Netflix just released the first teaser for their new Last Samurai Standing series that promises to be the streamer’s answer to Shogun as an awesome historical drama.
Shogun’s incredible success makes past Japan stories a bigger deal for streamers and networks. Netflix is the first to jump on this bandwagon with the teaser for Last Samurai Standing, which is basically what happens when you cross Shogun with Squid Game and toss in some Battle Royale to boot!
All about Last Samurai Standing
Based on Shogo Imamura’s award-winning Ikusagami novels, Last Samurai Standing is set in the Meiji period of the late 19th century. This was a time when Japan was becoming more “modernized” and a culture clash between the older clans and the new rulers.
The teaser sets things up as 292 of the best warriors in Japan are gathered together and offered a grand cash prize of 100 billion yen (close to $7 million today). The rules: Each has a single wooden tag and must snatch as many of the tags of opposing players while running to Tokyo. Whoever reaches the capital with the most tags wins. The losers? Well, that’s where it gets bloody.
The official synopsis reads:
“Set in the late 19th century during the Meiji period, Last Samurai Standing takes place at the Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto. Come nightfall, 292 skilled warriors gather, lured by the promise of a grand prize of 100 billion yen. Among them is our protagonist, Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), who enters this dangerous game with one goal: to save his ailing wife and child.”
Starring in the lead as Saga is Junichi Okada, which fits as Imamura (who is a producer on the series) shared that he wrote the character with Okada in mind.
“I wrote Ikusagami with the intention of making a historical novel that could be enjoyed worldwide. When Netflix approached me, I was overjoyed. And having Junichi Okada in the lead role was a dream come true, as I had envisioned him as Shujiro while writing,” Imamura stated.
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The cast is a who’s-who of Japanese talent that includes Fujisaka Yumia, Kiyohara Kaya, Higashide Masahiro, Sometani Shota, Saotome Taichi, Endo Yuya, Fuchikami Yasushi, Jo Kairi, Yamada Takayuki, Ichinose Wataru, Yoshioka Riho, Ninomiya Kazunari, Tamaki Hiroshi, Gaku Hamada, Arata Iura, Tetsushi Tanaka, Takaaki Enoki, Yuya Matsuura, Satoru Matsuo, Toshihiro Yashiba, Daisuke Kuroda, Mitsuo Yoshihara, Ryudo Uzaki, and Ito Hideaki.
The teaser promises some truly wild action on an epic scale, with hundreds of fighters going at it, a frenetic race across Japan, and samurai facing an army with guns. The six-episode series looks to be a new Netflix sensation and likely the first of many projects trying to capture the Shogun flavor.
The Shogun effect
A classic rule in television is that when something becomes a hit, there are going to be a lot of shows trying to copy the success. So it’s no surprise that some streamers want to capture the same vibe of FX’s Shogun.
The adaptation of the James Clavell novel (already made into a miniseries in 1980) was one of the biggest hits of 2024. The drama set in 16th-century Japan was hailed for its production, acting, and amazing themes. That was proven by its dominance at the Emmys and other awards. To top it off, FX renewed the series for a second season.
Last Samurai Standing premieres on Nov. 13 on Netflix.