The 7 best "Shogun"-like shows to watch after the mini-series

The 7 best "Shogun"-like shows to watch after the mini-series

FX's "Shogun" has been well received since it aired, with Paste Magazine's Lacey Baugher Milas describing "Shogun" as "a series with a big swing, demanding a lot from its viewers and insisting that complex character dynamics are as compelling as big, bloody fights.

The series was described as "a series that demands a lot from its viewers and insists that complex character dynamics are as compelling as big, bloody battles.

The series is based on James Clavell's novel of the same name, but it also provides space to explore the internal lives of each of the Japanese characters that British sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) meets, including Lord Toracho (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Mariko Toda (Anna Sawai) FX released an episode each week, climaxing with a jaw-dropping finale today (April 23). Now that the limited series has ended, you may need to fill the "Shogun"-sized hole in your streaming life." Check out these 7 TV shows like "Shogun.

"Shogun" features beautiful shots from all over Japan, from bustling Osaka to quiet green spaces. Brendan Hodges noted on X (formerly Twitter) that the show's strong script and combination of great location and set design reminded him of older HBO projects like "Rome" and "Deadwood" (also included on this list). Rome" ran from 2005-07 and cost a whopping $9 million per episode.

"Rome" follows two soldiers who are part of Caesar's army. Through them, we see the harsh and violent reality of an ancient civilization as Caesar fights for control of the city. Due to declining ratings and high costs, the show's five-season run was cancelled, but the storytelling was praised as brilliant. Sean Woods of Rolling Stone magazine praised it as "the best show about the nature of power and political strategy."

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Many of the programs on this list are from premium channels. They promise higher budgets and artistic freedom. However, there are still many fascinating and beautifully produced shows on network television, and "Vikings" is one of them. The show follows Ragnar Lodbrook, a small farmer who decides to go west to explore, and throughout its six seasons (which ran from 2013 to 2020) we see Lodbrook grow in strength and become a king.

The show came into its own in season 3, earning a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times described it as "a well-acted, relatively sumptuous epic about Vikings and their desires and power struggles."

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Perhaps it is no wonder that "Shogun" is constantly being compared, given that "Game of Thrones" just ended; TG's Malcolm McMillan wrote, "It could be the next 'Game of Thrones'" He writes. Dig a little deeper, however, and the comparison is obvious. In addition to being both well-written and well-acted, both focus on political machinations and family dynamics inspired by historical events.

In "Game of Thrones," two clans vie for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the Iron Throne. Season 1 received a high score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Season 4 had the highest score of 94%; Ars Technica reflected on the series, writing, "The early seasons were revolutionary in terms of defying viewer expectations, propelling much of the female-centric cast to stardom, and the VFX may be the best in television history."

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There are many shows about historical England that combine sex, power, and violence, but not many that focus on queerness. But "Mary and George" does just that, while featuring a stellar cast that includes Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine. The film takes place just a few years after "The General," across the sea in 1615. Mary (Moore), a widow of lowly nobility, strives to bring her son George (Galitzine) before King James in order to secure her future. George catches the eye of King James I and uses the attention to become the Duke of Buckingham.

The show was broadcast on Starz on April 5. Variety magazine described the show as "arcane comic and lushly erotic, boldly anachronistic and surprisingly true to history."

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After watching the first episode of "The General," did you want to see more of the crew's story unfolding at sea? Then the next show you should watch is "Black Sails". This program is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's book "Treasure Island. It features John Silver, an exile on his own ship who is eager to live, as a newcomer to the pirate life on Captain Flint's (Toby Stephens) ship.

While robbing other ships of their loot, Captain Flint is in pursuit of a Spanish ship said to contain US$5 million. With Michael Bay as one of the producers, one can expect explosions as well as sword fights.

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If showrunner David Milch had fulfilled his original wish, "Deadwood" would have been set in ancient Rome. However, HBO had already produced "Rome" and was interested in changing the time period of Milch's project. He said, "We considered setting it in the American West, but it had to be in a time and place that was close to chaos. After extensive research, I realized that Deadwood was what I was looking for," Milch told American Heritage magazine.

Like "The General," "Deadwood" is concerned with exploring what happens in a power vacuum. Deadwood is a real town in North Dakota that provided Milch with a window to explore and reconstruct the story of the American West; the show, which ran for three seasons and was made into a movie, received a 92% overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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It may seem a bit circuitous, but hear me out. Based on the novel of the same name by Anne Rice, the show is also an excellent study in the work of adaptation. Interview" is interested in asking new questions about themes that are not present in the original work. Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat (Sam Reid) become lovers in 1910s New Orleans. Their union soon becomes messy after Lestat turns Louis in.

The first season received a near-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Empire magazine wrote, "With four knockout performances, Rice's bloody, beautiful story is told anew on screen. Now, finally, we're given the opportunity to wear our queer hearts (and guts, gore, and viscera galore) proudly on our sleeves.

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