FX is set to transport viewers to feudal Japan in the highly anticipated limited series Shōgun. The 10-episode season is a book-to-screen adaptation of James Clavell’s best-selling 1975 historical fiction novel of the same name that was previously made into a miniseries in 1980. Before the premiere on February 27, critics had the opportunity to screen the series, and their reviews are calling Shōgun the most epic project to hit our screens since Game of Thrones.
Shōgun follows three primary stories — the English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) who is shipwrecked in Japan, the powerful daimyo Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) who is battling political enemies, and translator Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian woman seeking to avenge her father’s death. Let’s get to the reviews, with GamesRadar’s Amy West rating it 3.5 out of 5 stars. West says:
Albeit heavy and a little cliché in places, Shōgun is an engaging tale of duty, political power, and legacy. Narrowly avoiding 'white savior' territory by centering its Japanese cast, it offers up memorable performances from the likes of Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, as well as gorgeous costumes and cinematography. … While its first [season] is far from perfect, it does enough right to leave us wanting more. If it irons out its kinks in a follow-up, it could very well end up being TV's next big book-based phenomenon. Watch out, Game of Thrones, it's coming for your throne…
Nick Schager of the Daily Beast calls Shōgun the “most epic series since Game of Thrones,” lauding how every detail and plot point is given the attention it deserves. The series is unhurried but purposeful, Schager says, with its period and cultural details adding heft to the project. More from the review:
Large-scale warfare, one-on-one showdowns, affairs, imprisonments, executions, assassins, espionage, betrayals, subterfuge, and military strategy are all delivered by this 10-episode epic, whose saga of a wayward Englishman in feudal Japan during a time of great crisis is, if never wholly exhilarating, a stately and compelling vision of honor and treachery.
Alison Herman of Variety notes the way creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo have balanced the grandeur of the world with the characters’ intimate psychology, saying it’s that “secret sauce” that really earns Shōgun its Game of Thrones comparisons. In Herman’s words:
Shōgun delivers the well-rendered action one would expect from a martial story. In lieu of pitched battles, however, the scope is smaller: two boats racing to get out of a harbor, or a lone fighter facing off against a group of assailants. The tighter focus could be a matter of economy, though it also reflects the show’s interest in the interpersonal moments that can get drowned out in the cacophony of war. There are superficial similarities to Game of Thrones — five contenders for an empty throne, a storyline about two girlhood friends on opposite sides of a power struggle. But it’s this focus on people that truly unites the two series, and qualifies Shōgun to take up the mantle of thrillingly transportive event TV.
Matt Roush of TV Insider rates the series a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, saying viewers won’t want to leave this world after just 10 episodes of such rewarding storytelling. Roush pleads with FX to never stop aiming this high, writing:
This ambitious remake, told largely in Japanese with lucid subtitles, deserves its own shower of praise. Thrilling and fascinating in its depiction of an ancient, exotic and often forbidding culture, Shogun immerses us in the world of 1600s feudal Japan through the eyes of an outsider: English sea pilot John Blackthorne (the likably blustery Cosmo Jarvis), stranded in this strange land amid a tempest of political intrigue and deadly power plays.
Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com gives it 3.5 out of 4 stars and is the rare critic rejecting comparisons to HBO’s fantasy saga. To compare Shōgun to Game of Thrones is to do a disservice to the FX title, they say, which is good enough to stand in its own right. In fact, Shunyata writes that the series feels less like an adaptation of the novel it’s based on than a reinvention that is both magnificent and wholly original. The critic continues:
From its sprawling monologues to its expertly crafted sets, the series stands out immediately in a landscape where content appears to be more important than art. Throwaway dramas are nothing compared to this, and as the epic tale slowly unfolds, the series is able to stand out as a titan amongst its peers.
This sounds like a can’t-miss option for anyone even remotely interested in this genre or epic storytelling. So far the series has drawn a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 26 critics, so we’ll have to see if it continues to see such high marks once the audience scores come in. The first two episodes of Shōgun will air at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday, February 27, on FX and can be streamed with a Hulu subscription. Be sure to see what other premieres are coming soon with our 2024 TV schedule.
