Shogun (Season 1)

By

⭐ 6.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

This show was pretty boring. The first two episodes didn't sell me, 3 & 4 were actually really engaging and had me excited, and then the rest of the season was pretty dull.

First of all, I don't think this show looks good. Filmed in some nice locations, but otherwise its always so foggy sitting in these rooms that are clearly on set. You don't have to film on location, but I definitely didn't feel transported to another time or place.

Second this show revolves around a white guy adapting to life among Japanese during times of turbulence, and the only theme they care about is life and duty, with the Japanese giving their lives away constantly and Blackthrone being appalled that they consider it honorable. And you know what - I was too! Seppuku is not cool! By the 3rd time someone threatened to kill themselves I was so over it. And every time someone does something wrong, everyone is like "buddy kys" (that's what my Rocket League teammates say in chat after I miss an easy save). I'm sure there is a way to make this theme feel important and worthwhile, but the biggest death of the season was totally avoidable and not moving to me at all. I get that its part of the culture, but I found it as meaningless as Blackthorn, and every episode revolved around it.

The show was good when it was all Blackthorn and Mariko, her translating for him and both of them influencing each other. It's a tried-and-true dynamic that they left on the backburner halfway through the season. Instead its all war politics, and I could not follow it at all. Everyone compares this to Game of Thrones, but there even if you didn't know a persons name you know their house, probably their sigil, and because of that you knew what they valued (for the most part) and who they were aligned with. I could not keep the factions straight, the same frustration I had with The Witcher books, so when big moments happen I almost never felt the significance. The main character is this super smart leader that has all these plans in motion, but we never actually see him make plans, so he just seems disconnected.

I'll give this a 6 because of those couple episodes I liked and some memorable set pieces. Otherwise this is the boring version of Game of Thrones, maybe because they are trying to be somewhat historically accurate. People in rooms talking and me not understanding why I should care about any of it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

By
⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Watched this for the first time because we wanted a comedy, and it was fine. I laughed a couple times, mostly at Paul Rudd, whose character was amazing. Otherwise its just a 2000s raunchy comedy. These Apatow movies are way too long for comedies, and the feel-good endings take too long to get to. I liked the idea of a fake NBC show that Kristen Bell stars in, and those clips made me laugh. Jason Segel is fine, and he fits the depressed guy thing they are going for here. I will never understand why the two women in this movie are so beautiful and the two guys are pudgy idiots. I guess I do understand, given the target audience for these movies. Another thing, they clearly were in Hawaii for filming a bunch of this, but then there are a couple scenes that are clearly using a green screen for the background. Pretty weird, since I assume they were in Hawaii, so maybe reshoots? Felt kinda cheap. Anyways, good for a couple laughs, don't ever nee...
Read more

July Reading Favourites

By
Image
Look at that cover! This is a YA horror book written by a trans Canadian author that knocked my socks off. A small town has secrets it's trying to hide, and after the death of a boy and a newcomer arriving, things start slipping out of control. It's a book about being trans or queer and living in a small town, and how a community creating a facade of a perfect town can backfire. Also maybe closing your eyes to anything that's "not your business" is not good actually! It's violent and full of rage, and I loved the way it played with time and perspective. Check the triggers, but if you're interested in reading it, I'd recommend going in blind without looking at reviews or a longer description! This is a short book of essays about ableism and disability justice, specifically relating to technological advances for disabled people. Most of the essays focus on a different type of technology for different disabilities (prosthetics, hearing aids, cures for aut...
Read more

Magdalene's Favourite Books of 2024

By
Image
In 2024 I read another ABSURD amount of books, and I will not be commenting on what that says about me, my decisions, or the state of my mental health. So I'm just going to go straight into my favourite books of the year! I've posted about a lot of these in my monthly faves, but now you get to see which ones made it to my favourites of the year list! They're in no particular order. A Pacific Islander-inspired fantasy with unique, refreshing vibes. Hanalei returns to her home island, Her childhood best friend is looking for a dragonfruit to heal his mother, and Hanalei will use her connection with the seadragons to help. Lucier has a pretty simple way of writing, but the story was fun and beautiful, and it really took me on an adventure. Sid is a Korean adoptee living in a very white town that is over a crack where magic can get through. One day a Guardian falls, releasing magic and zombies, and it becomes a fight to survive. This is such an interesting blend of fantasy and ...
Read more