It isn't terrible so far but I've read some things the lead actress and the Author's daughter have said which give me pause. It was something about making it for a modern audience. Which sets off red flag. I haven't watched the original and haven't read the book yet. It has been sitting on my shelf for years, this might motivate me to read it now.
It's a good book. They're really honest with the history. The biggest problem is that some of it has the 'they're weird as the explanation' for cultural stuff.
Sensationalized news hates it because there's no black people. I've only seen a trailer and was worried it'd go girlboss with it. The opinions I've been hearing from critics is that it's really good in the first three episodes they'd seen thus far.
I've been slightly interested simply because Hiroyuki Sanada is playing not-Tokugawa.
I certainly liked it enough, though I'll also admit when I saw it in full with my dad, it was a time after I'd played Nioh, which if you haven't realized, is a fictionalized account of the real figures of the time (maybe not the ninjas), where Shogun is a more realistic account of the time with fictional characters.
I've been slightly interested simply because Hiroyuki Sanada is playing not-Tokugawa.
Same here, I'm almost convinced to watch anything with Sanada in it, but have been wary about all his newer stuff. Been a big fan of his since the In The Line of Duty / Royal Warriors stuff.
Haven’t seen it but I’ve heard good things and a media article whined about there being no black ppl so that makes me want to watch since they didn’t bend the knee to diversity. I have the book and I think I’ll read that first
It’s good. There’s some “men are so mean” plot points but the dudes are legit mean so it’s not necessarily corny. I don’t wanna spoil anything but at one point a particularly mean dude does a heroic thing and the show like allows one of the women he’s particularly mean with to like be proud of him without any kind of back and forth over it
So far just very little light woke stuff. One girl power scene, where the main actress starts fighting with a naginata (spear) which isn't necessarily unrealistic but they portrayed it a bit too girlpowerly to be entirely believable. Also several small "hurrdurrhurr europeans don't bath and are idiots when it comes to medicine" scenes.
So nothing major. Just a few jabs. Overall I quite like it even though the amount and quality of the CGI is at times a bit disappointing.
One girl power scene, where the main actress starts fighting with a naginata (spear) which isn't necessarily unrealistic but they portrayed it a bit too girlpowerly to be entirely believable.
This is my only real beef so far as well. I think Mariko did take up a weapon at some point in the book in an act of desperation, but they portrayed her as a skilled fighter in the show and I believe she actually killed one or two people in the scene you're talking about.
They also had her lecture Blackthorne on how women were samurai too. This concept is present in the book, but in the sense of samurai being the noble class versus women being warriors. I felt they were twisting the concept to fit modern ideals about "equality".
Other than that, I think it's pretty good. I also enjoyed the original despite its limitations of being an early 1980s made for TV mini-series.
You know, I just scanned the first three episodes again looking for it and couldn't find it. I was driving myself crazy trying to figure out where I got this, because I distinctly remember rolling my eyes at it.
It isn't terrible so far but I've read some things the lead actress and the Author's daughter have said which give me pause. It was something about making it for a modern audience. Which sets off red flag. I haven't watched the original and haven't read the book yet. It has been sitting on my shelf for years, this might motivate me to read it now.
Same here. Bought the book at a yard sale and I keep saying I need to read it
It's a good book. They're really honest with the history. The biggest problem is that some of it has the 'they're weird as the explanation' for cultural stuff.
You say that a lot, brother. ;)
True. A lot of books I need to read.
And poof, any interest I had was gone.
Sensationalized news hates it because there's no black people. I've only seen a trailer and was worried it'd go girlboss with it. The opinions I've been hearing from critics is that it's really good in the first three episodes they'd seen thus far.
I've been slightly interested simply because Hiroyuki Sanada is playing not-Tokugawa.
There are blacks. When the camera faces west, squint real hard and you might see them 8000 miles away. Where they historically lived.
No girl bosses. In that sense, the hierarchy seems accurately portrayed.
Is the original mini series good? I remember my parents watching it when I was little but at that age it didn’t interest me
I certainly liked it enough, though I'll also admit when I saw it in full with my dad, it was a time after I'd played Nioh, which if you haven't realized, is a fictionalized account of the real figures of the time (maybe not the ninjas), where Shogun is a more realistic account of the time with fictional characters.
Look up the Blind samurai series.
Same here, I'm almost convinced to watch anything with Sanada in it, but have been wary about all his newer stuff. Been a big fan of his since the In The Line of Duty / Royal Warriors stuff.
Haven’t seen it but I’ve heard good things and a media article whined about there being no black ppl so that makes me want to watch since they didn’t bend the knee to diversity. I have the book and I think I’ll read that first
Just wait for the whole thing to air and download it all when it's over. Then we'll have reviews and know if they inserted woke shit.
It’s good. There’s some “men are so mean” plot points but the dudes are legit mean so it’s not necessarily corny. I don’t wanna spoil anything but at one point a particularly mean dude does a heroic thing and the show like allows one of the women he’s particularly mean with to like be proud of him without any kind of back and forth over it
It doesn't have enough non-asians in it. So it's terribly racists!
...
/s (for the terminally thick)
No. There's not enough blacks in it. As we all know because it's current year the blacks where the real Japanese and shit.
The book is very good. I want to see the show but will wait until all the episodes are available.
I have seen the first three episodes and I think the show is pretty good.
Nothing I have seen that is actually woke bullshit.
The actors are excellent in their roles, the cinematography is on point and the story is very good.
I would say it is definitely worth a watch.
I give it a 9/10 for the first 3 episodes.
Thanks for the details, but is it any good? Any woke shit so far?
No woke shit so far. One scene even had a guy complaining and instead of anyone listening, his head fell off instead.
So far just very little light woke stuff. One girl power scene, where the main actress starts fighting with a naginata (spear) which isn't necessarily unrealistic but they portrayed it a bit too girlpowerly to be entirely believable. Also several small "hurrdurrhurr europeans don't bath and are idiots when it comes to medicine" scenes.
So nothing major. Just a few jabs. Overall I quite like it even though the amount and quality of the CGI is at times a bit disappointing.
This is my only real beef so far as well. I think Mariko did take up a weapon at some point in the book in an act of desperation, but they portrayed her as a skilled fighter in the show and I believe she actually killed one or two people in the scene you're talking about.
They also had her lecture Blackthorne on how women were samurai too. This concept is present in the book, but in the sense of samurai being the noble class versus women being warriors. I felt they were twisting the concept to fit modern ideals about "equality".
Other than that, I think it's pretty good. I also enjoyed the original despite its limitations of being an early 1980s made for TV mini-series.
Which episode? Must've missed that.
You know, I just scanned the first three episodes again looking for it and couldn't find it. I was driving myself crazy trying to figure out where I got this, because I distinctly remember rolling my eyes at it.
Turns out it was not a lecture from Mariko in the show, but from a marketing campaign post I saw around the time the first episode aired: https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/fx-networks/5-stories-of-the-samurai-class.html?smid=url-share#/daughters-of-samurai
Let's hope it stays that way.
It was also a major theme in the book.
Scratch that then and it's just the fight scene so far.