Is that a thing? Moss gardens? Thank you for explaining because I just thought it was disrespectful as in walking barefooted and bringing dirt inside! Thank you for explaining!
The dining scene mirrors real events on set. In the FX podcast Hiroyuki Sanada told there were two caterers. One for the western, one for the japanese cast and crew. WIth time people of both sides were curious what the other ones were eating. And so they tried and learned along with the story they were filming. Quite poetic.
Hopefully she can have some good stuff happen for her. Shes had a rough start of this series so far, and its been completely out of her control aswell....
Fuji drawing the guns to protect Blackthorne was cold-blooded badass. This show is so good! You see the slow begrudging but ever so constant warming up to the person & their culture on both sides. Blackthorne is learning this strange Japanese culture but warming up to some people & their customs & vice-versa especially from Lord Toranaga as we saw & now Mariko & Fuji. The episodes are flying by but conversely the week’s wait for the next episode is slow🫤😧
1:08 That's not what all a consort implies during that period in their history. She isn't just a "pillow mistress". Concubines do have responsibilities and leverage in the household.
@@agnesyoshida8654 the word "consort" is super confusing for me as a non native english speaker. It says meaning of the word - 1. a husband or wife; spouse, esp. of a reigning monarch. But she is his concubine in the books, not a wife
There is a certain etiquette to be held, she cant say it was her, because she is of very high birth, so the scene must be that it was a courtisan that slept with John, not to put her in a filthy light so to say.
She saw that dingaling when he was on the boat swimming and conveniently walked on him showering! She even smirked after looking at it and was even looking at it on the boat as well 🤣
You should listen to the official podcast. "Consort" is not a correct translation of Fuji-san's position. In order for Blackthorn to be "hatamoto" he must be a member of a samurai family. He is being married into her family. It is why she can give him her father's swords. She runs his household. Women had much more agency during the Sengoku period than later in the Edo period.
It was such a violent time, samurai could be called away and killed at a moment’s notice. Women had to hold the household down, keep finances, and deal with political intrigue. Someone had to keep the family going.
Mariko hearing him talk about London, realizing that his “eight fold fence” was far less complex nor rooted in tradition- yet she was enamored. They share a worldly curiosity and ability to understand people for their quirks & motivations. This was such a beautifully written way for this little romance to spark. New subscriber, so glad I came across your page. Already so excited for next Tuesday 💪🏼
no, there is no reason for a lady who lost her family to suddenly let herself be "pillowed" by someone else, who is in fact a barbarian i.e a stranger. And toranaga should have known that osaka would not let izu left itself be, countermeasures should have been made then.
I'm fairly certain they were shooting the "chain-shot" rather than cannonballs at the end. There was more spread out destruction than a single ball would cause.
Definitely intended to be chain-shot. Basically, it is two small cannonballs, or two metal hemispheres, separated by a six foot long, sturdy chain. The balls spread to the limit of the chain in flight. So, the "shredding" of the soft organic targets in the final scene would be because of the chains ripping through them. Cannonballs at the time would be solid shot. Exploding shells were not really a thing, if they existed at all. A cannonball would take off a limb, if it hit you in the arm or leg. Chain-shot would tear apart several closely ranked soldiers with ease.
The Last Samurai copied from Shogun the novel which was published in 1976. For those of us that read the book and watched the 80s adaption, we are aware of how derivative The Last Samurai is.
22:24 That is a masterpiece... what a good show!! Tadanobu Asano is killing in this show... his facial expressions by the end of this episode are just priceless...
For those wondering what Chain Shot is, it’s when 2 cannonballs are chained together and fired from one canon. The chain clotheslines right through anything. They are typically used for taking down rigging and masts to completely cripple a ship.
folks, this show has already been implemented in a game called total war : shogun 2 released 13 years ago. its a masterpiece, and this show literally the live action remake of that with some unneeded romance.
The first miniseries was strictly from Blackthorne's point of view. This version is from the Japanese point of view, especially from Mariko, Toranaga, and Yabushige. The reason why Hiroyuki Sanada is also a producer is because this take on the material is from the Japanese point of view. In many ways, Anna Sawai's version of Mariko is more complex and nuanced than the first Mariko, the late Yoko Shimada. While Shimada was beautiful and elegant, and playing a role in a language she did not speak (she had to be coached on her delivery of the English dialogue), there are moments in her performance that were not as strong as what Sawai has brought to this very complex and strong character. There is a scene that I am waiting for, if they do have it in a later episode, that will seal the deal on who has the stronger performance in the role. Cosmo Jarvis is growing on me as Blackthorne. The first couple of episodes I was unsure of him, as opposed to Richard Chamberlain, who originally played the role. One thing that Jarvis has over Chamberlain...Jarvis has an English accent. Chamberlain didn't. Amazingly enough, I do not miss the voice-over narration of the first version. Even though the narrator was the legendary Orson Welles, at times it could be jarring. Definite improvements of casting from the original...Yabushige. In the first, he was just called Yabu...and the actor playing the role was a beloved comic in Japan named Frankie Sakai. I really like Todanobu Asano as Yabushige.
The real John Blackthorne, William Adams, though he did leave his family in England, he sent money over regularly to help support them while he lived his new life. Did he abandon them? Kind of, but he couldn’t really leave, and at least he cared enough to do what little he could
Probably dumb question as I haven't read the book but doesn't him being completely cut off from his country make more sense.... Like if he could send money, couldn't he also message the information about Japan and his situation to England as well... But in the show he has no contact at all
@@chetanveersidhu753 That’s not a dumb question! That all comes later in their history, at this point, he was cut off. I don’t want to spoil the show by giving away more than that
Might be a dumb question but I'm genuinely curious. How do you send money to a private person across the world during that time? To the Queen, sure. But to a commoner?
