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The FX historical dramaShogunfollows, among others, an English sailor named John Blackthorne, a.k.a.
That struggle to suppress makes her one ofShoguns most complex supporting characters.
Women in this era in Japan werent allowed to say whatever they wanted, Hoshi says through a translator.
But I also think its very human-being-like to keep things to yourself.
What has that experience been like?Before starting, I didnt know what to expect.
During the cast meet-and-greet on Zoom, there were so many people, and everybody was international.
Sanada-san was in Berlin working at that time.
I was a little nervous.
It allowed me to fully trust the production process.
In terms of my experience shooting … there were so many people involved.
Even our crew list felt as thick as a phone book.
Everything was large in scale.
The scale, and obviously the budget, was quite big.
It was such a special experience, and it made me crave more in the future.
Id never done Japanese period films before.
But knowing Sanada-san was checking every detail gave me a great deal of assurance.
So much of this show is about translation, and were even using a translator right now.
Even without many words, it felt clear that there was a mutual respect.
I was practicing English.
My listening is pretty good now I can understand about 70 to 80 percent of what youre saying.
But Im not as confident with my speaking skills.
Hed give me a direction, and I was able to respond with simple English.
Getting into Fujis specific motivations, weve seen her slowly grow to respect John Blackthorne.
Whats been going on in her head the last few episodes?
Thats in her head: Being his consort is a duty that needs to be fulfilled.
Most people refer to him as a barbarian, so Fuji certainly has her prejudices at the beginning.
But as she is forced to get to know him, her prejudice starts to fade.
Even for us in todays world, getting rid of prejudice is not easy.
I see Fuji as a flexible person.
Or, rather, she becomes as such.
Shes also rooting for Mariko and Blackthorne.
So shes kind of hoping something will happen so that Anjin and Mariko can be together.
When I look at myself onscreen, Im like, Whoa, I look emotional.
Emotions are on my face already.
So I dont think I did a very good job keeping to myself.
]I did ask Justin about not just the script, but what Fuji would have thought during filming.
But thats not in the script, so I tried to keep her personality buried as much as possible.
We learn that Fuji doesnt know the truth about how her father died, and thinks he died honorably.
But Fuji would cherish and appreciate the fact that theyre trying to protect her.
Shed think, more so,I have to cherish the people around me.
Is there a potential path through Fujis grief at the end of this story?
What do you imagine for her?Its tricky not to spoil.
When Fuji is first asked to become Anjins consort, she expresses a wish to become a nun instead.
If that is still with her, it could be one possible path.
Regardless, through Mariko and other people Fuji encounters, I hope she can find purpose in life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
