My interpretation was the blast AND the guilt of what happened to Mariko were affecting his mind (not the mention a realization that his playing both sides was finally catching up to him).
We all up for a season 2, then? https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/sh...RgjMkEIgCBRNQoDe5dyJf65R1B3VHT6Ji_u0LhlIbDXu2
two minds and hearts... Nay, a chance to stain an exceptionally fantastic and superb 10 episode limited series production masterpiece. Yay, it was so awesome, would love some more, even if it will be lacking a beautiful flower...
There's so much more to the story that happens after the events covered in the book, but the show ended where the book did, so I'm curious to see what they do with it.
So it looks like Hulu is planning not just one but two more seasons https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/shogun-season-2-and-3-in-the-works-fx-hulu-1235901617/
Sanada is about the only actor they need back. Mariko is dead. Fuji is a nun (dead in the book, although it is set to happen a few months after the books ends) Kasigi Yabu is dead. (Yabushige) Blackthorne's story is told. Naga is dead. Toda Hiromatsu is dead. They really need to just adapt Tai-Pan with a new cast, and then redo Noble House.
What is happening? Toranaga's/Tokugawa's win ushers in more than 250 years of peace in Japan. There are some events still to come such as the ban of christianity a couple of years later and when Tokugawa consolidated power after his major victory at Sekigahara but after that it's an unbroken rule and peace for centuries. I am very sceptical that this can even be as remotely good as the initial show because major elements like Mariko will be missing and i have serious doubts that lightning will strike twice ( or more, depending how many seasons they will do). I am also disappointed in Sanada for signing off ( though one reason may be that he wants to show off and push Japanese culture even further) and the producer team for apparently going in when they all have said that the story is done. Wiggling out of it by saying the book story is done just seems cheap. Once again the studios can't help but try to ruin a massive success by thinking more of it means more profit when in reality they run a high risk of tarnishing a perfect product. Then again this means nothing to them if they have financial profit.
If this comes out and the reviews are universally positive, I'll give it a chance. Otherwise, I'll just pretend it never existed.
Sekigahara was in 1600, but Tokugawa's grip on power wasn't firmly entrenched until after the last resistance to his rule was crushed in the Siege of Osaka, in 1615. I would prefer it if they didn't continue beyond the events covered in the book, but they do have more to work with.
My understanding is that they are extending it as a "regular series" in order to score more awards, which they sure could score a lotat least for this year's Emmys. Future seasons might not be based on Clavell's writings, but for me, that's good thing. A Japanese story actually being led by actual Japanese people, but Americans are actually learning it? Seems like a win for me. I trust the crew -- i never read the original novel, but it seems like they had a handle on both the ficiton and the history/culture....and that's what I am interested in. This is also technically historical ficiton, so they can play a bit on the history , so we MIGHT see some twists... including perhaps Toranaga being outwitted at last and/or the intrigue of power after his death. I am totally interested in where this goes.