Though it may seem counterintuitive, nevertheless, take a moment and try on the idea that Blackthorne is a 'Ken.'
Immediately, so much that was puzzling about Blackthorne becomes intelligible: how he can be useless yet also sexy, central to the plot but also the object of derision.
And if Blackthorne is a Ken, Mariko becomes a Barbie (a woman deprived of agency), while Toranaga corresponds to America Ferrara (who, if you recall, is the one who schemes to subvert Ken's 'patriarchy.')
The reason for the correspondence is that underlying both shows is the same post-modern feminist notion of 'the patriarchy': straight white men have seized power unfairly, causing women and men of color to be 'marginalized.'
Accordingly, in order to rectify the situation, i.e., subvert the patriarchy, straight white men must be 'de-centered' and moved to the margins, while women and men of color have to be moved to the center.
Doing precisely that is what this 'reimagined' version of 'Shogun' is up to: 'de-centering' Blackthorne and replacing him at the center with Mariko and Toranaga.
Thus virtually the entire show is about Power - who gets to wield it, who does not, and where one fits in to the system.
This show ends with Toranaga standing godlike on a hill looking out over the water, contemplating the hills beyond, as though envisioning the future.
Plainly, what the show runners admire about their versions of Toranaga and Mariko is that they have succeeded in subverting the power system of their time and place.
Unfortunately, as many viewers have observed, this comes at a cost. It is hard to relate to them. One can admire this Toranaga and esteem this version of Mariko, but not truly love them.
The exceptions prove the rule. It's indicative of their position outside the constraints of feminist post-modernism that Fuji and Yabushige are the two most human characters, as well as the most popular.
Immediately, so much that was puzzling about Blackthorne becomes intelligible: how he can be useless yet also sexy, central to the plot but also the object of derision.
And if Blackthorne is a Ken, Mariko becomes a Barbie (a woman deprived of agency), while Toranaga corresponds to America Ferrara (who, if you recall, is the one who schemes to subvert Ken's 'patriarchy.')
The reason for the correspondence is that underlying both shows is the same post-modern feminist notion of 'the patriarchy': straight white men have seized power unfairly, causing women and men of color to be 'marginalized.'
Accordingly, in order to rectify the situation, i.e., subvert the patriarchy, straight white men must be 'de-centered' and moved to the margins, while women and men of color have to be moved to the center.
Doing precisely that is what this 'reimagined' version of 'Shogun' is up to: 'de-centering' Blackthorne and replacing him at the center with Mariko and Toranaga.
Thus virtually the entire show is about Power - who gets to wield it, who does not, and where one fits in to the system.
This show ends with Toranaga standing godlike on a hill looking out over the water, contemplating the hills beyond, as though envisioning the future.
Plainly, what the show runners admire about their versions of Toranaga and Mariko is that they have succeeded in subverting the power system of their time and place.
Unfortunately, as many viewers have observed, this comes at a cost. It is hard to relate to them. One can admire this Toranaga and esteem this version of Mariko, but not truly love them.
The exceptions prove the rule. It's indicative of their position outside the constraints of feminist post-modernism that Fuji and Yabushige are the two most human characters, as well as the most popular.
Tell Your Friends