Shōgun
An epic saga of war, passion, and power set in Feudal Japan.
In Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.
Wokeness: 0%
Overall Score: 90%
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Not woke
3 episodes in, no woke themes. Heavy Catholic presence not treated in a totally positive light, but may be accurate for the time.
Created: 03-06-2024
Accurate, relentless and mesmerizing
Historically accurate, at least enough to fool me.
Visually stunning, even in its gory moments.
I will note that the photography results from some rather extreme choices.
The showmakers seem somewhat fed up with the technical perfection of high-resolution digital cameras, so they paired them with some pretty retro anamorphic lenses.
I'm sure the gear was top-shelf and appropriately expensive, but I do mean retro as in 70s era Hollywood newcomers. Apocalypse Now comes to mind.
So, be ready to embrace blur, softness and chromatic aberration at the edges.
I does help build a visual identity, but I did find it distracting at times.
The cast is nothing short of stellar, both in its collective performance and dedication.
Apologies to the Japanese actors, who apparently re-trained in period-appropriate speech, their efforts push far beyond my capacity to appreciate them, but I can barely believe Bastow learned Japanese in a few months for this role, and with such results!
As for the story itself: I will not spoil it, but it is ruthless and heart-wrenching.
The title says it all: this is the story of a warlord.
Regarding wokeness: this show is accurate to a period when people did not have the luxury of utter stupidity.
So, no.
Created: 08-31-2024
