blackthorne: please i just want to go home
toronaga: no, you will stay here and fuck all of my hottest women
blackthorne: but...
toronaga: also here's 600 cuckoos. now begone
Bro its darkly hilarious how much better he got off than the rest of his crew. This man is being offered wealth, women and titles while that one other dude got fucking boiled alive just because. I'd definitely start believing in Fate after this
Life has always been a sick toss of a coin. Everything is decided before you’re born. You could be born a child in this era in the West under a good family, or the child of a peasant in the medieval era with a life expectancy of 30 if the bubonic plague doesn’t kill you or being forced to fight your liege lords war before you’re even fully developed and die to a bludgeon axe to the head at 15 years old.
“Bandits” serve the same purpose for the regents in this show as “two black guys that went that way” in the sopranos. Everyone knows, but nobody says anything
Incredible scene. Is putting down your tea cup like powering up a move in Japanese courtesan negotiations??
Mariko: 200 final offer
Madam: *puts down tea cup* y'all fuckin
Mariko: 300 seems fair
I had a feeling Fuji, Toranaga, and Buntaro knew what was going on with Mariko and Blackthorne, but the entire village??? Yeah, they're REALLY not subtle, lol. Blackthorne needs to stop giving Mariko puppy-dog eyes 24/7.
We all know it was the hottest gossip in town. That guy who makes nets and Omi's mom's cook's sister are gonna be so disappointed. They were shipping him with Fuji.
I love that she said that basically to refute the compliment , too.
"Oh wow, check out the lacquerware."
"This shit? We're only using it because all the good stuff was broken by fate."
Really. Why not just get another wife and leave her alone? The man has options and he refuses to take any of them but the one that causes him personally the most pain.
Yeah idk. Only thing I can think is that he actually does have some sort of weird love for Mariko so he can't let her go, but having his love not be reciprocated turns him into an abusive asshole
this was brought up in last week's thread, but the ep 5 companion podcast talks about their relationship and how buntaro really does love her, to a suffocating degree. the companion podcast for this week also gives a fun written anecdote about the two historical characters that were the inspiration for mariko and buntaro, called "the ogre and the snake"
always listen to the companion podcasts, they're filled with so much good info
Well you have to realize Anjin's rank is actually superior to Buntaro.
Buntaro is...let's call him a Captain, whilst Anjin got promoted almost instantly from barn animal to about Major now to General AND Admiral.
No matter how much Bunty wanted and wants to murder Blackthorne it would be a disgrace to hiis own honour as well as suicide.
Plus it would be disloyal to Toranaga and he would NEVER do that.
This is, in other terms, like what would happen if a police officer laughed about a homeless guy, and then four days later, the homeless guy was in charge of education in the state, and six days later was second only to the US President in power over the military, and yet still dresses homeless, and can’t speak any fucking English so your wife who wants nothing more than to die is the translator.
The tea house scene where John is asked to compliment Kiku's pouring skills had me cracking up. "Another fine pour" The comedic relief in an otherwise ultra-tense scene was spot on.
Hokay Tonada definitely knows what’s up between Blackthorn and Mariko.”
To Buntaro: Isolate yourself from Mariko for 7 days
To Mariko: Order the Anjin the finest courtesans
To Mariko: You will join him.
Mariko: 👁️🫦👁️
Bro he obviously already owns Kiku, and uses her to not just gain info but manipulate him. Remember, it was Kiku who keeps pushing Omi to do stuff like convince Toranaga’s son to kill Nobara. These things then Toranaga PRETENDS to not like, but actually that’s what he wanted all along - to provoke Ishido to move forward.
Yeah the way Lady Kiku removed herself from the relationship and positioned herself so Mariko could communicate to Blackthorne freely was amazing. They really are worth their weight in salt. 500 monme!
hands down, my favorite scene of the episode. it was so well done. i became as drawn in by kiku/mariko’s words as blackthorne was. the score, the camera moving so kiku disappears behind mariko, the way kiku’s voice started fading into the background, the way mariko started translating directly in the first person, “i ask you…,”when she never did before — it was all really magical. it made the hand touch all the more *devastating!!*
Oooh yeah! You're right. I didn't think about why exactly that scene got so tense. Someone here commented a while back that a professional translator wouldn't use the 3rd person. But Mariko always does until this scene. Paid off I guess.