@@RobTheWatcheri'm not an expert but during the crusades when pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem they could deposit physucal money in europe to templars I think abd then get a document that you gave to templars in jerusalem and they honoured that. I have no idea exactly how William got money to his family but I guess he might've paid europeans to do a similar thing for him. A long journey but even Catholics like money and if you pay the right price I'd think they would do it for you. Or perhaps he paid them in silks? Don't know😂
@@chetanveersidhu753Japan was a closed nation for majority of its existence the only nation they really traded with was Netherlands, if you remember Blackthorne was piloting a Dutch ship at the start of all this.
Toranaga is behind Kiku. He owns her courtesan contract sometime after episode 4. That's how Toranaga knew about Blackthorn's ship in Yabushige's village before Yabushige thought of mentioning it to Toranaga. The fact that Yabishige would hesitate about the heretics arrival would make Toranaga suspicious of lord Yabishige's loyalty. The act of Kiku spying for Toranaga would be the catalyst that would lead to Kiku's contract purchase. Toranaga would have to buy her contract to ensure Kiku's loyalty. If she violates the terms of her courtesan contract, Lord Toranaga has the option to kill her. Kiku would comply because a woman who is not owned by a man is guaranteed a life with no protection from random men.
Blackthorne has quite a way with words 😃 Anna Sawai killed it in this episode! ♥ her! Fuji's like: gimme da guns & then like: dare ya to try & take 'em! bad azz! 😎 'he likes her' - who doesn't? 😳 Anna Sawaii is a goddess! 😍😳 Wow what a krazy ending! 😲
Toranaga was smart enough to realize that if Blackthorn had his ship and his men he’d probably take off for home. So he moved the men to be hostages so Blackthorn would keep his agreement to train his troops.
Much like the book, tons of little things that slip past the first time. For instance, Fuji is taking pains the entire time to "Not touch a weapon", always using her kimono to not directly handle any weapon.
"I know this isn't supposed to be like a romance show. But I like what I like, okay?" A lot of us enjoy romance too, Achara. You go on rocking out and liking what you like! and I think it IS meant to be romance as well as political intrigue and violence. Great stories are never just one thing 😀
I am Japanese. It seems that some people are making a fuss about the lack of black people in SHOGUN. Several years before this era, there was a black samurai named Yasuke who served under Nobunaga. However, he was released from his samurai status at the same time as Nobunaga's assassination. Before him, there was no other black person in Japan. Also, in the era of this drama, only Europeans, let alone Americans, came to Japan. Also,There were no black aristocrats in Europe at that time.
yes, there is always going to be those village idiots that complain about silly things. the show is set in Japan and they have a majority of people in the show that appear to be Japanese. if this should surprise anyone, then that person shouldn't be taken seriously.
waiwaiwaiwaiwait.... so, the show literally starts with the quote "the year is 1600"... the production crew made it abundantly clear they're trying to respect historical accuracy... and there's people who say "this show should be treated with a modern approach"? _sudden break out into J Jonah Jameson laughter_ hHhHHHHhhHHHhHHHhHHhhhhhHhHhHhhHHHhhhHh! o.o You serious? like, seriously... if people want black people in this show, give them tortured slaves in full 4K quality, with a side serving of Japanese brutality. if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing!
Ignore them. In the West, we're dealing with a problem with identity politics. This unfortunately infiltrated almost every aspect of our culture. From the workplace to Hollywood. Do not tolerate any of this in you're country. BTW you're English is very good
It is very clever that they casted a no-name actor for the roie of John, at least for American audiences. In the 1980 series John was the big star from the beginining because his actor Richard Chamberlain was on the height of his career portraying heroes in historic dramas after doing the 1970s versions of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Christo. The story was totally focused on him, Toranaga more of a supporting character. With Cosmo Jarvis it is so much more believeable that John is not the white savior but a stranger in a strange land who has to learn and adapt to survive.
17:59 - Blackthorne mentions English plays about "Doomed lovers, cursed kings." I was guessing he might have been referring to Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Macbeth'. Shogun takes place in 1600. I looked it up and 'Romeo and Juliet' was written around 1594-96 but 'Macbeth' was written around 1606-07. Maybe Blackthorne was thinking of a different play... [EDIT: ...now that I think about it, I wonder if "doomed lovers, cursed kings" might be some kind of foreshadowing? Hmmm....]
Just realized that Omi manipulated Toranaga's Son to kill the Messengers because if he kills the messenger, it will make it seem that Yabushige betrayed Ishido,so the council will wanna try to kill Toranaga AND Yabushige now. If Yabushige dies,Omi will finally be the ruler of his fiefdom, which the courtesan (woman in red) suggested to him. Everyone has their own agenda😅
@mem5860 agreed. Haven't read the book or seen the 1980s version so don't know how it's supposed to go. Besides, I suspect Mariko's husband is still alive
@@slin2678 In the original show the 2nd half was focused on the love story, the real life John and his Japanese wife had there names changed for this. so it might be Fuji who is his future wife, all good fun from a plot standpoint.
What’s probably a medium fail in this series is Toranaga’s speech to the men of Izu: Toranaga was actually afraid that Yabushige was going to capture him and present him to Ishido. However, being the master tactician that he is, he decided to make lemonade out of lemons. In order to protect himself he made a very inspirational speech, causing Yabushige’s troops to chant his name, affording him additional protection from any Yabushige scheme. Additionally, Toranaga, without warning Yabushige, just left ceremoniously by boat, to Edo, where he is surrounded by his troops! They could have done the scene in such a way that we could read all the complicated and fearful calculations on Toranaga’s face.
