I've been eagerly watching "Shogun" on Disney+, a standout in the current landscape where authentic period dramas are becoming increasingly rare. "Shogun" distinguishes itself with the grand scale of Hollywood and a depiction of Japan that feels more genuine than traditional Hollywood renditions. While there are moments that feel slightly off, the series as a whole can be considered a high-quality piece of entertainment.
However, while watching the sixth episode, the settings somehow switched to English subtitles, and during a scene where the samurai were rallying before a battle, their shout of "ei, ei, oh" was subtitled as "samurai chanting”, then “samurai cheering”. This translation felt a bit misplaced to me; perhaps “battle cry" would have been more apt.
Interestingly, this shout is still used today in Japan, at events like sports days and election campaign kick-offs, serving as a rallying cry. Yet, despite its familiarity, the actual meaning of the shout had always eluded me. Wondering if it might be onomatopoeic, I decided to do a bit of research.
It turns out that the shout can be written in kanji as "鋭、鋭、応," which was a revelation to me. "鋭" connotes pressing forward and encouragement, while "応" suggests responding or rallying. Indeed, when the general shouts "ei, ei," and the troops respond with "oh," it symbolizes unity and the collective will to march forward.
What's revolutionary about this series, however, is the use of Japanese actors speaking in Japanese, with subtitles for translation. This can largely be attributed to Hiroyuki Sanada, who serves as both lead actor and producer, marking a new horizon for Hollywood portrayals. This shift in Hollywood reflects a greater respect for different cultures in our current era. (Though, if we're being meticulous, nobody conversed in English back then, the main foreign language was Portuguese.)