‘Shogun’: Here’s What to Know About the Record-Breaking Emmy Hit

The Emmys have crowned a new overlord.

“Shogun” ruled TV’s top honors, racking up a record 18 Emmy Awards for its first season — the most ever for a show in a single year — including wins on Sunday for best drama and for best actor and actress in a drama (Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai). This makes “Shogun,” created for FX by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, the most acclaimed TV show of 2024. But amid all the streaming platforms and shows out there, you can be forgiven if it flew under your radar.

“Shogun” is streaming on Hulu. Wondering what all the award-winning fuss is about? Here is a brief guide to this historical epic of samurai warriors and star-crossed lovers. Soon you’ll be ready to stage an all-out assault on your next binge-watch.

Where have I heard of ‘Shogun’ before?

The FX series is an adaptation of the 1975 novel of the same title by James Clavell. Based on a true story and set in feudal Japan at the beginning of the 17th century, this best-selling work of historical fiction has been adapted into live-action formats twice before: first as a widely watched 1980 NBC television mini-series, then as a short-lived 1990 Broadway musical. Residents of the New York tristate area may remember this commercial for the musical; as for the book, nearly everyone has likely seen it on a family member’s bookshelf.

What is ‘Shogun’ about?

The first season of “Shogun” — more are in the works — centers on three characters whose relationships will determine the fate of Japan. The first is John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), a shipwrecked English Protestant and ship’s pilot, or “anjin” in Japanese. He reveals the existence of a global schism in Christianity to the island’s rulers, who have been deliberately kept in the dark by their avaricious Portuguese Catholic trading partners.

In order to survive and to alter the balance of power in Europe, Blackthorne must make his case to Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), the man in command of the region. A member of a five-man council that has governed Japan in the name of its child ruler, Toranaga is at odds with its most powerful member, Lord Ishido (Takehiro Hira, who was a nominee for best supporting actor in a drama). The anjin and the weapons aboard his ship may provide Toranaga with the edge he needs to survive his power struggle.