New Samurai show likened to ‘Game of Thrones in Japan’ drops on streaming today to rave reviews

It drops on streaming in the UK today

Shōgun is an upcoming series from FX arriving this month, and is based on the 1975 James Clavell novel of the same name.

It follows political upheaval in 17th-century Japan after an English sailor is shipwrecked on the nation's shores and becomes caught up in the lives of daimyo Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and samurai Toda Mariko​​​​​​​ (Anna Sawai). 

The series synopsis reads: “When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies — the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants.

"Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father."

After 17 reviews, the series has a perfect score of 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, earning it comparisons with Game of Thrones for the level of hype around the show, Screen Rant reports.

As soon as the trailer for Shōgun was released, people drew comparisons between it and the HBO's epic fantasy drama.

Although Shōgun doesn't have any of the dragons or witchcraft of Game of Thrones, the scale of the two series appears to be similar.

The FX series has a huge cast, including John Wick star Hiroyuki Sanada in the role of Lord Yoshii and British actor Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne, and its story is set to cover the political turmoil of a region over a long period of time.

And by achieving a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, Shōgun has already achieved something Game of Thrones never did, with the highest-rated season on the website having a score of 97 per cent (this was season 4 by the way).

The first two episodes will premiere in the US on FX today, February 27. In the UK, it is available to watch on Disney+.

Related links:

Netflix has just added one of the best action movies of the decade so far

ITV viewers are struggling to watch traumatic covid drama as final episode drops tonight

Netflix fans turn off new thriller within minutes after terrifying opening scene