31 January 2024 , 11:19
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Disney+ is gearing up to launch its hotly anticipated Japanese-set samurai epic, Shōgun. Slated for release in February, the new action-drama is set in the 17th century and centres around a military leader who is fighting for his life as his enemies unite against him.
The story is told from the perspective of British hero John Blackthorne, an English sailor who rises from outsider to samurai while being used as a pawn in a Japanese military leader’s struggle to reach the top of the ruling chain, or Shōgun. The 10-episode limited series is based on James Clavell’s 1975 bestselling novel of the same name – itself a fictionalised version of historical events – which also spawned a 1980 TV adaptation.
Shōgun is loosely inspired by the true story of English navigator William Adams, the first Westerner to set foot in Japan who eventually became a samurai. It is created for television by husband and wife team Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, with Marks – whose writing credits include 2016’s The Jungle Book and Top Gun: Maverick – serving as showrunner and executive producer.
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Here, we break down everything you need to know about Shōgun.
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What is Shōgun about?
Shōgun takes place in the year 1600, as Lord Yoshii Toranaga finds himself at the dawn of a century-defining civil war when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a fishing village. Its pilot, John Blackthorne, comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies – the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants.
Hiroyuki Sanada as military leader Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Disney+)Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko, a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.
When is Shōgun released?
Shōgun will premiere on Tuesday, February 27, with the first two episodes. New episodes will be released weekly through to the tenth and final episode on Tuesday, April 23.
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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters actress Anna Sawai stars as mysterious translator Toda MarikoHow to watch Shōgun in the UK
Shōgun will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ in the UK, which TV lovers can join for as little as £1.99 a month when signing up by March 14. This includes loads of Star Wars films and shows including Ahsoka, The Bad Batch and the upcoming The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew, plus the biggest and best Marvel content like Loki, The Marvels and the soon-to-be-released X-Men ’97.
Disney+ is also the home of hit shows like The Bear, Modern Family and the hotly anticipated Sean Bean murder mystery Shardlake. There’s no hidden cost with a monthly Disney+ subscription and it can be cancelled at any time, while customers can get the equivalent of two months free with an annual subscription.
But savvy shoppers can get Disney+ free for a year when buying the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+ or Ultra from Samsung, which also comes with Galaxy Buds2 Pro and a Galaxy SmartTag2, plus up to £370 discount if you trade in your old handset. EE customers can also get Disney+ free for a year with the Galaxy S24 and up to £432 discount with a trade-in, plus Apple TV+ free for six months and free Netflix when choosing a plan with an inclusive extra like the All Rounder.
Who is in the cast of Shōgun?
The series features a highly decorated Japanese cast alongside British actor-musician Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne. The American-born performer has appeared in Peaky Blinders, Lady Macbeth and HBO’s Raised by Wolves.
Lord Yoshii Toranaga is played by revered actor Hiroyuki Sanada – who also serves as producer – whose recent credits include John Wick: Chapter 4, Bullet Train, Mortal Kombat and Avengers: Endgame. Toda Mariko is played by Fast and Furious 9 and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters star Anna Sawai.
Cosmo Jarvis' John Blackthorne is inspired by William Adams, the first Englishman to travel to JapanSawai’s Monarch co-star Takehiro Hira plays Ishido Kazunari, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s chief rival, alongside Thor’s Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga. Hiroto Kanai plays Kashigi Omi, the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne’s ship was found.
Rounding out the main cast is Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, a widow who must find new purpose amidst her lord’s fight and Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend and Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, Toranaga’s brash son who has a strong desire to prove himself.
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What are the critics saying about Shōgun?
Early reviews have hailed Shōgun as a masterpiece and it currently boasts a perfect 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score after 17 reviews. Empire’s Jake Cunningham said Shōgun is “gripping television [with] striking performances and stunning visuals.”
“From swirling, surf-smacked cinematography in one moment, to gently ebbing, awe-inspiring seascapes the next, the landscapes of terror and beauty are precariously balanced,” he wrote. “Perpetually bathed in mist, the camera regularly creeps forward through water, forests and palaces hesitantly discovering new lands, anxiously aware of the silent assassins at the frame’s edge.”
TIME Magazine’s Judy Berman said Shōgun “isn’t a remake – it’s a revelation” while hailing it as “a genuine masterpiece”.
“It’s an epic of war, love, faith, honor, culture clash, and political intrigue,” Berman wrote. “And at a time when so many of TV’s biggest swings, from Amazon’s The Rings of Power and Citadel to Netflix’s Stranger Things and The Crown, have yielded at least partial misses, FX’s Shōgun stands apart as a genuine masterpiece.”
The London Evening Standard’s Nick Clark also praised Shōgun’s “lush locations and superb performances,” adding that its “engaging story may take its time but inexorably draws the viewer in.”
Is there a trailer for Shōgun?
Disney+ unveiled the official trailer for Shōgun in November. It can be viewed here.
Click here to watch Shōgun on Disney+. Alternatively, a host of new shows are streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video and Apple TV+.