pyattimac Shogun is an amazing novel, and can be reread countless times yet still present one with overlooked/newly discovered details. To do justice adequately to such a complex/detailed saga seems improbable, yet the miniseries did just that. The acting was spot on, and visually such a feast for the eyes! It really was a great introduction to the roots of Japanese culture, and I learned several words in the language just by reading the book and watching the miniseries. Highly recommend it- you will be sucked in!

MartinHafer "Shogun" was one of the best mini-series in television history and a HUGE event when it debuted in 1980. It managed to do something very unusual--it taught history while entertaining. This is because James Clavell's novel of the same name took real history of Japan during its pivotal Shogun period and mixes it with wonderful fiction.The series stars Richard Chamberlain as an Englishman who is shipwrecked in Japan in the 16th century. He and his fellow shipmates are taken prisoner--and he alone is eventually released. After release, this man learns everything he can about the country--both through observation and with the help of a beautiful female guide appointed to him by this Shogun. This plot device allows the audience to learn through Chamberlain's eyes--and this works very well. In fact, EVERYTHING works well due to some wonderful performances, wonderful location shooting, a lavish budget and a lovely artistry. This bittersweet tale is compelling from start to finish and should be remembered along with the best of its era such as "Roots", "The Winds of War"/"War and Remembrance" and "Holocaust". A must-see.

Neil Welch I watched Shogun when it first aired in the UK, I read the novel a couple of years later, I watched the DVD boxset a couple of years ago, and I am currently watching chunks of it as it airs on one of the late night satellite channels. You can take it that I approve of it.It tells a relatively simple story of John Blackthorne, an English sailor (a "pilot") stranded in 17th century Japan. Toronaga, the local feudal lord, realises that he could be of unique strategic and tactical importance, and keeps him there despite his determination to return home. In the course of being taught Japanese, Blackthorne falls in love with his married tutor Mariko, a love forbidden under the rules of Japanese society. There are other plot threads, but these two drive this long (10 hours) series.Extravagantly mounted, Shogun looks good and is still gripping. It presents Japanese culture, and the extreme differences in attitudes, very fairly - you see the positive and negative aspects and are never required to make a judgement about them, although Blackthorne does (and, in doing so, undergoes the character development arc which is the most satisfying element of the narrative).While the series now feels, perhaps, a little dated, it is well worth watching. The performances are all first rate although I now find Richard Chamberlain's Blackthorne very American and, while committed, possibly a little over intense and lacking in humour. To be fair, though, he doesn't have much to laugh about!

mx44 I'm really mad today because I expected to see a good show.Instead I've seen something.Almost everything is changed.I know the book by heart and this changes made me scream and swear all the time.Blackhtorne seems to be quite stopid,Mariko knows English I guess,not Portuguese,Toranaga is just a cruel leader(when he's the main character in the book). What sort of trickery is this? Blackthorne is a great character in the book(Latin is a must,also for Mariko,Alvito is magnificent,Toranaga is the puppet master etc),but they everything look so dull.To bad I can't give it a ZERO! But I tell you a simple thing: "Read the book and open your mind!"