10 Fascinating Facts About the Making of Shogun

[@WatchMojo]

Do you have any more fun pieces of info? Let us know in the comments below! For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZvUn2OLnNNlmNU Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@CandiceVidito]

_Cinenerd_ Yeah no you're not

[@GopherBaroque61]

I'm so glad you pronounced Toranaga the way the Japanese actors pronounce it. "toh-Ranaga" instead of "toro-Naga".

[@fuzzyschwartz]

@@GopherBaroque61 Yeah, just like the Japanese actors.

[@safuwanfauzi5014]

some species of tree and grass are wrong.

[@turboterps]

they really put a lot of effort in this show and it should be appreciated. Nowadays shows like this are so rare

[@Kap00rwith2os]

Props to FX for opting to err on the side of quality over just profit! It's SUCH a good show! 😍

[@LemanRussx]

Good to know they listen to the advisors, unlike some shows

[@thatguywhois]

some show listened to social justice expert and then became prosperous show!🤫

[@facelesshalo5174]

@@thatguywhois Touch grass. No one cares. Good shows are good shows. bad shows are bad shows. Shogun is amazing, don't bring this nonsense to a good show.

[@thatguywhois]

@@facelesshalo5174 you go touch grass if you can't understand sarcasm💀

[@facelesshalo5174]

@@thatguywhois Please explain how what you said was sarcastic?

[@Neddoest]

@@thatguywhoissarcasm rarely translates in comments! …especially when it’s completely normal to see losers complaining about SJWs and DEI “ruining shows”

[@vesbarrow]

Best thing on TV right now!

[@tykjenffs]

Best thing on TV in years!

[@dennisredmond9395]

I hated to see it end.

[@vesbarrow]

@@dennisredmond9395 me too. I'm trying to find the 80s one and can't.

[@gky7170]

a thoughtful well-written screenplay, masterful acting, and incredible attention to details makes the expenditure well worth it and will bring much more to FX as a reward for all of its efforts.

[@sg214]

By far the most unique take on this hit show. Every other video on KZbin repeats the same praises over and over again. It's great to understand the trials and tribulations behind this production. Good work WatchMojo.

[@mikemartin8712]

Glad to see all the positive comments. I worked on the sets here in Vancouver, they were very fun to work on. Two of the castles were built here in studio and the village was in Port Moody also they did do a few scenes in Japan but it was mostly shot here.

[@jimtakahashi4638]

Thanks for the inside stories More would be appreciated.

[@Yves_Ka]

How exciting - kudos to your team

[@keelyedouglas]

Amazing!!!

[@456jkl1]

my japanese girlfriend couldnt understand what they are speaking in the film and said they speak in "old japanese". this just show how impressive and authentic this series is

[@mfreak1126]

Japanese-American girlfriend, right? Because I'm Japanese-Japanese and can understand everything.

[@greg.peepeeface]

@@mfreak1126 Nikkei vs. Nihonjin FTW

[@meruk8682]

@@mfreak1126 I agree. I'm a Japanese native as well and I have full comprehension of their speeches. Although I must admit, I wasn't aware of the term Anjin until this series. Everything else, a Japan born native should be able to understand. 連歌を深く理解できなかったのは私の不勉強かもしれませんが...そこは現代の日本人として残念です。

[@nissan_skyline]

Yeah, it's like the equivalent of speaking in a Shakespearean language for English speakers.

[@agathalovehiroforever1154]

I think your girlfriend is modern and young, and the Japanese in the play is ancient Japanese, which is not the same as today's Japanese.

[@logaandm]

The weather, clouds, rain, mists and forests around Vancouver are an unsung co-star in many productions. They bring a somber, introspective mood to almost every scene. I grew up in Vancouver, so for me, normal. Most of the world finds it depressing. Geography and weather play a role in cinema which is under appreciated. The X-files lost it's way when it moved to California. Breaking Bad couldn't have been made anywhere but New Mexico. London, New York, the great Plains, all bring things to a production that is often essential.

[@agathalovehiroforever1154]

The weather and architecture of Vancouver may be very similar to that of ancient Japan, preserving the former look of Japan

[@MrShiki1134]

man... i almost cried for hiromatsu dono.... i had to remind myself that he is an actor and he is still alive out there sipping tea. that scene was intense...

[@lifewuzonceezr]

I couldn't breathe..and I did cry..even for Bhutoro

[@eduardoarmenta9232]

That actor did an amazing job, especially considering that unlike some of the other older actors he didn't had much experience with historical dramas (this was a new experience for him, according to one of the interviews I saw of him)

[@wadepsilon01]

Hosokawa clan is one of the models for the Toda clan. A descendant of this Clan became Prime Minister of Japan in the 1990s.

