Shogun
admonition : This clause contains despoiler for Shogun .
Summary
Shōgunepisode 10 changed the entire show in hindsight by unwrap Lord Toranaga was planning to becomeshōgunafter all . Despite having said several times that he did not want to becomeshōgun , Lord Toranaga in secret knew that this was the only for him to direct the country into the futurity he think to be the correct one . RewatchingShōgunafter the finalewill make for an incredible experience now that viewers can nibble up all the clues they might have missed the first sentence .
Those conversant with the previousShōgunminiseries , the original novel by James Clavell , or the lawful story of Tokugawa Ieyasu might not have been too surprised to learn thatToranaga ’s ultimate end was to supervene upon the Regents as the country ’s true loss leader . However , even without considering the source , plenty of clue indicated that Toranaga was lying to everyone – including the audience . From the circumstances of Kuroda ’s last to Lady Mariko ’s Crimson Sky foreign mission , Toranaga ’s actions make much more sense afterShōgunepisode 10 .
7Toranaga Saw John Blackthorne’s Arrival As An Opportunity
Blackthorne was an important asset, but for what goal?
Shōgunepisode 1 terminate with Toranaga trace the comer ofJohn Blackthorne in Japanas an opportunity , something that destiny had make for to his shore . The Anjin ’s seeking against the Portuguese was bound to create a lot of trouble not only with the foreign Christians but also with the Council of Regents , which included four Catholic lords . Additionally , Blackthorne ’s ship and weapons were going to become an important asset at the hands of whoever ascertain the tike . The fact thatToranaga had plans for Blackthorne from the startindicated he was already fighting a warfare before the show even began .
The Anjin ’s arrival in Japan brought instability to the Council of Regents , which flat helped Toranaga .
Shōgunepisode 10 made it well-defined why Toranaga maintain Blackthorne by his side and never have the Anjin go . first of all , Blackthorne made Toranaga laugh , which the latter admitted when revealing his design to Yabushige . to boot , Blackthorne made for the perfect distraction to be used against Lord Toranaga ’s opposition . The Anjin ’s comer in Japan brought unbalance to the Council of Regents , which flat helped Toranaga . Ishido wanted the Anjin ’s weapons and noesis , whereas the Christian lords wanted the Englishman killed as speedily as possible . Blackthorne made a lot of interference , grant Toranaga to plot from the shadows .
6Toranaga Was Plotting Against The Council Of Regents From The Start
Keeping Ochiba-no-kata in Edo caught the Council’s attention
At the beginning ofShōgunepisode 1 , Ishido welcome Lord Toranaga in Osaka for a meeting between the Regents . This is when Ishido announces that Toranaga will be impeached soon for trying to kidnap the Heir ’s mother in other to take over . While Ishido was trying to use Ochiba - no - kata ’s situation in Edo as leveraging against Toranaga , he was not necessarily wrong about the Lord of Kanto ’s intentions . preserve Ochiba - no - kata as jolly of a hostage in Edo was a political play by Toranaga , who made himself a target when it was time to make a move against Ishido and the Regents .
Yabushige ’s last moments in Shōgun ’s finale still fit his reference dead , capturing the loveable trait of an otherwise untrustworthy character .
The Council needed all five members to make any decisions , mean that sidelining Toranaga would bring a lot of instability . To impeach Toranaga , the Regents would have to find another lord who was willing to cooperate with them against the Lord of Kanto . To do so , Ishido and Ochiba - no - kata finally had to make a hostage crisis in Osaka , forcing those who were still loyal to Toranaga to sideline with them . In other words , belong against the Regents at the get-go of the story was a calculated move by Toranagaand one of the most of import parts of his plan .
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury
5Toranaga Refused The Taikō’s Offer To Rule As Sole Regent
It was too soon for Toranaga to take over
One of the biggest hints that Toranaga was planning to becomeshōgunis that he refused to become lone trustee when offer this position by the Taikō , who by then was on his deathbed . While it may seem self-contradictory that refusing to becomeshōgunwas part of Toranaga ’s plan to becomeshōgun , it defecate sense within the circumstance of the story . Had Toranaga agreed to govern on behalf of the Taikō ’s son as the only regent , he would have become an easy targetfor the other Regents to go after .
Toranaga did not refuse the Taikō ’s offer because he did not want to becomeshōgun – it was just not the correct time .
The other lords were not gon na let Toranaga becomeshōgunand were go to wage warfare against him and the Heir . This war would have divide the body politic , and it would most likely have ended with the deaths of both Toranaga and the Heir . The reasonwhy Toranaga sought to becomeshōgunwas to direct the country into a period of peacefulness , which is why he waited so long to make any significant moves . Toranaga did not have enough great power and political capital to sustain his rule back then and had to wait a few more years .
Shōgun, released in 2024, is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a significant civil war. It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he battles political adversaries on the Council of Regents, while a European ship mysteriously appears in a nearby fishing village, complicating the tides of power.
role
Actor
Real - Life Inspiration
Yoshii Toranaga
Hiroyuki Sanada
Tokugawa Ieyasu
John Blackthorne
Cosmo Jarvis
William Adams
Toda Mariko
Anna Sawai
Hosokawa Gracia
Kashigi Yabushige
Tadanobu Asano
Honda Masanobu
Kashigi Omi
Hiroto Kanai
Honda Masazumi
Ishido Kazunari
Takehiro Hira
Ishida Mitsunari
Ochiba - no - kata
Fumi Nikaido
Yodo - dono
It is interesting to conceive of how Lord Toranaga ’s plan would have toy out had John Blackthorne never arrived in Japan . WhileToranaga posit that the Anjin was not substantive to his program , much of what happened inShōgunoriginated from Blackthorne ’s reckless action . Either style , refusing to accept the Taikō ’s go was the ripe determination by Toranaga . He grew strong with every year , crafting more king and expanding his ambit beyond Edo through marriage . Toranaga did not refuse the Taikō ’s whirl because he did not need to becomeshōgun – it was just not the veracious time .
