Shogun Season 2: Plot, Production Development & Everything We Know
Season two of last year's most talked-about series is already in development.
Shogun became one of the most popular series of last year. The project received high marks from critics and was incredibly well received by the viewers. The second adaptation of James Clavell's novel of the same name also won a number of Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
It was announced that the project, which was conceived as a miniseries, would get another season. Let's remember what the first season was about and find out what to expect from the second.
What Shogun Season 1 Was About?
The plot revolves around the English navigator John Blackthorne. As part of the crew of a Dutch merchant ship, the man arrives on the shores of Japan.
The arrival of an unfamiliar ship does not please the locals, and Blackthorne, along with the rest of the crew, is captured by one of the local feudal lords, Kashigi Yabushige. Despite being accused of piracy, the man manages to avoid execution.
At the time, Japan was in the throes of civil war, and the country was ruled by a council of regents while the future emperor was still too young.
As John arrives in the Izu Province of Osaka, the Regency Council, at the instigation of Ishido Kazunari, is attempting to remove his colleague Yoshii Toranaga from power. Feeling threatened, the rest of the council sentences him to death, but Toranaga manages to escape from the castle.
Thanks to Yabushige, who has captured him, John not only begins to adjust to the unfamiliar life in Japan, but also finds himself in a whirlwind of political intrigue, getting closer to the rebellious Toranaga and even managing to play his role in his far-reaching plans.
What Will Shogun Season 2 Be About?
The finale of the first season of Shogun almost completely repeats the finale of the novel of the same name. This leaves a direct sequel without a literary basis.
Despite the fact that the author of the original source, James Clavell, has an entire Asian saga of seven works, among them there is no continuation of the Japanese story of the struggle for power of Yoshi Toranaga.
Most of the characters in the novel and its film adaptation are based on real historical figures, and the prototype of Toranaga was Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa dynasty. It is with the reign of his clan that the historical Edo period is usually associated.
Such a scale of personality and historical basis can allow the scriptwriters to come up with something interesting, because Ieyasu's life both before and after coming to power can hardly be called boring.
Season 2 Will Probably Focus on Toranaga's Plan
The upcoming season may try to make the most of the first season's ending and focus on the details of Toranaga's plan, which he partially shares with his feudal lord Kashigi Yabushige before the latter commits seppuku.
The screen briefly shows a piece of a large battle, which is most likely the series' analog of the Battle of Sekigahara, which took place in October 1600. It was the largest battle and one of the most important clashes between Japanese feudal lords in the history of the country.
At the end of the tenth episode, Yoshii Toranaga never became the leader of the country, and his plan to come to power is only destined to come true, and the viewers will probably witness his accession to the throne.
Shogun Season 2 Release Date & Production Development
FX has not officially announced the second season, so it is too early to talk about a release date. However, in February, Shogun creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks said that work on the script for the upcoming season had been completed.
And in a recent interview, star Hiroyuki Sanada said that filming for the new season is expected to begin this fall.