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Subtitles are a funny thing. So small, and yet at times so divisive, from arguing with your middle-aged dad about turning them on during family movie night, to determining if an international film qualifies for a Best Picture nomination or not.
I like to think of interpreting as IRL subtitles. Two people or parties do not speak the same language, and are therefore unable to communicate, but one crucial person in between allows them to understand each other. How well this mediator gets the message across, however, is a purely subjective matter. As a working interpreter and translator myself, I know firsthand how tremendously difficult this can be.
At the forefront of FX’s Shōgun series lies this dilemma. You have John Blackthorne, an Englishman who does not speak or understand a lick of Japanese when he first crashes on Ajiro’s shores, and the Japanese people who are forced to deal with him. Throw in some Portuguese Jesuits, and you really got yourself a multilingual party.
First Things First
Being an American-made series, the primary languages spoken in Shōgun are, of course, English and Japanese (roughly a 40-60 divide by my estimate, respectively). However, at the time no English would have been actually spoken in the Shōgun world. According to Vulture, “when we hear English the characters are either speaking Dutch (Blackthorne to his crew) or Portuguese (Blackthorne to the Japanese soldiers, Lady Mariko, etc.)”.
It’s a complicated blend of many languages (good for Blackthorne for being trilingual), but thankfully the series is simplified into accessible English and period-appropriate Japanese, with accompanying subtitles. On the other hand, this complexity makes the interpreters’ roles all the more impressive. Father Martin Alvito, a Portuguese Jesuit priest, works as a 通事 (tsūji), the official title for an interpreter of the Edo period. Lady Mariko, a high-born noblewoman who serves as the primary interpreter between the Anjin (AKA Blackthorne) and his Japanese counterparts, and Muraji, an Ajiro fisherman who is secretly a samurai and a spy, both speak fluent Portuguese, sourced from their connection to their Christian faith. Their bilingual skills prove to be crucial to Lord Toranaga throughout the series.
How Does Interpreting Work, Exactly?
In the professional world of interpreting, there are two main types: consecutive and simultaneous. Shōgun employs both, although consecutive seems to be the majority. In consecutive interpreting, the interpreter waits until a speaker has finished talking, and then translates the spoken content into the target language, lending itself to a back-and-forth flow between two speakers and the interpreter. This is evident in scenes with Fr. Alvito and Mariko, as they wait for Blackthorne to finish speaking before relaying his words (more or less) to Toranaga and Co.
A particularly masterful scene that shows the beauty (and difficulty) of simultaneous interpreting is in Episode 6, “Ladies of the Willow World”, when Blackthorne and Mariko visit local courtesan Kiku together at the Ajiro teahouse. Sensing the uneasy tension between the two, Kiku tenderly explains what her guests seek when coming to the Willow World: “[an] escape from boredom, pain, hardship or disappointment… this place is about physical pleasure, which it is, but it can be more.”
Intimate Interpreting
As Mariko relays Kiku’s words to Blackthorne, the camera shifts to only focus on Mariko as Kiku fades into a blur in the background. The overlap of their voices also fades and Mariko’s takes over, creating what feels like an intimate, private moment between her and Blackthorne. His long gaze lingers on her as she concludes with “I ask you into my openness. I ask you…”
Using third person vs. first person when interpreting is an oft debated concept, but ultimately is a subjective decision made by the interpreter. Using “I” or “we” instead of “so-so said/is saying…” definitely cuts down on speaking time, but can be confusing or misleading depending on the context of the situation. Throughout Shōgun, Mariko often begins her sentences with “the Anjin-sama says…” or “Toranaga-sama feels as though…”, primarily utilizing the third-person.
However, in the Willow World scene, her switching to a rarely used first person lends itself to a more personalized conversation with Blackthorne. They are Kiku’s words, sure, but Kiku is no fool; she is well aware of the forbidden spark between the two and accordingly offers up a private and safe space for them to share. Mariko also realizes this, the words weighing heavily on her as they leave her lips. Cinematically, it’s a beautiful and heartbreaking scene that emphasizes Mariko and Blackthorne’s unspoken feelings for each other.