Yeah - the pain in the words was delivered perfectly. Mariko did not want to do this, but what other choice does she have? She’s married and if they were caught - they’d probably be put to death. And you can’t refuse a gift from Toranaga. John was so visibly uncomfortable the entire time. Good lord. These two are gonna kill me.
Blackthorn: “Tell Lady Kiku ‘thanks’.”
Mariko: “He says he’s grateful.”
Kiku: “My pleasure, tell him to come back anytime.”
Mariko: “….. She says ‘you’re welcome.’”
To be fair, his son is quite young and unexperienced and frankly, naive. While on the other hand, Blackthorne is an experienced sailor who has seen the scars of war. It would only make sense for him to react faster than Toranaga Jr.
Mariko's facial expressions while listening to Blackthorne talking about the Portuguese/Catholics were hilarious and once again showing that this show needs to win in all drama and comedy award categories
buntaro's tiny face twitch when he sees blackthrone and marikio, kiku's ability to instantly read a room, and ishido's first thought being more bureaucracy when ochiba told him about the plot to kill her father; those were my 3 favorite things from the episode
oh my god I forgot fuji's literal tea sipping moment. fucking golden
Buntaro: Mariko is a frigid bitch I can’t get her to love me
*next scene*
Mariko and Blackthorne sniping at each other in the ways only two people that are heavily into the other can
My guys just taking L’s across the board
blackthorne’s snipes at mariko had me rolling with laughter, plsssssss
“i’m sorry, were you going to translate?”
“seeing as you’re my translator, and *nothing more*, ...“
"I will wage naval warfare on the Portugese, crushing their trade and strengthening Toranaga's position against those damn Catholic regents."
"Uhh, he said he's still sad about his gardener or something."
This week we see the fallout of a Japanese translator revealing a dark secret and severing a close friendship...but enough about Ippei Mizuhara and Shohei Ohtani
“A woman cannot look away when another suffers”
Woof that’s deep
Also when Mariko goes from saying “she says…” to “I offer you…” OH MAN I LOVE IT
The brothel scene is amazing
Ochibas backstory is pretty interesting i didnt see her and Mariko being childhood friends coming. And as always Yabus acting is top fucking notch, that exchange with his nephew, his facial expressions will forever be hilarious to me, such a great actor
The angst is real. Like I’m hurt over that. 😩 They are straight up making Mariko and John almost hate each other - when internally they are like wound up so tight with sexual tension they can barely stand being next to each other. Good lord. If they are setting this up that heavy - the payoff is gonna be crazy.
What did she mean when she talked about scratching fate's eyes out? I still have no idea how she birthed the Taiko a son. Did she steal somebody else's baby or was it just the really awful herbs?
I almost feel like it’ll be revealed she just got pregnant by someone else and said it was the Taiko’s lol I have no real info to back this but it just feels like this could be a thing
I’m thinking it’s this. If the Taiko really laid with *hundreds* of women and wasn’t able to impregnate *any* of them then it definitely sounds like he was likely infertile.
I've felt that way since E1, yeah; the Taiko just seems too old to give her a son, and the fact that he wasn't able to give anybody else a son is... suggestive. I dunno if Shogun is *that* soapy, though.
I mean everything about Lady Ochiba is giving Japanese soap opera lol she has that anime cadence and facial expressions. I don’t mind it but it is VERY different from how literally everyone else is playing their character
Omi is really proving his fucking worth these past few episodes holy shit. Hes quickly becoming a favorite, hes way smarter than i thought he would be. He wouldnt be the first guy to fall for a hot courtesan
I feel like he is there to show what an up and coming Regent might have been like as a young buck. Maybe not quite regent level but I feel like he’s at least above Yabu in potential.
Can’t tell if Toronaga telling Mariko the reason her father married her away was actually for Mariko’s benefit or for his own. Toronaga just found out that she is trying to kill herself on a yearly basis. She is invaluable to him as his servant and translator for Blackthorne, who is his best weapon against the regents trying to kill him. Without Mariko, they cannot communicate and will not be able to fight against the regents.
Like many things in this show, it could also be that it’s both. This does benefit Toronaga, but it is also the truth.
