The new FX series has been getting rave reviews everywhere, with many comparing the show to classics such as Game of Thrones. The series shares its name with the 1980 miniseries based on the same source material.
The plot is set in the 1600s and follows British explorer John Blackthorne’s arrival in Japan during a complicated geopolitical scenario. Portugal was heavily involved in the region at this point, and Blackthorne’s arrival had other political implications.
Like you, I, too, was confused about whether the show was a remake, an adaptation, or a completely original take. It seems like it’s a bit of all three. Given the show’s vast scale and production design, it has been compared to the 1980 Shogun several times.
Both the 1980 version and the 2024 FX series are based on the same book, so a comparison is inevitable. If you’re planning to start binge-watching the show or have already watched it and want to learn more about its background, keep reading!
Is FX’s Shogun (2024) A Remake?
FX’s Shogun is not a remake of the 1980 series of the same name. However, both shows are based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name. They are separate original takes on the source material.
Shogun 2024 is marketed by FX as an original take on Clavell’s novel. The show is not a remake of the 1980 series or any other existing work, but there are a lot of similarities between the 1980 version and the 2024 version.
The 1980 version of Shogun is considered a pathbreaking project in its genre. The show featured Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne and the iconic Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune as Yoshi Toranaga, another pivotal character. The show comprised only 5 episodes, each of which was 2 hours long.
The 2024 version also features the characters of Blackthorne and Toranaga. While the 1980 version was solely from Blackthorne’s perspective, the 2024 version tries to make the narrative more neutral. It is a fresh take on Clavell’s story.
What is James Clavell’s 1975 novel Shogun about?
James Clavell’s 1975 novel, Shogun, is based on a fictional retelling of real-life events and a well-framed look at the geopolitical situation of 16th-century Japan. His characters are based on real people, although the events are fictionalized.
The story takes place at the end of the Sengoku period and is partially told from Blackthorne’s POV. In the book, Blackthorne is an English pilot whose ship lands on the east coast of Japan due to a storm.
Blackthorne’s character is loosely based on the real-life personality of William Adams. Blackthorne is described as the first Englishman to come to Japan when the Portuguese were the only Europeans doing business in the Asian region. In reality, Adams was known for being the first Englishman to arrive in Japan during that time.
Both the 1980 and the 2024 versions try to explore the massive scope of Clavell’s novel and offer a more linear narrative.
Is Shogun (2024) based on a true story?
Shogun 2024 is not entirely based on a true story. It is an adaptation of James Clavell’s novel of the same name. The novel is a fictionalized version of real historical events.
Most characters in the novel are inspired by real historical figures. Blackthorne’s character, or the “Anjin,” is based on William Adams. Yoshi Toranaga’s character is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu succeeded Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a part of a group of regents who would become the first shogun of the Edo shogunate.
Shogun also delves into the escalating tensions between the Japanese and the Portuguese Jesuits. Portugal’s growing influence over trade in the region, particularly between Japan and China, serves as an important backdrop in the novel.
Within this context, the Council of Regents, of which Toranaga is a member, is based on the real-life regents who governed on behalf of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s minor son after his death.
About Shōgun
Shōgun is an upcoming American historical drama television limited series based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell. The novel was previously adapted into a 1980 television miniseries.
The series is set to premiere with its first two episodes on February 27, 2024, on Hulu and FX, with new episodes of the 10-episode series then releasing weekly.
Shōgun follows “the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai; John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance”.
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