American dramas in Japan and South Korea is nothing new. Before
, there was "The Naked Director" invested by Netflix, and later there was "Pinball Game" produced by Apple. In addition to its good reputation, it also added heterogeneous elements to the originally rigid American drama genre.
" Shogun ", created by FX with a lot of money, continues the trend of "Japanese American dramas", setting the background of the story in the Japanese Warring States Period in the early 17th century, using grand war scenes and delicate characters The shape depicts the turmoil in Japanese politics at that time.
After the show was aired, not only did the ratings soar, it also received praise from fans and film critics. The imdb score was 9.2, and the Rotten Tomatoes freshness score was 99%. Some people regard it as the successor to "Game of Thrones".
The gorgeousness of "Shogun" is first reflected in the cast. There are big-name Japanese actors such as Tadanobu Asano and Fumi Nikaido, as well as international movie stars such as Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai who have been in Hollywood for a long time, and indispensable young British rookies like Cosmo Jarvis. The cast combination of
is not only derived from international production, but is also closely related to the story content of this drama.
"Shogun" is adapted from James Clavell's novel of the same name. It was adapted into a TV series as early as 1980, starring Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune and Yoko Shimada. Although this version is not well-known now, But the quality is great.
Clavell is very good at cross-cultural narrative perspectives, often using outsiders to examine the rules and beliefs of ancient cultures. " Mouse King " and " foreign company " written by him are all such masterpieces.
"Shogun" opens with a British pilot named John trying to lead a fleet to Japan to launch an ambitious colonization plan.
At that time, it was the Age of Discovery in Europe, and Portugal and Spain were the most powerful. Because the fleet led by Magellan took the lead in completing the circumnavigation of the world, these two countries took the lead and were eager to carve up the New World.
The two countries even signed the "Treaty of Tordesillas" in 1494, arrogantly dividing the world into two, leaving them with the right to speak.
Britain, where John was located, formed an alliance with the Netherlands in an attempt to break the deadlock and get a share of the pie.
In Japan, which was at the end of the Warring States Period, there was also an undercurrent surging. After the death of Taige (the highest authority), the youngest son ascended the throne, and five regents who assisted in the administration formed a council and became the center of power.
Among them, the most powerful Yoshii Toranaga was jointly resisted by the other four regents, and the situation was critical. After being summoned to Osaka Castle, Yoshii had to urgently come up with a countermeasure. If anything went wrong, he would be buried in the city.
Fans who are familiar with the history of the Warring States Period in Japan should know that the two male protagonists of this drama, Yoshii Toranaga and John, are the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first British visitor in Japanese history, and a legendary foreign samurai: Miura presses the needle.
It can be said that John, who almost lost hope in the sea, became a key part of Yoshii's breakthrough.
The four regents actually have their own agendas and are not monolithic. The most powerful Lord Ishido just wanted to use the other three regents to vote to impeach Yoshii, and then get rid of the others one by one.
Among them, the Christian regents Mushan and Ohno only wanted to use Catholicism to make money. When they heard about the arrival of John, a pagan (Britain believed in Protestantism at that time), they felt deeply threatened and were eager to get rid of him. The lords were divided.
The reason why Yoshii held John firmly in his hands was to use the latter to destroy the impeachment conspiracy of the Regent Alliance and take the opportunity to escape.
The most impressive part of the series is when Yoshii and John escaped from Osaka Castle, they were surrounded by fanatical Catholics on the sea, and their life and death were at stake.
At this moment, the Spanish's huge black ship stood on the sea. Therefore, in order to escape, Yoshii skillfully negotiated with the Spanish captain and Portuguese priest, and secretly united with the two Christian regents.
The conflict of cultural beliefs, the entanglement of national interests, and the struggle of Machiavellian factions are gradually integrated in this drama. It has both real history as the background and dramatic tension. This is what "Shogun" can get a lot of One of the reasons for the praise.
The reason why this drama is compared with "Game of Thrones" is that in addition to the power struggle analyzed above, the pornographic and bloody elements also leave a deep impression on people.
For example, in the first episode, after John was captured, one of his crew members was tortured by Yabu Shige, played by Tadanobu Asano - he was tied up and thrown into hot water and boiled alive.
This horrific scene not only reflects the gloomy ferocity of Yabushige's heart, but also shows the Japanese's alternative concept of death.
Or maybe at the end of the fourth episode, after Yoshii's son was repeatedly angered, he used a cannon to bombard the envoy sent by Shido, blowing the latter into a pulp. There is no doubt that Yoshii's son's revenge will trigger an all-out war.
In addition to the main line of intrigue, "Shogun" also runs through a love line, which is the complicated love affair between John and Mrs. Mariko.
It can be said that Mrs. Ju Zi is one of the most emotional and variable characters in the play.
She was born into a noble family, but her life experience was miserable. Because she had to be loyal to the lord, she had to survive, and she was married to a samurai she didn't love. Perhaps because of inner depression, Mrs. Ju Zi believed in Catholicism very early and learned Portuguese. Her heart was torn between grief and anger, family feud, traditional loyalty and religious belief.
The appearance of John changed the woman's character little by little. Due to the need of translation, Mrs. Ju Zi often accompanied John. In the process, she gradually felt the consciousness of resisting fate from the latter.
The most striking contrast in the play is that whenever someone laments that John's life is not long, the latter will unyieldingly say: He went through hardships to come to Japan, not just to die.
Mrs. Mariko's understanding of fate has turned into the most common earthquake in Japan. She cannot even control life and death, let alone the impermanence of fate.
As the plot progresses, both of them draw nutrients from the other world and gradually change the way they originally view the world. John went from being impatient to return to the UK to becoming Yoshii's right-hand man, and he is believed to have a close relationship with Mrs. Mariko.
However, although the show is extremely convincing, and the Machiavellian plot and grand scenes can make people fall into the trap quickly, but compared with "Game of Thrones", what "Shogun" lacks most is perhaps the unforgettable complexity. Role.
Except for Tadanobu Asano who plays Yabusuge, who swings between the two lords Yoshii and Ishido, struggles hard, and acts as a comedian from time to time, and also has complex thoughts that are difficult to understand, the other characters are basically just lines. He attracts people with his aura, but rarely leaves people wanting more because of his unique personality.
Even the above-mentioned Mrs. Mariko is only more prominent on the drama level, increasing the plot variables, but when it comes to the charm of the character itself, it is not as exciting as Yabo Shige.
Furthermore, "Shogun" spends more attention on convincing people, but lacks the subtle control of the character's heart.
The difference between classic dramas and high-quality dramas is this. The former is like "Breaking Bad", almost every character is rich and three-dimensional in the audience's mind; the latter is like "Shogun", which is beautiful when watching the drama. , a pleasant surprise, but after reading it, there are only a few characters that I can remember, and most of them have been forgotten.
huawuyan
Editor-in-charge Chai Yingrui
