Anna Sawai

Shōgun – Crimson Sky / A Dream of a Dream

  • Title: Shōgun – Crimson Sky / A Dream of a Dream
  • IMDb: link | link

Shōgun - Crimson Sky / A Dream of a Dream

The final two episodes of Shōgun focus on the choices of Mariko (Anna Sawai) and their aftermath. Having journeyed to Osaka, Mariko informs Ishido (Takehiro Hira) of her plans to return to  Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) the next day and take his vassals, and infant son, back with her. Putting Ishido in a no-win situation of either giving up his hostages or confirming that they are indeed hostages and unable to leave, he refuses her request having his men cut down her soldiers at the gate and advance on to Marko. This, of course, is exactly what Mariko was expecting and gives her the opportunity to commit seppuku for failing to meet her lord’s demands and achieve her long goal of joining her family in death.

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Shōgun – A Stick of Time / The Abyss of Life

  • Title: Shōgun – A Stick of Time / The Abyss of Life
  • IMDb: link | link

Shogun - A Stick of Time / The Abyss of Life

Things get even worse for Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his followers as his attempt to form an alliance with his estranged brother (Eita Okuno) ends in betrayal and in the death of his son (Yuki Kura). With Toranaga apparently willing to give up the fight, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) finds himself released from his service but with nowhere to turn. His attempt to reconnect with his fellow sailors end disastrously leading him to attempt to cultivate a new partnership with Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) who initially refuses but, given his lord’s refusal to fight on, eventually accepts.

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Shōgun – Ladies of the Willow World

  • Title: Shōgun – Ladies of the Willow World
  • IMDb: link

Shōgun - Ladies of the Willow World

While much of “Ladies of the Willow World” takes place in Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), including the title which derives from Mariko (Anna Sawai) setting up John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) with another prostitute, in terms of events moving the larger story forward we must look to Osaka. Here we see the impact of Ochiba No Kata’s (Fumi Nikaidô) return in pushing Ishido (Takehiro Hira) to act bolder with the Regents beginning with replacing Toranaga’s open seat with a flunky and then murdering Lord Sugiyama (Toshi Toda) after the Regent refuses to go along with his plans.

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