My personal mini series Mount Rushmore is led by Band Of Brothers and Chernobyl. Two amazing HBO historical series that left a deep impact on my view of TV. But similar to Vinland Saga, Shogun is able to take histories and intertwine them in this dramatic fashion by taking liberties with its story and blending history and drama in a great way.
Shogun is framed as this show that indicates battle as swords and battle armor are the forefront of the shows poster. Even the synopsis of the show indicates taking action on enemies and staying a float in an ongoing civil war. And while there certainly is a war, it's not as simple as any ordinary one. Characters in Shogun have to be careful with their actions as the events of the show are to slowly let someone bleed out rather than to charge them head on and leave body's dropping.
This series is a long chess game that gives every move room to breathe, leaving characters to ponder and the audience to anticipate what's next throughout many unforeseen twists and turns. But some of the best elements of Shogun are some of the themes it portrays.
Mariko is in my eyes Shogun's best character. Her backstory leaves a lifeless shadow on her despite the fact that she shows ambition in her path of following Lord Toranaga. But throughout the journey they're more glimpses of Mariko's past that make her motivations more clear. Throughout the show there are many quotes and poems regarding life, death, and other facets of the world the characters live in. The line that defined the series was one about a flower, and it perfectly encapsulates not only an arc, but the surrounding of that arc that put everything into perspective.
When it comes to expectations, don't let the expectations of flashy battle weigh over you while watching this show because I think the intention is to show audiences that battles aren't as clear cut as drawing blades. It shows the impact of life and death by throwing you into a story where it doesn't take entire armies falling to determine the fate of many people, and sometimes it takes the right voice and message to make everything grow.
Even though I think the Emmy's have lost an extreme amount of credibility from the way they treated shows like Better Call Saul and The Wire, I still appreciate the publicity and flowers it gives away to shows that end up translating to mainstream media since the Emmy's are the benchmark for TV awards. And with that hopefully Shogun sweeps the drama category as it's truly the best show of the year so far and is looking to stay that way. Not to mention Anna Sawai stealing the show as well Hiroyuki Sanada who acted AND produced this series. Either way, some award doesn't define what a great piece of media is. With or without one, Shogun is an accomplishment that should be cherished by anyone who enjoys the journey it takes you on.
Shogun is framed as this show that indicates battle as swords and battle armor are the forefront of the shows poster. Even the synopsis of the show indicates taking action on enemies and staying a float in an ongoing civil war. And while there certainly is a war, it's not as simple as any ordinary one. Characters in Shogun have to be careful with their actions as the events of the show are to slowly let someone bleed out rather than to charge them head on and leave body's dropping.
This series is a long chess game that gives every move room to breathe, leaving characters to ponder and the audience to anticipate what's next throughout many unforeseen twists and turns. But some of the best elements of Shogun are some of the themes it portrays.
Mariko is in my eyes Shogun's best character. Her backstory leaves a lifeless shadow on her despite the fact that she shows ambition in her path of following Lord Toranaga. But throughout the journey they're more glimpses of Mariko's past that make her motivations more clear. Throughout the show there are many quotes and poems regarding life, death, and other facets of the world the characters live in. The line that defined the series was one about a flower, and it perfectly encapsulates not only an arc, but the surrounding of that arc that put everything into perspective.
When it comes to expectations, don't let the expectations of flashy battle weigh over you while watching this show because I think the intention is to show audiences that battles aren't as clear cut as drawing blades. It shows the impact of life and death by throwing you into a story where it doesn't take entire armies falling to determine the fate of many people, and sometimes it takes the right voice and message to make everything grow.
Even though I think the Emmy's have lost an extreme amount of credibility from the way they treated shows like Better Call Saul and The Wire, I still appreciate the publicity and flowers it gives away to shows that end up translating to mainstream media since the Emmy's are the benchmark for TV awards. And with that hopefully Shogun sweeps the drama category as it's truly the best show of the year so far and is looking to stay that way. Not to mention Anna Sawai stealing the show as well Hiroyuki Sanada who acted AND produced this series. Either way, some award doesn't define what a great piece of media is. With or without one, Shogun is an accomplishment that should be cherished by anyone who enjoys the journey it takes you on.
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