What was Blackthorne actually trying to do with that bird?? Like I know Europeans had questionable hygiene habits compared to most Asian cultures, but was "eating rotten poultry" a thing in the 16th century?
Seriously, I was like damn, Fuji and the entire house staff deserve some kind of award for not straight up barfing at the constant scent of rotting bird (not to mention all the flies). I know Mariko’s husband was portrayed as an abusive and judgmental jerk in this episode, but I couldn’t blame him for thinking Blackthorne was a disgusting barbarian when he saw the rotting bird hanging there.
searched for this on reddit and some people seem to think his technique was more suited to a climate like England's, but because Japan is more humid, it didn't go as planned.
I have no way of verifying this tho, it was just the only possible answer I could find.
Mariko and Fuji are my MVPs, but this show absolutely has me in its grips! I think this was the best episode so far, I loved the revelation about the samurai spy and am looking forward to the taiko's mother rising as a potential villain.
He gets a lot better, and there's genuine respect between him and characters like Toranaga. He's interesting because each faction (the Japanese leaders, the Protestants, Catholics, the pirates, and Toranaga and his crew) all want to use him to their own benefit, and on a certain level he knows this and is very resentful, plus quite frankly he's just trying to stay alive? Instead of him being the focus and being "White guy can solve everything" (one of the issues I had with the original miniseries) this is very much an ensemble show where everyone plays a part. I think of it as chess; everyone is making their own moves to best benefit themselves, and unfortunately Blackthorne is caught in the middle of it.
I also want to say that the first episode is not a good example of this series as I personally found it slow as hell and a lot of set up; things get considerably better in the second episode and only get better from there.
I mean, it’s episode 5 and he is still yelling at Japanese people in English and responding to them speaking Japanese to him by shouting, “I don’t know what you’re saying!” so not really. But this is the first episode where he seems to finally comprehend that being English is very different from being Japanese and that his English bull in a china shop routine actually has consequences. I’m hoping this is the beginning of him realizing that expecting Japanese people to adhere to his English standards of behavior is stupid, hypocritical, and dangerous (or at the very least that he stops acting like an entitled brat).
He is by far my least favorite character (and it may be partly due to the terrible way he has of speaking from his throat instead of his chest) but it’s definitely worth watching the show for all of the other characters!
Idk I’m glad they’re doing this with his character tbh. For me it’s avoiding the whole trope of “white foreigner comes in and fixes everything/is magically adept at everything.” For me it’s entirely realistic that he’s like this. Now that he’s starting to see more consequences of his actions I think we’ll see a turn. Like that moment of him fixing the rock in the garden at the end.
I can see it annoying people more because it seems like Mariko shouldn’t be into him yet. But also, she is the one person who can fully understand him so she sees a different side. That whole scene with them in the hot spring was a big turning point for me.
I think she can also appreciate that he’s a stranger in a strange land who is just being used as a tool and how frustrating that is.
I read the book ages ago but haven't started this yet... is it worth a watch? I love me a historical drama, and anything to do with the Shogunate and that period of Japan I find really interesting so I feel like it's right up my alley but I've been kinda disappointed by shows lately.
Every interview I have watched or read with the cast and crew mentions how historically accurate they tried to make everything from the clothing to the hair to the names and language so if you like historical dramas and Japanese history, that alone should make watching this worth your while!
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omg right, I was like "wtf is happening here", he didn't even gut it right??? he wasn't smoking it??? It made no sense to me, truly foul.
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I have no way of verifying this tho, it was just the only possible answer I could find.
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Mariko and Fuji are my MVPs, but this show absolutely has me in its grips! I think this was the best episode so far, I loved the revelation about the samurai spy and am looking forward to the taiko's mother rising as a potential villain.
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Does the character become more bearable from episode 2? A pity for me because I was really intrigued by the Japanese characters.
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I also want to say that the first episode is not a good example of this series as I personally found it slow as hell and a lot of set up; things get considerably better in the second episode and only get better from there.
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He is by far my least favorite character (and it may be partly due to the terrible way he has of speaking from his throat instead of his chest) but it’s definitely worth watching the show for all of the other characters!
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I can see it annoying people more because it seems like Mariko shouldn’t be into him yet. But also, she is the one person who can fully understand him so she sees a different side. That whole scene with them in the hot spring was a big turning point for me.
I think she can also appreciate that he’s a stranger in a strange land who is just being used as a tool and how frustrating that is.
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