FX’s Shōgun adaptation

thomas

thomas

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One to watch, whether "through blue eyes" or "Japanese lenses". :)

The 1975 book "Shogun " sold millions, and a 1980 TV miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune was watched by 1 in 3 U.S. households, winning three Emmys and three Golden Globes. The series and book triggered a wave of interest in feudal Japan, from kids playing with toy katanas to video games to Tom Cruise starring in "The Last Samurai ." The new series — with Clavell's daughter Michaela as a producer — adjusts the story. Sanada said that if the book was "Blue Eyes Watching Japan," the FX series put on "Japanese lenses." Blackthorne is less the hero here than a catalyst, as co-creators Marks and Kondo explore power dynamics.


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www.fxnetworks.com

FX Shogun | On Hulu and FX

Set in Japan in the year 1600, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life when a mysterious ship is found marooned in a nearby village.
www.fxnetworks.com www.fxnetworks.com

abcnews.go.com

FX reaches back over 400 years for its next ambitious series, adapting the hit novel 'Shogun'

Almost 50 years after the novel “Shogun” became a massive hit, the James Clavell fictional saga makes its way to FX
abcnews.go.com abcnews.go.com
 
I saw promotions for this but I couldn't tell from the ads that it was actually based on Clavell's work! I'll have to put it in on my list
 
Interestingly, most of the series was shot in Canada.

So, it helps to know that Shōgun wasn't shooting for historical accuracy when it decided to shoot most of the series in Canada. Although some principal photography took place in Japan and the United Kingdom—where our two main characters hail from—most Shōgun filming occurred in Port Moody and Ucluelet, British Columbia. "They searched the world to do this show," producer Erin Smith told Vancouver's CTV News. "We wanted to open the show with the beautiful scenery of the Wya Point Beach in Ucluelet. It's a very beautiful place. We have a lot of cast and crew from Japan that were quite fascinated and blown away by the resemblance of that spot to Japan."
Click to expand...

www.esquire.com

How 'Shōgun' Built Feudal Japan from the Ground Up

A 350-person crew repurposed a saw mill in a totally different country.
www.esquire.com www.esquire.com
 
Has anyone seen it already? The Guardian, too, has nothing but praise for Shōgun .

Shōgun, whose first two episodes aired this week, appears to have broken the mould, with FX's high-budget series winning plaudits in Japan not only for its lavish production values and illustrious Japanese cast but also its respect for the minor details of the country's culture and politics. In echoes of previous Japan-themed productions – such as Lost in Translation and Mr Baseball – Shōgun draws heavily on the East meets West narrative, this time via the arrival of the shipwrecked Englishman John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), whose character is based on the real-life adventurer William "Anjin" Adams.

The article also looks at how the West depicted the East on the screen and how things have changed since Mickey Rooney's improbably nearsighted, buck-toothed photographer IY Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's.


Anna Sawai, the New Zealand-born Japanese actor who plays Lady Toda Mariko, a noblewoman and Christian convert, described the series as "the first truly authentic and accurate [portrayal] of our history, culture and people". Sawai said: "I've felt that Asian women … Japanese women have been boxed into playing the sexy lady or the submissive lady or the one that does action. I wanted to see more depth, and I think Mariko really shows the inner struggles of Japanese women and what roots us … a different kind of strength that has never really been shown in western media."
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www.theguardian.com

Disney’s Shōgun breaks mould with careful respect for Japanese culture

High-budget series with largely Japanese cast avoids well-worn western orientalist fantasies and wins plaudits in Japan
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

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And an interview with Cosmo Jarvis, who plays John Blackthorne, loosely based on Captain William Adams, who became in 1600 the first English person to set foot in Japan.

www.theguardian.com

‘I went for it!’: Shōgun’s Cosmo Jarvis on swords, samurai and working with De Niro

The star of Disney’s new visually stunning epic is at his sensual, bestial best as the first Englishman in Japan in the samurai classic. He takes us into a world of skulduggery, seafaring and death by cauldron
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Nine million views in just six days isn't too shabby.

And Rotten Tomatoes seems to agree: 99% Tomatometer, 94% Audience Score.

'Shogun' has also been praised for tackling broad political ideas and the depth and level of sophistication in its treatment of the subject and its subtle message. It got a 99% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 79 reviews and an audience score of 94% with 250 reviews. Variety's Allison Herman called it a "thrillingly transportive event on TV." It has also been received well and praised in Japan and the US for its cinematic quality and authentic representation of Japanese culture.
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economictimes.indiatimes.com

'Shogun': With 9 million views in 6 days, it becomes No 1 FX premiere. Know Rotten Tomatoes score and other details

FX television series 'Shogun' got a 99% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 79 reviews and an audience score of 94% with 250 reviews. It has also been received well and praised in Japan and the US for its cinematic quality and authentic representation of Japanese culture.
economictimes.indiatimes.com economictimes.indiatimes.com

www.rottentomatoes.com

Shōgun | Rotten Tomatoes

Set in Japan in the year 1600, 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.
www.rottentomatoes.com www.rottentomatoes.com
 
"Shogun " led the field with 25 (!) nominations, including outstanding drama series, at the U.S. television Emmy Awards. Hiroyuki Sanada received the nod for best lead actor.

Hiroyuki Sanada in a scene from Shogun

Hiroyuki Sanada in a scene from "Shogun." (Photo credit: Katie Yu/FX/AP/Kyodo)​


english.kyodonews.net

Japan-set drama "Shogun" leads U.S. TV Emmy awards at 25 nominations

Japan-set historical drama "Shogun" collected 25 nominations including outstanding drama series at the U.S. television Emmy Awards to lead the field Wednesday, with Hiroyuki Sanada receiving the nod for best lead actor.
english.kyodonews.net english.kyodonews.net
 
I've only watched a few episodes so far because I believe it deserves my full attention and I haven't had the time to just watch (let alone binge) any show.

I heard that the response was so positive that the execs have done the inevitable and green-lit a second (and possibly third) season, extending well beyond the original story. I felt like a large part of the excellence of Clavell's story was what it left to the imagination, which is an unforgivable sin these days.

Goes to show that when there's money to be made, no intellectual property is safe to leave completed; as is custom with capitalist entertainment, they will squeeze this world until only bile comes out and viewers sour on it.
 
FX's historical drama Shogun secured a record-breaking 14 wins in a year, surpassing the previous record held by Game of Thrones in 2015. The drama claimed four additional wins on the night: Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai for Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama Series, respectively; Frederick E.O. Toye for Best Directing; and the coveted award for Outstanding Drama Series. Sanada and Sawai became the first Japanese actors to win in their respective categories. Shogun was the first non-English-language series to win the Emmy for Best Drama.

'Shogun' becomes first non-English-language winner of best drama Emmy

Photo credit: AFP/Jiji​


As well as playing the lead role of Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is based on real-life warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sanada is a co-producer on "Shogun" and one of the drivers of the period drama's striking cultural and historical authenticity. The 63-year-old is a veteran actor with a nearly six-decade career that spans Japanese and Hollywood films and television, and he brought his expertise to a set that went to great lengths to offer accurate portrayals of Japanese people in the 17th century.
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www.japantimes.co.jp

‘Shogun’ becomes first non-English-language winner of best drama Emmy

Veteran leading man Hiroyuki Sanada and co-lead Anna Sawai also took home acting awards for their roles in the show.
www.japantimes.co.jp www.japantimes.co.jp

www.theguardian.com

Emmy awards 2024: Shōgun makes history as Hacks, The Bear and Baby Reindeer triumph – video

Shōgun made history as the first non-English language series to win for best drama at the 2024 Emmy Awards
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 

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