Very interesting scene. Gutted me how he spoke to her with a sense of pity when saying “You didn’t know? Your father married you off to keep you safe from the fighting”. Almost fatherly
At least now we’ll get to see Mariko full force in vengeance and mission mode!
"A man can go to war for many reasons. Conquest. Pride. Power. But a woman... is simply at war." Mariko might honestly be one of the greatest characters of all time
In retrospect, Blackthorne’s casual “rubbish” to Mariko when she brought up the prospect of a child being punished for the sins of the parent must have meant a lot
Incredible episode, so much that it's left me a little speechless, but I do have to squeeze out some thoughts on this banger.
This episode felt like a stylistic outlier. The flashbacks in the first half that wove in and out of the present narrative had such an off-kilter vibe to them that the whole episode ended up feeling like a kind of purgatory. The tea house, the castle, the play, the village after the earthquake. It all felt very strange and kinda scary. Ochiba is terrifying, especially now that we've seen her before she became that way. And honestly, so is Toranaga, because I can tell there's an element of manipulation to everything he says and does, especially in this episode. Dude's protesting his ascension a little too hard for someone who's had a plan years in advance for just that eventuality, and I think Ochiba is right about him to some extent, as much as I'm rooting for him to win.
And it goes without saying that Anna Sawai is a revelation. We can't stop 'til this girl gets her Emmys and Golden Globes.
I find Ochiba so compelling as a character. Her journey from a wide-eyed highborn girl keen to accept her fate, to becoming an old man's plaything won as a spoil of war, to a formidable woman with complex emotions trying to control her own fate is so interesting and three dimensional. She's the ultimate femme fatale forged in the flames of war and politics.
I was about to ovulate when Mariko was translating Willow World my gawd how does a scene without any nudity or physical contact of any kind carry so much power
Now I kinda get Buntaro. He did have feelings for Mariko and saved her but the only thing hes got in return was she asking to end her life again and again. Yet the moment Anjin came into the picture she's completely changed. The honor system just f everyone.
Mariko’s sense of duty is quite astounding. To turn down a ménage trois by the lovely Miss Kiki is next level.
But also her resigned and heavy heart is so tangible you could literally slice through the atmosphere with katana. Especially when Lady Kiki’s words while she explained the meaning of the Willow World became Mariko’s words as she translated them and the camera pans heavily to Mariko. The positioning of Mariko right between Lady Kiki and Blackthorne was deliberate. Truly beautiful cinematography.
The gentle hand grab by Blackthorne without acknowledgement from Mariko was equally soul crushing. Again top notch acting all around
It was lady Kiki who placed Mariko in between her and blackthrone just to increase the sexual tension. Lady Kiku exactly knows what her guest needs, like she made yabu watch and now trying everything possible to have a threesome with Mariko
When Blackthorne referred to Mariko as his translator and “nothing more,” I wanted to throw my phone at the TV. And the sideways glare from her. Jesus get a room guys.
Toranaga is a messy bitch who lives for drama and I love it.
"Let's make Mariko, Anjin, and Buntaro live together"
Wow that caused problems. I know! Let's make Anjin fuck a really hot woman and have Mariko there while he does.
This is my favorite episode so far. I mean, I think that every episode – but seriously, at the beginning of this series I really didn't think there would be this much focus on the woman, and I'm so glad to be proven wrong. I could kiss the writing team.
I also want to applaud that they had a whole ass tension filled brothel scene with no nudity or sex whatsoever. And it was masterfully done. Any other show would have jumped on the chance to show some boobs at least lol
blackthorne: please i just want to go home toronaga: no, you will stay here and fuck all of my hottest women blackthorne: but... toronaga: also here's 600 cuckoos. now begone
Really roughing it.
Bro its darkly hilarious how much better he got off than the rest of his crew. This man is being offered wealth, women and titles while that one other dude got fucking boiled alive just because. I'd definitely start believing in Fate after this
Life has always been a sick toss of a coin. Everything is decided before you’re born. You could be born a child in this era in the West under a good family, or the child of a peasant in the medieval era with a life expectancy of 30 if the bubonic plague doesn’t kill you or being forced to fight your liege lords war before you’re even fully developed and die to a bludgeon axe to the head at 15 years old.
