10 Best Shows Like ‘Shōgun’ to Watch Next

Game of ThronesChock-full of power struggles and warring political rivals, Shōgun received countless comparisons in the media to HBO’s popular fantasy epic. “To the extent that Game of Thrones allows all of us in the business to tell big-scale stories that don’t take place in our world, it was groundbreaking,” Shōgun showrunner Justin Marks told Esquire. “Everyone owes something to Game of Thrones.”
—Josh Rosenberg

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SuccessionAccording to Marks, Succession came up often in Shōgun’s writers room. The political drama—which centers on siblings vying to overtake their father as CEO of a massive media conglomerate—has many parallels with Shōgun. (See:feudal lords seeking the power of the shogunate.) “We were obsessed with it,” Marks said in Esquire’s Shōgun finale interview. “We saw what we were doing with Shōgun as a comedy. It’s a satire, for sure. That’s really what we were after.” —J.R.

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PachinkoPachinko, based on Min Jin Lee’s critically acclaimed novel, recounts the era of Korea under Japanese colonial rule. Told through the perspective of Kim Sunja (Youn Yuh-jung), the series is a sweeping, beautifully shot, multigenerational drama filmed in three languages. Apple TV+ renewed it for a second season last April, so new episodes should arrive just when you’re missing Shōgun the most. —Sirena He

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Gyeongseong CreatureAnother series about the Japanese occupation of Korea, Gyeongseong Creature depicts life in 1940s Seoul. Jang Tae-Sang (Park Seo-joon), the wealthy owner of the most popular pawn shop in Korea, manages to keep his business afloat by keeping out of the political conflict. Everything changes when he falls for Yoon Chae-Ok (Han So-hee), a young woman who believes that the local military hospital is holding her missing mother captive. So the two heroes embark on a journey to liberate the prisoners. —S.H.

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Monarch: Legacy of MonstersStarring Anna Sawai, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters takes place in a fictional Japan beset by constant kaiju attacks. The Apple TV+ series exists as part of Legacy’s MonsterVerse, featuring appearances by Godzilla and King Kong. If you’re eager for more, you’re in luck: It was renewed for a second season. —J.R.

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Shōgun (1980)Before Hiroyuki Sanada set out to adapt Shōgun for a new audience, the 1975 James Clavell novel received an official TV miniseries in 1980. Starring Richard Chamberlain and legendary Japanese film actor Toshiro Mifune, the original Shōgun is largely credited with popularizing sushi in the seventies. Neat, right? In the new adaption, Sanada told Esquire that he hoped to “be a bridge between East and West.” —J.R.

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KingdomSet in the seventeenth century, Kingdom takes elements of historical fiction and injects the genre with a dose of zombie horror. Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) must contend with political strife, the well-being of his nation, and the onslaught of a mysterious illness that is turning his people into cannibalistic monsters. If you loved the political tension on Shōgun but wished it had more horror, binge this. —S.H.

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WestworldShōgun isn’t Hiroyuki Sanada’s first time playing a samurai. On Westworld, he stars as Musashi, a warrior who loses his esteemed position and becomes a ruthless outlaw. In season 2, the sci-fi drama marched into fun new territory when the story shifted focus from Westworld to Shogunworld. Naturally, lots of nail-biting action, confusing Westworld antics, and bittersweet drama ensues. —S.H.

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YasukeNetflix’s Yasuke anime, written by Flying Lotus and starring LaKeith Stanfield, tells the story of a foreign samurai who is even more famous in the East than John Blackthorne’s counterpart, William Adams. Yasuke, a Black samurai who serves under Oda Nabunaga, tries to put the past behind him after he witnesses his lord’s assassination at Honnō-ji Temple. It’s the real-life incident that influenced Mariko and Ochiba’s family conflict on Shōgun.
—J.R.

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Tokyo ViceTokyo Vice (another book adaptation, by the way) takes on the underworld of Tokyo in the nineties. The HBO series follows Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), a local crime reporter who uncovers the Yakuza’s shady criminal activities. He quickly befriends a detective (Ken Watanabe) in the vice squad and joins his investigation of Tokyo’s dangerous underbelly. If you’re craving more Japanese history and adrenaline-pumping action, Tokyo Vice is a must-watch. —S.H.

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