Imagine if the legendary Squid Game were to be combined with the fantastic Shōgun. Maybe you then come close to the treats we're in store for with Netflix's new Last Samurai Standing show.
Arriving on one of the best streaming services later this year, this new show will be readily available to enjoy for Netflix subscribers. The catch? You'll have to wait until 13 November, which is when Last Samurai Standing debuts.
Netflix has just dropped the first official trailer of this genre-bending future hit and, as you can see below in the trailer, it looks set to be bloody brilliant – emphasis on the bloody.
Last Samurai Standing trailer
The six-episode series is based on the Ikusagami novels by Shōgo Imamura, which tells of a live-action battle royale between 292 samurai. Each is fighting to survive, as the last one standing will be awarded a 100 billion Yen prize. That's over a £500-million equivalent pot – which is insane.
The show is set in the Meiji era, a time when samurai were starting to be phased out – creating a survival need that helps create even more tension and excitement in the show.
Junichi Okada, a former Japanese boy band singer and voice artist for Studio Ghibli movie From Up on Poppy Hill, stars. He is also known for his action choreography and, as a creative director here, I'm excited to see just how good this passion project can be.
When is Last Samurai Standing out?
The show's first two episodes are due to appear at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, with plenty of buzz around the first three episodes being akin to a major movie production.
Director, Michihito Fujii, is known for the critically acclaimed The Journalist and popular Netflix hit movie The Last 10 Years. He'll be able to work his magic with a supporting cast that includes Gaku Hamada, famed for working on Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima, and Hiroshi Tamaki, AKA the villain in Manga movie Golden Kamuy.
All that looks set to make for a truly enthralling and exciting new samurai series that I, for one, can't wait to enjoy. While this doens't land until November 13, however, in the meantime there are lots of great shows to watch on Netflix in September.
