In 1878, the era of samurai came to an end. Swords were banned, the class system collapsed, and Japanese warriors became relics of a vanished era. Step into this world with The Last Samurai Standing, Netflix Japan’s most ambitious historical series to date. An epic survival epic in which 292 former samurai are drawn into a dangerous contest for a 100 billion yen prize and a chance to regain their honor.
The project will be led by Junichi Okada, who will serve as the lead actor, producer, and action choreographer. “It was extremely difficult,” he told Variety. “As an actor, you have to be selfish. As a producer, you think about budgets and logistics, and that uses a completely different part of your brain. But when I read this script, I knew right away: This is the script.”
Okada plays Shujiro Saga, a once feared assassin who participates in a brutal tournament known as Kodoku in order to save his ailing wife and child. The story begins at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto. There, 292 participants will gather for the first battle. This massive all-night mayhem takes place without any digital processing. “Everyone on that battlefield was part of the cast or action team,” Okada says. “We stayed up all night filming for days. It was tiring but unforgettable.”
This series, which is based on the novel “Ikusami” by Naoki Prize-winning author Shogo Imamura, reunites directors Okada and Fujii Michihito since they worked together on “Hard Days.” Director Fujii, known for his Japan Academy Award-winning film “Faceless,” brings grounded realism and emotional intensity to the large-scale action film. “We believed that by injecting our unique Japanese spirit and aesthetic into the story and action, we could resonate with audiences around the world,” he says.
The show comes at a time when audiences around the world are embracing ambitious Asian epics like “Shogun” and “The Squid Game.” Netflix Japan’s head of content, Kaata Sakamoto, cited these titles when announcing the film, but Okada emphasized that the project is independent. “I like both shows, and I’m happy to be compared to such successful productions,” he says. “However, what is overwhelmingly different this time is that we are making an action drama set in a Japanese historical drama.”
Fujii sees the collapse of the samurai during the Meiji period as a metaphor for identity in a period of transition. “Tradition survives through innovation,” he explains. “Our generation wanted to reinterpret the heritage of period dramas with respect, but at the same time with an energy that said, “This is cool,” Okada said. “I’ve always wondered why period dramas have become something that only older generations watch.As time has gone on, period dramas have become more about tradition than entertainment.The real challenge was to find human stories that connect past and present.”
Production designer Yui Miyamori repeatedly introduced the motif of leaf veins, symbolizing fate and fragility, appearing throughout the series from ceremonial backgrounds to costume textures. The ensemble cast includes Hideaki Ito, Kazunari Ninomiya, Riho Yoshioka, Kaya Kiyohara, and notable newcomer Yumia Fujisaki. Acclaimed actor Hiroshi Abe (Trick, I Wish, Godzilla 2000 Millennium) joins the lineup as Gentosai Okabe, a towering and mysterious figure with long white hair and a sinister presence. Okabe, who is feared as a “monster” by the other participants, further disrupts the precarious balance of the game.
Filmed on an unprecedented scale for a Japanese series, The Last Samurai Standing combines visceral swordplay realism with emotional storytelling. Director Okada looks back on it as follows. “When my character finally broke through Tenryuji, I felt that our long journey had just begun, both in story and as filmmakers.”
The Last Samurai Standing will premiere worldwide on Netflix on November 13th.
