Netflix renews ‘Last Samurai Standing’ for a second season
In one of the most anticipated moves by Netflix ahead of New Year’s, the streamer just officially renewed Last Samurai Standing for a second season, and you need to be here for it!
The period survival thriller follows a once-unbeaten samurai, who signs up for a deadly game, Kodoku, in hopes that it will turn around the family’s situation in the fallen era of samurai.
Speaking of the renewal, Michihito Fujii told Netflix, “I’m honoured to say that the series has officially been greenlit for a second season. It gives me chills just thinking about all the exciting days that lie ahead with this amazing production team led by Junichi Okada. There’s no doubt that season two will be even bigger and better than the first.”
Okada, the lead actor of Last Samurai Standing, who’s also a producer and action choreographer for the show, said, “I’m excited to get back into this wild world and once again charge into battle with the production team. We hope to make the next season even more energetic and action-packed.”
Last Samurai Standing serves as an adaptation of Ikusagami, a best-selling historical fiction novel by Naoki Prize-winning novelist Shogo Imamura and illustrated by Katsumi Tatsuzawa. With the adaptation, Okada wanted to create a new kind of period drama, with just the right amount of action, which, although made entirely in Japan, is “made for the world.”
Since the show’s arrival on Netflix, Last Samurai Standing has undoubtedly become the number one series in Japan. Additionally, it peaked at the top of the Netflix weekly global top ten charts for non-English series, becoming a top ten title in a whopping 88 countries!
“I’m pleased to see that Last Samurai Standing has reached global audiences,” added Okada, beaming with gratitude and pride. In addition to its monumental chart performance, the show also became the first all-Japanese production to earn a nod in the ‘Best Foreign Language Series’ category at the Critics’ Choice Award.
The first season concluded with Kodoku getting more serious than ever, with just the strongest contestants remaining. Following a mysterious summons, Shujiro makes a run for Tokyo with Futaba Katsuki, a desperately determined girl, also caught in this deadly survival game. However, her mission is not just to keep the game going; it’s to find the enigmatic figure behind it all.
Meanwhile, Sujiro’s adopted siblings, including Iroha Kinugasa, Shikura Adashino, and Sansuke Gion, make a resolution to reunite with their brother and defeat Gentosai, the samurai under whose tutelage they had once grown. But now? It’s Gentosai hunting them down. So, it’s no wonder that the second season of Last Samurai Standing is crucial. However, only time will reveal why and how.