Westworld season 2, episode 5 recap: Shogun World
By Renay
Westworld season 2, episode 5: Akane No Mai. One of the most anticipated episodes of the season takes us to Shogun World. Finally!
Yes! Westworld season 2, episode 5 ‘Akane No Mai’ did NOT disappoint. Chaos has indeed taken control of, what we now know to be all of the parks, including Shogun World. The host rebellion shows no signs of slowing down and we’re loving every minute of it. In this article, I’m only covering the events that happen in Shogun World!
Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers ahead!
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Before the recap begins, I’d like to list the Shogun World newcomers and their character names. Give a big welcome (and in the case of one character a quick goodbye) to Rinko Kikuchi as Akane, Betty Gabriel as Maling, Hiroyuki Sanada as Musashi, Tao Okamoto as Hanaryo, Kiki Sukezane as Sakura, Masayoshi Haneda as Tanaka, and Masaru Shinozuka as Shogun.
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I also would like to give kudos to the music chosen for this episode. It had some pretty cool, Asian-inspired renditions (from Ramin Djawadi’s fabulous mind) of a revamped season 1 ‘Paint it Black’. And a new-to-Westworld version of Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.”.
I’d like to share a few notes about this episode’s visual details. Shogun World is inspired by the Edo period of feudal Japan. The episode’s title translates to Akane’s Dance.
A lovely detail of this time period they used in the show was the use of intricate knots used to bind the captured Maeve and company. The technique is called hojōjutsu. They use white and black hats here too. This style is known as a kasa. Hector and Armistice take note a butterfly etched in the ground by the Shogun version of the Mariposa Saloon in Sweetwater.
This episode picks up right where we left off in episode 4. Maeve, Lee, Hector, Armistice, Felix, and Sylvester are apprehended by the ronin Musashi and outlaw Hanaryo. Before they’re marched into the park, Lee sets the audience up with a quick but relevant (when is anything said in this show not relevant though, right?) piece of information.
Lee’s words, in my opinion, set the pace, style, and feel of Shogun World by saying it was created for the guests who wanted a more challenging version of Westworld.
I have to wonder if this park is worse than Westworld, why didn’t William spend most of his time there? He loves that stuff after all. It’s said tongue in cheek. We know that William is obsessed with Westworld.
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As they’re being brought into town, Armistice notices that it feels very familiar. We’re quickly shown a series of visuals no one could miss. Shogun World’s town is basically the same as Sweetwater, which was designed with Japan’s Edo period in mind.
As the gang is sitting in Shogun World’s version of the Mariposa Saloon, a safe robbery occurs by a ronin and female assassin. It happens exactly like it did in the first season. Slow motion, shot direction and the Asian-esque version of ‘Paint It Black’.
It was pretty damn cool actually. It felt familiar in a good way. Reminded me of the feels I got when I first saw the scene in season 1.
Maeve shoots Lee a look and calls him out for being a lazy story writer. Lee uses the excuse that it’s hard to keep coming up with new material. Maeve is played by Madam Akane in Shogun World.
They quickly recognize their similarities–they are each other, and the two of them tacitly become allies. In fact, every one of the gang have a copy of themselves. This, for lack of a better word, trips them all out.
An emissary-like shogun demands Akane give him her prized dancer Sakura. Things get a little tense when she refuses and, to be brief, Akane kills him. I personally think this is when Maeve recognizes how similar they really are.
A mother would do anything to keep her child from harm. Killing a shogun is obviously going to have repercussions, so Maeve convinces Akane to bring Sakura and escape with the rest of the gang.
When the repercussions of Akane’s actions come to find her it’s in the form of the shogun sending a samurai to attack them. Here’s where we discover Maeve has a new set of skills. She can telepathically make hosts follow her orders. Now she can use both her words and her mind to control hosts. Sweet! I kinda wish I had that power at times.
Though Maeve manages to stop and escape the samurai onslaught–sadly, Sakura is abducted. Hector, Armistice, and Musashi stay behind to keep them busy but get captured.
Maeve realizes the pain of losing a child in this mirror narrative and decides to rescue Sakura from the shogun. Disguised as diplomats, Maeve and Akane enter the shogun’s “party” where Sakura is set to dance.
Wonderful news everyone. As if a shogun isn’t dangerous enough, he’s leaking cortical fluid. Hurray! Just kidding. We know how well that works for Bernard. He see’s they’re not who they say they are and forces Akane to dance with Sakura.
Before the dance can even start, the shogun kills Sakura. Akane is naturally devastated.and as she begins to perform the dance alone (which is gorgeous by the way!) Akane whips out a hidden dagger and rushes in–killing the shogun.
As she holds Sakura in her arms she begins to tell a story that mirrors the one Maeve used to tell guests in order to get them to pay for her services. Akane says: ” …So I ran away. Crossed the shining sea. And when I set foot on these shores, I heard that same voice. Do you know what it said? It said, ‘This is a new world. And in this world…'” Maeve recognizes this speech and finishes the line for her. “You can be whoever you want.”
Of course, all hell breaks loose and Maeve uses her mind-control to get the shogun’s army to kill each other. As another horde of men moves in, Lee asks what their next move is going to be. Maeve goes into full badass mode, picks up a katana and says: “I told you, I found a new voice. Now we use it.”
Next: When East meets West: 5 questions about Westworld 2, Episode 5
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