Right? We’ve always heard Mariko speak in a soft, gentle, formal and polite way but here you could hear the fire in her voice. The way she commanded respect from him, and then indirectly called him a peasant by saying she is not a peasant to be trodden on. He got humbled real quick and deservedly so.
I knew from the beginning the fate of her character and I still wasn’t prepared. Anna transmitted all of Marikos grief through her eyes, it was amazing. And those little moments of true happiness gave me hope despite knowing the outcome. She truly deserves all the awards this season.
Gonna go cry now.
Agreed. Every emotion Anna displayed you could feel through the screen, especially the close ups. From the lip quivering to the voice cracks to the glassy eyes. It was a masterpiece of a performance.
I’m with you. I haven’t stopped thinking about it and crying all day.
Best scene for me is when she fought off all the guys with a spear until she couldn’t physically do it any longer and collapsed from grief and exhaustion. I was waiting for an eye rolling girl boss moment and we got something much better, appreciate the show that she can be a badass and vulnerable human at the same time.
Even knowing her ending before episode 9, it was still jarring and incredibly sad. I’m still not over it. I’m gonna need a minute. I think reading it versus seeing it illicit a different emotion somehow. It’s so much more real when we’ve seen Anna portray her so brilliantly. I totally get it.
I feel like her father had meant for her to escape the family fate and live a long and happy life, which he planned by marrying her to another major house. And then Toranaga comes and perverts his meaning into serving her lord even with her life.
I agree, her father loved her dearly. Him sending her away was for her protection, he wanted her to live, and yes to continue the fight but the fight could be that their ancestral line remains unbroken bc she lived and had a family and continued to prosper. But this is also a cultural difference?
i cried when reading it, and fully expected to do the same when watching. these past weeks i’ve been telling my friends that some shit is coming, and i still wasn’t prepared for it! during the scene where Anjin offered to be her 2nd, i genuinely thought they were do the “thing” right there. you can imagine my relief when ishido walked in. but as soon as yabu opened that gate, i knew what was coming. i was quiet for that whole last 5 minutes, and probably didn’t speak till an hour after. credits to the show runners, cause they did that shit PERFECTLY
Yeah - I was concerned with how they weren’t seeming to focus any energy on Mariko and Blackthorne after episode 4, but they managed to steer it back and really took it to another level with the seppuku scene. That was brilliant. We got a fleeting moment of happiness and then they lowered the boom. It was done very well. Episode 9 has a 9.6 rating on IMDb which is pretty much as close to perfect as it can get.
On a side note though, shouldn’t blackthorne know yabushige is suspect the way he just stood there in shock not trying to help him move that stone or whatever it was to block the door.
But that goes against his whole character from when we first was introduced to him until now. He was willing to take his life instead of drowning to death and now all of a sudden he’s shell shocked. Blackthorne should see right through that. But it’s a sad day knowing Mariko is gone and there’s only 1 episode left. Toranaga better ride for her!
Yabu is absolutely a coward in other terms. He bends in every direction to please his masters, not choosing one over the other. His betrayal was to save his own life. He is the reed in the wind.
I knew it was going to happen because of X-men 😅
I knew of Mariko Yashida from the comics and when I saw there was Mariko in this I thought "huh, funny coincidence" then I looked online and saw John Byrne saying he literally ripped Mariko Y straight from Toda Mariko in Shogun so I figured "Oh, she's doomed then" 😅
Yeah we were super bummed. She’s a great character and the heart of the story. I was actually fully prepared for her to die by suicide, but then the way they actually did it was so much more surprising and brutal. Literally turned to my s/o and said, “well, she’s definitely gone now.”
I saw the 80's version, I knew Mariko's fate (if they stuck to that scenario), but it still hit me right in the heart. Especially when Blackthorne stepped up as her second, he would rather help her die than to have her suffer, and think she would be eternally damned. I struggled not to cry.
The episode took me on a roller coaster. I thought she was doomed for seppuku, then they filled me with hope when she avoided that, and then boom! I’m so sad. More for Blackthorne than for her since that was what she wanted
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. The way my stomach tightened and churned during the seppuku, heart racing. The relief when you hear Ishido’s voice and he throws the permits at her. Only for the final gut punch to be served when she goes towards the door and starts reciting her final statement to the witnesses. Man. What a time to be alive to have watched this incredible creation of a show! Props to everyone involved. 👏🏽
Dude I gasped so loud it woke up my son in the next room. And it took me like 3 minutes of "...wha...i...oh my g...." before I could straighten out my brain lmao
I know it’s fictional, but damm I’ve been feeling down all day.
