Age of Samurai on Netflix...

[Voodoochild]

Just finished it today and man it was a great series. At the end it was hard to keep up with who was who and allied to who. But overall really well done series and I enjoyed it. Are there any books on Nobunaga and his military tactics? Or on any of them to be honest some of them really had some serious strategy.

[SteyrAUG]

Just finished it today and man it was a great series. At the end it was hard to keep up with who was who and allied to who. But overall really well done series and I enjoyed it. Are there any books on Nobunaga and his military tactics? Or on any of them to be honest some of them really had some serious strategy.

https://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Steph...ks%2C-1&sr=1-3

https://www.amazon.com/Sengoku-Jidai...s%2C604&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Samur...s%2C604&sr=1-2

For general reading on the net, search:

Minamoto Yoritomo
Kamakura / Bakufu
Sengoku Period / Wars
Sekigahara
Meiji Period

You can find a few decent books on Oda Nobunaga, but honestly you just watched one of the most comprehensive and concise presentations on the subject.

Stephen Turnbull's book "The Samurai: A Military History" is probably the go to standard in English and still the best starting point for any in depth research. Also look around I'm sure it's been reprinted and you can find copies a bit more affordable than $60.

[duece71]

I have watched one episode and plan to finish it as soon as I have time. I still have to finish Cobra Kai. Lol.

[Esq.]

Watched it over 2 evenings. Seemed very well done and I feel like I have a much better understanding of Japan and it's history now.

[SteyrAUG]

Watched it over 2 evenings. Seemed very well done and I feel like I have a much better understanding of Japan and it's history now.

That is the series single greatest virtue. Japanese names, places and events are alien to us not because we can't understand them but because we can't pronounce them and remember them as easily as things like Thermopylae. So we have mostly been taught "pick and choose" Japanese history of events we deem significant.

And while the names and relationships can still be daunting, because Japanese isn't as easy to remember as things related to European events, this serious put them in chronological order and explains them in relatable ways.

Watch it again after a month and you will grab a few things you missed the first time around and names and faces will have a better fit.

[duece71]

Look for the movie “13 Assassins”. Definitely worth a watch.

[jbjh]

Look for the movie “13 Assassins”. Definitely worth a watch.

That movie is amazing! The director, Takashi Miike, has done some truly bizarre movies since then. Find “Yakuza Apocalypse” and give it a watch. It’s weird on a level that’s hard to describe.


Sent from 80ms in the future

[SteyrAUG]

Look for the movie “13 Assassins”. Definitely worth a watch.

One of the few remakes of classic 1960's chanbara that is as good or better than the original. If anyone wants to go deep into samurai mindset find the 1962 film "Harakiri", avoid at all costs the remake starring Keanu Reeves...despite the technical assistance of Stephen Turnbull...it's one of the worst films or remakes of a classic film related to anything samurai.

Another wonderful film is "Chushingura" aka The 47 Ronin with the 1962 version directed by Inagaki being the best. Again, there is sadly a Keanu Reeves remake that is absolutely terrible, even worse than Tom Cruise's "The Last Samurai" and that is a pretty dismal film. There is a two part version made in 1941 that is interesting as Japanese military propaganda and rather than tell the classic story of duty, honor and revenge they made a film emphasizing the noble concept of self sacrifice...nearly every character in the film tries to die for some greater good. It's pretty appalling in the context of the beginning of the wider Pacific War.

[Honu]

That was mostly the result of their last true Emperor, and I don't mean Hirohito, I mean MacArthur. It's really his only notable contribution to the way, the complete pacification of postwar Japan. They needed an angry god so we sent them one.

Yeah
And nothing wrong with what they were I do think at the times it was just how it was

I find it very fascinating for sure and I do love how it seems the true high level ones were very into the art of it if you want to say the ceremony the ritual the dedication etc...

[Honu]

Make no mistake though. The "common" people were never the brutal ones to begin with. That is what is being seen today. Look deeper and see the yakuza and the brutality is very much still alive. It is just on the back burner due to circumstance.

Yeah kinda what SteyrAUG said and my input is so hard to compare to today just like the fathers of our country would shock many today if we hung out with them

For sure the brutality is alive today and one of the things about them is the dedication they still have the patriotism they still have the ritual the culture that is kept for the most part
which is fine or maybe to say understood as everyone should be proud of their own country but times change
Seen a few shows on the Yakuza that were interesting one was about the car culture they have and participate in

Agree on the racism SteyrAUG said BIG TIME Quite a few of my friends who are Japanese will say they are very racist in a polite way

I do plan on getting over there in a few years after kids are in college etc.. and spend a few years though just to live take in the culture as it intrigues me so much both the good and the bad of it