HBO’s Song Of The Samurai Is Like Shogun On Steroids

May 16, 2026

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FX’s Shogun has opened the door to a whole new world of entertainment, and HBO’s new Japanese series is now carrying the ball forward. Shogun, which premiered its first season in 2024, was originally conceived as a miniseries, but its widespread success made it a no-brainer for FX to order a second season. The series holds a near-perfect 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and is the first Japanese-language series to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. Suffice it to say, Shogun is a pretty big deal.

Shogun‘s success is all the more exciting since it suggests that Western audiences have a renewed interest in the jidaigeki (Japanese historical drama) genre. While movies, TV shows, books, and other forms of media that exist under this umbrella come in all shapes and sizes, they are often set during Japan’s Edo period (1603 – 1868). This point in history is appealing for a variety of reasons, including political intrigue and, of course, the fascinating lives of Japan’s samurai.

Shogun blends the classic markers of jidaigeki with the sort of high cinematic quality associated with shows like Game of Thrones. It’s intense, unpredictable, and violent, but also authentically and breathtakingly immersive. This naturally means we’re all eager for the arrival of Shogun season 2, but HBO has provided us with another opportunity to watch something similar in the meantime. Song of the Samurai checks many of the same boxes, though its most unique qualities turn up the volume by 110%.

How Song Of The Samurai’s Anime Influence Turns Up The Volume On Shogun

Like Shogun, HBO’s Song of the Samurai is a jidaigeki TV show set in Japan’s Edo period. Unlike Shogun, this series is a live-action adaptation of a Japanese manga series. This naturally gives Song of the Samurai a unique flavor by comparison. Both shows revolve around intense political upheaval, samurai duty and honor, and cross-cultural conflict, but while Shogun is consistent in its emotional realism and weight, Song of the Samurai embraces the chaotic, over-the-top tropes of manga and anime.

Song of the Samurai is based on the manga Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem by Umemura Shinya and Hashimoto Eiji.

Song of the Samurai is grounded in its setting, costume design, and historical accuracy. The story and characters also fully lean into the samurai way of life and code, emphasizing honor, duty, and sacrifice amid a variety of political challenges. However, everything is just louder and more chaotic. The action is more stylized and intense, while the characters’ interactions and behaviors align with classic manga and anime archetypes.

Of course, this all means that Song of the Samurai might not appeal to all Shogun fans. However, for those who have enjoyed FX’s jidaigeki but could do with even more chaotic intensity, HBO’s new show is the answer. Song of the Samurai‘s true strength is in its wall-to-wall action. The fight choreography is truly spectacular, landing somewhere between the fantasy of anime combat and the realism of live action. Suffice it to say, this show is just a lot of fun.

There’s More Shogun-Like Political Intensity On The Way For HBO’s Song Of The Samurai

Toshizo and the Shinsengumi in Song of the Samurai

A significant factor in Shogun‘s popularity is its political intrigue and intensity, which often draws Game of Thrones comparisons. As of two episodes in, Song of the Samurai has leaned all-in on the intense action sequences and character relationships, while politics have taken a back seat. However, given the subject of this HBO series, that is bound to change as episodes continue.

Song of the Samurai is set during the final years of the Edo period, when the Tokugawa shogunate was beginning to crumble. The story revolves around a special police force, the Shinsengumi, which was charged with defending shogunate representatives and suppressing the pro-imperial Ishin Shishi. The primary characters of Song of the Samurai, including Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami, were real historical members of the Shinsengumi, and their thrilling stories have long been a point of fascination and curiosity.

Things are only just getting started in Song of the Samurai, but as the Shinsengumi continues to take form and powers that be grow more tense, that Shogun-like political intrigue will really take hold. Given that anime influence, we can certainly expect even this dynamic to be several times louder than FX’s Shogun. There’s a lot to look forward to.