'll doing" while someone in 1800 would have said "how was your day sir" similar language ethics are followed. very very proper choice of words, i just wished they had spoken Portuguese instead of english but ya combining 2 different language for majority english audience would be harsh. it's an amazing, well written show.
17:00 The Lord was intent on committing suicide because dying by his own hand is more merciful than drowning because drowning is a very cruel way to go. I almost drowned as a kid and the thought of it still sends shivers even decades later.
At the time it was very common for sailors to not be able to swim. It was seen as a mercy as much of the time naval battles would take place miles out to sea so by the time any vessel with a chance of saving someone came they would long since have tired and drowned. Also with the clothing of the time being mainly cotton swimming or learning to swim could often be fatal as clothing worn would often cause the death
As a kid I loved the 1980 version with Richard Chamberlain, I read the book as a teen too (also in the 80's) and it had so much more depth than the 80's TV censor friendly series did and a whole level more darkness and brutality. This new version so far IS the book, its wonderful. I'm just not a fan of the obvious unnaturally blue contact lenses that the lead Cosmo Jarivs is wearing over his brown eyes, I find them somewhat jarring in certain light (Blackthorn's blue eyes are almost a plot point in the book at times however, so I understand why they have chosen to do this at least).
I'm more than a little freaked out by how much the actor playing Blackthorne sounds like John Hurt. I wasn't looking at the screen when he first spoke, and it was really disorienting to hear that voice!
This televised series has softened a or removed a lot of the more brutal stuff from the book. But I expect its for the best, so that the general audience can digest it easier.
If Jaby is suggesting @ 20:04 that he watched the first adaptation, then he clearly doesn't remember the decapitation at roughly the same time in the story (though I believe it was a man that wouldn't bow to the lord). I remember thinking it was rather brutal for 80's broadcast TV.
IIRC, the geheading of the "non-person" in the original mini-series was even more jolting for my generation. IIRC, he was not even actually directly causing trouble by trying to get in their way to talk to Blackthorne. He was just a feeble old man who did not get out of the samurai's way "fast enough". Very unexpected and even colder.....
3:06 "Did they know about guns?" The arquebus was introduced by The Dutch to Japan about a century earlier. (EDIT: Introduced by *The Portugese* in 1543. After 1600 trade with Europe was cut off from then until Perry opened Japan in 1853, except for the Dutch. Firearms were banned under the Tokugawa Shogunate but were still supplied via The Dutch to the well connected) Samurai and Ninja both were crack shots and well versed in firearm and artillery use and battlefield and guerilla tactics by the time of the events depicted here. Contrary to what "The Last Samurai" tells you, The Tom Cruise character (who was French IRL) was sent to teach them how to fight with new repeating rifles and gatling guns. Although samurai still wore their swords and armor into battle, they were fighting with Civil War/Napoleanic era weapons and tactics by then, not medieval knights.
In the Last Samurai, I noticed the guns are different. Look at how they reloaded during the training & the fog battle. Then later, they reloaded the guns as bolt action rifles. Not the typical gunpowder rifles. First seen during Katsumoto’s escape. I learned it was the Prussian rifles after doing some research. It was used in the final battle as well.
Yes and No. They used all the medieval weapons as well. Guns we're in short supply and we're used when available. But tthey didn't used modern 19th century weapons before the mir to late 19th century when commodore Perry and Others violently broke into the japanese markets.
There is a Japanese saying in Japan about the three leaders who unified Japan. The first was Nobunaga. The saying says if a bird would not sing he would kill it. The second was Hideyoshi (The "Taiko" in this). If the bird didn't sing Hideyoshi would force it to sing. Tokugawa Ieyasu (the model for Torinaga here and of Minamoto ancestry and so had ancestors who were Shogun and going back further ancestors who were part of the Imperial family) would wait for the bird to want to sing. His patience paid off and he was the first Tokugawa Shogun. I saw his tomb when I was in Nikko, Japan. It is the origin of the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys. There is a small carving of the three monkeys on one building.
3:02 I think they did have matchlock rifles at the time. Not an expert on Japanese eras, but I think the Edo period was around the 1600s or something, so I think they did. I know of a shinobi who failed to assassinate Nobunaga with a rifle and was executed after a monk snitched on him.
