Skip to content
MovieCove
Shōgun

Shōgun

An epic saga of war, passion, and power set in Feudal Japan.

2024–2026Ended3 seasons12 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

In Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Shōgun?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Shōgun streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about Shōgun?

Shōgun earns 6 badges, led by Top 1% of shows and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Shōgun worth watching?

Shōgun's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all shows, from 410K ratings across 5 sources. 94% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of shows

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

86 /100

98th percentile of all shows

99th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2020s

Critics 85 · Audience 87

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

94% liked it

98th percentile of all shows

99th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2020s
94% rated it 7–106% rated it 1–6

Critics 99% · Audience 85%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

92nd percentile

410K ratings across platforms

71st percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors agree the show boasts top-tier production values, excellent acting, and beautiful cinematography, but they differ on whether the story and pacing deliver.

Fans praised

  • Lavish period production: opulent sets, costumes, and authenticity
  • Superlative acting from a Japanese cast, with perfect casting
  • Political scheming and world-building rivaling Game of Thrones

Detractors panned

  • Pacing issues with long speeches and slow stretches
  • Dissatisfying ending that fails to pay off the buildup
  • Overhyped and overrated, not deserving of the acclaim

What stands out

Acting95

World-class Japanese cast, flawless performances, perfect casting

Cinematography93

Beautifully shot, breathtaking visuals, stunning set pieces

Atmosphere92

Immersive feudal Japan, authentic and immersive

CharactersDivisive80

Well-developed characters, but some arcs undercooked

DialogueDivisive80

Authentic and impactful, though subtitles are a barrier for some

Plot and storyDivisive78

Intricate political scheming, but slow and divisive pacing

Emotional impactDivisive70

Character arcs are moving, but some find the ending unsatisfying

PacingDivisive45

Slow pacing with long speeches, divisive

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2024 · 10 episodes · 8.2 average across 10 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Anjin

    Feb 27, 202471 minTMDB rating 8.0
  • S1E2

    Servants of Two Masters

    Feb 27, 202460 minTMDB rating 8.4
  • S1E3

    Tomorrow Is Tomorrow

    Mar 5, 202454 minTMDB rating 8.2
  • S1E4

    The Eightfold Fence

    Mar 12, 202458 minTMDB rating 8.3
  • S1E5

    Broken to the Fist

    Mar 19, 202458 minTMDB rating 8.2
  • S1E6

    Ladies of the Willow World

    Mar 26, 202458 minTMDB rating 7.8

Watch experience

What is Shōgun like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Epic · 3% of shows: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe series treats its historical political drama with absolute gravity, playing the intricate scheming straight and maintaining a solemn, epic register.
The rideSustained dread from constant political threat and personal risk; brief respites of romance and reflection do not break the underlying tension.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically across its 12-episode arc, adhering to a conventional three-act structure with no nonlinear or experimental devices.
Episode formatEach episode is a chapter in a continuous story following the novel's arc; no reset or case-of-the-week format.
Season formatEach season covers a distinct phase of the novel's story—season 1 ends with Toranaga's ascension, seasons 2 and 3 extend into further conflicts.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers reexamining the morality of Toranaga's ruthless rise to power, creating a deep ambivalence that lingers.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series arc follows Lord Toranaga's struggle against the oppressive Council of Regents, led by Ishido, as he schemes to secure power and become Shogun.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% (this title) · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Power

Power · 5% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series examines who controls whom in feudal Japan, how power is wielded through political maneuvering and cultural codes of honor.
StanceThe series questions the nature of power and loyalty, showing how political ambition corrupts and isolates, without celebrating or condemning outright.

The world

Early modernInstitutionalUrbanStylized realism
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score · Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross
SettingFeudal Japan during the Sengoku period, centered on court politics and samurai clans
MusicThe score blends traditional Japanese instruments with modern orchestral elements to evoke both period and psychological depth.

Content guide

Is Shōgun okay for kids?

TV-MA

Shōgun is rated TV-MA. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (91/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at intense (60/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at intense (71/100). Overall it is heavier than 67% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 32 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France18
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • ArgentinaSAM 16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK18
  • Greece18
  • Hungary18
  • Israel18+
  • ItalyVM18
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland18
  • Portugal18
  • PRTV-MA
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK18
  • Spain18
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • Türkiye18+
  • VITV-MA
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 82% of all showsHeavier than 67% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 90%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 69%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 33%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 5%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 71%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, sexual content, and language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Shōgun have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Shōgun?

Cast

At least 2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Cosmo Jarvis
as John Blackthorne
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Anna Sawai
as Toda Mariko
Tadanobu Asano
as Kashigi Yabushige
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Hiroyuki Sanada
as Yoshii Toranaga
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Yûki Kedôin
as Takemaru
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Akiko Kobayashi
as Setsu
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Eushin Lee
as Yabushige's Green Kosho #2
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Takehiro Hira
as Ishido Kazunari
Yuki Kura
as Yoshii Nagakado
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Saeko Kimura
as Mariko's Lady in Waiting #2

Crew

Directed by

Charlotte Brändström, Frederick E.O. Toye, Jonathan van Tulleken, Takeshi Fukunaga, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Hiromi Kamata

Written by

Justin Marks, Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Emily Yoshida, Matt Lambert, Rachel Kondo
+3 more, Caillin Puente, James Clavell, Nigel Williams

Cinematography

Christopher Ross, Marc Laliberté, Aril Wretblad, Sam McCurdy

Edited by

Thomas A. KruegerMaria GonzalesAika Miyake

Music by

Atticus RossLeopold RossNick Chuba

Produced by

Justin Marks, Geraud Brisson, Eugene Kelly, Shannon Goss, Jonathan van Tulleken, Mako Kamitsuna
+15 more, Erin Smith, Eriko Miyagawa, Andrew Macdonald, Matt Lambert, Rachel Kondo, Tom Winchester, Caillin Puente, Heather Turner, Jo Smith, Jamie Vega Wheeler, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michaela Clavell, Allon Reich

More like this

What are shows like Shōgun?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Shōgun include The Terminal List (2022), Band of Brothers (2001) and The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2025).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Shōgun?

365 other shows share the rarest tag below, follows: warrior. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.