Shogun (2024)

Shōgun shattered expectations by winning 18 Emmy Awards in 2024, including Outstanding Drama Series, while featuring 70% of its dialogue in Japanese—a barrier no previous American prestige show had crossed. This historical epic, set in feudal Japan before the first Shogunate, depicts a world as mythological and distant as any invented realm in The Sandman, yet grounds its fantasy in real 17th-century political chaos. The performances of Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, who collectively earned 4 acting nominations, elevate the series above typical historical dramas, with battle sequences costing 30% more than the average TV episode. Though technically not fantasy, Shōgun's atmospheric depth and cultural specificity make it as compelling as any magical realm, earning a 99% critics' score that outperforms #7 on this list.