Shōgun, the highly anticipated FX reboot of the 1980s miniseries, has cinephiles on the search for great samurai stories to fill the void before its release on July 01, 2025. Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, the historical drama will embody the original plot by following the story of English sailor, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who ends up shipwrecked on the islands of Japan. Blackthorne, marooned and uncultured, finds himself at odds with his own identity as secrets threaten to tip the balance of power of Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada). While the show is set to represent the darker times of the shogunate period, there’s one underrated samurai picture that helps artfully symbolize the brutal political turmoil of feudal Japan.
DirectorNagisa Oshimahas made several acclaimed and controversial films likeIn The Realm of the Senses,The Ceremony, andMerry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.Still, it’s his lesser-known film that should be given more attention. Released in 1999,Taboo(also known asGohatto)is a dramatic thriller that tells the story of the samurai class in the shogun period (loosely based on real samurai) where we meet a skilled, young man who happens to have a rather “pretty” face for a warrior. Using stylish title cards and an evocative score, Oshima breaks down the emotional wreckage of the samurai class, filled with toxic masculinity, immoral vows, and political corruption.Taboodoesn’t hide from revealing the madness within duty, helping to understand the pandemonium inFX’s upcoming Japanese epic.
The new member of a samurai militia unit causes disruption as several of his colleagues fall in love with him, threatening to disturb the rigid code of their squad.
What Is ‘Taboo’ All About?
Taboobegins right as an elite group of samurai (named the Shinsengumi) are recruiting for their new unit. to protect the Tokugawa shogunate against reformists, the Shinsengumi militia must recruit both loyal and expert swordsmen. Kano Sōzaburō (Ryuhei Matsuda), impressively strong and handsome for a poor merchant, captures the eye of Vice Commander Hijikata Toshizō (Takeshi Kitano) and is recruited into the unit with another newcomer, Hyōzō Tashiro (Tadanobu Asano). Tashiro, who instantly becomes attracted to Kano, isn’t given as much recognition by his superiors. When Kano is first chosen to behead a criminal, Tashiro boils with jealousy, but Kano’s unspoken allure drives him to pursue his comrade even further.
The handsome young samurai tries to avoid Tashiro’s advances to keep his vow to the code (any samurai who violates the code must disembowel himself).In the film, the samurai code consists of rules such asavoiding civil suits, never deserting the militia, and never borrowing money.Yet, not every samurai is smart enough to follow the unbreakable pledge to the sword. Soon, many members of the unit fall for Kano’s seductive face, leading themselves into torment. As the men pursue Kano, however, his lovers are killed off by someone in the night. Captain Hijikata tasks his associates to spy on Kano, but they also cannot escape Kano’s draw.
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Suspicious, the Captain brings Kano and Tashiro into a practice duel, and to his surprise, Kano loses to Tashiro with every hit. Knowing the two must be lovers, the Captain believes that either Kano is the culprit or that Tashiro is murdering the pursuers out of envy. Once the breadcrumbs lead their way back to Kano, the Captain is told an old fable, “The Tale of the Rain and the Moon”, which is about how two doomed lovers, a scholar and a samurai, make an oath of everlasting friendship. However, when the samurai leaves and ends up becoming a prisoner, he kills himself to be free, returning to the scholar as a soulless ghost to keep their promise. Captain Hijikata slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together and makes the ultimate choice to cut off the rotten end of the tree. He sentences Kano to kill Tashiro in hopes of smoking out the truth behind the murders,exposing the haunting reality of the samurai code.
‘Taboo’ Highlights the Dark Side of Feudal Japan in Preparation for ‘Shōgun’
Japan’s extensive history can generally be divided into 18 different periods, though one can argue that the shogunate era is the most intriguing. According toTwinkl,Samurai were looked upon as important members of the military class, and working for a powerful shōgun was deemed to be an honorable job. Many samurai films that romanticize the idealized life of a samurai often get many parts wrong. Ceaselessly inventive, Oshima was best recognized for his daring decisions, andTaboorepresented his choice to tell an honest, passionate, and symbolic picture ofJapanese politics.
Taboostands out fromother classic samurai filmsbecause it focuses on the emotionsof the warriors instead of their talent in fighting. Kano’s character stands as a figure of the imperfection within the militia, as the samurai code is there for one reason: to not break it. Kano displays an irresistible pull from the start that has nothing to do with his strength or skill set, and his comrades take a liking to him because of the danger that he presents. The code is unbreakable, but Kano’s presence naturally stirs them away from their duties. The code has no room for mistakes, and most of the time, this strictness naturally causes people to rebel against the suffocation.
The feudal system of Japan was based on ranks alone, and the samurai class had a responsibility to uphold each other. The director playfully uses Kano as a synonym for a man’s foolishness, especially involving Tashiro. At the beginning of the movie, Tashiro is jealous of Kano becoming the “teacher’s pet,” and he even gets locked in jail for disrespecting his superiors' decisions. When it comes to grabbing Kano’s attention, Tashiro seems to forget about his duties as a samurai and grows obsessed with making Kano his lover. Though it is never revealed in the story, the two samurai do develop an emotional connection to the point where Kano cannot get a hit against Tashiro in a duel. Captain Hijikata notices this change very early on, learning that a samurai’s heart can take over duty.It also appeared to be that all the members of the unit inTaboowould have gladly sacrificed the sword for Kano’s love,so did honor really matter in the end?
Taboois just as haunting, gripping, and eye-opening as it is gorgeous to watch. The film is a masterpiece for its unique breakdown into the mental state of the stifling politics of Japan, which is rarely seen in its genre. It opens up the discussion on whether the esteemed life of a samurai is worth persuading the mind to believe thatthey’re just killing machines for the emperor. With dozens of strict rules, the film demonstrates how demeaning the samurai code can be, without regard to their personal lives outside the sword. One fault and you are sentenced to death. There was no excuse to break the tradition, and no way out of the line.It was the code or nothing, and directorOshima’s last film brings justice to the truth of the shōgun period.
