Associate producer and writer Caillin Puente discusses the importance of Ochiba-no-kata in Shogun and her veiled political motivations.
Shōgun writer and associate producer Caillin Puente breaks down Ochiba and her political motivations in the hit FX historical drama. Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, Shōgun is an adaptation of James Clavell’s novel of the same name, which chronicles the arrival of an English sailor to Japan and his entanglement in a vicious struggle for power among a group of elites. The series, which has been a hit among audiences and critics, has an array of memorable and complex characters, including Fumi Nikaido’s Ochiba-no-kata, who plays an important role in episode 6, “Ladies of the Willow World.”
On the most recent episode of the official Shōgun podcast (via FX Networks), writer Puente explains Ochiba’s role in Shōgun episode 6, touching on how her past has shaped her into the mysterious figure she is depicted as in the series.
Puente also touches on the history between Ochiba and Anna Sawai’s Mariko, teasing that there is still more to be revealed about the former character and her true intentions. Check out her full comment below:
“I think that it’s really useful in this episode that we meet Ochiba and Mariko when they’re children, and we see this evolution of her character along with Mariko. Because we are kind of keeping her at arm’s length compared to how much of Mariko’s interiority that we’re getting.
“And with Ochiba, I think this really helps us understand the mask that she’s created, that she’s had to create because of the position she’s in stemming from her father being this controversial, really violent warlord, to all the people are trying to control her in her life. We don’t always have access to her intentions. And we see just this meticulously crafted facade that she has worked really hard to put in place to maintain some sort of control and power in her life.
“So I think that getting to see that evolution, even though we’re not seeing all of it, we don’t know fully what’s behind it yet, I think that is really important to understand about her, is so much of her effort is going into this facade.
“But I do think we kind of discount some of the women in this time period. And she is a really interesting example of someone who historically and in the show had a really significant political sway. She’s probably the most powerful woman in Japan at this time.”
Ochiba Will Be A Crucial Character In Shōgun Moving Forward
Why Ochiba Wants Lord Toranaga Dead
Ochiba remains the only woman to have produced a male heir for the Taikō, a task which is alluded to have been most unpleasant. Also revealed in the latest episode is that Mariko’s father, Akechi Jinsai, is responsible for the death of Ochiba’s. Ochiba’s tragic past has evidently made her into a cunning and ruthless leader, and she is poised to clash with Hiroyuki Sanada’s Toranaga and Mariko in the episodes to come.
As seen in episode 6, Ochiba is determined to kill Toranaga because she believes him ultimately responsible for the death of her father. So far, her political machinations have mostly included manipulating the Shōgun cast of characters on the Council of Regents to vote to impeach Toranaga. Things are poised to become much more violent, moving forward, however, with Toranaga’s decision to enact Crimson Sky, a plan to storm Osaka Castle and form a new government.
A confrontation or full-circle moment is almost certainly on the cards for Ochiba and Mariko, which is made all the more tragic considering the pair were once close friends. Some sort of showdown with Toranaga, too, is likely to come. It remains to be seen how the remaining episodes of Shōgun play out, but things are evidently heating up now that Ochiba has become a more central character in the fight for power.
