Original Shōgun Director Slams Hulu’s Series, But Fans and Critics Beg to Differ!

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In 2024, one of the most popular TV shows was “Shōgun,” a series based on James Clavell’s novel of the same name, available for streaming through Hulu. Interestingly enough, this wasn’t the first time this captivating tale had graced the small screen. In fact, “Shōgun” made its debut on NBC back in 1980, a mere five years after the book was published. Jerry London, who directed all five episodes of the original miniseries, has recently voiced concerns about Hulu’s adaptation of the source material. However, I find myself at odds with his viewpoint on this matter.

London, who has a significant background in TV movie directing, including projects like Chiefs and Ellis Island, expressed to THR that due to the remarkable efforts Hulu’s Shōgun took to distinguish itself from the miniseries he made nearly 40 years ago, he believes the end result “may not be engaging for an American audience.” He further explained:

The original version was focused on the romantic tale of Shogun Blackthorne and Mariko, whereas the new one revolves around Japanese history, with an emphasis on Toranaga, who served as the Shogun. The filmmakers seem to have disregarded the needs of American audiences, making it overly technical and challenging for them to grasp. Many people who’ve watched it have complained that they had to stop watching due to its complexity.

More Shogun Coverage

Following Shogun’s Victory at the Critics Choice Awards, Hiroyuki Sanada’s Reflections on ‘Authenticity’ Have me Eager to Re-watch the Entire Series Again.

The Shogun Director Ponders Over Concealing Lord Toranaga’s Major Mystery in One of FX Series’ Most Thrilling Episodes

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Shogun Director Contemplates the Hiding of Toranaga’s Significant Secret in a Tense Episode from the Acclaimed FX Series

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The Shogun Director Muses Over Disguising Lord Toranaga’s Crucial Concealment in One of FX Series’ Most Engrossing Episodes

While everyone has the right to their own views, stating that the new Shōgun doesn’t care about the American audience seems to overlook some key points. This series is intended for global consumption, given how effortless it is today for people worldwide to access similar content compared to 1980. Moreover, Hulu’s Shōgun garnered significant praise from domestic critics and has received positive reviews from fans on various platforms, such as an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter. This suggests that the show is indeed popular among American audiences.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that while the conflict between Toranaga and his political adversaries was indeed a major focus in Hulu’s Shōgun, it doesn’t mean that characters like John Blackthorne and Toda Mariko were relegated to secondary roles. Their relationship, among other aspects of their individual stories, was also given significant attention. As for the miniseries’ quality, London expressed high praise for its execution.

The production was primarily intended for Japan, and I was pleased about this since I didn’t want my program to be imitated. Given how well my show performed and the numerous awards it received, I felt it shouldn’t be replicated. However, the new one is amusing because everyone I spoke with reacted with confusion, saying things like, “I can’t grasp it. What exactly is it about?” I watched the entire series, and it’s quite challenging to follow. It swept all the Emmys because there weren’t many strong contenders. The competition was relatively minimal.

Given that the story is predominantly Japanese with a cast of Japanese actors, it makes sense that creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks chose this approach. However, I’m intrigued by those Jerry London spoke to who weren’t fond of Shōgun, as they seem to be an exception. Although Shōgun undeniably excelled at the Emmys, with Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai winning performances among its accolades, it wouldn’t be fair to dismiss all other drama programming it was competing against as unworthy contenders.

Despite Jerry London not being particularly enthusiastic about Hulu’s Shogun, there’s plenty of enthusiasm to go around for this high-quality TV show. Interestingly, plans for Seasons 2 and 3 were already underway as early as May. By January, when Shogun also won at the Golden Globes, the writers were about six weeks away from finishing Season 2, so we’ll update you once details about upcoming episodes are released.

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2025-02-19 12:37