By Felix Trenbath
The new Disney Plus series Shogun has just released its finale with acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The political period drama set in 1600s Japan has been seen as the new Game of Thrones but, while comparisons to last decade’s cultural phenomenon may be fair, Shogun is more than a mere coattails rider.
Western audiences unfamiliar with Japan’s long and detailed history can expect to be enthralled by a new setting that uses its cultural differences in a compelling narrative of political scheming, the power of translators and gender inequality.
A warlord vying for control of Japan, the fearless Lady Mariko and a self-serving baron all try to use a shipwrecked Englishman to their own ends.
Shogun is going to be compared to Game of Thrones, but perhaps soon Game of Thrones will be compared to Shogun.
Game of Thrones dominated culture in the 2010s like nothing before and perhaps never again. It was the talk of every watercooler, game of pool and internet chatroom for nine whole years from 2011 to 2019.
Its novel blend of political intrigue, impeccable writing and bombastic spectacle, violence and sex made for something every young adult wanted to watch. With that came many a television studio wanting to get a piece of the period drama pie, and soon nerds and casual TV watchers alike had a veritable smorgasbord of quality television to binge.
With Game of Thrones having ended five years ago, the fervour for anything mildly similar has faded somewhat. Even the shows that aimed to pick up the baton are approaching the end of their run, like Netflix’s The Witcher.
In comes Shogun, the latest in that long line of historical dramas with adult themes and violence aplenty. At a time when the formula is less certain than ever, Shogun forges its own identity, brings something new to the table and – in a shocking departure from Game of Thrones – manages to be fantastic right to the very end.
Shogun has the advantage of being based off a book that’s been finished for decades, unlike HBO’s unenviable situation of catching up with its source material before being finished. Because of this Shogun is a complete story. The only downside being that it means there won’t be a season two, because it really is that engrossing of a world. One can expect a newfound interest in Japanese history because of this.
Game of Thrones was a masterpiece of storytelling and world building that was only undone in the end by a rushed final season that poetically ended one of the greatest stories of all time with one of the worst conclusions of all time.
But Shogun is a tour de force for creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. The lavish set and costume design complement the world, which has well written characters to inhabit it and compelling themes to ponder.
Shogun does for Japanese period dramas what Game of Thrones did for fantasy; They have made something both smart and fun that can appeal to outsiders and bring about a new wave of cultural interest.
Featured image: Hiroyuki Sanada as the venerable Yoshii Toranaga. Photo: YouTube
