When FX’s ambitious new historical drama Shōgun premiered earlier this year, viewers likely noticed something unique about the presentation of the show’s subtitles. According to the series’ co-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, this was no accident – the team behind Shōgun put meticulous thought and care into designing the subtitles to enhance the viewing experience.
“Too often, as filmmakers, we like to pretend the subtitles don’t exist,” Marks explained. “But we can’t do that. So we have to put these words on screen — and if we’re going to do that, let’s not make that an afterthought anymore.”
With Shōgun featuring a significant amount of dialogue in Japanese, the subtitles play a crucial role in immersing the English-speaking audience in the story. Marks and Kondo were determined to avoid the “museum dust” that can sometimes settle over period pieces, instead aiming for a more urgent and dynamic presentation of the translated text.
“We wanted to get to an urgency that was a little different,” Marks said. “That meant a ton of tiny changes the viewer might not think too hard about, but that we put in place specifically to engage the audience.”
One key decision was the font used for the subtitles. Rather than opting for a more traditional, understated style, Marks and the Shōgun team looked to the world of science fiction for inspiration.
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“‘Let’s look to science fiction,'” Marks recalls saying. “And there was a font in the original 1977 Star Wars that was used for a couple of lines, and we found this font that seemed vaguely similar enough to it, which was also large enough to be read — which was probably what Lucas’ intent was, to make sure it could be read by young Europeans.”
The bold, impactful font not only helps the subtitles stand out on screen, but also evokes a sense of propulsiveness that Marks felt was crucial to matching the tone and urgency of Shōgun’s narrative. Additionally, the team paid close attention to the placement of the subtitles, positioning them closer to the middle of the frame to minimize the “dive” between the actors’ eyes and the text.
“We were shooting on these beautiful anamorphic lenses, and spherical, to get the audience real close to faces,” Marks explained. “And instead of a font that felt like we pulled it out of our grandparents’ dustbin and put it on screen, [we wanted] something that would just suddenly cue the audience that we’re after something else.”
Marks sees Shōgun’s thoughtful approach to subtitles as part of a broader trend in modern filmmaking and television. He cites Marvel’s use of “cool fonts” as inspiring a new generation to be more accepting of subtitled content, alongside the increasing availability of international and translated stories for global audiences.
“We’re just one of many productions that seems to see this sort of accessibility as part of the overall presentation of art,” Marks said. With its striking subtitle design drawing inspiration from the original Star Wars, Shōgun offers a viewing experience that elevates the translated text into an integral component of the storytelling.
