Shōgun – Season 1 Episode 1 “Anjin” Recap & Review

Anjin

In episode 1, we learn Shogun is set in the year 1600 in feudal Japan. Currently, the Portuguese have a monopoly over trade in the New World. Their influence extends through the church. However, their European Protestant counterparts are planning a move of their own. Locally, after the long-serving Taiko’s death, Japan’s five warrior lords are vying for political control. Various alliances have been forged that threaten to disturb the balance of power. 

We are first introduced to John Blackthorne, who is piloting an English crew through the Magellan Pass in search of the Japanese shore. The Erasmus set sail with a host of other ships but only they remain. The crew is dwindling with only a dozen bodies left. Its captain has lost all hope. He commits suicide, choosing a death of his own choice. The rest face a bleak fate as starvation and other diseases await them. Cut to, the Erasmus hitting shore near the village of Ajiro. 

Lord Yabushige’s samurai inspect the ship, find the men, and take them hostage. They also confiscate the ship and await their lord’s arrival. Lord Yoshii Toranaga arrives at the Osaka palace with his pupil. He is one of the five warrior lords vying for control of Japan. Toranaga is the Lord of the Kanto and has a sizeable “fief,” i.e., land, under his control. He has been summoned under grave charges. The other four Regents are also assembled in this meeting. Together, they form the Council of Regents who share the power in the absence of a king. The late Taiko’s heir, Yaechiyo, is too young to rule and will take over when he turns 16.

Lord Ishido, who is currently leading the scheming against Toranaga, explains that Yaechiyo’s mother, Lady Ochiba, was taken to Toranaga’s castle in Edo earlier in the day. It was done without any permission, which violates the local rules. Toranaga explains that his daughter-in-law is in labour. Ochiba is her sister and hence, on account of the impending birth, is visiting the castle. The Council is unconvinced. The plan is pre-meditated, leaving Toranaga no chance. 

Ishido presents an order that penalizes Toranaga for impeachment. His fate rests with the Council’s final decision, which will be taken in a few days. One of his pupils, Tadayoshi, reacts angrily. He abruptly gets up from his spot and takes a step into the meeting room. This is considered a fatal violation of law. Under the provision, Tadoyoshi will now have to kill his newborn son since the bloodline is considered maimed.

Tadayoshi is Fuji’s husband, who is Toda Hiromatsu’s granddaughter. Fuji refuses to give up her child and wants to commit suicide before he can be killed. However, Mariko, Hiromatsu’s daughter-in-law, intercedes and convinces Fuji to give him up. She encourages her to find purpose in life, as Mariko herself did after her father died. Hiromatsu is one of Toranaga’s most trusted men. He sends Hiromatsu to Ajiro after receiving a secret note sent to him using a bird. John convinces his men that they have ended up in Japan. He is also confident that until the rutters with his private diary and royal decree are kept hidden in the captain’s quarters, no one will know their identities. They will pretend to be English merchants who have lost their way. 

However, things do not go according to plan. Yabushige’s nephew, Omi, dismisses John’s requests for mercy. The Japanese think they are pirates and Omi is particularly unhappy with John’s rudeness. In front of Yabushige, John tries to plead his case as a Portuguese priest is called to translate. However, the priest recognizes John’s nationality and requests Yabushige to have him executed. The lord is intrigued after John crushes a cross under his feet.

He asks his men to choose another from the crew in John’s place and house him for the night. Back at Osaka Castle, Lady Iyo encourages Toranaga to step up and channel his bloodline’s warrior spirit. She calls for him to embrace his destiny with the title of Shogun. She knows Yaechiyo’s life is in danger and it is up to Toranaga to protect him. Given the cargo found in Erasmus, Yabushige plans on keeping it a secret. He fears that after Toranaga and his clan are killed, war will ensue.

Ishido will find it hard to cope with the Church and their allied Christian Regents, Kiyama and Ohno. Yabushige’s arsenal of weapons will make him a valuable ally to Ishido. The plan is solid but everything changes when Hiromatsu unexpectedly shows up. A spy warned Toranaga through the secret note well ahead of time. Hiromatsu seizes control of the ship and plans on taking it back to Osaka. As the cargo is being taken back, John’s paths cross with that of Carlos Rodrigues, a Spanish pilot working for the Portuguese.

However, en route, the ship runs into a storm. John’s skills and determination come in handy as they navigate it well enough. But Rodrigues is thrown overboard. When they reach calmer waters, he pleads with Yabushige and his men to save Rodrigues. They agree as the Spaniard is a skilled pilot. He is found at the bottom of a cliff by the rocks. Although John wants to go himself to save Rodrigues, Yabushige stops him. In a clever ploy, he challenges the lord in front of his men and Yabushige has no option but to accept. 

Yabushige is badly injured in the ensuing climb down. However, as he is about to commit seppuku (suicide) his men throw him a rope. Yabushige saves Rodrigues from a certain death and wins John’s respect. When he regains consciousness, Rodrigues reveals that he has found John’s private diaries and the rutter he stole from a Spanish sailor. As soon as they hit the shore, he will give up John’s secret to the Portuguese. 

Toranaga prepares Mariko for John’s arrival since she speaks fluent Portuguese. He trusts her and needs reliable people in these tumultuous times. He believes that the anjin can turn the tide in this tussle for power, perhaps even saving his clan from certain death. The final moments of the episode reveal that Toranaga’s spy in Ajiro is Mujiro, whom we saw translating for John before Yabushige’s arrival.

The Episode Review

FX’s Shogun is off to a blistering start. The 70-minute long premiere has laid the foundation for a period drama with the promise of loads of political scheming, lessons in feudal history and customs, and an impending war. Although it will take a while to get used to all the characters and their conceits, I think the effort will be worth it. The premiere grounds the story in personal and political strife, which is always an explosive combination.

The set designs and costumes are part of a wonderful production. They bring authenticity to the storytelling, making Shogun even more appealing. Side note to the readers, whenever a character says that they can speak Portugese fluently, they refer to English. It is like Death to Stalin where all the Soviets are speaking English. The language is only chosen to make the series more accessible to a broader audience.