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fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This show opened up a world of new possibilities for me - about how I could see myself in the world and how the world could receive me other than a misfit. It was also the first time I saw a white person trying to fit into a world that looked a lot like mine and not at all like his. It never occurred to me that the reverse could be true. Fast forward many years, one of my college majors being in Asian studies, several years of living in Japan, gaining fluency in Korean, Japanese, and (hopefully someday soon) Hindi, and lots of travel all over Asia, and I feel like this story was what germinated my ongoing pursuit of expanding my appreciation of the nations that make up my origins. So, even though this book was SO long, I was happy to read it. (In truth, I was unsuccessfully trying to find a book longer than Stephen King's It so that I wouldn't have to see it as my longest book of 2024 every time I revisited my 2024 reading list.)
What I liked most - Mariko. Such a great hero. And Toranaga was a close second. These characters are so well developed. And the choice to write this at a time where samurai could choose to fight by the Bushido code and the respect of the sword or lean into modernized weaponry was brilliant. Between Christianity and guns, it seems no country was safe from westernization. I expect the rest of the war in the other books might demonstrate the generational trauma caused by these impositions, but I will need to wait and see until I can get to those other books.
It's clearly written by a white man. Even if I hadn't known the author's name, that much was obvious to me. I read that Clavell considered these works to be very pro-Japanese. I think he achieved that, but there is also evidence of his perspective as an outsider trying to be an insider (which I think culminated in the Blackthorne character). The only concern I have is that those who don't fully understand or appreciate how the Japanese value life will misunderstand the depth of respect Japanese actually have for life, given the number of characters who attempt, threaten, or go through with seppuku. It's actually quite the opposite.
If you are intimidated by the size of the book, it might be easier to read if you watch in the FX remake. It follows the book really well and did an impressive job with the sets and costumes. It deserved every Emmy it got this year.
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
stringdom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Gore
beeness's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail