ONE EPIC SAGA
A primer to what you need to know about the buzzy new FX series ‘Shogun’
FX’s grand new epic adventure “Shogun” takes viewers back in time to 1600 Japan. It’s the twilight of the Sengoku period, a time of constant civil war and social upheaval in feudal Japan. Rival daimyos, or clan leaders, jockey for true power while the Emperor held a largely ceremonial role, backing the wealthiest and wiliest warlords.
“Shogun” opens with the arrival of an interloper to this world: English pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) has navigated his Dutch-owned ship all the way across the world, through passages kept secret by the Portuguese and Spanish. His hope and dream? To ease the Catholic superpowers’ grip on international trade so that his beloved Queen Elizabeth I and Protestant Church can ally with wealthy Japan. What actually happens? Well, Blackthorne finds himself a pawn in the brilliant daimyo Toranaga’s (Hiroyuki Sanada) labyrinthine plans.
“Shogun” tells an almost unbelievable yarn, in which an uncouth Englishman finds himself a key player in samurai culture. Ninjas attack in the middle of the night, lady samurai fight for the honor of their houses, and a vast conspiracy pits warlords against each other. There’s no way any of this happened, right? Well, yes, and no …
The series is inspired by a work of fiction, James Clavell’s bestselling 1975 novel of the same name. There was never a genius
Japanese warlord named Toranaga and no man named John Blackthorne ever managed to sail across the Atlantic, around Cape Horn, and across the entire Pacific with just the stars to guide him. However, Clavell was, in turn, inspired by real-life historic figures. Just about every single character in “Shogun” has a real life stand-in. Whether it’s Tokugawa Ieyasu, the historic founder of the prosperous Edo Period, aka the O.G. Toranaga, or William Adams, a contemporary English navigator who unwittingly found himself turned into a samurai at Tokugawa’s pleasure. Even the badass Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) is loosely based on a woman who really lived, and whose courageous actions were pivotal in taking down Tokugawa’s rivals.
“Shogun” is the second TV adaptation of James Clavell’s beloved 1975 book. (The first adaptation was a massive 1980 miniseries starring Toshiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain in Sanada and Jarvis’s roles, respectively.)
Clavell was inspired to write the novel when he stumbled up on mention of an “English samurai” who really lived in the early 17th century. Clavell then took William Adams, known to the Japanese as Miura Anjin, as inspiration for his literally epic story of life, death, love, murder, loyalty and honor.
Yoshi Toranaga, the sly daimyo with dreams of a united Japan, was inspired by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man responsible for outmaneuvering his enemies to establish the Edo Period.
John Blackthorne, who will go by the nickname Anjin or Anjinsan, in Japan, is modeled after Williams Adams. (Anjin is the Japanese word for “pilot.” We’re told that Blackthorne’s own name is too difficult for the locals to pronounce.)
Toda Mariko, who also goes by the Christian name of Lady Maria, is similarly drawn from the story of Hosokawa Gracia.
While just about every figure in “Shogun” has a real life counterpart, keep in mind that the fictional characters’ personalities are just that: fiction. The passions that drive the show’s drama are pure invention.