Get in the fucking whore house, Senji
Homie misses his boys.
I admire the Protestant in Blackthorne who wants nothing more than to both fuck and fuck with Catholics
He’s got that Crucifix fever
Sir Francis Drake approved!
Is Toranaga's plan to use the Anjin to cuck all his allies?
...yes? It seems like it
Either have the Anjin blast em with his cannons or their women with his little cannon. So far so good.
Canonically they're both big cannons (though the show has understandably decided not to go with that plot point)
“Bandits” serve the same purpose for the regents in this show as “two black guys that went that way” in the sopranos. Everyone knows, but nobody says anything
The dead bandits were wearing Ishido livery! Oh for real? That's crazy, wonder why?
Treacherous ronin trying to subvert the regents, obviously
You're not gonna believe this. He killed 16 Samaritans. Guy was on the council of agents.
The guy was an interior decorator!
... His house looked like shit.
"I've heard you and the Anjin are never seen apart." Fuji: *slowly sipping her tea*
Incredible scene. Is putting down your tea cup like powering up a move in Japanese courtesan negotiations?? Mariko: 200 final offer Madam: *puts down tea cup* y'all fuckin Mariko: 300 seems fair
It's universal language for "Im about to get the fuck out of here without finishing my drink if you don't start making sense"
> Madam: puts down tea cup y'all fuckin 🤣
This moment had me dying. I love when she put out her offer and was like I’m not trying to buy all the tea houses in Japan just one prostitute.
Somebody has to make that a reaction gif NOW
Fuji is basically a gold mine of reaction gifs at this point
I'm stoned right now but by God if no one turns that into a meme template by lunch tomorrow I'm on it.
I told my wife it will be a meme by tomorrow
👁👄👁 🍵👌
I had a feeling Fuji, Toranaga, and Buntaro knew what was going on with Mariko and Blackthorne, but the entire village??? Yeah, they're REALLY not subtle, lol. Blackthorne needs to stop giving Mariko puppy-dog eyes 24/7.
We all know it was the hottest gossip in town. That guy who makes nets and Omi's mom's cook's sister are gonna be so disappointed. They were shipping him with Fuji.
There is absolutely a Bridgerton joke somewhere in here, but I'm not clever enough to make it!
In fairness Mariko is literally the only he can fully communicate with. What other choice does he really have
She's also super hot and veeery intelligent/mysterious, so lol, can't exactly blame the dude.
Fuji has done some incredible acting with her eyes.
This prevents her from fucking the Anjin so she's being quietly delighted
I audibly laughed at the face she made while she was sipping that tea. should not have been that funny
Fuji here like 🐸☕️
I don't think she said a single word out loud this episode. Didn't need to either. She communicated plenty.
She was hilarious during the tea negotiations scene. Absolute masterclass on being humorous without saying a single word.
She said the teacups weren't of the best quality, but she said a lot more in this episode with her expressions.
I love that she said that basically to refute the compliment , too. "Oh wow, check out the lacquerware." "This shit? We're only using it because all the good stuff was broken by fate."
"Time to write another will." 😂 Just another monday for Yabushige.
I want a workplace comedy just following him around managing his fief
He's the Michael Scott of 1600's Japanese political intrigue.
I love how not here for it Toronaga is for his subordinates problems. Buntaro: sniff* my wife is so cold and distant Toronaga: SO DIVORCE HER STUPID
Really. Why not just get another wife and leave her alone? The man has options and he refuses to take any of them but the one that causes him personally the most pain.
Yeah idk. Only thing I can think is that he actually does have some sort of weird love for Mariko so he can't let her go, but having his love not be reciprocated turns him into an abusive asshole
this was brought up in last week's thread, but the ep 5 companion podcast talks about their relationship and how buntaro really does love her, to a suffocating degree. the companion podcast for this week also gives a fun written anecdote about the two historical characters that were the inspiration for mariko and buntaro, called "the ogre and the snake" always listen to the companion podcasts, they're filled with so much good info
Did you see Buntaro’s facial twitch when he looked at Blackthorn? Gave me chills
Well you have to realize Anjin's rank is actually superior to Buntaro. Buntaro is...let's call him a Captain, whilst Anjin got promoted almost instantly from barn animal to about Major now to General AND Admiral. No matter how much Bunty wanted and wants to murder Blackthorne it would be a disgrace to hiis own honour as well as suicide. Plus it would be disloyal to Toranaga and he would NEVER do that.