[@suyarin_cho]

Don't worry, he's been keeping busy as a stage actor recently.

[@TheTwistedfatality]

bro stop spoiling for others!

[@ExcitedApron-mw1rz]

21st century film makers should learn from this amazing storytelling. The right use of visual effects, respect to culture and all are perfectly harmonised. And atmosphere of the show was so authentic even though it was taken shot in Vancouver and on the location in Japan was cancelled due to covid. The costumes was also authentic and all the props was orchestrared well-balanced. Tge full dedication of the actors/actresses and crews was so sincere. But most of the acting, they justidified the japanese culture. This one is a beautiful master piece. Next to the Last Samurai by Tom Cruise. I gotta have this in my collection and rewatch it. To Sawano Hiroyuki, my deep respect to his directing prowess. My deep gratitude to the great mind behind the storytelling.

[@roycrave2420]

Love the fact that the extras got paid and 10 times as much!

[@Diego_i]

This series is ICONIC... very entertaining.... i can't wait it to end, just to watch again!!

[@jasonmcmurtry7812]

Shogun is incredible. 10/10 and worth every penny spent on it.

[@android1617]

I was about to cancel my worthless Disney+ subscription until this came along. Best thing I've watched in years.

[@R4Y2k]

So far, it's at least in the top 5 shows of this decade.

[@happytrails1963]

Very good actors and actresses, particularly have enjoyed Moeki Hoshi portrayal of Fuji. Also really like how moody the scenes were just perfection.

[@RichardinSiam]

Such an amazing series. It has some real emotions.

[@Reaperguy67]

I agree with you on that. When it comes to it. The history part of it is something I also like about it. Japan does have a lot of interesting history if you take the time to read about it .

[@itech3639]

Love it !!!!!

[@RichardinSiam]

@@Reaperguy67 The entire world has a lot of interesting history. I have been fortunate to scratch the surface. I have seen the original 3 times. I think this one does the period and emotional context better. Chamberlain was great as Pilot but too dramatic. The way the most basic scene elicits such strong emotions is remarkable. I let it sink in and bask in the culture. Though I have to laugh I thought when his closest friend killed himself reminded me too much of Zoolander the eye conversation between Todd and Mugatu.

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@RichardinSiam i agree with you

[@theviolentone]

the legendary series in making

[@bryanferguson4927]

One of the greatest series ever made. A masterpiece on so many levels. Great finale too.

[@robertflores8234]

LOVE THIS SHOW! The era of the Samurai is fascinating to me and the costumes/clothing are amazing! (You could imagine how thrilled I was when the Turtles went back in time to Feudal Japan.) 😅

[@stone1andonly]

I was a teen when the original miniseries aired on NBC, and I have a hard time believing that any amount of money could create a similar or better production. It was groundbreaking in a number of ways: A) It was the first time (or one of the first times, if not the first) that the word "piss" was used on American television. Quite ironic, given that the rise of the Religious Right and the Reagan/Bush era followed shortly thereafter. B) Not only was it one of the first (or the first) times the word "piss" was used in American television, it was possibly the first to show a scene in which a character was (artfully and as discreetly as possible) shown pissing... on the show's main character, no less! C) It introduced Toshiro Mifune and John Rhys-Davies to the viewing public as one of their first major roles on American television; John would later take iconic roles, such as Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise, Gimli in the Lord of the Rings, and Professor Maximillian Arturo on the cult favorite sci-fi tv series Sliders. Toshiro was already one of Japan's most renowned actors and a favored actor of director Akira Kurosawa, though his participation in Shogun caused Kurosawa to speak ill of who was once one of his favorite talents. D) It still stands as the *only* American television production to be filmed entirely in Japan.

[@uginpearl2037]

1980 лучше

[@belinhafernandes]

I was just a kid and watched the series with my mom, dad and sister, and grandmother. Ir was a huge success on Portugal. It shaped my taste for movies about Japanese and Japan. I enjoyed this new Shogun immensly .

[@TheBrokenCoast]

I absolutely love how authentic this has been both to ancient Japan and too the book even more so it was filmed in my hometown!

[@Medrake03]

The production is an impressively understatement, hats off to the entire team and crew for a well executed series!

