A new series from Netflix sounds like Squid Game, but with 292 samurai

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Netflix has announced that it will produce the series “Last Samurai Standing”. a “battle royale” in samurai Japan. The series is based on an award-winning novel from 2021. However, the main actor Junichi Oakada fell in love with the manga. The plot of the series sounds like the Netflix hit Squid Game, but with samurai.

What kind of plot is this?

  • The award-winning novel “Ikusagami” by Shogo Inamura was also adapted into a manga.
  • The story takes place in the late 19th century on the way from Kyoto to Tokyo. 292 talented warriors, masterless samurai, are lured to a temple with the promise of enormous wealth, where the death game begins. In today’s currency it’s about 600 million euros.
  • However, the huge reward turns out to be a bait that lures the samurai into a trap: As in “Squid Game”, the losers of each round die until only one remains to pocket the prize money.

    • Squid Game was a huge success for Netflix:

    Squid Game Season 2 – Announcement (English) HD

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    The manga template for “Last Samurai Standing” was enthusiastically discussed

    What did the critics say? In reviews of the manga, the story is strongly reminiscent of the stories behind Squid Game or Battle Royale. The samurai appear at the temple armed, but at first they think it’s a joke. It is explained to you: You have to overcome 7 checkpoints on the way to Tokyo.

    Desperate fighters in particular accept the dubious offer and hope for the prize money. To get from station to station, the samurai need “points”.

    As with Squid Game, individual, outstanding figures quickly become clear in the sea of ​​samurai:

  • Strong participants appear weak and team up with others
  • others stand out early on as particularly dangerous or strong

    • Makers hope it becomes an international hit

    This is what the author says: Inamura says he was thrilled by the offer: he wrote the novel with the intention of creating a historical novel that would be read around the world. When he wrote the novel, he had Junichi Okada in mind anyway, who will now actually play the main role as Shujiro. A man who joins the fight to help his sick wife and child.

    This is what the main character says: Junichi Okada (43), a former pop star and member of an icon band, says he was thinking about how to make historical material big, not just in Japan, but worldwide. When he discovered the manga and realized that it could reach a global audience with its language and style, he was excited about the idea of ​​​​making the project.

    That’s what Netflix says: They note that it could be quite difficult to implement the material. After all, there are almost 300 actors and everyone needs their own costume. This requires an effort from the whole team.

    More film recommendations:

    A fascinating movie on Netflix is ​​like “Squid Game,” but the game only ends when only one person is left alive

    The cover image is from the film Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai starring Junichi Okada

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