The cast and crew of FX’s Shōgun shares how they worked to correct previous adaptations of the beloved Japanese war drama.
Nearly 50 years ago, author James Clavell published Shōgun, a drama set in Japan in the 1600s amidst a brutal civil war. While an 80s television series has been made surrounding this novel, it is arguable that FX’s new adaptation is the only one who truly gets the story “right”.
This 10 episode miniseries has an astonishingly talented Japanese cast, notable for an American production. The series stars actress, Anna Sawai (Toda Mariko) and actor, Cosmo Jarvis (John Blackthorne), as the mysterious Christian translator and strong-willed English pilot.
In conversation with Clavell’s daughter Michaela Clavell, she shared that believes this adaptation not only gives respect to the original novel but also Japanese culture.
“In FX’s spectacular Shōgun, they wanted to present the Japanese point of view,” said Clavell. “…Particularly, authentically from the Japanese. It was very important to get that right and to do honor to the culture the way it was done in the book,” said Clavell.
Anna Sawai shared how this show has positive portrayals of Japanese people unlike anything she has ever seen.
“I feel that I’ve never really seen a Japanese woman being depicted in this way in Western media…I’ve seen questionable portrayals of women and it just didn’t feel right,” said Sawai.
“And so I knew that if we were going to do this, we really needed to make sure that it was going to be authentic and accurate, and when Japanese people were going to watch it they wouldn’t feel weird about it,” said Sawai.
“I can proudly say that this one, I think, is the first time that we’ve really nailed it,” said Sawai.
The first two episodes of FX’s Shōgun premiere February 27 on Hulu and FX.