See, that's the thing though: You go to somebody else's land and call them the savages. It's like invading somebody's home and saying they are the intruders. I always said the maturity of humanity is like the maturity of a single human. We're still int he child phase where we see things purely as black and white with lots of the "imaginary friend" shit, only barely stepping into the adolescent "I don't care" phase of trying shit out in the past 100 or so years.
Yes, they used matchlocks. In fact, the Tanegashima is the name, and they basically stagnated at that gun design for centuries. There were no notable improvements made to it that entered mass production in Japan over that time either. Goes to show how isolationist they really were, especially after Sengoku Era ended.
I knew from watching this show and listening to the words, that this not your regular modern day Japanese. For example, I know that, thank you is arigato. But when they say thank you in this show, it's a completely different word.
The Sama who executed the sailor by boiling him to death is a student of death and how people act in the process. He uses boiling {and probably other "slow" execution methods} in order to study the stages of the process more in depth.
Arakkis was a fiefdom of the Harkonens then "handed" over to the Arteries. Sort of the like emperor asks/orders some one/family to "take care of my land" for me. The land then becomes a fief.
A fief is essentially just the lands a lord has control over. Smaller lords have smaller fiefs and owe allegiance to more powerful lords, who's fiefs include the lands of the smaller lord.
In the book, they boiled that crew member for HOURS. Yabu gave them orders not to let him die before dawn, so they would lower and raise the heat accordingly. They began in the late afternoon/early evening and they indeed kept him alive until dawn. He screamed the entire time.
Why tf did they boil him though? Savages
@@TheBombasticFatRat what's funny is that was never part of japanese or samurai culture, it was invented by the writer. unlike europens that did boil people alive
@@princesadelaosNothing prevented the local lord, the absolute ruler of his lands, from ordering the execution of a person as he wanted. It was really not customary to cook samurai; after all, these are noble people who treat each other with respect, even if they are enemies. Another thing is that some peasant or gaijin could be killed as they please. Read what the Japanese did with captured Chinese and Koreans, for example.
@@fimasstet89 i couldnt google it, what did they do for example?
@@Raven-lg7td For example, 2 Japanese officers in 1937 argued which of them could kill 100 Chinese faster with a katana in captured Nanjing during the Sino-Japanese War. I really DO NOT recommend Googling photos of the Nanjing Massacre, but I will say this: in terms of the degree of cruelty and cenism, this is comparable to what the Nazis did in the death camps.
This was the best opening episode to a tv show I’ve seen in ages
I know right? So glad I get to look forward to this every week, it's so interesting
This is actually what Samurai were like back then. They often get painted in a.. much better light, even though that isn't the actual truth of them.
Samurai being honest and honorable (like in Last Samurai) was a concept that was easy to sell to the West. It’s nothing near the reality though.
Yeah. Considering one reason they rebelled in the late 19th century was because the new Government wanted to take away their right to kill anyone who disrespected them, they aren't really "the good guys."
Akin to the Knightly Virtues of Western mythology.
Just like Medieval knights!
Everyone involved - and the cast and much of the crew are largely Japanese and of Japanese ancestry - are focused on historical accuracy, warts and all, and it's sooooo good.
A Fiefdom is the land of a Noble such as a Duke, Earl, and Baron. It’s like a small Kingdom within a Kingdom and the Lord profits from it (Farming, Tenants, Trade, etc.
In 1600, the population of Japan was about 1/4 of Europe's. If Japan was split between five Regents, each fief was comparble to a smaller or even medium sized European nation.
@@chrisleebowers nice facts!!
大名の領地とは徴税権や徴兵権があるだけで土地の所有者は農民だった。
@@Dracobyte 👍❤
@@chrisleebowers Fiefs weren't just the land ruled by Dukes in Europe or Daimyos in Japan. Even the lowest ranking nobility such as Knights or Samurai owned Fiefs of land, which could be as small as a few hundred acres or could be as large as thousands of square miles.
