Set in the early 1600s, the series revolves around shipwrecked English navigator John Blackthorne, as he washes up on the shores of Japan, as it stands on the brink of a century-defining civil war.
The series also focuses on Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is fighting for complete power in the midst of the civil war and uprising against his rulership, and who uses Blackthorne's presence to sow discord among his enemies.
The cast is full to the brim of stellar talent and includes Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), plus many other decorated Japanese actors.
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But where can fans watch the series and who stars? Read on for everything you need to know about Shogun.
Where to watch Shōgun in the UK
Shōgun is airing on Disney Plus in the UK.
The first two episodes are available to stream right now. Episode 3 will arrive on Tuesday 5th March, with new episodes dropping weekly.
Who stars in Shōgun?
The cast is not only being led by Jarvis as Blackthorne and Sawai as Mariko, but also features Japanese actor and martial artist Hiroyuki Sanada, who is known for his roles in The Last Samurai, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Westworld.
Sanada not only stars as Lord Yoshii Toranaga - who is at odds with his political rivals and is faced with a united front against him - but the actor also serves as a producer on the series.
The full cast for Shogun is as follows:
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga
- Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne
- Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko
- Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige
- Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi
- Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari
- Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji
- Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu
- Shinnosuke Abe as Toda Hirokatsu
- Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado
- Yuka Kouri as Kiku
- Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata
- Ako as Daiyoin Lady Iyo
- Yasunari Takeshima as Muraji
- Toshi Toda as Sugiyama
- Hiro Kanagawa as Igurashi
- Junichi Tajiri as Uejiro
- Néstor Carbonell as Vasco Rodrigues
- Tommy Bastow as Father Martin Alvito
- Nobuya Shimamoto as Nebara Jozen
- Yoriko Dōguchi as Kiri No Kata
- Yuki Kedoin as Takemaru
- Mako Fujimoto as Shizu No Kata
- Haruno Niiyama as Natsu No Kata
- Hiromoto Ida as Kiyama ukon Sadanaga
- Takeshi Kurokawa as Ohno Harunobu
- Yuko Miyamoto as Gin
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Speaking about the actors they assembled for the production, Marks said: "We were just privileged to be able to shoot the show in Japanese, which meant that we could go straight to Japan and cast this with a net of actors who we, as westerners, had by and large not seen, and if we had seen them we had never seen them performing in their own language, which was very very exciting."
He added: "Many actors came to us who were so young that had never even left their country before, and so it was a real thrill and sort of infused this story with a new energy that made the whole show feel, in our opinion, maybe a little more punk rock than you would otherwise expect."
On their leading man, Kondo said: "I think I can speak for Justin and say that Hiroyuki Sanada was always a foregone collusion. He is the part and there would be no show without him, both through his enormous talents in acting but also his contributions as a producer. We wouldn't be sitting here today if it weren't for him."
What is Shōgun about?
Based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, this new series is not the first time the acclaimed book has been reimagined on screen.
A 1980 miniseries was also produced and, at the time, was actually the first series to break many broadcasting taboos, containing many firsts for American TV - such as the depiction of a beheading.
Now, this new take is set to be a tense and stylised production, with the trailer giving us a glimpse at some of the fight scenes and drama to come.
The synopsis for the series reads: "When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies — the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants.
"Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father."
Is there a trailer for Shōgun?
There is! The trailer for the 10-parter was revealed during this year's Super Bowl.
The 40-second advert features a montage of fast-paced fight sequences interspersed with scenes from the series teasing some of the show's core themes, from loyalty to treachery and everything in between.
It opens with a very frank narration from Sawai's Toda who tells Blackthorne not to be fooled by their politeness, bows or "maze of rituals".
We then see how Toranaga is preparing for war, but also how Toda is preparing for her "part", something mysterious that we'll likely find out more about in the episodes to come.
Watch the trailer below.
A brand new extended trailer gives us even more of an in-depth look at some of the double-crossing, first impressions and character battles to come, ending with one epic bow and arrow scene that will be sure to make you flinch.
Watch the extended trailer below.
Shōgun premiered on Disney Plus on Tuesday 27th February with its first two episodes, future episodes will be released weekly. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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