Blackthorne’s Bad Words
There are many scenes where Mariko must interpret between Blackthorne and Toranaga, Yabushige, etc., but the way in which she goes about doing so is fascinating to a trained interpreter’s eye. In some cases, she relays everything Blackthorne says with near perfect accuracy, even when his statements conflict with her personal interests (e.g. when he exposes the secret Portuguese base in Macau and their sinister plans to conquer Japan). Other times, she leaves out most of what he is saying, whether it be his particular brand of foul-mouthed insults (understandable) or an embarrassing admission that he doesn’t really have any new knowledge on warfare tactics that he can teach Toranaga’s soldiers.
Mariko is a careful, collected person who doesn’t express a lot of strong emotion to begin with; her interpreting, in a similar manner, is likewise very thoughtful and appropriate. Like a true interpreter, she doesn’t let her own opinions or feelings cloud the message that she relays to the listener. Take the scene in Episode 2 “Servant of Two Masters”, for example. She hesitates at first when Blackthorne drops the Portuguese betrayal bomb, initially refusing to believe that a people so closely tied to her through religion would do something so heinous, but tells Toranaga the truth nonetheless. She is kept honest through her loyalty to her lord.
The Portuguese Jesuits, on the other hand, are much more biased. Although Fr. Alvito is also honest in his interpretation (as backed up by Mariko), the local Catholic priest in Ajiro in Episode 1 is quick to twist Blackthorne’s words into self-serving lies, demanding that the Anjin be immediately put to death. These cracks in truthful and accurate interpreting lead to a more interesting and nuanced portrayal of the skill throughout the series.
Mariko Memes
Throughout Shōgun’s run, a variety of memes have graced the Internet, many of which focus on either clowning on Yabushige or Certified White Guy In Japan™ Blackthorne. As a qualified meme connoisseur, these are truly some of the best Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have had to offer as of late (I hate that stupid “look between your keyboard” trend with a passion). Arguably, the best and most popular meme format to come out of this is the “the Anjin is…” Mariko meme. See my personal favorite one below:
Although Mariko’s interpreting skills ultimately become the butt of the joke, these memes raise a good point: while Blackthorne rants and raves about something or other most of the time, many of his words go untranslated by Mariko when she relays his message to Toranaga. Why? Because she likes to get straight to the point.
It’s not so much a reflection of Mariko’s interpreting ability, but rather emphasizes her competency to skillfully only repeat information that really matters to the listener. Blackthorne loves to go on about how much he hates the Portuguese and wants to fight them, but this personal preference is unfortunately not of much significance to Toranaga, who knows better than to wage all-out war on the wealthy and weaponized Portuguese. Mariko understands that being concise is of far more importance than correctly interpreting every word, the mark of a truly talented interpreter.
When asked if she had seen the aforementioned memes during an interview with Vulture, Shōgun’s associate producer, language consultant, press kit translator, and interview interpreter (what can’t this woman do?!) Eriko Miyagawa stated that she had indeed.
“I think sometimes interpreters are diplomats. I’m often involved with hiring and placing interpreters who work on set. Not only do they need to be skilled interpreters, but I think more importantly they need to be a good diplomat and be able to mediate as needed, to move things forward. For better or worse, it’s part of the job.”
-Eriko Miyagawa
Conclusion
Interpreting is a fickle thing. Some people excel at vocabulary, but struggle with making a statement sound more personal and less robotic; others don’t do so well with technical terminology but have great people skills. Shōgun does an excellent job approaching this difficult field, showing the way words can be twisted and how sometimes less is more. As someone who can understand both English and Japanese, it’s been very engaging to compare what is spoken with the subtitles that are provided (no, they aren’t always the same).
Even if you don’t speak both languages, Shōgun nonetheless consists of excellent worldbuilding and character development. The language barrier between Blackthorne and the inhabitants of the strange new land he crashes on yields a more richly developed setting, one that is for sure worth watching in any language.
Photos are property of FX.
Olivia Snyder is a Japanese-American trilingual interpreter and translator from Ohio. She currently lives in Japan working as a Coordinator of International Relations.
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