In FX's Shōgun, John Blackthorne shares the spotlight with a slew of complex an unique characters, expanding the world of the classic novel.
was announced back in 2018, I was excited yet apprehensive. James Clavell’s novel is a masterwork of historical fiction, yet it is undeniably a product of its time. The main hero feels like a quintessential example of the “white savior complex,” and beyond him, the novel’s Japanese characters feel one-note.
“You don’t know me,” Blackwood says to the pirate Rodrigues at the end of Episode 2, to which he replies “I’ve known a thousand of you.” It’s here that it becomes clear that, while Blackthorne may be the central protagonist of this story, he is not the sole narrator.
As the series unfolds, it feels like Mariko’s desires are never truly known to us—or Blackthorne—which makes her character all the more interesting. Each time they’re on screen together, you can’t help but wonder who really holds the power in their relationship. Each of them would believe it’s the other, and it’s clear that there isn’t really an answer, despite the gendered differences.
In the previous miniseries, every Japanese character spoke Japanese, but like Blackthorne, American viewers were only allowed to understand what these characters were saying when Mariko herself was acting as a translator. The viewer was ultimately forced to meld themselves to Blackthorne, subsequently seeing themselves as an extension of him.
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