Tadanobu Asano Discusses Why Now is the Time for Shows Like ‘Shōgun’

Awards Daily talks to Tadanobu Asano of FX on Hulu’s Shōgun about why now is a good time for shows in different languages and why people can relate to his character, Yabushige. *Spoilers Ahead*

Tadanobu Asano, who plays the conniving warlord Yabushige on FX on Hulu’s Shōgun, believes “a great time has arrived” for him as an actor. And it’s not just because he’s on one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the year.

“I started acting when I was a teenager in Japan,” he says through an interpreter, “and of course, I started going on to other productions aside from Japan. But about 10 years ago, when I went to film in the states, we all had to speak English, and that was really mandatory. But now, with streaming services like Netflix, FX, Hulu, or Disney, it doesn’t necessarily have to be only in English, because as long as the show is interesting, then it can be viewed by people outside of Japan. Finally, I feel like, we have been able to let audiences see the result. And so now is a time for great shows to be explored by audiences around the world.”

Even though he plays a baddie like Yabushige (who can express so much in just a grunt), Asano feels audiences relate to this character because he’s a little devious.

“Everybody has a good side, but they also definitely have some not-so-good sides. And for him being bad and maybe a little bit cunning, that is the element that just about every one of us might have in our own character. Yabushige, of course, dares to do things that maybe he shouldn’t be doing. But I think everybody can almost see themselves in the character like that because that’s really human nature.”

In a serious show like Shōgun, with people committing seppuku and “seconding people” (i.e., beheadings), Yabushige is one of the rare characters who gets a few laughs, like when Buntaro (Shin’nosuke Abe) gets physical with Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) and Yabushige says to the Anjin, “You would have died if I wasn’t here.” As if he did anything to diffuse the situation!

“When you think about it, those are the things people think about and never say. But Yabushige is a character who will say what other people might not think of expressing. That’s what I find interesting about him.”

Yabushige and Blackthorne form an alliance at some point, with the two setting out to try to fight Ishido (Takehiro Hira) on their own, but Asano doesn’t necessarily see it as a genuine connection. It’s just the way Yabushige is.

“Blackthorne just happened to be there, and because he’s there, Yabushige ends up asking him to do things, not because of how he could use him to his benefit, but because he’s just that kind of person.”

And even though he portrays Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai), resulting in her death, Asano doesn’t believe that Yabushige ever wanted to harm her.

“I don’t want to express my own thinking to the people who are watching because all I hope is that the viewer will see the scene and think about it, but if I were the audience, I don’t think Yabushige really wished her dead.”

In the end, Toranaga punishes Yabushige for being a traitor by ordering him to seppuku himself, with Toranaga acting as his second. Right before Yabushige dies, he asks Toranaga if he wants to be Shōgun, which the leader refuses to give away. Even if that little smirk might be a clue.

“Even though he was looking for more of a response or something that would be better than what he thought, maybe that was not possible. He was not going to get that.”

Shōgun is streaming on Hulu.