The latest critical darling of the episodic content world is Shogun, a masterful adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel set in early 1600s Japan. The series has been getting a lot of love on social media for its excellent writing, standout performances, high production value, and how closely it hews to the source material.
The cast and crew behind Shogun have been interacting with fans and critics, and revealing details about the conception and creation of the world shown in the series. During one such interaction, it was revealed that Adam Sandler’s character from Uncut Gems provided major inspiration for the development of the show’s breakout character. The wily lord of Izu Kashigi Yabushige, played to perfection by Tadanobu Asano.
Yabushige And The World of Shogun
Shogun tells the story of two highly ambitious men, Major John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), and Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada). The duo is brought into major conflict with each other, which has wide-ranging effects on the whole of Japan. Caught in the middle of the entire thing is Kashigi Yabushige, a feudal lord who serves Toranaga but is also playing his own game in secret.
While many of the Japanese characters in Shogun are bound by duty and honor and a strict code of ethics, Yabushige offers a different mode of conduct. One which sees him often playing both sides of an argument, and managing to stay one step ahead of being found out.
From Uncut Gems To Shogun
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Shogun co-creator and showrunner Justin Marks pointed to Uncut Gems as a source of inspiration for the personality of Kashigi Yabushige. Specifically the lead character of Howard Ratner played by Adam Sandler:
“The reference we always went to, oddly enough, was Uncut Gems. You’re on a journey within the headspace of a character, but you’re watching him do this highwire act and sort of waiting for him to fall. In my first conversation with Tadanobu, I brought this up and said, this is energy we’re thinking of — where the audience is almost going to feel sorry for him while also hating him. And I think his response was something like, ‘Perfect'”
Once you set aside the very different periods that Shogun and Uncut Gems are set in, you begin to see the similarities between the characters of Yabushige and Ratner. They both get mired in a litany of lies and deceptions of their own making while the audience watches spellbound, waiting to see if the whole thing will come crashing down around them.
Shogun Taking Over The Awards Season
It is a testament to Adam Sandler’s performance in Uncut Gems that it became a source of inspiration for one of the most highly acclaimed shows of the past few years. Not to mention the credit that Tadanobu Asano deserves for pulling off such a complicated personality with gusto, to the point that Yabushige has become a fan-favorite character for so many viewers.
Amidst comparisons to Uncut Gems and Game of Thrones, Shogun has become a hot favorite to sweep the Emmys this year. Hopefully, Asano will win big during awards season and cement his performance as Yabushige among the best that modern television has to offer.
Shogun is now available for streaming on Hulu.
