Shōgun (Shogun)

What’s it about?

Set in Feudal Japan, Lord Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him to rule Japan. With conflict brewing, a mysterious European ship is found in a nearby fishing village, carrying guns and a man of unrelenting faith.

The facts

• Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks
• English and Japanese language with English subtitles
• Runtime: 10 episodes, about 50 mins each
• Based on the 1975 novel and 1989 interactive fiction video game of the same name by James Clavell

Why did it get this rating?

This show was self-rated by Disney. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence

Although violence is not frequent, the violence in some scenes is strong. For example, characters fight and kill each other with swords, katanas, muskets, and bows and arrows. Blood splatter and bloody wounds are often shown when characters are stabbed or shot.

Throughout the series, we see dead bodies, serious injuries, blood, and wound detail. Decapitations are often shown. We don’t see full wound detail but do see heads being cut off and some blood.

In one strong scene, characters are blown up by cannon fire. We see bodies and horses explode and dramatic blood splatter. The aftermath includes the survivors being seriously injured and bloodied before being executed. Although these scenes are brief, the scenes include detailed and bloody violence which could shock and disturb viewers.

A baby is killed off-screen as a consequence for a character's outburst at a meeting. The mother is shown clutching the baby and threatening to unalive herself, as she has nothing else to live for if her baby has to die. This scene is upsetting and confronting, and could be challenging for people who can relate to the mothers pain.

Cruelty

In one scene, a prisoner is thrown into a pot of boiling water, they scream in immense pain. The scene goes on to show close-ups of the character's painful torture. We also see other characters reaction from hearing the prisoner’s screams. This may be shocking for viewers.

Suicide and suicide themes

The show is set during Feudal Japan. Seppuku – where people literally fall on their sword to die with honour – was exercised during this period. Themes of seppuku are strongly reflected in the show.

We see characters commit seppuku. These scenes include wound detail, blood, and we see internal organs. Often, we see the blade drag across characters’ stomachs before their head is cut off. In one scene, we see it happen and the head rolls on the floor. These scenes are more impactful because of the emotions shown by other characters in the audience during the acts and in their context.

A character commits suicide off-screen. A character hands him a gun before leaving. We then hear a gunshot in the background. This may upset viewers who have been impacted by suicide.

Sex scenes and nudity

The series includes some nudity and sex scenes.

The series includes sex scenes. We see characters become intimate, see movement, expressions, and hear moans. Although characters are naked, we don’t see details as it mostly covered/obscured. In some scenes however we do see some nudity such as a man’s butt and a woman’s breasts.

Offensive language

Offensive language is frequent throughout the show. Offensive language is used to express characters' frustration or to insult each other.

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?