I had the original on dvd, but never got a chance to watch it. I should buy it again.

Probably a few black ones in there too

I hope it's a lot better than the original, because the original was mediocre at best. Richard Chamberlain, while a fine actor, was hopelessly miscast. Blackthorne was a man of the sea, who spent his life on the water and could build ships with his hands.. He should be tough, weatherbeaten with big working hands. Living on an island in the Atlantic, I know men who have spent their lives on the water, and their appearance is about as far from Chamberlain as you can get. Chamberlain is just a Hollywood pretty boy. I'm not saying that because he's gay, it's just he doesn't fit the role.

That trailer seemed really female focused. I read the book, I know there are major female characters. However, that trailer… I dunno. Color me distrustful.

The four broken coins!

I think that’s pretty accurate.

@Pesty The previous movie isn’t the authority here, the book is.


Mariko-Sama is not a swordsmaster. She doesn’t pick up the sword because she thinks she can defeat the samurai she’s facing, she picks it up because SHE WANTS TO DIE HONORABLY IN BATTLE. She understands (better than almost any other character in the book) her feudal Lord’s motivations. She felt that her death while under the “protection” of her master’s enemies would have helped her master immensely if it occurred in the correct circumstances. Her master was always searching for exactly the correct circumstances in which to use Mariko. He was forbidding her (at that point) from committing seppuku so to Mariko an honorable death in battle was just as good (even better, really).

OTOH, her death wish was selfish because her parents were viewed as traitors (IIRC) and her Japanese husband was a brutish, murderous rapist and at this point, IIRC her and Blackstone were in love and in a physical relationship (Mariko’s death in battle vs enemy Samurai would literally bury ALL of that shame).



Read the book (or listen to it). It’s awesome, even if it gets things wrong from a historical standpoint. Hell, you being a Brit, oughta enjoy it as the main character is an English Pilot who is awarded (maybe he recovers after a battle?) a Portuguese rutter (logbook) and is the 1st Western pilot (loosely based on William Adams ) into those waters (other than the Portuguese).

He and that blabbering "Bob" were my two favorites. I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise folms, but that one was awesome.

Blabbering Bob:

This is 'Murica. Need ain't got nothing to do with anything.

Very good review!

Clavell  also writes that "she would have killed a lesser man." So Mariko-sama must have trained to some small degree. And I just ordered a shiny new copy of the book because this stinkin' site costs me money EVERY DAMN WEEK.

Excellent review, sir.

Word to my middle school history teachers who wheeled out the TV/VCR combo cart and threw the original series on.

Read the book last summer.  Cranked through it because it was so good.  Just starting Whirlwind to finish out the series.  All of them have been excellent.  

Really need to watch the original miniseries in its entirety.  I have no faith in the entertainment industry anymore to put out something good.  

Good call by the poster who suggested Tai-Pan.

Looks pretty good.