It wasn’t just the led ball it was the chain rounds that they never got to test out that’s why on the first shot it took out 3 ppl plus horse it one shot insane 😳
Just a quick fyi, 1 koku is the cost of enough rice to sustain a medium sized family (two adults and two kids) for a full year, so Blackthorne's salary of 240 koku a year is very generous. :)
Didn't think much of it, but that was a good point you guys brought up. Even though Portuguese sold cannons and muskets to the Japanese, they probably also purposively didn't teach them the optimal way of utilizing these assets. Muskets are easy enough to figure out, but large cannons involve far more complicated calculation to aim. Also, I'm really starting to feel bad for Yabushige... A villain might he be, he also seems to be the only sensible person we can somewhat relay to.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Japan was one of the world's leading possessors of muskets, and cannons were also produced domestically. However, since about 73% of Japan's land area is mountainous, it was difficult to operate artillery, and few tactics incorporating artillery were developed. Also, the idea of using artillery for purposes other than attacking castles was not widely considered.
Yea well it seemed the guy saw the uncle's bullshit by allowing them to witness the cannons in action and thought that the officals would be a problem if they warned isho about the cannons. So while a pretty scummy way, war was already a possibility so better kill the officals and leave isho in the dark about the cannons.
John is a polyglot. The person he is based on, William Adams aka Miuri Anjin, spoke English, Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese. It's safe to assume John does as well. He's also learning Japanese, it's said Adams learned Japanese rather quickly.
A highborn lady in Sengoku without a Lord to ensure her protection is nothing in the Sengoku period. Such a woman will fall victim to random men who will rape her or force her into servitude. Sepukku would be the best alternative. Though rare but also not uncommon is for a man of high status such as a Taiko to have more than one woman. The #1 woman runs the estate, and finances while the #2 or #3 have the position to act as sisters-in-law or child bearers. Any 3 of them have a duty to bear children if the man of the house so wishes. The #1 consort/wife would need sisters-in-law to help run a large estate. A man may keep a woman in each feif if he owns more than one village. Fuji won't bang with Blackthorne since she is still grieving. Buntaro's possible death opens a door for Mariko's feeling of freedom for a short time. Mariko pillowing with Blackthorne was a gift. Fuji has no idea of the Courtesan visit but has her suspicions that Mariko and Blackthorne did the deed but she will keep quiet to ensure she has a roof over her head now that she realizes that her master, despite being a stinky unwashed barbarian, is a kind and honorable man worthy of bearing her family's swords . If Blackthorn asked for Mariko's hand in marriage, he would be denied cause Blackthorn will be marrying into the family name of a traitor. It's also bad luck to keep a traitor's name in your court retinue. It is also presumptuous of Blackthorne to have a 2nd wife since he would need to be at Toranaga's level of wealth to do so. I suspect Toranaga will keep Blackthorne on land in order to prevent Blackthorne from committing acts of Piracy against Portuguese vessels despite the treaty between Spain and Portugal claiming ownership of Japan. Japan needs to keep open trade between nations and will deal with the Portuguese if they overstep their imaginary authority. He needs an ally eager to attack the Portuguese if these foreigners overreach their authority over his dominion.
This show really makes me feel like I felt back then when game of thrones was running :D Love it! That ending was totally not what I expected, I also thought they just would fire badly on purpose but...THAT? XD
I'm a bit pleasantly surprised that, when Anjin, Mariko, and Fuji were eating and Mariko said "This may be not for you", you immediately identified it as natto. Yours is the first Episode 4 reaction I've seen where anyone even knew what natto is.
I'm glad they had Blackthorne pick up on what Mariko was saying about their night together so quickly. In the novel he spends a lot of time following her around like a sad puppy before he gets it. Also he helps himself to Fujiko. And Buntaro is still around. Some of the changes have been for the better.
@@mattiedaniel9372 In the book it's more clear. He can tell it's her because of the perfume and her breasts are bigger than Fujis. He follows her around declaring his love for a while and straight up asks her to divorce Buntaro (who swam from the dock in the book and is still around) before he understands that it was a one-time thing that shouldn't be spoken about ever again.
The comments on needing to remember more back then because you couldn't rely on technology. So true. Remember before cell phones? You had to remember SO many phone numbers. It is unimaginable for today's kids. Oh and natto is NASTY! He was eating it like a champ though.
8:40 Well, he probably really had cannons with superior accuracy. His ship was basically a warship for England that also plundered enemy ships, for that it is helpful if you have cannons that are accurate enough to damage the ships to make them unmanoeuverable without sinking them. One way to get really good cannons would be to produce a lot, some of them will be more accurate, some will be worse. And for the most important missions you would get the best cannons they had.
@@eatsmylifeYT Right, but the underlying logic still applies. It is reasonable that at least the most important cannons (front of the ship and back) are more accurate than the cannons that they have seen before.
They're actually culverin's which have a much greater barrel length to shot size ratio making them more accurate than regular cannons, the downside being that they take longer to reload. Drake used them to great effect against the Spanish armada.
@@christophtoifl6848 Uhm, no. Warships at the time had cannons at their sides, hence the term "broadside" which meant all the cannons at one side firing at the same time, to ensure maximum damage. At most, there would be four cannons at the bow or stern, but much more at the sides, maybe six or seven, at least.
Moss appears in Japan National Anthem. Given the short lyrics of the anthem and how japanese are profound in their way of thinking, every words appearing on the national anthem are carefully chosen and crafted. One of the word appearing in their national anthem is "Moss". So you can see how high a respect moss is given by the japanese
Great reaction. Everybody is shocked about Toranaga Son's action but remember in a previous episode that, "Toranaga is the master of trickery". There are a number of questions which needs to be answered. Why would Lord Ishido's men show up in the first place? Who "tipped off Lord Ishido" about the exercise? Was Toranaga and His Son planning this in the first place? Was this a test about the loyalty of the Kasigi Yabu? Remember, Toranaga is a master strategist. I believe Lord Isido's men knew about the cannon training in advanced. Thank you for a great reaction.
