It's been an exciting year so far with all the new and returning Netflix shows, but things are about to get even better with the release of this upcoming Japanese series on the streaming platform. It's being described as a mix of these two hit shows, Squid Game and Shōgun. I don't know about you, but that sounds like something I definitely don't want to miss!
It's a period drama titled Last Samurai Standing, and it's based on the highly regarded Japanese manga series Ikusagami by Shogo Imamura. Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi, and Toru Yamamoto directed the episodes. In addition, Fujii, Yamaguchi, and Risa Yashiro wrote the scripts. While the exact episode count for the first season remains unknown, it's likely to fall between eight and 10 episodes, which is the typical range for a Netflix series.
An official release date has not been announced yet. However, Netflix has already set a November 2025 release. Of course, we're hoping for an early November release date, but we'll just have to wait and see. During the Next on Netflix event on Feb. 12, the streaming giant unveiled a teaser trailer showcasing all the Japanese content coming to the platform this year. Obviously, Last Samurai Standing was featured, and the brief clips offered a sneak peek at what we can expect from the upcoming period drama. You can check out the teaser below!
Here are the different timestamps in the teaser where clips of Last Samurai Standing is shown.
- 0:10-0:14
- 1:35-1:51
Based on the gripping teaser above, this period drama will be full of action-packed sequences that will surely captivate audiences and keep them on the edge of their seats. We can also see where the Shōgun comparison comes from as the show centers around samurais and is set in a historical time period.
Now, let's get into why this period drama is described as being similar to Squid Game. It all has to do with the plot. Taking place in the late 19th century during the Meiji period, 292 fallen samurais gather together at Kyoto's Tenryuji Temple at nightfall, drawn by the promise of a substantial cash prize of 100 billion yen if they're the last samurai standing in a dangerous game. The series centers on one particular samurai, Shujiro Saga, who joins the game because he needs the money to take care of his sick wife and child. It's the deadly game aspect and the huge cash prize that makes Last Samurai Standing similar to Squid Game.
The show's cast is made up of well-known Japanese actors, such as Junichi Okada, who stars in the leading role of Shujiro Saga. Additionally, Yumia Fujisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Yasushi Fuchikami, Jyo Kairi, Takayuki Yamada, Wataru Ichinose, Riho Yoshioka, Kazunari Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tamaki, and Hideaki Ito are in the cast.
This is all we know about Last Samurai Standing for now. As new information is revealed, such as the release date, we'll be sure to come back and share it. So, stay tuned to Show Snob!