I finished the 10 episodes in 2 weekends. It's the best show in a while. Maybe the best show after the first 4 seasons of GOT.
First, the acting is simply superb. All the main characters were portraited with such details and subtlety that it's a pure joy to watch. Mahershala Ali won Oscar because he can act with his eye expressions. After watching this series, you will realize that all the main Japanese actors can do it! The smirk on Toranaga's or the smile on Yabushige before he dies was just epic. Obviously Anna Sawai, who played Mariko and Sanada, who played Toranaga, are stars of the show. But Fuji, Yabushige and Kazunari were all excellently portraited with such charm and finesse. The overall acting is 8/10. The points lost were from the main character Cosmo Jarvis who played Blackthorne. His acting was robotic and superficial, and not on par with the rest of the crew. However, maybe this is by design, to illustrate that the character was out of place.
Second, the characters. The producers of the show are great story-tellers. Each character carries their own story and therefore their own charm, giving the show such richness to savor. Obviously, this was not possible without the superb acting and directing, on top of the great book.
Visuals. Sometimes they used wide angle lenses that deliberately gave some distortions, and sometimes they used lenses with obviously vignetting (the corners appear dark), and they masterfully didn't correct them. Such photographing gave a very unique feeling as if you are watching a real event through a camera lens. The sceneries, especially the Japanese gardens, yards, meeting rooms etc, are esthetically appealing. The Japanese costumes, including the traditional clothing and warrior armors, feel like visiting a live museum!
Last but not least, the story was a master piece. I always like series based on true events such as Narcos. Dramatized real events make the best TV. This one is no exception. Nothing felt artificial or strange. All pieces fit well. Some people complain about the ending, claiming it was epic. However, I argue that the ending was perfect. We have seen the main characters and their stories. In the end, we see the real face of Toranaga, the Shogun. And the genius of the Blackthorne character is that it provides a Western view of the characters and events. The most important character of Blackthorne is his empathy for human life, which is in direct conflict with the disregard of human lives way in 17th century Japan, and he provided a bridge to modern viewers. The ending offered a shock without an epic battle scene, and in my view, done masterfully.
First, the acting is simply superb. All the main characters were portraited with such details and subtlety that it's a pure joy to watch. Mahershala Ali won Oscar because he can act with his eye expressions. After watching this series, you will realize that all the main Japanese actors can do it! The smirk on Toranaga's or the smile on Yabushige before he dies was just epic. Obviously Anna Sawai, who played Mariko and Sanada, who played Toranaga, are stars of the show. But Fuji, Yabushige and Kazunari were all excellently portraited with such charm and finesse. The overall acting is 8/10. The points lost were from the main character Cosmo Jarvis who played Blackthorne. His acting was robotic and superficial, and not on par with the rest of the crew. However, maybe this is by design, to illustrate that the character was out of place.
Second, the characters. The producers of the show are great story-tellers. Each character carries their own story and therefore their own charm, giving the show such richness to savor. Obviously, this was not possible without the superb acting and directing, on top of the great book.
Visuals. Sometimes they used wide angle lenses that deliberately gave some distortions, and sometimes they used lenses with obviously vignetting (the corners appear dark), and they masterfully didn't correct them. Such photographing gave a very unique feeling as if you are watching a real event through a camera lens. The sceneries, especially the Japanese gardens, yards, meeting rooms etc, are esthetically appealing. The Japanese costumes, including the traditional clothing and warrior armors, feel like visiting a live museum!
Last but not least, the story was a master piece. I always like series based on true events such as Narcos. Dramatized real events make the best TV. This one is no exception. Nothing felt artificial or strange. All pieces fit well. Some people complain about the ending, claiming it was epic. However, I argue that the ending was perfect. We have seen the main characters and their stories. In the end, we see the real face of Toranaga, the Shogun. And the genius of the Blackthorne character is that it provides a Western view of the characters and events. The most important character of Blackthorne is his empathy for human life, which is in direct conflict with the disregard of human lives way in 17th century Japan, and he provided a bridge to modern viewers. The ending offered a shock without an epic battle scene, and in my view, done masterfully.
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