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Shōgunsaga is set to continue for two more seasons after the universally acclaimed first season was a huge success for FX. However, the Emmy-nominated lead actress of the series is unsure about her return to the series. Anna Sawai, who played Toda Mariko, shared that while she was excited for a return, she felt that her arc ended perfectly in the first season.
Shōgunexplored the story centered around two ambitious men — one Western sailor/mercenary who ends up shipwrecked in Japan and another Lord Toranaga, a powerful daimyō who sets out to become shōgun by defeating his political rivals. The roles were played by Cosmo Jarvis and Hiroyuki Sanada respectively.
Anna Sawai’s Response Is Exactly Why Fans Are Concerned ForShōgunSeasons 2 & 3
Shōgun, created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, currently has a 99%Tomatometerscore and 91% Popcornmeter score after its first season. Despite exhausting its source material, the 1975 novel by James Clavell, the series was recently greenlit for not only a second but also a third season (via DiscussingFilm | X).
Hiroyuki Sanadaand Cosmo Jarvis are likely to return for the next two seasons, however, female leadAnna Sawaiis not so sure about that. Speaking to The Direct during a recent interview, Sawai shared that she was willing to return toher role as Mariko. She shared that it was an honor to be called back to the role as she loved the show and the creators.
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However, she presented one of the pressing issues that fans have been pointing out aboutSeasons 2&3. Sawai felt that her character had the perfect ending in the first season. For that reason, she shared that she was not expecting anything out of the coming seasons for her character. Sawai shared withThe Direct:
I don’t know. I mean, I love the show. I love the creators. So it would be a dream if they ever called me back. But you know, like her story does end. I think it’s perfect the way it is. So, I’m not expecting anything.
In the penultimate episode ofShōgun Season 1, Anna Sawai’s Mariko sacrifices herself to defy Ishido in her final act of loyalty towards Toranaga. If Sawai were to return to the second or third seasons, she could appear in flashback sequences or in the memory of Jarvis’ Blackthorne, who professed his love to her before her death.
Why Are Fans Against Further Seasons ofShōgun?
One of the major factors behind the success ofShōgunwas the tight adaptation of James Clavell’s novel. However, moving into a second and third season, the creators don’t have such a strong roadmap to follow. The same was addressed by Justin Marks when he spoke about a potential second season a few months back. He shared withThe Hollywood Reporter:
I don’t know. I think if we had a story, if we could find a story, we would be open to it. But I don’t think that anyone ever wants to be out over their skis without a roadmap and everything. And it’s also just about, do people want more of it?
He further shared that it might not be possible to equal what James Clavell had originally created. If thecreators themselves are in doubt, why did FX greenlight the second and third seasons? Fans believe that it has got to do with all theGame of Thronescomparisonsonline. Some reports on the FX show shared that it was a far better historical drama series than the George R.R. Martin epic.
‘Shōgun’ Star Anna Sawai’s One Gnawing Fear About Her Performance in the Show Was Completely Dismantled by the Emmys
However, these reports overlooked the fact thatShōgunis not your typical complex historical drama. It didn’t take fans days to learn the names of all the characters just to keep up with the story. Neither was the story filled with themes that needed further digging and analysis on online forums. It was as simple as historical dramas come, which might be the exact reason why fans loved it so much.
Shōgun Season 1is now available for streaming on Hulu.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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Anna SawaiHiroyuki SanadaShogun