As I have seen from a lot of comments across various channels, a lot of people (including me) have instantly started crushing on Fuji the moment she pulled the gun to Omi's face.
best part about Fuji and the gun is I bet that's not even character progression. We've seen her at basically her lowest and surrounded by friends so far. I bet that's her first heart, based on the "everybody has three hearts" quote at the beginning of the show. Mariko's smile right after, that's not pride. That's a smile of someone who was familiar with Fuji's game. Also that whole natto sequence was hilarious.
You don't walk on the moss because it's a moss garden. You don't walk on flowers in a flower garden
ah, thanks for the explanation!
Makes sense 👍🏽
Nice garden btw
Is that a thing? Moss gardens?
Thank you for explaining because I just thought it was disrespectful as in walking barefooted and bringing dirt inside!
Thank you for explaining!
That explains it but I've never heard of a "moss garden" before, that's interesting.
"Please be on your way!"
😂
That was so badass!
The dining scene mirrors real events on set. In the FX podcast Hiroyuki Sanada told there were two caterers. One for the western, one for the japanese cast and crew. WIth time people of both sides were curious what the other ones were eating. And so they tried and learned along with the story they were filming. Quite poetic.
Dining scene is my favorite. perfection
I think i may have fallen in love with Fuji just a little bit this episode.
Ikr brooo
Hopefully she can have some good stuff happen for her. Shes had a rough start of this series so far, and its been completely out of her control aswell....
She's a tragic woman and I'm so happy she stood her ground and help John. I truly love her character development ❤❤
Yo Fuji is bad ass for sure!!!
bro didnt want the Fujussy
Mariko and Fuji looking at Blackthorn like, "dont make it weird.." lol
🤣
"Are you implying that a 3some is incoming kind sir 👀🤔, I am a man of culture."😆😂
LMFAOOOOO
😂😂
I think Fuji is just confused at what they were talking, remember she doesn't understand the language. hahaha
For such a minor character, I really like and respect Blackthorne's consort.
She's the best character. Such a strong person who had to deal with incredibly difficult situations after another.
Fuji drawing the guns to protect Blackthorne was cold-blooded badass.
This show is so good! You see the slow begrudging but ever so constant warming up to the person & their culture on both sides. Blackthorne is learning this strange Japanese culture but warming up to some people & their customs & vice-versa especially from Lord Toranaga as we saw & now Mariko & Fuji. The episodes are flying by but conversely the week’s wait for the next episode is slow🫤😧
2:46 通常、武将は頭を下げて「お願いします」と言ったりはしません。薮重の心中はわかりませんが、虎永は人心掌握の為にそれをしたと思います。
貴方たちおふたりのリアクション、楽しんでいます。ありがとう。
1:08 That's not what all a consort implies during that period in their history. She isn't just a "pillow mistress". Concubines do have responsibilities and leverage in the household.
The Japanese dialogue says wife (okugata/seishitsu). I’m not sure why they say consort in the English.
@@agnesyoshida8654 the word "consort" is super confusing for me as a non native english speaker. It says meaning of the word - 1. a husband or wife; spouse, esp. of a reigning monarch. But she is his concubine in the books, not a wife
They even say she takes care of the house and the finances. That's her main role.
People confuse Geisha as well as simple prostitutes. But they have many skills.
It doesn't makes sense for a man to have a concubine without a main wife. @@skittlesrequiem4362
The way ''John Blackthorne'' said ''Goodmorning'' to ''Lady Mariko'' is hilarious!
Mariko be gaslighting John that it wasn't her😂😂😂
🤣
John thinking he racist
Wow...@@WuMyth
There is a certain etiquette to be held, she cant say it was her, because she is of very high birth, so the scene must be that it was a courtisan that slept with John, not to put her in a filthy light so to say.
@@theMyouknowright tho! That smile on her face was that of a satisfied woman 😂😂😂😂
indeed Its Mariko who goes pillowing with john. she just use darkness and courtesan for deniability.
"Oh that wasnt me. you just confuse by darkness"
She saw that dingaling when he was on the boat swimming and conveniently walked on him showering! She even smirked after looking at it and was even looking at it on the boat as well 🤣
The weather the following morning was rain and clouds.
You should listen to the official podcast. "Consort" is not a correct translation of Fuji-san's position. In order for Blackthorn to be "hatamoto" he must be a member of a samurai family. He is being married into her family. It is why she can give him her father's swords. She runs his household. Women had much more agency during the Sengoku period than later in the Edo period.
It was such a violent time, samurai could be called away and killed at a moment’s notice. Women had to hold the household down, keep finances, and deal with political intrigue. Someone had to keep the family going.
I'm glad that they changed that in the german dub. They used the word marriage and wife.
favorite episode by far, fuji is the best
Why because she much prettier
Fuji-san did similar actions in the 1980 mini-series regarding the guns.
@@penegakkeadilanpembasmikej5022bc she has a great little arc
@@putinscat1208where can i watch that
@@abc92800 I'm not sure. I have them on DVD.
Mariko hearing him talk about London, realizing that his “eight fold fence” was far less complex nor rooted in tradition- yet she was enamored. They share a worldly curiosity and ability to understand people for their quirks & motivations. This was such a beautifully written way for this little romance to spark.
New subscriber, so glad I came across your page. Already so excited for next Tuesday 💪🏼
God, every episode is so consistent and cinematic af! What a story
no, there is no reason for a lady who lost her family to suddenly let herself be "pillowed" by someone else, who is in fact a barbarian i.e a stranger. And toranaga should have known that osaka would not let izu left itself be, countermeasures should have been made then.