It is a real delight to listen to Néstor Carbonell (Rodrigues) because he speaks perfect Spanish (he lived in my country for a while) and goes from English to Spanish to slurred Japanese with commendable agility and grace. "I like you inglés" and "que viva españa" cracked me up. His explanation of the 3 hearts of the human being is marvellous.
I thought the same! He has such a wonderful lilt, it's delightful to listen to in any language.
Yeah he said that with such a great accent, specially the "que viva eSHpaña"
Tadanobu Asano is one of my favorite actors, and his character is definitely one of the most interesting and a true standout of this show.
I’ve never been so hooked on a miniseries like this since Chernobyl. The acting, writing, direction, and especially the costumes and sets! Everything is perfect
many good miniserie was better than chernobyl after its release
@@Otto.93 can you name a few? I need some shows to binge watch
I like Sherr no bill or maybe i've seen the pirated version of it
LOL, Osaka harbor was a real shot. It was built in Canada. Also, what Yabushige was doing in the water wasn't a seppuku,, just wanting to die by sword, on his own terms. You need a whole ritual for it to be considered a seppuku (a fragment of that is shown at the end with Tadayoshi).
The 1980 TV mini-series "Shogun" was quite a major "television event" at the time and it starred the legendary Toshiro Mifune (Akira Kurosawa's favorite actor who starred in some of his movies like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress and Rashomon) as Lord Toranaga!
Toshiro Mifune is still the Lord Toranaga for me, though this remake is quite good
I remember watching the whole mini-series back in 1980, but it was so long ago that aside from Richard Chamberlain, that`s about it. I`d even forgotten about Toshiro Mifune. Been awhile, lol.
This is a case of a good mini series and when you Remake it better. This should be the way people need to watch and study both the 1980 mini series and the 2024 one. Which is a case of a classic and good yet when they Remake it was not a copy and paste they improved and make a better product. Here is a good thing Remake to be better. Best TV show/mini series I have seen in a long time.
It’s about time Hiroyuki Sanada plays a leading character
In America
He deserves to play Admiral Togo and needs a movie or series
Needs to be on same scope as Shogun
As a leading character in a Hollywood production, yes, because he has so many years of experience in Japanese film and TV as one. (Actually, I know him as a leading dramatic actor better, and learned about his action movie work later.) Even “Twilight Samurai/Tasogare Seibei” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. His MCU appearance was like an afterthought. Johnny Depp got the spotlight for “Minamata”, but he proves he can do most anything-historical drama, action film, and contemporary drama alike. He performed in “King Lear” with the Royal Shakespeare Company, even.
We all love Hiroyuki. He is pretty amazing.
@@melissam9253 Wtf do you mean his MCU appearance?
This series is so good, it made me replay Shogun 2: Total War.
Bro same here... everytime I watched anything good related to samurai..I go back to that game 🤣
LOL true. And Ghost of Tsushima. Which would make another good series.
and me, and that made me realize Shogun 2 was also the best Total War game, the UI and mechanics are just perfection, as well as the great setting of course.
Watch out for realm divide!
“Our men are running from the battlefield, shameful display!” That is seared into my brain. 😂😅
a game so great i stole one of its avatars for my icon
I'm in love with the show, i hope it goes well, I love Sanada.
A "Fief" is the feudal holdings of a lesser noble. In Japan, these were usually measured in Koku, which was a unit of rice. 1 Koku would feed one person per year. So a Fief of 300 Koku was worth the same as enough rice to feed 300 people a year. Sometimes, a Fief might include mines, and their value would be explained as being equal to the amount of rice you could buy for their output. Of, a Fief might just be farmlands, in which case somewhere with good farmland would be smaller because it could produce more rice in a smaller area. And then you have things like "Well, I made my mines more efficient, so now I have grown my Fiefdom internally, and not through being granted by a lord".
It doesn't really explain this but the reason why Blackthorne keeps making assumptions calling the Japanese "Godless Savages" in this episode is actually because he and most of Europe have been fed lies.
The Portuguese wanted to keep their Golden Goose hidden at the time, so fed back propaganda to Europe that there was nothing in the area of Japan other than cannibals and raiders.
