As we bid farewell to 2024, it would be remiss not to mention one of the most talked-about productions of the year: Shogun. This Hulu mini-series, among the platform’s most acclaimed offerings, transports us to 17th-century Japan. And for me, that’s its most captivating aspect.
Shogun features stunning visuals, breathtaking Japanese landscapes, and mesmerizing costume and production design. Hiroyuki Sanada’s screen presence is spellbinding, and his portrayal of Yoshii Toranaga is unbelievably charismatic.
However, the show falters largely due to its other lead character, John Blackthorne. An English sailor, Blackthorne finds himself thrust into the midst of a feudal power struggle during Japan’s waning days of samurai rule. While Sanada delivers a gripping performance, Cosmo Jarvis, who plays Blackthorne, comes across as crude, exaggerated, and dull.
I’m not particularly familiar with Jarvis as an actor, so I can’t say whether his off-putting performance stems from his acting choices or the demands of the script.
Blackthorne’s clumsy cultural clashes as a representative of the West encountering the unfamiliar Japanese way of life are made meaningful by the moments where the Japanese characters take time to explain their culture.
I must admit that I’m not deeply knowledgeable about Japanese culture or history—it’s not an area I’ve explored extensively through reading or watching. Yet, when a production of this scale immerses me in that part of the world, I find myself profoundly moved by the philosophy and way of life so distinct from our own.
For that reason, I’m grateful to Shogun for opening a door to Japanese culture, philosophy, and history and for leaving me captivated by its depth.
That said, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the show’s ending as delivered through Blackthorne’s character. But there’s little to be done about that, as the series is based on the novel of the same name. There’s even an earlier mini-series adaptation from 1980.
Overall, though, I was pleased to witness how that era in Japan concluded and to reflect on lessons about war, peace, love, loyalty, and the concept of honor.