FX's New Series 'Shogun' Is Must-Watch TV | REVIEW

"Shogun" is officially out, and it's every bit as good as fans had hoped.

The FX/Hulu series is based on a James Clavell novel of the same name, and has been hyped as one of the best shows of 2024.

The plot is described as, "FX’s Shōgun is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village."

Pretty simple and straightforward, and that's coming from someone who never read the book or watched the previous limited series.

Yet, I knew as soon as I saw the first trailer that I was at least going to give it a show. I'm glad that I did.

"Shogun" is definitely off to a hot start.

I fired up the premiere episode shortly after its release Tuesday, and I loved pretty much every single part about it. Now, in my general rule of avoiding spoilers, I won't ruin anything for those who want to remain in the dark.

However, there's still plenty to discuss. First and foremost, it's clear this is going to be a political thriller above all else. Yes, there will be military aspects, but it's about politics and different groups jockeying for political power amid a massive struggle in Japan.

It's "Game of Thrones" meets "Succession" with a maybe even more violence than the former. If you love content that is dark and violent, then I have some great news for you.

"Shogun" is custom built for your entertainment.

On that note, this show is unbelievably brutal. It's far more brutal than anything in the super early days of "GoT" in my opinion.

There is literally a scene where a man is boiled alive. Not sure I've ever seen that before on TV, and it wasn't fun to sit through.

Yet, it did a great job of setting the tone of what's to come.

One of the other really interesting parts of the premiere is Cosmo Jarvis' performance as the mysterious westerner John Blackthorne. It's clear the show is going to spend an incredible amount of time following his arc in a foreign land after his ship crashed.

As someone who hasn't read the book or knows the backstory, it seems like the culture and landscape of 1600s Japan will be taught through the audience through Jarvis' eyes.

I'm here for it. His journey is going to be fascinating.

Is "Shogun" worth watching? (Credit: FX Networks)

Are there any negatives?

The biggest issue some people might have with "Shogun" is that the overwhelming majority of the premiere isn't in English.

In fact, only tiny pieces involving Cosmo are in English. That means unless you speak fluent Japanese, you're going to have to watch the screen like a hawk in order to read the subtitles.

It's not a negative for me. I don't mind watching movies or shows in foreign languages. However, if you're easily distracted and don't look at the screen, you're not going to have a clue what's going on. It's definitely going to be a deal-breaker for some people.

Other than that, it's hard to find any negatives. Are you already watching? Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.