Having read the book, I wondered how the writers were going to conclude the series. Especially since (spoilers) the book barely depicts the war beyond a couple of short paragraphs as an epilogue of the vast 1125 page epic.
The genius, however, is how the writers took what existed in the novel and restructured and repurposed it to elevate the story as it came to its close.
One example, Blackthorne threatened to commit seppuku as a means to protect the village from death on his behalf was something that happens in the first third of the novel and is unrelated to Toranaga's plan. Yabu threatens his village to teach Blackthorne Japanese language and customs within six months or he'll execute them. Blackthorne learns this and threatens to take his own life unless Yabu backtracks on his ultimatum. When he refuses, Blackthorne proceeds to make good on his threat but is physically prevented by Omi.
Here, it's directly used towards Toranaga, when he learns that he's executing and punishing villagers for the destruction of his ship (which, we later learn, was Toranaga's doing.) Blackthorne's reaction and attempt to commit seppuku was in lieu of more lengthy exchanges between the Anjin and Lord in the novel. Making that change actually improved the impact of the ending whilst remaining true to the source material.
I imagine there will be some disappointed viewers who were hoping for a Game of Thrones style battle between armies but this isn't that kind of series.
What we got instead was the beautiful unveiling of a clever man's plan - playing the long game - who had managed to outsmart everyone and got what he wanted all along.
This also invites a whole rewatch of the series, knowing what we know now and fully understanding Toranaga's plan in real time, understanding where it's heading.
In fact, I might also re-read the novel.
Incredible work to everyone involved in this very special TV show - the writers, directors, cast, art directors, cinematographers, composers - everyone.
As a fan of the original novel, I'm thrilled with how brilliantly the story has been adapted and that it has been so well received by audiences everywhere.
The genius, however, is how the writers took what existed in the novel and restructured and repurposed it to elevate the story as it came to its close.
One example, Blackthorne threatened to commit seppuku as a means to protect the village from death on his behalf was something that happens in the first third of the novel and is unrelated to Toranaga's plan. Yabu threatens his village to teach Blackthorne Japanese language and customs within six months or he'll execute them. Blackthorne learns this and threatens to take his own life unless Yabu backtracks on his ultimatum. When he refuses, Blackthorne proceeds to make good on his threat but is physically prevented by Omi.
Here, it's directly used towards Toranaga, when he learns that he's executing and punishing villagers for the destruction of his ship (which, we later learn, was Toranaga's doing.) Blackthorne's reaction and attempt to commit seppuku was in lieu of more lengthy exchanges between the Anjin and Lord in the novel. Making that change actually improved the impact of the ending whilst remaining true to the source material.
I imagine there will be some disappointed viewers who were hoping for a Game of Thrones style battle between armies but this isn't that kind of series.
What we got instead was the beautiful unveiling of a clever man's plan - playing the long game - who had managed to outsmart everyone and got what he wanted all along.
This also invites a whole rewatch of the series, knowing what we know now and fully understanding Toranaga's plan in real time, understanding where it's heading.
In fact, I might also re-read the novel.
Incredible work to everyone involved in this very special TV show - the writers, directors, cast, art directors, cinematographers, composers - everyone.
As a fan of the original novel, I'm thrilled with how brilliantly the story has been adapted and that it has been so well received by audiences everywhere.
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