The budding romance between Blackthorne and Lady Mariko continues with a surprise twist in Shōgun episode 5. After his return, John Blackthorne challenges Toda Buntaro to a fight but he refuses. Is Buntaro afraid of Blackthorne?
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for Shōgun episode 5, so proceed with caution.
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Who is Toda Buntaro?
Toda Buntaro Hirokatsu (Shinnosuke Abe) is the husband of Lady Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai). In real life, Buntaro is based on Hosokawa Tadaoki.
In Shōgun, Buntaro is the faithful samurai of Lord Toranaga (played by Hiroyuki Sanada).
In the previous episode, it was assumed that Buntaro had died after he sacrificed himself so that Toranaga could escape to Edo.
With his presumed demise, the budding romance between John Blackthorne (played by Cosmo Jarvis) and Lady Mariko finally comes to fruition.
But in episode 5, Buntaro makes a surprise return with his lord. Along with it, he is forced to live in the same house as the "Anjin". This is so Mariko could fulfill her duty as Blackthorne's translator and Buntaro's wife.
When he learns this, Buntaro is visibly furious. Even though he hasn't met Blackthorne, he likens living with him to living with a monkey at a zoo.
It also doesn't help that Buntaro's niece, Fuji (Moeka Hoshi), tells him that Blackthorne enjoys being with other women. Considering Mariko is the only female in the house, Buntaro is fuming.
Why Buntaro Refused to Fight Blackthorne
The tension between Buntaro and Blackthorne leads to a sake-drinking contest. Buntaro then shows off by shooting an arrow a few centimeters from his wife's face.
He fires another arrow that splits the first in half.
Later in the night, Buntaro beats up his wife in a stupor and escapes. When Blackthorne learns this, he goes outside and shouts his nemesis' name; which leads to a glaring contest outside.
Buntaro then removes his sword and thinks of committing seppuku. But after that, he changes his mind and apologizes to everyone, including Blackthorne. He blames his behavior on his drunken state.
RELATED: Did Mariko Love Her Husband in Shōgun? Mariko-Buntaro Marriage Explained
Does Buntaro Fear Blackthorne?
Many are wondering if Buntaro is afraid of Blackthorne. Although this was not specifically answered in the episode, we can assume that Buntaro was being mindful of his actions as a samurai.
He knows fully well that Lord Toranaga had plans for Blackthorne. If he were to kill Blackthorne, he would get himself on the bad side of his Lord.
He also realizes that he has dishonored Blackthorne's home with his actions, which is why he refuses to pick up his sword and fight him.
In our take, it wasn't because Buntaro was afraid of Blackthorne. Instead, it was his code of honor as a samurai that stopped him from fighting Blackthorne.
Was Buntaro right to have stopped himself from fighting against Blackthorne? Sound off in the comments!