Table of Contents 64q43
Shogun is Hulu's newest super production, in partnership with FX, shown by Star + e Disney + in Brazil. Let's talk without spoilers about the first three episodes. Are you curious? Stay with us! Ikimashou! 2hj5v
Based on the work of the same name by James Clavell, Shogun is the second adaptation to be released of the epic novel that retelling real historical events in 17th century Japan. Clavell borrowed some figures who actually lived and adapted their stories for his book, such as William Adams, an English sailor who ended up in favor with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the entire revolution that the country went through at that time.
The original version of the series featured the illustrious presence of the legend of Japanese cinema, Toshiro mifune, the eternal Yojimbo and star of numerous classics in partnership with Akira Kurosawa, and one of the great Hollywood stars of the 1980s, Richard Chamberlain, known in Brazil for his role in the classic Sessão da Tarde, In King Solomon's Mines. The new remake has a cast of stars and unknown to Western audiences and is already proving to be a GREAT series after its initial three episodes.
The plot presents a complex web of political machinations 5a1e73
the plot of Shogun begins in the year 1600, when Japan was about to establish sakoku, a policy of isolationism that Tokugawa Ieyasu's government introduced with the aim of freeing the country from external influences. Until then, the only distant country that the land of the rising sun dealt with was Portugal, which dominated maritime trade, bringing the Jesuits and Catholicism to the island.
Enter John Blackthorne, an English navigator serving the Dutch merchant fleet. On board the Erasmus, a ship long lost at sea after crossing the Strait of Magellan, until then a secret route shared between Spain and Portugal, ends up docking in Japanese lands with its crew, all of them hungry. In the hands of the samurai at the behest of the local Lord, the ambitious and dissolute Yabushige, John finds himself in a growing evil, making no effort to hide his contempt for the people who received him so coldly, and also, of course, for the Portuguese. , for being Protestant and for the fact that England was at war with them.
But his problems don't stop there, and through a lot of cunning on Blackthorne's part and a bit of luck, as the region's ruler, Lord Yoshii Toranaga, learns of the existence of the “barbarians'” ship, leading him to bring John to Osaka, where he is. The complexity of Toranaga's situation is great, as he finds himself trapped in the castle after being accused of wanting to usurp power by the council of regents who took control after the death of the former Taikō, until his heir, Yaechiyo, comes of age. . Taikō always had a certain preference for Toranaga, which put him in the sights of his rivals on this council.
It turns out that, despite being a direct descendant of the line of shōguns of yore, Yoshii does not desire supreme power, being satisfied with governing the province of Kantō, where Edo, future Tokyo, is located. To complicate his already sensitive political situation, Toranaga was keeping the late ruler's wife in his castle, to help her give birth to the wife of one of his subjects, which was considered an act of treason by the council. But everything is nothing more than a game of interests, because in their midst is the Catholic Church, which manipulates everything and everyone.
Blackthorne enters this confusion as proof that Portugal's presence in the country took place under the false pretext that the country on the Iberian peninsula was the only one that existed in distant Europe. With this, the entire island of Japan became the “property” of the Old World kingdom, as a result of the agreement signed by the two sailing powers of the time, the famous Treaty of Tordesillas. Not only that, but John is also aware of other Portuguese shenanigans that the Japanese were previously unaware of. You can already imagine the chaos that the presence of the Englishman will cause, shaking the structures of the institution of the Catholic Church in the country of the rising sun, not to mention the plans of the Portuguese crown.
In the comings and goings of the story, Blackthorne and Toranaga begin to develop a mutual respect, bordering on friendship, and it is from there that Shogun takes off as a very special series, as it is not a story of war, but rather of honor, the strict code of the samurai, perseverance and, most importantly, the so-called three hearts of a person. One that she shows to the outside, another that she believes to be, and the most valuable, the one that must never be revealed, her true self.
In just a few episodes, John shows himself to be a character full of nuances, someone who goes far beyond the image of a talkative sailor with an endless arsenal of insults and inappropriate jokes, but who is still incredibly faithful to his nation. Toranaga is someone incredibly wise, but who is still ruthless when necessary, as well as a human with his flaws, which will be explored in the next chapters, with his relationship with his son.
