Check out Rekkai's breakdown of this finale - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jNJymcaCt9qzcok.html

When Toranaga said "Why tell a dead man the future", that's a refrence to when Omi first found the Anjin's ship and said to Yabushige if they should tell their lord, then Yabushige said the same line "Why tell a dead man the future", that's wild payback babyyyyyy.

The dreams are just that. John’s dream of growing old in England changes. One of the themes in the series is talking fate and changing it. Toranaga changes fate. Mariko changes fate. John changes fate. The future is not set. John lives the rest of his life in Japan serving the Shogun. This test was the last thing that made him shed his old self and finally fit into his new life. Like the poetry, life is all about change, life and death with meaning.

For watchers hungry for a big cgi battle, as Hitomatsu said, “Now you know what it is to be denied”

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win" Sun Tzu FOA - I'm grateful for this amazing tv series because it introduced me to your channel & Rekkai 🙏 you guys are the real deal as far as deep, thorough, thoughtful reactions🔥 To me it all comes down to "vision, mission, purpose & will" what drove all the players to this superb epilogue. Notice how all the remining characters recognized their participation in the overall vision & how fate set their actions in motion - even mighty Toronaga once saw himself dead before his eyes got opened by Blackthorne's arrival & revelations. Folks like Blackthorne & Buntaro felt their mission in life was over once Mariko-sama passed away - YET Toronaga's influence in the situation drove them to move on & find "purpose" in the life that is in front of them.... by starting again, from scratch, by helping one another..... (beautiful conclusion) Shogun rating to me is 9.8/10 AMAZING!

I loved how they used the pre-seppuku dialogue between Toranaga and Yabushige as a message to the audience. We finally get to hear what Toranaga has been thinking all along. I love how you both discussed the non-verbal communication going on. Conversations with a head nod. That smirk exchange between Toranaga and Yabushige was so perfect and Blackthone’s “hmmm” to Toranaga was the cherry on top. I agree, this was a phenomenal finale.

The discussion between these two guys is worth watching. They have much knowledge and so smart!

As Japanese, just want to say that I watched many Shogun reaction; this channel has the best. Always more deeper conversation and understanding of our culture. It is always the best part to watch the conversation you have at the end. Thank you.

Toranaga played everyone, including us the audience, with his smile to Yabasuge as he died, he admitted to him he had planned this all along to become Shogun, while fooling us all that he wasnt interested in power. Great writing, turning around all the usual sterotypes of lazy writing these days to subvert our expecations, and this made it far more realistic, no happy endings and we all get manipulated for the sake of others power. Best show on TV for years, although not everyone will recoginize the depth of it, happy to see you guys appreciated it.

Rekkai statement about Japanese mentality is spot on. I was stationed in the Philippines in 1974 when Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese intelligence officer of the Imperial Japanese Army, hiding in the jungle finally surrendered. The Japanese government had to use loud speakers for weeks and fly in fellow soldiers to convince him the war was over. There are similar incidents in Indonesia.

FUN FACT: It turns out that the ashes of James Clavel, the author of Shogun, were also spread in that very same lake where Blackthorne takes Fuji to spread her husband and child's ashes. And the producers of the show didn't even know! Clavel's daughters and grandaughters were invited to set when they shot that scene because it was close to where they lived, and they began getting incredibly emotional as they realized what scene was being shot.

There was nothing like watching this series through you and Rekkai (and Jaby and Achara on CinePals)!!! You have my THANKS!!!!

Thumbs up to your spot on reviews/comments throughout the 10 episodes. A Japanese here who lived in US for about 5 years is very happy to see Americans like you two with such knowledge/undestandings of Japanese culture/mentality as I met no Americans like you while I was there.

Rekkai spitting knowledge!! My son actually was in Japan last month. It was his dream trip. He got home the day before the last earthquake. This series is excellent.

This is one elegant way to bring a story to an end. Bravo to them and thanks a bunch guys for your reflections afterwards !

