‘Shōgun’ Creators React to Those Internet Memes

FX’s Shōgun, created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, has not only captured viewers with its rich historical storytelling but also ignited a playful fanbase that interacts online with memes and humor. In an interview with Collider’s Carly Lane, Kondo and Marks expressed their enjoyment of the fan-created content and shared how it has influenced their team. Shōgun is a historical fiction series that tells the story of John Blackthorne, an English sailor who gets shipwrecked in Japan, and his experiences in Japan, a country very different from his own, change him deeply.

The story also features Lord Toranaga, a smart and powerful leader dealing with political enemies. He is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, a real historical figure who founded Japan’s Tokugawa shogunate. Another key character is Lady Mariko, a skilled woman who must overcome the poor reputation of her family to prove her worth. The series blends their stories of ambition, power, and cultural differences. Hiroyuki Sanada plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga, Cosmo Jarvis portrays Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, and Anna Sawai appears as Toda Mariko. Tadanobu Asano is cast as Kashigi Yabushige, Takehiro Hira plays Ishido Kazunari, Tommy Bastow takes on the role of Father Martin Alvito, and Fumi Nikaido portrays Ochiba no Kata.

During the discussion, it was noted that the show has inspired various memes and social media posts, something the creators are both aware of and enthusiastic about. Marks shared an amusing anecdote about the meme culture within the production team itself: “We had the memes, definitely. I’m gonna out Sofie [Somoroff], my assistant, and Caillin [Puente], one of the writer-producers on the show.” Marks mentioned how a specific line from the character Blackthorne, “much woman,” not only went viral online but also became part of the show’s internal culture. “It was something that became a T-shirt around the production office at one point just to sort of keep that up,” he explained.

“I See Much Meme”

Kondo highlighted the episode that featured the now-famous line. “’I see much woman,’ in Episode 4,” she pointed out, emphasizing how certain scenes have resonated with viewers and the crew. Marks also illustrated how memes were the inspiration behind humorous and light-hearted communication among the crew, especially when dealing with challenges on set:

“There’s a text thread in the writers’ room where we started to deposit things as people find them, but it’s nice because we have our own memes, our own Fuji reaction shots. There was a time where it was my only response to things on the text thread with Sofie, where I only wanted to respond to production problems in Fuji reaction gifs. So it’s like, “The horses aren’t gonna be ready in time to shoot the scene,” and I would just respond to her with the [reaction to] Blackthorne slurping noodles. So, it’s nice to see that those are out there because we needed some high-res gifs.”

Fans have been creatively engaging with the series, from writing haikus about significant events to Photoshopping images of Blackthorne that capture his unique character traits. The online engagement proves that, no matter what the setting is for a show, anything can become a meme, and the world is all the better for it.

Shōgun is available to watch on FX and Hulu. Stay tuned for our full conversation with Kondo and Marks.

Shogun (2024)

Adventure

Drama

History

710

When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies.

Release Date

February 27, 2024

Cast

Anna Sawai , Hiroyuki Sanada , Tadanobu Asano , Yûki Kedôin

Main Genre

Drama

Network

FX

Watch on Hulu