Destinies converge in Japan after a barbarian ship washes ashore in a poor fishing village. Meanwhile, in Osaka, Lord Toranaga finds himself outplayed by his enemies.Destinies converge in Japan after a barbarian ship washes ashore in a poor fishing village. Meanwhile, in Osaka, Lord Toranaga finds himself outplayed by his enemies.Destinies converge in Japan after a barbarian ship washes ashore in a poor fishing village. Meanwhile, in Osaka, Lord Toranaga finds himself outplayed by his enemies.
Featured reviews
As someone who already knows the broad strokes of where this story is going to go, the biggest task this show had was to really sell the look of it. With FX behind them, it's clear that a lot of money was going to be available to the creators, and it definitely seems like they've put it all to good use. The look is incomparable and the show definitely feels like we've been put in a time machine and brought back into the 1600s, often showcasing the grandness of the landscapes as well as a beautiful recreation of Osaka that just blew my mind away. The VFX are sharp, despite a few notices here and there, which is something that will stand out in the first episode and then quickly fly away in subsequent episodes if the quality keeps up like this. In terms of the characters, it does feel like they've captured the essence and the nobility of the culture that the book also brought to a worldwide audience, and a lot of that is achieved through an expanded focus on the Japanese characters, which seems right in the day we live in. All of the cultural influences on the show's narrative are cool and so really gets you invested early on. They have certainly captured the beginnings of an epic story here, and they have given the material to some truly great actors, especially Hiroyuki Sanada who simply has to walk on screen and he feels noble and awesome. What a gift to have.
"Anjin" sets the tone and the mood so well through an epic scale that it beautifully shows through an incredible visual style and A-plus production value. The story is still in its early stages and the pacing can be a little slow, but given time to adjust to that, this is sure to be something unforgettable.
However, condensing such a rich and nuanced story into one-hour episodes inevitably sacrifices some of the depth found in the original book. Despite this, the characters in the show are all engaging and hold the audience's attention, with none feeling like mere placeholders on the screen.
While the camera lens and angles may not be to everyone's taste, the overall presentation promises an exciting revisit to a classic tale. It serves as a solid reference for enthusiasts of Japanese culture and history. Hiroyuki Sanada's performance makes this reboot worth watching, as his brilliance, previously showcased in "The Last Samurai," continues to impress.
Overall, while perhaps not reaching the heights of the original book, "Shogun 2024" offers an enjoyable viewing experience for old and new fans.
Great start to the series. Mostly a background sketching and setup episode, as first episodes tend to be, so plot development is limited. There's really no room left in the episode for development: the information involved in the setup is quite immense - the scores of characters and their relationships, the political scene in Japan, the political machinations afoot, Japanese vs European culture and the history of the Portuguese in Japan. It's quite complex to the point of overwhelming.
There is time for a few decent dramatic scenes and even some comedy: the culture clash between Blackthorne and the Japanese is often quite humorous as is their views on each other. A fair amount of intrigue too.
Overall, a solid base from which to launch the series.
The thing that struck me the most, was how authentic and well made it is! This the kind of stuff i miss sometimes! When the people behind has a clear vision and you can feel the ambition and love for the source material!
Huge plus to have the japanese characters speak japanese! It really feels like you are transported back to 1600 Japan!
A nice introduction to the characters as well! Blackthornes journey has potential to be very interesting! The japanese characters are great as well! The actors are going all out!
The story has great potential to with Blackthorne trying to survive in a foreign country with a political powergame in the making!
Definnitely has potential, its unique, authentic and nothing quite like anything else!
Richard Chamberlain's Blackthorne was an elegant gentleman but this new guy is a rough and tumble, profit-motivated sailor without a lot of social graces. Much more believable that a guy like that would survive a round-the-world voyage.
His harsh religious attitudes demonizing Catholics might be shocking for modern audiences but it's perfectly in line with his times. And he has noble qualities as well: loyal to friends, brave, quick to recognize and respect bravery in others.
But the real focus is on the Japanese characters. Blackthorne is just the wild card being thrown into their roiling political situation.
Other big changes: special effects, of course. The "storm" sequence in the 80s version is pretty hilarious. Here, it's hair-raising.
And Nestor Carbonell steals the show as the Spaniard Rodriegues.
Thank you, FX, for making a serious historical drama of the type we get far too infrequently.
Did you know
- TriviaThe Samurai would shave the middle part of his head, called a chonmage, where the remaining hair was oiled and waxed before being tied into a small tail folded onto the top of the head in the characteristic topknot, so that his helmet (kabuto) fit tightly onto the head when donning his armor for battle. With less hair, the samurai would also not suffer from the buildup of heat on the head when wearing the helmet.
- GoofsLord Yabushige said that he would expand his nephews' fief to 3000 koku. Koku is a measure of volume. The tsubo is used to measure area. The estates of the Lords or Daimyo were valued for taxation using the Kokudaka system which determined value based on output of rice in koku, a Japanese unit of volume considered enough rice to feed one person for one year. One koku amounting to 5 bushels of rice, or 80 dry gallons (A dry gallon is 15% larger than a fluid gallon)
- Quotes
Vasco Rodrigues: There's a saying out here that every man has three hearts. One in his mouth, for the world to know... another in his chest, just for his friends... and a secret heart buried deep where no one can find it. That is a heart a man must keep hidden if he wants to survive.You'll understand soon, Inglés. And who knows, maybe-maybe fate brought you here for a reason. Maybe you'll live long enough to find out what it is.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards (2024)
- SoundtracksThe Pull of Death
performed by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross & Nick Chuba
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 10m(70 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.00 : 1