A dream within a dream was not just about Blackthorne’s dream but also Toranaga’s

I swear watching Toronaga is like studying a master class in Sun Tzu's Art of War. Great reaction guys. Such an outstanding series. Hope they clean house come Emmy season.

Mariko was raised for this. Toranaga sent her to flagrantly embody the dispositions and the aspirational ideals of the Gentry. Her way made the descent into craven avarice and mendacity of the highborn glaringly apparent. She decimated the status quo with her splendor and gave Toranaga room to play...3D Chess.😂

I can understand the frustration with those that were expecting a huge battle during the final episode, but I love it because of the realization that we’ve all been played by Toranaga he revealed his secret heart to yagoshiba of Toranaga’s secret heart that all of the sacrifices of all that were close to him were for Toranaga to become Shogun something he continuously denied

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting" - Sun Zi

Killed it guys. I was with Syntell right after, but after thinking about it today I’m with Rakkai, I loved the ending. Learned so much about Japanese culture throughout this show. I also think this is the ending a show like Game of Thrones wanted with Bran becoming king. I think Shogun executed that much better, Being able to see at least some of Toranaga’s moves and he at least admit to some of them made the scheme more impactful. his final look to Yabushigue Is almost like Bran saying, “ why do you think I came all this way?”

God bless Rekkai for his insights, especially on the last part. We in the healthcare industry have what we call situational algorithms. For example: what to do in case of a person having a cardiac arrest. The goal is to revive the person, but it branches off into many different what if scenarios, and different sets of steps that needed to be taken; all of which would lead to the same goal in the end. This would be a very basic way to see how Toranaga plans things out for my healthcare workers out there. Or the “study the wind” analogy. The best sailors don’t hope for a favourable wind nor try to bullheadedly keep to their preconceived plans in the real situation: they adjust their sails to whichever way the wind blows in order to reach their destination. Because in reality, the mentality “it’s my way or the highway” almost never truly pans out.

I really enjoyed listening to you two's reactions and intelligent musings. Thank you! As a Japanese, it was a real pleasure to see such a wonderful historical drama set in Japan made in the US. And I'll leave you with a few details about the real people who were the models for the three main characters! Enjoy, if you will😄 Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became the model for Toranaga, fell Osaka Castle 15 years after the Battle of Sekigahara. There he drove the concubine and son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who served as the model for Taikoh, to commit suicide (or more precisely, on the orders of Ieyasu's son), destroying the Toyotomi clan and establishing peace for over 250 years. Incidentally, the battle at Osaka Castle puts Ieyasu in such a pinch that he considers committing seppuku, but it is a little interesting that the last name of the samurai who pushed him to that point is Sanada. Mariko's model, Hosokawa Gracia, was a devout Christian. She refused to be taken hostage by Ishida Mitsunari , the model for Ishido, and chose death. When the house was surrounded by Ishida's army, she let her maid and others escape from the house, but she herself remained. As a Christian, she could not commit suicide, so she asked her vassal to kill her. This was the order of Hosokawa Tadaoki , the model for Buntaro. For him, it was to protect his wife's honor and Gracia, the daughter and wife of a samurai, knew her role. After the vassal killed her, he set fire to the house and committed suicide. The priest picked up her bones from the burnt ruins and buried them in the Christian cemetery. Tadaoki, who was famous for his unusual love for his wife, was devastated by her death. He requested and attended her funeral at the church. Ishida Mitsunari was also surprised by Gracia's spectacular end, and from then on, he would not take hostages without reason. William Adams, the model for Blackthorn, was a diplomat under Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the first foreigner to receive the title of Samurai. He was given the name Miura Anjin, married in Japan, and had children. The site of his house is located in Tokyo. In his later years, he received permission to return to England, which he had longed to do, but he did not return. This was because he did not get along with the commander of the ship he was to board. The commander was a young Englishman, and Adams considered him a brash brat with no sense of propriety, and the commander was very irritated that Adams insisted on the Japanese way of doing everything. In other words, William Adams had become a samurai at heart, not just a title.

