FX’s historical drama Shōgun is officially over, after giving us all ten of the best episodes put to screen in recent years. Everything from the intradiegetic—the story and the characters—to the extradiegetic—the beautiful cinematography and the pacing of the plot—is absolutely brilliant and well worth watching.
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And like all pieces of media in this modern day and age, Shōgun has also contributed to the meme generator machine. The series has launched a few memes since its start but arguably only just recently, in the lead-up to the season finale, became the protagonist of its own massively popular, truly viral meme format.
It took a bit longer than it usually would with a show this popular—maybe because Shōgun’s story is so tightly paced even though it seemingly flows with the slow and calculated movements of the people in late 16th-century Japan—but it got here.
The meme in question centers on Cosmo Jarvis’s John Blackthorne and Anna Sawai’s Lady Mariko. The pair are two of the three characters around which the story revolves—the other being, of course, Hiroyuki Sanada’s Lord Toranaga—and they spent a good majority of their time on screen together by virtue of Mariko being the only one of Toranaga’s most trusted vassals to speak Portuguese and so the only one who can translate between her lord and the Anjin, as the Japanese have called Blackthorne ever since he first washed up on their shores.
While Blackthorne was initially concerned about whether or not Mariko was going to translate faithfully—considering she’s Catholic and he’s Protestant and so they are technically on opposing sides—it becomes clear pretty quick that she does indeed report his words truthfully. Or better, she conveys his meaning and his feelings, sure, but knows when to take the bite out of Blackthorne’s words to not accidentally offend someone.
And it’s precisely this divide between Blackthorne’s sometimes pretty impulsive insults and the polite but still cutting way Mariko translates them in Japanese that has given birth to this particular meme. And the iterations are, of course, hilarious.
Like this is pretty much me ever since that god-awful movie known as The Rise of Skywalker was released:
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: It’s a whole bloody thematic through line! She’s nobody, Broom Boy, the legend being passed down to inspire a future generation but then that all gets immediately thrown out and she’s the granddaughter of a dead man?
Mariko: The Anjin is mad about Star Wars. pic.twitter.com/gcQOEu14oN
And this is also me because I am a Certified ASOIAF Yapper™ before I am a person:
— Frank Bumb (@frankbumb) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: You can see the fault lines when D&D never understood what GRRM was going for with Stannis as they fell for surface-level glitter of Renly. They're Tywin stans for God's sake! But the big issues really begin S5…
Mariko: the Anjin is upset about Game of Thrones S8 pic.twitter.com/1lPrAhvJEY
Mariko and Blackthorne at the Council of Elrond?
— JRR Jokien (@joshcarlosjosh) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: The great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!
Mariko: The Anjin protests one does not simply walk into Mordor. pic.twitter.com/wVhVdMiBXE
I bet Toranaga throws apples almost as well as any Ranger:
— JRR Jokien (@joshcarlosjosh) April 19, 2024We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast? What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?
Mariko: The Anjin expresses his gratitude for breakfast and excitement for future meals. pic.twitter.com/Pc76YzD9tu
What about Blackthorne’s take on the MCU?
— Da7e Gonzales (@Da7e) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: I kept telling him that She-Hulk is actually the better fourth-wall breaking character, but all the edge lords who like katana violence insist a Deadpool pegging joke is somehow a higher form of humor-
Mariko: The Anjin is mad about the MCU pic.twitter.com/cC7Ad06ZEi
John tell us what your favorite TTPD song is:
— Kathryn VanArendonk (@kvanaren) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: there's simply not any clarity about whether there SHOULD be a godforsaken apostrophe! it changes the meaning if they run the thrice damned department and yet she tells us NOTHING about the leadership
Mariko: the Anjin is concerned about taylor swift pic.twitter.com/Sa5Hz3hHzh
Sadly I’m not a physics person at all but I suppose this is funny to the people who are:
— Chris Ferrie (@csferrie) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: ∇²ψ+(E – U)ψ=0
Mariko: the Anjin says particles can be in two places at once pic.twitter.com/cuGSh8q7Hx
Honestly, Blackthorne might be onto something here:
— aaron. (@ayroned) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: I mean there are 10 Saw movies. Hell, there’s like three Big Fat Greek Weddings and a million Final Destinations, it just seems unacceptable that a movie that made its money back and beloved doesn’t have a sequel
Mariko: The Anjin is upset about The Nice Guys 2 pic.twitter.com/iLJSjlGqKz
Considering the general mood of the show, Blackthorne might not be the only one:
— Tom Reagan’s Hat (@RufusTSuperfly) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: ‘Tell him I've seen Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.’
Mariko: ‘The Anjin says he wants to die’ pic.twitter.com/WI96q0tFXW
This one managed to loop in another iconic meme:
— JRR Jokien (@joshcarlosjosh) April 19, 2024Blackthorn: Hold on hold on hold on. Her sister was a witch right? And what was her sister? A princess, the wicked witch of the east bro. You're gonna look at me and you're gonna tell me that I'm wrong?
Mariko: The Anjin is upset about The Wizard of Oz pic.twitter.com/RRItYtjT3f
And then of course you have the metanarrative take:
— Bitter Script Reader (@BittrScrptReadr) April 19, 2024Blackthorne: Some of these are funny, but the thing that most of you are getting wrong about this meme isn’t just that Mariko summarizes what Blackthorne says, she takes all the teeth out of it and makes it more deferential.
Mariko: The Anjin has enjoyed many of your memes. pic.twitter.com/9vKv2yvk0t
And another one:
— jack t (@jacktla) April 23, 2024BLACKTHORNE: When I speak English in the show, I'm actually speaking Portuguese. Most of the time. Sometimes I speak English and it's meant to be English.
MARIKO: The Anjin wishes to break the fourth wall. pic.twitter.com/muC9ZL4Cgs
(featured image: FX)
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