Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Neil Welch I watched Shogun when it first aired in the UK, I read the novel a couple of years later, I watched the DVD boxset a couple of years ago, and I am currently watching chunks of it as it airs on one of the late night satellite channels. You can take it that I approve of it.It tells a relatively simple story of John Blackthorne, an English sailor (a "pilot") stranded in 17th century Japan. Toronaga, the local feudal lord, realises that he could be of unique strategic and tactical importance, and keeps him there despite his determination to return home. In the course of being taught Japanese, Blackthorne falls in love with his married tutor Mariko, a love forbidden under the rules of Japanese society. There are other plot threads, but these two drive this long (10 hours) series.Extravagantly mounted, Shogun looks good and is still gripping. It presents Japanese culture, and the extreme differences in attitudes, very fairly - you see the positive and negative aspects and are never required to make a judgement about them, although Blackthorne does (and, in doing so, undergoes the character development arc which is the most satisfying element of the narrative).While the series now feels, perhaps, a little dated, it is well worth watching. The performances are all first rate although I now find Richard Chamberlain's Blackthorne very American and, while committed, possibly a little over intense and lacking in humour. To be fair, though, he doesn't have much to laugh about!

lohrasb I watched the series first in 1991, when satellite TV had just come to UK. All these years I wanted to watch the series, again!Only this time, I had no idea how much it was going to effect me! Back then, I was eighteen and it seemed just another swash-buckling adventure. Almost a decade later, I could actually see people and their lives! Back to time when honour and shame actually meant life and death!I even got the audio book! It helped me realise how Jerry London's adaptation remained true 2 the text! The book certainly complements the series and fills in the missing gaps!James Clavell was captured by the Japanese in Singapore and spent most of the Second World War in captivity. It is quite astonishing that instead of hating his captors he came to admire their culture and simply demonstrate the mutual prejudices of both sides!With the exception of Toshirô Mifune, it is quite disheartening to find hardly anything on the Japanese cast of the series! After much search I came across a small passage on Yoko Shimada , who starred alongside Richard Chamberlain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_ShimadaMiko Taka, Lord Toranaga's (Toshirô Mifune) consort starred alongside Marlon Brando in the movie Sayonara 1957! And yet there's nothing on her, either.It's been said that Yoko Shimada was the only Japanese, speaking English in the series. But, that is not true! Further down the line, a Jesuit Japanese priest appears, who also speaks English!

seanowain Great mini-series, but I was under the impression that there were TWO versions of the series, the second about 4 hours longer and following the book in far greater detail than the one available now on DVD. For example, I remember Miko-san as fighting a samurai before she was to commit seppuku in the 4th DVD, which occurred before Lord Yabu betrayed them in Osaka Castle. Also, this one had English sub-titles when the Japanese were speaking. Please tell me I am right before I start trying to find which reality I saw that series in, I really want a DVD of the fuller version. As for the series, either version is to be treasured, I know I treasure the one I have.

konjyo I saw this movie when I was a kid and it became the catalyst for my study of Japanese and martial arts. I have now been here in Japan 10 years, have my black belt and can say that this series still rocks. The only difference now is I understand all the Japanese spoken and the historical references, which makes it rock even further. The producers have done a wonderful job and the historical, linguistic, cultural points are spot on. There are few works like this where Japanese and Americans get together to produce a realistic piece (Blackrain is another good example)I recommend to other users if you ever have a chance, come to the places in this film here in Japan, and the series shall rock further for you indeed.