Missing Squid Game? Netflix's Last Samurai Standing Might Be Your Fix
You know that itch for a high-stakes survival story - the kind that makes you grip the couch and forget your phone exists? Netflix's new Japanese series Last Samurai Standing taps right into that. It's brutal, fast, and - honestly - kind of gorgeous to look at.
And here's the spark: the show just landed a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Early days, yes, but a clean sweep from the first six critics puts it squarely on the radar for anyone who lives on weekly TV buzz.
See the early score on Rotten Tomatoes
What's Driving the Hype
Last Samurai Standing is based on Shogo Imamura's manga, and the pitch is sharp: 292 samurai enter a deadly tournament in the Meiji era. Winner takes 100 billion yen. Everyone else… doesn't make it home.
It's easy to see why people keep calling it a mash-up of Squid Game and Shōgun. The series leans into ruthless survival beats and pairs them with a period setting that feels lived-in - mud, rain, the steam off steel when blades collide. It's not subtle about the violence. It's not trying to be.
What the Show Actually Is
At the center is Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada (movies and tv series)), a samurai fighting for something painfully simple: money for his sick wife and child. That motive grounds the chaos when the battle royale kicks off and the bodies start falling.
The production goes big on scale - crowds, armor, weather - and it pays off. You can feel the weight of the setting without the show slowing down to admire it.
Early Praise - And The Nits
Critics are backing the action. Several note the fights come in hard and clean, with a pace that keeps you locked in. The period detail helps sell the stakes, and the visuals do a lot of heavy lifting when the swords come out.
The pushback? Some say the themes feel dated in spots, and the characters skew simple. Not deal breakers, more like trade-offs - clarity over complexity, momentum over introspection. For a survival thriller, that tracks.
Season 2? Here's The Read
The manga is ongoing with four volumes so far, which gives Netflix room to move. But the streamer hasn't confirmed Last Samurai Standing season 2 yet. If you've watched Netflix for more than a month, you know the drill: it'll come down to how many people finish the show in the next few weeks - and how loud the conversation gets.
Quick Facts
- Now streaming: All six episodes on Netflix
- Source material: Manga by Shogo Imamura
- Setting: Meiji era Japan; 292 samurai fight for 100 billion yen
- Lead: Junichi Okada as Shujiro Saga
- Also stars: Yumia Fujisaki (movies and tv series), Kaya Kiyohara (movies and tv series), Hiroshi Tamaki (movies and tv series), Hideaki Itō
- Creators: Written by Kento Yamaguchi and Michihito Fujii; co-directed with Toru Yamamoto
- Buzz: Early 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on six reviews)
Bottom line
If you've been waiting for a sharp, bloody survival series to fill that Squid Game-shaped space in your watchlist, this is it. Maybe the character work isn't deep enough for everyone. But the craft, the momentum, and the hook? Strong enough to keep you up late. And maybe straight into a second season, if the numbers hit.