[@grandmufftwerkin9037]

We fans of James Clavell's novel Shogun have been waiting a long time for a faithful and encompassing production for a long time. The problem with both the 1980 series and this one has been primarily plagued by one most significant problem: time. It needs at minimum two seasons.

[@Lordtariq4233]

Vancouver is now becoming the movie capital of the world!

[@CandiceVidito]

Shoguns are pretty cool imo 😊

[@SkinnyEatWorld95]

I've been enjoying it so far. The books are good too.

[@Reaperguy67]

Same here and I didn't realize there was a book series on it.

[@Riceball01]

@@Reaperguy67 There isn't, there's only a single book, also called Shogun. What James Calvell, the author, did write was 3 novels dealing with Asia. There's Shogun, of course, King Rat about an American solider in a Japanese POW camp during WWII, and Taipan about an English merchant who was the THE European merchant in what was to become Hong Kong.

[@SkinnyEatWorld95]

@@Riceball01 Yes thank you, I couldn't remember the names for the life of me😔 It would be nice to have more Shogun books though. I hope they'll make more shows based on his books.

[@justmystery1114]

Everything about this show is phenomenal.

[@kathybernatchez8473]

C'est une des meilleures reconstitutions historiques que j'ai vu dans ma vie. Great show!

[@KonoschABC]

every episode was a high value movie production.. i binged it almost

[@bowei6231]

This is how Hollywood should do a show showing foreign history, not the Great Wall type beat 🤣😂

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

This series is EPIC

[@fuzzyschwartz]

Here's another fact, it is pronounced Sho goon not sho gun.

[@danielmedjedovic7068]

Sho-Gun is the american way xD

[@javaykirk2688]

@@danielmedjedovic7068 Indeed

[@fuzzyschwartz]

@@danielmedjedovic7068 Sho goon is the way non-Japanese should pronounce it. I wasn't being picky, The Japanese actually pronounce it Sho u goon.

[@fernandoangelessoto9301]

@@danielmedjedovic7068Americans pronounce it Show gun.

[@shinrin-yoku3877]

I know that but I still say it wrong without catching myself

[@tylergoodman3560]

It's great to see the behind the scenes stuff that went into this show. 🎉

[@purberri]

I hope this show is successful. They did an awesome job.

[@chezmanya]

Costumes were breathtakingly beautiful. In comparison, the 1980 costuming was often garish and inappropriate for the time period. my only quibble with the production was the casting of Blackthorne and Alvito.

[@felixseagal4954]

I agree about Blackthorne. I don't see Cosmo Jarvis in this role.

[@FreedomEugene]

An interesting, beautiful and exciting serial film. Low bow to the team. Thank you for remaking this fascinating adaptation of the book 💙

[@lyzappyza]

worth it 🎉 Congratulations on the 18 Emmys❤❤❤

[@SheyD78]

I wish every show could have this kind of quality and attention to detail.

[@fireworks_music]

The entire production shows the highest integrity in all aspects, and shockingly enough, the FX top brass set the tone. Yes, it was expensive, but they spent the money where it really counted and against heavy odds, they pulled it off. Perhaps the wisest decision was not opting for overprice above-the-line stars for the top leads. They got tremendous acting talent anyway. For me, this is the best limited series ever, and it's not particularly close.

[@ereheesmerere]

the pay for the extras, so generous

[@tidusfantasy]

I worked on this show for the whole season (can't disclose my role), but the fun fact is, we were trying to get as many East Asian people to join as background performers, as there's not a sizeable Japanese population in Vancouver, we gotta recruit many Chinese and Korean and any East asian looking person to join us. During meal time, you will see all these background performers lining up for food, it's quite a scene itself. It was so fun to be on this show. We shot on locations around August/September 2021 til 2022 summer, for the main crew. So many days of raining and even snowing when we go on locations (Outside of Vancouver immediate area, such as in Squamish)

[@Kaister007]

cosmo jarvis is not british, they should have got a ethnic brit to play the role

[@cainmosni6540]

Why

[@eddiejoewalt7746]

really you worked on the show yeah right!

[@tidusfantasy]

@@Kaister007 And he is anti *Something*... I'll let u have a wide guess lol

[@basseyfrancis3070]

​@@Kaister007 He is British,I just checked but even if he wasn't, regardless of where ever he comes from,as long as he plays the role well nothing wrong with using a non British actor.British and other foreign actors play American roles a lot.

[@PrinceChaloner]

Would've been more epic if they had used thousands of real men in the battle scenes rather than CGI that everyone know it was..

