Hypothetically, would he have been on Mizu's list?
I don't think he was guilty of the specific crime that would have set Mizu on him ;)
William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
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Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#42Hypothetically, would he have been on Mizu's list?
I'm also wondering if the story is inspired by Adams. For anyone not familiar with the "Mizu's list" reference, we're talking about the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai . It's got more graphic violence than I usually enjoy but is a really good story.
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Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm also wondering if the story is inspired by Adams. For anyone not familiar with the "Mizu's list" reference, we're talking about the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai . It's got more graphic violence than I usually enjoy but is a really good story.
It's gory but the fight sequences are really well done, almost ballet-like. One of the best Netflix shows of late, I really recommend it.
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Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#44Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've always wondered about the accuracy of the book, in part because the junior samurai kill themselves a LOT. They're forced to commit seppuku for being late to their work in the morning. There's a scene where a samurai jumps off a cliff to his death just get his boss's attention (I guess yelling would have been rude). Also ninjas are depicted as super-powerful badasses. Which fits the legend, certainly, but isn't p…
> Also ninjas are depicted as super-powerful badasses. Which fits the legend, certainly, but isn't particularly realistic. It's very likely ninja (or "shinobi", if you're meticulous) didn't exist at all. There must have been spies and assassins, which are already present in Chinese culture which was a big influence in Japanese culture, but the ninja as a stealthy infiltrator, wearing black clothes and special weaponr…
The first attack was a secretive Buddhist assassination organization called Amida Tong. Not ninja.
Ninjas will appear later in an even more stupid way and I hope they heavily diverge from the book there.
Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#46James Clavell wrote Shogun which is (very, very) loosely based on this. A fun read in any case.
I’ve been in Clavell’s house in West Vancouver. My old professor bought it (a long time ago). It’s a rad mid-century place with Japanese elements. Truly one of a kind.
Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#47Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm also wondering if the story is inspired by Adams. For anyone not familiar with the "Mizu's list" reference, we're talking about the Netflix animated series Blue Eye Samurai . It's got more graphic violence than I usually enjoy but is a really good story.
It's gory but the fight sequences are really well done, almost ballet-like. One of the best Netflix shows of late, I really recommend it.
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Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've always wondered about the accuracy of the book, in part because the junior samurai kill themselves a LOT. They're forced to commit seppuku for being late to their work in the morning. There's a scene where a samurai jumps off a cliff to his death just get his boss's attention (I guess yelling would have been rude). Also ninjas are depicted as super-powerful badasses. Which fits the legend, certainly, but isn't p…
> Also ninjas are depicted as super-powerful badasses. Which fits the legend, certainly, but isn't particularly realistic. It's very likely ninja (or "shinobi", if you're meticulous) didn't exist at all. There must have been spies and assassins, which are already present in Chinese culture which was a big influence in Japanese culture, but the ninja as a stealthy infiltrator, wearing black clothes and special weaponr…
I once read that the first "ninja assassination" was basically a Japanese prince who sat under the outhouse of a rival for days, till he could attack the right butt.
Re: William Adams: English Advisor to the Shogun
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's gory but the fight sequences are really well done, almost ballet-like. One of the best Netflix shows of late, I really recommend it.
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Yeah, the racism is really played up quite a lot in that show. I'd be fine with the basic premise (it's completely OK to depict the Japanese as wary of whites and finding some aspects of their foreign culture off-putting, and the main character being especially brought up to hate them) but damn, they really go out of their way to just repeatedly state, literally: "White people are monstrous and disgusting, they will tell you this themselves, it is completely OK to despise them and all prejudice against them is justified." I was waiting for a reversal or nuance but none came, with only maybe a hint of it maybe happening in the later seasons with more white characters besides the villain.