SHŌGUN 1x8 - FULL Reaction
Added 2024-06-12 14:20:29 +0000 UTCComments
This episode was insane
Mitch Coob
2024-06-12 22:24:58 +0000 UTCYeah this episode amazed me when I first watched it. Toranaga ALWAYS had a plan. He uses people's own nature to predict perfectly how they'll react. The way Anjin, with his western mindset, openly disputed his apparent "surrender" to shake the others. Yabushige's greed and ambition and willingness to do whatever it takes to survive, even betray Toranaga. Finally, Toramatsu's love and loyalty to his "one and only friend" and his willingness to take his own life to attempt to show Toranaga the fault in his decision to surrender. Toranaga PREDICTED and then used ALL THAT to set the pieces in place and sell his "defeat" as being genuine. Even the landslide and his son's death, which were two things he couldn't predict, he still used them to his advantage. Toramatsu was, without a doubt, my favorite character in the show and I was so upset to see him die but damn, this is how you write a compelling story. "Never be afraid to kill your darlings" is a common saying in regards in how to write an engaging story. Meaning a writer can never be too attached to their favorite creations (characters) and give them "plot armor" and not let anything terrible happen to them because it softens the impact of the plot. Most notably is Ned Stark and G.R.R. Martin's affinity for that character but when the time arose he KNEW it was the right thing to do to propel the rest of the plot forward. Strangely enough in this story the only one who really saw Toranaga for who he really was, was the older woman who owned the brothel. She KNEW him more than anyone else did and he rewarded her with her plot of land but in doing so even THEN had an ulterior motive to screw over the Catholic priest and his church.
Wayleran
2024-06-12 16:34:40 +0000 UTC
