Reviews

I'm not familiar with the book, so I will evaluate the show on its own after having watched it all twice.

I think it has one of the strongest starts of any series I've ever watched. The writing starts off very strong, and the cinematography, attention to detail, set pieces, costumes, music, acting, everything is so incredibly top notch that its breathtaking.

All of that remains the case throughout the show, except for the story.

Everything about this show is a buildup towards the last episode, where the grand plan of the true central character is revealed. All the intrigue, all the machinations, all the politics, it all is building up to something. The show does a good job of keeping you interested and curious for answers, but those answers are also what the entire show's writing hinges upon.

And they are not answered well at all. Furthermore, the climax of the story... happens after the series ends! One of the most famous battles in Japanese history is merely mentioned. The ultimate plan of the main character does not even come to fruition, nor is it explained how his plan even made sense. To the degree we got answers, they dont even make sense.

Overall, I did not expect to say this about what seems to be a faithful novel adaption... But the writing is by far the weakest part. Perhaps they could have taken more liberties in adapting a book that perhaps was great in transporting us to Medieval Japan, but was overall lacking in proper story structure.

I'm not sure what exactly the future of this series is - will the next seasons be about Ottomans, other empires, or will there not even be more seasons? Regardless, this first season could more aptly have been named the Siege of Constantinople, as it is almost all about that famed siege. Good thing too, because 6 episodes seems to be the perfect length for depicting the siege in full. And the series is very well paced, although some of the flashback scenes feel a bit too long.

The siege itself is exceptionally well depicted. The budget was either very high, or very well used, because the quality of the CGI, the sets, and the costumes is simply superb, and the actors too are brilliant. The show doesn't quite bias towards one side. If there is a bias, there is a bias against realism. Both sides are depicted in a more positive light than should be. The Genoans and Venetians were far less scheming than they were in real life, and the mercenaries defending the city more adept and brave than they truly were. Conversely, the show also glosses over the Ottoman plundering of the city. But apart from that criticism, I can't really find anything I disliked about the depiction of the siege itself. I also really appreciated that the show stressed the importance of it - the demise of the 1500 year old Empire, giving birth to one that would last nearly 500 years more.

I'm not sure I quite like the docudrama style of storytelling. I think it is a tad lazy compared to just telling a story through actors. But that is a minor issue I have with an otherwise excellent depiction of a legendary siege.