Blackthorne see's a man beheaded for no reason and another executed without trial. He see's nothing that convinces him what the Portuguese were making up was not true...
...then he see's Osaka in the distance and realises the scale of what he is now involved in. Its so epic.
Sorry but japan wasn't a golden goose lol that would be south east asia and colonies in india and later Brazil. Japan was a economic backwater at 1500 to 1800.
@@SafavidAfsharid3197no it wasnt bub and the Portuguese didnt think so circa rhe 16th century.
They made billions of dollars back then which would equal trillions today.
Not bad for a *backwater colony* huh?
I am old enough to have seen (many times) the first NBC miniseries of Shogun based on James Clavell's novel in 1980. In that, Blackthorne was played by Richard Chamberlain (who was dubbed King of the Miniseries partially because of how popular Shogun was). Toranaga was played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune, the star of many of Akira Kurosawa's great films like The Seven Samurai, Roshomon, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo. Rodrigues was played by a very young John Rhys Davies, just before playing Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark. All of the Japanese actors were Japanese as the entire thing was filmed in Japan. That production was based on Blackthorne's perspective. This new one is firmly based on the Japanese perspective.
Just as a heads up...the main three characters, Blackthorne, Toranaga, and Lady Mariko are all based on real people. As are the Council of Regents, but beyond that it is hit and miss who is a real person renamed or purely fictional to flesh out the story that Clavell sought to tell.
Hiroyuki Sanada in an interview compared the Japanese spoken in this as being akin to Shakespearean dialogue for an English speaker.
This production is so amazing that the previous one is rather quaint. I still love it, but this one is superior in so many ways.
Wow. Thank you for providing this background about the show!
@@gonaye1 Fun Fact: the character of Blackthorne is based on a real-life historical figure, William Adams AKA "Anjin Miura" ( "Navigator of Miura Island"). He was the first Englishman to travel to Japan in the 17th Century, served Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became later Shogun ( Lord Torunaga in the show is based on him) as a military/ naval advisor ( he build European type ships for the Shogun, trained his men & organized trade expeditions to S. East Asia).
Adams was even given the rank of Samurai and he married a Japanese noble woman.
Today he´s highly regarded in Japan, with several memorials for him & his wife, a museum & there´s even the annual "Anjin Festival" in his honor.
@@doublep1980 awesome!
Yes, I think that’s pretty accurate to say. I think sometimes individual characters are actually a composite of different people in addition to just fiction.
There have been many portrayals of these people over the decades, including the Council of Regents (Go-Tairo), in Japanese film and TV productions. It is interesting to see how they are interpreted each time…of course, depending on the writing and the individual actor it can be quite different.
Most Japanese dramas portray the actual historical figure by name, though. I think if James Clavell had attempted that, he would have had a lot of pushback, particularly without being a scholar of Japanese history per se. That’s probably why you don’t see decades of Japanese productions readily available in multiple languages. It’s still a pretty insular industry and country in general, and certain leaders like Toyotomi Hideyoshi are controversial.
This drama was the first to properly represent Japanese culture. In the past, movies and dramas produced overseas had many mistakes about Japanese culture and history. My greatest joy is being able to help people from all over the world learn about Japanese culture and history.
Even though it's fictionalized, it's so refreshing to see a proper historical drama that's educational as well as interesting and well-made. I think people are interested in learning more about the history of different cultures, but there isn't enough material available when it comes to TV shows and movies.
0:05 into the video "I decided .." Jaby already about to get whipped.
Achara's look made me choke on my drink LMAO
Joke aside that's a great pick and I'm so glad you guys chose to react to Shogun. Based on the first 2 episodes this show sure has an enormous potential.
