Netflix on Monday (September 8) unveiled the teaser of its upcoming Japanese epic, Last Samurai Standing. The battle royale sequence, based mostly on the ‘Ikusagami’ sequence of novels by Shogo Imamura (printed by Kodansha Bunko), is ready to premiere on the streamer on November 13.
The thrilling teaser exhibits us glimpses of a interval drama, described as “Shōgun meets Squid Game,” in which 300 samurai warriors are pit towards each other in a brutal battle for survival at Kyoto’s Tenryuji Temple, with a staggering 100 billion yen prize at stake
“Set in the late 19th century during the Meiji period, Last Samurai Standing thrusts viewers into a relentless life-and-death game. At nightfall, 292 warriors — including lead character Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada) — gather at Kyoto’s Tenryuji Temple, each lured by the promise of a massive cash prize. Each donning a single wooden tag, participants must steal the tags of their rivals and race to Tokyo to claim victory. As the signal sounds, the temple erupts into chaos, launching a brutal fight for survival where only one can stand victorious,” reads the logline.
Apart from Okada, the sequence additionally boasts a formidable ensemble, together with Yumia Fujisaka, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Yasushi Fuchikami, Kairi Jo, Takayuki Yamada, Wataru Ichinose, Riho Yoshioka, Kazunari Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tamaki, and Hideaki Ito.
With the teaser, the streamer additionally introduced a brand new set of forged members: Gaku Hamada, Taiiku Okazaki, Arata Iura, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Ayumu Nakajima.
Billed as a “game-changer for the Japanese serial drama industry,” the six-episode sequence is written by Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi, and Risa Yashiro. Fujii and Yamaguchi additionally direct the sequence together with Toru Yamamoto. With music scored by Takashi Ohmama, the sequence has cinematography by Keisuke Imamura and Hiroki Yamada.
