Shogun

Disney+
4 stars

A sweeping epic set in 17th-century Japan, Shogun is Hollywood’s most ambitious historical drama in years.

A tale of power, duty and love, it follows a fascinating cast of characters as they navigate a delicate web of hierarchies where a small misstep can mean death.

Here are a few reasons the show – starring Hiroyuki Sanada (Bullet Train, 2022), Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion, 2022) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, 2023 to 2024) – should be on your watch list.

1. Deadly games in feudal Japan

The series is adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel Shogun, a work of historical fiction based on figures from Japan’s feudal era, when the country was making its first contact with European traders and missionaries.

The book also inspired the hit 1980 miniseries of the same name.

The action opens in 1600 with an English sailor, John Blackthorne (Jarvis), being marooned in Japan.

He and his ship wind up in the hands of the politically savvy Lord Toranaga (Sanada). He sees the Englishman as a chess piece against his rivals, the council of lords ruling the country till its prince comes of age.

2. An English samurai and other compelling characters

Blackthorne is both baffled and impressed by this strange land, especially the culture of its samurai warrior class and the overall fatalism regarding death.

But he quickly finds his footing and Toranaga makes him a high-ranking samurai, entwining their fates.

He also forms a bond with Lady Mariko (Sawai) – the conflicted noblewoman who serves as his translator – and Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano), a low-level warlord trying to play both sides.

3. Rich writing and a devastating finale

Blackthorne’s outsider perspective is vital, but the story is told from multiple points of view.

Even supporting characters, such as Mariko’s surly husband Buntaro (Shinnosuke Abe) and the beguiling courtesan Kiku (Yuka Kouri), are given their due.

Toranaga and Blackthorne are somewhat watered down compared with the book, but the dialogue and performances here are wonderfully frugal.

Passion, sorrow and other swelling emotions are often merely hinted at, making the bursts of graphic violence all the more startling and effective.

All 10 episodes were provided for review and with each, the show carefully builds towards a thrilling conclusion – one that will satisfy and devastate in equal measure.