Anna Sawai Admits to 'Tearing Up' When She Talks About Her 'Shōgun' Character Long After Filming (Exclusive)

"As a Japanese person it was important that we were bringing more authenticity if we were going to redo it," the actress said of the FX miniseries

Anna Sawai is not ready to let go of her Shōgun character.

During an appearance on PEOPLE in 10, the actress, 31, chatted about her experience playing Toda Mariko, a poised and mysterious woman who serves as the translator for Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), on the FX series.

"I thought that I had kind of let her go the moment that I wrapped because the next day, I had to go on to a different project, but when we started doing press for Shōgun before its release, I saw how much I was still carrying because I couldn't talk about certain scenes or the character without tearing up," said Sawai.

Related: The Best TV Shows on Hulu to Stream Now

"It's also such a special time because the cherry blossom petals are now falling, and people probably know the quote that she says, which is 'Flowers are only flowers because they fall,' and I think it's such a Mariko thing for her to kind of be released now," she added.

The FX series is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, which was previously made into a miniseries in 1980.

Speaking about her thoughts about the prior adaptation, she said it served as an "introduction" to the character's story, but she admitted that she has not watched it after being "instructed not to."

Related: Adam Scott Confirms Severance Season 2 Has Wrapped as He Praises Director Ben Stiller's 'Superpowers' (Exclusive)

"As a Japanese person it was important that we were bringing more authenticity if we were going to redo it," she added.

Sawai expressed that TV viewers should "definitely watch" the show since it offers "a good glimpse into Japanese history, culture, and our people" in a way that's "different from what we know today."

Before the miniseries premiered in February, she echoed similar sentiments while sharing a teaser on Instagram.

"Another show I've been waiting to share… Shōgun. Mariko's journey is so dear to my heart.
And while I'm quite nervous to share my version of her with you, I cannot wait for our show to be passed on to your hands," Sawai wrote in November 2023.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Shōgun is now streaming on Hulu.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.