[@juzzztine4901]

Guessing those who say “show-gun” also pronounce karaoke as “car-eeh-oh-kee” 😆

[@Riceball01]

And pronounce Mariko as Muh ree ko or Toranaga however the heck the narrator in this video butchered it. I don't get how people who make videos on this show can butcher the names, it's not like they don't say the names of major characters like Mariko and Toranaga dozens of times each episde.

[@ZZ_Szabo]

I think period accurate might be a better way to describe the show. Obviously, the characters are fictional based on one or a composite of multiple historical figures. Whether it's the composition or changes for plot sake, some of the characters feel like they strayed a good deal from both the source materials and historical records. This isn't a bad thing, the show and the characters are good, and the show is period accurate, not strictly historically accurate; That's what I think.

[@fredricclack7137]

Hiro Hero! 🇯🇵

[@johmai1672]

i love this series, excited for the last episodes

[@martincatoniryan1638]

shogun, incredible show

[@mintybadger6905]

Worth every penny.

[@ZZ_Szabo]

Generally most borrowed Japanese nouns are the singular or plural. Eg. Samurai instead of Samurais.

[@ilphi08]

This show is too amazing to have only single season They also built the set and made the costumes It should be used for season 2

[@TheRedSonia]

The word "samurai" is both singular and plural.

[@aarontanco6200]

The show felt like it was ramping towards a grand battle but it ended on a whisper. Little unhappy about the finale but it was true to the source material.

[@milosjanos5058]

I just finished to read book Shogun. I´m looking forward to compare it with show.

[@Bobbyo60]

The actor that plays Toronaga-sama play in “The Last Samurai “ with Tom Cruise.

[@wadepsilon01]

Hiroyuki Sanada played the role of Mitsunari Ishida (Ishido) in a 1996 Japanese drama

[@iwasakikoji6969]

Hopefully FX gives Sanada a blank check to make whatever he wants with this crew. So much quality jidaigeki is released in Japan every year but not made available in the West. Best alternative is to have someone with Sanada's experience just make some here for us.

[@DANIEL-ho4gr]

Stories are told, Good Stories are told in Multitudes, Epics are sung and acted in Operas, Miniseries like SHÖGUN are raised to the level of Art.! ¡Las Historias se narran, las Buenas Historias se cuentan en Multitud, las Epopeyas Epicas se cantan y actúan en Operas, las Miniseries como SHÖGUN se elevan al nivel de Arte.!

[@GartasABV]

That what we what , something really authentic but over all history accuracy, (light on a cigarette) this is fucking art

[@otorishingen8600]

Love this show

[@felixseagal4954]

Because of dark lighting and blue filter all the time we could barely see the beauty of costumes. It's like 350 days a year in Japan is always evenings and nights.

[@user-ey2mt8eb4r]

The Erasmus ship set piece was originally built as the Jolly Rodger for Peter Pan and Wendy.

[@WTF1200rt]

The actress playing Ochiba is my favorite

[@astos1244]

... anyone else hoping they were saving budget for grand final battle at Sekigahara?

[@exist2rebel152]

The budget was worth every penny. All.

[@brucesamia6353]

worth every penny spent

[@lucyshnyr5647]

The show is stunning. Simply stunning. The only point - the nature around Vancouver is a bit too rough and grim (considering the show is taking place not in northern Japan, but around Edo, Osaka and Kyushu). The second point for me is Cosmo Jarvis. I haven’t seen him anywhere else before, and it took time to get used to him… keeping the novel (and/or Richard Chamberlain) in mind I still think he’s miscast. Has nothing to do with appearance, cause there’s no detailed description of what John Blackthorne looked like, except blue eyes and really blond hair (which also wasn’t to be seen 😊), it’s more of a general feeling. The line delivery, as many said already. Really somewhat amateur-ish at times. There were better possible candidates, that’s all. No use talking abt it now,and the show has become a masterpiece anyway.

[@The_RedVIII]

It all paid of. Shogun might even be the best show I've ever seen. Maybe next to DARK.

[@uncoverlight8605]

Masterpiece...

[@diosdadodionisio7335]

RISE OF THE RŌNIN is good but SHŌGUN is better 🤔💭

[@俊宏宏]

Best Japanese show ever 🎉🎉🎉

[@LuisPintoTheFirst]

The Advisors only forgot to have Portuguese people talking in Portuguese!!

[@Gaito_03]

Shōgun❌ ShowGun✅

[@antisbuster6296]

I have a fun piece of info you guys forgot, the show was actually filmed in Detroit. Just so you know.

