The APAHM Project Days 17-26: Shōgun
- Lauren
- May 26
- 9 min read
Series: Shōgun
Created By: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Release: 2024
Why It Made The List:
When I was making this year's APAHM list, I think Shōgun was on the list from the very beginning that I was unwilling to remove. After its historic Emmy wins for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai (the first Japanese actors to win) as well as breaking the record for most Emmy wins in 2024, it was a no-brainer for this year's list. It is also the first majority non-English series to win Outstanding Drama Series.
Once I started the show, I wondered if I had made a mistake. Every year, no matter how hard I try to stay ahead, I fall behind on APAHM. Watching things can sometimes be a chore after a busy day of work or Memorial Day weekend getaway. When I saw how many subtitles I had to read and how long the episodes were, I started to panic. But watching this show never felt like a chore. Once you understood what was going on.
Warning Ahead -- this blog post and show covers sensitive topics such as s**cide
My Thoughts:
Everyone I spoke to about this show loved it. When the Shōgun posts started rolling out on my Instagram page, I got so many DMs about how much people enjoyed the show.
I admit, after watching the first episode, I was so lost (apparently Episodes 1 & 2 are meant to be watched together). I had to watch a recap video after every episode. But once I got into it, I was counting down the minutes until I could log off work and watch Shōgun. I watched the series with my mom and our jaws dropped at the end of almost every episode. The show unpacks SO much, I really don't think I can explain the plot very well here. I would recommend watching this video to understand the history and premise and then watch the aforementioned recap videos for episode highlights.
Did you watch them? Okay, cool! Let's get into it.
Following along with this year's APAHM theme of the yellow ginkgo leaves getting their moment, James Clavell's novel that Shōgun is based on was written in 1975 (50 years ago!) And when I wrote this year's first blog post to introduce the lineup, I had no idea that there had already been a television adaptation made in 1980. While watching the YouTube recaps, I would always be met with a suggestion to watch this mini series. An image of a white man (Blackthorne) front and center with a Japanese woman (Mariko) standing behind him would takeover my screen. In an interview with Kondo and Marks, they explain they took little to no inspiration from the mini series and it was primarily told through Blackthorne's perspective (more than likely to appeal to white audiences). For a book about learning about other cultures, it seems from this poster and from the showrunners' statement that maybe the mini series was more about the English learning about Japanese culture and not so much the Japanese also learning about the English/other European countries.
In the 2024 version of Shōgun, we begin with Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) on his ship the Erasmus. He's an Englishman determined to get to Japan in order to get in on the trade market of Japanese goods, something only the Portuguese and Spanish have had access to so far. Blackthorne risks almost the entirety of his crew, ships, and his Captain to reach his goal. When he arrives in Japan, he is treated as a barbarian. However, Blackthorne shows his cleverness and has intel against the Portuguese that buys him some time. Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) uses Mariko (Anna Sawai) as his trusted translator to ensure there is no foul play in their exchanges. And with Mariko being a literal bridge between Toranaga (Japan) and Blackthorne (the rest of the world), we begin to see this "learning of cultures" Kondo and Marks is referring to.
A friend of mine would compare this to Ron Weasley in the first Harry Potter. It's not the first, last, or best movie to do this, but it's the one that makes the most sense to me when I see it happen in other shows and movies. We learn about the wizarding world through Ron teaching Harry. And we are learning about Japan through Mariko teaching Blackthorne. But Blackthorne has a lot to teach too. Because of his sailing experience, there's a great scene where he draws a map of the world for Toranaga. None of the Japanese in the show have left the country, so this is all new information to them. He also teaches them about using cannons precisely and strategically, eventually being asked to train a regiment. I think throughout the show, it's easy to see Blackthorne stumbling and then thriving in Japan and its customs, even speaking and understanding Japanese. But it's not as obvious to see the impact Blackthorne has had on the Japanese around him.
Blackthorne is seen as a nuisance, a threat to the Catholics in Osaka and Ajiro, and a form of entertainment to some. But I think Blackthorne's boldness and his outspoken nature really began to rub off on some of the characters. In episode 10, we begin by seeing an older Blackthorne back in London with his grandchildren. I thought it was a flash forward, but it was actually a dream. We get a glimpse of what Bloackthorne's would be if his fate changed. But in the end, after attempting to take his own life, he agrees to help Toranaga rebuild the Erasmus and stay in Japan. It's a fate he tried very hard to avoid, constantly asking to be reunited with his crew and ship and to leave (even just moments before attempting said suicide). But Toranaga and Mariko both knew Blackthorne could never truly go back. Should he, he would be a shell of a man like the one we saw in the dream.
Let's go back to "take his own life". *SPOILER* Mariko attempts to perform Sepukku (suicide ritual) due to what seems like impossible situation to get out of. But once it is resolved, she stops and gets to live another day. The showrunners said in an interview that Blackthorne attempting Sepukku on his own happens much earlier in the book and they chose to save it until the end. Now having an understanding of Japanese culture and the significance and sacredness of the ritual, seeing Blackthorne wanting to perform Sepukku later feels more authentic rather than risking it coming off as appropriation or disrespect or a spectacle. It's a great move on the writers to show Blackthorne's growth and how his life is now intertwined with Japan.
