“Do not be fooled by our politeness, our bows, our maze of rituals. Death is in our air…”
Anna Sawai (“Pachinko”) delivers this chilling line that opens the trailer of FX’s new limited series, “Shōgun.” Set in 1600 feudal Japan, the show follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), who is at odds with the high-ranking lords in the Council of Regents— all of whom want him dead. Then, enter John Blackmore (Cosmo Jarvis), a newly arrived English pilot, who seeks to meet Lord Toranaga with some crucial information that might just save them both. Their communication relies solely on the lord’s translator, Toda Mariko (Sawai), a Christian noblewoman who’s the last of her disgraced bloodline. She and the two men navigate each other’s survival through this politically fraught warring period.
Lord Toranaga is surrounded by his trusted general, Toda Hiromatsu (Tokuma Nishioka), his questionable ally, Kashigi Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano), his eager-to-prove-himself son, Yoshii Nagakado (Yuki Kura), and the mother to his heir, Ochiba no Kata (Fumi Nikaido). Additional cast includes the fishing village’s leader Kashigi Omi (Hiroto Kanai), Toranaga’s powerful rival, Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira), Mariko’s husband, Toda Hirokatsu (Shinnosuke Abe), and a widow who’s searching for her purpose, Usami Fuji (Moeka Hoshi).
Based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel of the same name, “Shōgun,” it was adapted for the screen with 10 episodes, set to release on Hulu, Disney+ and Star+ in February 2024. Watch the official trailer here!
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