Inspired by James Clavell’s iconic 1975 novel, Shōgun is FX’s new limited series that explores the beauty, violence and political backstabbing of feudal Japan. Much like the book, the series takes inspiration from history and explores the unlikely relationship that grows between a British navigator and one of Japan’s five warlords as the country heads toward civil war.
Co-created by husband-and-wife duo Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, the highly anticipated show features Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis and Anna Sawai, and marks the second adaptation of Clavell’s book. In 1980, a hugely popular miniseries that starred Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune took the TV world by storm and gave NBC record-breaking ratings. It was nominated for 14 Emmys and won three for Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actor. Will FX’s Shōgun hold up by comparison?
Here is everything we know about the upcoming series, including the release date.
When to watch Shōgun on Hulu
The show will premiere its first two episodes on FX and Hulu on Tuesday, Feb. 27, with each new episode airing weekly until the finale on April 23. Each episode will be roughly an hour in length. Below are the episode titles, for reference:
- Anjin
- Servants of Two Masters
- Tomorrow is Tomorrow
- The Eightfold Fence
- Broken to the Fist
- Ladies of the Willow World
- A Stick of Time
- The Abyss of Life
- Crimson Sky
- A Dream of a Dream
What is Shōgun about?
Shōgun takes place in the year 1600 after the death of the taiko, Japan’s supreme ruler, which causes a power struggle within the Council of Regents. With the arrival of British navigator John Blackthorne (Jarvis) on the shores of feudal Japan, the country’s tumultuous political landscape is disrupted as war becomes imminent.
Blackthorne is seen as a threat by everyone but Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada), a samurai who’s hesitant to pursue the title of shōgun. He sees this newcomer as a…
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