8 Shows like Shōgun to Watch Next
FX’s newest miniseries, Shōgun, is an adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel set in 1600 Japan at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. The series premiered on February 27th, 2024 with the first 2 episodes and currently has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, with USA Today‘s Kelly Lawler describing it as “beautiful, rich and deeply compelling, it might just scratch that Game of Thrones itch you’ve had since the HBO fantasy folded in 2019.”
The 10-episode series’ cast includes Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4, 47 Ronin), Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion, Calm with Horses), Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Pachinko), Tadanobu Asano (Thor, Followers), Hiroto Kanai (Labyrinth of Cinema), Takehiro Hira (Giri/Haji, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Tommy Bastow (The Window), Moeka Hoshi (Why Didn’t I Tell You a Million Times?), Fumi Nikaidô (Vivant, Himizu), Shinnosuke Abe (13 Assassins), Tokuma Nishioka (Green Grass), Yasunari Takeshima (Lost Girls and Love Hotels), Yuki Kura (Followers, Ichiko), Yuka Kouri (September 1923), Yoriko Dōguchi (Silence), and Ako (Snow Falling on Cedars).
While you wait for new weekly episodes to drop, here are 8 shows like Shōgun to check out.
Barbarians (2020 – )
Cast: Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter, Nicki von Tempelhoff, Bernhard Schütz, Eva Verena Müller, Jeremy Miliker, Peter Moltzen, Florian Schmidtke, Gaetano Aronica, Tünde Nyilas
Synopsis: “Torn between the mighty empire that raised him and his own tribal people, a Roman officer’s conflicted allegiances lead to an epic historical clash.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Into the Badlands (2015-2019)
Cast: Daniel Wu, Orla Brady, Sarah Bolger, Aramis Knight, Emily Beecham, Oliver Stark, Ally Ioannides, Marton Csokas, Nick Frost,
Synopsis: “A mighty warrior and a young boy with supernatural powers search for enlightenment in a ruthless post-apocalyptic America controlled by feudal barons.”
Where to watch: Apple TV
Kingdom (2019-2020)
Cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong, Bae Doona, Kim Sung-kyu, Kim Sung-kyu, Jeon Seok-ho, Kim Hye-jun, Kim Sang-ho, Huh Joon-ho, Park Byung-eun, Jung Suk-won, Kim Jong-soo
Synopsis: “In a kingdom defeated by corruption and famine, a mysterious plague spreads to turn the infected into monsters. The crown prince, framed for treason and desperate to save his people, sets out on a journey to unveil what evil lurks in the dark.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Kung Fu (2021-2023)
Cast: Olivia Liang, Kheng Hua Tan, Eddie Liu, Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Vanessa Kai, Tzi Ma, Yvonne Chapman, Tony Chung, JB Tadena, Ludi Lin
Synopsis: “A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman to drop out of college for a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China.”
Where to watch: The CW, Max
The Longest Day in Chang’an (2019 series with 48 episodes)
Cast: Lei Jiayin, Jackson Yee, Zhou Yiwei, Peng Guanying, Wu Xiaoliang, Djimon Hounsou, Lu Fangsheng, Cai Lu, Han Tongsheng, Eldos Faruk
Synopsis: “A former detective turned convicted criminal becomes China’s last hope to thwart mysterious invaders who threaten the empire’s capital city on the day before the Lantern Festival.”
Where to watch: Prime Video, Viki
Marco Polo (2014-2016)
Cast: Lorenzo Richelmy, Benedict Wong, Chin Han, Joan Chen, Rick Yune, Remy Hii, Zhu Zhu, Amr Waked, Tom Wu, Olivia Cheng, Mahesh Jadu, Uli Latukefu, Claudia Kim, Pierfrancesco Favino, Michelle Yeoh, Chris Pang, Gabriel Byrne, Leonard Wu
Synopsis: “Set in a world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, Marco Polo is based on the famed explorer’s adventures in Kublai Khan’s court.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Warrior (2019 – )
Cast: Andrew Koji, Jason Tobin, Olivia Cheng, Dianne Doan, Kieran Bew, Tom Weston-Jones, Hoon Lee, Langley Kirkwood, Christian McKay, Joe Taslim
Synopsis: “A martial arts expert arrives from China in 19th-century San Francisco, where he joins a powerful crime family and confronts rival Chinatown gangs.”
Where to watch: Max, Netflix
Wu Assassins (2019 – )
Cast: Iko Uwais, Katheryn Winnick, Byron Mann, Li Jun Li, Celia Au, Lewis Tan, Lawrence Kao, Tommy Flanagan, Tzi Ma, JuJu Chan, Mark Dacascos
Synopsis: “An unassuming San Francisco chef becomes the latest in a long line of assassins chosen to keep the mystical Wu powers out of the wrong hands.”
Where to watch: Netflix
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