This is where the fun begins!!!!! I'm loving this series so far. Plus, Hiroyuki Sanada is playing a lead role! Now this, puts a smile on my face 😌
So glad you two are going to react to this series! 🙏🏽💪
Hey buddy, could you sum up this whole episode for me and the characters in just a para ? I would definitely appreciate you
@@RohanKumaar
I'll try my best, lol. From my understanding, Lord Toranaga *Hiroyuki Sanada's character* is an honorable Lord. However, the people in the council want to execute him. However, since he heard of the arrival of a Jack Blackthorne *The English man* he takes advantage of the situation to prevent his execution. Jack Blackthorne just wants to receive wealth by making trades with England, Portugal, Japan and China. Which is why he says he's just a mechant. Kashigi Yobushige *The man who fell by the damage rope and almost perform seppuku* is a malicious man, who is planning on betraying Lord Toranaga. Hope this helps! 🙏🏽💪
👏
I’ve seen the original with my father on vhs. This will go down as an all time great series remake
Can i borrow the vhs version?
Glad you enjoyed the pilot. I was hoping you guys would react to this series. Looking forward to the ongoing episodes.
anna sawai has picked some been in some really great projects recently: Giri/Haji, Pachinko, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and now Shōgun.
What is Pachinko about?
@@Dracobyte IMDB synopsis: "Based on the New York Times bestseller, this sweeping saga chronicles the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive."
agreed!
she’s so freaking gorgeous 😭😭
I watched the first two episodes like 3-4 times! So good!
One day in my teenaged years (I was probably 15) I found an over-1000-paged novel titled "Shogun" at my local videotape/book rental club in my hometown here in Nigeria, and was transported into another world entirely! Still my favorite novel-reading experience ever, and probably sowed the seeds of my later fascination with Japanese culture and history (and later tech and creative outlets - music, animation, etc.).
I am stoked to see how they depict and capture this powerful story in live action and would like to actually watch the series on my own later on.
Excellent work on the series and what a first episode! As long as they maintain this quality in the writing and production throughout, I think they have an instant classic on their hands!
My new favorite show! Simply amazing!
The first 2 episodes were amazing! Can't wait for the new one!
21:15 Yes! Hiroyuki Sanada said in a interview that when asked about doing this film, he wanted to make sure it had a lot of respect to Japanese culture and not just another "westernized" series. I respect that! 🙏🏽💪
But they didn't give much of a shit about how the portuguese were portrayed lol
@@Aviivenyeah. They don't speak Portuguese. Lol
Buddy, its made so dumb muricans can understand it.@@Aviiven
@@Aviiven As a Brazilian I couldn't care less 😁
I saw the original Shogun which featured legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune. I loved it and this new version is equally excellent
One thing I've noticed is that the book and OG Shogun had some humorous moments, but this version is playing it more serious and gritty
Hiroyuki Sanada has surpassed Ken Watanabe for sure. I think Tadanobu Asano (Kashigi Yabushige) is getting there too. Asano played Hogun in the MCU and was also in 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves and Hiroyuki Sanada. But man, this show is so good.
Man he was so sadistic in 47 Ronin...
He's pretty good
Who tf is Hogun? 😊
I loved it from the start but the second episode is phenomenally hooking
The attention to detail is superb. It really feels like the period. The lack of movement in the acting by Japanese actors is stunning, the body language is brilliant. All in a look or word or a slight facial expression.
I'm glad more reactors are watching this series.
The weight and rope at the start is for Depth Sounding, measured in fathoms, with 1 fathom being 6 feet. You were close though because the phrase plumbing the depths comes from Depth Sounding as you use what is essentially a big plumb line (line, in this case rope) with a lead weight on the end.
They really set an amazing tone in this show, and I absolutely **adore** Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne..! I grew up with the 1980s miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune, and it is just fantastic, and later I went on to read the novel it's based on probably about as many times as I watched the miniseries (5+ at minimum). So suffice to say I was both looking forward to and dreading the result of this remake, but after the first two episodes I am fully locked in. :)
I guess the rave reviews is answer enough (presumably given both by people who did and who did not watch or read the original series/novel) that this new show makes sense on its own, but when I watched the episodes I was kinda wondering to what extent. The original series, and obviously the novel, paints a much more elaborate back story to the events portrayed, and in the first episode at least we rarely leave Blackthorne's POV, giving the audience an excellent opportunity to follow his "fish out of water" journey as it were.
YESS!!!
been waiting for this reaction because SHOGUN is awesome🎉🎉
They are doing "show, don't tell" with Blackthorne. He is a natural polyglot.