loved reading the comments of last reaction saying how much people loved both your attention to story and details etc been a pleasure watching these reactions, insane year for shows and the boys / house of dragons still to come wow!🤝🍿

Without a doubt the best reactions/breakdowns of this show. Well played gentlemen. It’s been a pleasure to watch with you 🤝

"I refuse his request" ~ Toranaga (every time Anjin thinks of asking for something)

I think it was such a beautiful and sophisticated ending. Winning a war without fighting. He is a true Shogun!!!🔥🔥

So, they did a fairly good job of presenting the final couple of chapters of the book in this episode, especially when you consider that the explanation for what has really been going on all happens in Toranaga's head as he enjoys a final day of flying his falcon and tidying up business before heading off to battle the next day. There's a lot to unpack though... 1. The visions of old Blackthorne back in England are just that, visions. Neither he nor the real life person William Adams would ever leave Japan. In both cases, he goes on to become an important samurai retainer of Toranaga/Tokugawa, marries a Japanese woman, has a family, etc. 2. In the book, Toranaga gives Kiku (the courtesan) to Blackthorne as his wife. Despite what you might think, she is overjoyed by this, because she gets to join the samurai social class and her children will be born into that class even if they are mixed race. 3. Toranaga gives Omi a major promotion, granting him a large amount of land and income since he's been grooming him for high rank right from the start. 4. A greatly expanded version of Izu province is given to Blackthorne as his personal fief, all on the advice of Fuji. 5. Fuji does not become a nun, instead Toranaga gives her permission to take her own life, although he makes several attempts to convince her to live. He values her abilities greatly and thinks that the loss of her skills as an administrator and advisor is senseless. 6. It was Toranaga who arranged for Mariko to make the deal sparing Blackthorne's life in exchange for the destruction of the ship. 7. The people helping Blackthorne pull up the ship are his personal samurai. Earlier in the story he was afforded an entire retinue of ronin as his personal body guard. Once he becomes lord of Izu, they will formally become samurai again, and no longer be ronin. 8. Buntaro doesn't help with the ship, but he does thank Blackthorne for protecting his wife in Osaka, while using Father Alvito as translator. This is after he has appealed to Toranaga, asking to kill Blackthorne, stating that he knows that they were fucking and he doesn't care what anyone has to say about it. Toranaga then reveals that Mariko was no longer his wife, and that he had ordered the two of them divorced. Therefore, it doesn't matter who she was banging (in the book, there is a long journey to Osaka after the Buntaro and Mariko tea ceremony that took an entire month. Mariko and John were intimate the entire time and everyone pretended to not notice.) Mariko, however, had requested that the divorce not be revealed until after her death, so as to spare Buntaro any shame. 9. Omi had uncovered a plot by Yabu to turn on Toranaga if neccessary during battle with the help of the musket/cannon regiment. All of the officers were involved in the plot, and Toranaga arranged for them all to be on watch the night the ship was burned. He then used this as pretext to execute them all as traitors. That's who those heads belonged to in the village (in the book they're lining the beach.) He does not, however, punish the villagers, since they had absolutely nothing to do with it. 10. Blackthorne does attempt seppuku, but much earlier in the story, after he starts to go native. I don't remember the exact details, but I believe it was at a dinner held in Anjiro. I think that Omi insults him or some other thing (I really don't recall,) and he decides he can't live with it, so he attempts seppuku in front of everyone at the dinner. Omi has to grab the knife and stop him. Everyone, both Omi and Mariko included, are awed by this, and everyone treats him differently afterward. His close brush with death also changes the way Blackthorne sees the world, and is a major step in him becoming Japanese, culturally if not ethnically. 11. Toranaga doesn't say that he wants Blackthorne to live because he makes him laugh. Instead, he says that he needs at least one friend, and since Blackthorne is alien and not part of Japanese politics, he can rely on him as that one friend. He also appreciates that Blackthorne thinks in the same bold ways that he does, even if he's not as smart or sophisticated. 12. Toranaga admits that all of this has been according to his plan, and that he has been scheming to become Shogun ever since he manipulated Mariko's father into killing Goroda.

