This episode matches the book better than other episodes.
The village headman Mura, is revealed to be Toranaga's spy much earlier than in the book.
The gardener was put to death merely for stealing the pheasant that was stinking up Anjin's home and not used as a scapegoat for Mura's spying.
The humor in that episode was so macabre, I have never laughed so much in my entire life. The series of preposterous events that happen as a result of cultural differences all stringed together and escalating into John giving his worthless swords to Toranaga after saving his life to cap it all off -it was a masterpiece of comical savagery!
shareThey weren't worthless. If anything, he gave them meaning.
I am not sure if Toranaga was aware of the history behind these swords.
If he was, then he was probably just honored to see that Blackthorne is showing signs of understanding and accepting their culture while also being submissive. Otherwise why'd he give a shit if that dude has his daisho or not?
If he didn't know, it worked for basically the same reasons.
Not sure why people pretend there's an issue with that particular scene.
I never said it was an issue. Actually it was mentioned that everyone knows her dad was a coward, and they got the sword for almost nothing from a merchant. And you can see how Toranaga himself is laughing as he realizes the preposterousness of it all. Of course he understands the intention, but it is very funny because of what preceded about the feasant, and how he could not be bothered arguing about it, since it was so confusing. Him accepting the sword with a wry smile meant that he is starting to understand that conventions are not as important at the intention and the heart.
The fact that the chaining of cultural misunderstandings with catastrophic consequences was hilarious doesn't take away from the underlying meaning of respect being built between the two!
Gotcha!
At first, your posts about that episode seemed rather sarcastic almost, I wasn't sure how to place them.
haha, am i really the only one who laughed out loud from the fussy Japanese attitude escalating into keeping that rotten pheasant and killing the gardener over a simple formula. Japan and its codified rules. The absurdity was brought so stealthily that when everything escalates it just becomes so much you can only laugh.
share