It’s probably the Atticus Ross influence. He’s the lesser-known half of (the static members of) Nine Inch Nails. He and Trent Reznor have done a LOT of OSTs.

Speaking of Mariko, how nice was it to see Buntaro and Blackthorne getting along there at the end? He helps the anjin pull his ship out of the water! They’re gonna be buddies!

I truly loved the moment when Blackthorn threatened seppuku. He was starting to embrace Japanese approaches to death and loyalty and almost had it right but Toranaga still brushed him off as acting foolish. He wasn’t the White Saviour who understood the hosts’ culture better than they did, just a guy who was prepared…

This is the best adaptation of anything I have watched in a long time. Even episodes 7 and 8, which strayed the most from the source material, were excellent.

I think Yabushige wanted Anjin as his second because he’d come to respect him and think of him as a friend. He gives his sword to Anjin before he dies in both the book and the ‘80s miniseries.

Some of the other books in Clavell’s Asian saga relate bits of what came next.

as with ep 3, i will once again shout out that this episode was written by Emily Yoshida, an AV Club alum from the site’s heyday

Some of it sounds a lot like the Carter Burwell-penned score from the first “Twilight” movie.

“It gives us the chance to see a sort of dreamy-looking fast-forward to the moment of war, when the armies will stand, awaiting battle, only for Ishido to receive word that the heir has now given his blessing to Toranaga instead of him. (Ochiba has turned on him for killing her friend.) Ishido, left with no…

Ishido was beheaded IRL after losing the battle of Sekigahara. he was captured by some villagers trying to run away 

I can also dismiss them from my own comments. It’s so easy!

You should block that Scott Hansen troll. Just saying, they seem kind of obsessed with you.

This show bored me out of my mind from episode 6/7 on and I love historical “fiction”. Production value obvs very high, acting solid, but the story is an insane drag.
Typcial As from MHC (who wouldve guessed), but I was just holding on for the big battle showdown, cause the depiction of violence was solidly gruesome.
N…

No mention of Mariko’s “actually YOU’RE disrespectful and this is who the fuck I am thank you very much” speech to Ishido?! It was SO good!

I can’t think of a show I enjoyed more while understanding less. Just this week, I’m totally lost. Who were the invaders? What was their purpose? Which side is Yabushige on? 

Tadanobu Asano is a dreamy. 

MHC is the worst “reviewer” (if you can call it that) on this site. Always strictly A’s, no criticism (TD4).
I wish she wouldnt write here anymore.
oh, and thanks for always censoring my opinion!

What an episode, oof 

Noble House and Shogun are incredible works (Noble House is better imo but I find HK a lot more fascinating in general).  My dad owned the books and told me to read them when I was 17.

You expect something of this site? Do you know where you are?