Yes, Toranaga always wanted to be Shogun. That was his secret heart, that's why he tells everyone else it's not what he wanted. He never wanted anyone to know it because (as Mariko said) that would risk his life. Even with Yabushige close to death, Toranaga still would not admit this, although he implied it enough that Yabushige could guess it was probably true.

There is a haiku that expresses the personality of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was the model for Toranaga, and that is this haiku. If the Cuckoo does not sing, wait until it does. This means strategizing and winning before it becomes a direct battle. Hideyoshi is If the Cuckoo does not sing, force it to sing. Nobunaga is If the Cuckoo does not sing, kill it.

So just to clarify as I've seen a lot of people get tripped up on it: The sequence involving an elderly Blackthorn at the start and interspersed through the episode was the 'dream within a dream.' It wasn't a flash forwards of the future but rather John fantasising on what a life returned to living in England would be like. Growing old and miserable regretting over what could have been. Weighing the options of that 'dream' and giving his life for something altruistic and good (saving the village from persecution), he chose to let go of the dream of leaving Japan and instead hold to what Mariko had been trying to say to him. That in death your life can have meaning. And through that action, he showed Toranaga that he had the will and mettle to be counted on as his Hatamoto.

Thank you for your interest in talking about Japanese culture. I am very happy. As Japanese people living in modern times, we do not wish to live in the Sengoku period, but that spirit is still alive. For example, if a traffic light is red when no one is looking, many Japanese will obey it. Also, we have a spirit of "OMOTENASHI" towards everyone, even foreigners. I hope that you will come to Japan and feel the same way in your heart as Anjin (Black Zone). Japan today is one of the safest countries in the world. I sincerely welcome you to come to Japan.

William Adams was never allowed to return to England. He died in Japan in 1620 where he served the Tokugawa Shogunate. The ''Old Blackthorne'' scenes were the dream of a dream that could have been.

I don't think Yabu is necessarily a traitor. He is certainly not loyal, but he did what most of us would have done. Why commit seppuku surrendering for the losing side? (Which is ironic as he chose the wrong side in the end).

The daughter of Tadaoki Hosokawa (Buntaro) and Gracia Hosokawa (Mariko) is the ancestor of the Japanese Emperor.

at 20:42, he is not just a samurai... he also speaks his language.

It may sound silly, but after two and a half months of waiting and following the adventures of these complex characters i'm going to kind of miss them, i haven't been so immersed in a story for a long time and that's thanks to the script, performances, music and production. Will read the novel as soon as i finish my current reading, i´m eager to know more about my beloved characters. Toranaga respected Mariko and even admired her, but he's not a man to show emotions. If you like historical dramas (i do), please consider this suggestion, you should watch and react to Black Sails. It's a "prequel" to Treasure Island, set during the golden age of piracy. You'll find it's a great series and has a great fan base. There are 4 seasons in total. Shogun reminded me of it in many ways: its complex, ambiguous characters, its fascinating story and setting, the betrayals, alliances and love affairs. PS: I've already subscribed. PS2: Do you speak Spanish?

What impressed me strongly in the last episode was that Toranaga wished to give birth to a lot of children when he returned the hawk to nature. In the death second of Yabushige's seppuku, I thought that a man who couldn't handle a sword would make him suffer, so he made this role myself. Toranaga was the best character with both determination and kindness to become a general. And was a wonderful story that was moved by all the characters.

Love your reaction to last episode! 😢. I have just become a new subscriber. I’ll go back and watch your other videos. Great work! ❤

日本人ですが貴方のリアクションは楽しかったです。史実はこの後に日本の歴史でも有名な戦いが 起こります。本当はこれは終わりではなく始まりなのです。

10:48 Because Toranaga believed that women are the ones who can save the world.

This was a fantastic show; thank you for sharing your reactions with us all. On a side note - can't wait until the novelization comes out. Oh, wait. . . . 😀

You might also like Six Flying Dragons (SFD). Besides the obvious differences-one is a K-drama, the other an American production, and one has 50 episodes and the other 10-there are many similarities. Both are about the rise of authoritarian leaders. Like Shogun, SFD is very well written and acted out, and there is a mix of real-life and fictional characters.

Warrior is also a great show, different story to shogun but it's also a period drama with a majority Asian cast ,it also has great action

El Anjin nunca se fue de Japón.

Hey! What about reacting to "Euphoria"? Thank you for your sweet reactions! By the way: The battle still happened and Toranaga won it. There is a cruel fate for Ishido that is left out. The real battle is the one of Segikahara. Maybe the show didn't do the best job in explaining this part. What was is trying to tell is: he didn't won the battle because of the actions that happend on the battlefield, but because of the intelligent trickery before.

No battle at all? Yes, there will be a battle (there was). But without the support of the Heir's army or the other regents, Ishido is no rival for Toranaga.

Based on historical facts, if the final battle were to be filmed, it could not very well be completed in a single episode. So many things happened that a whole drama could be made. However, with the death of Garasha (Mariko), the victory of the Eastern Army was 70 percent decided. So it was a great decision to end it before the battle. There are many novels and dramas in Japan featuring women of this period, but none of them focus on her. So I would like to express my deep appreciation to the author and the people involved in the drama.

Japanese style and aesthetics is to not allow it to be completely digested.

細川ガラシャを主人公にした小説は無い、とのコメントがありましたが、 いやいや 永井路子や三浦綾子、といった代表的な女性作家が彼女を描いてます。 特に後者は日本人では少数派のクリスチャン(新教徒、プロテスタント)で、その視点が興味深いです。

Are you having a nice day?

Have you seen the movie Tarzan The Fearless 1933?

Зачем говорить о будущем с мертвецом?

「オーガは、彼が足元に花を押しつぶした瞬間に、彼の貴重な葉のない枝を失いました。結局のところ、姉妹」 “The Ogre lost his precious Leafless Branch the moment he crushed the Flower underfoot; sisters in the end, after all” For the first time in the entire series, Ochiba sama looks directly to Ishido while talking to him; in all other episodes, she glances at him but looks away. That was the most subtle, passive-aggressive death stare I have seen on screen to date.🫣 Yabushige and Toranaga smirking at each other in the end was awesome, too. Yabushige got the best end he could have gotten, considering all he has done: realizing that whether he knew it or not, he has served his Lord Toranaga excellently. And maybe, just maybe, lightening the burden in his conscience a bit. Goodbye to our favourite sociopath. Blackthorne kills a possible future version of himself-an old man, filled with regret, clutching on to Mariko’s crucifix-by mirroring Mariko (literally doing a ritual su!c!d3 like a woman [a blade through the heart] instead of seppuku [slicing his belly open] like a samurai would) in order to protect Ajiro: the first completely selfless thing he has done in the show; and also by letting that exact same crucifix go into the water along with the ashes of Fuji-sama’s family. And to think he did all those things mostly as an act of kindness to Fuji-sama… she deserves the best. 🥹🥹 Also, the fact that Anjin used the word 詰まらない【つまらない】 (tsumaranai) when he said “my war is small” can also be translated to “my wars are petty/trivial/silly/worthless” in reference to his ambitions and designs for England and his war against the Catholics. That was him letting go of his personal ambitions for something greater. The setup to be in a position to win the final battle is mostly complete, and the broad strokes were revealed, but the details of the plan and how the battle ensued are still hidden. So who is ready for a “new/separate” mini-series, titled “Sekigahara”? Ohhh, and what was Toranaga holding in his left hand just before it cut to the title card?

16:23 Why ? This is because there is no way that a person who has never used a Japan sword can behead.

10:50 Why daughters? That's because the female lays eggs. Obviously.

horrible fantasy story lol