You guys are the only reactors so far that ive seen that figured out old man Blackthorne was just Johns dream

10:40 In Japanese Buddhism, the Fudo Myo-o is one of major mythical figures protecting the faith. It's supposed to "ward off temptation" that prevents the faithful's path towards Enlightenment. Which was a perfect for Yabushige: despite his fierce reputation, his eternal opportunism shows us that he's the most weak-willed lord in Toranaga's retinue. I really hope this show sweeps all the awards shows this season. Its such an exquisitely-crafted production, and provokes intelligent questions and conversations among its viewers -- who hail from multiple countries and cultures. *That's* unique, as this is the first time I've seen comments written in Nihongo and Hangul in multiple NA-based YT channels discussing and praising the show. I've even seen channels from Latin America -- from both Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries -- reacting positively to it. Only a storytelling masterpiece can achieve something like that.

"Show don't tell" has been misinterpreted by so many as "Needs more action." Showing: Toranaga smirking after Blackthorne says, "Unless I win." Telling: Toranaga sometime later saying to Hiromatsu or whoever, "I was amused by what the Anjin said about winning and agree with it because it reflects my own outlook."

Watching this with you two was a very good, intelligent and amazing reaction ... 😮😮😮😮 I'm sooooo impressed how you two understood the realistic of the story, with every layer and every reference in the storytelling 😮😮😮😮 Best youtube reaction channel 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Through the minds of a forgotten history that still has the same human spirit of today wars and strangles ... 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 Thank you very much from the same place in the mountains of deep Africa...

One last point. Why do you think Toranaga freed his falcon. Because he had another replacement which is the anjin. Remember he compared him to a falcon in earlier episodes.

I absolutely loved this show and enjoyed the finale. I’m all for a more different creative direction for me personally. I do understand your thoughts Syntell perfectly and I appreciate both of your perspectives. This is beyond chess.. this is strategic methodology warfare 😂. Great reaction as always.

Throughout the series Toranaga's primary motivation was to avoid a war and protect the legacy of the heir. So I feel the finale kept true to series as a whole. All the comments made in the wrap-up are valid and have merit. I think the producers/writers meant the ending to promote conversation.

A masterpiece my friends you don’t always need violence and action to have impact on a story, a very poetic and beautiful job , I’ve watched shogun the 80s version a hundred times and this was job well done hope they win all the awards and lady mariko oh my what a lady ❤😢 👏🏼

You guys are cool as hell. Loved the insight and contrast of this discussion.

First time watching your show…really enjoyed it! Rekkai is an especially wise man. 👊👏👏👏

Answering some of your unresolved questions: The catholic church: the matter of the catholic church is resolved for the mean time. The church has decided to remove themselves from the current conflict and have somewhat made arrangements to side with toranaga. The expulsion of all Christians is a story for another day much further down the timeline. Buntaro and his relationship with mariko: this was resolved at the end of the tea ceremony. Mariko put it quite plainly that her wish is to be free of Buntaro. Buntaro crys because he finally understands exactly what mariko wants. Omi and his future: omi fulfills his arch by succeeding yabushigi. He is introduced as an aspiring lord. His mother tells him that he should be a lord of more than just a simple fishing village and she encourages him to rise by impressing his uncle. He is now the head of the kashige family and likely to inherit much of izu. His future is to become an important vassal to toranaga in the upcoming battle as stated by yabushigi. Blackthorn's arch and his flashbacks: Blackthorn's flash backs are dreams of his end if he were to go back to England. However by the end of the episode, his hopes to go home have all but ended. Blackthorn by attempting to kill himself to protest toranaga's treatment of the villagers has accepted his place in japan. In turn the people of japan have accepted Blackthorn which is symbolized with the village working together to pull the boat out of the water. When it comes to the narrative, the battle of sekigahara is essentially unnecessary. The whole point of the story was how toranaga won the war before it was even fought. The outcome is clear from the outset and we already know largely how it will unfold. A battle would only serve as gratuitous entertainment and would infact muddle the importance of the story being told. In more ways than 1, the battle of sekigahara is its own story with little in common with the character driven, political drama that is shogun.

The real Buntaro lived longer than any of the other principals.

It has absolutely been a pleasure watching these reactions from you guys for Shogun! Appreciate y’all ❤️🫶🏼

Amazing reaction, I think this is the first channel to catch on with some subtle messages. like fuji and anjin letting go of fuji's family remains to the sea so all she does to remind herself of her family, she can just lookout at sea. Impressive

The greatest line ever within context of a series I've ever heard. -Why tell a dead man the future- Darn!!! Call me naive but I get lost in thoughts processing such complex simplicity. Man 10/10 ending. Although living in a visual space, its refreshingly insightful to engage other stimulants deciphering a historic tale.

「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? 🪶✝️🎌

Toranaga is a master manipulator who used everyone around him to achieve his goal. He deceived everyone into thinking he's righteous when in fact he is no different from everyone else. "A Dream of a Dream" - Blackthorn going back, growing old and dying in England is a Dream which he had to let go. He never left the Japans.

Anjin lived on to become one of Toranaga's samurai and his own personal advisor once again up until his passing.

In stories, as analogs for life, we are very concerned with beginning, middle and end. We seek a resolution. This is illusion, as time is a circle that is not round. I do not believe that even death is a resolution, but only a turning at strange angles, eddies upon the currents. Embrace the flow, study the wind...

Syntell, “ I don’t care how cool you crawl” LMAOF!!

This has been a great series breakdown. Rekkai is the new homie from this😊

And that's how you play chess. Toranaga set up the pieces so expertly, so well. No unnecessary blood was spilled. With regards to your commentary about vengeance to satisfy the audience, nah. It wouldn't contribute anything to the story. I think Toranaga's reveal during his monologue was enough. Brilliantly done! This was a satisfying ending IMHO. Thanks again for your insights and reaction. I'm currently going through your back catalogue of reactions and thoroughly enjoying them. In particular, Doctor Who.

Best show since a long time

39:44 to add to your point, I think there will be two types of Western (American, European, Caucasian) audiences here in the end. The Majority, as you said, would keep the Yabushige mentality until the end: always out for number one, only looking at what is directly in front of him and not being able to see past the step he is currently taking. And a select few will become what Blackthorne became at the end of the road: though he does not fully understand the culture, nor does he agree with all of it, he has learned to respect it, maybe even admire it.

Hiromatsu alluded to the fact that there are situations where a battle is won or lost "before swords are drawn." This idea comes from Sun Tzu's Art of War. Admiral Yamamoto knew Japan was lost before the US launched a counter attack. But in the West, it's not over until it's over.

Rekkai is right, Blackthorne hallucinated the return to England. Both the novel Blackthorne and the real person William Adams died in Japan. William Adams is buried in Japan.

You both are amazing at this. I have thoroughly enjoyed all your reactions and takes on this show and will come back for more. Thank you 🙏🏻

Freestyling is a brilliant definition for Toranaga's strategy (combined with ruthlessness, knowledge and the study of the wind).

Toranaga really said, "You got 1-2 business days to commit seppuku, bruh."

to think about it, now i realise that toranaga who made the first move on this war by taking lady ochiba to edo and arranging 6 marriages .