But let's talk about Mariko, Fuji, Kiku, Ochiba, and even Gin the owner of the tea house. The women in this show are NOT hiding behind Blackthorne like on the 1980s poster. Their strategic minds rival their male counterparts, which I feel like in this instance, means a lot because those Lords are doing some major mental gymnastics. Anna Sawai, the obvious standout, does a great job of showing how Mariko stays true to the societal expectations of women in Japan for the times, but also quietly changes her fate as well. There is a quiet strength within her that we see emerge with each episode. Ochiba is cunning and strategic, but has her own tragic backstory that makes her reach for power. She persists through it all and (attempts) to rise on top. But it is her sympathy and love for her friend (Mariko) that pushes her to make the pivotal move that helps Toranaga in his efforts to become shōgun.
However, even with Sawai's Mariko being in the top 3 cast, Fuji is the fan favorite. *Spoiler* We first meet her because her husband has been ordered to perform sepukku and they must also end their line, meaning kill their infant son. Fuji shows she is a fighter, willing to take her own life instead (she is a woman born to a noble family). Her grandfather, advisor and friend to Toranaga, says that Toranaga has asked her to join them to Ajiro. Once Blackthorne becomes a Hatamoto, he is required to have a consort and Fuji has been assigned to him. She objects but eventually agrees to 6 months. Despite her dislike and disrespect towards Blackthorne, she keeps a good home and obeys his quirky requests. She protects his house with strength and a touch of humor (see Episode 3). But when the 6 months are over, she tells Blackthorne she has permission to become a nun and leave. Blackthorne hates to see her go, but tells her she will be the best nun. Together. they go out to the water with Fuji's husband and baby's remains. She mentions they belong in the family tomb, but Blackthorne explains the significance of being buried at sea. The water connects us all and this way, they will always be with us. They spread the ashes before Fuji convinces Blackthorne to also surrender Mariko's rosary to the water. She tells him to let his hands be the last to hold her, which is what Mariko told her moments before her baby died. The water scene was one of my favorite scenes in the series, showing both the growth of Blackthorne and Fuji and the acceptance of loss and the beauty of hope and love enduring.
It would be impossible to organize all my thoughts about this show and I'm surprised I've written this much so far (who knows if it makes any sense or has any flow). But the connecting tissue of Shōgun is taking charge of your own fate. Whether its survival, honoring their family, or power, every character is trying to break out of their box. If we let life and societal expectations control our fate, we as an Asian American community would continue to be a monolith. We would be working in the fields, continue to be merchants. We might still be under the Chinese Exclusion Act or stuck in war-torn countries. It is because of those who came before us changing their fate, wanting more, that we now have the freedoms to be more and be our ancestors' wildest dreams come true. To want more and to ask for more. Those who are not afraid to rock the boat and make waves are paving the way for all of us to have the privilege to change our fates.
In Conclusion:
When I watch the titles for APAHM, I keep a note in my phone of notable quotes, themes, or summaries. Sometimes there just isn't too much to say, but for Shōgun, I found myself so engrossed in the story that I just didn't want to pause to write anything down. In fact, I didn't have any notes in my phone for Shōgun until I started to watch interviews for the show and it was really only that season 1 covers the entire Clavell novel and that they started writing the show in 2019 (through COVID). This show is just that good.
The visuals and production value is like a big budget movie. But it is the phenomenal acting that makes the show what it is. EVERY actor is bringing their 100%. And even though this is a period piece and we can't really relate to samurais or war lords on the surface, we can connect to their internal struggles and their journey to change their fates. Seeing Shōgun get the praise they so obviously deserve allows us to see Asian excellence. They have made history but it is seeing the recognition from voting academies and peers that validate our existence in the film landscape. We belong. We are stars. We are winners. It's a great feeling.
And just to touch on Mariko one last time. As an Asian woman, it is hard for me to speak up or to take up space. I often feel small or unworthy of people's time or energy. I don't ever want to feel like a bother. But Mariko's the epitome of "still waters run deep." She has shown that you can stay true to your culture and yourself. That you can earn respect. In Anna's "Actors on Actors" Variety interview with Tom Hiddleston, Hiddleston asks how other Japanese or Asian women have responded to Shōgun and Mariko. Sawai begins to cry and says, "After the screening, multiple young girls came up to me being like, 'This is the first time I’m seeing a real Japanese character that I can really relate to.' They were getting emotional as well, because it was something that they had internalized — not being able to speak, having to behave — and they thought that’s the way that they should be. In Japan, we see characters like that; but in Western media, it was my first time reading a script that felt like she was not sidelined. We were seeing that vulnerability but also the strength within her. We see her find her voice. I feel like if I had seen characters like Mariko on-screen growing up, that would’ve formed me in a different way. I wouldn’t have internalized all those expectations."
If you have any takeaway from Shōgun, it's that our lives are what we make it. The decisions we make define us. Our fates are ours for the taking.
Shout Out!
Today's shout out goes to artist/content creator Ling Chang of @lingchangleathercrafting! I have seen her videos pop up on my Instagram feed and I finally decided I just needed to follow her. Ling makes leather goods and even marbles her own leather pieces. She's made a variety of Lunar New Year inspired bags, lamps, and even shoes! Her videos are super satisfying to watch and her pieces always come out beautifully. If you are looking for some ASMR crafty content, give her a follow! Ling is also in the process of opening an online store so you can buy a piece of her art!
If You Liked This, You Might Also Like:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Paramount +
Pachinko on Apple TV
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