Fidelity to the source material is among the reasons that led James Clavell’s daughter to state that her father would be proud of the new adaptation of Shōgun. However, it is interesting to know that the Hulu/FX show deviates from its literary source on at least one occasion.
After having specified that this article contains spoilers relating to episode 9 of Shōgun, let’s get into the merits of the matter. The episode in question delves into, in fact, the theme of seppuku: the ritual suicide practiced by the samurai. A particularly controversial choice for Lady Mariko: as a Catholic, deciding to take her own life would be equivalent to giving up Paradise. For this reason, the character played by Anna Sawai chooses not to commit seppuku with the same hands as her, but to get help from Lord Kiyama. When the latter does not show up, John Blackthorne is chosen: he will have to be the one to hit Mariko with the sword.
This specific circumstance is absent from James Clavell’s book. The creators of Shogun, Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks then intervened to explain this particular aspect of the narrative: “Even though Blackthorne disagrees with his Catholicism, even though he has traveled around the world to fight this church, he is willing for her sake to believe in its tenets of faith. So he will stand by her and make sure it’s not suicide, so she can go to Heaven.“.
It is, therefore, a ploy to further deepen the strength of the bond between the two protagonists. Despite being of the Protestant faith, Blackthorne’s feelings for Lady Mariko are stronger than his beliefs, even if this means dealing the fatal blow to the woman he loves. We conclude by reminding you that from today, April 23, the final episode of the television show is available on Disney+ and therefore leaving you to our review of Shōgun.
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