Fuji is fast overtaking Rodrigues as my favourite character.
This show is top tier. Best show I've seen in a while
The ending of this episode has everyone’s jaw dropping, mine included
I thought he might do something, but i was NOT expecting him to turn the Cannons on them
One thing I notice was that the ammo used was probably the chain shots, just because how it hit everyone in the group
@@imxande6930think it was because wasn't that last thing they were loaded with?
@@DocRob23Same here!
@@imxande6930Yes you are correct, if you try to slowmo the video, it was a two cannon balls with chains on it.
I'm fairly certain they were shooting the "chain-shot" rather than cannonballs at the end. There was more spread out destruction than a single ball would cause.
Indeed, I think it was chain shot for sure
I agree.
extremely deadly but was meant for the ships rigging, sails and masts
Wait until they found out about grape shot 😂
Definitely intended to be chain-shot.
Basically, it is two small cannonballs, or two metal hemispheres, separated by a six foot long, sturdy chain. The balls spread to the limit of the chain in flight. So, the "shredding" of the soft organic targets in the final scene would be because of the chains ripping through them.
Cannonballs at the time would be solid shot. Exploding shells were not really a thing, if they existed at all. A cannonball would take off a limb, if it hit you in the arm or leg. Chain-shot would tear apart several closely ranked soldiers with ease.
The scene were fuji gifts him her fathers katana reminded me the scene from last samurai when the women gifts him her husband's armour
This type of samurai movies you will never get tired of watching...its like a fresh air
The Last Samurai copied from Shogun the novel which was published in 1976. For those of us that read the book and watched the 80s adaption, we are aware of how derivative The Last Samurai is.
22:24 That is a masterpiece... what a good show!! Tadanobu Asano is killing in this show... his facial expressions by the end of this episode are just priceless...
For those wondering what Chain Shot is, it’s when 2 cannonballs are chained together and fired from one canon. The chain clotheslines right through anything.
They are typically used for taking down rigging and masts to completely cripple a ship.
And the wreck any sailor who happens to be in the way. Chain and grapeshot were devastating during the US Civil War.
Damn. As if canons weren’t scary enough
Anyone who plays sea of Thieves will understand 😂😭
Anyone who used to play blackwake would understand
folks, this show has already been implemented in a game called total war : shogun 2 released 13 years ago. its a masterpiece, and this show literally the live action remake of that with some unneeded romance.
The first miniseries was strictly from Blackthorne's point of view. This version is from the Japanese point of view, especially from Mariko, Toranaga, and Yabushige.
The reason why Hiroyuki Sanada is also a producer is because this take on the material is from the Japanese point of view.
In many ways, Anna Sawai's version of Mariko is more complex and nuanced than the first Mariko, the late Yoko Shimada. While Shimada was beautiful and elegant, and playing a role in a language she did not speak (she had to be coached on her delivery of the English dialogue), there are moments in her performance that were not as strong as what Sawai has brought to this very complex and strong character. There is a scene that I am waiting for, if they do have it in a later episode, that will seal the deal on who has the stronger performance in the role.
Cosmo Jarvis is growing on me as Blackthorne. The first couple of episodes I was unsure of him, as opposed to Richard Chamberlain, who originally played the role. One thing that Jarvis has over Chamberlain...Jarvis has an English accent. Chamberlain didn't.
Amazingly enough, I do not miss the voice-over narration of the first version. Even though the narrator was the legendary Orson Welles, at times it could be jarring.
Definite improvements of casting from the original...Yabushige. In the first, he was just called Yabu...and the actor playing the role was a beloved comic in Japan named Frankie Sakai. I really like Todanobu Asano as Yabushige.
this show is sooo good every episode is a banger 🔥🔥🔥
Everyone was jaw dropped at the end of the episode and Achara was like...yeah just more deaths🤷🏾♂️🤣
🤣🤣🤣
😂
The real John Blackthorne, William Adams, though he did leave his family in England, he sent money over regularly to help support them while he lived his new life.
Did he abandon them? Kind of, but he couldn’t really leave, and at least he cared enough to do what little he could
Probably dumb question as I haven't read the book but doesn't him being completely cut off from his country make more sense.... Like if he could send money, couldn't he also message the information about Japan and his situation to England as well... But in the show he has no contact at all
@@chetanveersidhu753 That’s not a dumb question! That all comes later in their history, at this point, he was cut off. I don’t want to spoil the show by giving away more than that
Might be a dumb question but I'm genuinely curious. How do you send money to a private person across the world during that time? To the Queen, sure. But to a commoner?
@@RobTheWatcheri'm not an expert but during the crusades when pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem they could deposit physucal money in europe to templars I think abd then get a document that you gave to templars in jerusalem and they honoured that.
I have no idea exactly how William got money to his family but I guess he might've paid europeans to do a similar thing for him. A long journey but even Catholics like money and if you pay the right price I'd think they would do it for you.
Or perhaps he paid them in silks? Don't know😂
@@chetanveersidhu753Japan was a closed nation for majority of its existence the only nation they really traded with was Netherlands, if you remember Blackthorne was piloting a Dutch ship at the start of all this.
So Omi is pulling Nagakado's strings. And Kiku is pulling Omi's strings. Who is behind Kiku!? This show, man!!! 🤯
Toranaga is behind Kiku. He owns her courtesan contract sometime after episode 4. That's how Toranaga knew about Blackthorn's ship in Yabushige's village before Yabushige thought of mentioning it to Toranaga. The fact that Yabishige would hesitate about the heretics arrival would make Toranaga suspicious of lord Yabishige's loyalty. The act of Kiku spying for Toranaga would be the catalyst that would lead to Kiku's contract purchase. Toranaga would have to buy her contract to ensure Kiku's loyalty. If she violates the terms of her courtesan contract, Lord Toranaga has the option to kill her. Kiku would comply because a woman who is not owned by a man is guaranteed a life with no protection from random men.
