Moist Meter | Shogun

He gave it a 95%

I love Yabushige's running gag about needing to write a new will every so-and-so times when he thinks something will happen to him

The conversation between Yabushige and Toranaga on the cliff in the finale left we with my jaw on the floor. The actors clearly put everything into their characters and the writing was just on another level. Absolutely incredible television.

“ I sent a women to do the thing an army could never do”. Could be one of the best closing lines ever!!

Every performance was insane. Every actor played their character to a T, yabushige deserves all the praise

Yabushigi was hilarious. I was rooting for that goofy treacherous fella

The most beautiful part of the finale for me was how many people were affected by Mariko’s death, either by regretting it (Ishido, the Regents, Yabusige), remembering her poetry (Lady Ochiba, Toranaga) remembering her words (Blackthorne, Fuji), or honoring her wishes (Toranaga, the Monk Alvito). Toranaga’s vision (and four-dimensional chess game) was finally realized, but the show never forgot that Mariko was the true heart of the story, transforming everyone by her life and by her death, and destroying Toranaga’s enemies in a way an army never could. She was such an unforgettable character in a such a wonderful show. Thank you, Mariko-dono. You are the beautiful flower that finally fell, but, thankfully, you have been carried by the wind for all of the world to see and cherish, and you will never be forgotten. 🌸🌺🌸

Yabushige: "How does it feel to shape the wind to your will?" Toranaga: "I don't control the wind. I only study it." There are so many great lines in Shogun!

"Flowers are only flowers because they fall." -Toda Mariko

Shogun was like 90% "Dudes in a room having a tense discussion", and I fucking LOVED THAT!

Uncle: "You have no honor!" Takai: "AND YOU ARE A SLAVE TO IT!"

Im 67 and wondered if you ever saw the miniseries Shogun with Toshiro Mifune? My husband and were engrossed and invested in every episode. It was our first experience with subtitles and felt grateful for an opportunity to learn and experience the Culture, religious, and politics of Japan during the fuedal/Edo period. I havent watched this new series but it sounds as though I really should! Thanks Charlie

The priest finding out Blackthorne was a Protestant and immediately telling Yabushige to execute him was so fucking funny

I have spent a lifetime wondering how Hiroyuki Sanada hasn't been a consistent leading man. The man has the cool, the calm, the presence to absolutely kill whatever he's in.

Shōgun was a breath of fresh air in a sea of shyte that is current television. Could've stuck the landing a little better but was a phenomenal show overall. The acting, writing, dialog & commitment to authenticity was simply next level.

Shogun was so amazing. The actors were phenomenal, the story, everything. One of the most high quality productions of anything I’ve ever seen. A masterpiece.

I LOVED the book Shogun, but my one complaint is it’s 1300 pages of “wow not much time left to wrap this up in an epic way”…..then the entire war takes place in one paragraph on the last page. But the show makes it feel so much more intense and rewarding!

After the final episode I can say that Shogun is a show that I personally consider a masterpiece. From the sets, cinematography, costumes, mannerisms, and the superb writing and acting. Every character had layers to them, and Yabushige is the perfect example of how fantastic the writing and acting was. You could go from hating him, to loving his character, to then hating him again, and then in the final episode you still somehow manage to feel a bit sorry for him after everything he did. ALL of the actors were phenomenal. Fuji's line to Blackthorne on the rowboat, "Let your hands be the last to hold her" was such an incredible call-back to episode 1 when Mariko said the same thing to Fuji in comfort as she was about to lose her child. That moment made me tear up.

You know the writing is good when you actively WANT to get in the headspace of the characters, and you know you're watching a masterclass actor or actress when you're intentionally scanning their face for any faint muscle twitch to get inside that headspace. That is what makes cinema.

The concept that, " how you die is just as important, if not moreso, as how you live." Is fascinating. One doesn't necessarily trump the other, but the finality of death elevates its importance. Thus, an otherwise unimpressive life lived can be redeemed if the circumstances of your death are of significance. And, in contrast, a dishonorable death can negate a lifetime of service, or leave a blemish on the memory. It's a fascinating culture with a LOT of nuance. The Catholic in the Osaka prison scene alluded to it, "their rules are too opaque." Rules on top of customs, on top of precedent, on top of tradition, on top of expectation. Love this show!