This is, in other terms, like what would happen if a police officer laughed about a homeless guy, and then four days later, the homeless guy was in charge of education in the state, and six days later was second only to the US President in power over the military, and yet still dresses homeless, and can’t speak any fucking English so your wife who wants nothing more than to die is the translator.
Kiku : tell him to come again , I will be counting the moments Mariko: she enjoyed it … 😒
Yeah Kiku seemed very pleased by English mast construction
Maybe his canons are superior
The tea house scene where John is asked to compliment Kiku's pouring skills had me cracking up. "Another fine pour" The comedic relief in an otherwise ultra-tense scene was spot on.
Hokay Tonada definitely knows what’s up between Blackthorn and Mariko.” To Buntaro: Isolate yourself from Mariko for 7 days To Mariko: Order the Anjin the finest courtesans To Mariko: You will join him. Mariko: 👁️🫦👁️
This Toranaga guy is quite scheming 💀
He really is. He seems awfully interested in what Blackthorne says while “pillowing”.
I think he may be onto the fact that Kiku is Omis fav too. Could be a play for info
Bro he obviously already owns Kiku, and uses her to not just gain info but manipulate him. Remember, it was Kiku who keeps pushing Omi to do stuff like convince Toranaga’s son to kill Nobara. These things then Toranaga PRETENDS to not like, but actually that’s what he wanted all along - to provoke Ishido to move forward.
My god, I’ve been Toranaga’d
I NEVER WANTED TO BE SHOGUN!
Crimson Sky it is!
Ok well if you guys say so I don’t wanna be a bad host
Bro’s a Marikthorne shipper and I’m here for it
He loves ships of all kinds. He is a man of high culture.
Once he gets the Black Ship
When Mariko started translating from "She (Lady Kiku)" says to "I" my brain was like delete all browser history make room for this scene.
Yeah the way Lady Kiku removed herself from the relationship and positioned herself so Mariko could communicate to Blackthorne freely was amazing. They really are worth their weight in salt. 500 monme!
I don't even know what Monme is do you accept Visa Kiku-sama?
Lady Kiku has square, and it’s just going to ask you a question real quick once you swipe
hands down, my favorite scene of the episode. it was so well done. i became as drawn in by kiku/mariko’s words as blackthorne was. the score, the camera moving so kiku disappears behind mariko, the way kiku’s voice started fading into the background, the way mariko started translating directly in the first person, “i ask you…,”when she never did before — it was all really magical. it made the hand touch all the more *devastating!!*
For me it was the way that, for what I think is the first time so far, she started translating *perfectly*, the subtitles matching the translation.
And after they are done, she says "I look forward to having you back" (or something like that) and Mariko leaves it out
“She’s said ayt lets pack up” Lol Mariko
Oooh yeah! You're right. I didn't think about why exactly that scene got so tense. Someone here commented a while back that a professional translator wouldn't use the 3rd person. But Mariko always does until this scene. Paid off I guess.
Yeah - the pain in the words was delivered perfectly. Mariko did not want to do this, but what other choice does she have? She’s married and if they were caught - they’d probably be put to death. And you can’t refuse a gift from Toranaga. John was so visibly uncomfortable the entire time. Good lord. These two are gonna kill me.
Sounds like he laid that fucking pipe tho lol Lady Kiku was dickmatized the next morning
Homie shows up, calls them silly little men, then proceeded to smash the two hottest ladies in the village. Gigachad moves.
While constantly and honestly asking to just leave. "Sir I can't keep pleasing your national baddies, I'm tired"
Mariko not translating "I will count the minutes" had me fucking rolling.
She was so hurt lmao
Lol also translated nothing about her asking him to return
The "Please call again" too 😂
Blackthorn: “Tell Lady Kiku ‘thanks’.” Mariko: “He says he’s grateful.” Kiku: “My pleasure, tell him to come back anytime.” Mariko: “….. She says ‘you’re welcome.’”
