5 shows to watch if you love Shogun

There is no doubt that we would love a second season of Shogun. That’s unlikely to happen, though. Instead, we need to turn to other TV shows.

Historical fiction is a huge genre when it comes to TV shows. It’s one of the most popular ones. There are just so many stories to tell from the past; there are so many lessons to learn. So, with so many choices, it can be difficult to narrow down your options.

That’s where we come in. We’re going through the different stories of the past to find those that will fill the Shogun vibe. There is also a fantasy series that has period drama vibes just in case you never got around to watching it.

Game of Thrones

Yes, we start with the fantasy series that brings in an element of historical fiction. After all, the book series that this show is based on does take inspiration from real history. There are a lot of elements of the Wars of the Roses throughout the TV show.

Game of Thrones brings the story of a world with a fight for the Iron Throne. At the start of the series, the Baratheons sit on it. When Robert dies, there is a fight as it becomes clear that Joffrey Baratheon likely isn’t a Baratheon after all. Over the seas, Daenerys Targaryen doesn’t even care about the legitimacy of the current king. She wants the throne back after it was stolen from her father almost 20 years earlier.

Game of Thrones is available to stream on Max.

The Terror

If you want something that involves Japanese characters, you’ll want to turn to the second season of The Terror. There is a first season that is also a great story, and you can watch them both out of order as this is an anthology series.

The second season follows the story of Asian (predominantly Japanese) people being put into internment camps during World War II. They’re in the United States, but the bombing of Pearl Harbor leads to fear and hatred toward Asian-Americans—and yes, Canada played a part in that, too.

There is also a supernatural horror element to the story as well. Something sinister from Japanese mythology is in the camp as well.

The Terror is available to stream on AMC+.

The Last Kingdom

If you like the good writing and cultures clashing together in Shogun, there’s a Viking series that you’ll want to watch. This one is The Last Kingdom, based on the Saxon Series by Bernard Cornwell.

The story follows Uhtred, the son of a Saxon who is raised by Danes after he is captured and made a slave. Despite being a slave, he ends up becoming a member of Ragnar’s family, and he grows up with a foot in both worlds. Of course, while he wants to follow his Danish beliefs, he also wants to get his ancestral lands back from the uncle who stole them. So, after the death of Ragnar, he heads south to see King Alfred in the hope of getting men to get his home back.

The Last Kingdom is on Netflix.

Warrior

Another series that brings us a clash of cultures is Warrior. This is a wonderful series that you can’t afford to miss. It’s based on the writings of Bruce Lee, and his daughter Shannon was involved in the development of the series.

Warrior follows Ah Sahm, a man who sails from China to America to find his sister and protect her. He lands in San Francisco where he learns that the American dream is nothing like it was sold to any of them. Due to his fighting skills, he ends up being picked as a hatchet man of one of the tongs, and he soon learns all about the Tong Wars in Chinatown.

Meanwhile, the Irish in San Francisco take a negative look at the Chinese people, who are willing to work for less than them, meaning the Irish are losing out on jobs. They will do anything to preserve “America,” without realizing that actually, they’re just hypocrites.

Warrior is available to stream on Netflix and Max.

See

How about a show set in the future that feels like the past? See takes place in a dystopian future, where nobody is able to see anything. That is except for a small few. While there are some who believe the people who can see show that there is hope for the future, others believe that they are cursed and a sign of bad things to come again.

Twins with the ability to see end up being tasked with protecting an endangered queen. However, will the queen’s advisors believe that the twins are good, or will they turn her against the twins?

And if the story isn’t enough to sell you, Jason Momoa in the lead will be.

See is available to stream on Apple TV+.