As someone who read the novel, I am digging the very much the way this started; The story moves slowly is what people are going to say, but this is not some fast paced adventure show. There will be action, but this is so much more about life in feudal Japan that anything else.
Warning: This is based on a LONG novel by James Clavell with the same name; there is A LOT of details in the book about the culture of feudal Japan (when Tokyo was still Edo), so do not expect a fast paced show; that said, should episode 2 or 3 kicks up the speed my opinion may change.
I keep getting distracted by how the background is distorted instead of focusing on the plot
There is some interest in the Japanese story overall but the English and Portuguese story is lumbered with their insurance on replacing the Portuguese language with English and constantly referring to how well people speak Portuguese or not. The way characters translate Portuguese into Japanese is an important part of the story so it’s both confusing and absurd. I had read about the English for Portuguese before watching but it still took a while to figure out who was speaking what. Add to that a Spanish character with a thick accent to his English that is meant to be Portuguese and it is very distracting. All I can say is, after the first few scenes between English sailors where the main guy declares that he speaks Portuguese, you may as well assume they are always speaking Portuguese (unless they are speaking Japanese, then they are actually speaking Japanese) even when it seems like maybe they could or should be speaking English.
The constant extreme lens blur seems like an odd choice and might be a way to hide some other shortcomings.
Apart from this constant irritation, there is a lot of visual interest, some good characters and interesting depictions of Japanese culture in that period. I’m not overly concerned if I watch or don't watch but maybe I will if nothing better comes up.
Wasn't as hooked as everyone else seems to be. I also don't deal with having to process a lot of names in 1 episode.
Pretty slow burn. Not too boring, but didn't really make me eager to see the next one.
With every episode being an hour, they could add a little more story to hook you.
Great start and great adaptation.
I read this book as a boy and was captivated by it. It looks fantastic and the writers seem to be trying to be true to the book so far. Great start, really enjoyed the first episode.
Very good. I learned that I speak Portuguese, despite only knowing English.
Shōgun Heads, we won.
Very nice first episode, love this
most expensive lookin' first episode i've seen in some time
Way too much violence, aggression and conflict. It feels like this adaptation has cranked them up to 11 for shock value. It just feels off.
The direction and editing are too fast and modern, with scenes ending very abruptly. The CG vistas and townscapes stick out like a sore thumb.
The use of vintage lenses with lots of barrel distortion and chromatic aberrations is too distracting, to the point of causing motion sickness. If their use had been limited to just Blackthorne's scenes, it would've actually been a useful artistic choice.
This serie is now for everyone, it's very serious. I'm not sure what I have to think of it myself.
Shout by Dulneth PereraBlockedParent2024-03-02T06:11:47Z
The moment Anna Sawai came on screen...I did too