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Might have ...
But, I finally got to start watching the remake of Shōgun, a book by James Clavell that I've probably read ten times over the years, and which was a mini-series all the way back in 1980, which I've seen twice, maybe three times, I don't remember right off the bat.
The new one started Tuesday night, I knew that but I missed it and watched it Wednesday night. However, there were TWO episodes I could watch.
Loved every minute of it, I felt like I was in Japan ...
Four hundred years ago.
Mind you, I loved the first one, it had one of my favorite actors in it - Mifune Toshirō in the role of Toranaga Yoshi (who's meant to be Tokugawa Ieyasu, the real life Shōgun). In the 2024 version, Toranaga is played by Sanada Hiroyuki, the samurai who got to beat on Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (an extraordinarily ahistorical film which had the saving grace of being entertaining) while teaching him how to use the sword. I really like this guy's acting.
In the original series I didn't feel like I was in Japan, felt like being on a movie set, in this one they use a lot of tricks of the trade to put you there.
The city of Ōsaka is sprawling and looks very much like a Japanese city of that time. Ōsaka castle was impressive in the first series, it is freaking magnificent in this one. An overhead shot (maybe a model, maybe CGI, I couldn't really tell, it just looked really, really good) gives one the impression that as a fortification, Ōsaka castle would have been a damned tough nut to crack.
I also read a review that said the clothing was far more accurate to the period in this remake, even the way the samurai carried their sword was better. INot something I noticed in the first one.)
If you've got the time, go watch it.
If you don't have the time, make the time. It's that good.
I give it four out of four Super Hornets¹ ...
¹ No, I couldn't find my Phantom graphic.
This is probably jealousy talking, but the left wingman looks out of position. A tad wide. Other than that…
ReplyDeletejuvat
That was my first thought too on seeing the picture.😁
DeleteBillB
Juvat - #2 is, and got razzed about it.
DeleteBillB - see above. 😉
DeleteI am so glad to know that - will make a point to watch. Loved Clavells books and agree about the first miniseries.
DeleteThere must be a story in the razzing, no?
DeleteRobin - It's worth it!
DeleteBeans - Of course there is. No, I don't know it, wish I did. Big Time was there, no, that isn't him.
Deletenot to be a nit-picking Grammar Nazi, but ...
ReplyDeleteif you're gonna use the macron in Mifune Toshirō's name and in the word Shōgun, y' might as well use it in Ōsaka.
My favorite actor too, BTW.
Hhmm, missed that. Will correct.
DeleteYou should consider reading Clavell's other books, Gai-Jin, Tai-Pan, King Rat, and Noble House. All for the historic values, as well as the background of the world as it was seen in those times by the author.
ReplyDeleteirontomflint
Ah, but I have. Excellent books, read them multiple times as well.
DeleteSarge, the history of Osaka Castle itself is fascinating. It was built on the site of the great fortress of Ishiyama Hoganji, the great fortress of the religious sect of the Ikko-Ikki. It was surrendered to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1581 after an 11 year siege and largely burnt to the groundsie; he recognized the value of the location and 3 years later began building Osaka castle there (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishiyama_Hongan-ji). The castle, in turn, would undergo the great siege of Osaka Castle in 1614-1615 (The Winter Campaign and The Summer Campaign) which would effectively be the post-script to the Battle of Sekigahara, eliminating Toyotomi's heir and cementing the reign of the Tokugawa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Osaka).
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoy Sanada Hiroyuki. It has been fun to see his slow ascension through his acting career to likely one of the peak internationally recognizable roles as Lord Toranaga in Shogun. I need to start casting around for access...
I highly recommend it!
DeleteIf you are interested in all things Samurai, get the books by Stephen Turnbull on them. There's some Osprey books and other books. He did some serious research and helped work out several of the correct formulae to laquer plates of bamboo and other materials to make correct Japanese armor.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for his book on the Yakuza to come out. It was supposed to be published after his death (with the permission of said Yakuza) but we're still waiting...
Thanks for the recommendation on Shogun. Wife and I like the Richard Chamberlain version, will have to look up the new one and see if it is watchable.
How's the new combonculator feel? Is it treating you right? Have you named it?
I have many books on the samurai, sort of a thing with me.
DeleteThere was a series of movies in Japanese about a yakuza, can't remember the name. Most excellent, very violent, as you might imagine.
The new computer is still being set up, very impressed with it so far.
Thought about a number of names for it when setting it up. Last two weren't very imaginative, MyPC, MyRazer. Boring. As I had just watched Fury a couple of weeks ago (and was in a conversation about the merits of said film over on the Book of Faces not too long ago) I went with The_Machine. (If you've seen the movie, you'll get it, if not - go watch it.)
Turnbull is sort of a one-man institution; for years he was the major writer in the English speaking world on samurai and Japanese military items. If you are looking for translations of Japanese classics, William Scott Wilson and Thomas Cleary have put out great translations starting in the 70's to current era. Wilson has a biography of Miyamoto Musashi I cannot recommend highly enough.
DeleteFor Yakuza, I would recommend Hell Dogs on Netflix. Really violent, but really tightly written.
Added it to my list. Looks good!
DeleteThat is the only problem with this era. Had to look up where it is - on the FX Network. Don't have cable TV. Similarly I am watching Masters of the Air on Apple+. An excellent series and worth of a follow-up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching it via Hula. And you're right, that's a problem with the times we live in ...
DeleteAnother biographical novel that might interest you, if you haven't read it already, is The Needle -Watcher, The Will Adams Story, An English Samurai. Published in the early 1970s
ReplyDeleteI looked that up, Amazon has it, looks interesting indeed.
DeleteI read it around 1983 and thought it a decent read, which is why I suggested it. It's obviously not a well known work.
Delete👍
DeleteI shared your post with a friend who is a devotee of film, especially early-ish TV and movies, and Japanese anime.
ReplyDeleteHe sent back a brief comment:
“I'm a big fan of Mifune, as I said. Chamberlain is bearable in 1980, playing against type not his usual wimpy self. It was a blockbuster in its day: they actually built two REAL sailing ships (one a galley!) for 1980 Shogun. It is, of course, a mere gloss on the novel.”
Myself, I never cared much for Chamberlain, don’t well recollect that TV series although I do recall that I watched it, but the book was marvelous, was all of Clavell’s work.
Clavell, Michener, Leon Uris, James Jones, et al, …that was a set of unmatchable post-WW 2 novelists.
They were incredible talents, I've read a lot of books by that group. A lot.
DeleteI still remember some eerie scenes from the 1980 miniseries. Like the Japanese boiling someone alive!
DeleteAnd I learned to say Domo Arigato!
That was in the book as well as the series. Both series actually.
DeleteI learned a lot of Japanese from the book.
I tried to get through the book. I honestly did.
ReplyDeleteBut the second or third chapter, where they introduced a bunch of people I didn't know who just sat around talking politics or considering the consequences of their actions? I was confused, and bored, and really didn't care enough to slog through it to find a better part. It reminded me of the worst Russian novels I was required to read in school.
I have no idea if the new TV series is going to overcome that or not. I hope it does, because Sanada Hiroyuki is a favorite actor of mine. I'm going to wait until all the episodes are out and I have multiple reviews of it before I make my decision.
I'm very pleased that so far it's been getting rave reviews from people whose opinions I respect.
Sanada-san is awesome. It is a long book, it is kinda Russian in some ways.
DeleteGentlemen and ladies of a certain age. Please remember that March is moustasche month! That is all.
ReplyDeleteFuzz
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