Netflix Sensation With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Renewed for Season 2
Breakout hit Last Samurai Standing is returning for season 2, with Netflix fast-tracking the global phenomenon after its Nov. 13 launch rocketed into the non-English global Top 10, drew comparisons to Shogun and Squid Game, and notched a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Netflix is officially bringing back Last Samurai Standing, the period-piece survival thriller that stormed the charts fast and got people making the 'Shogun meets Squid Game' comparison almost instantly.
So, what happened?
Season 2 is a go. Netflix confirmed the renewal on its own Tudum site after the show broke out in a big way right out of the gate. It dropped on November 13 and immediately jumped into the global Top 10 for non-English series. From there, it didn't slow down:
- Release week: hit No. 2 globally among non-English shows
- Week 2: climbed to No. 1
- Held in the Top 3 through the end of the first week of December
And for the scorekeepers: it has been sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which certainly doesn't hurt.
The hook
Set in a brutal, rules-driven contest called Kodoku, 292 samurai enter a battle-royale death match. One survivor walks away with a massive cash prize. Our lead, Shujiro Saga (played by Junichi Okada), signs up not because he's bored, but because he needs the money for his sick family. It's live-action and based on Shogo Imamura's Japanese novel series Ikusagami.
If you like the political edge and period texture of Shogun but also the moral calculus of Squid Game, yeah, it lives in that lane.
Who's steering this thing
Junichi Okada isn't just starring; he's also producing and handling action choreography. Michihito Fujii is both screenwriter and director. Okada's take on what they're building here is pretty clear:
"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."
"My hidden goal was to create a new kind of period drama, one that's also an action drama. Something made entirely in Japan, but made for the world. It's grounded in serious themes, but the characters are sharply drawn, and the story is truly entertaining."
Where things stand now
Season 1 is just six episodes, and all of them are streaming on Netflix. No Season 2 date yet, but given how quickly this thing caught fire, expect Netflix to keep the momentum going.