Apart from the two main protagonists, there is Mariko, a subject of Yoshii, who studied Portuguese with priests and acts as the translator between him and John, who communicates in the language of the country, but conveniently adapted to English by the series. Another one who stands out in these first episodes is Rodrigues, a Spanish sailor under the command of the Portuguese, with whom Blackthorne ends up getting along. Returning to the beginning, we also have Yabushige, the trigger for John to start seeing the Japanese people with different eyes.
Anyway, if you haven't noticed by now, let's make one thing clear: Shogun It's full of incredible characters. They are all full of nuances and unique traits that make them people we want to see more and more of, which is to be praised both in of the script, and also in their excellent performances, delivered by the cast, which we will talk about below.
The cast brings stars and some news 1b5c6o
Shogun: The Glorious Saga of Japan brings together a group of actors that command respect; Let's mention some of the highlights, because the list is long!
At the top is Hiroyuki Sanada, in the role of Toranaga, a famous Japanese actor who had roles in Westworld, Mortal Kombat, The last Samurai, 47 Ronin, the modern classic of samurai cinema, The Evening Samurai and most recently John Wick 4. In Xógun, the star is at full strength, with a screen presence that is suffocatingly good.
John Blackthorne is played by Cosmo Jarvis, a British actor born in the United States, until then without any very renowned roles, but who shines in the series, with his irreverent and good-natured manner, despite his silly appearance. No kidding, in all the photos he seems to have the same expression, but that couldn't be further from the truth, as he is an excellent performer.
The rest of the lineup of artists is not left behind! New Zealand actress Anna Sawai, from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, from AppleTV, lends her talent to the character Mariko in a sensational performance full of mysteries. In the role of Portuguese missionary and translator Martim Alvito, we have Tommy Bastow, who stood out in the series The Window, who finds himself in the middle of the strong personalities of the Japanese lords.
There are also appearances by actors known to fans of comic book hero films. Tadanobu Asano, the Hogun of films Thor is the one who was chosen to take on the enigmatic Yabushige, a true wild card on the series' deck. Nestor Carbonell, from the trilogy Batman Christopher Nolan is unrecognizable as Rodrigues, a guy we would all love to have as a friend.
Rounding out our cast highlights is Tokuma Nishioka. The name may not be familiar to you, but if you've ever watched any of Kamen Rider, Godzilla ou Ultraman, you certainly saw it, as the prolific 77-year-old has stamped his name on the credits of many of them.
A breathtaking production j1r3x
The series also has above-average quality production. Equipped with impressive special effects and excellent period costumes, both for the Japanese and the Portuguese religious and other characters.
Shogun It is also impressive due to the care given to the language and how he ends up becoming a kind of character over the course of the first episodes, featuring funny jokes coming from Blackthorne's forced learning upon arriving in the country.
It's also really cool how important aspects of Japanese culture are explained through the characters' speeches and actions, in a way that deviates from the usual boring way in which we are hammered in other productions. In particular, we see the strict code of bushidō being demonstrated without the need for exposition, through the actions of not only the main characters, but secondary ones, in an organic way.
All of this would lose its impact without a respectable soundtrack, and in this the series also shines a lot. The opening song, in particular, is so good, so watch it at least once when you start Shogun!
Where and how to see Shogun: The Glorious Saga of Japan 5f3a
In Brazil, Shogun is available via streaming on Star + and also by Disney +. Don't forget, to access their catalog and series, an active subscription to one of the two services is required.
But so, is it worth watching? 3lyv
Shogun: The Glorious Saga of Japan is a pleasant surprise at the beginning of 2024. It is indeed a respectable superproduction, which even with just three of the ten episodes released, already proves to be quite competent in every way.
Given the third episode released this week, we have the conclusion of the first phase of the story, with a significant advance in the plot and the opening of what promises to be an immense political conflict that will take not only Toranaga, but the entire entourage of the fragile Japanese government to the extreme. .
So, you became interested in Shogun? If you've already watched it, tell us in the comments what you thought of the series so far!
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Sources: FX, IMDB [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] And [7], Pixel Universe e Screen Rant.
Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim
