Debapriya Bhattacharya
Originally titled ‘Ikusagami,’ ‘Last Samurai Standing‘ is adapted from the manga of the same name by Shogo Imamura. Set during the Meiji era in the late 1800s, it chronicles 292 samurai gathering at Tenryū-ji Temple in Kyoto after sunset. They are provided wooden tags and offered a prize of ¥100,000 to reach Kyoto alive. They themselves are the obstacles in their path, as the objective of the battle royale is to defeat fellow samurai and take their tag. With his wife and child sick at home, Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada) is in desperate need of money and decides to participate in the deadly contest. Created by Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi, and Risa Yashiro for Netflix, the Japanese period action drama interweaves historical storytelling with breathtaking action sequences. If it has managed to catch your interest, here are more shows similar to ‘Last Samurai Standing’ that you may consider for your next binge.
8. Warrior (2019-2023)
Created by Jonathan Tropper, ‘Warrior’ follows Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a martial arts prodigy who moves to San Francisco’s Chinatown from Foshan, China, in the late nineteenth century. His objective has been to find his lost sister Xiaojing, who he discovers is married to Long Zii, the head of the Long Zii Tong. However, Al Sahm appears in Chinatown at a time when the turf war rages on, and he is forced to become an assassin for one of the most powerful families. He also becomes particularly close to brothel madam Ah Toy, with whom he shares his secrets. The historical setting of the brutal action drama makes it similar to ‘Last Samurai Standing.’
7. Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
A Steven Knight creation, ‘Peaky Blinders’ is set in Birmingham, England, and is loosely based on a historical urban youth gang of the same name. The gang is led by Thomas Shelby, a veteran of World War I, who takes charge of the city along with his brothers. They also establish a business empire as a front to stay above board. Throughout the time, they go up against many rival gangs looking to seize control from them, and are forced to fight to keep their place at the top of the food chain, much like what happens with the samurai in ‘Last Samurai Standing.’
6. Marco Polo (2014-2016)
From the mind of John Fusco, ‘Marco Polo’ chronicles the titular explorer’s (Lorenzo Richelmy) adventures in the 13th century while visiting the court of the Mongolian conqueror Kublai Khan. Out to see the world as a teenager, the son of a Venetian merchant earns the confidence of Kunlai Khan after saving the latter’s life. He is invited to stay in his court, which he accepts. However, at the same time, the empire faces many threats, both internal and external. Marco is thus forced to defend his host against them all. Similar to ‘Last Samurai Standing,’ Marco goes up against many strong warriors, marking a new fictional turn in his legend.
5. Giri/Haji (2019)
Created by Joe Barton, ‘Giri/Haji’ revolves around Tokyo detective Kenzo Mori (Takehiro Hira), who travels to London to look for his brother, Yuto (Yōsuke Kubozuka). The latter has been accused of killing a Yakuza member and bringing his home city to the brink of a gang war, before being presumed dead. During his search for his brother halfway across the globe, Kenzo meets Metropolitan Police DC Sarah Weitzmann (Kelly Macdonald) and sex worker Rodney Yamaguchi (Will Sharpe), and wins over their support. He also goes up against many figures in the London underworld, similar to the samurai going up against each other in ‘Last Samurai Standing.’
4. Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (2021)
Developed by Matthew Booi and Simon George, ‘Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan’ is set in feudal Japan between 1551 and 1616, with states going to war with each other to gain control over the country. Following the death of the patriarch of the Nobunaga clan, his son Oda Nobunaga becomes the new head, but the transition of power is made difficult by other family members vying for control. Oda Nobunaga brings central Japan under his control, inviting challenges from other clans, who start to become wary of his ambitions. While it is a recreation of historical events, the show, like ‘Last Samurai Standing,’ depicts samurai going up against each other in a brutal contest.
3. Shigurui: Death Frenzy (2007)
‘Shigurui,’ also known as ‘Shigurui: Death Frenzy,’ is based on the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Takayuki Yamaguchi. Adapted by Seishi Minakami for Madhouse, the story takes place at the beginning of the Edo Era in Japan. Following an extended time of peace, Lord Tokugawa Tadanaga organizes a fighting tournament and replaces the wooden swords used for the matches with real ones. Two competitors who face each other are one-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and blind Irako Seigen, both pupils of the legendary swordsman Iwamoto Kogan. Each wants to best the other, and none wants to concede, locking them in a desperate battle similar to ‘Last Samurai Standing.’
2. Blue Eye Samurai (2023-)
Created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, the animated series ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ centers around Mizu, a half-white, half-Japanese girl who sees her mother tortured in front of her by her White father and grows up facing discrimination. To help her avoid humiliation, her adoptive mother dresses up as a boy. However, this also provides Mizu with the advantage of having more social freedom to prepare for her revenge. She becomes an onna-musha, a woman samurai, and sets out to defeat the men who have wronged her. Much like ‘Last Samurai Standing,’ Mizu single-handedly goes up against numerous other samurai.
1. Shōgun (2024-)
Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 eponymous novel, ‘Shōgun’ is set in 17th-century Japan, a time when the country is on the brink of a civil war. With the Council of Regents united against him, Lord Yoshii Toranaga wages a seemingly losing war until he discovers an English merchant ship marooned in a nearby fishing village. The curious shōgun investigates and discovers a secret that helps him turn the tide in the war. Similar to ‘Last Samurai Standing,’ the show is a depiction of Japanese samurai in the past, and their relentless efforts to outdo one another.
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