Shōgun,
the successful Disney+ miniseries that critics compare to
Game of Thrones
, is inspired by real events.
It takes place in 1600, at the end of the Sengoku period.
For over a century, Japan was in a state of constant civil war with warlords competing with each other.
The land was constantly shifting between clans.
In those years of colonialism, the European presence flourished despite these internal battles.
Portugal and Spain waged their own Catholic war against the Protestant English and Dutch.
The missionaries from these two southern European countries who had already arrived in Japan wanted to maintain the monopoly on Asian trade that they had achieved up to that point.
To do this, they defined the English or Dutch newcomers as thieves and robbers, and thus foster Japanese distrust of their rivals.
That's when a British sailor and a feudal lord joined their destinies under the watchful eye of the Japanese leader's main advisor.
The term shogun that gives its name to the series means military protector and is the abbreviated way of calling the old title seii tai shogun.
He is not a samurai, but the leader of a group of samurai warriors.
The story begins in the year 1600, in the final stages of the warlike Sengoku period and the moments before the luminous Edo period.
Disney+ releases a new episode of
Shōgun
every Tuesday .
According to the entertainment company's own data, the first of the three episodes already available has exceeded nine million views globally in its first six days in the Disney+, Hulu or Star+ catalog (depending on the country).
The standard that platforms apply to count a viewing is the result of dividing the number of minutes played (in this case 690 million) by the total duration of the content (70 minutes of duration of the pilot chapter).
Below, we explain who the main characters of
Shōgun
are and what historical figures they are inspired by in this adaptation of James Clavell's
best seller
published in 1975.
Yoshii Toranaga
Yoshii Toranaga.
Katie Yu/FX
He is a feudal lord who is inspired by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
After the death of the Japanese leader Taiko, he is fighting to survive while his enemies in the Council of Regents unite against him, considered Taiko's best friend and trusted man.
He lives isolated in Osaka Castle, besieged by his rivals, when a mysterious European ship is found abandoned in a nearby fishing village and, with it, an unprecedented opportunity for his country until then.
The author of
Shōgun
is reflecting with this character Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), one of the three leaders of Japanese reunification.
The character is played by actor Hiroyuki Sanada.
John Blackthorne
John Blackthorne.Katie Yu/FX
This English sailor arrives on the Japanese coast full of secrets.
He can help Toranaga tip the balance of power and, with that union of the two, tip the balance of power in his favor against his own enemies: the Jesuit priests and the Portuguese merchants.
This character is inspired by William Adams (1564–1620), considered the first English samurai in history and the man who made the relationship of mutual influence between Japan and the West flourish.
He is played by British actor Cosmo Jarvis.
All Mariko
Todo MarikoKatie Yu/FX
The fate of Toranaga and Blackthorne is intrinsically linked to the woman who acts as translator between them.
Todo Mariko is a mysterious woman belonging to the country's upper class converted to Christianity and the last of a family saga fallen from grace.
As she serves her lord amid this tense political landscape, she must reconcile her newfound alliance with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her, and her duty to her late father. she.
Actress Anna Sawai plays this character, which is a transcript of Hosokawa Gracia (1563–1600), a member of the aristocratic Akechi family of the Sengoku period and a Catholic who fought for women of the samurai class.
Kashigi Yabushige
Kashigi Yabushige.Kurt Iswarienko/FX
A military leader close ally of Toronaga, but at the same time a notorious traitor who plays a double game to advance on this chess board or, simply, to survive on it.
To do this, he changes his alliances depending on his needs.
Kashigi Omi
Kashigi Omi.Kurt Iswarienko/FX
The young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne is found and Yabushige's nephew.
His cold mind becomes a great political weapon and a very important asset for his uncle's plans.
Ishido Kazunari
Ishido Kazunari.Kurt Iswarienko/FX
A powerful bureaucrat in charge of protecting Osaka Castle.
A former peasant who hates his origins, but even more so the nobles with whom he now surrounds himself.
He is one of Toranaga's main rivals in the struggle for power.
Usami Fuji
Usami Fuji.
Katie Yu/FX
A young widow who must find a vital purpose in the midst of this confrontation between military leaders.
She is the granddaughter of Toranaga's best friend and trusted general.
All Hirokatsu
Todo Hirokatsu.Kurt Iswarienko/FX
The stoic samurai.
A strong and talented warrior who fights on Toranaga's side with only one flaw: being Mariko's jealous and possessive husband.
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