[masraum]

I get emails from Smithsonian (the magazine) with articles.

This article was in one of my emails.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-history-behind-fxs-shogun-180983848/

Just an excerpt of the article (just the bit about the new 2 episode show)

The new adaptation of “Shogun” has been in the works since 2018, undergoing shifts in focus at various stages of production. Compared with the 1980 series, which placed Blackthorne at center stage, the new show splits its screen time more equitably between the Englishman (portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis), Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Mariko (Anna Sawai). While the earlier adaptation left Japanese-language conversations untranslated to mirror Blackthorne’s isolation in an unfamiliar country, this version features English subtitles, enabling the showrunners to explore the lives of a rich cast of Japanese-speaking characters.

Discussing the 1980 series with the New York Times, Sanada, who also serves as a producer of the FX show, says, “As a Japanese [person], I wanted to see something more real at the time, to be honest.” This time around, the team took steps to ensure greater historical fidelity and cultural sensitivity, working with consultants to confirm everything, including period-accurate “kimono color schemes and how to carry katana swords,” the Times notes. Though the producers made certain compromises (for example, not requiring actresses to paint their teeth black or shave their eyebrows as their historical counterparts did), their overall goal was to achieve a sense of “spiritual authenticity,” showrunner Justin Marks tells the Times.