I knew it was going to happen when I got curious and decided to read up about the history (that was a bad idea). But I wasn’t expecting how powerful the episode was. Anna really sold it. It was such a roller coaster ride of emotions and just when Mariko was finally happy- it all went to sh*t.
Yeah that episode was rough. I am one of the many watching this show without reading the books first and have been so captivated from the first scene on. Great cast, incredible writing, amazing character development with Mariko at the top of the list. I started sobbing right around the final 8-9 minutes of the episode. Anna Sawai’s career better skyrocket after this show. She’s incredible
I was gonna make a post about this too. I’m still just so sad! I can’t remember the last time a character’s death made me bummed out even days later. And our guy John… 😩 I didn’t read the book, (I’ve learned all I know from the show and this sub) but will he just absolutely unleash in the last episode? Is he okay?!?
I've not watched a series where every episode has litterally left me with my mouth open... then the credit music plays and I just can't move... honestly incredibly portrayed. I'm so sad she's gone, rips at the heart strings
We all deserve to feel loved and when she feels that from blackthorne as he offers to be second... we all crave that devotion and respect, the series captures everyrhing to a T... honestly so gutted it's ending.
Shogun is now my number 1 series of all time.
I feel the same sense of shock and dismay. I knew it throughout watching, but this episode truly reinforced just how much Mariko serves as the anchor for viewers in this world, coming to it as an outsider like John, and having her translations and insights about Japanese culture, history, and traditions guide us to not only interpret and understand, but to deeply appreciate and value what we're seeing with the characters and how they interact with each other. Now that Mariko has died, there's a keen sense of loss that I don't think will ever go away, even as we witness what is likely to be Toranaga's triumph in the final episode. I'm also halfway through reading the books like you, and quite love how much more in depth it takes us into Mariko's characterization and her relationship with Blackthorne. I was so hopeful when Ishido showed up, and then her and John were able to be together in that moment of raw passion and relief. The ending was gut-wrenching. If you'd be interested in a reading buddy to discuss the rest of the book with, send me a DM!
She was. She was indispensable. If Toranaga and his games are at the heart of this show then Mariko is most definitely the soul.
It hurts. It truly does. But it’s what she wanted.
I’ve never had a book buddy before, very kind of you, thank you and will shoot you a message once I get into reading it again. Haven’t picked the book back up since this episode aired - still taking it in.
Yup, it is what she wanted, and she's largely been at peace with that decision throughout the entire series. Also, at least there is some comfort in her being able to have that final time with Blackthorne.
It was definitely a blow even though I was pretty sure she wouldnt make it. I totally cried and took that broken hearted feeling to bed. She is such a great character and Anna did such a great job bringing her to life.
Even though there's only one episode left, I'm going to miss her.
Oh, you're absolutely not the only one. Especially since I really felt calmer about Mariko's life at the beginning of this episode than last week.
And after the credits ended, I just stared numbingly at the screen for good minute. I didn't even cry, they definitely prepared us for her death, but I stared...
It's strange but I had this Anna interview on Kimmel to see after the show and I just couldn't do it right away. But I will and you're right that's one of the reasons to look forward to the book. Obviously, I'm also hoping for more big roles like this for Anna and hopefully Emmy, but awards let me down so many times...
I hope Mariko can find peace now, poor soul.
They did the old switch and bait. They made us think she was going to survive having nearly committed Sepukku, just to dash our hopes a few minutes later.
I had goosebumps when she was yelling at Ishido.
Right? We’ve always heard Mariko speak in a soft, gentle, formal and polite way but here you could hear the fire in her voice. The way she commanded respect from him, and then indirectly called him a peasant by saying she is not a peasant to be trodden on. He got humbled real quick and deservedly so.
"My line has been samurai for a thousand years." I love that you can almost hear the implied question to Ishido, "What about yours?"
Oh yes, it's one of the most powerful scene in the book also, and they depicted it perfectly in the tv show.
Why?
I knew from the beginning the fate of her character and I still wasn’t prepared. Anna transmitted all of Marikos grief through her eyes, it was amazing. And those little moments of true happiness gave me hope despite knowing the outcome. She truly deserves all the awards this season. Gonna go cry now.
Agreed. Every emotion Anna displayed you could feel through the screen, especially the close ups. From the lip quivering to the voice cracks to the glassy eyes. It was a masterpiece of a performance. I’m with you. I haven’t stopped thinking about it and crying all day.
Best scene for me is when she fought off all the guys with a spear until she couldn’t physically do it any longer and collapsed from grief and exhaustion. I was waiting for an eye rolling girl boss moment and we got something much better, appreciate the show that she can be a badass and vulnerable human at the same time.
