I do not really have that much words about this: it's just a good show.
I have not read original book(s) and I saw some glimpses of the original show when I was like 5 or something, so only thing I really remember about it is "it was bright and colorful". Definitely not like this modern adaptation, which is dark both in terms of narrative, images and lighting. That "darkness" made the show feel "real".
I am not talking about the show (and books) being based on real life events, though. I am talking about the overall feel of the events and emotions portrayed by the characters and some sense... I do not know, fatalism? I wonder if this is just part of Japanese culture, though, since they do have a somewhat special view on death (and life). Mariko's character in last 2 episodes kind of cemented this feeling, and then a single phrase from Toronaga in the last episode made it monumental for me.
So I do recommend trying this show. It also has good soundtrack, and it is one of the few modern shows that embraces "dirty frame". I think my 2 main complains are that Blackthorne learnt Japanese a bit too quickly, or at least is shown understanding it way too often, and that there were places where people were supposed to be speaking Spanish (if I understood correctly), but English was spoken.
