Critics are hailing newly released historical Japanese drama as the next Game of Thrones

People are calling a newly released Japanese drama the 'new Game of Thrones'.

It's hard to imagine anything could compare to the iconic show, but the new FX series could be the closest yet.

The 10-episode drama started this week and is an adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel.

FX

Set in Japan in the 17th century, Shōgun follows events that take place after the death of the Taiko - aka the ruler of Japan.

With his heir still underage, a council is assembled to rule the country, but things go wrong very quickly.

The series follows John Blackthorne (played by Cosmo Jarvis), who is an English pilot washed ashore in the region.

After becoming stranded, he is entangled in the complex politics of the era.

The show, which dropped on FX this week, also stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira. You can watch the trailer below:

Since the series landed, it's been receiving heaps of praise from both viewers and critics.

Rolling Stone's chief TV critic Alan Sepinwall said that Shōgun 'operates on a scale much closer to Game of Thrones than to anything FX has done in the past'.

Meanwhile, one person wrote on X: "Watch Shogun, thank me later," while another said it felt like 'the next big thing'.

Another added: "Shogun is so interesting.. this is what I call drama. Rating is damn 9.3 for 2 eps.. love it."

And a third said: "#shogun is a darn good show ...you think #GameOfThrones was brutal?!"

"Shogun on Disney+ is terrific. Two episodes in, hooked," added a fourth.

Meanwhile, over on Rotten Tomatoes and the show has a 95 percent audience score and 99 percent on the tomatometer, which represents the positive critic reviews.

FX

One wrote: "First 2 episodes are great. Enjoyed every minute. If the rest of the season is as good, it will become one of the best TV shows out there. Every actor is perfect in their role."

Another added: "The first two episodes were amazing. The show reminds me a lot of GoT and Toranaga is basicly Ned (hope he doesn't have the same end) but I won’t say that it would be a bad thing.

"I can’t wait to see the rest of the series for I love the drama and the tension it creates around its story and characters."

The first two episodes are now available on on FX and Hulu, and Disney+ in the UK.