Shōgun season 1

With The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon competing to deliver a compelling epic fantasy series, we were missing something that offer an historical epic for the smaller screen but then came along FX's Shōgun. This was not a show on my radar but word of mouth quickly spread that could be one well worth watching and so I sat down to see what this ten episode series had to offer.

Based on a novel by James Clavell of the same name, the story follows a British sailor landing in 1600s Japan where is Dutch ship has crashed. The crew are captured and their newly appointed leader, after the suicide of the captain, John Blackthorne, sees opportunity to make alliances with Lord Yoshii Toranaga when the leaders of Osaka are plotting against one another. Some of those leaders are also aligned with Portuguese merchants who Blackthorne had been appointed to sabotage making him a useful ally to some and a threat who needs promptly eliminating to others.

Japan's history has always been a fascinating one to me and so to have a show like this, which blends historical fiction around various historical events, is a real treat. Every episode is perfectly paced and never wastes a moment or character in the effort to tell a good story. There are of course a lot of names and places to quickly get familiar with, which I struggled at first but that did not deter my overall enjoyment as I found the entire experience to be highly satisfying. The cast, including Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmos Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano and a brief turn from Néstor Carbonell, are all great as well.

Shōgun will quite easily rank among my favourite shows of the year; it is perfectly crafted and is simply a must-watch for anyone intrigued by the premise. Everyone else might find some elements challenging to get into but it is well worth sticking with and I look forward to seeing where the story goes to next.