Netflix has emerged victorious once again when it comes to playing in the action thriller arena. The popular streamer has found much success when it comes to this particular genre, with the platform’s latest offering not only landing a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes but also being hailed as “one of the easiest binge-watches ever.”
Based on the manga series of the same name, the martial arts action series in question is Last Samurai Standing, which is now available to stream in its entirety on Netflix. The series is led by Junichi Okada (From Up on Poppy Hill, Tales from Earthsea) as our samurai hero, who, for the sake of his family, is forced to enter a deadly Squid Game-esque contest in which it’s “one point per life” with the winner claiming a huge cash prize.
Since making its streaming debut at the end of last week, Last Samurai Standing has quickly sliced and diced its way up the streaming charts. The action thriller epic now holds the #1 spot globally on Netflix, and stands firmly in third place in the United States behind the crime drama Absentia and the thriller series The Beast in Me.
Critics & Audiences Heap Praise on Last Samurai Standing
Directed by Michihito Fujii (Shoutai, 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days), the rest of the cast includes Yumia Fujisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Taiiku Okazaki, and Kairi Jo. Last Samurai Standing lasts just six episodes, and you can check out the show’s official synopsis below…
“The curtain rises on an epic battle royale between brave warriors who lived through an uncertain era. In the late 19th century during the Meiji period, 292 warriors, including Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), gather at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto at nightfall, lured by the promise of a huge cash prize. Each given a wooden tag, they join a vicious game in which they must steal the tags of their fellow participants and reach Tokyo to win the prize money. Under the veil of night, the temple grounds are filled with unease and the presence of bloodthirsty warriors. When the signal is given to begin the game, the combatants launch into their relentless battle for survival.”
Turning to the reviews, Last Samurai Standing has been met with much acclaim, as proven by its 100% rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. “Just saying that the show is an audio-visual feast will be an understatement,” says Pramit Chatterjee of Digital Mafia Talkies, with Ready Steady Cut’s Jonathon Wilson likening it to not one, but two of modern TV’s best shows; “this really is Shogun meets Squid Game, to enough of an extent that it’d almost be professionally irresponsible to describe it in any other way.” Sharing these sentiments, Alix Blackburn of Tom’s Guide called the series “perfect for fans of ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Shogun’” and “one of the easiest binge-watches ever.”
Audiences feel similarly, with a whole host of five-star ratings heaping praise on the “remarkable” fight sequences, “great choreography and cinematography,” and a “fascinating” premise. All of which should help Last Samurai Standing become the next big streaming phenomenon.
- Release Date
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November 13, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Michihito Fujii
- Writers
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Shogo Imamura
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Junichi Okada
Shujiro Saga
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Yumia Fujisaki
Futaba Katsuki
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Kaya Kiyohara
Iroha Kinugasa
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Masahiro Higashide
Kyojin Tsuge