On his arrival in the Japans, he spoke his native English, and at least Dutch {which is he is speaking with his captain on the ship} and Portuguese {which he is actually speaking with Rodrigo and the priest}.
Him quickly learning "hai" and other Japanese words demonstrates his language skills without a long monologue.
Also, probably Spanish with Rodrigo, as well. Rodrigo would by at least fluent in not only his own language, but Portuguese as well. Since he is a hired pilot for the Portuguese.
Just want to say! I like you both so much, I am literally not watching the show yet, merely watching your highlights. But your coverage, appreciation and deconstruction has been fab and enough to get a strong understanding of the show. I draw comics for a living! I will watch the show when my deadlines are over...
The hype is REAL 🔥🔥🔥
This is placed at a time when Japan had already been experiencing a waring states period (Sengoku Jidai) for 150 years. Generations of war and rival leaders vying for power and control, either through politics and marriages or violence and war. Not a lot of room for mistakes and second chances - everything was held as significant.
So glad you're reacting to this fantastic show, and enjoying all the subtle intricacies and beautiful dialogue we're being treated to! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the remaining chapters!
I was hoping you guys would react to this incredible series! So satisfying t see Disney promoting more mature content like this! 👏
Loved the ''original'' tv-series from the early 80s, with the greatest Japanese actor of all time, Toshiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain (watched it with my parents and my two older sisters, 1 episode once a week, can't remember how many episodes it had), but this new version is something else (can't wait for the 3rd episode). Love & P.E.ace from overseas The Netherlands.
I’m happy Sanada and other Japanese are so involved and don’t shy away from their history. Same with the Christians. Stomping on a cross or waging wars that was sanctioned by the church. Truly a brutal , imperialistic, and oddly fantastical era.
Protestants don't really care for crosses. Stomping on it doesn't mean anything
Such a good show! Let's go!
Loved your reaction and post discussion, you two are educated reactors for this show❤😊
I'm so glad you two are reacting to this show... I've been waiting days patiently for your video
Me too LOL 😂
The other Regents fear Yoranaga because not only is he close with the young Taiko, and like an uncle to him, but he was the old Taiko's best friend. They blooded their blades side by side and earned much honor in the old conflicts. He was called to his side, and sat and talked about their youth together as the Taiko lay dying.
The other Regents fear he DOES want to be Shogun and rule over them.
It's so good. SO good. Best show I have seen since Game of Thrones and it is arguably better, honestly, given the quality of the writing and the historical setting and accuracy being so amazing. The original 1980 miniseries has always been a favorite, but they really leaned into historical accuracy with this one, even though its a fiction based on that specific time period. I liked the second episode even more. Cannot wait for the rest!
You skip the last of us? Shame on you
Interesting how they each consider each uncivilized 😂 you savage, you barbarian
Hiroyuki Sanada once went by Henry Sanada when he transitioned to Hollywood but eventually returned to his Japanese name.
Finally! I was worried some bigger reactors weren't going to watch this.
your wave of panic can subside now
@@joelwillis2043 subsided
Most people reacting to this are big channels..
Not counting that trash channel that is watching this dub for some reason 💀
@@アキコ2003 which channel is that?
Yeah. It's an FX. It isn't like it's unknown
Absolutely love this show, great intrigue and characters.
16:57 An explanation of this scene might be found in books like Hagakure:
The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim.
We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting ones heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.
An amazing book to understand the Samurai mind-set if you like to read it.
Hiroyuki Sanada did talk about the type of Japanese they speak in the show in a recent interview & he made a comparison to English saying that he'd compare that version of Japanese to how Shakespearean English would compare to modern day English spoken by English speakers of today in England/The US for example. He & Anna Sawai pretty much agreed that even for them getting it right for the show was a bit of a challenge for everyone.
Ive heard so many great things about this show and I love Hiroyuki Sanada's work so Ive definitely got to find time to check it out
0:26 Amen! Great actors! 🙏🏽💪
24:07 - It's funny you remembering the 1980 mini series as being "much more light hearted" because I watched it back in 1980 when I was a young teenager and definitely remember a man suddenly getting his head chopped off (I believe simply for not bowing his head or something like that) and also one of Blackthorne's crew getting boiled alive. I believe there was also a version of the mini-series that was edited down to a single theatrical movie, so maybe that cut didn't have those scenes?
