21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Last Samurai Standing OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Junichi Okada & Yumia Fujisaki's manga series
Last Samurai Standing OTT Release Date: The countdown has begun. If you're a fan of action-packed historical dramas, then this live-action series is a show to keep your eyes on. Based on the award-winning Japanese novel Ikusagami by Shogo Imamura, Last Samurai Standing is all set to premiere on Netflix on November 15, 2025, according to What's on Netflix.
Let's break it down in simple terms: what's this show about, who's in it, and why everyone's talking about it.
What is Last Samurai Standing?
At its heart, Last Samurai Standing is a survival game set during the Meiji period in Japan, a time when the samurai era was ending, and modern times were beginning. In the middle of this transition, 292 warriors are brought together under one rule: steal each other's wooden tags and make it to Tokyo.
The winner takes home a big cash prize. But this isn't just about money. The lead character, Shujiro Saga, joins the deadly game not for fame, but to save his sick wife and child. The stakes are personal, and that's what gives the story real emotional weight.
Who's leading the charge?
Junichi Okada is doing it all. He plays Shujiro Saga, leads the action scenes as choreographer, and is also the producer for the very first time. That's a lot of hats, and he wears them well. Joining him are some big names from Japanese cinema: Yumia Fujisaki plays Futaba Katsuki, a young girl caught up in this deadly fight, Riho Yoshioka is Shino, Shujiro's devoted wife, alongside Kaya Kiyohara, Taichi Saotome, and Yuya Endo playing his allies.
With Kazunari Ninomiya and Yasushi Fuchikami appearing as the mysterious organisers of the game, Takayuki Yamada plays a Kyoto police officer alongside Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, and Hiroshi Tamaki as powerful rivals.
What's the source of Last Samurai Standing?
Last Samurai Standing
is adapted from Ikusagami, a popular manga and historical novel that has won awards and grabbed attention across Japan. The manga, illustrated by Katsumi Tatsuzawa, has been running since 2022 and already has multiple volumes. The story mixes real historical settings with the thrill of modern-day survival games - think Battle Royale meets 13 Assassins.