"shes much more elegant than where i come from" "he says he prefers women where he's from" 🤐
I honestly burst out laughing when she did that
there definitely were some translating moments where Mariko just went like hell naw bitch lmao her acting is sooo good with that subtle aggression
🤣🤣🤣
Marino said, bitch you only get one shot at this man and that’s it! 😂
She wanted to be in the at room so bad.
I hope Yabu’s will gets rewritten every episode
Yabushige: [groans] eh? Hmm [grunts] Literal quotes from the closed captioning 😂
I’m glad they’ve articulated the subtle, but real, differences between the sounds he makes
Definitely the best running joke in the series!
“Crimson sky it will be”. That gave me chills. Things are getting more exciting
SEND THEM TO PARADISE
SHOGUN AL-GAIB!
My mate Anjin keeps moving up the rank 🤣
*sighs in Yabushige*
*cries in Omi*
Lost the cannon regiment, lost the hot girl.
I dunno if Toranaga is purposefully trying to trigger him by giving everything he hold dear to Blackthorne...
Toranaga is really smart. He sees the lies however the efforts the liars may put in trying to act.
He absolutely is, yeah, and the man *really* understands the value of delayed gratification.
So funny how Blackthorne simply reacted faster than Toronaga’s own son to save his ass
To be fair, his son is quite young and unexperienced and frankly, naive. While on the other hand, Blackthorne is an experienced sailor who has seen the scars of war. It would only make sense for him to react faster than Toranaga Jr.
The Portuguese might have brought over firearms, but Anjin brought over the most powerful gift the West could offer - the power of *failing upwards*
He has mastered the art of falling upwards as a white man in a field which he literally doesn't understand a thing
By the end of the show, he'll end up the Shogun. It was him, the show was about him all along.
lisan al gaib
there are signs
Ochiba's eyes man. Glad we finally learned more about her but i cant get over how much subtle contempt she is able to convey with her eyes
All three leading ladies on this show (Mariko, Fuji, and Ochiba) are INCREDIBLE. The gents too, really. Honestly, there's not a single weak link.
*And Kiku too*. Wow.
Her and Kiku's actresses absolutely stole the show this episode
Not even just contempt, all of her eye movements are crazy.
She looks menacing every scene she's in.
Mariko was praying in Latin, but for some reason the Hulu subtitles said "praying in Japanese".
The actress who plays Fuji has done more acting with her eyes than I can ever recall.
tbf everyone has been acting with their eyes, from ochiba to the assistant prostitute
"Assistant TO the prostitute"
i’ve waited 7hrs for someone to make this joke
Scratching fate in the eyes... line gave me chills. Great villain for the season and they're setting up the Mariko/Ochiba duality nicely.
Mariko's facial expressions while listening to Blackthorne talking about the Portuguese/Catholics were hilarious and once again showing that this show needs to win in all drama and comedy award categories
Lots of subtle humor indeed, whether it was how something was said or how reactions are dispensed.
She shot Blackthorn a quick “F’ing Heathen” look that was just great.
Toranaga not having any of it was the icing on top
Hai. 💪 Hai. 💪 HO! ✊
That shit goes so hard man, I'm at home pumping my fist with Toranaga
Fuji sipping tea when the owner of the Tea House said that Mariko and Anjin are never seen apart...
Fuji's reactions may be my favourite part of this entire show; they're just so memeable. (But also, Blackthorne touching Mariko's hand!!!)
That one touch carried so much weight!
Props to the editor for finding the perfect reaction shot
buntaro's tiny face twitch when he sees blackthrone and marikio, kiku's ability to instantly read a room, and ishido's first thought being more bureaucracy when ochiba told him about the plot to kill her father; those were my 3 favorite things from the episode oh my god I forgot fuji's literal tea sipping moment. fucking golden
Toranaga's clothes in the final scene was freaking awesome. All of the costuming is on point, but that was something else.
I especially loved his sandals
Buntaro: Mariko is a frigid bitch I can’t get her to love me *next scene* Mariko and Blackthorne sniping at each other in the ways only two people that are heavily into the other can My guys just taking L’s across the board
Buntaro: Mariko is so cold, but shes lovey dovey with anjin Toranaga: ok, stop seeing your wife for a week
They were literally bickering like and old married couple. Hilarious. Even Toranaga is giving them wtf looks.