Japanese of that era was different enough that it’s like how Shakespearean English is different from modern English, I think that’s what they were referring to
"It's clear he views life as precious " - Ohohoho 😅😂
This show does a good job of making you care for characters despite the harshness of the world. That guy definitely boiled a man alive but I did not want him to die in those waves. Crazy
Wait,i just remembered Ken and Hiro Sanada played The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise how come i didn't notice it earlier lol
I hope we get a lot more roles for every one of these wonderful actors in other projects.
A Merchant ship would still need to be armed, for self-defence against Pirates.
So there's nothing unusual about it.
I am old enough to remember the miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and the great John Rhys-Davies, but the first two episodes of this version had me hooked right from the start.
The "lower" samurai who served a Sama were like the Bannermen serving a high House in "Game of Thrones". Their "fiefs" would be regions they controlled in service of their Sama. Having more territory by being given a new fief increased their own power, but also made them more important to their Sama, because they could raise larger armies of samurai and ashigaru to support their Sama in battle.
THANKS for this!!!!
2:22 Great shot! 🙏🏽💪
It’s a great story. I loved the book and had fun with the 1980 show so I’m glad this new show seems pretty good.
22:06 yeap you are right. basically in today's modern age we say "how ya'll doing" while someone in 1800 would have said "how was your day sir"
similar language ethics are followed. very very proper choice of words, i just wished they had spoken Portuguese instead of english but ya combining 2 different language for majority english audience would be harsh.
it's an amazing, well written show.
This is the first show where I had to get a pen and paper out to write down the character's names, connections, associations, etc.
17:00 The Lord was intent on committing suicide because dying by his own hand is more merciful than drowning because drowning is a very cruel way to go.
I almost drowned as a kid and the thought of it still sends shivers even decades later.
At the time it was very common for sailors to not be able to swim. It was seen as a mercy as much of the time naval battles would take place miles out to sea so by the time any vessel with a chance of saving someone came they would long since have tired and drowned. Also with the clothing of the time being mainly cotton swimming or learning to swim could often be fatal as clothing worn would often cause the death
As a kid I loved the 1980 version with Richard Chamberlain, I read the book as a teen too (also in the 80's) and it had so much more depth than the 80's TV censor friendly series did and a whole level more darkness and brutality. This new version so far IS the book, its wonderful. I'm just not a fan of the obvious unnaturally blue contact lenses that the lead Cosmo Jarivs is wearing over his brown eyes, I find them somewhat jarring in certain light (Blackthorn's blue eyes are almost a plot point in the book at times however, so I understand why they have chosen to do this at least).
I'm more than a little freaked out by how much the actor playing Blackthorne sounds like John Hurt. I wasn't looking at the screen when he first spoke, and it was really disorienting to hear that voice!
Best show of 2024 so far
This televised series has softened a or removed a lot of the more brutal stuff from the book. But I expect its for the best, so that the general audience can digest it easier.
the ending soundtrackkk... awsome man
FYI: David Carradine's show "Kung Fu" was about a Shaolin priest, not a Japanese Shōgun.
If Jaby is suggesting @ 20:04 that he watched the first adaptation, then he clearly doesn't remember the decapitation at roughly the same time in the story (though I believe it was a man that wouldn't bow to the lord). I remember thinking it was rather brutal for 80's broadcast TV.
IIRC, the geheading of the "non-person" in the original mini-series was even more jolting for my generation.
IIRC, he was not even actually directly causing trouble by trying to get in their way to talk to Blackthorne. He was just a feeble old man who did not get out of the samurai's way "fast enough". Very unexpected and even colder.....
3:06 "Did they know about guns?"