@@brutusmaximus5380 Toranaga was alerted to the ship and crew by the villager who we see at the end of episode 1 sending another bird.
@@brutusmaximus5380No. Toronaga spy was not Kiku. But she can be as well. We don't know yet.
Great episode! The ending totally caught me of guard in the most awesome way! 😂🤣😎👍
When Fuji-sama immediately pointed the pistol and told them to be on their way, my jaw dropped and I fell in love with her! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣🥰😁
I like the dialogues and hope this quality is maintained throughout the show.
Blackthorne has quite a way with words 😃 Anna Sawai killed it in this episode! ♥ her!
Fuji's like: gimme da guns & then like: dare ya to try & take 'em! bad azz! 😎
'he likes her' - who doesn't? 😳 Anna Sawaii is a goddess! 😍😳 Wow what a krazy ending! 😲
I don’t know if anyone realise that time actor that played Sozin from the avatar last Airbender series in Netflix, he’s in this episode.
The eyed patch captain
who?
Toranaga was smart enough to realize that if Blackthorn had his ship and his men he’d probably take off for home. So he moved the men to be hostages so Blackthorn would keep his agreement to train his troops.
I am loving this Shogun series so much that i am watching your reaction TWICE.. lol thank you for your reactions
Much like the book, tons of little things that slip past the first time.
For instance, Fuji is taking pains the entire time to "Not touch a weapon", always using her kimono to not directly handle any weapon.
"I know this isn't supposed to be like a romance show. But I like what I like, okay?" A lot of us enjoy romance too, Achara. You go on rocking out and liking what you like! and I think it IS meant to be romance as well as political intrigue and violence. Great stories are never just one thing 😀
I am Japanese. It seems that some people are making a fuss about the lack of black people in SHOGUN. Several years before this era, there was a black samurai named Yasuke who served under Nobunaga. However, he was released from his samurai status at the same time as Nobunaga's assassination. Before him, there was no other black person in Japan. Also, in the era of this drama, only Europeans, let alone Americans, came to Japan. Also,There were no black aristocrats in Europe at that time.
yes, there is always going to be those village idiots that complain about silly things. the show is set in Japan and they have a majority of people in the show that appear to be Japanese. if this should surprise anyone, then that person shouldn't be taken seriously.
Nobody is 😂. Just that one journalist
waiwaiwaiwaiwait.... so, the show literally starts with the quote "the year is 1600"... the production crew made it abundantly clear they're trying to respect historical accuracy... and there's people who say "this show should be treated with a modern approach"?
_sudden break out into J Jonah Jameson laughter_
hHhHHHHhhHHHhHHHhHHhhhhhHhHhHhhHHHhhhHh!
o.o
You serious?
like, seriously... if people want black people in this show, give them tortured slaves in full 4K quality, with a side serving of Japanese brutality.
if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing!
Ignore them. In the West, we're dealing with a problem with identity politics. This unfortunately infiltrated almost every aspect of our culture. From the workplace to Hollywood. Do not tolerate any of this in you're country.
BTW you're English is very good
Who's doing that fusss?
“Listen to rocks growing” in Japanese folklore pebbles grow into boulders. Even mentioned in the anthem.
That's beautiful, thanks for the explanation 🤗
wow the son really jumped the gun there. so much for toranaga being prepared n ready lol
Toronaga's son needs to learn some of his fathers patience, it looks like he's playing checkers with everyone else and Toronaga is playing chess
It is very clever that they casted a no-name actor for the roie of John, at least for American audiences. In the 1980 series John was the big star from the beginining because his actor Richard Chamberlain was on the height of his career portraying heroes in historic dramas after doing the 1970s versions of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Christo. The story was totally focused on him, Toranaga more of a supporting character. With Cosmo Jarvis it is so much more believeable that John is not the white savior but a stranger in a strange land who has to learn and adapt to survive.
Did you even watch the original with Richard Chamberlain? Just because the original focused on Blackthorn, doesnt mean he was the white savior
Yes, I did. And I didn't say that John is the white savior in the story. I said with Jarvis audiences assume that even lesser as with Chamberlain.
@@samlanganke1262 Yeah, and with Jarvis they even assume lesser that Blackthorn is an African american?
@@wolf310ii Racist idiot
As a Japanese, I'm proud to see you enjoying Japanese history!
I can't wait next episode!
It´s good this show doesn´t go to the 20th century, right?
🤦♂petty...@@PROVOCATEURSK
i dont understand why people of different nations always have to declare it, like you came up with it all
That ending REALLY ramped up the gore lmfao
This episode really made me realize how much (by GRRM’s own account) Game of Thrones was influenced by Shōgun.
is that true? he really said so? source please?
Pretty sure it's more based on the war of roses in England
I will have to add "Milk-dribbling f*** smear" to my list of insults 🤣🤣🤣
17:59 - Blackthorne mentions English plays about "Doomed lovers, cursed kings." I was guessing he might have been referring to Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Macbeth'. Shogun takes place in 1600. I looked it up and 'Romeo and Juliet' was written around 1594-96 but 'Macbeth' was written around 1606-07. Maybe Blackthorne was thinking of a different play...
[EDIT: ...now that I think about it, I wonder if "doomed lovers, cursed kings" might be some kind of foreshadowing? Hmmm....]
YES!!! You and Syntell are my "Shogun" HQ!!! THANKS for this!!!!
Why is it SOOOOO good. Amazing. It will make a fantastic blu-ray for my collection.
