The new show Shōgun is a brilliant adaptation of the 1975 James Clavell novel of the same name. Whenever a show comes along that takes place in a historical setting, people often wonder if it is based are real events or people.
The show itself, which is aired initially on FX and streamed a day later on Hulu, has everything you might want in an historical tale: a beautiful, exotic setting, interesting and layered characters, plenty of political intrigue, forbidden romance, and massive, thrilling battles.
It is well-written, will-acted, and the cinematography is stunning. It checks all the boxes needed to stir the imaginations of audiences, and to be a big success.
But is it real?
Does Shōgun depict real history?
In short, no. Clavell, who was an incredible writer, very loosely based the charaters in Shōgun on real people. John Blackthorne, the Englishman who washes up on the shores of Japan in the 16th century, was inspired by an Englishman named Will Adams, and Japanese leader Toranaga Yoshi is based on a real Japanese warlord named Tokugawa Ieyasu. Better to say "loosely based."
If you are looking for a good story with action, intrigue, and romance, you will love Shōgun. If you are easily hung up on historical accuracies, then you might not enjoy either the show or the book.
Clavell tends to exaggerate, exoticize and romanticize classic Japanese culture. After a few episodes of the show, it seems as if the production team has toned down many of those misconceptions that haven't faired well over the 15 years since the books publication in 1975.
If you are a history buff and would like to know more about the historical events that surround the characters in Shōgun, Netflix has an informative docu-series called Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan. This six-episode series covers the rise to power of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who is the inspiration of Clavell's Taiko, who's death is depicted in the early episodes of the show. The docu-series also covers the real events that inspired the events we see in Shōgun, but in a more historically accurate manner.
Some of the things in Clavell's book and in the show have a degree of accuracy. The Portuguese and the Jesuits did have a presence in Japan at this time. The Line of Demarcation, which is talked about in Episode 2, was real.
In 1493, the Spanish and the Portuguese did divide up the unexplored world, agreeing that any lands (and the riches therein) discovered would fall under the control of either one of the those two powers or the other, depending on location. Japan fell under the part of the globe designated for Portugal.
Most everything else about the book is heavily fictionalized. When considering the book through 21st century eyes, many of the cultural aspects won't pass muster. The story itself, taken strictly as a work of fiction, still provides an incredible story of intrigue.
The great thing about modern storytelling is that those items that aren't so great about the book can be stripped away and there is still an intriguing tale to tell, set against a beautiful backdrop, with fantastic characters.
Don't worry about the historical aspects of the show, and enjoy it for the entertaining work of fiction it is.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels