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In the interest of full disclosure, my undergraduate thesis was on the heroism of the samurai as depicted in Eiji Yoshikawa's 1967 historical fiction Taiko and Edward Zwick's 2003 film The Last Samurai. I say that to maybe explain my seemingly unsubjective take when it comes to anything Shōgun.
I have also read the source material, James Clavell's 1975 historical novel, and watched the 1980 television series starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune, years before I wrote my thesis and decades before FX's series. It's why I volunteered to write the series' reviews and ending explained. To date, including this article, I have written 14 pieces on Shōgun.
I say all that to give you a background so you can decide whether or not to trust my recommendations on what to watch after Shōgun.
Watch for historical context:
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (Documentary, 6 episodes, Netflix, 2021)
The Netflix documentary gives an overview of feudal Japan from 1551 to 1616, during which the final phase of the final phase of the Sengoku period, often called The Age of Warring States, focusing on the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The first episode is about the first Great Unifier, Oda Nobunaga. In the context of Shōgun, Oda is Kuroda, Lady Ochiba's father.
Yasuke (Animated series, 6 episodes, Netflix, 2021)
Yasuke is a Japanese-American original net animation or ONA series that is very loosely based on the very real historical figure of the same name. He was an African warrior who became Oda's retainer during the Sengoku period. In the animated series, he was voiced by Lakeith Stanfield.
I'm recommending the series since Yasuke, in this case, is Blackthorne's (Cosmo Jarvis in Shōgun) stand in. Historically speaking, when Oda died he did not go the way of usual retainers. By that, I mean he survived. Not much is known about his life afterwards, but he did survive.
Shōgun (TV series, 5 episodes, DVD box set, 1980)
The first adaptation starred Richard Chamerlain and Toshiro Mifune. The author served as executive producer. It was filmed mostly on location, in Japan.
My reason for recommending this is obvious, surely, since it's the more faithful adaptation of the book. The biggest difference of this series versus FX's is that this is mainly told from Blackthorne's point of view.
Blade of the Immortal (anime series, 24 episodes, Prime Video, 2019)
This animated series is set during the middle of the Tokugawa Shogunate and follows the cursed samurai Manji. To regain his mortality, he needs to kill 1,000 evil men. There's also a live-action movie version released in 2017 and starring Takuya Kimura. In the context of the Shōgun series, Manji would have lived during the time of Toranaga's (Hiroyuki Sanada) heirs.
Watch for the epic scale:
Rurouni Kenshin [anime series, 95 episodes, Netflix (first 25 episodes), 1996]
If you know anyone in your life who's into anime or manga, they would know this show. It's set during the Meiji era, the beginning of the abolition of the samurai class and the restoration of imperial rule. The story follows a wandering samurai named Himura Kenshin. Kenshin is actually a ronin, a masterless samurai. He wanders around the countryside to offer his aid in order to atone for his past as an assassin.
The series is quite lengthy. There are two version, one released in 1996 with 95 episode and another released in 2023 with 24 episodes.
If an animated series isn't your thing, there are live-action movies as well. In fact, there are five of them. The first one is released in 2012. Its sequel, Kyoto Inferno and the third The Legend Ends released in 2014. The final two were released in 2021; watch The Final first and then The Beginning. They're all available to stream on Netflix.
Marco Polo (series; 2 seasons, 20 episodes, 1 special; Netflix; 2014)
More than just a children's game, the series is an American drama inspired by the explorer Marco Polo's early years in the court of the Mongol Empire's Khagan, Kubali Khan. Benedict Wong, who played the Sorcerer Supreme in Marvel's Dr. Strange movies, is cast as the Khan. Michelle Yeoh is in the special, One Hundred Eyes, as a Taoist nun and the Song Dynasty boy emperor's protector. Unfortunately, this series was canceled after only two seasons.
Game of Thrones (series; 8 seasons, 73 episodes; HBO | Max; 2011)
When Shōgun premiered, its grand scale of production was immediately compared to Game of Thrones. If you've never seen the series, it's time to do so. Just try not to compare it to the source material, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, since its creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took many creative liberties.
And if you have watched it, are loving it and think you would like to continue loving it, maybe avoid the final season.
Watch for when you miss Hiroyuki Sanada:
47 Ronin (movie, Netflix, 2013)
The movie is based on the story of the 47 ronin who lived in 18th century Japan who, after avenging the death of their master Asano Naganori, collectively committed seppuku. My reason for recommending this? Not only is Hiroyuki Sanada in it, so is Tadanaobu Asano (Yabushige).
The film bears very little resemblance to its historical basis since this version is stylized in a world filled with witches and giants, and all sorts of magic. A word of warning: on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 16% critical score and a 48% audience rating. It also earned a $151.8 million in the worldwide box office against a $175 million budget. Do with that information what you will.
The Last Samurai (movie, VOD, 2003)
Like Blackthorne, one of the movie's main characters, Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), has a historical basis in two French Imperial Guards, Eugène Collache and Jules Brunet. It's set in the beginning of the Meiji Restoration and inspired by the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion. Moritsugu Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) is based on the leader of the rebellion, Saigō Takamori. Sanada plays Ujio, Katsumoto's most trusted retainer.
In the film, Ujio taught Algren the art of sword fighting. In real life, Sanada taught Cruise the same. I mentioned it before that one of the hallmarks of the lack of proper sword fight training is how the fighters hold a sword. In this movie, for the most part, the foreigners do hold it properly, especially Cruise.
It's a better film than the one above. While the critics didn't look on it with favor, only 66%, the audience were much kinder giving it a 83% rating. It was a blockbuster hit with $454.6 million earned in the global box office. It was even nominated for four Academy Awards, including a Best Supporting Actor nod for Watanabe.
Watch just for fun:
House of Ninjas (series, 8 episodes, Netflix, 2024)
The series was developed by Dave Boyle. It follows the story of a family of ninjas, also known as shinobi, as they struggle to juggle the demands of the lifestyle of a shinobi and as a family.
They were present in Shōgun, and as they were in the equivalent historical timeline. In fact, Tokugawa Ieyasu (Toranaga in the series) treated them well — better than his predecessors.
I recommend you watch this for fun — without thinking about where it fits in the Shōgun context — in case you fixated on them while you were watching the series.
Alchemy of Souls (South Korean series; 2 seasons, 30 episodes; Netflix; 2022)
This one might be the most fantastical out of all my recommendations. However, I included it in the list mostly because of the sword play. I missed that in Shōgun. So if you feel the same, then there are more here.
There are many dramatic elements here as well: tragedy, twisted fates, forbidden magic, body switching and heartbreak. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. If not, well, I wouldn't know now, would I?
The Untamed (Chinese series, 50 episodes, Netflix, 2019)
The last item on my list may be the most controversial. It's also the longest watch with 50 episodes. However, that's the usual length of most xianxia, a genre of Chinese fantasy taking heavy inspiration from Chinese mythology.
It's a live-action adaptation of a danmei (a genre of Chinese literature that focuses on love stories between male characters). It follows the story of two cultivators — soulmates — who travel the countryside to solve mysteries that are linked to a tragic event in their past.
I understand that 50 episodes may be too long, but if you're the type who loves to binge, then this may be well worth it. While Sanada has already signed on for a second season of Shōgun, it would take quite some time for the show to take shape. With all the movies and series in this list, you can use the time to watch some — if not all — of them while you wait for the Shōgun's return.