4Toranaga Carefully Chosen When To Let Blackthorne Reunite With His Crew
The Anjin’s ship had a role to play in Toranaga’s plan
Toranaga keep John Blackthorne on a short III during the events ofShōgun . Everything the Anjin would bring up his ship and crew , Toranaga fleetly terminate the conversation . While it made sense for Toranaga not to let Blackthorne go away see everything that had happened , the Lord of Kanto never even considered letting the Englishman reunite with his gang until the time was right . Toranaga carefully chose when to allow Blackthorne see his hands again , and it was all part of a larger design to convince the Anjin to offer his services to Yabushige .
By keeping Blackthorne away from his men long enough , Toranaga made sure the Anjin would not have a crowd by the sentence he was allowed to leave Japan . Toranaga never intended for the Anjin to leave , yet he want him to volunteer Yabushige an alliance . Yabushige and Blackthorne were going to be responsible for for move the ship without Toranaga ’s involvement , tote up to the perception that the Lord of Kanto had given up . Blackthorne believed he was feed Toranaga“sh*t,”yet it was Toranaga who had been keep in line him the whole time .
In hindsight , Yabushige was one of Toranaga ’s most important pawns .
3Toranaga Kept Yabushige Close (Despite Knowing He Wasn’t Trustworthy)
Yabushige was never a threat because Toranaga was counting on his betrayal
Toranaga was more than fresh enough to make out that Yabushige was working with Ishido , or at least that the Lord of Izo would have no problem betraying his lord if mean saving his own life . Even still , Toranaga kept Yabushige tight to himevery footstep of the way and even had him as part of his war council when Crimson Sky was about to be announce . For someone so levelheaded and deliberate , it seemed odd that Toranaga would let Yabushige know so much about his plans . In hindsight , Yabushige was one of Toranaga ’s most important pawns .
Fuji and John Blackthorne ’s excited boat tantrum in Shōgun episode 10 was a highlighting of the finale and one of the best moments of the intact show .
Toranaga was count on everything Yabushige did during the show , including carry through the Anjin from death penalty on edict of Ishido . Shōgunalso heavingly implied that Omi , Yabushige ’s nephew , was process for Toranaga the whole time . InShōgunepisode 1 , Toranaga tells Omi“Why tell a dead humanity the future,”aquote that Toranaga used in episode 10 during Yabushige ’s seppuku . Assuming Omi was indeed work for Toranaga , even the death of Nebara Jozen might have been part of his program to stimulate tension between Ishido and Yabushige .
2Ochiba-no-kata Suspected Toranaga Was To Blame For Her Father’s Death
Akechi Jinsai’s betrayal didn’t come from nothing
Lady Mariko ’s kinfolk backstorywas one of the most important plot line inShōgun , and it highlights how complex Toranaga ’s plan was . However , most of which revealed through flashbacks or just subtly suggest at during the show . WhileShōgundoes not directly tell that Toranaga was responsible for for Akechi Jinsai ’s treachery , James Clavell ’s novel all but confirms that he was the one who plotted the blackwash of Kuroda . Akechi Jinsai was view as a traitor and was killed alongside his family . Mariko was the only subsister , her destruction being denied once Buntaro took her as wife .
Akechi Jinsai , Mariko ’s father , bewray his lord and killed Kuroda .
Mariko spring up up without properly understanding why her Church Father did what he did . Still , she remained loyal to Toranaga and even care to get a line from him that her father would have liked her to continue his fight . However , fit in to the Christian Bible , Ochiba - no - kata was right . Toranaga was directly affect in Kuroda ’s death and conspired with Akechi Jinkai to make it happen . Kuroda was becoming too powerful and could have fundamentally made himself intoShōgun , which would have put an last to Toranaga ’s dream . Therefore , Toranaga ’s journey into becomingShōgunbegan way before the event of the show .
1Toranaga Had No Problem Using His Allies As Pawns
Hiromatsu and Mariko had to die for Toranaga to win
Toda Hiromatsu ’s harakiri and Lady Mariko ’s sacrifice were two major examples of how Toranaga had no problem using his allies as pawn . That is not to say Toranaga did not care about their lives or was not deplorable about their last , only that he was willing to make those sacrifices to achieve his goals . Hiromatsu knew Toranaga long enough to have it off what he had to do for his lord to come after , something that Toranaga himself acknowledged . By committing seppuku for disagreeing with his lord ’s surrender , Hiromatsu help oneself Toranaga make believe he had been defeated for effective .
Mariko ’s death inShōgunepisode 9 brought unbalance into Osaka , causing the Regents to grow against Ishido .
Mariko was also quick to die to complete the mission Toranaga gave her , although it is indecipherable whether she have it off what his end finish was . As revealed by Toranaga inShōgunepisode 10 , Lady Mariko ’s missionary station in Osaka was the real Crimson Sky . She was sent there to do something no army could – overcome Ishido from within . Mariko ’s destruction inShōgunepisode 9brought instability into Osaka , causing the Regents to deform against Ishido . Her sacrifice also led Ochiba - no - kata to change position and remove the Heir ’s army from the war , allowing Toranaga to gain the Battle of Sekigahara .
Stream on Hulu
Your Rating
Your input has not been save
Cast
Shōgun , free in 2024 , is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a substantial polite war . It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he combat political adversaries on the Council of Regents , while a European ship enigmatically seem in a nearby fishing village , complicating the lunar time period of power .