Just realized that Omi manipulated Toranaga's Son to kill the Messengers because if he kills the messenger, it will make it seem that Yabushige betrayed Ishido,so the council will wanna try to kill Toranaga AND Yabushige now.
If Yabushige dies,Omi will finally be the ruler of his fiefdom, which the courtesan (woman in red) suggested to him.
Everyone has their own agenda😅
god I totally overlooked that small plot that is going on xD So much shit is happening at the same time man
I’m totally shipping John and Mariko
I AM not, is always the same thing
@mem5860 agreed. Haven't read the book or seen the 1980s version so don't know how it's supposed to go. Besides, I suspect Mariko's husband is still alive
@@slin2678 In the original show the 2nd half was focused on the love story, the real life John and his Japanese wife had there names changed for this. so it might be Fuji who is his future wife, all good fun from a plot standpoint.
@@fLiPukczyeah i kind of feel like Fuji is going to be his wife in the end.
UPS or FedEx?
My favorite episode so far, through episode 7. The first 3 episodes were really really good. But this episode took it up to a whole new level.
What’s probably a medium fail in this series is Toranaga’s speech to the men of Izu: Toranaga was actually afraid that Yabushige was going to capture him and present him to Ishido. However, being the master tactician that he is, he decided to make lemonade out of lemons. In order to protect himself he made a very inspirational speech, causing Yabushige’s troops to chant his name, affording him additional protection from any Yabushige scheme. Additionally, Toranaga, without warning Yabushige, just left ceremoniously by boat, to Edo, where he is surrounded by his troops!
They could have done the scene in such a way that we could read all the complicated and fearful calculations on Toranaga’s face.
Toranaga wouldn't have shown those expressions on his face though. Him being openly scared would run contrary to him as a character.
If you love great Japanese storylines, Ghost of Tsushima has a beautiful one. After the Arkham games reactions, that one should be watched next
Can't wait for the next Tuesday. In fact can't wait for the next 6 Tuesdays. Thank you for the summary. 🙏
It's fun to see how much you two are enjoying this.
It wasn’t just the led ball it was the chain rounds that they never got to test out that’s why on the first shot it took out 3 ppl plus horse it one shot insane 😳
I enjoyed Fuji, Yabu, and Toranaga's son in this episode.
"I don't want any generous cuckoos" is the best line I've heard anywhere this year, so far.
Did I just see someone give the old English Two Fingered Salute @ 07:40 ?
Just a quick fyi, 1 koku is the cost of enough rice to sustain a medium sized family (two adults and two kids) for a full year, so Blackthorne's salary of 240 koku a year is very generous. :)
I liked this episode much more than the last one. We need more Fuji by all means!
I think the attack on General Jozen was using chain shot. An early type of broad damage shot against soft targets (like human bodies).
Didn't think much of it, but that was a good point you guys brought up. Even though Portuguese sold cannons and muskets to the Japanese, they probably also purposively didn't teach them the optimal way of utilizing these assets. Muskets are easy enough to figure out, but large cannons involve far more complicated calculation to aim.
Also, I'm really starting to feel bad for Yabushige... A villain might he be, he also seems to be the only sensible person we can somewhat relay to.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Japan was one of the world's leading possessors of muskets, and cannons were also produced domestically. However, since about 73% of Japan's land area is mountainous, it was difficult to operate artillery, and few tactics incorporating artillery were developed. Also, the idea of using artillery for purposes other than attacking castles was not widely considered.
Killing official messengers... Not wise, even when in a state of war.
Yea well it seemed the guy saw the uncle's bullshit by allowing them to witness the cannons in action and thought that the officals would be a problem if they warned isho about the cannons. So while a pretty scummy way, war was already a possibility so better kill the officals and leave isho in the dark about the cannons.
20:58 same was my reaction , i went to see the scene again🤣🤣
I read the book like 20 years ago, but from my memory the show is following it pretty faithfully so far and doing a great job. It's a great book.
I think a sailor is used far worse than fermented stuff. Especially those that have sailed for such a long time.
what a great show
John is a polyglot. The person he is based on, William Adams aka Miuri Anjin, spoke English, Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese. It's safe to assume John does as well. He's also learning Japanese, it's said Adams learned Japanese rather quickly.
Fuji is love ❤❤❤
I love the two flame burning scene
If my neck was on the line, I'd try my best to learn Japanese too.
well Yabu Shige did say they would be demonstrating the accuracy of the cannon AND that young lord did pick out the targets today...
Best show on tv!
Remember Blackthorn already speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English, Japanese may not be a huge reach
Was he a learned man in his youth or just picked up the languages from sailing?
@@Oakland510 not really sure, most likely picked ot up sailing, and I forgot one, he also speaks Latin
@@michaellockhart554 damn! Not bad for a barbarian
I feel like Achara is gonna love Mariko's development.
"thats killing the messenger you cant do that".....the son 🤨🤔💣
The game of thrones feels like, Waiting for new episode every week. Superb Series so far.
I love both Mariko and Fuji and am so glad they're not doing a jealousy/love triangle storyline for them and John... hope they stick to that.
A highborn lady in Sengoku without a Lord to ensure her protection is nothing in the Sengoku period. Such a woman will fall victim to random men who will rape her or force her into servitude. Sepukku would be the best alternative.
Though rare but also not uncommon is for a man of high status such as a Taiko to have more than one woman. The #1 woman runs the estate, and finances while the #2 or #3 have the position to act as sisters-in-law or child bearers. Any 3 of them have a duty to bear children if the man of the house so wishes. The #1 consort/wife would need sisters-in-law to help run a large estate. A man may keep a woman in each feif if he owns more than one village.
