Ghost Of Tsushima meets Squid Game in brutal new Netflix show

An upcoming Netflix show looks like a fun mix between Ghost of Tsushima and Squid Game– but don’t assume that this one is a simple cash grab, because it’s actually based on an award-winning 2021 manga.

As revealed in a press release on Netflix’s official website back in 2024, Last Samurai Standing is “an intriguing tale of survival and honor” that will land on the streaming platform in November this year.

“Set in the late 19th century during the Meiji period, Last Samurai Standing takes place at the Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto,” states the press release.

“Come nightfall, 292 skilled warriors gather, lured by the promise of a grand prize of 100 billion yen. Among them is our protagonist, Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), who enters this dangerous game with one goal: to save his ailing wife and child.”

Now if that sounds like Squid Game except everyone has a sword, you’re not too far off the mark.

However, Ikusagami, the novel (and later manga) that Last Samurai Standing is based on, actually came out in 2021, so its conception actually precedes Squid Game’s release on Netflix in September 2021.

Now I’ve not actually read the novelisation of Ikusagami (apologies but I’m not smart enough to read stuff without pictures), but I have read a little bit of the manga adaptation.

So, take my word on it when I say this is actually something genuinely worth getting excited for. While the premise may sound like your standard Battle Royale-esque kind of affair, the plot goes in some pretty interesting directions straight off the bat.

I’m mostly just curious as to whether or not Netflix will make the adaptation as gory as it deserves to be because, from what I understand, later parts of the novel get extra R-rated.

Here’s hoping this one hits the mark when the first season drops in November.