Shogun has concluded and despite fans yearning for more, the creators aren't sure a second season is needed - and we agree
Shogun sticking the landing might trump a second season.
The FX limited series Shogun ended on April 23, and fans of the ten-episode drama are clamoring for a second go-round; however, that’s not likely to happen, according to showrunner Justin Marks and writer Rachel Kondo.
This is because the series was based on the novel of the same name by the late James Clavell, who didn’t write a sequel. Set in 17th-century feudal Japan, it tells the story of shipwrecked English navigator John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) who spends the rest of his days in the country. Blackthorne’s character was based on the real-life William Adams who, in 1600, became the first Englishman to reach Japan and became a key advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Despite Clavell's other works having minor ties to Shogun (The Asian Saga), the novel concludes the story of Blackthorne and his relationships with the main players. That said, producer and co-star, Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick 4, Mortal Kombat, Westworld) who plays the powerful busho Yoshii Toranaga, feels that while there is a history within the book, and “real history models,” a second entry or related series “depends on the audience’s reaction,” which as we know has been very positive.
However, Marks and Kondo are unsure whether there will be a season two, and from what we gleaned from the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, it doesn’t seem likely.
“I think if we had a story - if we could find a story - we would be open to it,” said Marks. “But I don’t think that anyone ever wants to be out over their skis without a roadmap and everything. And it’s also just about, do people want more of it?
“But it’s also about, not even topping the book, but, how do you even equal the roadmap that Clavell laid out? And I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t know if Clavell could have done it either. That’s probably why he moved on to other books too, right? He knew what he had done. It’s a tough one.”
As far as Clavell’s The Asian Saga is concerned, a series based on the novels would be “hard” due to being “all over the place for good reason.” One of the books, Tai-Pan, takes place in the early period of Hong Kong for instance, and is “completely different” from Shogun.
“[Clavell’s] conjuring new vivid characters that stand 75,000 feet tall all at once, and I think when you look at Shogun, that’s part of what Clavell did,” Marks added. “We were given these characters who were really so colorful and accessible, it’s a hard magic to conjure as a novelist and as a writer.
“The Asian Saga goes all over the place for good reason. So it’s hard. You’re not actually building off that same language in the same way.”
We agree with Marks. A follow-up to Shogun would be a “hard magic to conjure.” In our opinion, it doesn’t need one. The ending was perfect and aligned with how the novel and its story ended - what more needs to be added? Sure, there is plenty of fodder for more stories to be told, especially if centered around the secondary characters. Sure, Shogun isn’t a three-part epic like The Lord of the Rings (four if you include The Hobbit), with side novels, an appendix, etc. full of enough characters and lore to base many a series on. Yes, Shogun is based on the real-life Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the Great Unifiers who ushered in the Edo period and was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate that would rule Japan for 260 years.
So yes, there are plenty of stories to tell, but not when it comes to the one between Blackthorne and Toranaga. The end of the novel and the series conclude that tale and that’s how it needs to stay. Sometimes, it’s best to leave a story untangled and respect the narrative lest it diminish the impact of a satisfying end.
You can watch Shogun on Hulu.