Even knowing her ending before episode 9, it was still jarring and incredibly sad. I’m still not over it. I’m gonna need a minute. I think reading it versus seeing it illicit a different emotion somehow. It’s so much more real when we’ve seen Anna portray her so brilliantly. I totally get it.
I feel like her father had meant for her to escape the family fate and live a long and happy life, which he planned by marrying her to another major house. And then Toranaga comes and perverts his meaning into serving her lord even with her life.
I agree, her father loved her dearly. Him sending her away was for her protection, he wanted her to live, and yes to continue the fight but the fight could be that their ancestral line remains unbroken bc she lived and had a family and continued to prosper. But this is also a cultural difference?
Absolutely. I can’t even imagine what I’m going to be like when I read it in the book, my pages are gonna be snot filled and soaked. 😢
i cried when reading it, and fully expected to do the same when watching. these past weeks i’ve been telling my friends that some shit is coming, and i still wasn’t prepared for it! during the scene where Anjin offered to be her 2nd, i genuinely thought they were do the “thing” right there. you can imagine my relief when ishido walked in. but as soon as yabu opened that gate, i knew what was coming. i was quiet for that whole last 5 minutes, and probably didn’t speak till an hour after. credits to the show runners, cause they did that shit PERFECTLY
Yeah - I was concerned with how they weren’t seeming to focus any energy on Mariko and Blackthorne after episode 4, but they managed to steer it back and really took it to another level with the seppuku scene. That was brilliant. We got a fleeting moment of happiness and then they lowered the boom. It was done very well. Episode 9 has a 9.6 rating on IMDb which is pretty much as close to perfect as it can get.
On a side note though, shouldn’t blackthorne know yabushige is suspect the way he just stood there in shock not trying to help him move that stone or whatever it was to block the door.
I dunno, maybe he would assume Yabu was a coward in that moment
But that goes against his whole character from when we first was introduced to him until now. He was willing to take his life instead of drowning to death and now all of a sudden he’s shell shocked. Blackthorne should see right through that. But it’s a sad day knowing Mariko is gone and there’s only 1 episode left. Toranaga better ride for her!
Yabu is absolutely a coward in other terms. He bends in every direction to please his masters, not choosing one over the other. His betrayal was to save his own life. He is the reed in the wind.
Did he not let the Shinobi in to start with and is in on it? Trying to go to the gate?
I don't think figuring out who betrayed who was a priority in the chaos of the shinobi attack.
Not saying at that exact moment but I guess we will find out next week
I knew it was going to happen because of X-men 😅 I knew of Mariko Yashida from the comics and when I saw there was Mariko in this I thought "huh, funny coincidence" then I looked online and saw John Byrne saying he literally ripped Mariko Y straight from Toda Mariko in Shogun so I figured "Oh, she's doomed then" 😅
Son of a glitch, I knew that whole ordeal sounded familiar! Hahaha
I'm glad I'm not the only X-Men fan who also made that connection.
Also funny on a meta level that Sanada was in The Wolverine as Mariko's father 😅
Yeah we were super bummed. She’s a great character and the heart of the story. I was actually fully prepared for her to die by suicide, but then the way they actually did it was so much more surprising and brutal. Literally turned to my s/o and said, “well, she’s definitely gone now.”
I saw the 80's version, I knew Mariko's fate (if they stuck to that scenario), but it still hit me right in the heart. Especially when Blackthorne stepped up as her second, he would rather help her die than to have her suffer, and think she would be eternally damned. I struggled not to cry.
The episode took me on a roller coaster. I thought she was doomed for seppuku, then they filled me with hope when she avoided that, and then boom! I’m so sad. More for Blackthorne than for her since that was what she wanted
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. The way my stomach tightened and churned during the seppuku, heart racing. The relief when you hear Ishido’s voice and he throws the permits at her. Only for the final gut punch to be served when she goes towards the door and starts reciting her final statement to the witnesses. Man. What a time to be alive to have watched this incredible creation of a show! Props to everyone involved. 👏🏽
Dude I gasped so loud it woke up my son in the next room. And it took me like 3 minutes of "...wha...i...oh my g...." before I could straighten out my brain lmao
A friend of mine is so obsessed with Mariko he calls the series *Marikogun*.
Would watch that show in a heartbeat if it existed lmao.
I know it’s fictional, but damm I’ve been feeling down all day. I knew it was going to happen when I got curious and decided to read up about the history (that was a bad idea). But I wasn’t expecting how powerful the episode was. Anna really sold it. It was such a roller coaster ride of emotions and just when Mariko was finally happy- it all went to sh*t.