Fuji won't bang with Blackthorne since she is still grieving. Buntaro's possible death opens a door for Mariko's feeling of freedom for a short time. Mariko pillowing with Blackthorne was a gift. Fuji has no idea of the Courtesan visit but has her suspicions that Mariko and Blackthorne did the deed but she will keep quiet to ensure she has a roof over her head now that she realizes that her master, despite being a stinky unwashed barbarian, is a kind and honorable man worthy of bearing her family's swords .
If Blackthorn asked for Mariko's hand in marriage, he would be denied cause Blackthorn will be marrying into the family name of a traitor. It's also bad luck to keep a traitor's name in your court retinue. It is also presumptuous of Blackthorne to have a 2nd wife since he would need to be at Toranaga's level of wealth to do so.
I suspect Toranaga will keep Blackthorne on land in order to prevent Blackthorne from committing acts of Piracy against Portuguese vessels despite the treaty between Spain and Portugal claiming ownership of Japan. Japan needs to keep open trade between nations and will deal with the Portuguese if they overstep their imaginary authority. He needs an ally eager to attack the Portuguese if these foreigners overreach their authority over his dominion.
This show really makes me feel like I felt back then when game of thrones was running :D Love it! That ending was totally not what I expected, I also thought they just would fire badly on purpose but...THAT? XD
Blackthorne must speak English, Portuguese and Dutch to a pretty reasonable degree already - maybe some Latin and Spanish too?
both Mariko and Blackthorne can speak latin in the books, they use it when other portuguese speaking people are listening
I love this episode as much as the last one even without much Toragana Yoshii present. Other characters really show their strength.
Now this is a proper reaction video 🤩
I'm a bit pleasantly surprised that, when Anjin, Mariko, and Fuji were eating and Mariko said "This may be not for you", you immediately identified it as natto. Yours is the first Episode 4 reaction I've seen where anyone even knew what natto is.
I'm glad they had Blackthorne pick up on what Mariko was saying about their night together so quickly. In the novel he spends a lot of time following her around like a sad puppy before he gets it. Also he helps himself to Fujiko. And Buntaro is still around. Some of the changes have been for the better.
I'm confused. I thought that wasn't Mariko but another girl? Because John seems genuinely confused
@@mattiedaniel9372 In the book it's more clear. He can tell it's her because of the perfume and her breasts are bigger than Fujis. He follows her around declaring his love for a while and straight up asks her to divorce Buntaro (who swam from the dock in the book and is still around) before he understands that it was a one-time thing that shouldn't be spoken about ever again.
@@mattiedaniel9372 it was Mariko
I love how John keeps insisting he isn't a prisoner. Like yeah. Sure. 😂 He should count himself lucky he didn't end up boiled like his shipmate.
Finding it interesting to compare with what I remember about the Richard Chamberlain version of Shogun from 1980.
"Doomed lover*
*Zooms in on Jaby*
The comments on needing to remember more back then because you couldn't rely on technology. So true. Remember before cell phones? You had to remember SO many phone numbers. It is unimaginable for today's kids.
Oh and natto is NASTY! He was eating it like a champ though.
The eightfold fence is essentially enlightenment through meditation.
8:40 Well, he probably really had cannons with superior accuracy. His ship was basically a warship for England that also plundered enemy ships, for that it is helpful if you have cannons that are accurate enough to damage the ships to make them unmanoeuverable without sinking them.
One way to get really good cannons would be to produce a lot, some of them will be more accurate, some will be worse. And for the most important missions you would get the best cannons they had.
Uhm, no. His ship was owned by the Dutch government.
@@eatsmylifeYT Right, but the underlying logic still applies. It is reasonable that at least the most important cannons (front of the ship and back) are more accurate than the cannons that they have seen before.
They're actually culverin's which have a much greater barrel length to shot size ratio making them more accurate than regular cannons, the downside being that they take longer to reload. Drake used them to great effect against the Spanish armada.
@@christophtoifl6848 Uhm, no. Warships at the time had cannons at their sides, hence the term "broadside" which meant all the cannons at one side firing at the same time, to ensure maximum damage. At most, there would be four cannons at the bow or stern, but much more at the sides, maybe six or seven, at least.
Mariko basically did a night crawl which is apparently a thing back then.
Fuji is da best girl!
Moss appears in Japan National Anthem. Given the short lyrics of the anthem and how japanese are profound in their way of thinking, every words appearing on the national anthem are carefully chosen and crafted. One of the word appearing in their national anthem is "Moss". So you can see how high a respect moss is given by the japanese
The book makes it clear that Blackthorne has a knack for languages -- English, Dutch, Portuguese, Latin...and I think functional Spanish?
You should react to blue eye samurai, it's great
Great reaction. Everybody is shocked about Toranaga Son's action but remember in a previous episode that, "Toranaga is the master of trickery". There are a number of questions which needs to be answered. Why would Lord Ishido's men show up in the first place? Who "tipped off Lord Ishido" about the exercise? Was Toranaga and His Son planning this in the first place? Was this a test about the loyalty of the Kasigi Yabu? Remember, Toranaga is a master strategist. I believe Lord Isido's men knew about the cannon training in advanced. Thank you for a great reaction.
😮 “Have you no shock!?!” 😮
😂😂😂😂😂
As I have seen from a lot of comments across various channels, a lot of people (including me) have instantly started crushing on Fuji the moment she pulled the gun to Omi's face.
best part about Fuji and the gun is I bet that's not even character progression. We've seen her at basically her lowest and surrounded by friends so far. I bet that's her first heart, based on the "everybody has three hearts" quote at the beginning of the show.
Mariko's smile right after, that's not pride. That's a smile of someone who was familiar with Fuji's game.
Also that whole natto sequence was hilarious.