The arquebus was introduced by The Dutch to Japan about a century earlier. (EDIT: Introduced by *The Portugese* in 1543. After 1600 trade with Europe was cut off from then until Perry opened Japan in 1853, except for the Dutch. Firearms were banned under the Tokugawa Shogunate but were still supplied via The Dutch to the well connected) Samurai and Ninja both were crack shots and well versed in firearm and artillery use and battlefield and guerilla tactics by the time of the events depicted here. Contrary to what "The Last Samurai" tells you, The Tom Cruise character (who was French IRL) was sent to teach them how to fight with new repeating rifles and gatling guns. Although samurai still wore their swords and armor into battle, they were fighting with Civil War/Napoleanic era weapons and tactics by then, not medieval knights.
Guns also affected how some samurai armor were made. Several included thick plates on several important areas and the shoulder.
火縄銃が日本にもたらされたのは１５４３年でこのドラマは１６００年となってます。
In the Last Samurai, I noticed the guns are different. Look at how they reloaded during the training & the fog battle. Then later, they reloaded the guns as bolt action rifles. Not the typical gunpowder rifles. First seen during Katsumoto’s escape. I learned it was the Prussian rifles after doing some research. It was used in the final battle as well.
Yes and No. They used all the medieval weapons as well. Guns we're in short supply and we're used when available. But tthey didn't used modern 19th century weapons before the mir to late 19th century when commodore Perry and Others violently broke into the japanese markets.
@@Commander-vf1lkjap this was a periode of rapid Change. They switched weapons that we're used for centuries for modern weaponry in a few years.
19:46 Glorious! 🙏🏽💪
I'm French and I knew the word fiefdom, man.
9:17 Amen! 🙏🏽💪
There is a Japanese saying in Japan about the three leaders who unified Japan. The first was Nobunaga. The saying says if a bird would not sing he would kill it. The second was Hideyoshi (The "Taiko" in this). If the bird didn't sing Hideyoshi would force it to sing. Tokugawa Ieyasu (the model for Torinaga here and of Minamoto ancestry and so had ancestors who were Shogun and going back further ancestors who were part of the Imperial family) would wait for the bird to want to sing. His patience paid off and he was the first Tokugawa Shogun. I saw his tomb when I was in Nikko, Japan. It is the origin of the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys. There is a small carving of the three monkeys on one building.
3:02 I think they did have matchlock rifles at the time. Not an expert on Japanese eras, but I think the Edo period was around the 1600s or something, so I think they did. I know of a shinobi who failed to assassinate Nobunaga with a rifle and was executed after a monk snitched on him.
See, that's the thing though: You go to somebody else's land and call them the savages. It's like invading somebody's home and saying they are the intruders. I always said the maturity of humanity is like the maturity of a single human. We're still int he child phase where we see things purely as black and white with lots of the "imaginary friend" shit, only barely stepping into the adolescent "I don't care" phase of trying shit out in the past 100 or so years.
Yes, they used matchlocks. In fact, the Tanegashima is the name, and they basically stagnated at that gun design for centuries. There were no notable improvements made to it that entered mass production in Japan over that time either. Goes to show how isolationist they really were, especially after Sengoku Era ended.
A show thats important to pay attention to even while reacting
I knew from watching this show and listening to the words, that this not your regular modern day Japanese. For example, I know that, thank you is arigato. But when they say thank you in this show, it's a completely different word.
Jaby pointed out. This whole time when I was watching the show I always felt like why does Anna Sawai look like I have seen her somewhere.
7:23 Disrespectful! 😡
He was just minding his business!!
Poor villiager! 😔
The Sama who executed the sailor by boiling him to death is a student of death and how people act in the process. He uses boiling {and probably other "slow" execution methods} in order to study the stages of the process more in depth.
Mengele Sensei
Arakkis was a fiefdom of the Harkonens then "handed" over to the Arteries. Sort of the like emperor asks/orders some one/family to "take care of my land" for me. The land then becomes a fief.
Great reaction, thank you.
I'm fkn praying for this!
Been waiting for this ! ARIGATO
your music backgroun on intro same with adult game milfy city 😂
love this show
A fief is essentially just the lands a lord has control over. Smaller lords have smaller fiefs and owe allegiance to more powerful lords, who's fiefs include the lands of the smaller lord.
THIS SHOW IS INCREDIBLE.
"whats a fief"
"Like a fiefdom"
The dialogue writing is top notch.