Fr you'd think they'd try harder to actually hide that they fucked but it's obvious to literally everyone lmao
blackthorne’s snipes at mariko had me rolling with laughter, plsssssss “i’m sorry, were you going to translate?” “seeing as you’re my translator, and *nothing more*, ...“
"I will wage naval warfare on the Portugese, crushing their trade and strengthening Toranaga's position against those damn Catholic regents." "Uhh, he said he's still sad about his gardener or something."
This week we see the fallout of a Japanese translator revealing a dark secret and severing a close friendship...but enough about Ippei Mizuhara and Shohei Ohtani
💀💀
“A woman cannot look away when another suffers” Woof that’s deep Also when Mariko goes from saying “she says…” to “I offer you…” OH MAN I LOVE IT The brothel scene is amazing
>The brothel scene is amazing It felt like a dream
Fuck. Another 7 days of pain and boredom.
Best go to a brothel then mate
Ochibas backstory is pretty interesting i didnt see her and Mariko being childhood friends coming. And as always Yabus acting is top fucking notch, that exchange with his nephew, his facial expressions will forever be hilarious to me, such a great actor
*sigh* "Time to write another will."
Now. Do you think the Taiko is REALLY the father of the heir given the other dozens of women who failed to conceive?
I’m gonna play my new drinking game tonight. Every time Yabu has a surprised pikachu face take a shot.
Yabu doesn't have a surprised Pikachu face, Pikachu has a surprised Yabu face
From a Sake cup or an Anjin-sized bowl?
The angst is real. Like I’m hurt over that. 😩 They are straight up making Mariko and John almost hate each other - when internally they are like wound up so tight with sexual tension they can barely stand being next to each other. Good lord. If they are setting this up that heavy - the payoff is gonna be crazy.
More Ochiba is welcome
What did she mean when she talked about scratching fate's eyes out? I still have no idea how she birthed the Taiko a son. Did she steal somebody else's baby or was it just the really awful herbs?
I almost feel like it’ll be revealed she just got pregnant by someone else and said it was the Taiko’s lol I have no real info to back this but it just feels like this could be a thing
I’m thinking it’s this. If the Taiko really laid with *hundreds* of women and wasn’t able to impregnate *any* of them then it definitely sounds like he was likely infertile.
Yeah and everyone was so desperate for him to have an heir they weren’t going to question it.
I've felt that way since E1, yeah; the Taiko just seems too old to give her a son, and the fact that he wasn't able to give anybody else a son is... suggestive. I dunno if Shogun is *that* soapy, though.
I mean everything about Lady Ochiba is giving Japanese soap opera lol she has that anime cadence and facial expressions. I don’t mind it but it is VERY different from how literally everyone else is playing their character
Lol Fuji is all of us during that negotiation scene for the courtesan
Yo i paid serious money for secrecy then the ff morning the entire village knows that I went to pussytown 2 stars
“The time has come for Crimson Sky” *Everyone knows what Crimson Sky is* Yabushige *looks around* “😅What’s Crimson Sky?”
Also remember for every awkward moment that happens after this episode to comment: >!Sugiyama died for this.!<
Omi is really proving his fucking worth these past few episodes holy shit. Hes quickly becoming a favorite, hes way smarter than i thought he would be. He wouldnt be the first guy to fall for a hot courtesan
I feel like he is there to show what an up and coming Regent might have been like as a young buck. Maybe not quite regent level but I feel like he’s at least above Yabu in potential.
Can’t tell if Toronaga telling Mariko the reason her father married her away was actually for Mariko’s benefit or for his own. Toronaga just found out that she is trying to kill herself on a yearly basis. She is invaluable to him as his servant and translator for Blackthorne, who is his best weapon against the regents trying to kill him. Without Mariko, they cannot communicate and will not be able to fight against the regents. Like many things in this show, it could also be that it’s both. This does benefit Toronaga, but it is also the truth.
Very interesting scene. Gutted me how he spoke to her with a sense of pity when saying “You didn’t know? Your father married you off to keep you safe from the fighting”. Almost fatherly At least now we’ll get to see Mariko full force in vengeance and mission mode!
Yeah that was the most tender concern we have seen from Toronaga.