[@mikemartin8712]

No it was not! I worked on the show here in Vancouver. You could be mistaken with the original, don’t know where that was filmed.

[@antisbuster6296]

@@mikemartin8712 it was a joke..

[@DaniilVodopian]

I'm so glad they delayed rather then proceed with a bad script

[@rathasong7854]

i feel like i live i that tim e period when watching

[@angelas3950]

The plural of samurai is just samurai, not samurais.

[@kronozord8346]

Why did you hid my comment? This video is an add, theres no hidding it.

[@fredricclack7137]

JMarks: Counterpart?! 🤔

[@MartymarMcFly]

300 a day is the rate for a days work as an extra. Of course they paid them that

[@CourtneySchappert]

Imagine a Netflix-produced version with non-Japanese playing all the characters, for "inclusion".

[@mrrothskin6165]

Great series but it loses a bit of its magic when you realize it was closely based on another successful show of the same name.

[@rustymackemingrancanaria6360]

And the award for best wooden actor goes to cosmo jarvis or the ship.....cosmo come on down

[@ConkerKing]

Wait !! It WASN'T filmed in 17th century Japan !!? No way !! So glad i watched this video......

[@D.Crowders]

*Barbarians 2, on the heels of Barbarians 1 is a classic example of a successful historical drama going so WOKE in the sequel, the historical advisors reigned on mass. Lets hope Shogun 2 which FX has now confirmed will happen doesnt go down the same route.*

[@AB-gk8cs]

Do not break a lance for Barbarian 1 - which was already mostly garbage. Season 2 might be worse (I did not have the stomach to see it), but 1 already butchered a rather complex and fascinating story for the "anti-imperialsm" pseudo-nationalism which has been in the first place at least around since Spartacus (the old movie) and in the latter case at least since the 19th century, when all Western nations invented their history myth and made up their ancestors (the Brittains f. e. Boudicca, the Germans Arminius, the French Vercingetorx etc., cutting all the ambiguity and complex reality of the Imperium Romanum. "Life of Brian" or "Asterix" (the comics) might be more accurate in some aspects. And compare Barbarian 1 with Shogun 1....

[@pajinagalwinmarki.9102]

I knew that they didnt filmed it in Japan cause most of the trees in the series are monoculture.

[@bladethorn]

I love history but am weak with gore, so the first episode with the dude soup threw me off. Knowing this attention to detail, I may go back and just skip the icky stuff.

[@davidgork4185]

I can't get over the fact americans tend to pronounce it "show-gun", like the gun in a gun that shoots ammo. But then again, of course they are...

[@CupidFromKentucky]

The vast majority of English speakers pronounce it that way.

[@samuelpetrovich4998]

then spell it showgoon? Idk lmao

[@nbenefiel]

For me, Shogun will always be Richard Chamberlain.

[@navi8108]

you mean Anjin?

[@ziloe]

Seriously, edit your script before you start, the amount of times you repeated then same info, like it was filmed in Canada, was way too much

[@titovalasques]

Money extremely well spent!

[@mukavelli]

Good show, too bad that they chose Cosmo Jarvis for the role. It is obvious he is an amateur actor, no facial expressions and so on, the only thing he has going for himself is his voice. Tom Hardy from wish suits his description well.

[@lucyshnyr5647]

Exactly. I haven’t seen Cosmo Jarvis anywhere else before, it took time to get used to him, but keeping the novel (and/or Richard Chamberlain) in mind I still think he’s miscast. Has nothing to do with appearance, cause there’s no really detailed description of what John Blackthorne looked like, except blue eyes and blond hair (which also wasn’t to be seen 😊), it’s more the general feeling. The line delivery, as many said already. Really somewhat amateur-ish. There were better possible candidates, that’s all. No use talking abt it now,and the show has become a masterpiece anyway…

[@cvelosoraptor]

This show deserves a lot of Emmy awards! Or else we riot!

[@Jinz3]

FX ceo was lying

[@rayawira]

It's pronounced Sho-guhn, not sho-ghan. It drives me crazy....

[@DougiePlaysSoccer]

The only aspect that kept putting me off was the use of that swirly bokeh from their film lenses. Otherwise, the show is certainly a masterpiece.

[@alistelum404]

50000yen a day for an extra??

[@millmari1]

I wish shogun would NEVER FINISH!!!!!! It’s so good sooooooooo good……

[@dennisredmond9395]

@millmari1 I hated to see it end!

[@qs2808]

I didn’t see the raiden shogun so the show is not authentic