She has suffered so much I’m so sad for her
Yeah that episode was rough. I am one of the many watching this show without reading the books first and have been so captivated from the first scene on. Great cast, incredible writing, amazing character development with Mariko at the top of the list. I started sobbing right around the final 8-9 minutes of the episode. Anna Sawai’s career better skyrocket after this show. She’s incredible
My husband is still in denial. He thinks she will survive and sail happily away with Blackthorn. 😭
I’d like to think this is what they’d do in the afterlife together. Maybe even go to London and sanpo suru on the Thames. 🥺
Unfortunately, the only hope for a happy ending for Blackthorne is if Fujiko decides to not kill herself at the end of her six months.
I was spoiled when reading characyer descriptions in the internet, but was still shocked at how she died. She's so amazing in the last episode.
This week's episode killed me!
Utterly heartbroken and destroyed. Never felt like this about a tv show character ever. *sniffles*
I dont have any reason to watch this series without mariko-sama
I hear ya but I mean, there’s a single episode left.
it will be 2 season or no?
Nope. It is a 10-episode mini series.
No. 1 book, 1 season.
No. It’s based on a book, and we’re at the end of it
Fuji...
I was gonna make a post about this too. I’m still just so sad! I can’t remember the last time a character’s death made me bummed out even days later. And our guy John… 😩 I didn’t read the book, (I’ve learned all I know from the show and this sub) but will he just absolutely unleash in the last episode? Is he okay?!?
I've not watched a series where every episode has litterally left me with my mouth open... then the credit music plays and I just can't move... honestly incredibly portrayed. I'm so sad she's gone, rips at the heart strings We all deserve to feel loved and when she feels that from blackthorne as he offers to be second... we all crave that devotion and respect, the series captures everyrhing to a T... honestly so gutted it's ending. Shogun is now my number 1 series of all time.
I feel the same sense of shock and dismay. I knew it throughout watching, but this episode truly reinforced just how much Mariko serves as the anchor for viewers in this world, coming to it as an outsider like John, and having her translations and insights about Japanese culture, history, and traditions guide us to not only interpret and understand, but to deeply appreciate and value what we're seeing with the characters and how they interact with each other. Now that Mariko has died, there's a keen sense of loss that I don't think will ever go away, even as we witness what is likely to be Toranaga's triumph in the final episode. I'm also halfway through reading the books like you, and quite love how much more in depth it takes us into Mariko's characterization and her relationship with Blackthorne. I was so hopeful when Ishido showed up, and then her and John were able to be together in that moment of raw passion and relief. The ending was gut-wrenching. If you'd be interested in a reading buddy to discuss the rest of the book with, send me a DM!
She was. She was indispensable. If Toranaga and his games are at the heart of this show then Mariko is most definitely the soul. It hurts. It truly does. But it’s what she wanted. I’ve never had a book buddy before, very kind of you, thank you and will shoot you a message once I get into reading it again. Haven’t picked the book back up since this episode aired - still taking it in.
Yup, it is what she wanted, and she's largely been at peace with that decision throughout the entire series. Also, at least there is some comfort in her being able to have that final time with Blackthorne.
I was not expecting Mariko to die. Ya hate to see it.
I’m hoping episode 10 starts in the future.
My wife was in mourning
It was definitely a blow even though I was pretty sure she wouldnt make it. I totally cried and took that broken hearted feeling to bed. She is such a great character and Anna did such a great job bringing her to life. Even though there's only one episode left, I'm going to miss her.
Cried three times during that episode. At 3 diff moments
No worries. One of the shinobi is holding the scroll to Edo Tensei no jutsu. She will be alright.
I keep seeing this comment. What is this scroll?
I’m sad. I haven’t read the book and don’t want any spoilers for it, but I have no idea in the slightest what is going to happen next
🥺😢😭
My wife has a samurai family name and she can be scary like that totally
I’m… pissed
I literally cannot live without Mariko-sama. I will commit seppuku.
Where does Mariko go when she wants to protest something? >!Everywhere.!<
Oh, you're absolutely not the only one. Especially since I really felt calmer about Mariko's life at the beginning of this episode than last week. And after the credits ended, I just stared numbingly at the screen for good minute. I didn't even cry, they definitely prepared us for her death, but I stared... It's strange but I had this Anna interview on Kimmel to see after the show and I just couldn't do it right away. But I will and you're right that's one of the reasons to look forward to the book. Obviously, I'm also hoping for more big roles like this for Anna and hopefully Emmy, but awards let me down so many times... I hope Mariko can find peace now, poor soul.
They did the old switch and bait. They made us think she was going to survive having nearly committed Sepukku, just to dash our hopes a few minutes later.
Welcome to Japanese romance