Shogun - FX on Hulu

Agent Coulson

Starts February 2024.

Based on James Clavell’s novel, FX’s Shōgun is set 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAN5uspO_hk

squonk

Is this a remake of the show from the early 80s? I vaguely remember it as I was too young to watch it.

Agent Coulson

The Richard Chamberlain series from the 80’s was based on the same book.

Hangdogroad

I remember the original early 80s series with Richard Chamberlain. In the first episode a guy is decapitated and another fella boiled alive in a big pot, at that point my mother switched it off.

expectationlost

she has very good English

Agent Coulson

Red band trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPL80Xqc_f4&list=PLIDyzBpnfjqlzM2LRCXBLrq1wnRinQZgv&index=2&ab_channel=FXNetworks

Quiet Achiever

Just saw an article in the Guardian that this is starting on 27th Feb.

The book was one of my favourite reading experiences ever, and it is ripe for an amazing adaptation.

But there's been zero build up and not sure if Disney has the chops...

The big lad who played Arm in Calm With Horses is Blackthorne, not what i pictured bit i do like him.

pixelburp

Threads merged.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121809757#Comment_121809757

Good post, "ripe of an amazing adaptation" I really hope they get it right. I loved the book as a teen... my first political thriller with some spice and blood, read it again recently and it hasn't lost it's charm.

Quiet Achiever

Thanks for merging, i searched bit didn't find the thread.

The article i read said Disney, but i see it's FX and Hulu. Better again. It looks great. I'm optimistic!

Midnight_EG

Watched the first two, and I've never read the novel but I'm hooked. It's intense and intriguing, and very well acted bar John's awry accent.

Agent Coulson

Really enjoyed the opening two episodes it’s a great story and they are doing a great job with it so far.

I had read the book and seen the Richard Chamberlin 80’s mini series and loved both.

Also always great to see Ned Dennehy show up in a series he really gets around in shows all over the world.

Varik

The Blackthorne lad isn't great at his job (or his job with the captain gone)

He's got his secrete mission but seems to constantly and deliberately antagonise the Japanese and start a fights with the Portuguese where a bit of subterfuge would better.

Worried there's going to be a lot stuff just magically working out for him.

Dave_The_Sheep

The main actor isn't great.

They nailed the rest of it though. Yabu, Rodrigues, Omi, Hiromatsu, all fantastic.

I.am.Putins.raging.bile.duct

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121835407#Comment_121835407

The pound shop Tom Hardy routine is distracting alright.

yourdeadwright

Iv watched the first two episodes & there is something missing, Its jsut not doing it for me ,

Possible the lead actor is not a good fit ,

BraveDonut

Watched the first episode and really enjoyed it. I read the book many years ago and it is my favorite of all time.

Can't decide whether to continue to watch or go back and read the book again.

Quiet Achiever

Just on the second episode and enjoying it. But the one thing i think is really off is the soundtrack - it could be a Christopher Nolan film. Maybe they didn't want typical plinky plonky music, but i would have preferred something that felt more tied to the place.

billyhead

Is it just me or is Blackthorn trying to imitate Tom Hardy?

Sleepy

Like others here I was a fan of the James Clavell books as a teenager so delighted to see a new adaptation of this as I felt the original adaptation was overly focused on Blackthorn and under-represented the Japanese characters. Enjoyed the first two and looking forward to the next.

Fun fact: if you've ever read Sun Tzu's "The Art of War", it's likely the copy you read was James Clavell's translation.

pixelburp

Watched the first episode and was really impressed with the balance of scale and character here; clearly a lot of money went into it, the authenticity and scope felt about level with one of HBO's higher tier productions. The court intrigue was solid and interesting to see how it all played out.

Like others I'm not sure about Non-Union Tom Hardy, but his character did seem about right for an Englishman of that era; that being, full of misguided contempt and arrogance over the supposed "savages" he finds himself among, and the presumed superiority of himself.

My only complaint was some of the cinematography got a little distracting. Various close to medium shots of characters had the ... I dunno, the oddest Depth of Field behind them. I couldn't properly explain it but it almost seemed like it was a digital effect added in post, 'cos it didn't seem like normal out-of-focus background detail.

Thelonious Monk

Really enjoyed the first episode. Yeah the Tom Hardy guy I'm not sure on, his accent, like a 1960s classically trained wildman english actor thing he's got going on, doesn't really suit the premise imo.

Mr Crispy

This made me laugh way more than it should have.

https://twitter.com/EmmaTolkin/status/1765219956143370607?s=20

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121865329#Comment_121865329

still confused about which language he is using and when, I would have presumed if somebody was deliberately ranting incoherently and using colloquial insults he would have been speaking in his native language, English, but it appears he was speaking Portuguese because he asked the lady about the pony part.

pixelburp

It's weird that for a show whose sense of authenticity has been sostrong in every aspect of Japanese culture from this time, the decision to have "Portuguese" be spoken in English seems like a really egregious misstep. It has been confusing and distracting that all the time Blackthorne is speaking English he's actually speaking Portuguese?

I wonder was it just that FX were willing to fold on the Japanese speaking their native tongue, but refused to allow the production to be entirely in subtitles? Cos it just hasn't worked for me, especially given Blackthorne has such a plummy accent that always accentuates his English in the first place; I suppose I can just assume any time he's speking in English he's actually speaking in Portuguese - but it has been clumsy.

Midnight_EG

He's an English man from London, why would he be speaking Portuguese? We've seen Portuguese being spoken too by Father Martin

Agent Coulson

I think it’s the Portuguese who are speaking English not Blackthorne speaking Portuguese.

The original mini series was criticised for not using subtitles at all as the makers wanted the audience to feel like Blackthorne and not understand what was being said.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121886112#Comment_121886112

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121886137#Comment_121886137

In the first episode it's remarked that Blackthorn can speak Portuguese, while the interrogation about the world was conducted in "Portuguese", much made about the Lady practising her own Portuguese. So unless the priests are lying and talking in English, it leaves it all a bit muddled against an otherwise pretty excellent sense of place and time

squonk

I get the sense blackthorn knows exactly what he’s doing and is one step ahead most of the time and, if not, is wily enough to get out of a tangle. I figured what he’s speaking is 90% Portuguese with maybe some English. To me it doesn’t matter as you know when he’s interacting with Portuguese or Japanese that he’s using Portuguese.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121886723#Comment_121886723

Yeah it's not a showstopper as t all, just one of those weird choices that kinda clashed with the overall sense of authenticity the show otherwise has in spades. Keep having to remind myself internally that oh yeah, they're technically speaking Portuguese - even when there's nobody else around.

squonk

I think the show might be inaccessible if it was in mainly Japanese and Portuguese with subtitles. I’m not a fan of subtitles myself but my objections melt away when the story is good, like here or Narcos however even in narcos I’m happy with some respite when the Americans speak amongst themselves. Personally I think they’ve done it well largely. Just the right balance.