Disney Plus fans have hailed the sprawling samurai series as one of ‘the greatest shows ever’ after the airing of its final episode
Shōgun fans have said they had “absolute chills” watching the final episode of the hit samurai series. With all episodes available to stream now on Disney+, the sprawling action-drama centres around a military leader in 17th-century Japan who fights for his life at the dawn of an era-defining civil war.
The 10-part series is adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 bestselling novel of the same name – itself a fictionalised version of historical events – which also spawned a 1980 US TV miniseries. It is told from the perspective of English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who rises from outsider to samurai while being used as a pawn in Lord Yoshii Toranaga’s (Hiroyuki Sanada) struggle to reach the top of the ruling chain – or Shōgun.
The epic drama stars British Peaky Blinders actor Cosmo Jarvis alongside a decorated Japanese cast including John Wick: Chapter 4’s Hiroyuki Sanada and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters star Anna Sawai. It is loosely inspired by the true story of English navigator William Adams, the first Westerner to set foot in Japan who eventually became a samurai.
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Shōgun is available to stream now exclusively on Disney+, which TV lovers can join from as little as £4.99 a month. Disney+ members can get the equivalent of two months free by paying for a year upfront, bagging 12 months for the price of 10 on the Standard or Premium plans.
A 12-month subscription to the Premium plan now costs £109.90 – saving £21.98 compared to paying monthly – and includes higher video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR, plus the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously. Disney+ is home to acclaimed shows like The Bear and Welcome to Wrexham, as well as the upcoming Shardlake, The Beatles: Let It Be and Star Wars: The Acolyte.
Shōgun has earned overwhelming acclaim from critics and fans, currently boasting a near-perfect 99 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. TIME Magazine hailed the series as “a genuine masterpiece” while Variety said it is the “most transportive TV epic since Game of Thrones.”
Disney+ dropped Shōgun’s tenth and final episode – titled A Dream of a Dream – on Tuesday (April 23), and fans have flocked to social media to share their reactions to the “perfect” closing chapter. Writing on X, @mstkiii said: “A perfect show with a perfect finale. I’m absolutely in awe of the writers. What a work of art this was!!”
@KaitlynRedWing said: “Shōgun not only became one of the greatest shows I’ve ever watched but the finale was emotionally satisfying while also leaving me incredibly sad we most likely will never see more.”
@clonehumor said: “Shōgun managed to stick the landing to become one of the best series of all time. Easily the show of the year. Absolute chills watching the ending.”
@MarchioProd said: “Standing Ovation. Shōgun was a phenomenal 10 episode miniseries. Great acting and storytelling that kept you engaged from start to finish. I said it before and I’ll say it again. This is the BEST show of 2024.”
All episodes of Shōgun are streaming now on Disney+, you can watch it here.
Alternatively, a host of new shows are streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video, including post-apocalyptic action-adventure Fallout and the upcoming third season of Clarkson’s Farm. Both series can be streamed absolutely free with an Amazon Prime 30-day free trial.
