The exciting trailer for episode 8 of Shōgun, despite having anticipated a story full of tension, had not prepared us for the heartbreaking twist involving one of the main characters. Warning, spoilers will follow from now on!
In the episode “The Abyss of Life”, available on Disney+ since April 9th, we witness the tragic death of one of the show’s most important figures: Hiromatsu. A particularly shocking twist, even more so after the disappearance of Yoshii Nagakado in the previous episode. But what exactly happens? Now ready to surrender, Toranaga asks his generals for support, but unfortunately things don’t go as planned.
The trusty Hiromatsu tries to convince Toranaga to give up his purpose, threatening to commit suicide in protest if necessary. An act that Hiromatsu will carry out shortly afterwards, in front of his friend’s eyes. The ritual of seppuku has been brought up several times throughout the series and is finally carried out at this point, inevitably overwhelming the audience. It is difficult to fully understand the implications of this gesture, which certainly, even if unexpected, could facilitate Toranaga in his goals; in fact, as revealed in the final moments of the episode, both Toranaga and Hiromatsu were aware of the need for sacrifice.
We remember that there are only two episodes left until the series concludes, which is scheduled to release on Disney+ on April 16 and April 23, respectively. In the meantime, we leave you with our review of Shōgun.
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