There’s some meta commentary from the show here where Mariko is telling us audience, “we live and we die, we control nothing else.” - and that includes the ending haha I think also Ishido was never really the main antagonist of the show - it’s a story of man against fate And as an audience also we are forced to reckon with our own beliefs about fate and destiny depending on how we see the ending

Your thoughtful review is so welcome as reactors. I’d say it’s a 9 and understood Syntell’s points. No Crimson Sky for Syntell. 😀

Wow. I love the picking apart of the series/show/story and such great insights! Deym.

自宅で按針と藤が並んで座り会話をするシーンがありますね。左側にスペースがあり按針が、そのスペースを向いているのを見ましたか。 そこに鞠子が居ないことが、真さに居たのだと感じる場面です。 この感覚は日本人的な物事の捉え方です。

Tokugawa at the very end, will kill the taiko´s heir and all his family, just to ensure his plans to rule and keep all japan united, and damn, he did it for the next 250 years... until the Meiji restauration era.

I was slightly disappointed when we didn't see a war. But realized, Toranaga was a man that didn't want war and wanted a peaceful Japan. I hope people appreciate his brilliant maneuvering with all the tragic sacrifices him and his followers had to make to accomplish this. Mariko ultimately won Toranaga the war. I think the actress for Mariko deserves all the awards, and with this episode the actor for Anjin at the very least deserves nominations.

Great series on a whole, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't somewhat disappointed with the ending - I give it a 7/10. However, I give the entire series a 8.9/10. Also, I do appreciated the differences of opinions in this review you guys gave

When Toranaga said ''Why tell a dead man the future'' it was a reference to what Yabushige said about Toranaga to Omi in the early episodes, which could mean Omi could have been more Loyal to Toranaga from start to begin with, because that's the only way he could have known about this message.

Ishido was my guy, shame the snake Toranaga tricked Ochiba. Great acting and overall production. An awesome miniseries I won't soon forget. Thanks for the reactions.

It was not the only time you see him do violence. IN episode 2, he went on the female maid assassin's neck with his katana.

The season ended with the book. There is a big battle after that but like in the show it's only talked about in the book by Toranaga. Truthfully this ending is appropriate since the war was lost the moment Toranaga pulled most of Ishido's support from him. He actually wins the war afterwards in around 6hours. Then he was happily placed as Shogun by the pawns themselves who never realised how masterfully they were manipulated. The only thing I disagreed with the show doing was killing off his son. Toranaga loved that boy. He was probably the only one he truly loved.

One last note. Toranaga secret heart which yobu noticed was just like all wicked men. That’s why they shared a smile. Toranaga hid the fact that he wasn’t a good man but menancing he’s just hiding that from everyone. And thus won

I loved the ending. First of all it shows the kind of epigenetics of Toranaga, his bloodline. His genetic history is of Shoguns, Samurais,warlords. Ishido was a peasant. Toranaga is just too advanced thus why he returns his bloodline to the Shogun position. I loved how this episode was about relationships, heartbreak, sadness, and grief and rebuilding from that. The priest and Anjin made peace. Yabu made peace with his nephew, left him all his assets. John showing Fuji how to let her family be together forever in peace as a parting gift before she becomes a nun. Buntaro accepting the drink from John and helping the crew pull the erasmus out of the water. Very subtle way of saying bro I loved her too peace offering. Loved it

Thank you enjoy your channel.

This man knows well.

