FX’s Shogun has earned a 100% perfect “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes after the first rounds of critics’ reviews went live online today.
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As always, there’s a grain of salt to be taken when digesting Rotten Tomatoes aggregate scores. EWven though the overall score is “perfect,” there are far more critical distinctions to be found in the actual reviews. See below:
TV Guide’s Review claims that “There’s a lot going on in Shōgun – thematically, historically, and dramatically – even before factoring in the complex relationships of a dozen-plus supporting characters. This adaptation handles it all adeptly without ever surrendering the forward momentum of its compelling plot. It feels like a complete world, the kind in which, like the source material, it’s easy to get lost.”
Empire Magazine writes that “Shōgun makes for gripping television. Look past the knotty bureaucracy and you’ll find striking performances and stunning visuals.” The review also praises the aesthetic of the series, saying that the show is “captured superbly, from swirling, surf-smacked cinematography in one moment, to gently ebbing, awe-inspiring seascapes the next… the landscapes of terror and beauty are precariously balanced. Perpetually bathed in mist, the camera regularly creeps forward through water, forests and palaces hesitantly discovering new lands, anxiously aware of the silent assassins at the frame’s edge. Within it are elegantly costumed characters draped in finely detailed silks and ornate, cascading armour that glows in the fog of war – whether in a vista or a candlelit portrait, it’s all very screenshot-able.
Finally, Screen Rant writes that “Shōgun stands out in a TV landscape that is full of throwaway dramas. There are plenty of great and bloody action sequences, rotating political arrangements, great plotting and characterization… The hair, makeup, costumes and production design are top-notch, as is the score. Above all, the series is exhilarating to watch unfold. Once you step into the world, it’ll be hard to leave… Shōgun should be a priority watch, as it dazzles us with political intrigue, culture, and an intensity that brings everything together nicely.”
What Is Shougn (2024) About?
FX’s Shōgun, based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel, is set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. ‘Lord Yoshii Toranaga’ (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.”
“Its English pilot, ‘John Blackthorne’ (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies — the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants. Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, ‘Toda Mariko’ (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line.
While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.
Shogun will consist of 10-episode, airing on FX and streaming on FX on Hulu. Shogun stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, Moeka Hoshi, Tokuma Nishioka, Shinnosuke Abe, Yuki Kura and Fumi Nikaido. It was created for television by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks – with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer. Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Lu and Kondo all executive produce, and Hiroyuki Sanada also serves as a producer.
Shogun will premiere on FX on February 27th.