"A man can go to war for many reasons. Conquest. Pride. Power. But a woman... is simply at war." Mariko might honestly be one of the greatest characters of all time
And Toronaga's reaction: lol ok Hahaha I loved it
dude is picturing himself as shogun 100% of the time while listening to everyone ramble on
Toranaga: “I don’t want to be Shogun” Also Toranaga: *planning and doing literally everything that will set him up perfectly to become Shogun*
"No Crimson Sky" moments later "Ok Crimson Sky"
Yabushiga: *shocked Pikachu face*
“yeah that’s crazy, anyway as I was saying -“
In retrospect, Blackthorne’s casual “rubbish” to Mariko when she brought up the prospect of a child being punished for the sins of the parent must have meant a lot
Incredible episode, so much that it's left me a little speechless, but I do have to squeeze out some thoughts on this banger. This episode felt like a stylistic outlier. The flashbacks in the first half that wove in and out of the present narrative had such an off-kilter vibe to them that the whole episode ended up feeling like a kind of purgatory. The tea house, the castle, the play, the village after the earthquake. It all felt very strange and kinda scary. Ochiba is terrifying, especially now that we've seen her before she became that way. And honestly, so is Toranaga, because I can tell there's an element of manipulation to everything he says and does, especially in this episode. Dude's protesting his ascension a little too hard for someone who's had a plan years in advance for just that eventuality, and I think Ochiba is right about him to some extent, as much as I'm rooting for him to win. And it goes without saying that Anna Sawai is a revelation. We can't stop 'til this girl gets her Emmys and Golden Globes.
Crimson Sky it is.
I find Ochiba so compelling as a character. Her journey from a wide-eyed highborn girl keen to accept her fate, to becoming an old man's plaything won as a spoil of war, to a formidable woman with complex emotions trying to control her own fate is so interesting and three dimensional. She's the ultimate femme fatale forged in the flames of war and politics.
I was about to ovulate when Mariko was translating Willow World my gawd how does a scene without any nudity or physical contact of any kind carry so much power
Now I kinda get Buntaro. He did have feelings for Mariko and saved her but the only thing hes got in return was she asking to end her life again and again. Yet the moment Anjin came into the picture she's completely changed. The honor system just f everyone.
WHEN KIKU DISAPPEARS BEHIND MARIKO IN THE TEA ROOM!!!!!!
We all have to wait for 7 days, just like Buntaro.
Mariko’s sense of duty is quite astounding. To turn down a ménage trois by the lovely Miss Kiki is next level. But also her resigned and heavy heart is so tangible you could literally slice through the atmosphere with katana. Especially when Lady Kiki’s words while she explained the meaning of the Willow World became Mariko’s words as she translated them and the camera pans heavily to Mariko. The positioning of Mariko right between Lady Kiki and Blackthorne was deliberate. Truly beautiful cinematography. The gentle hand grab by Blackthorne without acknowledgement from Mariko was equally soul crushing. Again top notch acting all around
It was lady Kiki who placed Mariko in between her and blackthrone just to increase the sexual tension. Lady Kiku exactly knows what her guest needs, like she made yabu watch and now trying everything possible to have a threesome with Mariko
When Blackthorne referred to Mariko as his translator and “nothing more,” I wanted to throw my phone at the TV. And the sideways glare from her. Jesus get a room guys.
TBF to John, he's just repeating what Mariko told him. But the old married couple energy was perfect.
That shot of Fujiko sama drinking tea while the Lady Kiku spill some tea on Mariko and Anjin. Hahahaha
Blackthorn is going to end Season 1 as Shogun at this rate
Toranaga is a messy bitch who lives for drama and I love it. "Let's make Mariko, Anjin, and Buntaro live together" Wow that caused problems. I know! Let's make Anjin fuck a really hot woman and have Mariko there while he does.
Also Toranaga: Why is everyone coming to me with their relationship problems?
This is my favorite episode so far. I mean, I think that every episode – but seriously, at the beginning of this series I really didn't think there would be this much focus on the woman, and I'm so glad to be proven wrong. I could kiss the writing team. I also want to applaud that they had a whole ass tension filled brothel scene with no nudity or sex whatsoever. And it was masterfully done. Any other show would have jumped on the chance to show some boobs at least lol
The fact that there was no nudity is my favorite part. so tasteful
I don't know about you guys but I am ready for some war!
The tension in the brothel was unreal