Legendary samurai will fall and great empires rise in epic series 'Shōgun'

Treachery and passion punctuate the plot of Shōgun, an epic drama series based on a best-selling James Clavell novel, which delves into the history behind the rise of warlords, samurai and a powerful new empire in feudal Japan.

Now streaming on Disney+ SA, this 10-part limited series is set in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war.

Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. 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 amid 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.

Shōgun features an acclaimed Japanese cast, unprecedented for a US production. This includes:

• Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga;
• Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne’s ship was found;
• Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s chief rival;
• Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, a widow who must find new purpose amid her lord’s fight;
• Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend;
• Shinnosuke Abe as Toda Hirokatsu (aka Buntaro), Mariko’s jealous husband;
• Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself;
• Yuka Kouri as “Kiku,” a courtesan renowned for her artistry throughout Japan; and
• Fumi Nikaido as “Ochiba no Kata,” the revered mother of the heir who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son’s power.

Needless to say, Shōgun is THE show everyone's going to be talking about. The first two episodes are now available on Disney+ SA, with new episodes weekly.

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This article was sponsored by Disney+.