First, love your show. I very much enjoyed the discussion, reactions, and context. Just a few things…none of what you said was unresolved. Mariko and Bontaro’s relationship was handled when she walked out of the door. What you saw was Blackthorne’s dream when he was knocked out - this is confirmed by seeing him drop Mariko’s rosary into the water. We didn’t see them march to the battlefield, but we didn’t need to. We saw him receive Lady Oshiba’s letter so we know what he predicted happened. Omi’s loyalty to Toranaga was clear because he was no longer wearing the colors of Yabushige, he was wearing those of Toranaga. We don’t see the outcome of the Catholic Church because there is nothing to see until later in history - in the short term they got their church in Edo. He made a sacrifice of those most important to him for the greater good. Food for thought…telling Yabushige “why tell a dead man he future” is what Yabushige said at the beginning about Toranaga to Omi. Hence, Omi was likely loyal to Toranaga from the beginning and that was Toranaga letting Yabushige know that piece of information. As westerners this show highlights our need for blood and willingness to forego honor and loyalty as well as believe the individual is more important than the whole perspective. If we let that ideology go we can see how the ending reflects a non-western philosophy. The loss of Nagakado, Hiromatsu, and Mariko saved them from war and led to generations of peace - the loss of 3 for the lives of many.

Toranaga fought in episode 3 when they were ambushed in the forest.

Toranaga indeed was a master trickster. he was the hidden villain all along.

😎👍❕️ I would suggest y'all review the Max series Tokyo Vice... y"!)) Won't be disappointed.....

What is that series that we just got through watching where the guy has to keep the plan in his head? Toranaga reminds me of that. He never revealed all of his plan to any one person.

I agree, i love everything about this show, but I am also disappointed, considering there will not be a second season. I'm almost done with the first book, looking forward to moving onto the second and I'm loving it. The characters are so great, I want to see more of them. But I also respect the idea of a complete story, and that's what this is, even if it didn't end the way I would have preferred.

Correction: Toranga fought with his swords in the forest ambush episode 3 and dealt the death blow to the assassin in episode 2

How about reviewing the original Shogun mini series?

what a masterpiece

I love a bittersweet ending. When it comes to stories like these, it’s always the journey not the destination that really mattered. We all knew Toranaga would win and become Shogun (it was in the title) - what mattered were the scenes of people sitting around talking, scheming, being silly. I’ve never fallen so much in love with so many characters (except Game of Thrones) - this was a masterpiece.

This was a great series, and your reactions were great! Can't wait to read the novelization. Oh, wait.... 😮

I was not disappointed,just use your imagination.

Also Toranaga didn’t believe in pointless death. He didn’t want Japan to go through a big civil war. Especially when he sees the bigger threats coming from the west. He needed to have a stable Japan so they can advanced and learn from their “enemies”

Green screen took a bite outta rekkai shoulder 😂

Shogun want to learn more from anjin. That’s why he’ll never let him leave.

Yagushibo was smiling back at Toranaga when he was committing seppuku because Toranaga revealed his secret heart to him, something he told Mariko must never be told

Maybe there will be Season 2. It would be great...

❤

Season 1 ending feels like season ending that's going to get a season 2 even though it's not

One guy got it. One guy didn't.

Hate that Toranaga never gave Anjin what he mostly desired despite him saving his life at least twice.

Spoilers for end of the book !…..(There is a great bit in the book as a postscript : When he was young, Ishido was prophesied to die an old man. Toranaga has him buried up to his neck so that people could saw at his neck with a bamboo sword. “Ishido lingered three days and died very old.”)

Kinda funny that Fuji is going to become a Nun even though in a year or so Torunaga is going to abolish religion from Japan

dunno i kinda got the vibe Fuji would stay with blackthorn after that boat scene. The structure and editing of the scene seems to imply it. also her letting go of her husband and child, means there is no motevation left for her to leave the clan and become a nun anymore.

Syntell I’m completely with you. I’m not even an action tard, but the entire promotion before release was the battle. The promotional poster and cover of Shogun itself is even Toranaga riding on horseback with an army behind him. They set the tone for that expectation. It’s a shame it wasn’t delivered. We just wanted the PAYOFF for the build up and to see Toranaga rightly crowned

Yea didn't like the last 3 episodes. Can't stand tornaga he is the true villain of the show. If this is what he's pulling in the show no wonder the council wanted him dead in ep 1. Not sure the point of this season. Is there a second season? There's two battles missed with only one talked about.

yall really skipped the best scenes with the anjin