Netflix unveils epic samurai battle royale series ‘Last Samurai Standing’ in 2025 Japan slate

A still from ‘Last Samurai Standing’
| Photo Credit: Netflix

Netflix has announced its ambitious Japanese content slate for 2025, with Last Samurai Standing leading the lineup. The action-packed period drama, described as “ShōgunmeetsSquid Game,” pits 300 samurai warriors against each other in a brutal battle for survival at Kyoto’s Tenryuji Temple, with a staggering 100 billion yen prize at stake.

Starring Junichi Okada — who also serves as producer and action choreographer—the series reimagines the decline of the samurai at the end of the Edo period. Netflix Japan’s content head, Kaata Sakamoto, explained, “Most people think of samurai as glamorous figures, but this series explores what happens when they lose their power and must fight for their lives.”

Beyond Last Samurai Standing, Netflix Japan’s 2025 lineup includes the highly anticipated third season of Alice in Borderland in September, expanding beyond Haro Aso’s manga. In April, director Shinji Higuchi’s Bullet Train Explosion reimagines the 1975 film that inspired Speed, offering unprecedented access to real bullet train facilities.

Other highlights include Glass Heart (July), a music drama starring Takeru Satoh, and Demon City (February 27), a gritty revenge tale led by Toma Ikuta. The romance-heavy lineup features Romantics Anonymous with Shun Oguri and Han Hyo-joo, and Soul Mate in August, starring Hayato Isomura and 2PM’s Ok Taec-yeon.